Generational land stewardship, efficient production practices and investment in both people and infrastructure have helped Leman Farms, Inc., thrive. A third-generation, family-owned agricultural enterprise located near Eureka, Ill., the farm is deeply rooted in diversified crop and livestock production — raising corn, soybeans, seed beans and pork.
The Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) recognized the Leman Family as the IPPA Family of the Year at the 2026 Illinois Swine Mixer. This award honors a pork producing family who has contributed to the long-term success of the industry through leadership and pork promotion on the local and state levels.
Where It All Began
The Leman family’s story starts with Chad’s grandfather, Vernon, who started farming the main homestead in 1948, laying the groundwork for future generations by cultivating crops and raising a mix of livestock. He and his wife Viola had four sons. Their oldest son, Keith, returned to the farm with his wife Dorothy in 1973. Keith’s older brothers, Gene and Alan, were also heavily involved in the pork industry. Gene was the vice president at Iowa Beef Packers and then Tyson Foods, and Dr. Al Leman was one of the premier swine vets in the country. Their brother, Hap, is a farmland investor along with his sons.
Keith and Dorothy slowly transitioned the operation to swine only. In the early 80’s, Keith built his first farrowing barn followed with a gestation, nursery and finishing barn over the years. Keith often hired high school boys to help with hog and field work.
“Their faith in God was always front and center as they started with meager means and worked hard over many years to create a farm that could be passed down to the next generation,” IPPA says.
Pursuing Excellence
Today Keith and Dorothy’s son, Chad, serves as president of Leman Farms, Inc. As a third-generation farmer, he has helped guide the evolution of the family’s enterprise from traditional row crops and a small farrow-to-finish operation to a fully diversified farm that markets approximately 120,000 hogs annually alongside its corn and soybean production.
“Within Leman Farms, Chad is known for balancing strategic planning with day-to-day operational excellence — from managing grain logistics and marketing to building a reliable, experienced team and welcoming the next generation into the business,” IPPA says. “His approach emphasizes hard work, thoughtful risk management and a deep sense of responsibility to the land, livestock, employees and community.”
His wife, Staci, is instrumental in the daily routine at Leman Farms. She oversees all recordkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, and employee payroll. Her workload increases during spring planting and fall harvest delivering meals to the field crews.
At the heart of the farm are its employees, several of whom have worked at Leman Farms between 15 and 30 years.
“This continuity and experience has made it possible to have measured growth without sacrificing performance and productivity,” the Lemans explain. “Between hog care, feed milling, repair shop, trucking and fieldwork, these men and women have been extremely dedicated and treat the farm as though it is their own. Without this team, Leman Farms would not look the way it does today.”
The Lemans also attribute their success in part to the contract growers who work alongside their team. These growers provide daily care of the pigs and maintenance of their barns while utilizing the manure on their own crop acres. These relationships have served as a win/win for the Lemans and the grower partners.
Chad is an active leader on his farm and in his community, but IPPA says his leadership extends beyond the farm.
“He served as President of IPPA in 2023, where he focused on industry challenges such as labor shortages and policy issues affecting pork producers statewide, advocating for practical solutions and stronger agricultural representation,” IPPA says. “Much of his time on the board at IPPA involved working directly with state and federal legislators to improve foreign labor access for small and mid-size farms. After the 2023 Supreme Court Prop 12 ruling, Chad focused much of his time and energy on creating and communicating a practical solution to lawmakers in DC along with representatives from the USDA.”
Chad and Staci would be quick to say their greatest achievement in life are their children. They have four daughters and a son-in-law. Their oldest, Tessa, returned to the farm in 2022 after graduating with a business degree from Illinois State University. Her responsibilities center around agronomic decision making and human resources. Their second daughter, Darby, married Hunter Gladson and teaches Spanish at a local high school. Her fluency in languages has been an important resource at Leman Farms as they rely more heavily on workers from other countries. Finally, their youngest daughters Sofie and Sierra work off-farm jobs and live nearby.
