Nearly 30 years ago, Thomas Titus was loading up a 3’ Kent Feeds bag with feed scoops, paint sticks and gum boxes at the Illinois Pork Expo. In 2022, his role at the Illinois Pork Expo looked a little different. Titus, a pig farmer from Elkhart, Ill., was elected to serve as president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
“Today, I get to start my opportunity to help lead an organization with absolutely the best staff and board quite arguably of any ag association in Illinois,” Titus said during his acceptance speech at the annual meeting on Feb. 22. “IPPA is an organization that is held in extremely high regard within the industry. Through my interactions, conversations and presence at meetings when our staff and board speak, people listen, not only stateside but at the national level as well. IPPA is a crucial cog in what makes Illinois a perennial top-producing agricultural state.”
Farm Journal’s PORK sat down with Titus during the Illinois Pork Expo to visit with him about the year ahead and learn about one of the newest leaders in the pork industry.
Q. Tell us about your background in agriculture.
A. I was raised on a grain and livestock farm in East Central Illinois prior to attending the University of Illinois and attaining a degree in agricultural education. I went to work for Cargill’s Pork Business Unit in Wichita, Kan., for six years to develop a greater business acumen while still being able to maintain my passion for the pork industry. After marrying my wife, Breann Conrady, we joined her family farming operation raising corn, soybeans and pigs. I enjoy being active in the ag industry as a past Face of Farming and Ranching for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, past President of the Chester White Swine Records Association, Certified Pedigreed Swine Executive board member and a member of the Team Purebred Adult board. I’m also a graduate of NPPC’s Pork Leadership Institute and was a participant in the NPPC Pork 2050 visioning group.
Q. Describe your farming operation.
A. We have around 600 sows on our farrow-to-finish farm. We market around 12,000 pigs annually. We also raise and sell some show pigs, primarily so our kids will have the opportunity to show pigs. My wife and I farm with her parents, David and Lisa, primarily on the pork side. Her brother, Brett, and his wife, Janna, manage the grain side of our farm. Between our families, we have five kids running around the farm keeping us busy at all times.
Q. What’s the best part of being a pig farmer?
A. I’m grateful to be able to raise our children, Reagan and Lakin, on the farm. The opportunity to continue the legacy with the next generation is my ultimate goal and reward.
Thomas, Lakin, Breann and Reagan Titus on their farm in east central Illinois.
Q. Why did you say yes to leading the Illinois Pork Producers Association?
A. My family’s ties to the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) run deep. My mom was president of the women’s board back in the early 1990s and Breann’s dad served on the board for many years. I’ve always had a great passion for the pork industry, and leadership in IPPA is something that both sides of our family see value in and are passionate about. I knew I had the support of family – which made saying yes to this commitment possible. I believe it’s important to be a voice for the industry and help represent the industry so it can continue to be an opportunity for the next generation.
Q. What are some of your goals for upcoming year?
A. One of my greatest priorities for this next year is our Pork Power program. We’re approaching a great milestone with that program of nearly 1 million pounds of pork donated through local food banks. Giving back is important to IPPA and being able to expose more people to ground pork, a product they may not have utilized before, is exciting. As the popularity of ground pork burgers and brats continue to grow, I think this commitment to giving back to our communities will also build demand and interest in ground pork, too.
I’m also excited about the evolution of the education and youth side, from both a non-farm and on-farm perspective. We’ve been partnering with the Illinois State Fair and Ohio State University to put on a biosecurity clinic the last couple years. It helps put a face on our organization with the youth in our state who enjoy showing pigs. We enjoy showcasing industry opportunities because let’s face it – we need the entire gamut of workers within the pork industry. But most importantly, we need boots on the ground at the farms. There are people who have a passion for that and there are some very good paying jobs for those kids. In the past, you may not have thought of going back and working on a farm or being an employee as a potentially prosperous opportunity, but with the level of competition out there now, it certainly is. We need to value the people that enjoy working with livestock.
Q. What makes the IPPA team click?
A. Last year’s president Alan Kollman was so committed to attending industry functions and did such a great job representing IPPA. He set the bar high. Our 2022 board is comprised of people with unique and dynamic skill sets. We’re not cookie cutters at all. I think that’s what makes our board so good right now.
Q. Why are IPPA’s legislative efforts so important?
A. We need to be in tune with the legislative and policy side of our industry and continue to build those relationships. With some of the redistricting that we’ve seen at the state and national level, we’re seeing legislators are more interested in having a conversation or coming out to the farm. Gaining exposure to the leaders that are helping shape the laws in Washington, DC, or in Springfield is very important.
Q. What kind of a leader are they getting in you?
A. Dynamic and flexible. I believe that you have to be versatile and prepared for different challenges to serve in a role like this. I’m passionate about communication – not only within the industry, but also with our legislative partners and colleagues in the supply chain.
Check out this video of Titus from the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Frustrated Pork Producers Raise Questions About Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
4 Ways FFA Shaped My Life for the Better
