Update from the pork president

EMINGTON – 2018 was an exciting an interesting year for the Illinois Pork Producers Association, according to the organization’s president.

“It seems like the end of the year was much better than the middle was,” said Mike Haag during a livestock open house in Livingston County this week.

Looking back on the 2018 growing season, Haag was unfortunate to have a drought strike his farm. His was one of the few areas in the state that did not have a very good crop with below average yields.

Illinois Pork Expo is coming Jan. 29-30 at the Bank of Springfield Center, formerly the Prairie Capital Convention Center. A record number of exhibitors are expected and several legislators will attend a legislative reception.

“We have 50 new legislators here in the state, so hopefully we can get as many of them there and get an opportunity to show them about our industry and explain how important agriculture is to Illinois,” Haag said.

Speaking about this week’s opening of a new pig barn at the Defenbaugh farm in Livingston County, Haag said it was nice to see someone close to home expand their farming operation.

“It’s great to see a young family being brought back in the livestock industry and just see the growth here in our county.”

Haag has served on the IPPA board for 14 years and has been on every committee and held all of the executive positions. He is a fourth-generation farmer on his family’s centennial farm which includes 1,700 acres of corn and soybeans and a 17,000 head wean-to-finish hog operation. Mike and his wife, Trisha, have three kids: Kaleb, Brooke and Kacie.