Adams – Beef Family of the Year

The Illinois Beef Association recently selected the Adams Family of Sandwich as this year’s Farm Family of the Year. Alan and JoAnn Adams, along with their son, Ross, his wife,
Jessie, and their two children, work together to raise corn, soybeans, and cattle on their farm located south of Sandwich.

The fifth generation of the Adams family to farm this ground, Alan joined the operation after college. As he and JoAnn started their family, they also began to grow their cattle enterprise. The operation expanded again when Ross and Jessie came back to the farm in 2009 with the addition of their first new cattle barn. They’ve built two more barns since then to accommodate more feeder cattle and to hopefully try and generate the income that would sustain both families.

And while the feedlot provides these opportunities for growth, the Adams family enjoys running their small cow-calf herd on their rolling, wooded pastures. With 1,500 cattle, the family still provides exceptional care for the animals and holds great concern for meeting consumer demands. As the family focuses on raising a quality product, they also look towards the future of the operation and sustaining it for the seventh generation.

Alan previously served as president of the Illinois Beef Association. Alan and JoAnn are members of the DeKalb County and LaSalle County Farm Bureaus and Illinois Farm Families and have also hosted several farm tours to educate others about beef production.

From the July issue of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau’s Connections Publication