Pam Janssen
At Large
Pam Janssen’s family has a 300 head farrow-to-finish pig farm in Woodford County. They are 6th generation farmers. The farm has 200 head of feeder calves and 1,200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. Their farm was established in 1874 and has been recognized as a centennial farm. Pam attends the First Baptist Church in Minonk and supplies sausage for the Minonk Fire & Rescue squad’s annual sausage and pancake breakfast in her community. She also hosts tours for the Illinois Central College agriculture classes to expand their knowledge of pork production. Pam and her husband Bob have three children, Ben (Monika), Kim (Brandon) and Brian, plus four grandchildren.
Pam states that being part of IPPA has allowed her to gain valuable information as a producer. If she could give advice to someone looking to expand into livestock production it would be to make sure to learn all the rules and regulations first, as to not become a target for non-farm people, and then simply enjoy what you do.
How do you believe the landscape of the industry has changed over the last five years?
“There are less and less small farmers. This impacts the connection between farms and urban families. We need to keep telling our stories and letting them know even though the sizes have changed we are still family farms.
- IPPA Board Member since 2010, serving in all officer positions, including Past President