Illinois Farm Families Star in Super Bowl LVIII Commercial
Super Bowl LVIII fans in Illinois will be able to cheer on some familiar faces in a commercial during the big game on Sunday. Illinois pork producer Chad Leman will be starring, alongside family and farming friends, in a commercial titled “Career Path,” closing out Illinois Farm Families’ (IFF) “We are the 96%” campaign" that highlights the state’s family-owned farms.
For current past president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association and father of four daughters, the commercial is all about communicating and building trust with consumers.
"I hope people can see that the same families who have been responsible for growing their food in the past are still responsible for growing it today," he says. "But, we've had to grow a little in the meantime so the next generation has room to move in."
It's an honor to be included in a message that will be broadcast to millions of people, he says. He hopes that it will help improve understanding of life on the farm today.
Tess, a recent college graduate, will hopefully never be too old to learn something new from her grandpa. (Photo courtesy of Illinois Farm Families)
Leman and his wife, Staci, recently welcomed the newest generation to join their four-generation farm. Tess, their oldest daughter, is a recent Illinois State University graduate and has come home to the family farm.
"The next gens don't have to come back to the farm, but the values and work ethic they learned growing up on the farm will benefit them in whatever path they pursue," he says. "No matter what our daughters pursue in life, we hope they carry with them a fondness of the time they spent on our family farm."
The Leman family farm was established in 1949 when his grandfather, Vernon Leman, began farming the main farmstead in Woodford County. Since then, with each new generation has come an opportunity to expand the family farm, Leman says. It started with crops. Then, pigs in the late 1970s. Next, creating a business to sell seed to fellow farmers in the early 1990s.
"It’s a testament to our parents and grandparents that they created laid the foundation for us to continue to grow and expand," Leman says.
The Boucher family of Dwight in Livingston County includes, from left: Delaney, Matt, Heather and Harlie. Not pictured is son, Cole. (Photo courtesy of Illinois Farm Families)
Matt Boucher, a fourth-generation Illinois farmer, will appear in the commercial with daughter, Harlie. He became involved in the “We are the 96%” campaign after sharing a photo of him and his daughter in the combine while his father was driving the auger cart. The photo highlighted the generational aspect of farming.
“There’s a scene in the commercial where we’re walking away from the camera and I’m literally tossing her the keys to the combine with the next shot of her driving the combine. It’s a really cool representation of that idea of passing on the farm to the next generation,” Boucher says.
Boucher farms alongside his wife, Heather, with help from their teenaged children Harlie, Cole and Delaney in Livingston County. Together, they raise corn, soybeans, wheat and cover crops, as well as pork and chicken for local sales. The operation also includes a trucking business and seed sales.
"The vast majority of Illinois farms are not owned by big corporations," Boucher points out. "It’s a huge honor to participate in this campaign and act as a bridge between farmers and people outside of agriculture to help them understand where their food comes from, how its grown, and the families that make it all possible.”
The Leman and Boucher families will be joined by the Marr family of Morgan County, the DeSutter family of Knox County and the Bunting family of Livingston County.
The entire Marr family came together for a family photo during a harvest video shoot for the “We are the 96%” campaign. (Photo by Illinois Farm Families)
“I’m only one example of what family farms in Illinois look like, but I know it is so important for all the non-farming families in Illinois to see our families and to understand that we are the ones growing their food and fuel," says Marty Marr, a third-generation farmer who works alongside his wife, brother and sons on their Sangamon-Morgan County farm. "We look just like them in so many ways and we all value the same things – family, relationships, protecting our soil and water for future generations, building opportunity for our kids to find a future in the job that they love. I hope that everyone in Illinois who has the chance to watch will see that passion for the family farm in this commercial.”
The commercial will air in the Champaign, Peoria-Bloomington, Quad Cities, Quincy, Rockford, Springfield, St. Louis and Southern Illinois markets, including the Evansville, Ind., and Cape Girardeau, Mo., markets.
All families appearing in the commercial are profiled on the campaign’s website at wearethe96.org. Visitors can view behind-the-scenes footage and learn more about each family, their history on the farm and what their farm looks like today. More photos and videos of the families participating throughout the campaign will appear on IFF’s social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts, IFF said in a release. Following the on-air debut, the full commercial will be available on IFF’s Facebook page and website.
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Super Bowl Commercial Puts Spotlight on Illinois Farming Family
