Feeding Illinois: Connecting Farmers to Local Food Pantries

Feeding Illinois works across all 102 counties to support neighbors facing food insecurity and farmers play a central role in that effort. On the latest episode of IL Corn TV, host John Klemm sits down with Feeding Illinois Executive Director Steve Ericson to discuss how the organization partners with seven food banks and more than 2,500 local pantries to move food where it’s needed most.

Ericson highlights the Farm to Food Bank initiative, which began as a small pilot in 2021 and has grown to capture nearly 30 million pounds of fresh food, including produce and protein. The program starts with farmers, focusing on keeping food local, reducing waste and creating simple pathways for participation. The episode also explores Grain for Good, a pilot program giving corn and soybean farmers a way to support local food pantries through their grain transactions, with funding reinvested back into Illinois communities.

Throughout the conversation, Ericson emphasizes the importance of volunteers, partnerships and efficient logistics getting food from the field to families quickly and responsibly. The episode offers a clear look at how Illinois agriculture continues to step up for its neighbors, both on and off the farm.