Meet Pervis Ellis: New IL Corn Board Director

January 9, 2025

Tara Desmond

IL Corn is thrilled to welcome Pervis Ellis (Ellis) as a new board member, representing District 15 and the farmers of Southern Illinois. With his decades of experience, deep community ties, and commitment to agriculture, Ellis brings a vital perspective to our efforts. His leadership will help amplify the voices of farmers in Springfield and Washington, D.C., ensuring their needs and priorities remain at the forefront of policy discussions. We look forward to the impact Pervis will make in advocating for a stronger future for Illinois agriculture.

 

Ellis, a lifelong farmer and community leader from Saline County, Illinois, has spent decades cultivating crops and connections. Alongside his wife, Wendy, whom he met in high school, Pervis has raised three daughters, welcomed six grandchildren, and dedicated time to mentoring as 4-H leaders, church camp volunteers, and Sunday School teachers.

 

Here's some fun Q and A to get to know Pervis, the new District 15 IL Corn Growers Assocaition board directors:

Q: Tell us about your farm

A: Our farm is located in Saline County near Harrisburg, IL Our family moved from Bell City, MO-near Sikeston, to our present location in 1965. A cotton wagon was my day care center in the Fall. As co-manager of Ellis Brothers Farms with my brother Gary, we grow white corn, soybeans, and wheat on challenging gumbo soil, embracing innovative solutions like drainage tile to improve our land.

 

Q: What would your spirit animal be and why

A: I would love to be our farm dog. Doesn't have a care in the world, especially eating, but is always expecting the head and ears to be rubbed.

 

Q: What are you thankful for in 2024?

A: Highlights of 2024 that we added another grandaugter(#5) and being asked by a good friend, Joe Murphy, to replace him on the IL Corn Growers Associationi Board.

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.
By Tara Desmond July 3, 2025
Mid-Year Highlights: IL Corn Top 10 Read Stories
A map of the world with arrows pointing to trade countries
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.
Top Videos of 2025
By Tara Desmond July 2, 2025
Harvesting the Best: A Look at IL Corn’s Top 10 Videos of 2025
By Lindsay Croke June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.
The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen June 27, 2025
From Springfield to D.C., lawmakers are listening, and Illinois corn farmers are leading the conversations.
Show More