Jack Erisman has been a visionary Illinois farmer for more than six decades. Farming over 2,000 acres near Pana, Illinois, Jack began implementing regenerative practices as early as 1963. Long before it was common practice, he reduced tillage, incorporated long crop rotations including cover crops, managed integrated livestock systems, and ceased using synthetic insecticides and anhydrous ammonia by 1969. In 1988, the same year SARE was founded, Jack began transitioning his operation to certified organic, with both his grain and livestock systems achieving certification in the early 1990s.
Erisman’s innovative methods gained national attention, and he became a trusted voice in sustainable agriculture. His work was highlighted in multiple SARE publications, including a featured profile in Steel in the Field (2001) and contributions to Managing Cover Crops Profitably and SARE’s Outreach Handbook Series. He served on North Central Region SARE’s Administrative Council from 2006-2007, and participated in grant review panels, consistently providing insight and leadership to advance farmer-led research. He also served on the NCR-SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Review Committee and the Illinois SARE State Program Advisory Board. Erisman also hosted numerous on-farm SARE-funded research projects that addressed key environmental and agronomic challenges, including nutrient and pesticide runoff, perennial weed management, and the integration of cover crops into row crop systems.
Beyond research, Jack has been a powerful educator and connector. He received the 2011 R.J. Vollmer Sustainable Agriculture Farmer of the Year Award for inspiring others to adopt sustainable practices. He has hosted countless field days and workshops, gave frequent talks at conferences like MOSES and OGrain, and produced educational media, including a widely viewed video on establishing crop rotations. His presentations on integrating livestock into cash grain systems drew audiences from across the Midwest.
His leadership has extended into policy and organizational development. Jack played a foundational role in forming the Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society, Council on Food and Agricultural Research, Illinois Organic Growers Association, and Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative. He also served as president of the Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Network and helped shape national organic policy through the Rodale Institute’s Organic Farmers Association.
Jack’s influence has reached future generations of farmers, including his son, Ryan Erisman, who has been implementing regenerative integrating pastured pigs, grass-fed beef, and feed crops in rotation with limited tillage on a small-scale farm in Wisconsin and was recognized as a Dane County Climate Champion in 2022. Erisman’s research legacy also lives on through collaborations with the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University’s Allison Farm, and the Dudley Smith Research Center, where he supported trials on soil health, compaction, nematodes, and cover crops.
In 2017, the University of Illinois honored Erisman by naming a soft red winter wheat variety after him. That same year, he presented his work with Kernza, an intermediate wheatgrass from The Land Institute, at the Prairie Festival—further demonstrating his lifelong commitment to diversifying crops and improving climate resilience.
Even into his 80s, Jack has continued mentoring, teaching, and advocating. His life’s work has left an indelible mark on the land, the science, and the people shaping the future of sustainable agriculture.
Leaders in sustainable agriculture offered tributes as Erisman was nominated and selected to receive this recognition, including:
- Jack Erisman, whose name connotes honor and courage, more than lives up to his name. Jack’s vision and commitment to stewardship have inspired folks in his local, farming, and educational communities for over 70 years. One reason for this is that he farms to his own sweet tune, forgoing use of synthetic insecticides or purchased off-farm Nitrogen beginning in 1969 and transitioning to organic farming in 1988, which was the year SARE was founded. His early and ongoing embrace of sustainable agriculture, inquisitive mind, and generous spirit made him an invaluable thought leader within SARE and the wider sustainable agriculture community. His wisdom is shared through print -check out his profile in "Steel in the Field" advice on cover crops in 'Managing Cover Crops Profitably' and contributions to the SARE Outreach Handbook Series Book 9-, and through too many presentations and panel discussions to count. This "idea" man collaborated with many, conducting research on his land. Additional service includes contributions to the Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society, Illinois Stewardship Alliance and the Council on Food and Agriculture Research in the 1990s, service as President of the Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Network, participation in the AfriFirst project to create a vision for Illinois Food Systems, the Illinois Organic Growers Association, Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative, the steering committee for Rodale Institute's Organic Farmers Association, and the Organic Farmers Alliance. Knowing and working with this SARE Hero is an honor and a privilege. Thank you, Jack, and thank you, Jeannie, for sharing him with all of us! - Michelle Wander, University of Illinois