Anderson: Dean family honored by Pork Producers

[Tweed]

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/020905/bus_20050209010.shtml

"Rick Dean shies from the limelight. He would rather work tirelessly behind the scenes with no recognition to make life better for his fellow Central Illinois farmers and rural residents.

So, when he and his family recently got thrust into the spotlight as the Illinois Pork Producer Family of the Year, he responded simply and quietly.

"We were so honored," said Dean, of LeRoy.

The award annually goes to a pork producing family that has done an outstanding job promoting pork, and has served in county, state and national leadership roles. A committee of past Illinois Pork Producers Association officers nominated the Deans.

The Deans fit the bill completely. Rick and his brother, Randy, grow 2,200 acres of grain and own Dean Bacon & Beef. The latter involves a 150 head cow-calf herd and a 300-head feedlot. They also raise about 6,000 hogs annually through a sow cooperative, Inter-D Pork."

Chris Anderson writes articles that focus on farm issues for a newspaper in Bloomington, IL. Every Wednesday, it's a highlight article. I figure I could post a couple of them in here.