The AgriVision Award is presented annually during the Indiana State Fair to Hoosiers who make major contributions to farming, agribusiness, and agbiosciences. Putnam County farmer Mark Legan is this year’s recipient of Indiana’s highest agricultural honor. He received the award Thursday from Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
“It’s truly an honor. It was a surprise to me, but when I look at past recipients, it’s a pretty elite class and I’m humbled to be a part of it.”
In his acceptance speech, Legan told the crowd that he’s lived a blessed life. Legan Livestock and Grain operates a sow breed-to-wean hog enterprise alongside roughly 1,000 acres of row crops, primarily corn and soybeans. But Legan says they’re just as much a people business as they are pigs or corn.
“When I look back over my career, it’s been the people that have made the difference. Involvement in Indiana Pork Producers, Indiana Soybean Alliance, US Meat Export Federation—all of those things, I think, have really helped contribute to give me a broader perspective of things that go on and that are important outside of our farm.”
In addition to those organizations, Legan has also served as a board member for the National Pork Producers Council, an advisory member for the Purdue University Dean’s Advisory Council, on the 8th Congressional District Ag Advisory Committee, and he was former member of the Chicago Federal Reserve Advisory Committee.
The farm has also earned recognition for their extensive conservation efforts, like the Conservation Legacy Award. Legan is a true pioneer in conservation and responsible farming. He has embraced no-till practices and cover crops to reduce erosion and improve soil health, significantly outperforming statewide averages. He also incorporates natural fertilization methods that promote a more sustainable, circular approach to his operation and takes part in the National Pork Board’s environmental benchmarking initiative which tracks and improves environmental performance across the pork sector.
Legan didn’t start out as a farmer.
“Right out of Purdue, I was an agriculture Extension agent for a year and a half in Jennings County, and then for five or six years there in Putnam County. This was back during the mid-1980s. It was a pretty tough time for agriculture. Not only were prices depressed, but guys’ balance sheets and financial statements were cut in half in just a matter of years when land prices crashed. But I saw at that time, there were still farmers that were thriving and able to manage through it.”
Legan thanked his wife Phyllis, who he describes as “one in a million” for taking that leap of faith with him back in 1989.
“Mark’s story is one of building something lasting – not just a farm, but a legacy rooted in integrity, family and stewardship of the land,” said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “He has spent his career mentoring the next generation of farmers while never losing sight of what matters most: doing right by his land, his community and the people who will carry this work forward. Indiana agriculture is stronger because of leaders like Mark.”
Congratulations to Mark Legan, this year’s AgriVision Award recipient!
