Main wants to see his community, people thrive

ALTONA, Ill. — Heroes don’t wear capes. They’re paged at 3 a.m. to fight a fire, the next day they’re advocating for ag on Capitol Hill and the following day pitching in for the local FFA.

Oh, yes, and then there are those full-time jobs of raising corn, soybeans and livestock, while being a husband and father.

Tyler Main does all of that and much more behind the scenes to serve the community he loves, while being a booster for agricultural causes that have impacts well beyond his family’s Knox County farm.

Main has an independent wean-to-finish swine operation, along with producing corn and soybeans on the family farm west of Altona in west-central Illinois.

His wife, Elise, is an ag teacher and FFA adviser at ROWVA School District and they have a 1-year-old son, Mitchell.

“We’re independent and we don’t have any sows on the farm. My dad, Pete, and my uncle, Steve, own sows in a sow-share cooperative along with some other owners. So, we own all the pigs on our farm,” said Main on May 5.

“We got 1,283 pigs shipped in this morning and that many more coming in on Thursday to fill that building up. We’re responsible for about 16,000 head of pigs a year, and we’re feeding closer to 25,000 to 30,000 head.

“I’ve been back to the farm since I got out of college nearly 10 years ago. I do all of the day-to-day stuff. I farm some of my own land, and my wife and I have a few cows that we mess around with.”

His grandfather, father and uncle have all been pork producers. Main was able to return to the farm after attending Black Hawk College East in Kewanee and then earning a bachelor’s degree at Illinois State University, majoring in agronomy management.

“My uncle took a step back from the farm when I came home from college and he’s kind of semi-retired. He doesn’t do as much day to day anymore, but still has financial ownership and all of that,” he said.

Main primarily uses a 50-50 corn-soybean rotation, but is a little heavier on corn this year.

“We put 180 acres back to corn this year. It’s on a farm that has a lot of fertility. It had a lot of hog manure over the years. So, we’re trying to utilize that fertility and we put it back to corn again this year,” he said.

Pork Promotion

His willingness to step up and help is in Main’s DNA.

“My dad and my uncle have always been ones to jump in and lend a hand. I think that’s definitely been paid back to us, too. My dad was hurt in a farm accident a few years ago and all the neighbors jumped in and rallied and helped us finish the harvest that year,” he said.

“Dad sat on several boards when I was younger and my uncle’s always been involved and he’s still involved in the Knox County Pork Producers board and was on the state pork board.

“I’m just very passionate about agriculture, especially here in Knox County and my local community in Altona, and it’s just a way to give back and promote the industry.”

Carrying on the tradition, Main joined the Knox County Pork Producers board when he returned home from college and is in his fourth year serving on the Illinois Pork Producers Association board.

“I’d actually just got off the Knox County Pork board because I wanted to do a little less and then Cheryl Walsh from Peoria County cornered me at the Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting in Chicago and asked me if I would be interested in being on the IPPA board. I kind of hee-hawed around and eventually said yes and I’m glad I did because it’s been a great experience and I’m very glad to have that opportunity,” he said.

Main is currently enrolled in the Pork Leadership Institute through the National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board.

“There’s 19 of us in the group from across the country. We met in Des Moines, Iowa, in January for a couple days. We were in Washington, D.C., the second week of April for a few days lobbying and doing some leadership things. It’s a yearlong program. We meet again in June and we’ll go back to D.C. in the fall. It’s been a good experience so far,” he said.

“As an independent producer, it’s nice to see exactly where your pork checkoff dollars are being spent, have an input on what they’re doing with those dollars and how they’re being utilized and marketed.

“What I enjoy so much is all the opportunities I’ve had with all the networking and get to know people, what they do and things about their operation, even if they’re not in agriculture per se. It’s an industry that I care about deeply, have long ties to and plan to be involved for a long time.”

Local Service

Main joined the Altona Fire Department about nine years ago and is a certified first responder.

“I really enjoy that as a way to give back to my community, and being involved in my community is important. I really enjoy this community where I’m from, and I want to see it thrive and the people thrive in it,” he said.

“I also try to be involved with the Grover Community Church in Altona as much as I can be, attending church and events. It’s the same church I grew up in and I plan to have my kids grow up in it, too. It’s very important to me and our family to have that experience and that life.”

Corn Growers

Main is in his second year as president of the Knox County Corn Growers board, an organization that will have its 40th annual meeting this summer.

“It’s been around for a long time. Hopefully we can keep that going. It’s getting harder and harder to find people who want to sit on those boards and do those things,” he said.

“We’ve got a good group of guys on that board and I really enjoy that organization. We work with the Illinois Corn Growers Association on some promotions and things. We’re just trying to promote corn here in Knox County the best we can.”

Farm Bureau

He’s also been an active member of the Knox County Farm Bureau, including serving a three-year term on the board.

“We’ve got a great Farm Bureau in Knox County and staff. It’s very active with the kids in livestock and 4-H programs,” Main said.

“I got involved with the Knox County Farm Bureau Young Leaders when I was fresh out of high school. I’ve been involved with that for a long time now. I was chairman for about three years a few years ago, and I’m still involved in the Young Leaders.”

Don’t Miss Opportunities

Main’s involvement in various organizations and dedicating time toward his community centers around opportunities.

“I’ve always tried to take advantage of every opportunity that I’ve been given, whether it’s being a board or a trip through Farm Bureau or whoever. I just try to always take as many of those opportunities that I can,” he said.

“I’ve met a ton of great people. I’ve done a lot of cool things and have seen a lot of things, but at the same time, especially now as I have a son here at home and a young family, it’s definitely getting harder and harder to do those things. So, I’m glad I’ve been involved as much as I have up until this point.”

Home Team

Behind the each everyday hero is a supportive family.

“I couldn’t do what I do with all of these organizations without my wife holding things down here at home, and she has a busy schedule, too, as ag teacher and FFA advisor at ROWVA. There’s a lot of nights where we just pass coming and going and who’s got daycare duty and who’s got Mitchell tonight,” Main said.

“I’m thankful to have her and all that she does for me and for our family, and my parents are also close to help with babysitting when they’re able to.”