Jimmy Tosh and Tosh Farms of Henry won the 2019 Top Producer of the Year award at the Farm Journal’s Top Producer Summit in Chicago. More than 650 farmers representing the country’s largest and most progressive operations were in attendance.
The entire Tosh family was on hand to accept the award. Tosh Farms is located in Henry and began in 1972 when Jimmy Tosh began his full-time farming career. He farmed 300 acres of family land and finished 1,000 feeder pigs. The operation today has grown to 17,000 acres of white and yellow corn, soybeans, canola and wheat, as well as 37,000 sows that produce 850,000 market hogs annually.
Farm Journal Media has been giving the award for 20 years and officials said Tosh was named Top Producer of the Year because of his entrepreneurial originality, financial and business progress and industry and community leadership. Tosh was selected from three finalists that were narrowed down from a long list from across the country.
Tosh farms has nearly 400 full-time employees. Tosh and his wife, Alonna, have two sons, Jamey and Jonathan, who are involved in the business and will succeed Tosh.
“I want to make sure this operation is as successful in the future as it was in the past,” he said.
Producers from 33 states are at the Summit.
