Many Peoria County schoolchildren know Cheryl Walsh as the Pig Lady. It’s a title she’s particularly fond of, but it’s just one of many roles this fourth-generation grain, oilseed and livestock farmer fulfills as she serves her community and helps run the family farm.
A member of the Illinois Pork Producers Association’s Farm Family of the Year in recent years, Walsh talks with Partners about the challenges of farming today, the importance of advocating for and informing the public about agriculture, and the joy of being the “Pig Lady.”
What is a typical day on the farm for you?
There really is no typical day. I usually go to bed at night with a plan for the work I need to accomplish tomorrow, but it hardly ever goes according to plan. We have several acres of corn, soybeans and hay, 35 cow/calf pairs, and we are a breed-to-wean farm with 2,200 sows, so there’s always a lot of troubleshooting to do. We all have to be flexible. While I do all the books for our family farm, there are some days when I’m in the auger wagon as a part of the harvest crew and other days when I’m working with the animals.
What are the biggest challenges facing family farmers today?
Ensuring that there is adequate, dependable labor is so important in agriculture. Because that’s such a constant challenge, it’s easy to lose sight of some less immediate but equally important challenges. We’re so busy working on the farm, but we also have to do the work to keep the farm viable for the next generation. That means educating ourselves about the legislative efforts that will impact our farms in the short and long term and advocating for the family farm.
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What does it mean to be an advocate for the family farm?
Growing up, I saw my dad, grandpa and great-grandpa work hard and focus on being good stewards of the land. Today, my dad, uncles, brother and I are committed to the same thing. But we also have to pay attention to what’s going on legislatively, or all that work could be at risk. Organizations like the Illinois Farm Bureau and Illinois Pork Producers focus on those issues and advocate for what’s in the best interest of farmers. While they advocate for us, it’s important we advocate for them, too. I’m currently serving as the vice president of the Peoria County Farm Bureau and secretary of the Illinois Pork Producers. Being a part of these organizations has given me resources and tools to help my family’s operation and educates all of us about ensuring the success of the family farm.
What’s the origin of the “Pig Lady” nickname?
I’ve been involved in Ag in the Classroom in Peoria County for the last eight years. Before COVID, we would visit more than 270 classrooms during pork month. I would bring a baby pig from the sow farm into the schools so that students could get hands-on experience with a live animal. So many of them live in urban areas and have no exposure to the animals. That’s true for many of the teachers and administrators, too. I would share information about their life cycle, the food they produce as well as their important byproducts and how we use them. It gives kids an opportunity to see firsthand and understand how important these animals are to our well-being. I know it makes an impression because I’ve been in the grocery store and heard a child say to his mom, “That’s the Pig Lady!” The mom was mortified that he would call me that. But it’s a name I take great pride in.
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