URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) — When Steve Ericson first walked into the Illinois State Fair in 1974, he was there to show livestock. Fifty years later, he’s back in a very different role — leading an organization that now receives meat donations from that same fair to feed families across Illinois.
Ericson, Executive Director of Feeding Illinois, stumbled into hunger relief by chance. After studying agricultural industries at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and working in retail management, he found himself volunteering at a food bank during the Great Flood of 1994 while pursuing graduate school at the University of Missouri.
“I didn’t even know what a food bank was at the time,” he said. What started as a volunteer shift turned into a three-decade career. His commitment deepened further after responding to hunger relief efforts following 9/11.
Now heading Feeding Illinois — a state association representing seven Feeding America food banks serving all 102 Illinois counties — Ericson has launched several programs that bridge agriculture and food access.
The Farm to Food Bank initiative connects surplus produce from local farms to food banks, beginning with just one farm in 2020 and now in its sixth round. A partnership with Hunters Feeding Illinois channels donated deer into venison for local pantries, while the Grain for Good program lets grain farmers donate the cash equivalent of a grain sale to fund pork purchases for food banks.
In 2024, a new partnership with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the University of Illinois College of ACES directed 80% of meat from the State Fair’s Sale of Champions to Feeding Illinois food banks — a full-circle moment for Ericson.
“Fifty years ago, I was there showing the grand champion steer,” he said. “Now, those animals are helping feed people.”
Ericson is also outspoken about dispelling myths around food assistance, noting that SNAP fraud accounts for less than 0.1% of errors and that most recipients are working adults facing difficult circumstances.
“I feel very fortunate to contribute to something bigger than myself,” he said. “It’s been a blessing to help feed our neighbors — and to do it in a way that supports the farmers who feed us all.”
For more, read the full story from ACES here.
