Farmers find fulfillment in civic leadership

Crystal Reed
Sep 12, 2026
4 hrs ago

Lance Muirheid is a farmer who serves as chairman for the Macon County Zoning Board of Appeals in Illinois. He farms 1,700 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat.
Photo courtesy of Lance Muirheid

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Farmers are busy, whether they are in the combine, milking cows, judging 4-H fair contests, driving kids to school or trucking crops to the elevator.

kAm$@>69@H[ >2?J 72C>6CD 255 >@C6 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D E@ 2? 2=C625J A24<65 D4965F=6 3J D6CG:?8 2D 4@>>F?:EJ =6256CD]k^Am

kAmy@9? |2IH6== @A6C2E6D r:??2>@? #:586 u2C>D :? s@?29@6[ x@H2[ H:E9 9:D 72>:=J] w6 :D 2=D@ E96 4FCC6?E 492:C>2? @? E96 q@2C5 @7 $FA6CG:D@CD 7@C $4@EE r@F?EJ[ E96 E9:C5 =2C86DE 4@F?EJ :? x@H2]k^Am

kAm|2IH6== 92D 366? @? E96 3@2C5 7@C D6G6? J62CD 2?5 :D 8@:?8 :?E@ 9:D D64@?5 J62C 2D 492:C>2?] w6 2=D@ D6CG65 `a J62CD @? E96 }@CE9 $4@EE $49@@= 3@2C5[ 7@FC @7 E9@D6 2D AC6D:56?E[ 2?5 H2D @? $4@EE r@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? r@F?4:= `g]k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 D6CG:?8 @? 3@2C5D 2?5 4@>>:DD:@?D :D :? 9:D 3=@@5] w:D 8C2?572E96C D6CG65 @? E96 $4@EE r@F?EJ q@2C5 @7 $FA6CG:D@CD 7@C `a J62CD]k^Am

kAm“x H2?E E@ >2<6 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 36EE6C[” |2IH6== D2:5] “z66A E2I6D =@H[ <66A DA6?5:?8 F?56C 4@?EC@= 2?5 <66A D6CG:46D 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 E92E 36:?8 @? E96 3@2C5 @7 DFA6CG:D@CD 2?5 36:?8 :? 28C:4F=EFC6 2C6 =:?<65 7@C 9:> — E@ 5@ 3@E9[ J@F ?665 E@ 42C6 23@FE E96 4@F?EJ[ =2?5 2?5 =2?5 FD6]k^Am

kAm|2IH6== :D 2 7:7E9\86?6C2E:@? 52:CJ 72C>6C H9@ 6DE23=:D965 r:??2>@? #:586 s2:CJ :? `hgh] w6 H2D C6;64E65 3J D6G6? 32?<D 367@C6 D64FC:?8 2 =@2? E@ 3FJ `g_ 24C6D 7@C Sg__ 2? 24C6 2E `aT :?E6C6DE[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 36:?8 A@@C :? E96 368:??:?8 H2D ?@E 2== 325i xE 2==@H65 9:> E@ E2<6 C:D<D 2?5 7:8FC6 @FE @E96C H2JD E@ 5@ E9:?8D]k^Am

kAmw6 DE2CE65 ?@\E:== 72C>:?8 :? `hhb 2?5 E92E D2>6 J62C 96 H@? x@H2’D E@A D@J362? J:6=5 4@?E6DE[ H9:49 DE2CE65 9:> 4FDE@> A=2?E:?8 7@C @E96CD] %96 52:CJ DE2CE65 H:E9 2 c_\4@H E:6 DE2== 32C? 2?5 92D 6IA2?565 2?5 >@56C?:K65 @G6C E96 J62CD] w:D 52F89E6C[ p>J[ C6EFC?65 E@ E96 72C> :? a_`a[ 2?5 E@86E96C E96J EC2?D:E:@?65 E@ C@3@E:4 >:=<:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 72C> C2:D6D y6CD6J 3667 DE66CD 2?5 2 4@H\42=7 3667 96C5[ @A6C2E6D 2 H62? E@ 7:?:D9 9@8 @A6C2E:@? 2?5 8C@HD 4@C? 2?5 D@J362?D] $:?46 a_`b[ E96 72C> 92D 2=D@ 366? AC@5F4:?8 4966D6[ 2 G6?EFC6 >2?2865 3J y@9?’D 3C@E96C[ t5H:?]k^Am

kAm%96 72C> 2=D@ 9@DED E@FCD[ H:E9 @G6C f[___ G:D:E@CD 2??F2==J]k^Am

kAm“}@ 52J D66>D =:<6 H@C< E@ >6] tG6CJ 52J x =@G6 :E[” |2IH6== D2:5]k^Am

People are also reading…

Don’t confuse popularity with expertise when deciding who speaks for American ranchers
With dry conditions, combine fires a strong possibility in 2026
Beef-production cycle slow
Farm Progress Show displays range in size
Corn market taking notice of yield projections
When company was coming: What the farm used to teach us about talking to people
Power-line project garners opposition
Heading toward harvest, South Central Nebraska crops looking good
Answer Plot Innovation Farm discusses spray drone advancements
SWC opens up cost share funds for water projects in drought-stricken areas
The life of a true cowboy
Barn Boards and Baling Wire
Social media puts a face to food production
Lessons learned in Lyman County
A gold star ranch

kAmw6 D2:5 36:?8 @? E96 3@2C5 @7 DFA6CG:D@CD 92D :ED 492==6?86D 2?5 C6H2C5D]k^Am

kAm“x =:<6 96=A:?8 A6@A=6[ D6CG:?8 A6@A=6 2?5 >2<:?8 @E96CD’ =:G6D 36EE6C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm{:K z@=36[ 2 72C>6C\=65 65F42E:@? 5:C64E@C H:E9 !C24E:42= u2C>6CD @7 x@H2[ D2:5 36D:56D 4C@A 2?5 =:G6DE@4< 65F42E:@?[ 96C @C82?:K2E:@? H@C<D E@ AC6A2C6 72C>6CD E@ 364@>6 4:G:4 =6256CD]k^Am

kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@? 92D 2 ?6H A@=:4J 2C62 E92E 96=AD 72C>6CD CF? 7@C 3@2C5D 2?5 4@>>:DD:@?D] !2CE @7 E92E :?4=F56D >2<:?8 DFC6 72C>6CD 2C6 2H2C6 @7 E96 E:>6 4@>>:E>6?ED]k^Am

kAm$96 D2:5 D@>6 @7 E96 D<:==D 72C>6CD ?665 E@ 3C:?8 E@ E96 E23=6 :? =6256CD9:A A@D:E:@?D 2C6 9F>:=:EJ 2?5 E96 23:=:EJ E@ F?56CDE2?5 E92E E96C6 :D ?@ @?6 2?DH6C E@ 2 AC@3=6>] {6256CD 2=D@ ?665 E@ 36 23=6 E@ H@C< E9C@F89 5:776C6?46D 2?5 36 24E:G6 =:DE6?6CD]k^Am

kAm“(6 92G6 :?G:E65 EC2:?:?8 @C 4@249:?8 7@C 72C>6CD @? H@C<:?8 H:E9 >65:2[ E@ 96=A E96> 766= 4@?7:56?E[” z@=36 D2:5]k^Am

kAmp?@E96C 72C>6C\=6256C :D {2?46 |F:C96:5 @7 r6CC@ v@C5@[ x==:?@:D] w6 :D E96 492:C>2? @7 E96 |24@? r@F?EJ +@?:?8 q@2C5 @7 pAA62=D]k^Am

kAm|F:C96:5 D2:5 9:D 8C2?572E96C H2D @? E96 ~2<=6J %@H?D9:A q@2C5 @7 pAA62=D 2 =@?8 E:>6 28@[ D@ 96 <?6H H92E E@ 6IA64E 2?5 H92E E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D H@F=5 36] %96 K@?:?8 3@2C5 562=D H:E9 =2?5 FD6 2?5 =2?5@H?6C C:89ED]k^Am

kAm|F:C9625 D2:5 36:?8 2 72C>6C 2?5 3@2C5 >6>36C 92D 96=A65 9:> A2J 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 42C6 >@C6 23@FE =2?5 FD6]k^Am

kAmw6 :D 2 D6G6?E9\86?6C2E:@? 72C>6C[ 2?5 E96J 92G6 366? 72C>:?8 @? E96 D2>6 8C@F?5 D:?46 `gde] w6 2?5 9:D 72E96C |2E 92G6 `[f__ 24C6D E96J A=2?E :? 4@C?[ D@J362?D 2?5 H962E[ 2D H6== 2D EH@ D665 562=6CD9:AD]k^Am

kAm|F:C96:5 D2:5 E92E >@DE @7 E96 H@C< 7@C E96 K@?:?8 3@2C5 :D 8=@C:7:65 724E 4964<:?8 E@ >2<6 DFC6 6G6CJE9:?8 :D :? 4@>A=:2?46 H:E9 @C5:?2?46D[ E92E =2?5@H?6CD “;F>A E9C@F89 E96 C:89E 9@@AD]”k^Am

kAm%96 E:>6 4@>>:E>6?E G2C:6D] |F:C96:5 D2:5 >66E:?8D 42? =2DE 7C@> b_ >:?FE6D E@ e\g 9@FCD 7@C 2 3:8 AC@;64E =:<6 2 H:?5 @C D@=2C 72C>] %96C6 :D 2=D@ E:>6 :?G@=G65 8@:?8 @G6C E96 286?52 2?5 DEF5J:?8 2AA=:42?ED]k^Am

kAm|F:C96:5 D2:5 E92E 96 76=E :E H2D 9:D 4:G:4 5FEJ E@ E2<6 @? E96 3@2C5 A@D:E:@?] w6 H2D 2D<65 :7 96 H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 36 2AA@:?E65[ 2?5 :E H2D G@E65 @? 3J E96 4@F?EJ 3@2C5]k^Am

kAm“xE’D ?:46 E@ 96=A A6@A=6 @FE E92E 4@>6 2?5 7@==@H E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 492??6=D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am