Being a Marvelous Member

Illinois Beef Association 2024 Member of the Year, Justin Rahn, grows his farm and family in Mount Carroll.

Story by Olivia Hoots, Photos by Devin Bollman & Zack Arnold

It took a little convincing to get IBA Checkoff Director, Justin Rahn, on the board. Yet sure enough, Past President Mike Martz was successful. “Just try it for one year,” he told Justin in 2016. Though Justin was unsure he wanted to make the commitment, he listened to Mike tell him to at least give it a try.

Mike looked at Justin’s outgoing nature and decided he was a good fit to keep the IBA board fill. “People hesitate to step up, but all I had to do was ask,” he said, with a convincing argument about the importance of relationships in this business. He went on to quote the late Jamie Willrett, IBA leader and Illinois Cattlemen; “the people that show up run things,” he used to say. Mike also says that producers should not just sit at home, but instead see the importance of advocating for the beef industry, and seek to know all that is happening in it on a larger scale. “We have got to tell our story,” he says.

He would later go on to convince Mike’s daughter-in-law to join the board as well, among others.

Justin’s Story

Justin originates from Mount Carroll and is the oldest son of five children. After studying at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa, he spent a little while farming with his dad before marrying his wife, Ellen.

It took some time to complete the Rahn love story. Though they met before Ellen went to college at a little bar called Poopies a town over, there were still a few years to go before they would meet up again and get married. It all worked out though, and now they have their little son, Evan, whom they adopted in October of last year. “I love being a mom,” Ellen says.

“He is a good dad, he cares a lot,” Ellen says. “He is excited to take him off on new adventures on the farm.”

Justin’s Operation

Justin is the main operator on the farm, also working with Ellen’s brother, John, and parents, past IBA presidents Lyle and Sheryl Hopkins. This started in 2014 when Justin began sharing equipment with Lyle. They grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa, among others, and Ellen has her own seed company, R+H Seed Solutions. On top of that is their custom cover crop business, where they grow rye and oats.

In addition, the Rahns have a partner in Chicago whom they run mother cows with in both the fall and winter, retaining ownership on fall calves. At first Lyle was the partner, then he let Justin in who was eventually able to take over that side of their farming operation.

Though he grew with feeder cattle, he wanted to take on cow-calf production because he wanted a “challenge.” He loves seeing a new calf after raising its momma for two years.

Justin’s Success

Both Justin and Ellen are known to many as leaders. With Justin’s mom as an FFA officer, and Ellen’s parent’s involvement with IBA, both were raised to take the lead in the agriculture industry. “I think my first national convention was when I was only a couple months old,” Ellen says.

These examples set quite the precedent that the Rahns try to live up to, and they have. Ellen strongly believes in advocating for the farming community and being a good representative of the industry.

She sees the same passion in her husband as well. “Justin is always one that is going to strive to do better, whether it is for the cattle, the row crops, the community, he is always out there looking to see what he can do to make things a better place,” she says.

A long time ago his grandfather told him of the importance of playing a role in the industries and communities you care about, which is why he tries to be there for his community and build relationships wherever he is. With an outlook like this on life, naturally there are a few successes Justin has accomplished in the past eight years during his time serving the IBA.

In 2018 he attended the Young Cattlemen’s Conference where he met young cattlemen from across the country and learned about the need for beef advocacy. At the Illinois State Fair that year, the Rahns collectively won the Illinois Achievement Award, and advanced to the national level.

In 2020 he was elected to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, where he served a three-year term.

In 2022, both Justin was selected to be in the Illinois Farmer’s Today 4 under 40, the same award his parents won years ago. That same year, they hosted a Practical Farmer’s of Iowa tour on their farm showcasing their cover crops.

In 2023, both Justin and Ellen won an Illinois Soybean Association 20 under 40 award.

Justin says his wife is one of the main reasons for his successes, and hopes they can raise their son to be a voice for the industry like themselves. “I feel there is a need for younger members to be a voice of the community via their associations, otherwise we are not going to have anyone to fight for us,” he says.

Justin’s IBA Award

Those in the beef industry recognized Justin’s hard work and success this year and knew he was a good candidate to represent the Association and it’s members, earning him the IBA 2024 Member of the Year award.

“It is nice to see that he is being rewarded for all his hard work,” Ellen says. She says they call him the “big guy” because of his tall stature and the fact he can find her so easily in the crowd because of it, but also because of what she describes as his “big, warm heart,” always offering his help where it is needed.

In the future, Justin hopes to continue stewarding the land through good management techniques by growing and returning nutrients to the ground, and leaving a legacy Evan can continue as he grows up and becomes a part of the farm.

“God put us on this planet to graze cattle, to graze pastures, to take the nutrients and put them back into the earth, and to raise a family off of that,” Justin summarizes. “We do not need to be the biggest farmer, but if we can be supporting each other’s family and be profitable, that is what is important.”