Jeckel, Russell L.

Russ Jeckel is recognized as one of Illinois' pioneer swine producers. He was born on April 15, 1926 in Delavan, Ill., and was raised on a farm just north of Delavan. His wife, Mary W. Jeckel was born on June 12, 1926 in Champaign, Ill., the daughter of a college professor. After high school Russ joined the Navy, then returned to farming after his military service. Russ graduated from the University of Illinois in the early 1950s, married Mary, his college sweetheart, and returned home to grow grain and raise pigs. His contributions to the swine industry are numerous. He was one of the first producers in the United States to apply the research done at the University of Illinois on corn-soybean diet for swine. This revolutionized the way pigs are fed and now has become the standard for swine nutrition. Russ was one of first producers in the nation to implement the concept of hog confinement buildings. He devised a plan for separating animal waste from the hogs, developing the hog slat, specifically constructing a building with slatted floors over a pit that would retain the excrement from the housed pigs for 9-12 months. Russ and his wife Mary were very involved in the organization of various swine producer associations, including the local and state Pork Producers, the Illinois Swine Herd Improvement Association, the Illinois Pork Council and the state and national Porkettes.