Illinois Agriculture Appoints New Wheat Board Members, Affecting Morgan County

The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced new appointments to the Illinois Wheat Development Board on November 20, 2025, naming Peter Gill to the District 1 seat that covers 54 counties, including Morgan County and the neighboring counties of Brown, Cass, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler and Scott. Dean Campbell was appointed to District 2. The board has not yet named the final appointee for District 5, which covers Franklin, Jackson, Perry and Randolph counties.

The Wheat Development Board administers checkoff funds collected at the first point of sale, a revenue stream that supports programs tied to research, market development and grower education. Changes in board membership matter to local farmers and taxpayers because representation shapes decision making on how those funds are allocated across projects and counties. With a new District 1 appointee, Morgan County will have a newly seated representative responsible for oversight of assessments and the programs paid for with those resources.

Institutionally, appointments by the state Department of Agriculture determine who at the board table has influence over priorities and program oversight. The composition of the board can affect the geographic distribution of investments, criteria for funding projects and the transparency of accounting for checkoff dollars. For Morgan County residents, those outcomes translate into measurable impacts on local extension collaborations, research trials and efforts to expand market opportunities for wheat producers.

The pending District 5 appointment underscores that board composition is still in flux. Until the final seat is filled, a portion of southern Illinois remains without a named representative, which could delay consensus on regionwide initiatives or slow the approval of programs that require full board involvement. The staggered timing of appointments also raises questions about continuity and institutional memory when new members assume oversight responsibility.

For local stakeholders, this appointment cycle highlights avenues for civic engagement and oversight. Producers and community leaders seeking to influence board priorities can monitor Illinois Department of Agriculture announcements, request information about board meeting schedules and financial reports, and engage with their new representative in District 1. Transparent reporting on checkoff collections and expenditures will be central to ensuring that funds collected at the first point of sale deliver intended benefits to Morgan County growers.

As the board integrates its new members, close attention to governance practices and disclosure of program spending will be essential for maintaining public confidence in the management of checkoff funds and for ensuring that local needs are reflected in statewide wheat development strategies.