RIVERTON, ILL. (Market Day Report Weekend) — As farm kids, our passion for agriculture can feel innate, like it’s been running through our blood from the very beginning.
For Allen Entwistle, that love of farming proved itself early on.
At just 12 years young, he hired a teenager to drive him into town, walked into the bank to meet with his father’s banker, and walked out with a $1,800 loan to buy six cows and six calves. He then boldly waited until dinner that night to tell his father.
The best part? He paid it back in a year and a half.
Nearly seven decades later, that first investment has become a lifetime of farming, cattle, service, and giving back to agriculture.
A lifetime in agriculture
Entwistle grew up on a farm in Central Illinois, farming alongside his father.
Over the years, he worked in the feed and crop business, farmed part-time, and eventually began farming full-time with his son, Jayson. Today, the two operate J&W Farms across Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties.
Cattle have also remained a constant. What started with six cows and six calves eventually grew into years of raising and showing Herefords, along with a lifelong appreciation for livestock and the people involved in the industry.
For Entwistle, one of the greatest rewards has been watching the next generation carry that passion forward.
A connection to the Illinois State Fair
The Illinois State Fair has been another defining part of Entwistle’s life, in and out of the show ring.
That included helping bring more than 100 pieces of farm equipment to the fair so visitors could get a closer look at what it takes to produce the food they see on their tables.
He has also spent decades supporting the State Fair Sale of Champions, building relationships with agricultural companies and industry leaders to encourage them to bid on the top livestock exhibited by Illinois youth.
One of those relationships has lasted for decades.
Entwistle has remained close with Evelyn Brandt Thomas, Brandt’s Co-Founder, who has continued to support the Sale of Champions by bidding on the Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Steer each year.
Their friendship has extended well beyond the auction ring. Allen recently celebrated with Evelyn as she marked her 103rd birthday.
For Entwistle, that’s what the State Fair has always been about-- agriculture, young people, and the relationships that last long after the banners come down.
Making a difference beyond the farm
Entwistle’s service to agriculture has also taken him to Washington, where he spent years working to make sure farmers’ voices were heard.
As a longtime Sangamon County Farm Bureau leader, he encouraged farmers to build relationships with their elected officials and speak directly about the issues affecting their operations.
He remembers one unexpected conversation during a trip to Washington. While lobbying on behalf of agriculture, Entwistle happened to share an elevator ride with then-Senator Barack Obama.
The two started talking, and by the time they stepped off the elevator, Obama had offered Entwistle an unexpected compliment.
“Mr. Entwistle, you ought to be a lobbyist. You’re better than most of them out here.”
For Entwistle, the encounter reinforced something he had learned throughout his years working in agriculture: meaningful conversations can make a difference.
His advice to farmers is simple — don’t be afraid to talk to the people making the decisions.
After all, he says, they’re people too.
A legacy measured in more than accomplishments
Entwistle has plenty of accomplishments to point to, including being named a Master Farmer in 2017.
But he doesn’t measure his life by the titles or accolades.
He measures it by what he’s left better than he found it — the land, the people around him and the agricultural community he’s spent a lifetime serving.
That perspective has become even more meaningful as Entwistle has faced challenges from a genetic disorder that affects the peripheral nerves.
The disease has affected his ability to walk, but it hasn’t taken away his sense of humor or his willingness to keep sharing what he’s learned.
During our conversation, Entwistle summed it up with a smile:
“I can’t walk, but I can talk.”
And when asked what he’s most grateful for after 80 years, his answer is simple: Faith. Family. Farming.
Family has been at the heart of all three.
Allen and his wife, Sharon, recently celebrated 56 years of marriage. Together, they raised a son and daughter, and Allen says he couldn’t be more proud of the people they’ve become. His daughter works in medical research while his son continues the family’s agricultural legacy.
Allen’s grandson is a high school senior, a talented athlete, and an aspiring agriculture student who plans to attend college, which excites Entwistle. He says, “Today, agriculture is numbers. You’ve got to know your numbers, and your costs, when to sell, and when not to sell.”
For Allen, seeing that passion continue into another generation is one of the greatest rewards of a life spent in agriculture.
After 80 years, his legacy isn’t just measured in acres farmed, cattle raised, or accomplishments earned. It’s measured in the family he built, the people he influenced, and the ag community he helped strengthen.
