Funk Farms

Company History: In 1824, brothers Isaac and Absalom traveled from Ohio to stake their claim to the rich soils of McLean County, Illinois. Isaac became an Illinois State Senator during the civil war, and co-founded Illinois Wesleyan University. During the course of the next 40 years Isaac Funk accumulated 25,000 acres of Central Illinois prairie land. Along with corn, livestock became a major part of Funk Farms. Cattle and hogs formed the principle produce of Isaac Funk's farming operation. Arriving in McLean County ahead of the railroads, he drove both hogs and cattle to the Chicago Union Stockyards more than 100 miles away, spending 14 days on the trail. One of Isaac's sons, Lafayette, was co-founder and director of the famed Chicago Union Stockyards.
Funk Farms has a long history in the seed corn business through the development and marketing of the Funks G-Hybrid label. The Funk family entered the seed business in 1901 when Eugene Duncan (E.D.) Funk, son of Lafayette and grandson of Isaac, founded Funks Bros. Seed Co. Under the guidance of E.D. and later his sons, the family business grew into one of the nation's largest seed companies. Funks Bros. Seed Co. was instrumental in the research and development of hybrid corn production for commercial sale. Funk Bros. Seed was sold to Corn Products Co. in the late 1960's, but the seed was sold under the Funk's G-Hybrid label for a number of years even after changes in ownership.
Today, Funk Farms still embraces diversity. Funk Farms has 3 cash crops - corn, soybeans, and alfalfa - as well as a sizable cattle feedlot capacity of 1000 head, and composting operation.

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