An ACES alum with a hunger to serve
When Steve Ericson walked into the Illinois State Fair as a young exhibitor in 1974, he couldn’t have imagined that one day he’d return, not to show livestock, but to help connect Illinois-grown food to families in need. Now, as Executive Director of Feeding Illinois, Ericson turns his lifelong connection to agriculture into a mission to fight hunger across the state.
To help ensure food access for all Illinoisians, donate to the Extension Nutrition Security and Food Systems Fund during Orange & Blue Days. Make your gift by March 6!
Ericson’s career didn’t begin in hunger relief. After earning his associate degree at Black Hawk College (East Campus), where he competed on the livestock judging team, he transferred to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study agricultural industries.
To get himself through school, he worked at Sears, steadily moving into management. The job offered stability and benefits, but not fulfillment.
“There was a career path there, and good benefits,” he said. “But when Sears started to decline, I knew it was time for something new.”
Graduate school at the University of Missouri opened that new door. During the Great Flood of 1994, while he was studying at Missouri, Ericson began volunteering at the local food bank to help with flood relief efforts.
“I didn’t even know what a food bank was at the time,” he said. “I called the food bank to see how I could help, met the executive director, and just hit it off.” That connection turned into an internship, then a full-time role.
“I thought I’d do it for a couple of years,” Ericson said. “Thirty-some years later, this has become my career.”
Further inspiration and commitment came after two tours of disaster response duty with Feeding America’s team in New York and New Jersey following 9/11. “I’m not sure I’ve been so humbled before or since in my life, as part of our network’s unity and impact in rallying to help during this tragedy,” Ericson said.
Ericson has now been with Feeding Illinois, a partner state association of Feeding America, for more thanseven years. The organization represents the seven Feeding America food banks that serve all 102 counties across Illinois. Before that, he spent 24 years with the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
“What’s always intrigued me about food banking is getting to help people and working with good people,” he said. “Every day brings a new challenge, and it’s always been a blessing to do this work.”
Feeding Illinois launches new programs
Under Ericson’s leadership, Feeding Illinois has developed new programs that not only feed Illinois families, but support Illinois farmers.
Feeding Illinois launched the Farm to Food Bank program, an effort that connects surplus produce from local farms to food banks. The initiative began with USDA funding and was created with help from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, part of the Prairie Research Institute at Illinois.
“We started with just one farmer in 2020: Rendleman Orchards, in southern Illinois,” Ericson said. “It worked, and now we’re on round six.” The program has continued to receive both USDA and state support. “Our farmers became our biggest advocates,” he said. “It’s truly bipartisan, helping our farmers and our hungry neighbors.”
Farmers receive tax benefits while reducing food waste, a win-win. “It keeps the food local, helps the economy, and provides culturally relevant foods for our communities,” Ericson said.
To meet protein demand, Feeding Illinois has partnered with Hunters Feeding Illinois in collaboration with University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois Association of Meat Processors. Hunters can donate deer, local food pantries pick up the ground venison from the processor when ready, and processors are reimbursed for their work, which keeps the fresh venison in the communities where it is harvested.
Additionally, Feeding Illinois launched Grain for Good, a program partnering with Illinois Pork Producers that invites grain farmers to donate the cash equivalent of grain sold at the elevator. Those funds are then used to purchase pork for area food pantries.
Coming full circle
For the first time, in 2024, Feeding Illinois became the recipient of meat donations from the Illinois State Fair Sale of Champions, thanks to a new partnership between the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the College of ACES.
Through this agreement, 80% of the meat from the Sale of Champions animals and the Processed Meats Competition now goes directly to Feeding Illinois food banks, where it’s distributed to families in need across the state. The remaining 20% stays with the College of ACES to support hands-on learning, research, and outreach through the Meat Science Laboratory. The collaboration highlights the shared mission of supporting both Illinois farmers and Illinois families.
“Fifty years ago, I was there showing the grand champion steer. Now, those animals are helping feed people. It’s a powerful reminder of how connected agriculture and community are,” Ericson said.
Passion drives fulfilling career
Whether it’s college students, working families, or rural communities, Feeding Illinois’ mission remains the same: meet people where they are. “People who are food insecure are often facing more than one challenge,” Ericson said. “We’re helping with food, but also connecting them to medical and other assistance.”
Ericson also shares how myth-busting is so important when it comes to food assistance. “Most able-bodied people on SNAP are working, and through no fault of their own, are facing precarious employment, health, and/or living situations ” Ericson said. “Fraud and abuse are such a tiny percentage (less than 0.10% of errors). Nearly everyone who receives SNAP benefits truly needs the help, so that's what we focus on."
Ericson credits the success of Feeding Illinois to partnerships with Illinois Extension, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Specialty Growers Association, and other organizations that have helped combat food insecurity.
After decades of working with food banks, Ericson's passion is as strong as ever. “I feel very fortunate to do this for so many years and to contribute to something bigger than myself,” he said. “It’s been a blessing to help feed our neighbors, and to do it in a way that supports the farmers who feed us all.”
***
About Orange and Blue Days
Orange & Blue Days spotlights incredible crowdfunding projects across the Urbana-Champaign campus, including the Extension Nutrition Security and Food Systems Fund. Give by midnight on March 6 to ensure that families across Illinois can find healthy food and trusted nutrition guidance.
Through Illinois Extension’s statewide network, this fund helps Illinois families overcome food access barriers and build long-term household food security. Your gift helps maintain and expand high-impact programs that serve families every day.