Raben Farm in Illinois: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Raben Farm in Ridgway, Gallatin County, Illinois, belongs to a farmer named a 2022 Prairie Farmer Master Farmer, one of the oldest and most respected honors in Midwest agriculture. Jim Raben farms 7,500 acres in Illinois, plus 800 acres of sweet potatoes in Arkansas, according to Prairie Farmer. This page summarizes what has been published about the operation.
| Location | Ridgway, Gallatin County, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Founded | Start date not published |
| Sectors | Corn and soybeans in Illinois; sweet potatoes in Arkansas |
| Scale | 7,500 acres in Illinois plus 800 sweet potato acres in Arkansas (Prairie Farmer) |
| Why it is elite | 2022 Prairie Farmer Master Farmer |
| Ownership | Operated by Jim Raben |
| Official website | Prairie Farmer 2022 Master Farmers profile |
History of Raben Farm
The Prairie Farmer Master Farmer program honors Illinois farmers for farming achievement and service to their communities, and the 2022 class included Jim Raben of Ridgway, Gallatin County. The program's own coverage describes the honor as a lifetime recognition, and farm life writers have called it the state's top farming award.
The published profile does not give a farm name, founding date or family history, so this page sticks to the facts that were reported: location, acreage and crops.
What Raben Farm Grows and Raises
Jim Raben farms 7,500 acres in Illinois, plus 800 acres of sweet potatoes in Arkansas, according to Prairie Farmer. The crops named are corn and soybeans in illinois; sweet potatoes in arkansas.
Raising sweet potatoes in Arkansas alongside corn and soybeans in southeastern Illinois adds a specialty crop with a different market and risk profile from the commodity acres.
How Raben Farm Makes Money
Commodity crops
Grain sold from the acres named in the profile is the main revenue stream. No revenue figures were published, and none are estimated here.
Scale and rental management
At this acreage, operations normally rely on a mix of owned and rented land, equipment efficiency and marketing discipline, as discussed in extension materials on large grain farms. The profile does not describe this operation's land arrangements.
Sweet potatoes
The 800 acres of sweet potatoes in Arkansas are a separate crop line from the Illinois grain. Sweet potatoes are a specialty vegetable, so marketing is different from corn and soybeans.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Raben Farm
One lesson is that a large grain operation can spread weather and price risk by adding a specialty crop in a second location, which is what the Raben operation does with sweet potatoes in Arkansas.
A second lesson is that recognition like Master Farmer is built on both farm performance and community service. Leading in local organizations and sharing methods with neighbors is part of how the honor is earned.
Jim Raben grows corn, soybeans and sweet potatoes, so he knows that the best crop plan is the one that survives an argument at the elevator. At farm.FM our farm satire team salutes Gallatin County and the Ohio River bottoms. We keep farm humor and ranch humor kind, with a few farm jokes about sweet potatoes that refuse to be a commodity.
The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.
How to Contact Raben Farm
Website: https://www.farmprogress.com/master-farmers/meet-2022-master-farmers
No official farm website was found in November 2026, so this is the Prairie Farmer profile of the 2022 Master Farmers. Contact the Illinois Farm Bureau or your county Farm Bureau for introductions.
Raben Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Prairie Farmer 2022 Master Farmers - Profiles of the 2022 honorees
- Illinois Farm Bureau - Farm Bureau coverage of four 2022 Master Farmers
- What it means to be a Master Farmer - Prairie Farmer on the honor
- USDA Census of Agriculture - National and state farm statistics
- FSA Illinois state office - Farm programs and loans
Raben Farm FAQ
Where is the Raben farm?
Jim Raben farms in Ridgway, Gallatin County, Illinois.
How many acres does Jim Raben farm?
7,500 acres in Illinois, plus 800 acres of sweet potatoes in Arkansas.
What honor did he receive?
He was named a 2022 Prairie Farmer Master Farmer.
What crops does he grow?
Corn and soybeans in Illinois and sweet potatoes in Arkansas.
Raben Farm is one of the larger grain operations recognized by the Master Farmer program in Illinois. For more on the state's soils, markets and programs, read our Illinois guide and the other profiled operations.