Jim Larkin is a fourth-generation family farmer who lives on the farm where he was raised in the McLean County town of Towanda. He joined the Illinois Department of Agriculture in 2003, and has served as bureau chief of Agricultural Products Inspection since 2004. He manages a 680-acre grain farm, which includes 80 acres devoted to sustainable, organic production. A graduate of Illinois State University, Larkin founded Agri-Fire, a business that markets corn-burning heating appliances, prior to his state employment. He joined the Illinois Department of Agriculture in 2003. Mr. Larkin is married and has four adult children.
Here is the press release and brief bio.
http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=9813