Pigs, Politics, Persistence

The Life and Legacy of John "Jack" Block

By: John Block

Narrated by: John R. Block, Alexandra Block, Savannah Bonfitto and others

The United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1981-1986, John "Jack" Block tells the story of how he rose from a one-room schoolhouse to the White House. Tapped by Ronald Reagan to serve on his Cabinet, Block guided the USDA through one of the most tumultuous and devastating times in recent history for the American farmer: the farm crisis of the 1980s.

Staying true to the guiding principles he learned on the Illinois pig farm where he was raised, Block, with the help of trusted advisors, navigated the Soviet Grain Embargo, persisted in the face of political stonewalling and criticism to finish the 1985 Farm Bill, created the Payment In Kind (PIK) program, and laid the groundwork for what remains to this day as arguably the most effective agricultural environmental policy ever: the Conservation Reserve Program.

Throughout the book, Block shares stories about his childhood; his time at West Point and his service in the U.S. Army; returning to the farm where he partnered with his father to build one of the biggest pig farms in Illinois; the Reagan years, during which he was a running partner to Vice-President George H.W. Bush; his need to "always keep moving," which included running marathons; the time he played guitar and sang at the Grand Ol' Opry, and many more stories from a life well lived.

The book is narrated by Mr. Block and an assortment of American radio and TV farm broadcasters: Mike Adams, Max Armstrong, Taylor Brown, Colleen Callahan, Stu Ellis, Rita Frazer, Todd Gleason, Mike Hergert, Rich Hull, Kelsey Litchfield, Gene Millard, Mark Oppold, Ken Root, Gary Truitt, Don Wick, Mr. Block's wife, Alex, and their daughter Savannah Bonfitto. The foreword is by Orion Samuelson.

©2025 John R. Block (P)2025 John R. Block