Emergency notice - farm land leasing -vandalia

The Illinois Department of Corrections has completed an emergency sole-source farm lease award to L Johnson Farms on September 28, 2026, for agricultural operations at Vandalia Correctional Center in Vandalia, Illinois — not a competitive bidding opportunity.

The contract authorizes farming use of state-owned ground to complete the 2026 harvest, protect the property, and cover 2026 rent associated with the acreage. The term covers completion of the 2026 crop year services only. The emergency procurement was necessitated when IDOC's previously executed farm lease contract was voided by the Chief Procurement Officer due to violation of the Illinois Procurement Code; the original contract was executed without competitive procurement or applicable exemption.

L Johnson Farms, located at 21500 Vogel Road, Carlyle, Illinois, was selected based on having already invested substantially in planting, tending, and raising the 2026 crops in reliance on the voided lease agreement. Proceeding with this vendor mitigates potential claims for direct input costs (estimated at $550 per acre for corn and $240 per acre for soybeans) and lost crop value.

The estimated total expenditure is $750,000. The contract is funded through "Other" funding sources rather than federal or state appropriated funds. BEP (Business Enterprise Program) participation was not feasible for this emergency action. IDOC notes that future farm leases will be competitively solicited with full compliance to procurement requirements.