Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance hires executive director

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana announced that Ben Wicker is the executive director of the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance (IANA), a partnership of agriculture groups, government agencies and academia working to improve soil health and nutrient management practices.

Wicker holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and crop science from Purdue University and is an active member of his family’s diversified grain, forage and cattle operation in Rush County. Before assuming this role, he held positions as an independent crop consultant and agronomist, and spent time with Indiana Pork as the director of producer outreach.

Most recently, he held the position of agribusiness specialist at The Nature Conservancy, where he worked with agribusinesses to expand services that promote nutrient management and soil health.

Golden Beet awards celebrate Illinois local food innovators

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Stewardship Alliance announced its 2018 Golden Beet Award winners. The Alliance awards Golden Beets annually to highlight the most innovative farmers, restaurants, businesses and organizations across the state leading the charge for a sustainable local food and farm system. The winners are:

•Innovative Farmer: Spurgeon Veggies CSA of Rio, Dusty Spurgeon and Eloise Spurgeon. Spurgeon Veggies is a small, diversified, woman-owned family farm operation that has been serving Galesburg for the last 10 years. Eloise began the operation in 2007 and brought on her daughter-in-law, Dusty, in 2010. The farms provide enough produce to sustain a 100-member CSA, a farmstand, a booth at the Galesburg Farmers’ Market and several local restaurants.

•Restaurants and Institutions: Cristaudo’s Cafe & Bakery of Carbondale, Rachel Cristaudo. Cristaudo’s parents opened the business in 1977, it sold in 2004 and then in 2011 she and three business partners bought it back. Cristaudo’s puts thought into sourcing as many local ingredients as possible for the menu and supporting local food and farms in other ways.

•Farm to School: Julie Anders and the Fowler Farm Project of Champaign. The project is a garden site that provides a “Living Laboratory” for a partnership of students from Edison Middle School in Champaign and nearby Urbana High School. Anders, a teacher, began bringing students to Fowler Farm in 2014. She serves as liaison between its owner and the school district and manages the grants that support various farm projects.

•Community Food Projects: Nature’s Farm Camp of Chicago, Tim Magner. Now going into its fourth summer, this is a weeklong sleepaway summer camp for ages 8-15. In partnership with Antiquity Oaks Farm, the camp operates on this working farm 100 miles south of Chicago. Founder and director Magner said the camp sprang from his work conducting nature and food programming in Chicago schools.

•Scaling Up: Spence Farm Foundation Bread Camp of Fairbury, Erin Meyer. Spence Farm Foundation’s annual summer Bread Camp and Chef Camp is a unique and effective program to connect farmers and food professionals with new and growing markets. They bring chefs and bakers out to a sustainable farm to see firsthand both the way food is grown, processed and how it bakes or cooks.

Goeser promoted to NCGA VP of production, sustainability

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The National Corn Growers Assoc. announces that Dr. Nick Goeser, NCGA's director of Soil Health, has been promoted to the position of vice president of production and sustainability.

Since joining NCGA in April 2014, Goeser has done an outstanding job developing and building NCGA's Soil Health Partnership. His leadership in working with farmers in the Soil Health Partnership, his engagement with state corn organizations on environmental programming and his outreach to a wide range of stakeholders, including other ag organizations, food manufacturers and retailers and environmental organizations, has been vital to growing the partnership.

Having grown up on a farm in Wisconsin, Goeser understands agriculture and maintains a close connection to his family's farm. Prior to joining NCGA, he worked for Monsanto Co. as a technology development representative, and as an agronomist and crop manager and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a graduate research assistant in both agronomy and horticulture.

Rush County SWCD honors Orme with conservation award

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MANILLA, Ind. — On Feb. 22, the Rush County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) honored local farmer Justin Orme with its 2017 Conservation Farmer Award during a special dinner.

Orme started farming in high school with two FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience projects for Beef Production Entrepreneurship and Crop Production Placement. While studying agronomy at Purdue University later, he bought his first farm, and now partners on rented farms and has ownership in his family cow herd and feedlot.

He worked as program manager for Livestock and Production/Environment Programs for the Indiana soybean Alliance (ISA) for a year, expanding his understanding of conservation. He was also selected to participate in the National Corn Growers Assoc. Soil Health Partnership project.

Last year, he and grandfather Joe Hodson converted all their acres from one-pass tillage to no-till and seeded with cereal rye cover crop, and participate in In-Field Advantage with ISA and the SWCD. Orme’s long-term goals include rotational grazing of cover, backgrounding feeder calves with cover and increasing organic matter with manure and conservation practices.

PRESENTING JUSTIN ORME (center, with daughter Addison) with his Conservation Farmer Award are Joyce Miller, SWCD office manager and treasurer, and Steve Schwering, SWCD board president.

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OEFFA honors Ringers and McGovern at annual conference

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Assoc. (OEFFA) recently named the 2018 recipients for its Stewardship and Service awards.

Larry and Cynthia Ringer of Stark County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the sustainable agriculture community, and Sean McGovern of Franklin County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture.

The Ringers founded Ohio Earth Food in 1972 with Cynthia's family, in the midst of the chemical agriculture boom. At the time, they were working on the vegetable farm of Cynthia’s dad and early organic farmer, Glenn Graber. After observing the benefits of kelp and concerned about the effects of conventional farming on the environment and human health, they realized there could be an emergent market for organic fertilizers, and started selling kelp products and rock phosphate.

Today, Ohio Earth Food has expanded to sell custom fertilizer blends, feed supplements, natural pesticides, potting soils and other products to customers throughout the United States. They retired in 2010, but remain involved in the business as consultants.

McGovern has been the National Outreach manager at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program since 2004. There, he helps to educate farmers and agricultural professionals about the results of SARE-funded farmer-led research projects; develop educational partnerships between organizations, educators, and producers; evaluate the impact of programs; and develop and improve SARE communications and database tools.

He has worked at OEFFA since 1994, continuing as an OEFFA employee in his capacity with SARE. He worked to develop productive partnerships with Ohio State University extension and advocated for the creation of a new Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program, leading to the first organic production research at OSU.

ACCEPTING AWARDS from the OEFFA are, from left, Sean McGovern and Cynthia and Larry Ringer.

(Courtesy of Ed Chen)

Family farmers receive humane production grants

CHICAGO, Ill. — Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), a national nonprofit that promotes the safe and humane production of meat, milk and eggs, awarded more than $66,000 in Fund-a-Farmer Grants to 28 independent family farmers in 19 states.

These grants, ranging from $374-$2,500, were awarded for projects that improve farm animal welfare, with farmers increasing the environmental and financial sustainability of their operations. FACT’s Fund-a-Farmer Grants help farmers expand the welfare of animals raised on their operations, ultimately increasing the number of farm animals that are raised humanely.

For the second year, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is underwriting FACT’s Animal Welfare Certification Grants to enable farmers to attain animal welfare certification from Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane or Global Animal Partnership (GAP).

Grant recipients in the Farm World region, each receiving $2,500, are: Baseline Farm in Dexter, Mich.; Beaver Creek Farm in Lawrenceburg, Ky.; Five Sprouts Family Farm in Alexandria, Ohio; Old Dutch Hops in Hillsboro, Ohio; Pink Elephant Farm & Kitchen in Smithfield, Ky.; Bugtussle Farm in Gamaliel, Ky.; Ferne Clyffe Farm in Buncombe, Ill.; Fresh Coast Farms in Eau Claire, Mich.; Rising Phoenix Farm in Morning View, Ky.; and Timberfeast in Chatsworth, Ill.

For more information on FACT’s Fund-a-Farmer Grants, visit https://foodanimalconcernstrust.org/farmer

Iowa farmer wins National Conservation Legacy award

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The American Soybean Assoc. (ASA) presented Mark Schleisman from Lake City, Iowa, with the 2018 National Conservation Legacy award during the annual ASA Awards Banquet at Commodity Classic in Anaheim.

Prior to Schleisman’s recognition as the program’s national winner, he was named the Midwest Regional winner of the Conservation Legacy Award. The national winner is chosen from three regional winners – the other regional winners were Dave and Linda Burrier of Union Bridge, Md. (Northeast), and Grant Norwood of Mansfield, Tenn. (South).

Schleisman heads up M&M Farms, a diverse family operation in Calhoun County. M&M grows 4,500 acres of crops, including 2,000 in popcorn; manages 360 cow-calf pairs; and finishes approximately 30,000 head of pigs.

With livestock being such an important part of the M&M operation, Schleisman was approached by Practical Farmers of Iowa to do a three-year research project documenting the economic benefits of cover crops and grazing. He and three other farmers documented the feed value of the biomass produced by cover crops.

M&M is also engaged in protecting water quality. As part of a demonstration project directed by the Iowa Soybean Assoc. in cooperation with a number of partner organizations, Schleisman installed a couple of edge-of-field practices designed to significantly cut nitrate contribution to the Raccoon River.

NFU honors Cullen for excellence in ag communications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Art Cullen, through his series of editorials in The Storm Lake Times, shed light on dark money that was undermining the interests of rural Iowa residents and family farmers.

For his resolution in challenging powerful interests and his outstanding reporting on agriculture and rural issues, the National Farmers Union (NFU) honored Cullen with its Milton D. Hakel Award for Excellence in Agricultural Communications.

His 10 editorials on the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit against the drainage districts of three Iowa counties questioned the legality of a dark money fund set up to finance the counties’ legal fees. This also led Cullen to question the ability of those counties to represent the best interests of their citizens, rather than only those funding their lawsuit. His series led to the fund being disbanded and the lawsuit being dismissed.

Cullen, 59, is co-owner with his older brother, John, of The Storm Lake Times, a 3,000-circulation, twice-weekly newspaper in Storm Lake, Iowa. He is a Storm Lake native who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

The NFU award is presented to reporters or news outlets that demonstrate exceptional reporting of agricultural issues. The award was named in honor of Milton D. Hakel, a respected Farmers Union communicator.

Greater Indiana Clean Cities names Garvin executive director

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Greater Indiana Clean Cities (Greater Indiana) board of directors is pleased to announce that Kerri Garvin is the Coalition’s new executive director. She fills the position vacated by Kellie Walsh, who accepted a position with the Indiana Motor Truck Assoc. as its Member Services director.

Garvin holds a masters of public affairs, with a focus in pubic management, and a bachelor of science in criminal justice from Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne. She also served on Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry’s campaign in 2007 and 2008 and was a Public Policy intern for U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh in 2005.

The board congratulated Walsh on her new position and thanks her for the commitment she has shown the Coalition and its members for the past 16 years.

National Pork Board names 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Pork Board recently announced that Adam Krause from South Dakota and Emma Lasco and Christine Snowden, both from Iowa, have been named the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow.

The award recognizes farm leaders ages 18-29 who intend to make pig farming their life’s work and who are committed to raising pigs using the pork industry’s We Care ethical principles. The winners will speak at pork checkoff events and provide content on #RealPigFarming, which is the pork industry’s social media program.

Lasco is a territory manager for Smithfield Foods Midwest Production in Roland, Iowa. She assists growers with implementing Smithfield’s industry-leading animal care standards on their farms.

Snowden is an assistant farrowing manager for AMVC, located in Audubon, Iowa. She works with other employees to care for piglets from birth until they are weaned.

An industry panel of judges selected the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow, who all have had a Common Industry Audit completed on their farms.

Cave named vice president of product support at Redline

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ARCHBOLD, Ohio — Redline Equipment has named Paul Cave vice president of Product Support of its CASE IH dealership. In this new position he will lead all facets of aftermarket support, focusing on the customer experience and bringing value to customers.

Cave comes from Whayne Supply where he was the Ag and Growth Industries sales manager. Prior to that he served as Product Support sales manager and regional sales manager. He previously worked at Miles Farm Supply, where he was the general manager, and started his career at Richway Industries as Ag Sales manager.

Redline Equipment has 11 locations throughout Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

ASA honors Gaesser with Distinguished Leadership Award

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The American Soybean Assoc. (ASA) recognized Ray Gaesser, from Corning, Iowa, with its Distinguished Leadership Award at its annual awards banquet during the 2018 Commodity Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

The award recognizes a soybean grower or association staff leader whose leadership has strengthened the national or state association, enhanced soy-related policy efforts and increased farmer education or engagement.

Gaesser served a number of years on the ASA Board, and was president in 2013-14. He also served on the Iowa Soybean Assoc. (ISA) board, as well as in multiple state leadership positions, including president of the ISA in 2006-07. He helped create and increase demand for biodiesel, and strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard. He also supported increased trade and market opportunities for soybean farmers.

INFB honors outstanding volunteers at spring conference

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Hoosier farmers attended Indiana Farm Bureau’s (INFB) 2018 Spring Conference, hosted by the INFB Women’s Leadership Committee, an annual event that provides professional development and networking opportunities for members.

At this year’s conference, nearly $5,000 was collected for the Farm Bureau Foundation benefiting the Carolyn Hegel Memorial Scholarship Fund. The money was raised by attendees who participated in a silent auction and a live auction. In addition, several members were honored for their accomplishments and volunteer efforts in 2017.

Marlene Fudge of Rush County was named Volunteer of the Year for INFB’s Ag in the Classroom program. Fudge was chosen for this award because she went above and beyond to educate Indiana’s youth about agriculture in 2017. She is an active member of Rush County Farm Bureau, where she serves as the county’s education and outreach coordinator.

INFB also named five members as 2018 Reaching Out award recipients. The award is also given to Ag in the Classroom volunteers that show a true commitment to the program and to volunteering in their county’s schools. This year’s winners were Caren Crum, Carroll County; Miriam Ruppel, Wabash County; Debbie Allen, Switzerland County; Lynda Bauerle, Jennings County; and Deborah Trotter, Clark County.

INFB volunteers who have participated in Ag in the Classroom for 25 years are Erna Loyd, Spencer County; Maryann Maschino, Jennings County; Lynda Phillips, Ohio County; Marvis Loveall, Parke County; Treva Smith, Parke County; and Helen Witte, Wells County.

Also recognized were White and Clinton counties’ Farm Bureaus, each of which won an ag education and promotion development grant from INFB. White County won for its Neighborhood Food Oasis Program and Clinton County, for its Community Garden Project for Food Insecurity.

Hoosier producers awarded sustainable agriculture grants

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Several Indiana producers were recently chosen to receive grants from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) for various projects.

Heather Reynolds with Indiana University in Bloomington will receive a $28,394 grant for the project "Making the Most of Mulch: Strategic Systems for Small Organic Tomato Growers."

Linda Woodbury with Nature's Gift, LLC in Morgantown will receive $22,500 for the Hoosier Harvest 365 Hospital Delivery Program.

Liz Brownlee with Nightfall Farm in Crothersville will receive $15,000 for planning for a farmer-to-farmer butcher shop.

Richard Barnes with Tanglewood Berry Farm in Fort Wayne will receive $22,474 for improving worker welfare and grower profitability in small-scale strawberry production.

Matthew Jose with Mad Farmers Collective in Indianapolis will receive $6,210 for designing a cost-efficient salad greens wash area for small-scale growers.

Brevan DeWeese with Country Boy Farm & Garden in Russiaville will receive $6,499 for the project "Creating a Micro Farm: Using Everything, Wasting Nothing and Inspiring Young People to Do the Same."

Timothy Carter with Honey Creek Farm in Russiaville will receive $3,300 for pasture-crop tests without chemical termination.

Karen Carlisle with Cicero Farm Market in Noblesville will receive $7,493 for increasing yields, plant vigor and soil health with the use of wood chips.

These grants were awarded as part of NCR-SARE's Partnership Grant Program, intended to foster cooperation between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers to catalyze on-farm research, demonstration and education activities related to sustainable agriculture.

Learn more about the NCR-SARE Partnership Grant Program online at www.northcentralsare.org/Grants/Our-Grant-Programs/Partnership-Grant-Program

Johnston appointed to marketing manager for BKT USA

FAIRLAWN, Ohio — BKT USA, Inc. and BKT Tires, Inc. are pleased to announce the appointment of Leigh Johnston to role of marketing manager for BKT USA. She will be responsible for all marketing activities including brand building, planning Trade Shows and customer events, managing the sponsorship of Monster Jam, product advertising and promotional campaigns.

Johnston is a graduate of The Ohio State University in journalism and communications and has worked on her master’s in business from Wright State University. She worked at Trelleborg Wheel Systems, Inc. for four years in both communications and sales capacities and has prior marketing experience in the insurance industry.

Flatt takes on new role at Tennessee Department Of Agriculture

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Agriculture Commissioner Jai Templeton announced the appointment of Whitney Flatt as the Agribusiness Development consultant for food business growth at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA).

Flatt will be responsible for developing a strategic plan for and cultivating business opportunities in food, beverage and other related sectors. She has been with TDA since 2016, serving as a program coordinator for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP).

During her time with TAEP, she oversaw the grain storage, hay storage, livestock feed storage and livestock working facility cover programs. She also served as TAEP’s outreach specialist, providing customer support to more than 3,000 producers annually.

Prior to joining TDA, Flatt worked as a project coordinator for the 2Seeds Network, a development nonprofit based in Tanzania, East Africa. Her efforts with 2Seeds centered on agribusiness training, value and supply chain management and human capital development. She grew up in Newbern, Tenn.

For food and beverage manufacturing inquiries, Flatt can be emailed at whitney.flatt@tn.gov

NutriQuest welcomes Gales as new director of finance

MASON CITY, Iowa — Nick Gales has joined NutriQuest as director of Finance. He will be responsible for providing leadership to the NutriQuest accounting and finance group.

Prior to joining NutriQuest, he served as a Business Initiatives consultant for Wells Fargo. Gales graduated with his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting and a minor in English from the University of Saint Thomas. He and his wife and children reside in Mason City.

Central Life promotes Nicholson to ag national sales manager

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Central Life Sciences, whose founders invented insect growth regulator (IGR) technology more than 45 years ago, announced the promotion of Brandon Nicholson to the position of national sales manager for its Farm & Ranch segment.

In his new role, Nicholson will oversee the strategic farm and ranch key accounts, while taking on management responsibility for the sales development managers and the Farm & Ranch managers. He has been with Central Life Sciences for more than six years, most recently serving as national account manager for Farm & Ranch since April 2016.

Prior to joining Central Life Sciences, Nicholson held a territory sales position with Bo Brown Co. and various positions within Lextron Animal Health and Walco International.

AEM elects new Vice Chair Lagemann of Deere & Co.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Assoc. of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has elected John D. Lagemann, senior vice president Sales & Marketing–Regions 3 & 4, Deere & Co., as the new AEM 2018 vice chair. He fills the unexpired officer term of Jim Walker of CNH Industrial, who recently retired.

In a related move, AEM elected Scott Harris of CNH Industrial to the board of directors, to fill Walker’s unexpired 2018 board term.

Lagemann has served in AEM leadership roles since 2011; he chairs AEM’s AG Sector Board and is a member of the board of directors. Harris, who recently transitioned to CNH’s Ag side as vice president, Case IH North America, had served as a director on AEM’s CE Sector Board since 2016.

Dennis Slater, AEM president, said, “We also take this opportunity to publicly thank Jim Walker for his years of leadership as an AEM officer and board member, and his support of the AEM staff.”