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Names in the News - August 8, 2018
 

Indiana Soy/Corn hires News & Media Relations manager

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and the Indiana Corn Growers Assoc. has hired veteran journalist Dave Blower Jr. as their News and Media Relations manager. He will report to Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Melanie Fitzpatrick.

For more than 18 years, Blower was senior editor of Farm World. His newspaper career has spanned 28 years, with stops at the Brazil (Ind.) Times, the Holyoke (Colo.) Enterprise and The Rochester (Ind.) Sentinel. He is a 1990 graduate of Indiana State University with a degree in journalism.

UT extension selects the Tennessee Farmer of the Year

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A third-generation farmer from Jackson who manages more than 5,000 acres of row crops has been named the Tennessee Farmer of the Year by University of Tennessee extension.

Johnny Verell, who farms in partnership with his father and grandfather, John Verell Jr. and John Verell Sr., rose to the top of the competition because of his business savvy, his land stewardship and his devotion to community service. He was nominated by Danny Morris, an extension area farm management specialist for 10 West Tennessee counties, including Madison County.

Verell began farming in 2005, 40 years after his grandfather started the family business. At first he was entrusted with just 50 of the family’s 2,000 acres, which he planted in Delta & Pine Land cotton. Now he manages the entire 5,050-acre operation. At his direction, Verell Farms has moved away from cotton production to cultivating wheat, corn and soybeans.

With the help of technology and precision agriculture, Verell’s irrigated acres of corn have been known to produce in excess of 300 bushels per acre. What’s more, at 65 bushels per acre of full-season soybeans, he produced well above last year’s national average yield.

Verell graduated Jackson State Community College with an associate degree in precision agriculture and holds a B.S. in agronomy from Murray State University. He has been a member of the Madison County Farm Bureau board of directors since 2006 and was the state and national American Soybean Assoc. Young Farmer of the Year in 2012.

He will compete in Southeastern Farmer of the Year at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga. The winner from a 10-state area will be announced on the opening day of the expo, Oct. 16.

AgrIInstitute selects Class 18 of Ag Leadership Program

DANVILLE, Ind. — Thirty of Indiana’s top farmers and agribusiness leaders have been selected to participate in the 18th class of the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program (ALP), sponsored by AgrIInstitute, Inc.

During the two-year program, ALP class members will attend 10 seminars throughout Indiana, spend one week studying in Washington, D.C., and meeting with national leaders and study 10-14 days internationally.

 Selected to participate in Class 18 of the Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program are: Ray Allison, Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center; Jackie Barber, American Dairy Assoc. Indiana; Virgil Bremer, B&B Cattle; Daniel Collignon, German American Bank; Jeff Cummins, Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA);

Meggie Foster, CountryMark; Jason Glenn, Maple Leaf Farms; Rob Hays, Indiana FFA; Sam Hennessee, Bayer Crop Science; Guy Herrell, Integrity BioFuels; Matthew House, Beck’s Superior Hybrids; Brett Jones, Ingredion; Rebecca Joniskan, Indiana Department. of Environmental Management;

Myron McClure, Purdue University; John Metzger, Elanco; Nick Michel, Superior Ag Cooperativel; Matt Nidlinger, Consolidated Grain & Barge; Amie Osborn, First Farmers Bank & Trust; Thomas Parker, Parker Farms; Chelsea Poe, Indiana Farm Bureau; Todd Rodibaugh, National Pork; Morgan Saltsgiver, ATC Group;

Brianna Schroeder, Janzen Ag Law; Somula Schwoeppe, Schwoeppe Dairy; Kyle Shipman, Indiana State Board of Animal Health; Suzi Spahr, ISDA; Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, The Nature Conservancy; Sarah Wagler, Nutrient Management; Nathan Wainscott, Land O’ Lakes; and Laura Watenpool, Elanco.

For more information about the program, contact AgrIInstitute at 317-745-0947 or beth@agriinstitute.org and visit www.agriinstitute.org

Three Power to Do More contest winners selected

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Thousands of online votes were cast, and three farmers were named winners of the “Power to Do More” contest. Out of 10 finalists, Shirley Schroeder of Le Mars, Iowa, Shana Guttery of Alton, Kan., and Charles Krause of Buffalo, Minn., received the most votes in the contest, sponsored by Resicore corn herbicide from Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont.

Corteva is donating a total of $30,000 to the three winners’ communities and a trip for two to their dream sports field.

Schroeder submitted a photo of her multigenerational family, noting they believe there is no greater calling than to feed the world. She described the family members’ powerful enthusiasm they bring to all areas of their operation, leading to personal fulfillment and financial success.

As a winner, she will receive two tickets to a baseball game at Wrigley Field this fall, plus $10,000 for the MMCRU school FFA program in her hometown.

In appreciation of their effort and participation, Corteva is also donating $1,000 to each community organization nominated by the remaining seven finalists, including area winners: Dean Atkins, for Prairie Central High School’s track and football field in Chenoa, Ill.; Jonathan Lawler, for Eastern Hancock School’s sports program in Greenfield, Ind.; and Ryan Heiniger, for Mediapolis FFA in Mediapolis, Iowa.

USDA makes Plant Variety Protection Board appointments

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of 14 members to serve two-year terms on the Plant Variety Protection Board. Two alternate members were also appointed.

Newly appointed members include: Katherine White of Detroit, Mich., from the academia sector; Wendell Shauman (Alternate) of Kirkwood, Ill., from the farm sector; from the general interest sector, Heidi Nebel of Des Moines, Iowa; government sector representative Brent Burchett of Frankfort, Ky.; and from the seed industry sector, John Duesing of Johnston, Iowa.

The Plant Variety Protection Act secures intellectual property rights for developers of new varieties of plants. The board members represent farmers, seed industry, trade and professional associations and public and private research institutions.

AgriNovus adds startup, state executives to board of directors

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — AgriNovus Indiana, the state’s initiative to promote and accelerate the growth of the agbiosciences sector, has added new members to its board of directors: Ellie Symes, CEO of The Bee Corp.; Johnny Park, vice president of research for DTN, Inc.; Micah Vincent, director of the Indiana Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and David Roberts, chief innovation officer for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

Symes is co-founder and CEO of The Bee Corp. Launched in 2016, it assists beekeepers in reducing beehive loss through Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics. She earned her master of public affairs in information systems in 2018 and a bachelor of science degree in Environmental Management in 2016 from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Park is the vice president of research at DTN and founder of Spensa Technologies, which was acquired by DTN in March 2018. He is passionate about agricultural innovation that will reduce reliance on manual labor, foster eco-friendly farming and enhance crop production efficiency. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University.

Vincent previously served as the OMB's general counsel and policy director, and as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Local Governance Finance, among other roles. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue and a law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Roberts previously served as president of the Battery Innovation Center at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park, among other appointments. He received a law degree from the McKinney School of Law, where he served on the Indiana Law Review, and a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University.

Tractor Supply shareholders elect Jackson to board

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Shareholders of Tractor Supply Co. elected Denise L. Jackson to its board of directors at the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

They also reelected directors Cynthia T. Jamison, Peter D. Bewley, Thomas A. Kingsbury, Ramkumar Krishnan, George MacKenzie, Edna K. Morris, Mark J. Weikel and Gregory A. Sandfort (CEO and director).

With the election of Jackson, Johnston C. Adams has retired from the board. He did not stand for reelection. The total number of directors remains at nine members.

Family Farms appoints Rogge-Fidler as new CEO

BRIGHTON, Ill. — Family Farms LLC is pleased to announce it has appointed Shari Rogge-Fidler as its new CEO, effective immediately. A native of Nebraska, she is a fifth-generation farmer with extensive experience in national and international agribusiness.

Family Farms LLC, comprised of Family Farms Group and related companies, serves a growing network of family farms. In January 2018, after 50 years’ service to the world of agriculture, Allen Lash, founder and longtime CEO, announced his intention to retire upon appointment of a successor.

Holcomb appoints to soil conservation, ports boards

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Gov. Eric Holcomb recently announced several new appointments and reappointments to various state boards, commissions and councils.

He made two reappointments to the Soil Conservation Board, administered by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Warren Baird of Atlanta, retired, and Larry Clemens of Angola, North American agriculture director with The Nature Conservancy, will continue their board service until Nov. 30, 2021.

Holcomb also made two new appointments to the board, serving until Nov. 30, 2021: Kenny Cain of Darlington, of Cain’s Homelike Farms, and Brad Dawson of Guilford, regional sales manager with FiNN All Seasons.

He also appointed Bob Bowen of Indianapolis to the Ports Commission, through June 30, 2022. Bowen is founder and chair of Bowen Engineering Corp. In addition, Greg Gibson of Brazil was reappointed through the same date; he is president of ReTec Corp.

Cooper succeeding Dinneen as president, CEO of RFA

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Renewable Fuels Assoc. (RFA) announced Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper will assume the position of president and CEO in October, while current President and CEO Bob Dinneen will transition into the role of RFA’s senior strategic advisor.

Dinneen has been with RFA for more than 30 years, including serving as president and CEO since 2001. During his tenure, he led the industry and achieved a number of landmark legislative and regulatory victories for ethanol, including passage of the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005 and significant expansion and extension of the RFS program in 2007.

Cooper joined RFA in 2008 as the organization’s director of research and analysis and ascended to executive vice president by 2016. He previously worked on ethanol issues for the National Corn Growers Assoc. and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, specializing in bulk petroleum product logistics. In recent years, he has led RFA’s regulatory activities, while also overseeing its research and technical initiatives, supporting public and media relations efforts and managing the Renewable Fuels Foundation.

Stitzlein elected U.S. Grains Council chair at Denver meeting

DENVER, Colo. — Delegates of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) elected as chair Jim Stitzlein, manager of market development for Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., at its 58th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting.

Stitzlein has more than 40 years of experience in the commodity grain handling and export business, including local origination programs, hedging and merchandising, transportation, logistics and facility management and export trading and documentation.

Involved with the USGC for more than 20 years, he has traveled extensively for it, is active in the National Grain and Feed Assoc., from which he received the NGFA Distinguished Service Award, and has broadly participated in other activities related to quality and biotechnology as they impact the grain trade.

Stitzlein grew up working on his family farm in Ohio where he was active in 4-H and FFA. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from The Ohio State University.

In addition, USGC delegates elected Jim Raben from the Illinois Corn Marketing Board as secretary/treasurer, sector directors and three at-large directors. The new board of directors will serve until July 2019.

Apply now for the 2018-19 ASA Young Leader Program

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The American Soybean Assoc. (ASA) and Corteva Agriscience are seeking applicants for the 2018-19 Young Leader Program (YLP). For more than 30 years, the ASA YLP has identified and developed grower leaders who have shaped the agricultural industry.

Phase I of the YLP will take place in Johnston, Iowa, Nov. 27-30. The program continues Feb. 28-March 2, 2019, in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show.

Soybean grower couples and individuals are encouraged to apply for the program, which focuses on leadership and communication, the latest agricultural information and the development of a strong peer network. Applications are being accepted online now; the deadline is Sept. 26. Visit this site for more information: http://soygrowers.com/learn/young-leader-program

 

 

8/8/2018