INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — On his way to attend a fundraiser last Thursday for Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Richard Mourdock, Kip Tom said he wanted to talk to the candidate about biofuel production.

“The food-versus-fuel debate has been reopened,” Tom said of the drought, musing that if the United States didn’t have an ethanol market in addition to livestock and others, what might corn prices look like for farmers? “I’m convinced (enough corn) will be there” for all sectors using it.

As for Mourdock, who earlier this year spoke in opposition of federal incentives for biofuel production (though not against biofuel manufacture itself, according to his spokesman); Tom hoped to find out more about the candidate’s opinion. He suggested if Mourdock doesn’t show more support for ethanol, he might not get as much support as he hopes from GOP Hoosiers whose livelihoods rely on biofuel.

Traveling to fundraisers, traveling to talks and meetings - even traveling to other continents - is par for the course for Tom, managing member of Tom Farms LLC, based in Kosciusko County. His promotion of Indiana agriculture and business acumen were part of what netted him this year’s AgriVision Award, created by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman in 2007 and given annually for “exemplary leadership to maximize the potential of Indiana agriculture.”

Skillman said Tom Farms operates 16,000 acres in Indiana and 4,000 in Argentina, providing seed and services to Monsanto Co., Red Gold and others. She said Tom serves on the board of directors of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., is an advisor to the Indiana Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and is a member of its Indiana Grown program - among others.

“The list is very, very long of his service and responsibilities,” she added.

For his part, Tom credited Skillman and Gov. Mitch Daniels for the growth of the state’s ag industry over nearly eight years. He said farming is a sort of manufacturing, and the Daniels administration has worked to put together infrastructure for growing the state’s ag supply chain.

Tom compared Indiana’s and the country’s policies favorably against the Argentine government’s, which he sees as limiting individual farmers. He explained about 70 percent of farmers’ gross sales in Argentina go toward paying taxes.

He said now the Argentine government is talking about restricting water usage and the number of acres for each crop. It’s also difficult for farmers to buy land, since he said interest rates are around 20 percent and a buyer is required to front 50 percent of the purchase.

Asked if that government’s position is based on conservation, Tom said, “It’s about control (of things besides natural resources). It’s not anything about controlling a resource.”

What led him into beginning farming there about 12 years ago was he used to do consulting work in Brazil and Argentina and he saw an opportunity to change the supply chain for DuPont. “We learned a lot of things about it, the hard way,” he said of doing business in another country.

Tom’s ancestors emigrated from Scotland and settled on part of Tom Farms’ land 175 years ago. Tom, 57, grew up on the family farm and still works there, but said, “I’m not out on the tractor as much.” He credited his parents, Everett and Marie - who founded Tom Farms in 1952 - with his interest in ag, such as getting their children involved in 4-H and FFA at an early age.

“These are great times in agriculture,” he said, adding he’s busy because he enjoys it. “I’m a big believer in the family business.”

Three of his five adult children also work for Tom Farms: Kassi Rowland and Kris and Kyle (the others are Kandi and Katlyn), as does his sister, Melissa Gerber. As a young man, Kip Tom considered going to law school, but decided to stick with farming after his brother was killed in a car wreck.

Just because something is a family business, though, does not mean it should always be run the same way. Skillman credited Tom for adopting new technologies and more aggressive business principles to grow Tom Farms’ reach.

“Farmers, too often times, are caught up in ‘you do it the way Dad did it.’ Well, the way Dad did it was good for that time,” Tom explained.

He learned he was receiving the award about three weeks ago, but said he was already planning to attend the presentation at the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 15 so he could meet the recipient anyway.

“There are so many deserving candidates around the state,” he said, adding Hoosier farmers are big on cooperation in pursuit of their individual vision and goals.