ISA board elects 2008 officers<br>
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Grant County grain farmer Doug Morrow was elected president of the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) at the January board of directors meeting in Indianapolis. Morrow, of Marion, and the 2008 ISA directors are responsible for investing Indiana’s soybean checkoff funds in projects to benefit Indiana’s soybean farmers.<br>
The board of directors also elected Lynn Teel of Chalmers, vice president; Linda Bacon of Milroy, secretary; and Mike Yoder of Middlebury, treasurer. Board members elected to the ISA executive committee are Mike Beard of Frankfort, Demand Committee chair; Fayte Brewer of Lafayette, Membership and Industry Relations Committee chair; and Trevor Glick of Columbus, Supply Committee chair.<br>
As ISA Vice President, Teel also serves as the chairman of the Alliance’s Policy Committee.<br>
OSU extension picks up award<br>
NEWARK, Ohio — Brad Bergefurd, extension educator and horticulture specialist for the OSU South Centers of Ohio State University extension, has been recognized by the Ohio Assoc. of Extension Professionals (OAEP) for his work in agriculture and natural resources educational programming.<br>
Bergefurd received the award on Dec. 12 at the OSU extension annual Conference Recognition Dinner at the Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark.<br>
The OAEP 10 Year and Over Achievement Award is given annually to three extension educators in agriculture and natural resources, who contribute time and effort to county and statewide educational programming and who take an active role in promoting the extension profession through their work in the OAEP and national association.<br>
Farm CC hires Matteson<br>
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AgPR) — As the challenges faced by those seeking to enter agriculture continue to increase, the farmer-led board of directors of the Farm Credit Council has created a new staff position intended to focus additional resources on supporting the efforts of Farm Credit System institutions to serve young, beginning and small farmers, producers and ranchers.<br>
This new position will provide Farm Credit even more opportunity to coordinate efforts with the many national organizations that also are working to ensure that young, beginning and small farmers have the opportunities they need to succeed. Another area of focus for the position will be on connecting directly with organizations that advocate for minority farmers.<br>
Filling this new staff position is Gary Matteson, who until recently was a small farmer operating a greenhouse business in Epsom, N.H. He has served on the board of directors of a Farm Credit institution, and was a founding member and longtime chairman of the board of trustees of New Hampshire Made, a nonprofit organization that promotes New Hampshire-made products and services.<br>
 Farm Credit provided some $5.5 billion to young farmers, $9.3 billion for beginning farmers and $11 billion for small farmers in 2006.<br>
Matteson can be contacted through the Farm Credit Council at 202-879-0840 or by email at matteson@fccouncil.com<br>
McCormick promotes Sales VP<br>
NORCROSS, Ga. — McCormick USA, a division of ARGO Tractors, announced that Wayne Buchberger has been named vice president of sales for the tractor manufacturer.<br>
Buchberger previously served as a territory manager for McCormick in the Midwest. In his new role, Buchberger will oversee the national McCormick sales team and work with dealers to enhance sales opportunities for the McCormick and Landini brands.<br>
Rodney Miller has been promoted to executive vice president of sales and marketing, and will coordinate the overall sales and marketing efforts for McCormick in the U.S. market.<br>
He joined McCormick in June 2007 and helped it successfully move into the compact tractor market.<br>
Ray Spinks is returning to the United Kingdom to assume the role of sales director for the UK Commercial Branch of McCormick International. He previously served as vice president of sales for the U.S. operation.<br>
AFB elects grassroots leaders<br>

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Bob Stallman was reelected president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and Barry Bushue, a nursery and berry producer from Oregon, was elected vice president at the 89th AFBF meeting.<br>
Stallman, a cattle and rice producer from Columbus, Texas, was elected to a fifth two-year term as president. Bushue, from Boring, Ore., was elected vice president to succeed Steve Appel, a wheat and barley producer from Dusty, Wash., who retired.<br>
Fourteen state Farm Bureau presidents were reelected to represent their regions on the AFBF board of directors. Among them were:
Midwest Region – Charles Kruse of Missouri and Philip Nelson of Illinois.<br>
Southern Region – Marshall Coyle of Kentucky, Wayne Pryor of Virginia and Stanley Reed of Arkansas.<br>
Terry Gilbert of Kentucky continues to serve as chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee and on the AFBF board of directors. Newly elected to the committee was Isabella Chism of Indiana.<br>
Leininger is Top Crop director<br>

LANSING, Mich. — Brent Leininger, local agent for Farm Bureau Insurance, has recently earned the award of Top Crop Agent Director” for 2007.<br>
The award is based on annual top sales of Crop Hail and Multiple Peril Crop insurance.<br>
The award was presented by a representative of American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, Ind., which sponsors the annual awards on behalf of Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan.<br>
Farm Bureau Insurance, one of Michigan’s major insurers, has a statewide force of 440 agents serving more than 450,000 Michigan policyholders.<br>