VANCOUVER, Wash. — Elected earlier this month at the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) 57th annual Board of Delegates Meeting, Clarion, Iowa, corn grower Deb Keller will become the first woman to serve as chair in the organization’s 60 years.

 

“Thinking ahead, I see so many areas for growth, but I also see challenges that will take much time and patience to see through,” she told fellow delegates at the meeting July 31-Aug. 2, in Washington state.

A second-generation farmer and the past chair of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), Keller will represent Iowa corn farmers. “After working with our delegates, the board and our staff both internationally and domestically, I know we can be successful together in growing demand for grains in all forms to the growing global middle class.”

Keller – who has been farming for nearly 30 years near Clarion, with her husband, Gary – holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Purdue University. In addition, she has done extensive work in the value-added and export areas, serving on several committees for the USGC and the ICPB, including Iowa Corn’s Research and Business Development Committee, and the Exports and Grain Trade Committee.

Moreover, she has previously served as the lead of the Council’s ROW (Rest of World) A-team, as well as a member of the National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) Research and Business Development Action Team.

“As a corn farmer, I always knew how important markets were, but I wasn’t aware of all the intricacies involved in enabling trade,” she said. “I’ve come to appreciate how much the council does for me as a farmer, not only developing markets but also enabling trade for us as farmers.”

Keller told Farm World her first goal as the new USGC chair is to “continue reassuring customers that the U.S. is a reliable supplier

… This will be an ongoing process that will occur for many months and years to come.”

Through her work as former ICPB chair, and with the USGC, Keller has traveled to Cuba, Guatemala, Egypt, Morocco, China, South Korea and Italy.

She said her second goal is to continue the USGC’s efforts in developing new markets.

“It’s important to realize that trade doesn’t just happen,” she explained. “It can take years to develop a market. Southeast Asia is an area of the world that we are looking toward, as is the African continent,” she added. “India has biotech issues that we are working on, and could ultimately be a great trading partner for us as well.”

Among the areas of growth Keller sees are Mexico, India and Japan markets, which are “a few of the countries that the council is working on for our ethanol markets.

“If you are a barley producer, look for some of your crop to go to Japan in their health foods market,” she pointed out. “Higher inclusion rates of DDGS (distillers grains) are being worked on around the world, with special emphasis in Mexico.”

Keller said the challenges the USGC faces deal with trade agreements. “After our withdrawal from TPP (Transpacific Partnership) and the threat against the NAFTA and KORUS U.S.-Korea) trade agreements, many of our customers are nervous. “The council is expending much effort to reassure our customers that they are important to us and that the U.S. will remain a reliable supplier of quality products,” she said. “We are also working with sorghum in these same areas as an excellent feed ingredient.”

Keller said her final goal as the new USGC chair is to “encourage farmers and ranchers to stay engaged in the importance of the need for strong trade policies.”

Craig Floss, Iowa Corn CEO who serves on the USGC board as state checkoff sector director, said she has given a lot of time and leadership as an advocate for agriculture at the local, state, and national level. “I have no doubt that she will do an outstanding job representing Iowa’s corn farmers as USGC chair,” he added.

The board of delegates also elected new members of the USGC’s board of directors, which include Tom Mueller, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, corn sector director; Jim Raben, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, atlarge director; and Philip McCoun, Kentucky Corn Promotional Council, at-large director. The new board of directors will serve until July 2018