Two new field managers join Soil Health Partnership team

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Two new field managers have joined the Soil Health Partnership (SHP), a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Abigail Peterson and Alex Fiock will help manage the growing number of farmers enrolled in the program in Illinois and Indiana.

SHP field managers help new farmers get started in the program with identifying the practices that will work best for them to improve soil health on their farms, and assist with implementation, soil sampling and education. Field managers also help organize, attend and offer presentations at field days.

Peterson, a Certified Crop Advisor, will work in southern Illinois, and joins current Illinois Field Manager Jim Isermann in working with more than 30 farmers enrolled in that state. She joined SHP after two years with DuPont Pioneer, and is a graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy.

Fiock will manage northern Indiana. He grew up in Bluffton with a love of farming, fostered by his grandfather. He joins current Indiana Field Manager Hans Kok in helping with the 30 farmers in Indiana. Prior to joining the partnership, he worked in seed sales covering 15 Indiana counties and is a graduate of Purdue University, majoring in natural resource environmental science with a focus in agronomy and soil science.

Owens named forestry agribusiness development consultant

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With more than 13 years of experience in the forestry industry, Neil Owens has been appointed forestry agribusiness development consultant for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA).

This new position is the result of realignment of resources and staff positions within the TDA to better address agribusiness growth and development. Owens transitions from the role of state forest program specialist with TDA’s Division of Forestry.

He has a history of forestry consulting in the private sector prior to joining TDA, providing management strategies, promoting sustainable forestry initiatives and managing more than 20,000 acres of timberland for investment firms and private landowners. A West Virginia native, he moved to Tennessee to obtain his bachelor of science degree in resource management from the University of Tennessee.

Three new directors join Indiana Farm Bureau board

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) welcomed three new directors to its state board. Joining the existing 10 board members is Kermit J. Paris representing District 8, Dr. Marybeth Feutz representing District 9 and Bob Geswein representing District 10.

All three new board members were voted into their positions in late 2017 by INFB member delegates in their district. Board members serve three-year terms and can serve no more than four successive terms.

Paris is filling the position previously held by Mark Bacon, also of Rush County. He and his wife, Diane, own and operate Clifty Creek Farm in southern Rush County and two farms in Shelby County, and he and his brothers own Lone Hill Farms, Inc. in Boone, Fayette and Fountain counties.

Feutz, who lives in Gibson County, is filling the position previously held by Philip Springstun of Warrick County. She has a degree in veterinary medicine, holds a separate Ph.D. in equine respiratory disease and is a consultant for the veterinary hospital owned by her husband, John, and his father. The family farms, maintaining a cow-calf herd that includes registered Angus cattle, and also raise hay and sell produce.

Geswein, who lives in Floyd County, is filling the position previously held by Robert L. Schickel of Harrison County. He is an energy advisor for Harrison Rural Electric Membership Cooperative, a position he’s held for more than 22 years, where he’s presented around 1,000 energy seminars. He owns a small farm that produces corn and soybeans.

Case IH honors young FB farmers and ranchers

RACINE, Wis. — As part of its ongoing commitment to support the next generation of agricultural leaders, Case IH awarded three new Farmall 50A tractors and six large tool chests with $500 Case IH parts gift cards to finalists in each category of the 2018 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Young Farmers & Ranchers awards program.

Of the nearly 100 participants, the nine sets of finalists recognized by Case IH were: Casey and Stacey Phillips of Virginia, Jenny Freeborn of Oregon, Justin and Lori McClellan of Virginia, Robert and Lindsay Elliot of Tennessee, Wade and Shelby Hampton of Maryland, Jared Knock of South Dakota, Matt Jakubik of Michigan, Ben and Kate Furnish of Kentucky and Cassie Lyman of Arizona.

INFB Women’s Leadership Committee rep named to AFBF

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau’s (INFB) District 8 Women’s Leadership Committee representative Cindy Ramsey was elected to the American Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Leadership Committee board at the recent AFBF convention.

The women’s leadership program engages women with the training and education they need to become powerful advocates for modern agriculture. Ramsey, of Shelbyville, Ind., will serve as the Midwest representative, representing Farm Bureau members in several states, including Indiana.

Ramsey also serves as District 8 education and outreach coordinator for INFB, where she represents members in Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Fayette, Franklin, Johnson, Rush, Shelby and Union counties. She and her family, including husband Phil, farm corn, soybeans, wheat and hay in Shelby County. They also own Ramsey Farm Ag Enterprises, a farm drainage and excavation business.

The Ramseys were recently honored at the 2017 INFB State Convention, where they were named Indiana Farm Family of the Year by Beck's Hybrids and Indiana AgriNews.

Hoosier Ag Today expands broadcast staff with Pfeiffer

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ZIONSVILLE, Ind. — Hoosier Ag Today, Indiana’s leading farm radio network, is proud to announce the addition of Eric Pfeiffer to the largest and most experienced farm broadcast staff in Indiana.

A native Hoosier educated at Purdue University, Pfeiffer has extensive experience in radio and communications technology. He will manage the news gathering operation for both radio and digital distribution and will work closely with the award-winning broadcast team of Gary Truitt and Andy Eubank.

Pfeiffer has served as news director for WSAL/WLHM radio in Logansport, Ind. and, most recently, as Telecommunications Systems specialist at Purdue. He will be based in West Lafayette.

Logan County family honored with sustainable ag award

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Agriculture has named the Bishop family of PrairiErth Farm in Logan County the winners of the annual R.J. Vollmer Award for Sustainable Agriculture.

Dave Bishop has been farming his 300-acre PrairiErth Farm outside Atlanta, Ill., since 1981. Over time, his sons Graham and Hans joined the farm and broadened the range of enterprises. His daughter, Kristin, is an elementary school educator and shares her expertise as she helps facilitate school tours on the farm.

Bishop farmed conventional corn, soybeans, wheat and oats in the early 1980s, but began to transition to synthetic-chemical free practices in 1985. During the drought of 1988, he observed that chemical-free crops did significantly better than the conventional crops because he believed the soil held more water and the plants were less stressed.

At that time, he began transforming more of his fields, becoming a certified organic farm in 2004. PrairiErth now produces and markets a wide range of crops and livestock, including organic corn, soybeans, wheat, livestock forages, vegetables, fruit, honey and organic beef, pork and eggs. This range of crops, and the link to other local businesses, illustrate the farm's dedication to "diversity, soil health and lasting relationships with our community."

Perdue names five to Indiana FSA State Committee

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue recently announced the individuals who will serve on the Indiana USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee. The committee is responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving appeals from the agriculture community and helping to keep producers informed about FSA programs.

Each state committee has five members, one chair and four members. The individuals appointed to serve on this committee include: Committee Chair Ken Rulon, Arcadia; Kim Ames, Fillmore; Bill Gelfius, Hartsville; Clint Orr, Forest; and Kirk Perkins, Wolcottville.

Central Life Sciences promotes Harris to VP sales

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Central Life Sciences, whose founders invented insect growth regulator (IGR) technology more than 45 years ago, announced the promotion of Tracy L. Harris III to vice president of Sales for its professional brands.

In his expanded role, Harris will oversee the sales leadership responsibilities for the professional pest management, vector, livestock, farm and feed, grain storage and processing, turf and ornamental and horticulture segments. Harris has been with Central Life Sciences for more than 16 years, most recently serving as senior director of Sales for the Professional Agricultural Products division since 2014.

Prior to joining Central Life Sciences, he was the director of Sales Operations with eMerge Interactive, Inc. and was the regional manager for Feed Additives for Roche Vitamins, Inc.

Agrible announces leadership change, positions for next phase

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Agrible, Inc. announced Chris Harbourt has decided to step down as its CEO. Harbourt is one of eight co-founders of Agrible and has been with the company since its formation.

Dennis E. Beard, a board member, will serve as interim CEO of Agrible. He has more than three decades of business experience and has held C-level positions in various technology and service companies in the past. He is currently a managing partner with Serra Ventures, which led the initial seed round of funding for Agrible. Additionally, the board has promoted David Stanko, formerly CFO at Agrible, as its new president and chief operating officer.

Harbourt said, “I have decided to move on to pursue other passions in agriculture, investing, teaching, and business. I will continue to support Agrible and look forward to Agrible’s next phase of growth.”

Submit nominee for 2018 Women in Agriculture award

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Each year, the Purdue Women in Agriculture (WIA) team recognizes Indiana women who are leaders and innovators and who have contributed to the success of Indiana's agricultural industry.

Currently, the team is accepting applications for the 2018 Purdue Women in Agriculture Awards. Nominees will be placed in either the Leadership or Achievement categories for award consideration as deemed appropriate by the WIA team. Women who are interested in the award may nominate themselves, or be nominated by someone else.

Winners will be recognized at the Indiana State Fair and will receive a complimentary registration and overnight accommodation at the Midwest Women in Agriculture conference in the year after their award is presented.

To learn more, contact Lori Bouslog at lbouslog@purdue.edu or 765-492-5332, or Kamille Brawner at kbrawne@purdue.edu or 812-352-3033. Applications and letters of support must be received by May 1 to be considered for the 2018 awards.

Beef industry’s best honored at IBCA awards banquet

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indiana Beef Cattle Assoc. (IBCA) honored the state’s best at its Annual Convention in Indianapolis. Beef producers from across the state attended to salute the men and women who provided the leadership for the Indiana beef industry over the past year or over their lifetime.

IBCA leadership presented the 2017 Friend of the Industry award to Willoughby Livestock Sales of Sheridan. A staunch supporter of the Indiana beef industry, Willoughby Sales has charitably hosted the stalling auction in advance of the Hoosier Beef Congress for the past seven years.

To honor cattlemen who possess beef management skills and leadership abilities, the IBCA awarded the 2017 IBCA Young Cattleman of the Year to Brad Shelton of Bedford. He serves as superintendent of the Feldun Purdue Ag Center and the Indiana Beef Evaluation and Economics Feeding (IBEEF).

The prestigious Outstanding Cattleman of the Year was awarded to Doug Gerber of Richmond. He and his late wife, Maxine, chased their dream of building a premier herd of Hereford Cattle into the Gerber Land and Cattle Co. Gerber is known and respected worldwide for his contributions to the Hereford breed.

The most prestigious award each year is the coveted Robert C. Peterson Lifetime Achievement award, which went to Clark Sennett of Waynetown. Sennett Cattle Co. markets 1,200-1,500 head of fed cattle each year. In addition, it operates both a purebred Limousin cowherd and a commercial crossbred herd.

The care and forethought put into the operation was rewarded in 2008, as the Sennetts were given the Region 1 NCBA National Environmental Stewardship Award. Clark began his service on the IBCA board of directors in 1996 as the Feeder Representative and then IBCA president, in 2001.

Four Seeds of Change awards given at fourth annual summit

CHICAGO, Ill. — Innovators. Educators. Communicators. Those are just some of the words used to describe the four recipients of the newly inaugurated Seeds of Change awards at the 2018 Soil Health Partnership (SHP) Summit, Jan. 18-19 in Chicago.

These awards were developed to highlight those members of the SHP who go above and beyond to advocate for the partnership and for soil health throughout the year. The four recipients are:

•Super Spout: Andrew Reuschel, Golden, Ill., a first-year member of the SHP who is passionate about soil health, enthusiastic to take on new challenges and always willing to share his experience with others. He practices reduced tillage and cover crops on his farm and became interested in expanding soil and water conservation efforts.

•Champion Communicator: Mark Mueller, Waverly, Iowa. He often takes the initiative to tell the story of what’s happening on his farm – a vital way to encourage other farmers to consider adopting new practices, and to share the progress agriculture is making with the public, including an opinion editorial, media interviews and journaling for Farm and Ranch Living.

•Ace Agronomist: Jack Hardwick, Beardstown, Ill. Both an agronomist and a farmer, his interest in soil health started with his degree in soil science. He then spent 12 years in various roles with FS, AgriGold and BRANDT before going back to the family farm and starting a crop consulting business.

•Data Digger: Tom Vaske, Masonville, Iowa. The research of the SHP relies on good data collection. Vaske is always on time, meticulous and accurate with his data, and ensures his trial location is correct each year.

An initiative of the National Corn Growers Assoc., the SHP is a data-driven program working to quantify the benefits of practices that support soil health from an economic as well as environmental standpoint.

Krone North America names Fowler as president and CEO

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Krone North America announced in January that Tommy Jones resigned his role as president and CEO of the company. Jones has been replaced in that leadership role by Rusty Fowler, who led the company for 28 years, from 1986-2014.

According to Fowler, “There are times when all parties involved realize that the leadership at the top must be adjusted to ensure consensus and alignment on business direction and goals. Fortunately, our existing leadership team averages over 25 years of experience with the company, which will ensure a seamless transition following this change.”

Young farmers recognized at INFB Leadership Conference

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — More than 400 Hoosier young farmers traveled to Indianapolis in late January for the annual Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmer Leadership Conference.

Spencer County Farm Bureau’s young farmer program was recognized with the Outstanding County Young Farmer award, given to the top program in the state. Jasper and Fulton counties were runners-up.

Morgan County Farm Bureau was recognized as the Most Improved Young Farmer Program this year. This is based on a comparison of activities of the past three years and how the activities and programs of that county’s program have improved.

Putnam, Whitley and Fulton counties’ Farm Bureaus received the Awakening award, started in 1998 to encourage growth and momentum with new and developing county young farmer programs.

Three county young farmer programs were recognized for their contributions to Feeding America, a nonprofit with a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and more.

Bartholomew County Farm Bureau donated the most to Feeding America, collecting $4,000, and Jasper County donated the most nonperishable food items, a total of 420 pounds of food. Bartholomew also donated the most time, 780 hours.

Conference attendees also raised money for two other special causes, the Indiana 4-H Foundation and the FFA Foundation. A live auction on Saturday lifted the total funds donated to $5,816.

Winners of the state’s two collegiate Farm Bureau chapters’ Discussion Meets were recognized. Vincennes University winner Derrik Osborne of Knox County and Purdue University winner Kayla Hoenert of Posey County then competed against other collegiate winners from around the country at the American Farm Bureau (AFB) Young Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference last month.

Young farmers who recently competed at AFB’s annual meeting in Nashville received recognition. Deidra Gottbrath of Washington County competed in the AFB Discussion Meet and advanced to the Sweet 16 round of competition; Jeff Demerly of White County competed for the Excellence in Agriculture award and placed in the Top 10 in the nation; and Matt and Brianna Chapman of Henry County competed for the Achievement award.

NutriQuest welcomes several new staff members in 2018

MASON CITY, Iowa — Kenny Seidel has joined NutriQuest as senior account manager, Swine. He will be responsible for creating and developing ongoing business relationships with new and existing swine customers. Prior to joining NutriQuest, he served as an account manager for Phibro Animal Health and has more than 20 years’ experience in the ag and swine industries.

Petra Chang, PhD has joined NutriQuest as technical sales and service, Swine. She will provide sales and technical support for swine customers throughout the Midwest as well as Brazil. Chang was previously a key account manager working for Kemin Industries.

Liang (“Ted”) Chen, PhD has joined NutriQuest as a dairy research coordinator. He will be responsible for assisting in the NutriQuest research and development effort at the company’s new dairy research center, located in southwestern Minnesota.

In addition, NutriQuest Business Solutions welcomed two new consulting chief financial officers. Kevin Christensen has joined the company serving the Midwest region. He will be responsible for assisting customers with managing both short- and long-term budgets and forecasts, system development and financial analysis.

Jennifer Brown brings experience in financial reporting, budgeting and cash flow forecasting and will assist customers with budgeting and meeting their financial goals.

USPOULTRY recognizes farm environmental award winners

TUCKER, Ga. — The U.S. Poultry & Egg Assoc. (USPOULTRY) recognized six poultry farm winners and three finalists who received the annual Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award at the International Poultry Expo, part of the 2018 International Production & Processing Expo. The award is given annually in acknowledgment of exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.

Applicants were rated in several categories, including dry litter management, nutrient management planning, community involvement, wildlife enhancement techniques, innovative nutrient management techniques and participation in education or outreach programs. In selecting the national winners and finalists, applications were reviewed and farm visits conducted by a team of environmental professionals from universities, regulatory agencies and state poultry associations.

The winners were chosen from six geographical regions. Farm World area winners include: North Central Region winner Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch of Saranac, Mich. – Greg Herbruck, nominated by Eggland’s Best, LLC; and Southeast Region winner Morrison Poultry of Wingo, Ky. – Tim and Deena Morrison, nominated by the Kentucky Poultry Federation and Tyson Foods.

Tennessee man honored with Max Deets award from NCF

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Will Mayfield, a cattle producer from Pulaski, Tenn., has been named the recipient of the Max Deets Leadership award for 2018 by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF).

The Deets award is presented each year to the Young Cattlemen’s Conference chair selected by his or her peers the previous year. It is named for a Kansas cattleman and industry leader who served as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc. in 1997. Deets died in 2014.

Mayfield is the regional beef coordinator for Select Sires in the Southeast, and is active in his family cow-calf operation with his father and grandfather. He is a 2012 graduate of the University of Tennessee with a master’s degree in bovine reproductive physiology, and worked with the American Angus Assoc. for two years after graduate school in the Northeast.

With Select Sires he has been involved with expanding the commercial market in the Southeast and Kansas, while continuing to develop the independent representative program throughout the territory. In addition, Mayfield is the NCBA Region II Young Beef Leader Representative.

NCBA members elect officers, begin planning for future

PHOENIX, ARIZ. — Nearly 7,600 members of the cattle community enjoyed fellowship, fun, education and leadership opportunities during the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc. (NCBA) Trade Show, which ended in Phoenix on Feb. 3.

Members of NCBA also elected officers and engaged in a grassroots policy process at the event. Ascending to the position of NCBA president was Kevin Kester, who in 2017 served as president-elect. He is a fifth-generation California rancher raised in the Parkfield area, where his family has lived for more than 125 years. They have a yearling stocker and Angus-based commercial cow-calf operation, and also farm wine grapes on their 22,000-acre ranch.

Voted in as president-elect was Jennifer Houston of Sweetwater, Tenn., who has been active in the beef industry for more than 30 years. She owns and operates East Tennessee Livestock Center, which has a history of embracing change to better serve its customers. In addition to regular weekly cattle sales, it holds video, graded feeder calf and Holstein steer sales. Houston served in 2017 as NCBA vice president.

Marty Smith, a rancher and attorney from Wacahoota, Fla., was elected vice president. He previously served as the organization’s treasurer.

Elected chair of the NCBA Policy Division was Jerry Bohn (Kansas), while Don Schiefelbein (Minnesota) was elected vice chair. Dawn Caldwell (Nebraska) was elected chair of the NCBA Federation Division, and Laurie Munns (Utah) was elected vice chair. Caldwell will serve as vice-chair of the Beef Promotion Operating Committee.

Other Federation representatives of the national beef checkoff decision-making body include Katie Brenny (Minnesota), Clay Burtrum (Oklahoma), Gary Deering (South Dakota), Bradley Hastings (Texas), Kristin Larson (Montana), Scott McGregor (Iowa), Clark Price (North Dakota) and Buck Wehrbein (Nebraska).

Miles named director of Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Progressive Railroading reports that Jeff Miles has been appointed port director of the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville. His industry experience includes more than three decades as a senior-level manager in the port, maritime transportation and logistics sectors.

He previously served as chief operating officer, deputy executive director and interim chief executive officer for the North Carolina State Ports Authority. Before that, he served for 10 years as general manager of container operations at the South Carolina State Ports Authority.

Miles takes the reins from Scott Steward, who left in early January after six years at the port.

Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance hires executive director

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana announced that Ben Wicker has started his new role as 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 is proud to announce the 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.

Russell recognized by TDA for excellence in service

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Haslam has recognized Barron Russell of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) with the Governor’s Excellence in Service Award. The biannual award recognizes outstanding state employees who are at the forefront of improving the way state government delivers services.

Russell works as an animal health technician in the state veterinarian’s office in the Consumer and Industry Services Division. His primary role is to ensure the health and welfare of livestock in Tennessee. A team of TDA leaders nominated Russell for the award.

He moved to Tennessee from New Orleans in 2005, following Hurricane Katrina. He earned his bachelor of science degree in animal science from Middle Tennessee State University, and is now a resident of Hermitage.

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.

Red Gold presents E.A. Reichart Quality Achievement award

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ELWOOD, Ind. — Red Gold, Inc. of Elwood presented Scott and James Rice of Wanatah, Ind., a plaque naming them the winners of the E.A. Reichart Quality Achievement award, to honor them as Tomato Grower of the Year.

Rice Farms Tomatoes was chosen from a select group of seven master growers, picked from 48 growers for Red Gold. Scott and James also received their eighth Red Gold Master Grower award. Winners receive specially designed plaques in recognition of their achievement in growing high-quality tomatoes, exhibiting industry leadership and professionalism.

As tomato growers for Red Gold, the Rices have excelled in stewardship and sustainable practices on their farm, and participate in the Red Gold IPM program. This year’s production from Rice Farms Tomatoes would account for more than 16 million cans of Red Gold whole, diced, stewed and specialty tomato products.

The award was presented during Red Gold’s 27th Annual Growers Banquet in Indianapolis. The banquet is held in conjunction with the Indiana Raw Products Conference, sponsored by Purdue University.

SEATED, from left, are Scott Rice and James Rice; standing are Beau Reichart, Red Gold director of operations; Colt Reichart, director of Omni – Channel and creative marketing; and A.J. Anderson, senior cost accounting manager.

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Feed management innovator, salesman join Diamond V team

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Diamond V welcomes Nik Ver Steeg to its team as ruminant field technical specialist. Ver Steeg grew up in northwestern Iowa and central Minnesota, where he worked on dairy farms before relocating to California in 1985. There, he worked on large dairies as a feeder, before later taking various management positions.

While working in dairy management, he created EZfeed, the first feed management software for dairies. EZfeed is estimated to feed more than 6 million animals around the world on a daily basis. In 1999, Ver Steeg sold the software to DHI Computing and since, he worked as a project manager with DHI.

Diamond V also welcomed Ruben Gonzalez, who joined the company as regional sales manager. Gonzalez received his B.S. in business administration and executive MBA with a concentration in operations management from California State University.

Prior to joining Diamond V, he spent 11 years working for Zoetis as a quality milk specialist serving Northern, Central and Southern California. He also spent two years with the FBI working on criminal, national security and cyber cases.