INDIANAPOLIS – Three new farmers were elected to the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) board of directors while five soybean growers were re-elected during 2021. New to the board are Allen Buchanan, of Fowler, Ind., Brian Warpup, of Warren, Ind., and Dylan Christopher, of Brookston, Ind.

Directors re-elected to the board were Carey McKibben, of LaGrange, Ind., Gary McDaniel, of Boonville, Ind., Kevin Cox, of Brazil, Ind., Roger Bommer, of Brookville, Ind., and Keevin Lemenager, of Monrovia, Ind.

Buchanan and Christopher were both elected to District 1, which includes the northwestern Indiana counties of Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart, Fulton, Howard, Jasper, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lake, Marshall, Miami, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke, Tipton, Wabash and White. The new directors are replacing Kendell Culp and David Rodibaugh, both of Rensselaer, Ind., who recently completed their third and final terms as ISA directors.

In a contested election, Warpup defeated incumbent director Larry Wilkinson, of Kimmel, Ind., in District 2. McKibben was re-elected in this district as well. District 2 includes Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley counties.

Buchanan grows corn and soybeans on his rural Benton County farm in a partnership with his father, Bruce. A full-time farmer, he has been farming since 1997. Buchanan is a 1993 Benton Central High School graduate, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in ag economics from Purdue University in 1997.

Christopher is a full-time farmer who began farming in 2016. In addition to soybeans, he also produces dent corn and popcorn on his farm that crosses into White, Carroll, Tippecanoe and Cass counties. He also operates a confined, swine finishing barn.

Warpup raises soybeans and corn on his northeast Indiana farm in rural Huntington and Wells counties. He is a 1991 graduate of Huntington North High School, and he completed a degree from Ball State University in 1995. Warpup has also served on the Huntington County Community School Board, the Huntington County Economic Development Board and the Markle and Warren Redevelopment Commissions.

In District 2, McKibben was elected to a second term. A full-time farmer, he has grown corn and soybeans since 1984 on his farm in LaGrange County. McKibben earned agriculture degree from Purdue University. He has also been involved with the Farm Credit Advocate Council, the Lakeland School Corporation Board and the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

McDaniel and Cox earned second terms in District 3, including the counties of Clay, Daviess, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Montgomery, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Spencer, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren and Warrick.

McDaniel, along with his wife, Shelley, and son, Derrike, operates a fifth-generation farm in Spencer and Warrick counties. They grow corn, soybeans, seed soybeans, wheat, hay and have a cow-calf operation. In addition, they also contract snow removal and do custom hauling. They own and operate a family wedding and events barn located on the farm.

Cox grows corn and soybeans on his farm that covers parts of Parke, Putnam, Clay and Vigo counties. A full-time farmer, he has been farming since 1982. He also operates a trucking business. Cox has served with Indiana Farm Bureau, the Parke County REMC Board, the Jackson Township Advisory Board, among others.

Bommer and Lemenager were re-elected to District 4, spanning Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Washington counties.

Bommer is beginning his third term with the ISA board. A full-time farmer, he has been growing soybeans and corn on his Franklin County farm since 1971. He sold a 200-cow dairy herd in 2017. Bommer graduated from Purdue University in 1971, and he has served with the Franklin County Farm Bureau – including 14 years as president.

Starting his third term on the ISA board, Lemenager has a cattle operation in addition to his soybean and corn crops. A full-time farmer since 2000, Lemenager’s farm is in parts of Morgan, Putnam and Hendricks counties. He is a Purdue University graduate, and he has also served with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

For 2022, ISA is seeking farmer leaders to join its 24-member board responsible for investing Indiana’s soybean checkoff funds each year in programs that develop new markets for Indiana soybeans, create value to the state’s soybean growers, engage producers in events and support farmer’s environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The ISA Board of Directors represents approximately 20,000 Indiana soybean farmers who contribute their dollars through the checkoff program, and it manages soybean farmer investments. Eight board seats are up for election this year. Applications for the 2022 election are due by March 4.

In District 1, Nancy Cline, of Kirklin, Ind., is completing her second term, and Joe Stoller, of Bremen, Ind., is finishing his first term. In District 2, both Matthew Chapman, of Springport, Ind., and Elaine Gillis, of Dunkirk, Ind., are completing their third and final terms as ISA directors this year. Both positions in this district are open.

In District 3, one seat is open as Craig Williams, of Oaktown, Ind., is finishing his third and final term. Andrew Miller, also of Oaktown, is completing his first term on the board. In District 4, Mike Koehne, of Greensburg, Ind., is completing his second term, and Kevin Burbrink, of Seymour, Ind., is ending his first term.

Candidate must meet these requirements:

• Has paid into the federal soybean checkoff within the last two years.

• Certify ownership or share ownership and risk of loss of soybeans.

• Completes a director expectation statement and returns by March 5.

Go online to www.indianasoybean.com/elections to learn more about serving as an ISA director or to download a director expectation statement. For additional details, call Madeline Lilly 317-650-3296. The ISA will distribute election ballots to soybean farmers by mail this spring. ISA will announce election results this summer.