Iowa Farmer-Leaders Elected to National Corn Growers Association Board

Delegates attending the 2016 National Corn Congress today elected Chris Edgington of Mitchell County and Kevin Ross of Pottawatomie County to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Board for a three-year term. These two Iowa farmer-leaders will join 2015 elected NCGA Director Bruce Rohwer from O’Brien County.

"A good leader needs to be willing to step up," explained Edgington who said he is honored to be elected to the NCGA board. "They need to put forth the time and energy it takes to be involved, but they also need to listen to multiple sources. They must look at and understand all of the options and the many viewpoints. We are working for the greater good, not just the good of the one, in an organization with such a national and international scope."

Chris and his wife Vanessa have two children, Alex and Elizabeth. Edgington raises corn and soybeans along with his father, brother and son.  In addition to his row crop operation, he gains insight into livestock through a small business run by his son.

He places a high priority on maintaining NCGA's role as the leading advocate for the corn industry and bringing stakeholders together to find a strong voice advocating for issues such as ethanol, DDGS use and livestock exports as well as addressing consumer concerns.

Having already served one term on the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board, Ross will continue representing Iowa’s corn farmers at the national level. "My first term on the Corn Board has been a fantastic experience,” he said. “Being able to represent our industry on behalf of the farmers and for the best interests of our crop has been a privilege."

Kevin is a sixth-generation family farmer in southwestern Iowa. Along with his wife, Sara, he grows corn, soybeans, alfalfa and runs a cow/calf operation. Growing corn almost exclusively using no-till methods, they hope to someday pass the farm on to their four young sons, Hudson, Axten, Carver and Hollis.

"My goal as a member of the Corn Board is to work hard to keep corn as an industry at the forefront of any conversation related to agriculture in our country," Ross explained. "Too often, I think that we sell ourselves a little short because the corn industry really does mean success for so many others in farming and throughout the agricultural industry as a whole. We need to make sure that we keep coming to the table and speaking loudly. Corn needs to be represented, and we, as farmers, need to represent it well."

###

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is a membership organization lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its 7,800 farmer members.  Both organizations work on the joint mission to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability.

For More Information:

Shannon Textor
Director of Marketing and Communications
Iowa Corn Growers Association
515-255-9242515-255-9242
stextor@iowacorn.org

Lisa Cassady
Public Relations Manager
Iowa Corn Growers Association
515-225-9242515-225-9242
lcassady@iowacorn.org