Deb Keller Adds Value Within Export Areas

Deb Keller, a farmer for nearly 25 years near Clarion, has done extensive work in the value-added and export areas, serving on several committees for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the U.S. Grains Council.

Although she was a town kid, Keller, who is a former chair of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), always knew she wanted to farm. She grew up in a small town near Fort Wayne, Ind., but she spent a lot of time on her grandparents’ farm. She earned an agronomy degree from Purdue University and met her husband while in college.

The Kellers returned to Iowa to her husband’s family farm southeast of Clarion to raise their family.  Keller worked as a sales representative for American Cyanamid. When her children were born, she stayed home to raise her family and help on the farm. Recently, Keller’s daughter and husband have returned to the family operation.

Through her work with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the U.S. Grains Council, Keller has traveled to Cuba, Guatemala, Egypt, Morocco, China, South Korea and Italy.

Deb believes in the importance of educating consumers on farmers and farming practices.

“As a steward of the land, farmers know the importance of using efficient farming practices to protect the land, water, and our livestock,” Keller says. “The health of the environment is crucial to the health of our business.”

Over the past 25 years she has seen firsthand how farming has evolved. One of the biggest changes Keller has witnessed has been the cost of inputs and farmland, and how efficient farming has become. If you were to ask Deb where she thinks farming is going in the next ten years, she would say there will be more changes coming our way.