Get to know Bruce Gaarder, an Iowa Corn Staff Member

My name is Bruce Gaarder and I am a District Field Manager at Iowa Corn. I grew up in Minneapolis, MN. Although I grew up in the city, I spent a couple of weeks every summer on a farm near Red Wing, MN with some friends of my parents who had a son about my age. Before I could drive, I spent a lot of time in their pasture learning to drive a John Deere B tractor and a 49 Ford.

I went to high school at Minneapolis Washburn and spent two years at the University of Minnesota and then moved to Brown College, where I received a Broadcasting Degree. Most people don’t know that I was a drummer in a rock and roll band in high school and college and would like to be a part of a band in the future. My drum kit takes up a large corner of my so called “man cave”.

I have two older sisters, one lives in Wilmington, NC and the other in Atlanta, GA. I enjoy traveling to visit my sisters and traveling throughout the United States. I have traveled extensively in the United States, but I would have to say my favorite places to visit are northern Minnesota, Wyoming and North Carolina. I have also done some international traveling to Canada and Tokyo.

In addition to traveling, golf and music are some of my favorite pastimes. I also am a track announcer at the Iowa Speedway. My favorite race is the Iowa Corn Indy 300, not just because it is sponsored by Iowa Corn, but because it showcases the power of ethanol and is a great tool to educate the general consumer about the Iowa corn industry.

The one thing I have learned since joining Iowa Corn is that there are a lot of people out there who are anti-agriculture, whether out of ignorance or a cause they have. While it does give me a sense of job security, I do realize I've got a tall order to fill. There will always be a need for organizations like Iowa Corn to help represent our farmers and educate others about what they do to consistently provide more food while utilizing fewer resources.

I love helping with consumer outreach activities, like pump promotions.

Hands down, the best part of my job is dealing with the good people of rural America. I love having the opportunity to work with farmers and be their “go to” guy for any questions related to our organization. Every day is different here at Iowa Corn and I look forward to continuing to educate consumers and represent farmers in the years to come.