Jeff Scates, a farmer from Shawneetown, Illinois was elected by his peers to serve as Chairman of IL Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) for the 2024 – 2025 term.

Jeff began farming at a young age and, after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Illinois University, returned to his family farm, where he has been farming for 32 years. He and his family farms 15,000 acres of corn and soybeans with his father, uncles and cousins in Gallatin and White Counties in Illinois and Union County Kentucky. 

He previously served on the IL Corn Growers Association, including a term as President in 2012, and was re-elected to the ICMB in 2019 due to his leadership and dedication to representing farmers.

Also elected to officer positions were Tim Thompson (Franklin, IL) as Vice-Chairman, Matt Raben (Carmi, IL) as Treasurer and Terry Smith (Clayton, IL) as Secretary.These ICMB farmer leaders strategically invest Illinois corn checkoff dollars to grow demand, create new markets, and foster understanding of corn farmers and the corn industry, which is Illinois’ highest valued agricultural commodity. 

The IL Corn Marketing Board was established in 1982 to manage the voluntary checkoff investment that corn farmers in the state agreed to implement that year. The farmers that make up ICMB are elected by their peers to serve unpaid, three-year terms.

Find out more about IL Corn Marketing Board and the family farmers who contribute to the checkoff at www.watchusgrow.org.