IL CORN FARMER ELECTED TO NATIONAL CORN BOARD

Tricia Braid

Jul 21, 2017  |  Today's News |  ICGA |  ICMB

IL Corn is proud to share the news that past Illinois Corn Growers Association President and former Illinois Corn Marketing Board Chairman Kenneth Hartman, Jr., of Waterloo, has been elected by his peers to the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board. Delegates attending the NCGA's Corn Congress in Washington this week elected four farmers to serve on the organization. Hartman will take office on Oct. 1, the start of NCGA's 2018 fiscal year. He is joined by two additional newly elected farmers: Brandon Hunnicutt of Nebraska and Gary Porter of Missouri.  Current board member Don Glenn of Alabama was re-elected. All four were elected to three-year terms.

 

“I’m honored to serve on the NCGA Corn Board. I see NCGA as an organization that is both well-respected and truly grassroots. This mirrors my own dedication to serving corn growers from across the country. Working together we can make innovative, new ideas a reality and accomplish so much for future generations of farmers,” Hartman said.

 

“I have always seen NCGA as a well-respected organization that is also grassroots-oriented,” he said. “When you look at the innovative thinking our past leaders have put to use to grow demand for corn, in areas such as ethanol, they have made a real difference for the industry. Working in Washington or outside, we face many challenges over the coming years. I would like to work with other national leaders on these challenges.”

 

Hartman began his leadership path with the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and also served in different roles at NCGA and the U.S. Grains Council at that time. After going off the state board for a few years, his passion for the organization drew him back to service as president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association and in NCGA action team leadership.

 

Through this experience, he developed a perspective on the qualities and traits necessary for leadership.

 

“A Corn Board member should be held to the highest standard. They should be open minded to all members’ input and serve without a personal agenda,” he explained. “Corn Board members should be true team players who work with other leaders. They should be dedicated and willing to share their talents and experiences for the benefit of the association and its members. Working together, we can make innovative ideas a reality and accomplish so much for all NCGA’s members.”

 

Hartman is a fifth-generation farmer, who operates a grain farm in Waterloo, Illinois along with his wife, Anita, and mother, Joann. Together, they have also raised specialty crops such as tofu soybeans and white corn. From the very beginning, they adopted precision farming technologies. His three daughters, Amanda, Alexis and Ashley, also help on the farm as time allows given their schedules with high school and college.