Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation News
January 9, 2023
Meet the IALP Class of 2023 Ian Brooke
Ian Brooke, Breese, IL, is a Director of Supply Management & Operations for Acuity, where he oversees the genetic supply chain and farrow to finish production for a startup swine genetics company. He and his wife have also started a small hay and purebred beef cattle operation. He is a member of the Clinton County Farm Bureau and Illinois Pork Producers Association. Ian was a graduate of the Pork Leadership Institute class of 2015. He received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Agribusiness from Purdue University.
We Thank Our IALF Supporters
Alumni in the News
Congratulations to Producer/Editor of Cornbelt Update, Stu Ellis (IALP '88)! He was recently presented with the Excellence in Media Award by the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA). ISA Chairman, Steve Pitstick (IALP '00) presented Stu with the award. Stu was also recently honored with the first ever Workhorse Award by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.
Farm Credit Innovation and Change Seminar
The Class of 2023 spent December 15th & 16th in Chicago for the Farm Credit Innovation and Change Seminar. Throughout this seminar, participants had the opportunity to discuss the challenges and implications of innovation for agriculture, explore non-traditional crops, technologies, and processes for agricultural market development, and examine education initiatives for the next generation of agricultural leaders. Class members had the opportunity to hear from one of their own, Heather Thompson, as she spoke about her role with GROWMARK as their Director of Innovation. Jim Murphy, GrowForward, & Ron Meeusen, Cultivian Sandbox Venture Partners, both spoke on how innovation and change in the agriculture industry have helped shape their business and how it is moving the agricultural industry forward. The class had a breakout session with Land O' Lakes, Philomena Satre, Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and External Strategic Partnership. This session helped the class take a deeper look at what all we look at on a daily basis which helps us to build up thoughts and ideas on diversity. Dr. Bob Thompson took the class on a deep-dive into American markets, how they have evolved and changed over the years, and what has worked and what has not.
Phil Montgomery (IALP '20) and his wife, Amanda, kicked off Friday morning with an in-depth look into the hemp industry, through their business, AM & PM Hemp Farm. Mike Gunderson, Chief Credit Officer with Farm Credit Illinois, met with the class to discuss what Farm Credit is doing in innovation and change in the agricultural industry. The Class rounded out the day with a tour of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHAS) and were able to talk with the students on how attending CHAS has helped them pick a career path in the agriculture industry.
We thank ADM for being our host site for day one of this seminar. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Farm Credit Illinois for endowing this seminar.
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