Larkin Martin

Larkin Martin elected to lead Farm Foundation Board

Dan Alabama, Industry News Release

OAK BROOK , IL (Farm Foundation): Alabama farmer Larkin Martin, CEO of Martin Farm, has been elected Chair of the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. Martin, who will serve a two-year term, succeeds Joe Swedberg of Longmont, CO, a retired executive of Hormel Foods Corporation.

Larkin Martin
Larkin Martin

“With the nation’s agriculture and food sector facing diverse and complex economic and public policy issues, the need for objective information and constructive dialogue–the primary work of Farm Foundation–has never been greater,” says Martin of Courtland, AL. “From my experiences both on the farm and across the food and agriculture value chain, I know how finding common ground to focus diverse voices can achieve innovative and workable options. I look forward to working beside the other Board members and our staff to continue the Foundation’s unique and important work.”

Jerome Lyman of Miami, FL, a retired executive of McDonald’s Corporation, was elected vice-chair of the 29-member Board. Re-elected as Treasurer of the Board was Elizabeth Hund of Evergreen, CO, a retired executive of U.S. Bank. Swedberg will continue to serve on the Board as past chair. The election took place last week at the Board’s annual meeting in Lincoln, NE.

Farm Foundation is an agricultural policy institute cultivating dynamic non-partisan collaboration to meet society’s needs for food, fiber, feed and energy. Since 1933, it has connected leaders in farming, business, academia, organizations and government through proactive, rigorous debate and objective issue analysis.

Re-elected to serve their second terms on the Board were Gregg Hillyer of Progressive Farmer, George Hoffman of Restaurant Services Inc., John Miller of BNSF Railway Company, and Craig Yunker of CY Farms.

In addition, four new members have been elected to the Board: John Foltz, Chair of the Animal Science Department at Ohio State University; Cheri DeJong, co-owner/Chief Financial Officer at AgriVision Farm Management; Ryan Schohr, a partner in Schohr Farms; and Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Philanthropies. The four are succeeding individuals who have completed their terms on the board–Jim Borel, Richard Crowder and Mark Scholl-and Bill Buckner, who resigned.

The 29-member Farm Foundation Board of Directors is responsible for managing the affairs of Farm Foundation. Other members of the board are:

  1. Chuck Ahlem of Chuck Ahlem Ranch;
  2. Phil Ashcraft of Stason Farms, Inc.;
  3. Dan Basse of ARC Communications Inc.;
  4. Jonathan Bryant of BASF Plant Science LLC;
  5. Luke Chandler of Deere & Company;
  6. Charlene Finck of Farm Journal Media;
  7. Robert Jones of the University of Illinois;
  8. Jackie Joyner-Kersee of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation;
  9. A.G. Kawamura of Orange County Produce;
  10. Thayne Larson of Bestifor Farms;
  11. Andy LaVigne of the American Seed Trade Association;
  12. Brad Lubben of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln;
  13. Klaas Martens of Martens Farm and Lakeview Organic Grains;
  14. William Nelson of William J. Nelson, LLC;
  15. Nathan Rudgers of Farm Credit East, ACA;
  16. Mike Torrey of Michael Torrey and Associates; and
  17. Darci Vetter of Edelman-Washington.

Source: Farm Foundation