Indiana Seed Weblog

Garry Niemeyer serves on the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Corn Board, a producer-directed trade association headquartered in St. Louis, with a second office in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create and increase opportunities for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance the profitability and usage of corn. Garry and his wife farm corn and soybeans in Glenarm, Ill. Garry has been a farmer for 35 years and has been a member of NCGA since 1995. On the national level, Garry is currently the Corn Board liaison to the Joint Trade Policy A-Team. He has served as a member of the Ethanol Committee. In 2004, he held the position of secretary on CORNPAC. From 2001 to 2002, he was a member of the Production and Stewardship Action Team. In 2000, he chaired the Market Development Team. He also has been involved in key transportation issues.  At the state level, Garry served as the Illinois Corn Growers Association president in 2002 and its vice president in 2001. In 2000, he chaired the Legislative Team. He has been involved in public relations and market development at the state and national levels. Garry graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s of science in Agricultural Economics. He and his wife have three children, Angela, Stephanie and Timothy.  NCGA is a federation of state organizations, corn boards, councils and commissions that develop and implement policies and programs on a state and national level to help protect and advance the corn producer’s interests. NCGA represents more than 33,000 individual members in 47 states, 45 affiliated state organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association

John founded Latham Hybrids in April 2004 and serves as its president.  He has spent 14 years with Latham Seed Company and serves as the company’s marketing director.  Prior to joining the family seed business, John worked as a production agronomist for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business from Iowa State University in 1992.  Active in the seed industry, John has served as president of the Iowa Seed Association and is a member of the American Seed Trade Association.  John and his wife Shannon currently serve as chair couple for the 2008 ASTA Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association

Dr. Kevin Cavanaugh is the Research Director of Beck’s Superior Hybrids, Atlanta, Indiana.  Beck’s Hybrids has grown since the early 1990’s into a prominent seed company in the Eastern Corn Belt.  Adoption of technologies early, leading corn and soybean varieties and innovative marketing has lead to this phenomenal growth.  Kevin has been a part of this growth and is on a five member management team for Beck’s guiding the company in overall company setting policies.  Kevin grew up in Northwest Ohio near Deshler on a small grain/livestock farm.  He attended Iowa State University majoring in Agronomy.  He received his Masters of Science degree from Purdue University in 1991 in Plant Breeding and Genetics and a Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1993.  Kevin’s theses focused on the inheritance of hard endosperm in corn and also how other traits were affected after several cycles of selection for hard endosperm.  Kevin became an employee of Beck’s Hybrids in 1993 as Beck’s Plant Breeder.  In July of 1994, he was promoted to Research Director. 

Kevin’s personal interests include traveling, outdoor activities, basketball and racquetball.  His wife’s name is Carey and they have two sons named Jackson and Grant. 

Sam Turpin       Indiana Seed Trade Association

Andy Miller to speak at the 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference, Hyatt Regency, Downtown Indianapolis.

Governor Mitch Daniels signed H.B. 1008 On April 25, 2005, Andy became Indiana’s first Agriculture Director when into law. That law created the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and until 2005, Indiana had been one of only

four states without a stand alone department of agriculture.  During the last two years, Indiana has seen unprecedented economic growth in  agriculture, due in large part to the combined efforts of the Department of Agriculture and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. During Andy’s tenure with the Department of Agriculture Indiana saw $2.68 billion invested in food and agricultural projects in the state in the last year, bringing 2,518 jobs to Hoosiers.  Andy has worked to establish Indiana as a national leader in biofuels. Indiana is the fifth largest corn producing state and the fourth largest soybean producing state, however, Indiana’s biofuels industry long lagged behind other states. Since the establishment of the Department of Agriculture, Indiana has surpassed the 1 billion gallon goal set for the end of 2008 and now has more than 80 public E85 pumps.  Andy grew up on a family hog and grain farm in Waterloo, Indiana where his father still runs the operation. Andy draws on his own agricultural experiences to create a vision for the Department of Agriculture, and to inspire others through his leadership. Aside from Andy’s farming background, he has an extensive background in the agricultural industry. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University in 1992. Before becoming Indiana’s Agriculture Director, Andy worked for Weaver Popcorn, a 75 year-old Indiana business. Prior to joining Weaver, Miller created Nature’s Entrée, a frozen food company in Indianapolis. Andy also worked for ConAgra, Nabisco and Procter & Gamble.

 Sam Turpin 

Indiana Seed Trade Association

Dennis Plummer to speak at the 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference, Hyatt Regency, Indianapolis Indiana.

Dennis began with Monsanto in 1980 and has had a variety of commercial and business development responsibilities during his tenure.  In November of 2004 he was appointed to be head of the newly formed subsidiary American Seeds Inc. (ASI), a new business model to serve customers through regional, autonomously operated seed companies.  ASI has acquired twenty four local/regional seed companies in the Midwest corn/soy market area since its inception.   Prior to ASI, Dennis spent two years as the lead of the international licensing team which focused on collection systems in South America, designed to protect Monsanto intellectual property and obtain royalties for the use of Roundup Ready technology.  From 2000-2003 Dennis was Chief of Staff to the CEO responsible for coordination of CEO office activities, special projects, board and senior leadership planning.  Prior to 2000, Dennis was the Managing Director of the U.S. commercial business, responsible for marketing, sales, customer operations, and technical services for crop protection products including the launch of Bollgard, Roundup Ready, and YieldGard technologies in the U.S.   Earlier positions with Monsanto have included: Director of New Products (Ceregen), Midwest Regional Sales Director, and Marketing Manager for herbicides.   Dennis has announced his plans to leave Monsanto on December 31 of 2007 and has stated that he is excited to have a chance to pursue other business opportunities.

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association

Tom Wiltrout to speak at the 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference, Hyatt Regency, Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Tom Wiltrout is the Corn and Alfalfa Global Business Leader for the Crops Business at Dow AgroSciences.  He assumed this position in 2005, previously serving the company in several roles for the Plant Genetics and Biotechnology Business Unit. Wiltrout began his sales and marketing career in 1979 as a sales representative for Elanco Products Company in the Southeast U.S. specialty crops.  He held a variety of sales and marketing roles for Elanco. In 1989, at the time of the DowElanco joint venture, Wiltrout was named Market Manager, Vegetation Management.  Three years later, in 1992, he accepted the post of Manager of Marketing Resources for Specialty Products.  He held this position until 1994 when he became involved in the Plant Genetics and Biotechnology Business Unit. Wiltrout holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry from Purdue University. 

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association