Farm Women Ascend to Leadership Positions in Corn Organizations

Farm women are taking their place with their male counterparts to lead the corn industry in times of challenge and opportunity. A few examples include:

Debbie Borg, an Allen, Nebraska farmer, was appointed as District 4 director on the Nebraska Corn Board in 2013. She serves as chair of the Nebraska Corn Board's research committee and is a member of the Grower Services Action Team of the National Corn Growers Association. She also served as a director on the Nebraska Soybean Association for 9 years. "Farmers--both men and women--need to use their skill set to show the nation and the world how we care about our land, our livestock and our crops, and the people we are producing food, fiber, and fuel for," Debbie said. "According to credible statistics, women account for almost 85 percent of consumer spending in our country. Just by virtue of our gender, that means women in agriculture have a natural connection to the consumer, which gives us an urgent mission to share the positive story of agriculture in the consumer marketplace."

Deb Gangwish, a Shelton, Nebraska farmer, is the first woman in the Nebraska Corn Growers Association to be appointed to the board of directors since the organization was formed in 1972. Deb is a member of the current LEAD class and has recently challenged herself to becoming an even more active and involved advocate for agriculture in Nebraska. "I'm very excited to be engaged in agriculture at this level and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and other ag advocates to create opportunities for Nebraska's corn farmers," she said.

Pam Johnson, a Floyd, Iowa farmer, served as the first female president of the National Corn Growers Association during 2012-13. In that capacity she became the chief national spokesperson for America's corn farmers, testifying at Congressional hearings and representing the corn industry on national councils, organizations and initiatives. Prior to becoming NCGA president, Pam held a number of leadership and committee positions at the state and national levels.