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The Missouri Farm Bureau president and the Missouri Corn Growers CEO have announced their retirements.

Mindy Ward, Editor, Missouri Ruralist

September 23, 2020

2 Min Read
Close up of wooden toy blocks with numbers on them, a concept of changing from the year 2020 to 2021
MOVING FORWARD: There will be new leaders in both the Missouri Farm Bureau and Missouri Corn Growers. Blake Hurst, president of MOFB, and Gary Marshall, CEO of Missouri Corn, announced their retirements.Dilok Klaisataporn/Getty Images

Change is coming in 2021 for two state agriculture organizations as leaders announced retirements.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst announced in July that he will not seek reelection at the conclusion of his term. Hurst became the 14th president of the Missouri Farm Bureau when he was elected in December 2010. But his involvement in Farm Bureau started well before as a young farmer.

Headshot of Blake Hurst

Hurst (left), who is part of a family farm and greenhouse operation near Tarkio, served on the Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. He became a district board member, and then served seven years as the organization's vice president.

Over the years, Hurst has championed Missouri agriculture at the local, state and national levels. He’s been a voice for farmers and ranchers in news outlets, including print and TV, sharing his insight with consumers.

Missouri Farm Bureau will select its next president at its annual meeting in early December.

After more than 30 years of service, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council and Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Gary Marshall announced his retirement, effective in April, in September.

Marshall said plans have been in place for several years for the transition; however, “this was not an easy choice to make.”

Marshall (below) started his career with Missouri Corn in 1986 and accepted the organizations' executive director/CEO position in 1988.

Headshot of Gary Marshall

“There is no better advocate for agriculture than Gary Marshall,” MCGA President Mike Moreland said in a news release. “He's an advocate for corn growers. He's an advocate for the ethanol industry, for the livestock industry. He’s a respected leader across the U.S. and has helped grow this organization from humble beginnings to a leading commodity association. We sincerely thank Gary for dedicating his career to corn growers and appreciate the strong foundation he has built for our industry.”

The board of directors has started the transition process by retaining Hedlin Ag Enterprises, an executive search firm in Ankeny, Iowa, to assist in the search for the next Missouri Corn CEO.

The Missouri Corn Growers contributed to this article.

About the Author(s)

Mindy Ward

Editor, Missouri Ruralist

Mindy resides on a small farm just outside of Holstein, Mo, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis.

After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, she worked briefly at a public relations firm in Kansas City. Her husband’s career led the couple north to Minnesota.

There, she reported on large-scale production of corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and dairy, as well as, biofuels for The Land. After 10 years, the couple returned to Missouri and she began covering agriculture in the Show-Me State.

“In all my 15 years of writing about agriculture, I have found some of the most progressive thinkers are farmers,” she says. “They are constantly searching for ways to do more with less, improve their land and leave their legacy to the next generation.”

Mindy and her husband, Stacy, together with their daughters, Elisa and Cassidy, operate Showtime Farms in southern Warren County. The family spends a great deal of time caring for and showing Dorset, Oxford and crossbred sheep.

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