Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson was elected by voting delegates this week to a one-year term on the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) board of directors. Johnson, a Calhoun County farmer and recently elected IFBF president, will represent the Midwest Region on the 19-member board of directors, guiding the nation's largest general farm organization with more than 6 million members nationwide.
AFBF delegates also re-elected AFBF President Zippy Duvall of Georgia and Vice President Scott VanderWal of South Dakota for their fourth, two-year terms.
"I am honored to be elected by the voting delegates to serve on the AFBF board of directors," Johnson said. "Iowa is a national leader in agriculture, and I look forward to representing Iowa and the Midwest at the national level as we work to advance policies supporting our farm families and rural communities."
Johnson's long-time service to agriculture and Farm Bureau started at the county level, where he held several positions with the Calhoun County Farm Bureau board of directors, including president and voting delegate. He previously served as IFBF's Young Farmer Committee chair and was first elected as the District 4 representative to the state board of directors in 2016. He also served as the Calhoun County Soil and Water Commissioner.
He is the 2020 recipient of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Environmental Leader Award, the 2014 Renew Rural Iowa Award winner, the 2009 Outstanding Young Farmers National Award winner and the 2007 IFBF Young Farmer Achievement Award winner.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University (ISU) and has specialized in precision agriculture, previously working as an agronomist and certified crop advisor. In 2006, Johnson founded an independent crop consulting business, utilizing cutting edge technology to advance soil health and data management.
Categories: Iowa, Business, Crops