“It’s a tremendous honor to be chosen by our members to lead Iowa Farm Bureau,” said Johnson. “I really enjoy the opportunity to listen to our members about the issues impacting their farms and discussing ways to address those. Discussion and dialogue among farmers is an important element of our organization’s grassroots process, and I really enjoy the conversations with our leaders around the state as they set the policy direction to lead Iowa agriculture forward.”

Johnson, a fifth-generation farmer, grows corn and soybeans with his son, Matthew, and wife, LuAnn. Daughter, Kaeli, is a sophomore in college. He had previously served as Calhoun County Farm Bureau president, as the Young Farmer committee chair, and as a district director.

“Through those positions, I saw first-hand that Farm Bureau is truly a grassroots organization with farmers as their primary focus,” said Johnson. “With fewer farms today than ever before, it’s so important to have an organization champion farm families and the rural communities they call home — that’s what Farm Bureau does. Through information, education, and policy, we work to create a vibrant future for agriculture, farm families, and their communities. Iowa is agriculture, and it’s important to me to do what I can to help sustain it for the next generation.”

In his first week as president of Iowa Farm Bureau, Johnson met with President Joe Biden to discuss concerns that farming members had over fair cattle market transparency. He has been busy ever since supporting Iowa farmers through important conversations and relationship building.

“Agriculture is all about relationships and I’ve been fortunate to have developed strong relationships over the years, which helped me to launch my precision ag business,” said Johnson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Iowa State University and has served as an agronomist and certified crop advisor. “While many of us may work independently, none of us could go it alone. I’ve been part of that team on many farms through past roles, and I have seen the challenges farmers have worked to overcome year after year. The resilience of the American farmer is admirable as we continue to find ways to be the solution to sustainability and providing food for a growing global population.”

While there are many important issues happening in agriculture, Johnson said the number of young people entering into the field and precision ag are both important to him.

“With one in five jobs in Iowa tied to agriculture, I’d like to encourage more young people in Iowa to get involved in agriculture-related careers and help young farmers explore diverse operations for their farms,” said Johnson. “We need new people in agriculture from different backgrounds to bring new ideas to the table and continue to push ag innovation, research, and technology forward so we can continue to raise healthy and sustainable products.”

With his experience in precision ag, Johnson is also interested in helping Iowa farmers to integrate data with their needs, especially with current high input costs.

“If you can use precision agriculture and data management to limit use of an expensive input like nitrogen and create more efficiencies, produce higher yields, and create a more sustainable environment, that’s good for farm families and Iowa.”

Johnson said, as president, he wants to continue to build upon the strengths of Iowa agriculture while also pushing the boundaries which will help Iowa’s economy and rural communities to thrive.

“Being president of the Iowa Farm Bureau gives our farmers a seat at the table and someone they can trust to represent their interests,” said Johnson. “I have spent most of my working career helping farmers reach their personal farming goals. Now as president, I can continue to help our members implement their policies that help strengthen Iowa and secure our way of life.”