Kip Tom, of Tom Farms, and candidate for U.S. Congress, was selected along with Ambassador Kenneth Quinn of the World Food Prize to receive the AFA Leader in Agriculture Award.
The award is presented annually to two individuals who have made significant contributions within the food and agriculture industry and have a record of supporting career and leader development for young men and women in agriculture, according to a provided press release. Each award honors an individual whose accomplishments, personally and professionally, distinguish him or her as a mentor to young leaders in the agriculture industry.
This award was presented during the Leader in Agriculture Award Dinner, which coincided with the annual AFA Leaders Conference each year. Over 1,100 top global leaders, students and supporters of agriculture were in attendance to celebrate the industry and network with peers, the release states.
Past recipients include: Dr. Norman E. Borlaug,1970 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; Pat Roberts, U.S. senator, Kansas; Clayton Yeutter, former secretary of agriculture; Howard G. Buffett, farmer and president of Howard G. Buffett Foundation; Bob Stallman, farmer and president, American Farm Bureau Federation; and others.
A life-long resident of Kosciusko County, Tom grew up on his family’s farm in the community his ancestors homesteaded in 1837. As one of Indiana’s larger grain commodity production businesses, Tom Farms has become a leader in agriculture and seed corn production, operating across seven counties in Indiana. He led the growth of Tom Farms and created jobs in northeast Indiana with hard work and by employing sound business principles and new technologies, according to the press release..
He has worked to bring good-paying jobs to Indiana as a member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels and serving under both Daniels and Gov. Mike Pence, Tom has been an important leader in Indiana’s economic growth efforts that have broken records for job creation and attraction nearly every year, the release states.
More information on Tom can be found online at www.KipTom.com/biography
(Story By The Times Union)
