Soy Capital Staff - Bloomington, IL
The "Farm Manager of the Year" Award annually recognizes an outstanding professional farm manager or managers "whose dedication and commitment to agriculture benefit their clients, the American consumer and the most precious commodity, the land." The award is sponsored by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) and Crop Decisions magazine and is underwritten by Syngenta Crop Protection Corporation.
Criteria for the award include number and retention of clients, implementation of innovative crop production practices, achievement of crop yields comparable to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) data for the area, involvement in agricultural and non-ag service organizations, the ability to adapt to changing economic and environmental conditions and success in marketing agricultural commodities.
National Winners of 2001 Farm Manager of the Year Award!!
Brian ThompsonBloomington Regional Office Manager
Phone: (309) 665-0959
Email: Brian Thompson
Brian is a 1982 graduate of the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. He holds the titles of Accredited Farm Manager and Accredited Rural Appraiser. Brian is also licensed in Illinois as a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser and a Real Estate Broker. With over 25 years of experience in agricultural management and real estate for the company, Brian is Regional Manager of the Bloomington Office. In 1997 Brian served as President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. This position placed him on the organization's national Board of Directors representing its largest chapter. In 2006, Brian was named Outstanding Person in Agribusiness by the McLean County Chamber of Commerce.
Chad HokeFarm Management and Brokerage - Bloomington
Phone: (309) 665-0960
Email: Chad Hoke
Chad, a 1987 agricultural economics graduate of the University of Illinois, is a Licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker and holds the Accredited Farm Manager designation. In addition to farm management responsibilities and real estate duties, Chad also currently plays a lead role on the company's Commodity Marketing Committee, which develops and implements grain marketing strategies for Soy Capital Ag Services. Chad directs one of our largest institutionally owned farmland management accounts. His background includes experience on the family farm at Clinton, Illinois.
David KleinManaging Real Estate Broker, Soy Capital Bank and Trust Company - Bloomington
Phone: (309) 665-0961
Email: David Klein
David earned his B.S. degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois in 1993 and now serves as principal managing Real Estate Broker for Soy Capital Ag Services. He joined Soy Capital following his work in farm management with Magna Trust Company, Decatur, and later in the insurance industry. He is a member of the American & Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers. Dave earned his AFM in 1999 and became an Accredited Land Consultant, or ALC in 2006, through the REALTORS Land Institute. Dave currently serves as the President of the Illinois chapter of this organization. He is a licensed property, casualty, life and health insurance provider with specialized training in personal, commercial and financial risk management. He is active in management of the family farm near Lexington, Illinois.
Kevin MeissFarm Management and Brokerage - Bloomington
Phone: (309) 665-0056
Email: Kevin Meiss
Kevin is a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. His interest in agriculture began on his family's grain and livestock farm near Fairbury, IL. In 1996, Kevin worked for Bayer Corporation on a herbicide research facility testing current and future chemistries available for agricultural production. Since graduation, he has managed Illinois farmland for Soy Capital Ag Services and its predecessors. He earned his Illinois Real Estate Salesperson's license in 1999 and his Illinois Real Estate Broker's license in 2003. Kevin now holds a managing broker licese and spends significant time working with our institutional clients. Kevin earned his AFM in 2006. In 2008, he became a licensed property and casualty insurance producer and began writing crop insurance. Kevin continues an active role in agricultural property management, real estate sales and acquisitions, and writing crop insurance.
Dan PattenFarm Management and Brokerage - Bloomington
Phone: (309) 665-0962
Email: Dan Patten
Dan is a 1996 graduate of the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Mechanization. He has worked with Ag Services since that time. During his tenure with Ag Services he has acquired his Illinois Real Estate License, has earned a Certified Crop Advisor designation from the American Society of Agronomy, and received an Accredited Farm Manager title from the American Society of Farm Manager and Rural Appraisers. Dan specializes in assisting farmland owners performing 1031 tax-deferred exchanges. As a licensed Real Estate Broker, He also has assisted investors from the U.S. and other countries acquire and manage Illinois farmland. Dan remains active in his family's farming operation near Dwight, Illinois.
Mark SmithFarm Management and Brokerage- Bloomington
Phone: (309) 665-0053
Email: Mark Smith
Mark graduated from the University of Illinois in 2010 with a B.S. in Crop Sciences, concentrating in Crop Agribusiness, and is a licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker. He grew up on his family’s grain production farm in rural LaSalle County, Illinois, where he earned his American FFA Degree and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Mark is a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and is also a member of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Sciences Society of America. He was selected to participate in the Illinois Soybean Association’s two-year Soy Ambassador Leadership Program in 2010, where he has gained domestic and international exposure to the American soybean industry. Smith initiated into FarmHouse at the U of I and was also elected to the Alpha Zeta honorary. Mark manages farms in Illinois and Iowa for Soy Capital Ag Services.
Amy RussellFarm Management, Agronomic Research and Brokerage - Bloomington
Phone: (309)-665-0046
Email: Amy Russell
Amy is a 2005 graduate from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Crop Sciences. Amy's interest in agriculture began on her family's grain farm near Hudson, IL. Amy is a member of the Illinois Agri-Women and the University of Illinois Sigma Alpha Alumni Association. She has 10 years of experience in the seed industry, working with Monsanto's Corn Breeding and Soybean Production groups, as well as Syngenta's New Traits Corn Dept. based out of Bloomington, IL. In addition to farm management responsibilities at Soy Capital, Amy is also the Agronomic Research Manager and a licensed Real Estate Broker.
