South Dakota Corn Growers elect leaders for 2012

The South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) has elected Mark Gross of Bridgewater to serve as president for 2012.

The board of directors met Feb. 23 in Pierre and also elected Keith Alverson of Chester as vice president and Kurt Stiefvater of Salem as secretary/treasurer. During the past year, Gross served as vice president and Alverson as secretary/treasurer.

Gross, a fourth-generation farmer in Hutchinson County, has served on the SDCGA board since 2007. He also is a member of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council’s board of directors. He serves as vice-chairman of the South Dakota Value-Added Finance Authority Board, is past president of the Bridgewater Farmers Union Co-op and serves as a township clerk. He is a seed advisor for Golden Harvest Seeds and the owner of the Seed Mill in Bridgewater.

Alverson, a sixth-generation farmer, farms in partnership with his dad and uncle near Chester. He serves as a member of the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board and is past chairman of the NCGA’s Ethanol Committee. He served three years on the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council board of directors, including two years as vice president.

Stiefvater has served on the SDCGA board since January of 2005 and represents the SDCGA on the Ag United board. He also serves as Richland Township supervisor, and is chairman of the South Dakota Center for Farm/Ranch Management at Mitchell Vo-Tec. He is a member of the McCook-Miner-Lake Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Soybean Association and the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership Class II.

The South Dakota Corn Growers Association, one of the largest commodity groups in the state, promotes corn, represents corn producers on public policy issues and serves as a legislative voice.