Indiana Farm Bureau hires chief economist

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Farm Bureau welcomed Todd Davis to its staff in a newly created chief economist role.

Davis will help INFB members and staff better understand the impacts of various policy issues and how they intersect with economics.

“As the global dynamics of agriculture continue to change at a faster pace, our members are dealing with a lot,” said Randy Kron, INFB president. “From inflation, higher interest rates and volatile input prices, they’re all driving more uncertainty in the marketplace.

“We thought it was important to have the ability to provide some perspective for our members by adding someone to our team who can help simplify these complicated issues and provide additional value to our members.”

Davis will work closely with the public policy team in farm bill discussions to ensure that INFB is advocating for the best policy on behalf of members.

He also will be helping county Farm Bureaus understand economic policy issues at a local level.

“My career has been focused on helping farmers make better management decisions,” Davis said. “I also grew up on a corn, soybean and hog farm and am still a general partner in our family farm in Iowa. So, I can relate to our members on a personal level, as well.”

Prior to joining INFB, Davis was a senior economist at American Farm Bureau Federation. He also worked as an Extension economist and state specialist for both Clemson University and the University of Kentucky.

He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from Iowa State University and master’s and doctorate degrees in agricultural economics from Purdue University.

“I’m excited to contribute to the policy process and to help members improve their understanding of policy alternatives and the agriculture economy,” Davis said.

“I believe Farm Bureau is a strong advocate for farmers and rural Americans, and I’m proud to continue my career for INFB.”