Duncan looks to add value for Farm Bureau members

POLO, Ill. — As a livestock farmer and a grain farmer, Brian Duncan always has his eye on the bottom line.

Now that he is the president of Illinois Farm Bureau, he is determined to keep an eye on that bottom line for all of IFB’s members — and to add value to their memberships.

“One thing I am going be very focused on is profitability, making sure markets function as they should, always keeping an eye out for the impact that mergers and consolidations can have and continue to have, not just on the livestock sector, but all of agriculture,” he said.

Duncan and wife, Kelly, live in the house that Duncan himself was raised in, north of Polo, in Ogle County.

The Duncans raise corn, soybeans and wheat and they operate a wean-to-finish hog operation, with partner Keith Poole.

Three of Duncan’s four children work with him in the farm, which also includes a custom cattle feeding business.

“Levi is the oldest, he is with me full time. Sara farms with us full time, she is married to Carl and they have a son, Caleb. Emma is my bookkeeper, she is married to Danny and they have two daughters, Ivy and Violet. Molly is our youngest daughter and she is a crew leader and technician for The Nature Conservancy at Nachusa Grasslands,” Duncan said.

Family ties are important to Duncan and he credits similar connections in IFB for helping him in his six years as vice president.

“I am very appreciative of the friendships I have made and the support I had in my six years as vice president. I am very hopeful and optimistic about the future,” he said.

“No doubt there will be challenges that we face, but we will face them together and we have a strong, resilient organization.”

One of the perspectives that Duncan brings to the office of IFB president is the perspective of an independent pork producer.

“I think we need and are very dependent on a vibrant livestock industry in this state, from a consumption standpoint, to the crop producers, to an economic development standpoint. Livestock is vital for the opportunities it brings, not just for farmers, but for the state,” he said.

One of the most pressing issues that Duncan will be watching and weighing in on is the farm bill. In November, Congress passed a government funding bill to keep the federal government open through Jan. 19, 2024, and a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, which expired at the end of September.

That extension would take farm bill negotiations into the height of the 2024 presidential election season — with a vote on a new farm bill potentially happening in a lame-duck Congress.

Duncan said he hopes that won’t be necessary.

“My hope would be that Congress could tackle this and craft a new farm bill in the spring. I have heard some rumblings that they would like to do it in the spring, ahead of the election season,” he said.

“If that can happen, I don’t know, but that is certainly the direction I would be encouraging members of Congress to take and solve this sooner rather than later.”

Another area that Duncan will be involved with is the Organizational Member Strategy, or OMS, which explores ways to boost membership and add value for Farm Bureau members.

“I think we need to find a way to give our members a competitive advantage for their business that we can provide, something for them as Farm Bureau members, beyond advocacy,” he said.

“I think there are things we can do from a business development and a personal growth standpoint that can give our members a competitive advantage as farmers. As we work to develop those programming opportunities, I think that will lead to greater member engagement.”

Duncan said he hears and understands the time constraints that may keep members from being as involved as they want to be.

“I have had several people who have aged out of Young Leaders say that they are in a very busy season of life, with kids and everything else. So, can we give them opportunities for spot service, that may not be long-term commitments? I think we will look to build those kinds of things,” he said.

“Giving opportunities for meaningful service, spot service, and, along the way, providing a competitive advantage for them in their business are things I hope to build out.”

Duncan said the focus for his presidency will continue to be on members and what members want.

“We need to remember that, at Illinois Farm Bureau, we take our positions based on policy. That policy is put in place by our members. When we go to speak, we are speaking for the members,” he said.

“I think maintaining and remembering how our positions are focused and how we do our business has been key to our success in the past and it will be key to our success in the future.”