Rush takes helm as ICGA president

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Matt Rush, a Fairfield farmer, was elected Illinois Corn Growers Association president for 2022-2023 at the reorganizational meeting Nov. 22.

Rush has served on the ICGA board for six years, most recently as vice president. He will continue in his role as District 13 director for the duration of his term as president, serving members in Clay, Edwards, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marion, Richland, Wabash, Wayne and White counties.

He farms with his father, Jim, in southern Illinois where they raise corn, soybeans, wheat and some cattle.

What do you see in this organization going forward and do you have any goals during your term as president?

Rush: I just hope to carry on what they’re so good at — advocating for agriculture. We need to get this Next Generation Fuels across the finish line.

We’re losing a champion in Rep. Cheri Bustos. She did not run for reelection. So, we need to step back and figure out some Republican and Democrat co-sponsors to get on the bill and get this thing across the finish line.

The next thing is we’re going to focus on the farm bill. The farm bill is up for discussion this year and there are a lot of things that we need to make sure stay in the farm bill such as crop insurance and we want to make sure that safety net is there.

“If we don’t tell our story, somebody else will tell it for us.”

—  Matt Rush, president, Illinois Corn Growers Association

The last thing is locks and dams. We’ve been working on this for 20 years, even before I came on the board. It was a nice win to see that was funded.

What important role does ICGA serve?

Rush: If we don’t tell our story, somebody else will tell it for us. Corn Growers has been good to allow me to create camaraderie with my peers to go to Washington, D.C., and Springfield to tell our story of what farmers are trying to do to feed the world.

Does belonging to this organization also provide an opportunity for sharing ideas among your peers of what’s happening on their farms?

Rush: The state of Illinois is so big. It’s a five to six hours drive long and then east to west and so the way I do things is different than the way Marty Marr of New Berlin does things or the way that Mark Bunselmeyer of Maroa does things. It’s an opportunity for us to share ideas back and forth on what works and what doesn’t.

Increasing membership is a big focus among organizations. What would you tell those who are thinking about becoming ICGA members and are concerned about the time that may be involved?

Rush: Just try it once. I think our three-year membership dues for our organization are very reasonable. Just try it one time and I would assure you that you’ll see value in your membership.

What are some of your favorite aspects about being part of this organization?

Rush: I enjoy getting to travel and tell our story to our legislators, but I also enjoy the camaraderie among the other board members and with the other organizations — Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Milk Producers Association and others.

Delivering your message to consumers is also important.

Rush: Yes, it is. The consumer is going to give us the direction in which we need to go and farmers are really good to take that and run with it and make sure the consumer has a safe and healthy food supply.