Duncan new IFB president: Ready to ‘work for every member’

CHICAGO — Brian Duncan took a minute before he stepped to the podium. His title was just a few hours old when he was introduced to media as “the president of Illinois Farm Bureau, Brian Duncan.”

“Wow, it’s going to take a little time for me to get used to the way that sounds, ‘president of Illinois Farm Bureau,’” Duncan said.

The new leader of the state’s largest farmer member organization was elected Dec. 4 by delegates at the IFB’s Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Duncan served for the past six years as vice president under retiring president Richard Guebert Jr.

“I had to keep pinching myself. It’s been an incredible six-year run and now to be selected as the next president of Illinois Farm Bureau. This organization stands on the shoulders of giants, men and women who have come before and plotted a course for this organization,” Duncan said.

“I look forward to navigating and charting that course, along with our members, our county Farm Bureaus, our board of directors.”

The new IFB president is a grain and hog farmer near Polo in Ogle County in northern Illinois. He served as president of Ogle County Farm Bureau from 2004 to 2017.

Duncan and his wife, Kelly, operate a wean-to-finish pork operation and raise corn, soybeans and wheat. They also have a custom cattle feeding operation.

They are the parents of Levi, Sarah and Emma, who all are involved with the farm operation, and Molly, who is employed by The Nature Conservancy at Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove.

Duncan said he is ready to get to work on policy issues and other projects at IFB, including the Organizational Member Strategy.

“I think we will be continuing to work hard on charting the course for the direction of the organization, as we work to really determine and lean into what our members want and expect from this organization,” he said.

Duncan said his priorities as president include focusing on issues of concern for grain and livestock farmers.

“For me, again, I’m still a hog farmer, regulatory concerns surrounding Prop. 12, trying to craft a solution there still, if one’s available. Working with AFBF to do that,” said Duncan, who said he will also be keeping an eye on trade and farm income with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“I am always, always going to have a close eye on farm income. Feel very passionate about making sure there is market access for individuals and that the markets we navigate as producers or sellers are fair and competitive, so that’s on my radar,” he said.

Duncan expressed the need to get a farm bill done sooner rather than later.

“Farm bill now and not waiting until — I mean, we’ve got an extension, but we need to get to work on a farm bill,” he said.

Duncan said he is interested in the work being done on the Organizational Member Strategy and wants to explore how Farm Bureau can add specific value for its members.

“That is going to be one of the questions I want to try to pick apart and see what we can do for them that situates them uniquely in their business model because they are a Farm Bureau member,” he said.

“Farm Bureau does a lot of things that I would call — I’m a Presbyterian Sunday School teacher — I would compare it to common grace. We do legislative work. It benefits all of agriculture, whether they are members or not, like everybody benefits when the sun shines and the rain falls.

“I think if we could do more specific, strategic grace for our members, that would encourage and drive membership and place them in a position to be successful.”

Philip Nelson, who held the office of president for 10 years prior to Guebert’s tenure, was also nominated for president by delegates during the nomination process.

Duncan dismissed any suggestion that Nelson’s nomination signaled a rift within the IFB membership or delegate body.

“It was his right to do it. That is our process. At the end of the day, we worked through our process and the delegates chose the next president and I am honored to be that president,” Duncan said.

“I set about the work of the organization and I work for every member, period. That is how I view that.”