Growmark announces board changes at annual meeting

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Dennis Neuhaus, of Hoyleton in southern Illinois, was elected the new board president of Growmark during the cooperative’s annual meeting.

In addition, Jason Balding, of Albion in southeastern Illinois, was elected as the interlocking state Farm Bureau board member on the Growmark board of directors. Both begin their three-year terms on the board immediately.

Neuhaus and his wife, Pam, operate a fifth-generation family farm that includes 1,800 acres of row crops and wheat in Washington County. He is a member of the Gateway FS board.

Neuhaus has served on the Growmark board since 2012 and was elected a vice chairman in December 2022.

He said that he is excited for the future of Growmark.

“This annual meeting marked the beginning of our journey toward an important milestone, our 100th anniversary in 2027. While we celebrate a century of success, we are equally focused on the future and on building an even stronger cooperative for generations to come,” he said.

Balding has been on the Edwards County Farm Bureau board of directors since 2006, serving as president from 2008 to 2022. He was elected to the Illinois Farm Bureau and Country Financial board of directors in December 2025.

Balding and his wife, Brenda, along with their son, Jacob, operate a cattle backgrounding yard in Edwards County. They grow most of their feed and do custom baling and chopping.

The current board of directors consists of 19 active farmers who are fully engaged in guiding Growmark and its affiliated FS and grain companies to reach the vision of becoming the best agricultural co-op system in North America.

Decisions made by the board influence and mold the future of Growmark to best serve its member cooperatives and fulfill its purpose of helping to feed and fuel the world.