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Jeanne Bernick, Top Producer Editor, writes about issues related to agriculture. Jeanne grew up on a beef cattle operation in Southwest Missouri and now writes from the heart of corn country in Eastern Iowa.

Kevin Spafford is the monthly succession planning columnist for Farm Journal, author of Legacy by Design: Succession Planning for Agribusiness Owners, and has been featured in many industry publications and televised segments. Kevin launched Legacy by Design in 2005. As a Certified Financial Planner, armed with an education in agriculture and 25 years of experience in financial services, Kevin guides farmers and agribusiness owners through plans designed to optimize success for the owner, the family and the farm. Speaking opportunities have taken Kevin to major agricultural events, including the Top Farmer Crop Workshops at Purdue University, Farm Journal Media’s Top Producer Seminars in Chicago, and the California Farm Bureau’s Leadership Conference.

Crop-Tech Consulting, Inc. Farm Journal Field AgronomistIn 1990, Ken Ferrie started Crop-Tech Consulting, Inc., which serves farmers in central Illinois. As an independent consultant, Ferrie directly oversees 90,000 acres through farmer clients. At the same time, he works with leading fertilizer dealers to provide agronomic direction for another 250,000 acres. Ferrie, who is Field Agronomist for Farm Journal magazine, puts in almost 150 test plots each year, testing everything from herbicides and varieties to planters and technology tools. Data gathered in the plot research helps fine-tune his systems approach to farming.

Greg Vincent, the editor of Agriculture’s Home Page AgWeb, assumed his current role in December 2009. He is responsible for all content associated with the AgWeb brand, which includes the Web site, Web seminars, premium content development and new project initiatives. Vincent joined Farm Journal Media in 2007 as the editor of Top Producer, the company’s brand dedicated to the nation’s highest-profit and most productive farmers. During his tenure as editor of Top Producer, the print product consistently achieved 90+ percent readership scores. The overall brand presence was enhanced by re-launching its Web site and introducing new online products like Top Producer Radio. New live events were also developed, including the Top Producer Young Farmer Program and the Top Producer Frontier Study Tour that exposed U.S. farmers to new areas of competition and market potential in Eastern Europe and South America. Also under his three years of leadership attendance doubled at the Top Producer Seminar, which is the leading business conference for U.S. farmers. Vincent previously served as the editor and associate publisher for Dealer & Applicator magazine and as associate publisher for Greenbook at Vance Publishing. He has also served in a variety of account service positions for several marketing communications and public relations agencies throughout his career. He is a former member of the American Agricultural Editors Association board of directors and currently serves on the organization’s electronic media advisory committee. Currently Greg serves on the board of directors for the Missouri Association of Publications. He is an alumnus of the Missouri Agriculture Leadership of Tomorrow program and is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Pam Henderson Smith was reared on a diversified grain and livestock farm in west-central Illinois where five generations of family still till and toil. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois and currently is a seed technology and production editor for Farm Journal.

We’re unlocking the mystery and getting inside the heads of Top Producer of the Year winners and finalists. Check out what they’ve learned along the way and tips that you might be able to incorporate into your own farm.