Nelson, Philip Charles

Born on June 12, 1957 in Lake Charles, La., and grew up as the fourth generation on the family dairy and grain farm near Seneca, Ill. Philip became active in the 4-H and FFA as a youngster, never considering any other profession than farming. He attended Joliet Junior College, and then returned to the farm. Over the next two decades Nelson managed a thriving farm operation while also becoming increasingly involved in farm organizations, often in leadership roles. Over time, the family got out of the dairy business, but continued to finish hogs while also growing corn and soybeans on what grew into a 1,500 acre farm. In 2003, after many years of involvement in the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), as well as various commodity organizations, Nelson was elected as president of the IFB by the membership, and has since been reelected. As such, he is passionate spokesman for the organization, as well as taking on various roles with the many businesses and corporations affiliated with IFB. These include Prairie Farms Foods, Country Financial, GrowMark and others. The IL Farm Bureau has long promoted the expansion of markets for its members' products while seeking to limit the government's direct involvement in agriculture, preferring the government to act more as a marketing partner than as a regulator of agriculture. In his capacity as president of the IFB, Nelson addressed the IFB's views on many of agriculture's most pressing and controversial issues, including the food vs fuel debate (ethanol production), genetically modified foods, globalization and marketing challenges, and several others.