2023 Farm Manager Of The Year: Ryan Kay
2023ASFMRAFinal
Ryan Kay has been named the 2023 Farm Manager of the Year, an award presented by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and sponsored by Syngenta.
“I feel very honored by receiving the award and appreciate my peers voting for me,” Kay says. “I work with so many people that make me look as well as I do. So I definitely know that it’s a team effort, and I appreciate all the people that have helped me to get to this point.”
Kay works in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and has been an accredited farm manager with Hertz Farm Management for 11 years. Before this role, he worked for Pioneer as a research associate and production agronomist. The decision to make a career change was inspired by his own family’s farm.
“I grew up on a farm in Atlantic, Iowa, and helped my dad manage the farm,” he says. “While working with my dad, I saw how absentee landowners often needed help making decisions on what the next steps should be.”
Kay currently manages farms for absentee landowners in eastern Iowa—working with tenants to make improvements on the properties and maximize revenue for clients.
“The goal of my job is to make sure that we have a win-win situation for both parties,” he says. “Most of our clients want more than just the income off the farm. They want to make sure conservation measures are in place, and they want to know who’s working on the ground and have a succession plan. I have clients that work with third- and fourth-generation farmers, so it’s pretty rewarding for them to know that they’ve been working with the same family for this many generations.”
Kay shares his favorite part of the role is the people he works with each day.
“I don’t think we realize how lucky we are,” he says. “There’s a lot of different industries out there where it’s dog-eat-dog, but in agriculture, it’s really down-to-earth.”
And that down-to-earth attitude is something Kay recommends to anyone looking to get involved in the industry.
“The biggest tool is not to burn any bridges and to be professional and respect everybody,” he says. “Everybody has their own opinion that may be right or wrong, but you just need to understand where they’re coming from.”
Education and Accreditations
- Bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and management from Iowa State University
- Master’s degree in agronomy and crop science from Iowa State University
- Accredited Farm Manager
- Licensed real estate salesperson in Iowa
- Accredited Land Consultant
Personal Details
- Treasurer, Realtors Land Institute, Iowa Chapter
- Involved in several local committees and community organizations, such as church
- Enjoys spending free time with family and his two young children
- Hobbies include outdoor activities such as visiting parks, fishing and snow skiing
