At the 2015 Corn Belt Seed Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Indiana Crop Improvement Association awarded Jon Stafford of WestBred its Crop and Soils Merit Award — the association’s highest distinction given for outstanding contributions to the association and the seed industry.
“Jon has the unique ability to find common ground with people, make them feel comfortable and, consequently, he is the consummate salesman,” says Steve Houghton who presented the award. “His knowledge of the industry is unprecedented and this is an attribute of his ability to communicate with people.”
Stafford who started his career farming and still farms has spent his entire career trading, selling and promoting nearly every species of seed planted in the Midwest. Stafford has managed a grain elevator, participated in the retail corn business several times, brokered seed grains and forages, participated in the popcorn business and marketed soybean and wheat genetics.
Houghton reports that Stafford has participated on a number of the association’s committees, including the Soybean Committee, the Small Grains Committee, Intellectual Property Rights Committee, Annual Conference Planning Committee, Nominating Committee and Awards Committee.
