Education & Experience

Because of our synergy, the service you receive from one of our managers is a reflection of all our managers. No one person can be all things to all people. Together, our managers offer over 400 years of agricultural production and management experience. Here are some of the things our managers and real estate associates bring to the table:

Advanced Degrees

Don McCabe - MBA
Justin Wheeler - M.S. Crop Sciences
Casey Watson - M.S. Crop Sciences
Ashley Shafer - M.S. Crop Sciences
Hayley Daniels - M.S. Agronomy

Over 20 Years of Experience

Dan Patten, David Klein, Kevin Meiss, Kevin Hilligoss, Michael Lauher

Over 30 Years of Experience

John Tammen & Chad Hoke

Over 40 Years of Experience

Brian Thompson & Keith Waterman

Farm Operation Experience

Kevin Hilligoss, David Klein, Kevin Meiss, Dan Patten, John Tammen, Justin Wheeler, Cory Kauffman, Eric Schumacher, Tyler Roth, Michael Bernhard, Mark Smith, Ashley Shafer, Michael Rhoda, Phillip Rich, Brock Norris, Michael Lauher

Commodity Marketing Expertise

Kevin Meiss, Keith Waterman, Eric Schumacher, Michael Rhoda, Dan Patten, Ashten Masching

Other Experience

Agricultural Education - John Tammen
Public Accounting - Craig Thompson
Agricultural Lending - Joe Richie
Grain Merchandising - Ashten Masching, Michael Rhoda

Practical Agronomy Experience

Kevin Hilligoss, Dan Patten, Tyler Roth, Keith Waterman, Justin Wheeler, Phillip Rich, Ashely McEwen, Bailey Reynolds, Hayley Daniels, Brock Norris, Tom Hill

First Mid Ag Services Staff

At First Mid Ag Services, we recognize that our greatest strength is our people! We are the largest manager of cropland in Illinois because we understand that no matter how many farms we manage, the most important farm to you is yours.

First Mid Ag Services strongly supports the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) and its Illinois Chapter, the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA), the Realtors Land Institute (RLI) and the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). These professional organizations promote education, and ethics among its members and gives voice to landowners to be heard in Washington & Springfield.

These organizations offers accreditation for their members. These professional designations of Accredited Farm Manager, Accredited Rural Appraiser, Accredited Land Consultant, and Certified Crop Advisor recognize the highest standards of achievement in our industry.

Our Accredited Farm Managers

Chad Hoke
David Klein
Dan Patten
Don McCabe
Casey Watson
Justin Wheeler
Tom Hill
Joseph Richie
Michael Lauher