First Mid Staff - Mattoon, IL
Cory Kauffman
Mattoon Regional Office Manager
Phone: (217) 258-0498
Email: Cory Kauffman
Cory is a 2008 graduate from Eastern Illinois University with a B.S. in Business Finance. His interest in agriculture began on his family’s grain farm near Arthur, IL. Throughout college and after graduation, he worked for a small precision ag company selling and servicing agricultural guidance equipment. Shortly after graduation, he transitioned to ag retail for a period of time before joining First Mid as a farm manager in 2011. Cory is an accredited member of the American & Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers. He earned his Accredited Farm Manager designation in 2014 and manages farmland in Illinois for absentee landowners, public foundations and several charitable trusts. Cory is also an Illinois State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser specializing in farmland valuations. Additionally, he is a licensed property and casualty insurance producer focusing on crop insurance, as well as, an Illinois licensed real estate broker. He is currently the Regional Manager of the Mattoon office. Cory remains active in his family’s farming operation near Arthur, IL.
Eric Schumacher
Farm Management, Brokerage, Crop Insurance, and Appraisal – Mattoon
Phone: (217) 258-0457
Email: Eric Schumacher
Eric graduated from the University of Illinois in 2011 with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics, concentrating in Farm Management, and a minor in Crop and Soil Management. Besides managing farms in south-central Illinois, Eric is an Illinois licensed real estate broker; a licensed property and casualty insurance producer focusing on crop insurance; an Illinois Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser specializing in farmland valuations; and a licensed FAA UAS Remote Pilot. He grew up on his family’s dairy and row crop farm in southeastern Shelby county, and is still active in the operation. Prior to joining First Mid, Eric worked as a location manager for an ag retailer in Coles County. His experiences on both the production and retail side of agriculture have provided Eric with the knowledge base to manage a wide range of farm properties. He and his wife, Becky, and their three children, Lydia, Emma, and Grant, live near Sigel, IL.
Brock Norris
Farm Management & Brokerage – Mattoon
Phone: (217) 258-3556
Email: Brock Norris
Brock serves as an Assistant Vice President and Farm Manager for First Mid Ag Services. He is a 2016 graduate from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture Business and Agronomy Management. Prior to joining First Mid, Brock worked as crop consultant for an area ag retailer. He also spent time as a Research Agronomist working with one of the industry’s largest seed suppliers. Brock’s experiences on the farm, as well as his experiences in the retail and research industries of agriculture have formed a rounded perspective to farm management.
Michael Lauher
Farm Management, Brokerage, and Appraisal – Mattoon
Phone: (217) 345-8312
Email: Michael Lauher
After serving in the US Air Force, Michael graduated from Illinois State University, magna cum laude, in 1994 with a degree in Agribusiness. He grew up on a grain and livestock farm in southwestern Edgar County near the town of Kansas, Illinois. Michael joined the predecessor of First Mid Ag Services before graduation, managing farms, providing rural appraisals and brokering farmland from the Decatur office. In 2008, Michael moved to the Champaign area with an opportunity to work for the predecessor of Manulife Investment, Timber and Agriculture. While there, he successfully acquired and improved the performance of the Midwest farm investments. He was eventually promoted to Senior Vice-President, Row Crops and Eastern Operations overseeing the performance of farmland assets valued at over $1 billion throughout the continental United States. Michael also consulted on ag investment opportunities in Brazil and row crop sustainability in the development of Leading Harvest. Michael is an Accredited Farm Manager through the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and an Accredited Land Consultant Through the Realtors® Land Institute. Michael serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Chapter of Realtors® Land institute and the nonprofit organization, The Land Connection, and is the current Vice President for the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He is eager to get back closer to his roots, working closely with landowners and farmers in the stewardship of America’s greatest heritage, it’s farmland.
