Crop Protection

Kyle Walker named 2021 Professional Farm Manager of the Year

07 November 2021, USA: Kyle Walker, director of asset management at Peoples Company in Indianola, Iowa, was named the 2021 Professional Farm Manager of the Year. The award, co-sponsored by Syngenta, Farm Journal’s The Scoop magazine and the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), recognizes farm managers who display excellence in client service and a commitment to agriculture.

Walker began working in the asset management profession in 2006 for a large family farm operation in southern Iowa, where he was introduced to custom row crop farming of corn and soybeans. Walker transitioned to Peoples Company in 2014 where he now oversees the Land and Asset Management Division.

Walker was named the 2021 Professional Farm Manager of the Year because of his ability to work well with clients of all agricultural backgrounds, his pioneering of many conservation efforts, and his passion for improving his clients’ farm operations. 

“Kyle has always done such a good job balancing the best interest of the landowner and farm improvement, while also building really good tenant relationships,” says Mollie Aronowitz, director of sustainability and land manager at Peoples Company. “When you see Kyle interact with landowners, tenants and contractors, you really see they respect him. Kyle figures out the problem, and he doesn’t stop until he finds a solution everyone can work with.”

Walker’s ability to look at each farm he manages and determine how to bring out its full potential is something his clients value when putting their trust in his management.

“We’re so fortunate to have the excellent service that Kyle delivers,” says Sharon Krause, a client of Walker’s with whom he has worked for two decades. “He takes into account our family goals of working on regenerative agriculture, water quality and soil conservation. And probably most importantly, he maintains really meaningful relationships with our operators. Kyle takes all of these pieces and makes them work. He’s just really delivering the whole package.”