Mark Callender Named 2020 Professional Farm Manager of the Year

Starting a career in agriculture was an easy decision for Mark Callender, the 2020 Professional Farm Manager of the Year. As a farm manager for Farmers National Company in Dighton, Kansas, this former farm boy is able to combine his passion for agriculture with the reward of building relationships with others in the industry.

Callender’s outstanding ability to bring innovative ideas to the farms he manages is a primary reason why he received this honor. He also has an innate understanding of the industry and his clients’ needs. In his position at Farmers National Company, Callender is one of the top farm managers because his clients know he cares about them and wants their farms to succeed.

It's rewarding to live in the area that is your responsibility as a farm manager. You become very familiar with the farms, and you get to know the families who live in the community you serve.

“Mark is well thought of, and that carries over into his professional life, where his calm demeanor is very reassuring to our clients,” says Dave Englund, CEO and president of Farmers National Company. “The clients trust him tremendously because of how he interacts with them.”

For Callender, one of the most fulfilling aspects of his job is working with people in his own community where he can make an impact on their daily lives.

“It's rewarding to live in the area that is your responsibility as a farm manager,” Callender says. “You become very familiar with the farms, and you get to know the families who live in the community you serve.”

The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, The Scoop (formerly AgProfessional) magazine, and Syngenta team up annually to present the Professional Farm Manager of the Year Award. Launched in 1986, this award recognizes farm managers whose dedication and commitment to agriculture have benefited their clients, the American consumer and our most precious commodity — the land.