Obernagel takes top corn honor

George Obernagel of Waterloo, IL is the recipient of the IL Corn Growers Association’s (ICGA) top award, The World of Corn.

ICGA leaders honored Obernagel for his service to Illinois corn farmers at the ICGA Annual Meeting on November 26 at the AgriCenter.   

The World of Corn Award goes to individuals, organizations, or businesses for making significant contributions to the corn industry. The special award, now in its 35th year, was created to recognize the global importance of corn, and specifically honor individual pacesetters that have made Illinois a leader in the corn industry. 

“George Obernagel has been and continues to be a tremendous agriculture leader in Illinois. From leading the IL Corn Marketing Board in the 1990s to coordinating and hosting countless events that help IL Corn develop key relationships with our elected officials today, George has left his mark on the corn industry in Illinois. We are excited to honor his legacy of service with this World of Corn award,” said Dave Rylander, ICGA President and corn farmer from Victoria. 

Obernagel was asked to consider serving on the IL Corn Marketing Board by Joe Hampton, who later became the Illinois Director of Agriculture. Obernagel served six years, from 1991 – 1997. When interviewed for the IL Corn 50th Anniversary book, he recalled learning a lot about exports, how to develop relationships with other countries, and how farmers played such a large role in helping themselves via checkoff boards. He was most involved in learning about and participating with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, and U.S. Grains Council. Obernagel served as the USMEF Chairman in 2001.