Central Indiana farmer working to ensure free and fair global trade markets

After living all over the world and experiencing many different cultures, views and policies, Josh Miller and his wife, Jennifer, knew their priorities were on the family farm in Anderson, Ind.

Upon high school graduation, Miller enrolled to serve America in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served with the Marines from 2000 to 2005. When his military service ended, Miller was a Staff Sergeant and had served in Afghanistan, Iraq, China, the Philippines, Egypt, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland and many other areas.

After returning home, Miller went on to further his education and received an undergraduate degree in management and economics from the University of Maryland and a Master’s of Business Administration with a focus in finance from Indiana Wesleyan University. Prior to moving back to the farm, Miller was a contractor for Lockheed Martin, which is an aerospace, arms, defense, information security and technology company that operates worldwide.

Josh and Jennifer spent a few years living on the northside of Chicago, where she was a companion animal veterinarian. They loved living in the city, the freedom and the lifestyle, but they knew that getting back to the farm and closer to family was their ultimate goal. In 2010 they decided to make the journey from bustling Chicago to quaint Anderson to raise their young family and to work full-time on the farm.

“It’s a privilege to live on the farm and raise our kids close to family,” Miller said. “We wanted to come home. Family is a huge factor in our decisions. It helps direct the things we do. Our kids will be the sixth generation here.”

To the Millers, farm life came naturally. Their farm, named Richard Smith Farms, grows feed grade and food grade non-GMO corn and soybeans and seed production crops for wheat, soybeans and cereal rye. They farm exclusively in Madison County using many sustainable agriculture tools.

“Cover crops, waterways, filter strips and minimum tillage are just a few of the methods we use to practice sustainable agriculture,” Miller said. “We are a minimum-till operation. We were no-till for many years, but on the long term, it didn’t work out.”

Encouraging U.S. grain exports

Miller was elected to the Indiana Corn Marketing Council’s Board of Directors in 2016. For the past two years, he has served as the board’s president. Although he has enjoyed his service with the state’s corn checkoff, Miller’s desire has been to help farmers across the country.

With a broad world view and nine years of experience living in foreign countries, Miller expanded his involvement to include the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in 2017. The USGC is a membership-driven organization of corn, sorghum, barley producers and agribusinesses that support free and fair global trade. The Council is based in Washington, D.C., but it has a full-time presence in 13 global markets. The USGC operates programs in more than 50 countries.

The Council assists companies that sell farm products on the global market, and it helps to educate international purchasers. The USGC also conducts research on topics such as air quality studies for ethanol or feed ration studies for livestock.

Miller said the USGC works to help international buyers to get the information they need to feel confident in purchasing American farm products.

“The U.S Grains Council promotes the sale of grains in all forms around the world,” Miller explained. “As a farmer, I fully understand the value of creating new international markets for our crops. I believe we are also helping those countries get the best products possible, too.”

Miller noted that 95 percent of the world’s population lives outside the United States. He said middle class from around the world wants more proteins in their diets for themselves and their children. Miller added that America is filling that need.

“Indiana farms are helping to feed the world and adding value to farm income,” Miller explained.

He said the work done by the USGC and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council are worth the investment – citing a study that says for every dollar put into a checkoff program creates a $28 return.

Miller said USGC’s work in the aftermath of the African Swine Fever (ASF) pandemic in Vietnam and China during the past few years is an example of the Council’s effectiveness. Once ASF went through and destroyed most of the hog operations in that region, some farms there switched to poultry production. The USGC was in Asia, Miller said, to assist those farms in determining poultry feed rations, which was something those farmers had not done. “By helping to grow the poultry sector in Vietnam and China, the U.S. Grains Council has encouraged those farms to buy U.S. grains to feed their flocks,” said Miller, who is now vice president on the USGC executive board. “We have built a great relationship there. We have a unique niche to build positive relationships and educate grain buyers internationally.”

Growing a family, too

Today, the Millers have their hands full. With three small boys, Liam, 6, Declan, 4, and Cole, 1, Jennifer works fulltime off the farm as a veterinarian for Elanco Animal Health. Jennifer is a 2008 graduate of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and she has worked for eight years at Elanco. Josh handles most of the marketing and production for the farm.

The Millers have family nearby and love that the family is investing in their children’s lives and are active participants. “We enjoy living on the farm because our family is so close and invested in our family,” said Jennifer. “They want to see the kids grow and thrive and succeed. We love being a part of the family. We also love the flexibility of Josh’s career. He enjoys the business side of things and the hands-on work.”

The Millers are deliberate in showing their kids the value of hard work and how they are working to feed others around the world. “Josh’s work on the farm ties back into family life because he shows our children what hard work is on a daily basis,” Jennifer said.

Among Miller’s many educational endeavors, he is also a graduate of the Indiana Agriculture Leadership Program – Class 16. Experiences like this encouraged Miller to get involved in organizations such as the USGC and ICMC. He is an advocate for Indiana farmers to take part in their industry. This belief is service to others is shared by his family.

“Showing commitment to others and those you are feeding is so important and innate in farmers,” said Jennifer. “It’s a great representation of farmers and their work.”