From a small Indiana town, Williams cares for the world’s poor and hungry 

By Dave Blower Jr. 

Like the song by John Mellencamp, Craig Williams was born in a small town, and he lives in a small town – Oaktown, Ind. But that doesn’t mean that his world is small. 

Williams has a heart for the poor and hungry around the world. Through family and friends, Williams works to drill clean water wells in the African country of Ghana along with private charities Jacob’s Well and the Micah 6:8 project. See a related story about these programs on page 21. 

Through participation on the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) board, Williams has become vice chair of the American Soybean Association’s World Initiatives for Soy in Human Health (WISHH). This division of ASA builds the U.S. Soy trade through the improvement of health, nutrition and food security in emerging nations. WISHH develops agricultural value chains in emerging markets, creating trade and long-term demand for U.S. soy. 

Through triumph and tragedy and sorrow and celebration, Williams simply says, “God has had a plan for my life that I never could have predicted.” 

Seeking public service 

Williams credits his parents and his farm-life upbringing for instilling a work ethic in him. Along with that, though, Williams thanks a mentor, Rowe D. Sargent, with encouraging him to give back to the communities that support him. 

After graduating from Purdue, Williams was looking for an opportunity to work in agriculture. 

“I had the chance to come home and take over the Pioneer seed agency from a retiring dealer, Rowe Sargent,” he said. “Rowe invited me out to take a look, and we worked out the details for when I’d take over the business. At the time, things weren’t going all that well with my job, and then, out of the blue, a neighbor called and offered to rent me some farmland—all in the same year. Looking back, it really feels like it was meant to be. But at the time, I was scared to death.”

Through that process, Sargent emphasized the importance of giving back to the agricultural community. In addition to his military service and professional career, he served as a Knox County Commissioner, a school board member for North Knox Schools, and represented farmers on both the Indiana and national corn boards. His wife, Maridell, was a strong supporter of those efforts.

“Community involvement was really high on their list,” Williams said. “Like I said, my parents instilled in me my drive, my work ethic. But I give Rowe and Maridell a lot of credit for that desire to be involved in the community and to step into roles where you can help, when you are able.” 

ISA and WISHH 

Due to an opening on the ISA board, Williams applied and was elected in 2013. Admittedly, he wanted to make sure that checkoff dollars were spent wisely. During his nine years on the board, Williams said he learned of the checkoff’s essential work and valuable partners such as WISHH. 

Initially, Williams explained, he didn’t know much about WISHH or its mission. 

“Our WISHH representative on the ISA board was terming off,” he said. “We needed a new Indiana representative at WISHH. My wife and I were working in Ghana with Micah 6:8 and Jacob’s Wells for probably three years at that time. After a meeting, ISA’s CEO at the time, Jane Ade Stevens, introduced me to Jim Hershey who was the leader at WISHH. Jane said we needed to share our experiences.” 

Hershey explained that WISHH was beginning projects in Ghana and that they work with long-term goals in mind. 

“I thought, if WISHH is working in Ghana, and we’re already there, then this is a natural fit for me,” he said. “So, I threw my hat in the ring, and the board elected me to join and represent them on WISHH. I’ve been there ever since.” 

Becoming a farmer 

Williams explained that he’s wanted to be a farmer for most of his life. But in a twist, his father hoped Williams would find more reliable employment off the farm. 

“Dad had corn and soybeans, and they also had produce,” he said. “We have Sandy Ridge Melon Market right here on U.S. 41. They grew, or still grow, watermelons, cantaloupe, sweet corn, tomatoes from a road side market. And he’s built up a loyal wholesale business. And we also had the hogs; a farrow-to-finish hog operation that I grew up in.” 

He added that his father was building a farm in the 1980s, which was a difficult time for most farmers. 

“I fell in love with the work and everything about farming,” Williams said. “Putting the seed in the ground and doing the little things that I can to try to get it off to a good start – just the amazement of watching it grow and produce a crop. It’s just a really amazing way to make a living.” 

His father encouraged Williams to get an education. First, he attended Vincennes University. He met his wife, Kim, while working at a grocery store in Vincennes. Williams then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in ag economics from Purdue University. 

“I think he was trying, or hoping, that I would maybe find something else, but all I wanted to do was farm,” he said. 

That is when Williams met Rowe Sargent, took over a Pioneer seed agency and rented farm ground from a neighbor. 

Keeping an eye on ag policy 

Although WISHH takes a long-term strategy at developing export markets in emerging nations, Williams is aware that it is a part of ASA, the national soybean policy organization. As a result, he keeps a close eye on both state and federal issues. He said the biggest national issue is tariffs on products imported into the United States. 

“When it comes to trade with China, farmers are usually at the tip of the spear,” Williams said. “When they retaliate, it’s almost always directed at ag because that’s one of their largest imports. We need to be in contact with our legislators and ask them how they can soften that blow.” 

In Indiana, property taxes dominated discussions at the Statehouse. 

“Property taxes are a big concern for a lot of farmers,” Williams said. “I guess that’s a tough one for me to walk because I’ve got a daughter who’s a teacher, and I’ve got a son-in-law who now is a teacher. As much as I would love property tax relief, I don’t want it to come at the cost of my local school, the local school teachers, and making their lives harder than they already are. For me, that’s a tightrope to walk.” 

Jacob’s Wells brings clean water to several villages across Ghana 

Jacob Williams was a lively, vibrant young man who touched many lives during his 15 years on Earth. He was the son of Craig and Kim Williams, farmers in Oaktown, Ind. He was a friend and role model for young children and an athlete growing in strength and talent. 

In June 2017, Jacob tragically passed away in a swimming accident. To honor his memory, Jacob’s Wells was established. Jacob’s Wells is a non-profit organization under The Micah 6:8 Project. 

Kim, a longtime board member of The Micah 6:8 Project, along with her friend and board member Christy Farhar has made many trips to Ghana. Jacob loved playing with and mentoring young kids, so it seemed right to build water wells in Ghana to bring life-sustaining water to villages full of children. 

“When Jacob passed away, we were thinking about building a school in Ghana; then we realized their need for water,” Kim said. “I remember sitting on the front porch with Christy and friends who were there with me right after Jacob died – before the funeral, actually. And Christy said, ‘I think we need to start a project called Jacob’s Wells.’ I don’t remember much from those early days after he passed. It’s very much of a blur. I honestly don’t. There are just little snippets of things from that first year that I remember, but that’s where the thought of Jacob’s Wells was born.” 

The Micah 6:8 Project is trying to break a cycle of slavery around Lake Volta in Ghana. This project offers education and vocational school, medical help and, of course, clean water. 

“When the land was flooded to create Lake Volta for hydroelectric power, it kind of backfired,” Kim said. “What was created was an industry of fishing and using very fine nets. The small fish would get caught in these fine nets, and they’d use the little nimble fingers of the young boys, and some girls, to get those fish out of the nets. You’ll see boys, probably 10 to 13 years old, it’s hard to tell because they’re so little. But they’re muscular from pulling all these huge, heavy nets in all the time. They fish through the night. Many kids drown because it’s flooded land, and the nets get caught on trees and debris. The slave owners will make them dive under to free the nets.” 

Craig added, “They’re more worried about their nets than they are the kids because they can always get another kid.” 

Nevertheless, the Williamses believe they are making a difference in a far-away community. Jacob’s Wells has drilled 21 new wells throughout the southern two-thirds of Ghana. The northern third is dangerous with crime and corruption, Craig said. He is pleased with the response to Jacob’s Wells. 

“The people are so poor, I mean, just poverty that we can’t even imagine,” Craig explained. “Yet, they were really big on ceremony. They really want to say thank you. They had to work so hard just to get dirty water. To have clean water come up out of the ground is amazing for them.” 

For more about Micah 6:8 and Jacob’s Wells, read Deep Waters, a book written by Rachel Hayden and Christy Farhar.