Producer board

Producer board members are local farmer and rancher owners who do business with CHS Garrison and understand the realities of agriculture. All producer board members live and work in the communities CHS serves, bringing real-world experience and local insight to producer board member discussions.

Producer board members are nominated locally and selected through an election or appointment process defined in our local business unit’s procedures document. The process is designed to ensure:

• Geographic aligned business representation
• Insight from local producer and agriculture shaped point of view
• A balance of continuity and fresh perspective

The producer board supports local producers by:

• Informing CHS leadership on the effects of the company’s strategic vision on local agriculture
• Providing CHS leadership with local input on the strategic business plan and capital investments related to the local business unit
• Sharing insight into local impact while supporting the long-term strategic vision of CHS to local producers
• Representing producers’ interests in broader discussions

The role of the producer board is to help CHS understand ways the cooperative can remain locally relevant and create value for producers —today and in the future.

You can provide input by:

• Visiting directly with producer board members
• Sharing feedback with local leadership or managers
• Participating in listening sessions, surveys or local annual meetings

Producer board members serve as a two-way connection—bringing grower perspectives into producer board discussions and helping communicate decisions back to local producers.

The producer board typically meets quarterly (4-6 times per year) with additional meetings or working sessions as needed.

Producer board members generally serve 3-year terms, often on a staggered rotation. This structure:

• Preserves institutional knowledge
• Created regular opportunities for new voices
• Avoids full producer board turnover at one time

CHS ag retail producer board members serve as representatives and advocates of farmer-owners at the business unit level. They do not have a formal governance role for CHS or a reporting relationship with the CHS Board of Directors. The CHS Board of Directors carries fiduciary responsibility and governance authority for CHS Inc. Like all CHS farmer-owners, producer board members may provide feedback to members of the CHS Board of Directors.

Producer board involvement is a good example of the kind of leadership experience CHS Directors have, but serving on a CHS ag retail producer board or member cooperative board is not required to run for the CHS Board of Directors. Any farmer-owner who meets the qualifications set out in the CHS Bylaws can apply to be a candidate for the CHS Board of Directors. Qualified candidates are reviewed by the CHS Nominating Committee, which is made up of CHS farmer-owners and farmer-owners of CHS member cooperatives elected by their peers. The committee supports the CHS Director nomination process by evaluating and recommending Director candidates who are best equipped to lead CHS for the future.