Iowa leaders mourn death of state, national ag leader Ray Gaesser

An Iowan who led state and national farm groups died after a farming accident this weekend. Ray Gaesser of Corning served as president of the American Soybean Association a dozen years ago and ran for state ag secretary in 2018. Gaesser took over his family's Indiana farm at the age of 15 after his father died, then Gaesser and his wife, Elaine, began farming in southwest Iowa in 1977. Their son, Chris, is part of the operation today. A tornado struck the farm and the Gaesser's home in June, destroying a grain bin. Saturday's farm accident involved a grain leg which lifts grain into a bin. Gaesser was serving on the Iowa Transportation Commission and the commission's website refers to him as 'a conservationist who believes that caring for the land is a priority.' Gaesser was recently featured in a documentary about climate change and served as chair of the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum, a group that advocates for renewable energy. Iowa politicians and policymakers are praising Gaesser and offering condolences to his family. Governor Kim Reynolds called Gaesser 'one of Iowa's greatest innovators and advocates.' State Senator Tom Shipley farms near Nodaway, about 20 miles from Gaesser's farm. 'The one thing I've been thinking about is every farmer in Iowa owes Ray a debt of gratitude for the work he did supporting agriculture and farmers,' Shipley said, 'and working to develop better opportunities for all of us.' Shipley, who spoke with Radio Iowa this morning, said Gaesser wasn't just focused on improving farm management practices, he was involved in finding new markets for farm commodities. 'He was generous with his time, welcoming so many visitors to his place, hosting meetings on soil and water conservation — so many different htings,' Shipley said. Gaesser would have turned 74 on Monday, September 14. The date for his funeral has not yet been announced.