MEET STU ELLIS

Stu Ellis, of University of Illinois Extension , is the editor and blogger for the farm gate, a new Extension website.

Ellis began his career in the agricultural community more than thirty years ago as a broadcast journalist for WSOY in Decatur . Ellis spent more than two decades in farm broadcasting. During that time, he also served as director of marketing for the American Soybean Association in St. Louis , where he helped create a national demand for soybean ink.

In 1992, Ellis worked at the Illinois Farm Bureau, developing its education program for farmers in areas such as marketing, financial management, contract production, and risk management.

Ellis's work with U of I Extension began in Macon County in 1998, where he served as the Farm Business and Marketing Educator, creating the USDA's national educational curriculum for risk management. He became the Macon Unit Leader for U of I Extension in 2000.

Ellis was instrumental in bringing the Farm Progress Show to Decatur in 2005. In October of 2003 he wrote a newspaper column suggesting the possibility, and his article generated “a lot of community interest,” said Ellis.

“In the spring of 2004 we made a bid to Farm Progress. We had to sell the community to Farm Progress companies, solicit financial pledges for an outdoor convention center if we were successful, and then negotiate a long-term contract with them. It was about eighteen months of ‘heavy lifting,'” he said of the successful effort.

In September of 2004 it was publicly announced that Decatur would be a permanent biennial site for the Farm Progress Show. Ellis served as the U of I liaison, and managed the University's presence at the event, working with other community leaders in the development of Progress City .

Now Ellis has taken on the challenge of the farm gate . Ellis will use a resource base of websites from land-grant universities, governmental agricultural agencies and other information sources to provide integrated information across a variety of disciplines, including crop and animal sciences, ag economics, ag engineering and veterinary medicine.

“The farm gate is an effort to provide a focal point for discussion of significant agriculture issues for the Midwestern farmer and landowner,” he said. “My intent is to have four to five new posting per week, Monday through Friday.” Ellis also believes the site will be a good place for readers to weigh in with contributions that will generate conversation and interest among the agricultural community.

Ellis was raised on a farm near Taylorville. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in communications from the U of I. He is a Past President of the Illinois Farm News Association and Decatur Rotary Club, current President of the Illinois Extension Agricultural Association, and Extension's advisory member of the Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Ellis and his wife Cindy have two daughters.  

To learn more about Stu Ellis, visit his homepage here.