Meet Your Board | Luke Carlson

The Central Valley Ag Board of Directors is made up of local, agricultural leaders, who are recognized for their industry expertise, as well as economic and community development skills. The board currently has 21 directors and two associate directors. These individuals are located in your communities throughout the CVA territory.

Luke Carlson is the CVA Board Chairman representing region 5. He farms irrigated corn and soybeans, as well as some white corn, in Northwestern Polk County. He grew up on the farm and knew his whole life he wanted to make farming his career.

He went into agriculture at Northwest Missouri State with the intent of coming back to farm, and after graduation he and his wife moved back to Nebraska to do just that. He currently lives in York with his wife Terri and their three kids: Creighton, Landry, and Beckett. Farming is a commitment, but he wants to ensure that the opportunity for his kids to come back and farm is there; whether it be his daughter or one of his boys.

One of Luke’s biggest joys comes from knowing he is putting food on someone’s table. “Food is about quality and making sure it's a good product for the end user,” Luke said, “If you're just raising regular number two yellow corn, or a regular soybean, quality isn't such an issue or a standard. However, food-grade grains mean that you are producing a safe and reliable supply of food to feed people.”

Raising quality products and finding ways to do it better is what Luke tries to accomplish each day. He believes the cooperative helps make that possible. “The cooperative finds those markets for us that we wouldn't be able to find on our own and ship them where we couldn't get them by ourselves,” Luke said, “The co-op makes sure that we have the quality standards met, make sure we have the transportation, and then they provide the place for our crops to go.”

As a young producer, the co-op acted as a source of products, as well as information and knowledge. Over the years, service and advice became the bigger attraction. “As I grew in my farming career, the co-op became a more important and integral role in my operation,” said Luke. He began to realize the benefits and started to question if he truly felt like an owner. After realizing he didn’t feel enough like an owner in CVA, he ran for the cooperative board.

“The best way to feel like an owner is to get involved,” said Luke, “whether it be coming to annual meeting, joining the associate board, or running for the board are great ways to be involved in your co-op.” His involvement throughout the years has allowed him to be involved in decision making and see first-hand the work that is put into running the cooperative. He believes that the people at CVA are what make it so unique and run smoothly. “You know that you’re dealing with somebody that’s honest and has a lot of integrity.”

The Board of Directors' mission is to provide leadership of CVA's current direction and initiatives, in addition to positioning the organization for future success and profitability for members. “Being a part of CVA’s Board of Directors is about representing your neighbors and the people in your community,” said Luke, “making sure their needs are met and finding ways to better serve them.”

CVA Board of Directors

The Central Valley Ag Board of Directors is made up of local, agricultural leaders, who are recognized for their industry expertise, as well as economic and community development skills. The board currently has 21 directors and two associate directors. These individuals are located in communities throughout the CVA territory.

To learn more about CVA’s Board of Directors, visit https://www.cvacoop.com/about