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Fred Greder started
Benchmark Agribusiness in 1988 with a $200 Smith
Corona electric typewriter and the savings from moonlighting as a fee appraiser
on evenings and weekends while still working full time as a farm mortgage loan
officer. The practice developed quickly thanks to the appraisal experience and
industry contacts developed during a thirteen-year career as a farm loan
officer in North Central Iowa prior to 1988. Greder has been accredited by the
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers since 1989 and a member
since 1984. In fact, he was the Iowa Chapter State President in 2002 and has
also served on National Committees. 
Fred has been a State Certified General Real Property Appraiser since three
weeks after the State of Iowa began issuing certificates in October of 1991. He
was raised on a combination crop and livestock farm in Western Iowa. Greder
also maintained a hog feeding operation earlier in his career. He and his wife
Marty have been residents of North Central Iowa since they both graduated from
Iowa State University on the same day in 1975. Fred's major emphasis of study
was in Farm Operations. In addition to his appraisal activities, Fred is also a
trained mediator.
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As the Office Manager and Appraisal
Assistant, Barb Bowen
is the face and voice of Benchmark Agribusiness
to the USDA offices and courthouses around North Central Iowa more than anybody
else on the staff. For 18 years, Barb, a graduate of Hamilton Business College
and Nora Springs native, has been professionally filling the appraisal file
with all of the essential information such as real estate taxes, assessments,
corn base acres, soil types, deeds, easements, surveys, etc. The list goes on
and on. Barb's portrait to the left can also be found in at least two places in
the dictionary. Her picture appears next to the definitions for "Iowa work
ethic" and "company loyalty". For the first nearly 27 years of their marriage,
Barb and her husband, Bill, raised their three kids on their livestock and crop
farm North of Mason City. Barb balances a busy personal life between family,
2 grandkids, 1 horse, gardening and rooting for the Hawkeyes. She feels it is
part of her job description at Benchmark to keep these Cyclone fans humble, busy and
having fun!!
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Chris Staudt joined
Benchmark Agribusiness after the crop harvest of
1997. He continues to operate an active cash grain operation near Dougherty,
Iowa, while acting as an Appraisal Associate between the planting and
harvesting seasons. Staudt is a fifth generation farmer along with his wife,
Shelle, and their two children. Chris is also a proud graduate of Iowa State
University. The area of emphasis in Chris' Bachelor of Science degree in 1986
was in Agricultural Finance/Business. He also has a strong career background in
lending. Chris worked for three different lenders for a total of seven years
immediately following college. His areas of expertise at
Benchmark Agribusiness are in the fields of
government support programs, cash rent appraisals and farm expense analysis.
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