Staff Biographies
Fred Greder
Owner
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 an active, licensed real estate broker.
He has previously served as Chairman of the State Appraisal Examining Board. The Greders own farm ground on the edge of Mason City that they have custom farmed.
Team Members
Barb Bowen
Office Manager
Barb Bowen has been with Benchmark Agribusiness, Inc. for 30 years and helped the business move to 3 different locations.
She is happiest here at Courtside Offices because there are windows with natural daylight and she can walk to work, even on the snowiest days.
She is an employee who will stay late to get the job done but will also ask to get off early to go ride her horse and enjoy the sunshine on a nice summer day.
Retirement is not in her near future. She enjoys working for Benchmark and with Fred Greder.
She will tell you, "This is the Best Job Ever!"
David Greder
Utility Infielder
As Fred's son, David Greder grew up with Benchmark Agribusiness.
After receiving his doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Iowa, David moved home to North Iowa to accept a teaching position at nearby Waldorf University.
When he's not teaching or grading papers, David is at Benchmark Agribusiness putting together appraisal reports and any other task Barb gives him to do in the office.
Cliff Rossler
Certified General Appraiser
Cliff may be the new guy at Benchmark but, he’s definite not a new guy in North Central Iowa or a new guy in the farm appraising industry. Cliff joined Benchmark after retiring from a 30+year career with the nationwide Farm Credit cooperative lending system.
Cliff has hit the ground running at Benchmark. He was already familiar with the appraisal software Benchmark runs. Plus, he’s still using the network of contacts he developed at Farm Credit for drilling into the details of recent North Central Iowa farm sales. There’s just one thing.
We may not see Cliff in the office if the fish are biting.