New Addition to PCM Specialist Team

February 20, 2023
A man with a beard and tie is smiling for the camera.

Precision Conservation Management (PCM) is thrilled to welcome Andrew Hiser as a specialist this February. He will be serving farmers in Sangamon, Christian, and Macoupin counties. 

 

Andrew was raised on his family’s farm near Monticello, IL and earned his BA in Technical Systems Management from the University of Illinois College of ACES. He has a broad agricultural background working in grain elevator operations, grain merchandising and logistics and ag machinery sales. He also owned and operated a clam and oyster farm in coastal South Carolina. 

 

He currently resides in Petersburg, IL with his wife and two sons. Andrew enjoys lending a hand on his in-law’s farm and taking his boys camping and fishing any chance he gets. 

Andrew’s connection to agriculture runs deep. Both his and his wife’s families have farmed and worked in agribusiness in Central Illinois for several generations. Through his schooling and career, he’s been able to forge several lasting relationships with farmers and industry leaders throughout the Midwest. 

 

As a PCM Specialist, he hopes to bring his experience and connections together to help farmers thrive through sound business and land management practices. Andrew’s ultimate goal is for each family farm to be viable enough for the next generation to get the opportunity to carry the torch. 

A map of iowa with a bunch of people on it

What is the PCM Program?

Precision Conservation Management is a free service created by farmers for farmers. PCM combines precision technology and data management with farm business and financials to help farmers manage, adopt, and adapt efficient conservation practices long-term to help improve their bottom line. 

 

PCM is a program funded today by IL Corn, Illinois Soybean Association, and grants from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy, Pepsico, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation and Environmental Defense Fund. PCM was created as a result of a USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant. 

 

Learn more about PCM and it’s goal to integrate conservation practices and financial data to help farmers. Contact your county specialist if you're interested in learning more:

Green combine harvester in a harvested field under a cloudy sky
By Lyndi Allen • September 23, 2026
Illinois farmers saw their earnings improve in 2025, but the latest data shows that farm profitability remains well below recent averages.
Dolly Parton Maze from All Seasons Orchard
By Tara Desmond • September 22, 2026
A Woodstock, IL farm's Dolly Parton corn maze is one of 18 nationwide honoring the icon and benefiting her Imagination Library literacy program.
farmer next to engine with headphones on
By Tamara H. Thompson • September 22, 2026
Untreated hearing loss strains and shrinks the brain and drives social isolation, raising the risk of dementia but early treatment with hearing aids or other devices can help protect against it.
Steve Fourez
By Tara Desmond • September 22, 2026
A farmer's stroke went unnoticed until family and coworkers insisted he get help. His Safety Week story on why every minute matters
Sen. Celina Villenueva, Chris Gould, Orlando Rojas, Ambassador Reyna Torres
By Lyndi Allen • September 18, 2026
IL Corn joined partners and community leaders highlight the role of the Latino community in Illinois agriculture and labor.
Tugboat pushing a barge along a river at sunset, with a bridge in the background.
By Lyndi Allen • September 17, 2026
The House of Representatives took an important step towards strengthening the nation’s inland waterways by passing the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026
Show More