Welcome New IL Corn Employee

October 20, 2021
A woman is smiling in a yellow circle with a green circle that says ilcorn

We are happy to announce and welcome our new Marketing & Communications Manager to IL Corn, Tara Desmond. Tara was born in Central Illinois and has spent all of her life in Illinois. She spent her college years in Southern Illinois at SIUC graduating with a Bachelors in Advertising, Integrated Marketing Communications in 2005.

 

Tara brings 16 years of marketing, communications, graphic design and project management experience to IL Corn. She is known for being innovative, passionate, agile and an advocate for non-profits in the community.

 

Prior to working at IL Corn, Tara has worked in a mixture of roles for large, medium and small companies marketing different products/services including insurance, restaurants, financial products, cleaning, real estate, landscaping and construction.

In her spare time, Tara enjoys being a Trivia MC, playing with her dog named Dude and spending time with her family and friends.

 

Tara has been interested in ag since her days working at COUNTRY Financial / Illinois Farm Bureau and is beyond excited to be at IL Corn and enter the agriculture world.

 

Questions? Contact Tara Desmond via email or phone.

Mexican CANAMI (National Chamber of Industrialized Corn) members at Illinois farm
By Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
IL Corn & USGBC hosted Mexican masa millers on southern Illinois farms and river terminals, strengthening ties with our top corn customer.
holding a cover crop
By IDOA & Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
Pre-enrollment opens Nov. 30 for IDOA’s Fall Covers for Spring Savings program, worth up to $5/acre off 2027 crop insurance premiums.
Josh Linville and Collin Watters
By Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
What’s really driving your fertilizer bill? StoneX’s Josh Linville breaks down global supply, competition, and the long-term fix on IL Corn TV.
thumbnail of Megan and Jared
By Tara Desmond, Megan Dwyer and Brownfield Ag • October 15, 2026
Illinois Corn and U of I built lease addenda to help farmers and landowners build cover crops, soil health and nutrient goals into rental agreements.
headshot of Jenny Webb IFCA president
By Tara Desmond • October 15, 2026
Jenny Webb has spent her career in Illinois agriculture. Now she’s about three months into a new job as president of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA), the group that represents the ag retailers, applicators and suppliers who get fertilizer and crop protection products to your farm when you need them. Webb came to IFCA from Illinois Farm Bureau. She’s new to the fertilizer and chemical side of the business, but not to farmers or to the policy and regulatory issues that affect them. IL Corn sat down with her to talk about what she’s learned so far, the issues facing Illinois ag retailers, and why the work happening behind the scenes deserves more credit than it gets.
Andrew Jolly
By Lyndi Allen • October 15, 2026
A sixth-generation farmer from Chenoa, IL, Andrew Jolly is carrying on his family’s farming legacy while learning how to make his voice heard in agricultural policy as a 2026 GROW participant.
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