(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / File Photo)
Honoring Iowa agriculture leader Ray Gaesser
November 2, 2026 | Bethany Baratta
Flags were flown at half-staff Sept. 18 to Sept. 20 to honor a southern Iowa farmer who departed this world too soon.
Those in Ray Gaesser’s orbit knew him by his patient demeanor, the easy way he invited others into conversations and a smile that radiated right through the phone line. Others remember his optimistic overture, his calm—but firm—presence on Capitol Hill and the way he showed up as a leader and a friend.
Ray Gaesser fell in love with Iowa in 1974 when he traveled from Indiana to visit the Farm Progress Show near Webster City. Four years later, he and his wife, Elaine, made it their home. They eventually settled near Corning, where they raised their son, Chris, and daughter, Jennifer.
Gaesser, 73, died as the result of a farm accident Sept. 5. The news sent shockwaves through the agriculture community.
He served in multiple roles for the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board, including treasurer, vice chairman and chairman. When the board merged into a unified entity, Ray served as a district director and later president of the Iowa Soybean Association in 2006. He became president of the American Soybean Association in 2014.
“Ray was one of the great ones,” says Iowa Soybean Association CEO Kirk Leeds. “A passionate, yet humble leader, he could always see a positive path forward as he faced any challenge. He encouraged everyone around him to do better and be better.”
He was named an Iowa Master Farmer in 2012, recognized with Adams County and Iowa conservation awards, heralded as a Lenox Iowa Good Citizen Award recipient and named an American Soybean Distinguished Leader in 2018. He served on several boards, including the North American Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance, Solutions from the Land and the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum. He was serving as an Iowa Department of Transportation commissioner at the time of his passing.
“Ray approached every situation with a positive, upbeat attitude,” said Brian Kemp, past ISA president. “Agriculture will miss his wise, thoughtful perspective.”
Ray took over the daily farming duties on his family’s farm in Indiana after his father died when Ray was 15. Upon planting roots in Iowa, Ray and Elaine grew their own farm, where conservation practices were paramount. The farm has been 100% no-till since 1992.
“Ray was a champion for conservation, not because it was popular, but because he believed it was the right thing to do,” says Todd Sutphin, ISA conservation services and programs lead. “Stewardship is about more than protecting soil and water today—it’s about creating opportunities for the generations that come next.”
Guided by his Catholic faith, Ray saw farming as his calling in life.
“I don’t see farming as an occupation, but as a vocation,” Ray told a podcast host in an interview weeks before his death.
“He was a leader who helped build strong trade relationships with global customers of U.S. soy,” noted Grant Kimberley, ISA senior director of market development. “Beyond his accomplishments, I’ll remember Ray as a mentor whose faith in God guided his life.”
On a vacation with a fellow soybean leader, Ron Heck recalled Ray’s zest for life.
“We were standing on a wood scaffold above the violent Iguazu Falls in Brazil, with a 200-foot drop below us, mist blowing in his face and his arms outstretched. He turned and said, ‘This is the best place in the world.’ Think the movie Titanic before it was made. Ray did what he always did: enjoyed the moment and shared it with me.”
In a statement following his passing, Gov. Kim Reynolds added, “He will long be remembered as one of our greatest farmers, innovators and advocates.”
Written by Bethany Baratta.
Back