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Alliance for Iowa State
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Meet Fred Greder '75
Mason City, Iowa

For farm appraiser Fred Greder, it took just one class at Iowa State to help him discover his life's work. Generations of Iowa landowners have benefited as a result. 
 
Taking agricultural finance helped Fred ('75 farm operations), realize his main area of interest in agriculture was in business rather than production.
 
Like 70% of graduates in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Fred stayed in Iowa. He worked as a farm loan officer during the farm crisis of the 1980s. He launched out on his own in 1988, creating Benchmark Agribusiness, starting only with a $200 Smith Corona electric typewriter.
 
Nearly 30 years later, Benchmark Agribusiness has appraised $5 billion of real estate and 5,000 farms. A sleek HP laptop now graces his desk. Many believe Fred is known as one of the "go-to" real estate appraisers in the state of Iowa. He is a licensed real estate broker and accredited by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers for which he served as Iowa Chapter state president and on national committees.
 
Governor Terry Branstad tapped him for service on Iowa's State Appraisal Examining Board, for which Fred currently serves on the disciplinary and work product review subcommittees. 
 
Farm appraisers make decisions affecting families' economic well-being for generations. Their impact can be felt throughout the Iowa economy and agribusiness sectors. 
 
"The good thing about our work is that whether land values are heading up or down, a fair assessment is always a needed commodity," says Fred. "What we do is so much more than filling out a form. Knowing what something is worth comes into play with many family-oriented issues like dividing estates, managing land assets to meet financial goals, and helping banks make sure they have enough collateral. The impact is endless."
 
It's work Fred enjoys. "I haven't set an alarm clock in years and I'm still in the office by 8 or 8:30 every day," he says.  
 
Raised on a crop and livestock farm in western Iowa, he and his wife Marty have been residents of north central Iowa since they both graduated from Iowa State University in 1975. They are active community leaders, especially in the Mason City Chamber of Commerce and their church. The Cerro Gordo County 4-H named him an "Honorary Cerro Gordo 4-Her" in appreciation of his past support. 
 
Fred is another great example of one of the 100,000 ISU alumni living in Iowa and contributing to the economic health of the state. 
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Iowa State's Mission:
Create, share, and apply knowledge to make
Iowa and the world a better place.
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The Alliance for Iowa State is a coalition of Iowa State alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends.
The Alliance advocates Iowa State University's land grant mission throughout Iowa
while focusing its advocacy on state legislators and public policy makers.

The Alliance for Iowa State is maintained by the Iowa State University Alumni Association.