KRISTOPHER KLOKKENGA

The Illinois native farmed in Ghana and lived in Denmark before coming home to take over his family's operation.

- Adrienne Held

Kristopher Klokkenga is the fourth generation to run his family's 1,500-acre centennial farm near Emden, Illinois, midway between Peoria and Springfield. Eighty-five percent of his production is organic, including food-grade yellow and white corn, popcorn, alfalfa, and non-GMO soybeans, as well as conventional corn and soybeans.

His travels led him to Ghana. While farming he met and married his wife, Christina, from Denmark. The opportunity to take over his family farm led them back to the U.S., where they now raise their four children.

SF: How did you end up on a winding path that led from your family farm in Illinois to Ghana, Denmark, and back?

KK: I've always had the interest to travel abroad. In high school my parents really encouraged me to travel and expand my worldview. I had opportunities to travel to Australia and Europe in high school, and in college I worked in Brussels, Belgium.