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Feb. 6, 2024Des Moines, Iowa |  By: Jeremy Werner

Former IA Ag Secretary passes away

bill northey

DES MOINES, Iowa - Fourth-generation farmer and former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has passed away. He was 64-years-old.

He served as the leading agriculture official in Iowa from 2007 through 2018, before working in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He served as the undersecretary for farm production and conservation from 2018 to 2021. In that role, he oversaw the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Risk Management Agency.

Most recently, he was the CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, which announced his passing in a news release Monday.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in a statement, said Northey "was a great leader whose work ethic and passion for Iowa agriculture was unmatched."

Funeral services for Northey are pending. Reynolds has issued all flags in the state at half-staff until after Northey's funeral.