4 SOURCE | Spring 2023
History in the Making –
Malchine Begins Tenure as GROWMARK Chairman
Karen Jones , GROWMARK Youth and Young Producer Specialist kjones @ growmark . com
When Kevin Malchine became GROWMARK ’ s eighth Chairman of the Board and President , he became part of the System ’ s history , which is fitting for a man who is the sixth generation to farm his family ’ s land near Waterford , Wisconsin .
“ This land was homesteaded in 1854 , and over the years we ’ ve farrowed sows , milked cows , raised beef cattle , and grown sod ,” he said . “ There ’ s been a lot of diversification and evolution to get to where we are today , growing corn , soybeans , and a little wheat .”
Faith , family , and farming are Malchine ’ s north stars , and how he measures each decision he makes . Growing up , he worked on the farm and when it was time to choose his career , there really was no decision .
“ I had the opportunity to play college sports after high school , but I knew I had the best teachers available in my dad and my grandpa , so I decided to come back to the farm and learn as much from them as I could ,” he said .
Nothing could replace the opportunity to learn from and observe the way his father – his hero – lived and worked , but over the years , Malchine also attended a