A Life Rooted in Agriculture: Meet the 2026 Agribusiness Citizen of the Year

Theresa Johnson Honored as 2026 Agribusiness Citizen of the Year

At 16, Theresa Johnson was already thinking about what she wanted her future to look like. She knew one thing for sure: agriculture would be part of it.

Growing up on a family farm west of Sioux Falls with six siblings, Theresa learned early what it meant to work hard. The family milked cows twice a day, raised chickens, put up hay and tackled whatever needed to be done.

Before the farm had a milking parlor, Theresa fed cows in the stanchion barn while they were being milked. Saturday mornings sometimes meant washing down barn walls instead of sleeping in. The family also raised around 200 chickens, often selling them to neighbors.

Despite the work, Theresa remembers her childhood fondly. On Sundays, she and the neighborhood kids gathered to play baseball, moving from yard to yard and making their own fun. Her family remains close today, with all seven siblings living within 50 miles of one another. Several brothers and nephews continue to farm around Humboldt and Hartford, and Theresa still returns to the family farm to help when she can.

Although she once pictured herself living on a farm or acreage, her life took a different path. Agriculture, however, never left it.

Finding Her Place in Agriculture

After high school, Theresa began her career in banking, took night classes and later worked at a title company. Then she found Farm Credit Services of America. What began as another career opportunity became a more than 31-year career serving the agricultural community.

Today, Theresa works directly with customers, answering phones, processing payments and loans, assisting loan officers and helping customers navigate the paperwork involved in financing their operations. She occasionally travels to title companies to help close farm loans, but much of her day is spent at the front desk. And that is exactly where she likes to be.

Theresa describes herself as a “social bug.” She enjoys talking with farmers and learning how each person manages their operation.

“Everybody grew up different,” she said. “Everybody operates their farm a little different than the guy down the road.”

Over the years, those conversations have grown into lasting relationships. Theresa has customers who ask for her when she isn’t at the front desk. She has watched families and operations change and had the opportunity to work with multiple generations.

Those relationships are what have kept her at Farm Credit Services for so long. She appreciates the organization and how it treats its employees, but what she talks about most is the people she gets to know along the way.

After three decades, she still enjoys hearing what’s happening on a customer’s farm, helping work through a challenge or simply catching up when someone stops by. For Theresa, those everyday conversations have made her career much more than a job.

Learning from farmers

Working alongside farmers for more than 30 years has also given Theresa a firsthand look at the challenges facing agriculture. She has seen equipment costs rise, making it more difficult for younger generations to get started in farming. Fuel and other expenses add to the pressure, while weather and markets bring uncertainty to every growing season.

“Being a farmer is like waking up in Vegas, because it’s a gamble every day,” she said.

A good crop one year doesn’t guarantee the same result the next. Farmers must adapt to changing conditions, make decisions with the information available and remain patient when results take time.

“You have to have time and patience,” she said. “Nothing happens overnight or even in two months. You have to work to get where you want to go.”

Those lessons have deepened Theresa’s respect for the people she works with. She has seen farmers navigate difficult decisions and keep moving forward, often without knowing exactly what the next season will bring. Their patience and determination are qualities she carries into her own work and relationships.

A connection that lasts

Theresa once dreamed of becoming a hairdresser. Today, she laughs at the thought.

Instead, she found a way to stay connected to the industry that shaped her childhood. The girl who fed cows and chickens, washed barn walls and helped her family put up hay became the woman helping farmers navigate the financial side of their operations.

Her roots in agriculture also shaped how she views community. Through her work, she has seen how farmers, financial institutions, equipment dealers and other businesses each play a role in supporting the industry. They may approach agriculture from different perspectives, but their success is often tied to working together.

“Everybody has their own personal problems and issues,” she said. “If we’re just kind to one another and respect each other, that goes a long way.”

Her roots may have started in the barn, but they have grown through the relationships she has built along the way.

And after a lifetime in agriculture, Theresa is still exactly where she hoped she would be, close to the people and communities that make agriculture matter.