BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Marcia Zarley Taylor

Marcia Zarley Taylor is a Des Moines, Iowa native with 20 years experience in farm policy, agricultural finance, and environmental reporting. Since 1990, Taylor has served as editor of Top Producer, Farm Journal Media's business magazine for 200,000 executive farmers. The publication has often been called the "Fortune" magazine of farming and champions the cause of farming as a business.

Since 1998, Taylor has made four trips to the Brazilian frontier to report on the pioneers who are transforming global agriculture. Her magazine coverage on Brazil's stealth entrance into world soybean markets has shaken leaders at USDA, Congress, land grant colleges and farm organizations. In 1998, the American Agricultural Editors Association named her the Writer of the Year for her South American reporting. And recently, the American Business Media-the professional organization of more than 1,200 business magazines-- honored Taylor with a Jesse Neal Award for excellence in business journalism for her series, "Brazil: The Competitor You Can't Ignore."