Darren grew up on a grain and livestock farm in East central Illinois. His vivid memories of childhood include hours spent working the family farm garden, and raising assorted critters such as chicken, guinea fowl, turkey, rabbit, and many other animals. He bred many types of pigeons, from fantails, rollers and racing homers. He found true joy in the raising and showing of cattle. Darren’s cattle won many county and state fairs. But his Grand Champion Steer at the North American Livestock Expo was the ultimate.
It must be noted that all of Darren’s achievements took place prior to his graduation from high school.
Darren attended the University of Illinois and graduated with a BA in Economies/minor in animal science.
Two years after graduation, at the age of 23, Darren found himself working on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade! To a young farm boy, the Chicago Board of Trade was a mystical place, both loved and hated, cheered or scored at the family dinner table when the corn reports were on the evening news. He clearly remembers the shock of hearing his dad use foul language for the first time the day Jimmy Carter announced his January 1980 Russian grain embargo.. Corn and soybean prices dropped limit down for several days. Farmers across the country were left holding huge stock piles of unsold grain.
If only my dad had known how to hedge price risk….
Today, Darren Dohme is thrilled to announce the establishment of a scholarship in his name. The Darren Dohme Scholarship will be awarded to one undergraduate college student, helping to pay the high cost of tuition and help him/her earn their diploma.
Please take time to apply by visiting DarrenDohmeScholarship.com. The total award amount is $1,000. I look forward to reading your essays, and hearing what you have learned from one of your work experiences.
Also, tell me, have you ever raised any of your own food?
