John Newton
John Newton, Ph.D., is the Executive Head of Terrain. Guiding the team’s endeavors, he has more than two decades of experience using data to address agriculture’s challenges.
John has a deep understanding of how governmental policy and risk management programs impact the financial outcomes of America’s farming and ranching families. He previously held positions as the Republican Chief Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, Chief Economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation and at the National Milk Producers Federation, as an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as an award-winning faculty member at the University of Illinois. In 2021, John received the Distinguished Alumni award from the Ohio State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in agricultural economics and master’s degrees in applied economics and macroeconomics.