Senator Sam Graves
District 12

Sam Graves is the State Senator from the 12th District which encompasses 16 counties in North Missouri. He serves on the Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Tourism; Financial and Governmental Organization; Local Government and Economic Development; State Budget Control and Transportation committees. His interim committees include, Missouri River Boundary Commission, Interim Fair Farm Policy, Public Employee Retirement Commission, Total Transportation Commission, and Joint Committee on Interstate Branch Banking.

Sam and his wife Lesley, daughter Megan, son Sam III, and young daughter Emily live on their farm just outside Tarkio, in Atchison County. Sam operates a sixth generation farm in cooperation with his father and his brother, raising corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle.

Sam is a member of the Northwest Missouri State University Agriculture Advisory Committee, the University Extension Council, and of Rotary, of which he is a past president. He earned the Eagle Scout Award in the Boy Scouts of America. His wife Lesley teaches kindergarten in the Tarkio R-1 School District.

Sam is a 1986 graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia, with a bachelor of science degree in Agronomy. He serves on the Agricultural Advisory Committees of both Missouri U.S. Senators.

He has been active in Farm Bureau for several years having served in nearly every county position, including president. He was chosen by Farm Bureau as the 1990 Outstanding Young Farmer in Missouri and in 1991 was named the Outstanding Young Farmer in the United States. In 1995, the Missouri Junior Chamber of Commerce named Sam the Outstanding Young Farmer in Missouri and in 1996, chose him as the Outstanding Young Farmer in the United States. He remains active in the Farm Bureau on both the state and local levels. From 1992 - 1994 Senator Graves served in the Missouri House of Representatives and was selected as the Outstanding Freshman Legislator in Agriculture.