Larry Acker was born and raised on the family farm near Polo, Illinois. He attended Polo schools and went on to complete his Agricultural Science Degree majoring in Geology and Chemistry at the University of Illinois in 1965.He finished his Masters Degree in late 1967. He also served in the Armed Services. Larry was awarded the Certified Administrative Manager certificate from the Certified Administrative Management Society in 1974 for work in finance and economics. He was the first U.S. Government Employee to earn that designation. He was also awarded the Certified Professional Agronomist and Certified Soil Scientist from the American Society of Agronomy in 1979 for work in soils and geology. After graduating from college, Larry worked for the USDA for ten and one-half years. He then left the federal government for farming in 1979 and has since served as a consultant for numerous individuals, county and state units of government. He has worked with weather and related interests since the late 1940s and began doing serious research using mainframe computers in 1979. He has published a newspaper weather column called 'The Hot Corner' since August of 1982, and is contributing information to several publications for professional stock markets and trader professionals. Larry is currently a weather consultant for a newspaper chain and does their short and immediate range forecasts. He is a member of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles and is also a contributing member of the America Weather Observers (AWO). He studied the futures markets under Prof. T.A. Hieronymus at the University of Illinois and has over 30 years experience in the futures markets. He is a licensed Commodities Trading Advisor (C.T.A.) but limits his advice to active clients. He is in demand for speaking engagements to groups with widely varied interests.

Larry is a guest on numerous syndicated radio programs around the U.S.

He is a speaker for many professional groups nationwide including the American Soybean Association and National Association of Farm Broadcasters and the Foundation for the Study of Cycles.

He is a panelist and a commentator of crop reports for the Chicago Board of Trade.

He has been running a successful hotline that updates for both Commodities and Weather since May 1993.

He became an official observer in Northwestern Illinois for the U.S. Weather Service in June 1995 and records observations and transmits them to the National Weather Service (N.W.S.).

Currently, Larry is doing cycle studies related to weather such as volcanic, diseases, insect, political and war cycles that effect national and global economies.

If you are looking for a speaker for your group, give Larry a call, as he is available for bookings by request.  Call Larry at (815) 946-3001.