southern Minnesota Community investment
W
hen it comes to charity and community development, agricultural processors are major contributors. • Ridley contributes 1 percent of pretax profits annually to charity, much of it to local organizations. Plus Ridley committed $100,000 for an exhibit on modern agriculture to the Southern Minnesota Children’s Museum. • The late Lowell Andreas of ADM donated $4 million toward the Andreas Cancer Center; $7.5 million to MSU for an arts endowment; and funded Andreas Theatre and Andreas Observatory at MSU. • CHS donated more than $25,000 to Kiwanis Holiday Lights, built the CHS Pergola in Sibley Park, and participates in United Way. • Davisco Foods International contributes in excess of $1 million a year to regional arts and local causes. • Ridley Inc., one of the largest commercial animal feed producers in North America, is headquartered in Mankato, and operates Hubbard Feeds.
• CHS, the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, began operation in Mankato when the company bought Honeymead in the 1960s which Lowell and Dwayne Andreas grew to the largest soybean processing plant in the country. • Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has a Mankato plant. Lowell and Dwayne Andreas led ADM and grew the company into an international giant with 265 processing plants connecting crops and markets in 75 countries. • The Birds Eye Foods Waseca plant is likely the number 1 processing and packing plant for corn on the cob. The facility process about 20 million pounds of peas and 80 million pounds of corn. Growers from a 45-mile radius supply the vegetables. Birds Eye Foods is the number 1 volume frozen vegetable brand in the U.S. • Green Giant in Le Sueur was founded as the Minnesota Valley Canning Company in 1903. Today Green Giant is owned by General Mills. MV
Labor statistics for the food processing industry • 48 Food/feed manufacturing companies provided 4,729 jobs with an average weekly wage of $732. • In the last two years, 104 jobs have been added to the food manufacturing industry. • Animal production and aquaculture provided 2,233 jobs with an average weekly wage of $671. • Crop production provided 225 jobs with an average weekly wage of $496. Source: DEED, second quarter 2012, South Central Region 9
Agricultural Profile of Blue Earth County • Blue Earth County is ranked second in hog production, with Martin County ranked first among Minnesota counties. • In 2011, agricultural marketing totaled $550 million. • Blue Earth County crop and livestock production is 51 percent crops ($280 million) and 49 percent livestock ($269.5 million). Source: Ag Marketing & Development, MN Department of Agriculture
Blue Earth County:
Blue Earth County Agricultural Marketing th
• Population: 64,384 (Ranks 14 in MN)
$600
• Total employment: 50,666 jobs - Farm employment: 1,008 jobs - Non-farm employment: 49,468 jobs
$550
(Million $)
$500 $450
Blue Earth County Agricultural Rankings: (Among all MN counties):
$400
Trendline
$350 $300
• No. 5 in livestock production - No. 2 in hogs - No. 9 in sheep & lambs
$250 $200 $150
• No. 4 in total agricultural production
$100 $50
• No. 6 in crop production - No. 8 in corn - No. 6 in soybeans
$0
MN Top 10 Counties: Livestock
Blue Earth County Crop & Livestock Marketing $600 $550 $500 $450 $400 $350 $300 $250 $200 $150 $100 $50 $0
$600
(Million $) Livestock
$400 #5
$300 $200 $100 $0
MN Top 10 Counties: Crops
MN Top 10 Counties: Hogs (1,000 head) 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
(Million $)
$500
Crops
$500 $450 $400 $350 $300 $250 $200 $150 $100 $50 $0
#2
Blue Earth County Crop & Livestock Production (%-share in Ag Marketing)
(Million $)
#6
Blue Earth County Livestock Sectors (%-share in Ag Marketing)
Livestock 49%
Poultry 7%
Dairy 1%
All other 0.5%
Cattle 7% Hogs 85%
Crops 51%
Source: USDA/NASS Prepared by Ag Marketing & Development, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
MN Valley Business • june 2013 • 23