Soybean Business November-December 2024

SOYBEAN THE MAGAZINE FOR MINNESOTA’S SOYBEAN GROWERS

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2024 - VOLUME XXII - ISSUE 6

B U S I N E S S

FEMALE AG LEADERS COVER THE FIELD

MINNESOTA SOYBEAN 1020 INNOVATION MANKATO, MN, 56001 MINNESOTA SOYBEAN 1020 INNOVATION LANE,LANE, MANKATO, MN

CONTENTS

18

TABLE OF

06

06 Protecting Trade Partnerships

20

32

On the eve of 2025, MSGA and the farming community are reminding legislators of the importance of ag exports

18 On Tour

Two Council directors in their roles with Northern Soy Marketing take a break from harvest to host Southeast Asian buyers

20 Opportunities Abound 32 Behind the Dollar with Gail Donkers

With five seats up for election, MSR&PC announces 2025 election timeline

Council Vice Chair Gail Donkers talks impact of soy checkoff investments

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MISSION

STATEMENT

Tell the compelling stories behind Minnesota’s soybean farmers and their industry, from the field to Capitol Hill to international markets – and everywhere in between.

EDITORIAL STAFF

Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Officers and ASA Directors

MSGA Executive Director

OFFICERS

County directors Continued

Art Director

President Darin Johnson | Faribault County

Mark Knutson | Marshall County

Vice President Ryan Mackenthun | McLeod County

Paul Mesner | Murray County

Treasurer Rose Wendinger | Watonwan County

Keith Nelsen | Cottonwood County Robert Nelsen | Murray County

Sr. Manager of Communications

Secretary Kyle Jore | Pennington-Red Lake Counties

Tim Nelson | Waseca County

Ag Management Solutions

Bob Lindeman | McLeod County Bruce Nelsen | Mower County

Lucas Peters | Rock County Andy Pulk | Roseau-LOW Counties

ASA Directors

Matt Purfeerst | Dakota-Rice Counties

Jim Kukowski | Roseau-LOW Counties

Justin Remus |Brown County

Jamie Beyer | Traverse County George Goblish | Redwood County Adam Guetter | Redwood County Christopher Hill | Jackson County Michael Petefish | Dodge County Jeff Sorenson | Redwood County Bob Worth* | Lincoln County *Term begins in December

Tim Rasmussen | Otter Tail-Grant Counties Parker Revier | Renville County Gary Schoenfeld | Waseca County Rebecca Sip | Norman County* Joel Schreurs | Lincoln County Mike Skaug | Polk County

Jamie Seitzer | Nicollet-Sibley Counties Lawrence Sukalski | Martin County Doug Toreen | Renville County Earl Ziegler | Blue Earth County *ASA Young Leader 2024-2025

Jason Cadieux | Kittson County Brian Fruechte | Lincoln County William Gordon | Nobles County Tom Grundman | Douglas County Ray Hewitt | Le Sueur-Scott Counties Brad Hovel | Goodhue County Jim Jirava | Becker-Mahnomen Counties

Managing Editor Drew Lyon | dlyon@agmgmtsolutions.com

Layout Editors Alex Troska | atroska@agmgmtsolutions.com Kaelyn Rahe | krahe@agmgmtsolutions.com

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Trevore Brekken | Polk County

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Ag Management Solutions

and information of the advertisers and do not necessarily

County directors Steve Brusven | Yellow Medicine County

Sr. Director of Integrated Marketing

day of the month prior to publication. In consideration of

Cal Spronk | Pipestone County

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Doug Monson | dmonson@agmgmtsolutions.com

Advertising space reservations can be made by the 15th

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ASA Young Leaders

Joe Smentek | jsmentek@mnsoybean.com

About the cover Rebecca Sip, the newest director with the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, joins a growing network of hard-working women leading agriculture across all aspects of the industry. Read more on page 22. Photo by Mark Askelson.

organizations or affiliated groups.

CIRCULATION Soybean Business is published six times a year on behalf of Minnesota Soybean. Comments and suggestions can be submitted to: Minnesota Soybean Growers Association 1020 Innovation Lane Mankato, MN 56001

mnsoybean.org

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 3

MSGA ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE MSGA’s Delegate Session & Annual Meeting When: Thursday, Jan. 23, at 9 a.m.

Where: Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato during MN Ag Expo

LETTER PRESIDENT FROM THE

Farming’s female future

Everywhere we look in agriculture, women leaders are bringing our industry into a new era of collaboration, respect and inclusion.

As a proud father of two daughters, a husband, son and business owner, this growth has been a joy for me to witness. I can recall my now-adult daughters Lexi and Tyra (and my son, Aaron) tag team running the grain carts with their grandpa as kids. Let me tell you, this is a precious memory that tugs at my heart strings.

To this day on our farm, my wife, mom, aunt and cousin are all playing roles to help our family operation thrive. I’ve yet to meet a farmer who raises their crop alone. The American family farm, which comprises about 97% of farms nationwide, wouldn’t succeed without strong women working the land, helping to raise our families and lead our communities. That’s a legacy worth celebrating, and in this issue, we honor their leadership, sacrifices and vision.

And women in agriculture aren’t just working behind the scenes. Through my dealings as a seed business owner, I work with talented ag women business leaders every day. And on the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA), we’re continuing to uplift our emerging colleagues.

For example, our Secretary, Rose Wendinger, is a self-assured, rising leader in our industry who commands respect during meetings with colleagues and legislators. I was also pleased to welcome Rebecca Sip to our board this past summer.

In our cover feature, you’ll learn more about women leaders in our industry, including longtime University of Minnesota Extension Dean Bev Durgan and Minnesota Department of Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Andrea Vaubel.

Women also help lead MSGA, from Director of Administration Melinda Roberts to our marketing team to our talented Soybean Business staff. Is there room for improvement across our industry?

No question, but as MSGA president, it’s a top priority for me to welcome everyone into the fold and grow this association for not just next year, but the next decade. Accomplishing that goal means recruiting more women and younger farmers, respecting, of course, that those same folks have demanding jobs and families to raise.

The 2024 harvest is in the rearview mirror. It’s hard to describe this past growing season. Early planting. Cool spring. Epic rains. Historic dryness.

Record-breaking yields for some. It all depended on where you’re farming. So, let’s go with…irregular, OK? However your yields panned out, I hope you stayed safe and kept a focus on your mental health as we give thanks this holiday season and regroup for 2025. Once the calendar turns, there will be much to turn our attention toward: A new legislative session in St. Paul, and a new presidential administration and congressional class in Washington, D.C., with a strong focus on maintaining international partnerships, building new markets and protecting crop inputs.

To that end, MSGA is focused on our preresolution process. If you’re a county delegate, circle Tuesday, Dec. 17 on your calendar for our pre-resolution meeting in Mankato to discuss policies to bring to our annual meeting during MN Ag Expo in January 2025. My participation in this pre-resolution meeting predates my years on MSGA, and I’ve always enjoyed this opportunity to visit with farmers across Minnesota and get deep into the policy details. Promoting policies, not politics – that’s what makes MSGA strong.

To all the men and women who support MSGA through your membership, thank you! Let’s close out an irregular 2024 on a high note.

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Darin Johnson President, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association

DEPARTMENT DISPATCH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES STRENGTHEN MINNESOTA AGRICULTURE

This column is a series in Soybean Business featuring leaders from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

As we wind down 2024, it’s important to reflect on our work in agriculture. Minnesota’s ag sector continues to be vibrant and productive because of what you do every day. You raise the crops and livestock that make Minnesota one of the nation’s top agricultural producing states. We rank among the Top 10 in more than 20 agricultural products. Thanks to the work along the supply chain, our ag sector has a total economic impact to the state of over $106 billion in sales and over 388,000 jobs.

Minnesota’s economy needs agriculture. But that doesn’t mean we can rest on the accomplishments of the industry.

Agriculture is ever-changing. As you know, we are also facing some challenges right now. Mental health and economic well-being among farmers and within our rural communities is a concern. Animal diseases hitting multiple livestock sectors, such as avian influenza in poultry and dairy, bring multiple worries. There continues to be volatility in our ag markets.

However, agriculture in Minnesota is vibrant thanks to the strong leaders who bring diverse perspectives to the table – that includes our women leaders.

Women play a crucial role in the success of agriculture in the

state and throughout the world.

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture, there are over 35,600 female producers in Minnesota. That’s up 3.2% from the previous census in 2017. Women make up 31% of all farmers in the state. Until 2002, the USDA only allowed one principal operator to be counted in the Census of Ag; in most cases, a man claimed the title.

We have always known that women have and continue to play an integral role in family farming operations; whether they work full time on the farm with their family, or they work off the farm but continue to play a major role in decision-making and farm planning. We now believe that the data is reflecting that. But we know that barriers exist for women and other Emerging Farmers to succeed in agriculture, above and beyond the difficulties faced by all farmers.

That’s one reason we have the Emerging Farmers’ Working Group and Office, to recommend changes for the Commissioner, Governor and the Legislature to address those barriers and increase the chances of success for our state’s agricultural future.

Our Emerging Farmers efforts are focusing on issues such as capital and land access, data

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MDA’S INITIATIVES, VISIT MDA. STATE.MN.US AND FOLLOW THE DEPARTMENT ON X AT @MNAGRICULTURE.

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

ANDREA VAUBEL

and information access, technical assistance navigating federal and state resources and more.

Without the many contributions and leadership of women in Minnesota’s ag sector, we simply wouldn’t be so strong. We need women in agriculture to continue to contribute their expertise, skills, and passion to their communities to ensure the economic vitality of our state’s rural areas and to add to our strong ag economy.

To the women in agriculture and their supporters: Thank you for your countless contributions and leadership.

Protecting trade partnerships Ag groups warn of potential damage from new trade war

By Drew Lyon The soy and corn advocacy communities stand united in warning about the potential effects of a renewed trade war heading into 2025.

A new economic study paints a troubling picture of the potential results another U.S.-China trade war could have on hundreds of thousands of farmers and rural communities, showing Americanimposed tariffs would come at a steep cost to Minnesota and U.S. producers while benefiting competitors in Brazil and Argentina.

The study, commissioned by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and conducted by the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services, shows a new trade war would result in an immediate drop in soy and corn exports by hundreds of millions of tons. As a result, Brazil and Argentina would claim the lost market share, which would be extremely difficult for American growers to reclaim in the future.

“China is a market that soybean

growers have built up over several decades and to lose any part of that market again would hurt farmers and the rural economy,” said Darin Johnson, president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA).

ASA and NCGA are both cautioning against a trade war.

“The U.S. agriculture sector is going through a significant economic downturn,” said Scott Gerlt, ASA chief economist. “This work shows that a trade war would easily compound the adverse conditions that are placing financial stress on farmers. Even when a trade war officially ends, the loss of market share can be permanent.”

The third-party study comes as U.S. lawmakers and officials from both political parties are increasingly looking at tariffforward approaches as they work to address troubling Chinese trade practices.

“The study highlights the dangers that come with broad tariffs on imports,” said NCGA Lead Economist Krista Swanson. “While launching widespread tariffs may seem like an effective tool, they can boomerang and cause unintended

6 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024

consequences. Our first goal should be to avoid unnecessary harm.”

Researchers modeled several scenarios that could play out in a new U.S.-China trade war and found a consistent outcome: • Severe drop in U.S. exports to China. If China cancels its current waiver (from the 2020 Phase I agreement) and reverts to tariffs already on the books, U.S. soybean exports to China would, according to the study, fall 14-16 million metric tons annually, an average decline of 51.8% from baseline levels expected for those years. U.S. corn exports to China would fall to about 2.2 million metric tons annually, an average decline of 84.3% from the baseline expectation.

• Brazil and Argentina would benefit. Brazil and Argentina would increase exports and thus gain valuable global market share. Chinese tariffs on soybeans and corn from the U.S. – but not Brazil – would provide incentive for Brazilian farmers to expand production area even more rapidly than baseline growth.

Advocacy in Action • No place to turn. While it is possible to divert exports to other nations, the study concluded there is insufficient demand from the rest of the world to offset the major loss of soybean exports to China to support the farmgate value.

The study found a new trade war would lead to a steep drop in soy and corn prices, resulting in a ripple impact across the U.S., particularly in rural economies where farmers live, purchase inputs, use farm and personal services, and purchase household goods.

ASA and MSGA believe it is in America’s economic interest to maintain a trading relationship with China, even as both governments work through trade and other concerns. They also noted they support thoughtful consideration of the impacts tariffs and tariff retaliation could have on U.S. farms and rural communities.

At the national level, U.S. soybean farmers in 2023 exported nearly $19 billion in whole soybeans to China (Mexico, the next closest trading partner, accounted for $3 billion in exports). In Minnesota, about one in three rows of soybeans is shipped to China. Soybeans are Minnesota’s top agricultural export, accounting for over $2 billion in sales each year.

Another trade war with 60-percent tariffs could damage Minnesota’s annual soy exports by nearly $2 billion.

Jamie Beyer, a director with ASA, served as president of MSGA from 2019-2021. Like her colleagues, she saw the adverse effects the trade war had on her operation and her community.

A trade war sequel could devastate not just Minnesota farms, but rural communities.

“We watched as the value of our soybean crop tanked in the field as we grew it, and as Brazil and Argentina were able to seize on the increase of value to their crops,” she said. “Losses like these have generational impacts.

When the farm economy hurts, rural America suffers.”

To diversify markets beyond China, MSGA and the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council are continuing to promote greater trade with Morocco, Uzbekistan and Europe.

“We can’t market our products internationally without the help and support of our state and federal governments,” Beyer said.

“We need (trade agreements) in place.”

Wheaton farmer Jamie Beyer represents Minnesota on the American Soybean Association and is concerned about the dangers of potential tariffs on U.S. soybeans.

The American Soybean Association contributed to this article.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 7

Making sense of a bizarre 2024 growing season

By Sydney Harris Is there such a thing as a normal year?

If there was, the 2024 growing season wouldn’t fall into that category.

“It was normal for Minnesota being that it was abnormal,” said David Kee, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) director of research.

Initially, many producers were silently – or not so silently – singing “rain, rain, go away, come again another day.”

“We had record rainfall across most of the state early on in the year,” said Seth Naeve, a soybean agronomist at the University of Minnesota. “We just kept getting rain and rain and rain and rain.”

According to the USDA Weekly Weather and Crop Update, “it was the 15th wettest spring since 1895. …

Wetter springs have occurred only four times since the beginning of the 21st century: in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019.” While some farmers were able to get everything planted before the rains began, others weren’t so lucky.

“The rains were intermittent, so growers would get short periods of work done but not a long enough window to get planting completed until about the middle of June,” Kee said. “So, we had farmers who had fields that were planted exceptionally early, and fields planted exceptionally late. Sometimes, these fields were right next to each other.”

As if on-farm management decisions weren’t hard enough, the weather conditions made it even more challenging.

“It made management difficult because it wasn’t a uniform crop,” Kee said. “Farmers had to go out there and manage each field separately, with a lot of management decisions being made on the fly.”

One of the biggest headaches for producers to manage was weeds.

“Weed control was hard,” Kee said. “Because of the rain, growers couldn’t get their pre-emerge package on and then having windows to put the post emerge on was tough.”

Weeds weren’t the only pest running rampant this year.

“We definitely got more diseases this year,” Naeve said. “I don’t think it was as bad as a lot of people, including me, thought it could have been. We had the conditions early on to really create a good environment for disease.”

A historically dry fall in Minnesota led to a quick harvest for many farmers.

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Checkoff Research Dry times Be careful what you wish for. By the time harvest rolled around, Mother Nature had done a complete 180, and soybeans were impacted more than the corn crop.

“We got really dry late in the season,” Naeve said. “It was like a flash drought. And it really highlighted the difference between corn and soybeans because corn establishes a deeper root early and was able to find moisture. Soybeans never had to create a very deep root because it got late in the season, and they transitioned over to making seed and didn’t invest in making any new roots.”

Darin Johnson, president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, was shocked at the weather extremes seen on his southern Minnesota farm, from drowned-out fields in June to the driest fall in 150 years. His harvest wrapped up earlier than he can ever remember.

“It’s so dry, and moisture levels are very low,” he said. “It’s just been one of those years.”

As harvest progressed, there were many reports of what is broadly coined “green stem syndrome,” which occurs when the plant stem is green and moist, but the pods and seeds have ripened.

“The soybean doesn’t mature naturally,” Naeve said “and usually this is caused because there are resources left in the plant that didn’t get utilized by the growing seed.”

Unfortunately, there is not yet a known cause of green stem syndrome.

“We saw some strange things going on this year,” Naeve said. “We had bizarre temperature profiles, record rainfall early in the year and drought conditions late in the season.

I don’t necessarily know that we could have expected green stems from the weather that we had this year but it’s certainly a possibility.”

Nevertheless, researchers have their eye on the phenomena.

“It’s becoming a larger concern,” Kee said. “It impacts harvest speed and yield.”

How will the 2024 growing season, with its ups and downs, impact conditions in 2025? Hopefully, it won’t.

“I would caution farmers not to make really rash decisions on changing up their plans based on a single year,” Naeve said, “especially when they have a year like this that was so bizarre.”

Green Stem Syndrome typically occurs after the crop is maturing. Photo courtesy of Daren Mueller, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 9

Feikema Farms’ soil health journey is the subject of a documentary, “From the Heartland,” which is available to stream on YouTube.

Established in 1982, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is the technical advisor for the Farmers for Soil Health Program in MN, WI and SD. CTIC promotes the widespread use of economically and environmentally beneficial agricultural systems. Learn more at ctic.org or by viewing the organization’s X, LinkedIN or Facebook page.

HISTORY LESSONS

MN farm weathers storms through soil health practices In 2014, Feikema Farms endured what they hoped was a once-in-ageneration weather calamity when their southern Minnesota farming operation was deluged with nearly a foot of rain. The 2014 event catalyzed the Feikemas – whose third-generation farm has been in operation since 1950 – to rethink their entire operation by adopting strip till and no-till practices and planting cover crops to prevent further soil erosion.

“That was really the deciding factor when we decided we needed to do something different, and we were able to see almost immediate effect with the reduction in erosion,” said Becky Feikema, who raises soybeans, corn and small grains with her family.

Over time, Feikema Farms saw improved soil structure and less compaction.

“The soil handled our equipment

better – it didn’t sink in,” she said. “All those factors were reasons to keep moving forward with it.”

Nearly 10 years to the day, history repeated itself in June 2024 when more than a foot of rain drenched their farm in Luverne. Surveying the damage, the Feikemas’ worst fears never came to pass. Thanks to their forward-thinking conservation practices that led to enrollment in the Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) program, Feikema Farms withstood Mother Nature’s wrath.

“We were pleasantly impressed and surprised that everything that we’ve been doing was working,” Feikema said. “We did not see the washing or the erosion that we had seen a decade ago, so that was pretty rewarding that we could see the progress that we made.”

Revenue-generator FSH is a collaboration led by the

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soy checkoff, National Corn Growers Association and the pork checkoff, along with USDA, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other key partners. Farmer-led and farmerdriven, the program incentivizes the use of sustainable soil health practices like cover crops to improve farmer profitability and promote climate-smart practices.

“It’s another revenue source for us,” Feikema said. “Just being able to maximize the revenue generated on each acre is definitely a benefit.”

Since becoming an FSH technical advisor in 2023, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) has promoted cover crops through exhibiting at farm shows across the Midwest and virtual webinars. In January 2024, Becky Feikema participated in a CTIC webinar and contacted Soil Health Specialist Dan Coffman to learn more about the enrollment process.

Feikema said Coffman was responsive and helped simplify the enrollment steps.

“With this being a new program, Dan really helped us go through any changes and helped us get everything submitted,” Feikema said. “He’s great to work with.”

CTIC is reminding farmers that they can also apply for FSH benefits retroactively. Cover crop enrollment for 2024 remains open into March 2025, and enrollment for 2025 is also expected to open in March 2025.

“If you didn’t sign up, you haven’t lost out,” Coffman said. “You still have time to earn those incentives.”

In addition to limiting soil erosion, cover crops are also improving weed suppression, preventing nutrient runoff, sequestering carbon and providing forage for livestock.

“It’s a continual learning process, and we’re kind of excited by that,” Becky said. “We’re always looking to see what else can we do? What can we try?”

WE TRY TO WORK COVER CROPS INTO EVERYTHING. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO TRY NEW THINGS AND TO SEE WHAT WORKS.

-Minnesota Farmer Becky Feikema

Since FSH’s launch in 2023, Minnesota farmers currently have the second-highest number of enrolled acres among the 20 states participating in FSH, which aims to expand cover crops across the U.S. to 30 million acres by 2030. With support from General Mills, CTIC has added three cover crop coaches in Minnesota, farmers with years of cover crop experience who provide mentoring to farmers and technical assistance to soil health specialists.

Cover crops – most often winter cereal rye – in Minnesota have increased by 30% since 2017, totaling more than 760,000 acres across the state, according to the USDA. Feikema Farms have done their part over nearly a decade by planting cover crops on about 90% of their 7,000 acres and started a multispecies mix into their rotation about four years ago.

“We try to work cover crops into everything,” Feikema said. “We are always looking to try new things and to see what works.”

In a weather reversal from June, the growing season in southwest Minnesota was capped by the driest stretch of fall weather in over a century. Still, Feikema Farms were pleased with their 2024 harvest.

“We saw that even though it dried out, we feel like we had some good water holding capacity there,” Feikema said. “We’re seeing some resilience to those (weather) extremes.”

Minnesota farmers can follow the Feikemas’ lead and learn more by visiting farmersforsoilhealth.com/.

“Becky and her family are tremendous advocates for conservation,” Coffman said. “We’re proud to work with them and promote soil health.”

Farmers for Soil Health Program Details • 2024 enrollment remains open at farmersforsoilhealth.com/ • Enrollment is flexible, easy and takes less than an hour to enroll. Farmers can self-enroll remotely but are encouraged to seek out a soil health specialist • Program is a 3-year commitment • Currently, any crop fields with corn and soy in the rotation are eligible for transition incentives totaling $50 per new acre of cover crops across three years • Signing incentives of $2 per acre are available for existing cover crops on corn and soybean fields

Minnesota Enrollment Contact Dan Coffman MN Soil Health Specialist, CTIC Phone: 507-508-6556 Email: Coffman@ctic.org

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A 750004G003. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific grants or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 11

Checkoff Investment

SHOP AROUND

By Sydney Harris ‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, and Minnesota soybean growers can gift their future selves peace of mind by shopping for crop protection products now, ensuring that they are prepared for the 2025 growing season.

Browse the 2025 crop protection roster below.

Syngenta’s stunners There’s no question about it – no matter the year or crop conditions, Minnesota soybean farmers wrestle with weeds.

Though it proved difficult for many growers in 2024 because of weather constraints, Syngenta Sales Representative Cody Schmeling recommends a strong pre-emergence plan followed by post-emergence herbicides. From Syngenta’s lineup of pre-emerge products, Schmeling highlighted Boundary, BroadAxe XC, Tendovo and Prefix.

“We recommend products with multiple effective modes of action,” said Schmeling, who also grows soybeans and corn in Dodge and Mower counties. “Along with Dual Magnum, those four products have an additional mode of action or two. For example, Tendovo has three modes of action: S-metolachlor (Dual Magnum), Metribuzin and Cloransulam-methyl.”

When it comes to post emergence herbicide application, the “recipe” shouldn’t be whatever’s left in the “cupboard.”

“First and foremost, make sure you’re using the technology that suits the traits you’re planting,” Schmeling said. “But the other critical thing is to tank mix additional residual with that application. And, in our

eyes, we feel another application of Dual Magnum is the best treatment.”

Syngenta also has strong contenders in the fungicide and insecticide realm.

“Miravis Neo is going to be the most critical fungicide for helping with yield,” Schmeling said. “And Endigo ZCX, which is a restricted use pesticide, is good for control of a broad spectrum of insects.”

No matter the product, Minnesota soybean growers need to pay attention to what, where and when they’re spraying.

“Always read and follow label instructions,” Schmeling said.

Corteva’s captivators Corteva has a new weapon joining the arsenal. Kyber Pro, which will be available in 2025, is a pre-emergence herbicide that is highly compatible with Enlist soybeans and Enlist weed control.

“It’s a very robust chemistry,” said Jeff Moon, Corteva market development specialist. “It has three different modes of actions – Metribuzin, Flumioxazin and Pyroxasulfone – which is the first time these three active ingredients have been put together in one package, controlling both large and small seed broadleaf weeds.”

And Corteva’s old faithful – the Enlist lineup – is a firm foundation for producers across the region.

“Across the Midwest, we’ve seen a big shift in traits and the Enlist program is out front,” Moon said.

As for fungicides and insecticides? If white mold is a concern, Moon recommends Viatude, a promising dual-

THE ‘RECIPE’ FOR CROP PROTECTION action fungicide that has been available on the commercial marketplace for a year. To fight insects such as soybean aphids, Japanese beetles and spider mites, Ridgeback is a strong choice.

“I encourage growers to talk to each other because they know what’s going on in their neighborhood,” Moon said. “We’re not hoping that you have problems out there, but it’s nice to know that you have solutions when something comes up.”

BASF’s bestsellers The adage “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” doesn’t always ring true. In 2025, BASF’s Liberty, a tried-and-true glufosinate herbicide, is getting a facelift.

“We received registration for our new Liberty Ultra herbicide, so we’re excited to bring that to the market in 2025,” said Dave Voller, a BASF business representative. “It’s a new patented formula with a lower use rate and higher concentration of active ingredients.”

Other products Voller suggested growers incorporate into their gameplan for 2025 include layby herbicides.

“Using a layby herbicide, like Outlook or Zidua SC, after a strong preemerge, such as Zidua Pro, is highly recommended,” Voller said.

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BOOKKEEPING SOFTWARE HELPS GROWERS ‘KEEP IT SIMPLE’

By Sydney Harris Chances are that most Minnesota soybean growers didn’t pursue a career in farming because they love sitting behind a desk. Nevertheless, maintaining the books is a necessary evil of running a business.

As with farming, technology has made recordkeeping easier. But technology comes with challenges. One of those challenges is choosing a farm accounting software program.

“I don’t know that there is a perfect program out there,” said Betsy Jensen, a Minnesota farmer and Farm Business Management instructor. “You just have to do what gets you through it.”

While shopping around for bookkeeping software isn’t quite as exciting as scouting for new machinery, it’s just as vital to an operation.

With endless features and various price points to consider in a program, it’s important for growers to think critically about why they’re keeping their books before they invest in a program.

“Sometimes farmers don’t want to put in any time at all on their books – they want to do the minimum that will keep their accountant happy,” Jensen said. “Others want to use their books as a management tool.”

Regardless of how many functions a grower wants their farm accounting software to perform for them, the point is moot unless someone knows how to use the software.

“Most of the time when we see problems, it’s because somebody didn’t know how to use the software,” said Bill Gordon, owner of Worthington Tax and Business Services. “Don’t buy a program any more complicated than you must. Keep it as simple as possible.”

In fact, Gordon – who also farms near Worthington and has a long history of leadership within the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association – acknowledges that in some situations, he’d rather see growers stick to how they’ve always kept their books, even if it is considered “old school.”

“I’d rather have someone keep using their shoebox, flipping it open and categorizing their expenses every month than come to me on December 24 and say, ‘Hey, I bought a new computer software system but don’t have anything entered because I don’t know what I’m doing,’” said Gordon, who served as the American Soybean Association president in 2019-2020.

Farm Management Analyst Kent Thiesse echoes Gordon’s sentiment that it’s vital to take full advantage of a software’s capabilities.

“It doesn’t do any good to have a fancy accounting system that no one understands,” Thiesse said. “Make sure there is a person in your operation that knows how to input everything properly, as well as knows how to access and analyze the information.”

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The Business of Farming

Bill Gordon Though Gordon would rather have someone keep using their shoebox for receipts rather than dive into a software program they don’t know how to use, having a summary page by category is critical.

No accountant wants to see a shoebox of receipts come into their office without it categorized.

Pro tips Starting with the basics, Gordon recommends a program that allows producers to categorize.

“But really what you need is the ability to isolate and break down by categories,” Gordon said. “You need to have the ability to set up your chart of accounts.”

For growers who want to keep things simple, Jensen recommends Quicken.

“The easiest program for a lot of farmers is Quicken,” said Jensen, who farms near Stephen. “You can download it right from the bank and it keeps track of all of the cash transactions.”

When a producer opts to move beyond the bare bones that are necessary to keep their accountant happy, they have to upgrade their bookkeeping systems to programs that have more functionalities.

Popular options include QuickBooks, PcMars and Sage.

“PcMars is pretty popular for farm software,” Jensen said. “I’ve actually looked into it pretty heavily for our own farm. It’s not a fancy program but it’s cheap and does everything you want it to do.”

Farm accounts have very specific requirements and because PcMars was designed with farmers in mind, some prefer it over programs that were designed for general small businesses.

“QuickBooks doesn’t have the chart of accounts for farmers like PcMars does,” Gordon said. “Agriculturewise, PcMars is by far the superior software if you’re just keeping track of your farm accounts.”

Though QuickBooks is a popular program among producers, recent changes to its desktop software have many considering switching programs. Those changes? QuickBooks Desktop is being phased out and users will gradually need to switch to QuickBooks Online unless they choose another software.

“QuickBooks Online is, at best, difficult to navigate,”

Gordon said. “It really doesn’t have agriculture in mind. I wouldn’t steer someone away from online QuickBooks, but they better tell me that they’re very computer savvy.”

Sage may be a good option to replace QuickBooks Desktop for growers.

“I think we’re going to be transitioning to Sage from QuickBooks because they have desktop capabilities,” Gordon said.

Once a grower throws payroll into the mix, things get trickier.

“If you have payroll, you need to upgrade your software,” Jensen said. “Honestly, a lot of guys don’t want to do their own payroll because they screw it up.

So, they send their hours off to their accountant and their accountant does the payroll for them. But there are also standalone payroll programs out there or you can upgrade your current program.”

Figuring out payroll can be tricky and the consequences for making errors are hefty. Therefore, Gordon advises weighing the pros and cons of outsourcing the service.

“People think they have to do it all themselves,” Gordon said. “I don’t do all my veterinary services by myself – I hire a vet. When it comes to payroll, definitely consider the cost of the payroll software and the time it’s going to take you to do it compared to what a professional would charge you.”

At the end of the day, Minnesota soybean growers are experts in the field and there are experts in numbers who can help guide producers, such as accountants or ag bankers.

“If you aren’t sure what you need, use your professional resources,” Thiesse said. “Find out what information they need, and they’ll have a good handle on which accounting programs will fit those needs.”

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Specializing in soil health: Meet Greg Klinger Greg Klinger might be the newest Area Certification Specialist (ACS) supporting the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP), but he’s hardly a newcomer to sustainable agriculture practices.

A Virginia native, Klinger moved to Minnesota about a decade ago and became an Extension climate and water quality educator with the University of Minnesota. In early 2023, he became an agricultural water quality specialist with Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District.

In his role, Klinger oversees 11 counties in southeast Minnesota and works with farmers to become MAWQCP certified.

“I come at this position with a background in research and outreach,” he said. “It’s always good and enjoyable to put that knowledge to use at the scale where it’s most valuable, which is that one-on-one farm interaction.”

Klinger’s position allows him to combine his passion for soil health with making meaningful connections with farmers.

“I just like people,” he said. “It’s fun to sit down and talk with people and see their farm operations and the diversity of operations and also landscapes. The diversity of landscape is just incredible in southeast Minnesota.”

When a producer volunteers to become MAWQCP certified, they’re connected with their regional ACS, who helps guide them through the enrollment steps. The ACS first collects information on the operation and then starts the evaluation process. In total, MAWQCP supports eight certification specialists across Minnesota, in addition to a team of certifying agents.

For Klinger, initially meeting with a producer is a chance to talk shop at the kitchen table and learn more

Greg Klinger of Olmsted County is one of eight area certification specialists covering the state of Minnesota on behalf of the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.

about their operation and conservation goals.

“We’re there to give them peace of mind that, yes, what they’re doing is good for conservation,” he said.

During enrollment, Klinger runs the operation through the MAWQCP assessment tool, which evaluates: • Physical field characteristics • Nutrient management factors • Tillage management factors • Pest management practices • Irrigation and tile drainage management • Conservation practices Once a farmer applies for MAWQCP certification, an ACS helps complete a series of steps using a 100% sitespecific risk-assessment process. Specialists like Klinger can also help farmers apply for financial assistance and MAWQCP’s Climate Smart Project.

Klinger says he enjoys uncovering slight – but not wholesale – changes growers can make to improve their soil health and save production costs.

“We’re trying to get a good snapshot of erosion risks and at what stage they’re in,” Klinger said. “At the end, we go over the results and make sure the farmers are meeting the risk thresholds and conservation practices.

It’s a good framework to get a fair scoring system, regardless of the size of the operation.”

Since the program’s statewide launch a decade ago, 1,544 producers totaling over 1,082,908 acres have been certified across Minnesota. Those farms have added nearly 3,000 new conservation practices. New practices have helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 50,000 metric tons annually and kept over 49,000 tons of sediment out of Minnesota rivers while saving 150,000 tons of soil and 62,000 pounds of phosphorous on farms each year. The conservation practices have also reduced nitrogen loss by up to 49%.

After becoming certified, farmers receive a 10-year contract ensuring they will be considered in compliance with any new water quality laws, along with an official MAWQCP sign to display on their farm and other benefits. To date, nearly 400 farms in Klinger’s territory are enrolled in MAWQCP. “You can tell there’s quite a bit of engagement,” he said. “This is a good, flexible program at the right scale that still gets at the important information.”

Farmers and landowners interested in enrolling in MAWQCP can contact their local SWCD or visit MyLandMyLegacy.com. If you farm in southeast Minnesota, contact Greg Klinger at gregory.klinger@ olmstedcounty.gov or by calling 507-328-7924.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of getting out and meeting with farmers,” he said. “It’s really rewarding to spend part of my day connecting with people who are implementing conservation on the landscape.”

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IT’S NOT JUST YOUR LAND. IT’S YOUR LEGACY. The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program rewards farmers like you for what you do best, taking care of your land and its natural resources.

To get started and learn more, contact your local soil and water conservation district or go to:

MyLandMyLegacy.com

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN 17 JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2024 - SoybeanBUSINESS Business --17

Harvest brings Southeast Asia buyers to MN farms

By Sydney Harris Not everyone could look at a five-gallon bucket of northern-grown soybeans and be starstruck. But during Northern Soy Marketing’s (NSM) 2024 Crop Tour, participants – who were identified and selected with the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s assistance – couldn't help but ogle over the quality soybeans in front of them.

“They’re beautiful,” said Thuong Doan, director of Van An Trading Company in Vietnam.

The NSM Crop Tour, which took place in the thick of harvest in October, brought attendees to multiple farms across the Upper Midwest, including Minnesota, before ending the tour in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) with tours at the Port of Seattle and AGP’s export facility at Grays Harbor.

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Checkoff Partnerships As a founding member of NSM, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) recognizes the importance of expanding export markets, especially during the current tumultuous outlook, so soy checkoff investments into endeavors like NSM are incredibly valuable.

“I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate the quality of northern-grown soybeans than showing our customers the care that farmers in this region take in growing and harvesting soybeans,” said NSM Chair Glen Groth, who also represents District 9 on MSR&PC. A visit to Wisconsin United Soybean Board Director Tony Mellenthin’s Eau Galle farm kicked off the tour, where the group got an up close and personal look at grain bins and storage technology.

“Our storage facilities allow us to make sure we optimize our harvest schedule,” Mellenthin said. “We’re never waiting in an elevator line, and we can harvest in a timely manner, maintaining the quality that our customers expect.”

Fall on the farm It was a perfect time of year for participants – which included

five stakeholders from Vietnam and five from Indonesia – to visit the Upper Midwest. Not only was foliage at peak fall colors, but it was also the middle of soybean and corn harvest. At Groth’s farm near Ridgeway, attendees got to ride in the combine and grain cart while he wrapped up soybean harvest. The next day at NSM Director Patrick O’Leary’s farm in Danvers, the delegation experienced corn harvest.

“These are our fields,” Groth said to the group, stressing the importance of family farms in NSM’s member states. “We are with our crop every single day. We watch it every day and make sure it’s in peak condition by controlling pests and weeds.”

O’Leary, who has participated in several trade missions on behalf of NSM and MSR&PC, welcomes the chance to host international stakeholders on his farm.

“It’s always a good sign when visits like these are reciprocated,” said O’Leary, MSR&PC’s District 4 director. “During trade missions, our customers are always excited to see us, so I’ve enjoyed visiting with them and getting to know them.”

Soybeans grown in the Upper

Midwest have a direct route to end users in Southeast Asia.

“We can quickly and efficiently transport our product to the PNW to head to Vietnam and Indonesia,” said Groth, who represents District 9 on MSR&PC. “The U.S. government has made investments in order for us to provide that avenue to export our product, and I think that is one thing that differentiates us from many other soybean growing regions in the world.”

The tour also visited soybean research facilities at the University of Minnesota with Dr. Seth Naeve.

In South Dakota, they stopped by South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council Director Chad Schooley’s operation in Castlewood and toured the South Dakota Soybean Processors plant in Volga.

“Participants got to talk with farmers and tour farms in the Upper Midwest all at various stages of harvest,” said Katelyn Engquist, NSM market development project manager.

“And then tour a processing plant to see where some U.S. farmers deliver their crop, followed by where soy is exported from in the PNW. It was truly a full circle visit.”

Turn the key to unlocking the knowledge of soybean quality by visiting NSM’s website at soyquality.com.

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Checkoff News

MSRP&PC UNVEILS 2025 ELECTION TIMELINE

By Kelsey Barchenger Shaping the future of the soybean industry is at the heart of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council’s (MSR&PC) mission, but a big piece of accomplishing MSR&PC’s goals is finding a set of leaders who take the proverbial pulse of their fellow farmers.

MSR&PC is extending an invitation to those interested in directing soybean checkoff funds to file for one of five available board seats that expire in 2025. Terms expire in 2025 for five seats in Districts 4-9.

“I wholeheartedly encourage anyone with an interest in soybean marketing or enhancing rural Minnesota to apply to be an MSR&PC director,” said MSR&PC Vice Chair Gail Donkers, who also serves as election chair.

“It’s truly an eye-opening experience to see just how much the Council does at not only the state, but the global level. Representing our state’s soybean farmers

is a great responsibility and an even bigger privilege.”

Board member benefits include the ability to attend one national United Soybean Board (USB) board meeting per year, the opportunity to develop and enrich strategic business management skills and a chance to guide the direction of Minnesota soybean checkoff dollars. Three-year terms for each of the five Council seats begin July 1, 2025.

Candidates must be 18 years of age and a soybean producer who directly shares in the risk or loss from soybean production. Interested candidates must fill out a candidate certification form and a candidate biography form and email completed forms to Melinda Roberts at melinda@mnsoybean.com or mail completed forms to the Minnesota Soybean office no later than Jan. 27, 2025. Ballots will be mailed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture on March 17, 2025, and all ballots must be postmarked by April 2.

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PARTNERS IN PRODUCTION

Rochelle Krusemark was a schoolteacher before becoming a southern Minnesota family farmer. The Council director is now educating others on the increasing role women play in all facets of agriculture.

FEMALE FARMERS KEEP AG THRIVING

In Minnesota, nearly 36,000 women are actively farming, an increase of nearly 1,100 farmers since the 2017 Census.

Agriculture jobs extend beyond the farm. Minnesota Soybean and Soybean Business wouldn’t accomplish their shared mission without indelible contributions from awardwinning female writers, designers, marketers and sales professionals.

By Drew Lyon In Rochelle Krusemark’s estimation, the presence of women in agriculture is hardly a recent development. The story of the American farmer, she said, simply can’t be written without pioneering women playing a key role in maintaining a family farm operation.

No women, no farms.

“When I was growing up, my family didn’t farm, but there were farmers in our church and in our community who were women and they were very involved,” Krusemark said. “I don’t think women in agriculture is anything new.”

Though proud of her role as a female leader in farming, Krusemark, a director with the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) since 2015, considers herself a farmer first.

“But I do think that we are probably recognized a little more readily now,” said Krusemark, MSR&PC’s longest-serving female director, “and that’s a positive development.”

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Checkoff News

Rochelle Krusemark What I appreciate about other women in agriculture is we do think differently, in many ways. So both men and women have a lot to contribute and I’m just glad that I’ve been fortunate enough to play a role and I hope that I continue to for a while.

Thinking differently Female agriculture professionals are more active than ever. According to the USDA’s 2022 Agriculture Census, the United States supports 1.2 million female producers, accounting for 36% of the country’s 3.4 million producers. Female producers are slightly younger than their male counterparts, more likely to be a beginning farmer and more likely to live on the farm they operate than male producers. More than half of all farms (58%) had a female producer, and farms with one or more female producers accounted for 41% of U.S. agriculture sales and 46% of U.S. farmland.

Krusemark, who farms in Martin County with her family, said many farms operate successfully thanks to the collaboration and sharing of duties between men and women. According to the census, female producers are most involved in day-to-day record keeping and financial management decisions.

“What I appreciate about other women in agriculture is we do think differently, in many ways,” Krusemark said, “so both men and women have a lot to contribute and I’m just glad that I’ve been fortunate enough to play a role and I hope that I continue to for a while.”

Lifting others up Still, there are strides to be made to bring more women into the leadership fold. The Council has never had a female chair – though Gail Donkers currently serves as vice chair. The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) has elected three women as president in its 60-year history, most recently Jamie Beyer, who led MSGA from 2019-2021 and now serves on the American Soybean Association. Earlier this year, St. James farmer Rose Wendinger was elected MSGA treasurer.

DID YOU KNOW? In 1989, Sharon Clark became the first female president of a major Minnesota commodity organization when she was elected to lead the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

MSR&PC and MSGA have also joined forces in holding workshops and seminars promoting emerging farmers. Sometimes, the obstacle for many family farmers – both women and men – is finding enough hours in the day to volunteer.

“We keep trying to recruit, and I try engage in conversations with the next generation and try to encourage them,” Krusemark said. “You have to respect that a lot of these young women have careers and families. And I appreciate that. I couldn’t do it while my boys were growing up. To me, it’s family first and then the farm.”

Krusemark has participated in local and national events that promote women farmers. The Council has also been a longtime supporter of the Women’s Agricultural Leadership Conference.

“There is something special about women in agriculture,” said Donkers, who attended the conference for the first time in 2023. “We lift each other up, rather than tearing each other down.”

Krusemark agreed with her colleague. In her experiences, women generally offer more positive reinforcement and are less guarded. Our differences, Krusemark said, should be celebrated.

“There are obviously men that are good encouragers and mentors as well, and we both have a lot to contribute,” she said. “Women in ag is just a different connection that I really do appreciate.”

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BEV DURGAN:

Checkoff Partnerships

Catalyst for Collaboration

University of Minnesota Extension Dean Bev Durgan is also a weed science professor who teaches an undergraduate class every other semester.

Bev Durgan Extension isn’t just about research and information transfer. It’s about the overall well-being of farmers and rural communities, from youth programs to family health to community vitality.

By Naomi Mortensen Beverly (Bev) Durgan isn’t afraid of a challenge.

She grew up working on a family ranch in Montana, competed in 4-H showing cattle and was the first in her family to attend college.

After graduating with a business degree from Montana State University, Durgan proved her tenacity by studying weed science, eventually earning a master’s degree and doctorate at North Dakota State University.

She also isn’t afraid of being the only woman in the room.

Durgan was one of three women in her graduate program, the first female student her advisor ever had and eventually the first female faculty member tenured in her department.

Durgan is seeing the tide turn.

“While there were always women scientists, there weren’t many out doing field research. I was often the first woman in my position that many farmers had interacted with,” said Durgan, who now serves as Dean of Extension at the University of Minnesota. “That’s changed now with about 60% of undergrads being female. The shift has been remarkable. There are so many opportunities for everyone in agriculture today.”

For nearly two decades, her drive to tackle difficult challenges, ask tough questions and stand shoulder to shoulder with whoever can help her get the job done has served soybean farmers and rural communities well. While Extension’s role has evolved, Durgan has remained a staunch advocate for agriculture and putting knowledge into action.

Bringing research, farms and communities together As Dean of Extension, Durgan oversees a network of experts across 87 county offices, 15 regional offices and many UMN partner colleges throughout Minnesota. Extension serves as the vital link between research, practical application and community development.

“Extension isn’t just about research and information transfer,” Durgan said. “It’s about the overall well-being of farmers and rural communities, from youth programs to family health to community vitality.”

This diversity is reflected in Durgan’s day-to-day activities, ranging from faculty search committees to county commissioner forums and farm shows.

“The variety in my work allows me to see all aspects of our state and work toward solutions before issues have major impacts,” said Durgan.

As a former rancher, researcher and 4-Her, she embodies what can be accomplished when diverse perspectives come together.

Continued on 26 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 25

“We need to bring everyone into agriculture – young people, seasoned professionals, different ethnicities, men and women,” Durgan said. “Everyone has a place in ag and an opportunity to make an impact.”

Championing collaboration Durgan has championed collaboration for the greater good through partnerships among Extension, farmers and commodity organizations like the soybean checkoff.

This approach has helped address many critical issues facing Minnesota farmers.

David Kee, director of research with the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC), notes that about 75% of the checkoff projects sponsored

by MSR&PC are with Extension and they have a great system in place for identifying, managing and eliminating issues such as goosegrass.

When soybean aphids first appeared in southern Minnesota, Extension played a crucial role in helping farmers and UMN entomologists identify the pest and develop management plans. Since that time, Extension worked with checkoff resources to establish aphid thresholds and strategies to avoid pesticide resistance.

Similarly, when glyphosate resistance emerged, farmers, researchers and Extension collaborated to develop comprehensive herbicide stewardship and management strategies. Extension also facilitated community discussions and solutions when dicamba drift became an issue, helping to navigate the complex interactions between farms, neighbors and communities.

MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka points to Extension’s role in expanding soybean cultivation in northern Minnesota.

The soybean checkoff provided funding for soybean breeding and genetics research, development of new varieties and solutions to disease and pests, which led to soybean production throughout northwest Minnesota increasing by 300% in the past 20 years (in 2023, Polk County harvested 11.8 million bushels, the most of any Minnesota county).

“Extension has been instrumental in showing farmers which varieties, herbicides and fertilizers are successful in shorter growing climates,” Slunecka said.

Fueling Extension’s future Perhaps one of the most significant developments in recent years under Durgan’s leadership has been the creation of the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Tech Transfer (AGREETT) program.

Established in 2015, AGREETT represents a multi-year, $5 million state investment in agricultural research, Extension and teaching at UMN. AGREETT focuses on hiring Extension experts to address key issues in crop and livestock productivity, soil fertility, water quality and agricultural technology.

It ensures research and expertise are accessible to farmers and communities throughout Minnesota.

Paul Freeman, an MSR&PC director who serves on the AGREETT advisory board, believes the program helps attract great people to Minnesota agriculture.

“AGREETT helps ensure we have brilliant minds working for farmers and rural communities,” he said.

MSR&PC leaders praise Durgan’s approach to leadership.

“She listens first and asks questions later,” said Kee, who’s been in his position for nearly a deacade. “She sees issues before they become problems, and she puts the right people in place to get the job done.”

Slunecka, MSR&PC CEO since 2012, agreed.

“There’s no doubt she’s a stalwart supporter of agriculture who advocates for people,” he said. “It comes through in how she identifies opportunities, where she shows up and what she does.”

Global Missions In addition to making connections in Minnesota, Durgan has traveled to Cuba, South America, England, Finland, Australia and Morocco to better understand current and new opportunities for Minnesota’s agricultural exports. These international trade missions have facilitated the development of Extension programs that empower producers to better navigate the export markets. They have also strengthened international partnerships with other institutions through research, faculty exchanges and grant-writing.

Through her travels, Durgan has also made connections with farmers and leaders, including past Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) President Bob Worth and MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek, who have helped her understand more of the soybean export process.

“Bob is an expert in Minnesota soybean production and processing,” Durgan said. “He was able to answer very complicated questions on soybean production, processing and quality and is a great advocate for grower/ university partnerships.”

Turning challenges into opportunities As agriculture and Extension evolve, Durgan identifies three key areas that will demand attention and collaboration in the future: workforce development, technology adoption and reducing on-farm risks. She sees programs like 4-H and FFA as crucial to introducing and preparing young people for careers in agriculture.

“We need skilled people at every level of agriculture,” Durgan said.

On technology, Durgan recognizes both the potential and the challenges of AI and precision farming.

“We can’t just consider capabilities, but accessibility, costs and who is managing the information,” she said.

“Extension needs to have a role.”

For helping farmers better manage risks, Durgan points to research developing specialized crop varieties, exploring new crops and rotations as well as innovative soil and water management practices.

Durgan’s vision for Extension remains clear: to be a catalyst for transforming challenges into opportunities.

“We can’t do it alone,” she said. “Collaboration among Extension, checkoff, researchers, farmers and communities is key to helping agriculture thrive in Minnesota.”

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WISHH leverages partnerships

for U.S. Soy to help meet the protein needs of 8 billion consumers

wishh.org

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 27

AG’S MOST VALUABLE ‘VAUBEL’ MDA deputy commissioner works for farmers

By Sydney Harris History professor. French teacher. Politician.

For Andrea Vaubel, the sky has always been the limit. But Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Deputy Commissioner? That position never even crossed her mind.

“I didn’t even know this job existed,” Vaubel said. “It’s a very unique experience that I never thought that I’d be able to have.”

Though Vaubel, a native of Verona, Wisconsin, wasn’t actively involved in agriculture growing up, she was exposed to the industry that would later become an integral part of her career through her dad, who was a miller, and friends who were involved in 4-H and FFA. “It’s funny because my dad did a lot of global travel for his work in agriculture and he thinks it’s hysterical that I’m doing what I’m doing now,” Vaubel said. “I remember visiting his office when I was young and there were corn samples everywhere and I thought, ‘What is this? Why is this important?’”

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Advocate Profile

Today, Vaubel intimately understands the important roles agriculture plays in Minnesota and the world. But her journey to MDA wasn’t a path she expected to take.

“I really started to fall in love with ag policy when I started working for then Congressman Tim Walz in Washington, D.C., because he was on the (House) Ag Committee,” Vaubel said. “I saw the multi-dimensional side of agriculture and how it touched every part of our lives. So that’s when I really started to fall in love with agriculture.”

Vaubel found herself back in the Midwest when Walz asked her to move to Mankato for his 2012 reelection campaign. In 2013, she switched gears and started working for MDA. “I thought I’d maybe do this for a year and half and figure something else out, and then just totally fell in love with the agency and everything it was doing,” Vaubel said.

Vaubel was appointed deputy commissioner in 2018 by then Gov. Mark Dayton and stayed in the position when her former boss Tim Walz became governor in 2019. As one of the only females to serve as MDA Deputy Commissioner, Vaubel oversees several of MDA’s core agency functions, including finance and budget, human resources, communications, information technology, government affairs, emergency preparedness and response, data practices, diversity and inclusion and legal affairs.

“The deputy role is unique and changes from agency to agency,” said Vaubel, who lives in Dakota County with her husband and two children. “Along with my internal role, Commissioner Petersen also likes me to have an external role. So, if there’s something he can’t be at, I’ll go to it or I’ll represent the agency on various committees.”

Continued on 30

Andrea Vaubel visits with her boss, MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen, at MDA’s headquarters in St. Paul.

Vaubel is the first woman since Sharon Clark, who retired in 2004, to serve as deputy commissioner.

MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek (right) helps build relationships with Gov. Tim Walz (middle) and Andrea Vaubel during international trade missions to build markets for Minnesota agriculture.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 - SOYBEAN BUSINESS - 29

People make a place, and Vaubel credits her colleagues for making MDA such a special workplace.

“I really love working and learning from the people in the agency. They are dedicated public servants who are brilliant and passionate and care about things that we need people to care about,” Vaubel said.

“They have a really important role in terms of protecting the food supply and our natural resources and building markets.”

And with a supportive boss and mentor, Vaubel has found herself in a position to grow.

“I’ve been very lucky over my career to work for fantastic people, and I’ve learned a lot from them,” Vaubel said. “Thom is a magnificent leader. He is thoughtful and genuine and authentic. He really tries to understand how his decisions impact those affected.”

Petersen, who has worked alongside Vaubel since becoming commissioner in 2019, said his second in command is indispensable.

“Andrea’s leadership, dedication and support for agriculture are critical to Minnesota’s success on many fronts, including budgeting, trade and biofuels,” Petersen said.

Soy supporter Throughout her tenure at MDA, Vaubel has been an unwavering supporter for Minnesota agriculture – including the soybean industry. She’s a fixture at events,

Darin Johnson, MSGA President Andrea represents Minnesota agriculture with distinction. She’s extremely knowledgeable and is so nice and down to earth. She’s from Wisconsin, but we won’t hold that against her.”

including MN Ag Expo, and supported the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council’s (MSR&PC) “Driving Soy” launch in 2021. Vaubel has also joined MSR&PC and the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) on USDA and MDA trade missions to markets in South America, Morocco, Southeast Asia, the U.K. and Australia.

“Andrea is invaluable to Minnesota agriculture,” MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek said. “She’s a huge advocate for all Minnesota agriculture and Minnesota products in general.

She’s a great ambassador for Minnesota in foreign countries and other states and everywhere she goes.”

For Vaubel, working alongside farmers, who have unique perspectives, on trade missions is key.

“Farmers are such amazing people,” Vaubel said. “They’re businesspeople and agronomists

In her role with MDA, Vaubel visits Minnesota farms like MSGA Director Jamie Beyer’s, who hosted Vaubel and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in 2019.

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and entomologists and mechanics.

They have such a wide knowledge base so when they participate in trade missions, they bring such an authenticity to the story that somebody from the Department of Agriculture can’t bring. They speak from the heart and speak genuinely about their experience.”

Like MSGA, which successfully advocated for increased funding for MDA’s international program, Vaubel understands the importance of expanding export markets for Minnesota agricultural products.

“There are so many types of products that are real needs of economies around the world, and we are in a position to be able to help with that,” Vaubel said. “So much of these trade missions are relationship based, and Minnesota soybean growers have been great about opening up their farms and showing how they do their everyday work and grow the product that they’re trying to sell to the world.”

Wherever she’s at, Vaubel keeps Minnesota agriculture in mind.

“Minnesota couldn’t have a better representative for agriculture than Andrea Vaubel,” Smentek said. “She’s really worked to up the state’s budget on exports and export markets, really helping to grow demand across the world for our products.”

Life has a funny way of working out. But Vaubel has found herself right where she is meant to be.

“I never thought in a million years that this would be something that I was doing,” Vaubel said.

The developing and emerging nations of today are the home of tomorrow’s U.S. Soy customers

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Behind the Dollar with Gail Donkers A checkoff-centric Q&A with Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) Vice Chair Gail Donkers.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Soybean Business: Give us a quick background on your farm.

Gail Donkers: We have a multi-generational farm. We farm with my husband’s father, Paul, my brother-in-law Matt and our two sons, Mitch and Riley, help on the farm as well. We run land in a big vicinity, but it also spreads out our risk. We also raise bottle calves to finish dairy steers, finish hogs and we also raise and sell purebred breeding stock for Babydoll and Dorset sheep.

SB: What region of the state do you represent on the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council? How long have you been on the board?

GD: I farm halfway between Kenyon and Faribault, and I am in District 8. I’m on my second term on the Council.

SB: Why did you decide to run for the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council?

GD: (Past Director) Keith Schrader talked to me several years before I actually ran for the Council, and he kind of told me about it. It’s something I was always curious about. You get your checks in from your payments, and a portion of money is taken out for the checkoff. I always wondered what happened to those dollars and where they went. So, this was a perfect way to find out more about it.

SB: Why do you feel the checkoff is critical to Minnesota’s soybean farmers?

GD: The checkoff is so critical, and I have to say, since I’ve gotten involved with MSR&PC I see that it’s so much more important than what I ever even thought it was.

It’s such a great way for soybean producers to find new places to sell their soybeans, like the Uzbekistan project that we’ve been working on, and Morocco. It’s a great way to do research to do a better job of raising our soybeans. We have a whole team that works on research and is working on new seed varieties and best practices. We also have the education side where we educate people about soybeans.

SB: How does the board ensure checkoff dollars are invested responsibly?

GD: There is a chart that shows for every dollar soybean farmers invest into the checkoff, soybean farmers earn $12.34 in return value. Checkoff dollars really do make a difference, and we are trying to make the best choices for making soybeans in Minnesota more profitable. We have a superior product compared to other soybeans across the United States. We need to showcase our soybeans, and we need to tell people about how wonderful they are. Without that, we wouldn’t have nearly as many sales of soybeans and soybean meal and it’s just a very important thing that we need to embrace and to work harder on. We’re never resting at Minnesota Soybean. It’s always, “What’s the next project?”.

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Checkoff Impact Gail Donkers is the first woman in MSR&PC’s more than 40-year history to serve as vice chair.

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gail donkers

Gail Donkers gives a soy checkoff update during MSGA’s 2024 annual meeting.

The checkoff is so critical, and I have to say, since I’ve gotten involved with MSR&PC I see that it’s so much more important than what I ever even thought it was.

SB: How has directing checkoff funds raised your awareness of the soy checkoff?

GD: Directing checkoff funds has raised my awareness tenfold. I’m just so much more aware of what’s going on with the checkoff dollars and how hard MSR&PC tries to utilize the dollars wisely. When we go to our Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and we interview the people that are submitting the proposals, we find out what they’re doing and why they’re doing it and go very in depth into it. It’s very hard to decide which projects should get the checkoff dollars. As a team it’s very interesting to see the different ideas the farmers have in the room. What we’re trying to do is to maximize the profits for every soybean farmer in Minnesota, utilizing the checkoff dollars wisely and to put it toward new projects, new research and new education possibilities.

Q: What project(s) are you most proud of that you have seen since being on the board?

GD: One of my favorites is the Uzbekistan project. It’s something that we’ve taken on as a Council. We really didn’t need to, but we’re trying to get soybeans into the country and nobody else wanted to help them and they needed soymeal. From that, we’ve really gotten a good relationship with Uzbekistan going. We’ve had people from Uzbekistan come to Minnesota and tour and to learn more about what’s going on in Minnesota and raising soybeans here. We’ve also shipped soybeans to Uzbekistan, which is a difficult thing because it is a landlocked country.

SB: Many checkoff investments are made to impact our future growers. What are some checkoffsupported projects coming down the pipeline that you’re excited about?

GD: We’re looking at what the future of soy transportation is. That’s a huge factor in soybean marketing. As we get more crushing plants on the horizon here in the United States, we have more soybean meal that needs to get exported. With the change in our weather, our main route out is either the Mississippi River going south – and that has been a challenge the last few years with the drought – or we also have trains going west to Grays Harbor that takes care of a lot of the northern soybeans. But what is going on out to the east? Last year we did a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. If you ship out of Duluth through the St. Lawrence Seaway, Halifax is basically the end of the line as far as the United States and it also has a huge port there that can really facilitate a lot of shipping.

We’re just looking down the pipeline as far as what our options are. Maybe not this year or next year, but maybe in 20 years what should be or could be a better option for us. And then as we are growing our business out of the Duluth port as well, we have shipped soybeans to Morocco out of there. We took another leap and went to Amsterdam to look at the port in Amsterdam and Brussels to see what the opportunities are in that area and what some of the challenges are that we need to figure out and how to overcome them.

SB: What do you think is the biggest misconception other farmers have about the soy checkoff program?

How would you respond to their concerns?

GD: I think probably the biggest misconception would be that the checkoff dollars are wasted. I don’t feel that is true at all. In Minnesota, especially, I think that we do an excellent job of being very conscious about how every dollar is spent. We are very cost efficient. It’s something that we as farmers do every day, but we carry what we do on the farm into what we do at Minnesota Soybean as well. We’re very cost conscious.

SB: Where can another farmer go to get more information on how their dollars are being spent?

GD: I would say invite your directors to come in and talk to your county soybean annual meetings and that type of thing and share what’s going on. Also, look up Mnsoybean.org and click on the MSR&PC side to find out what’s going on with the different checkoff dollar projects.

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There is a relentless spirit that unites us all in agriculture - a conviction we can dream big and that together, we become unstoppable.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17 NIV

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Sip

StandsOut

New MSGA director grower finds her voice

By Mark Askelson Rebecca Sip is the first to admit she’s still learning a lot about farming.

In her first decade as a full-time farmer, she’s taken on yet another Sip will continue challenge in her new role as a director with the Minnesota Soybean Growers sharpening her leadership skills in the Association (MSGA), a position she stepped into in July 2024. Sip knows that new year. In November when it comes to mastering any new skill or activity, it’s essential to have 2024, Sip, along with a solid foundation to build upon and figures she can’t go wrong by sticking Raymond DeMars, was to the basics. selected to participate in “Faith. Family. Farming. Those are the things I value most in life,” she said. the American Soybean “If I can stick to those three things, everything else just sort of falls into place.”

Association’s Young With help from her family and her faith guiding her, the farming has fallen Leader 2024-25 Class. into place for Sip. Growing up on the family farm in central Norman County, Sip first began farming “with responsibility” in 2017 after her older brothers decided to choose different career paths.

“It was either start farming or my dad was going to retire and rent out the land, so me and my younger brother, Paul, and older sister, Melissa, decided we wanted to take on the responsibility of continuing the she said. - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER - 2024 36 -operation,” SOYBEAN BUSINESS

The Sips grow a four-crop rotation of soybeans, corn, wheat and sugarbeets – a standard rotation in northwest Minnesota.

Come harvest, each one of the Sip siblings has their own role: Paul runs the combine, Melissa operates the grain cart and Rebecca can typically be found driving truck.

However, she has made it a point to learn how to operate and do a little bit of everything on the farm.

“I know a lot now that I didn’t seven years ago. It can be overwhelming at times, but I am lucky to have the support of my family to guide me. You just have to get your hands dirty and keep learning every day in this industry,” said Sip. “My dad is a wealth of knowledge, and I often wonder if I will be able to retain as much as he has over the years. I find myself writing notes during our conversations about farming.”

That same dive-in headfirst mentality is now assisting Rebecca in her new role as Norman County Soybean & Corn Growers’ representative on MSGA. She first joined the county organization this spring, but her willingness to be involved and passion for agriculture made her an ideal candidate to replace Corey Hanson, who gave up his seat on MSGA to join the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) board.

“Rebecca brings some youth and energy to our county board as well as a lot of fresh ideas. She is going to do great representing our county at the state level,” said Hanson, who is the MSR&PC District 1,2 & 3 director and Norman County Soybean & Corn Growers president.

“Her initiative is a huge asset for us in Norman County.”

Advocate Profile

“I really wanted to see the farm stick around.” Rebecca Sip (left) began farming full time in 2017 and now farms with her brother Paul (middle) and sister Marissa.

‘Unique perspectives’ Though Sip is still her getting feet wet learning the ins and outs of soybean policy and how MSGA works, she is excited to be a part of the organization and is eager to learn more.

“I don’t have a whole lot of experience yet, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I believe everyone involved in MSGA seems to have farming at the heart of what they do,” she said. “They are farmers working for farmers.”

Darin Johnson, president of MSGA, welcomed Sip to her first MSGA board meeting in August.

“We’re thrilled that Rebecca has joined our board and look forward to including her unique perspectives as a younger farmer,” Johnson said.

“That’s one of the great aspects of MSGA – our directors come from different backgrounds and different parts of the state, but we all share a goal of supporting policies that improve our operations and the farm economy as a whole.”

At just 31 years old, Sip stands

Rebecca Sip Faith. Family. Farming. Those are the things I value most in life. If I can stick to those three things, everything else just sort of falls into place.

out as one of the youngest MSGA directors and one of three female directors (alongside Jamie Beyer and Rose Wendinger). She said she grapples with feeling a bit out of place sometimes against the typical demographic of the local farm shows and meetings but finds most industry colleagues are rooting for her to succeed.

“As a female in a male-dominated industry, you’re always navigating different things, but for the most part everyone has been super helpful and wants to see me succeed,” Sip said. “Also, from my experience from farming with my sister, we as women bring an aspect of communication to the farm that the guys tend to lack.”

Outside of farming, Sip enjoys spending time with her family, including hiking or hanging out at the lake. She also loves music, often playing guitar and singing with her sister. In all her pursuits, Sip stays consistent on the priorities that matter most to her: faith, family and, of course, farming.

“I love farming. I love the family aspect. I love the hard work and getting my hands dirty. I love understanding where life comes from and how it grows,” she said. “I want to share my passion and experiences in agriculture with others so that they can better understand what it is that we do.”

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THE E R AT I O N

ARRIVES

Kari Olson finds her ‘place to be’

By Mark Askelson When Kari Olson was just a little girl hanging out with her grandpa in the combine and following him around the farm near Hawley, she probably never envisioned that two decades later she would still be running around the farm, but it would be her in the driver’s seat and that the farm would be her own.

Yet here she is.

Becoming a farmer was never a profession that was pushed on Olson while growing up. Instead, her parents encouraged Kari and her sister to play sports, get involved with extra curriculars and just be kids. Of course, it was also understood the Olson kids would help out around the farm.

“I still spent my summers in the bins and running grain cart whenever we had time,” Olson said. “My dad wanted to make sure it was a place I wanted to be and not a place I had to be.”

At the advice of her dad, Rob, Kari headed off to college at North Dakota State University in search of a career off the farm, yet still in the field of agriculture. But during her freshman year in 2015, an opportunity from a forwardthinking farmer from down the road gave Olson her taste of becoming a full-time farmer.

“I was approached by an area farmer who wanted to rent his 100-acre piece of land to a young farmer,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to start farming that young, but I had the support from my dad so that I could keep going to school and farm at the same time.”

A few years later, Kari’s father had a health scare, and it quickly became evident that she may be stepping into a more involved role on the farm. Thankfully, her sister selflessly opted to quit her job as a teacher to help run the farm while Kari finished school before committing to full-time farming. She began the transition by taking over the rented, non-family land. In 2022, she took ownership of the rest of the operation.

Olson faced a steep learning curve in becoming a fourthgeneration farmer. One of the biggest challenges was figuring out the finances.

“It’s a lot of money to deal with. A lot goes in, and a lot comes back out. I watched my friends graduate college,

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Checkoff Profile get health insurance and biweekly paychecks,” she said. “I remember going out with my friends and not ordering anything and when they wondered why I had to explain to them it’s because I have to pay interest on that, because I won’t see any income for several months.”

After moving back to Hawley and taking over the farm, Olson joined the Clay-Wilkin Soybean & Corn Growers Association, where she currently serves as secretary, as a way to get involved in the community and build a network of fellow local farmers.

“It’s been a fun organization to be a part of because it gives me an opportunity to get off the farm and expand my network, but also still be involved in supporting agriculture,” said Olson, who also became a member of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA).

Olson is already making an impact on her county board.

“Kari is young, energetic and among a small group of active women farmers in the area, but she is highly respected among her peers,” said Clay-Wilkin County Soybean & Corn Growers President Jeremy Tischer, who represents the board on MSGA. “Her farming practices are unique for this region, but she’s an early adapter and other producers are now looking up to her as they begin following the trends in agriculture.”

Never till Olson’s soybean, corn and wheat operation is unique for its location in the Red River Valley in that it’s a completely no-till operation. After gradually seeing the soil get depleted from decades of plowing, Rob Olson made the conscious

decision to rethink how they do tillage. He purchased their first no-till drill in 2004 and that fall harvested one of their best crops to date. They then slowly made the transition to becoming a full-on, notill operation.

“I’ve never actually tilled a field, and I honestly thought that was normal because it’s all I’ve ever known,” Kari said.

“But it’s worked for me and been very profitable so I plan to continue it.”

Olson recently added what might be the final piece to complete the regenerative agriculture puzzle on her farm. Olson brought in some cattle, which will graze on the fields after harvest and add nitrogen to the soil. And while raising and grazing cattle is more of an old-school method, she’s also very interested in adopting new technology opportunities to enhance her conservation practices as well.

“I’m really intrigued by drones, especially with all the cover crops we’re doing,” said Olson. “Right now, we’re using airplanes to get cover crops planted into soybeans and corn, but the drones could potentially be more effective and assist with spraying, too.”

But all the steps Olson is taking to improve soil health aren’t just for her own benefit. She’s already thinking about the next generation, such as her niece or nephew, who like to spend time with her on the farm.

“At a very young age, they are already very knowledgeable of soil health and farming in general. They’re where my drive for practicing good conservation comes from,” Olson said.

“The generations before me did their best to make sure the land I had to farm was suitable, and I want to do my part for the next generation as well.”

kari olson The generations before me did their best to make sure the land I had to farm was suitable, and I want to do my part for the next generation as well.

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Checkoff News

MSR&PC seeking research proposals The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) is now accepting researchproject proposals for fiscal year 2025. The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit pre-proposals from various investigators and collaborators to help enhance environmental stewardship and increase the production profitability of Minnesota soybean producers.

To submit a proposal for checkoff-funding consideration, email the cover sheet, full project proposal and budget template to projects@mnsoybean.com by 5 p.m. on Dec. 6, 2024.

The Council is seeking projects in the following areas: • Soybean pest management • Agronomic research and technology transfer • Soybean breeding, molecular genetics and functional genomics Tasked with wisely directing Minnesota soybean checkoff investments, MSR&PC invests in three core areas: research, education and promotion. The RFP process is a critical component to ensure that checkoff investments represent and address the myriad difficulties and opportunities for Minnesota soybean growers.

“For these proposals, we tend to see everything from cutting-edge soybean breeding genetic research that might be 10 years down the road to nutrient management surveys to research projects that address weed management,” said David Kee, MSR&PC director of research.

Successful research proposals will increase profitability for Minnesota soybean farmers, while promoting, educating and increasing awareness of the state’s nearly 26,000 soybean farmers and the importance of soybeans and soybean products to industry, influencers and consumers.

For more information on the RFP process, visit mnsoybean.org/msrpc.

MN Soybean marketing director departs Kristeena Thisius, who served as marketing director for Minnesota Soybean, stepped down from her position this fall after nine years with the organization.

During her tenure with Minnesota Soybean and Ag Management Solutions, Thisius worked in the county association program and oversaw policy and soy checkoff marketing efforts, including the nationally recognized Driving Soy and Stepping Up initiatives.

Thisius, whose husband, Dylan, serves on the Faribault County Corn and Soybean Growers Board, was also nominated for a 2018 national marketing award for a Soybean Business cover story on the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association’s (MSGA) lobbying team. In 2023, she was named a “Next Gen” leader by the National Agri-Marketing Association.

“We all watched Kristeena grow as a leader throughout her time with Minnesota Soybean.

Her passion for agriculture is clear as day,” MSGA President Darin Johnson said. “She made huge contributions to both MSGA and our partners on the soy checkoff, and we wish Kristeena all the best in her future endeavors.”

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ALWAYS LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT. Through the soy checkoff, U.S. soybean farmers are investing in new production practices to continuously improve their sustainability while protecting the air, water and soil for generations to come.

unitedsoybean.org @UnitedSoybeanBoard @UnitedSoybean ©2024 United Soybean Board

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FACES OF MSGA

By Bailey Grubish

Mitch Zarbok Mitch Zarbok is a three-year member of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA). He supports MSGA because it’s a sound investment in his operation and industry.

“It’s (MSGA) just a part of our whole business here with supporting us farmers and trying to make it better,” Zarbok said.

He also said the benefits that come along with an MSGA membership are an additional reason why he joined. Being a member of MSGA gives soybean farmers a voice in the state and national legislative arenas, along with offering several discounts for members, including a 1% discount to Cabela’s.

Zarbok farms in Douglas County on his thirdgeneration family farm, growing soybeans and corn.

He still farms with his father, Larry, after assuming primary leadership of the operation. Zarbok and his wife, Shannon, have three children: Austin, Marissa and Shania, who also help on the farm when not working their full-time jobs.

He serves as the Douglas County Corn & Soybean Growers Association secretary and is involved in the various events the board hosts. He’s also on his church board serving as an elder and is a member of his local Orange Township board as a supervisor.

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Rick Roed Farming all his life north of Fosston, Rick Roed continues to stay involved in both his operation and his community.

Roed and his wife, Lorae, live near his family farm where he farms with his son, Erik, son-in-law Jeramie Pearce and Rick’s nephew. Together, the family grows soybeans, corn, wheat and navy beans.

His son raises a few cattle for butcher, and Roed also sells seed.

For more than 25 years, he’s supported agriculture in his community by sitting on the Polk County Corn & Soybean Growers Board. Roed previously served on his church board as president and his local Ag Service Co-op. He’s currently president of the local sportsman club.

Roed’s life as a family farmer and community leader is enriching.

“Being a farmer and taking over the farm, it’s something that you always imagined,” he said, “and doing it with your family is even better.”

Roed also finds value in supporting the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA).

“I’m a member because MSGA is a strong voice,” Roed said. “We need representation in Washington and throughout the country, whether it be here in Minnesota or Washington, D.C.”

MSGA Members Make Momentum!

The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) salutes the 20 new members who joined MSGA during harvest 2024. We also extend our appreciation to the over 60 producers, industry professionals and supporters who renewed their membership since Farmfest.

With a new legislative session and congressional class arriving in January, our work in the year ahead is critical. MSGA advocates and lobbying team continue pounding the pavement in St. Paul and Washington, Name County Sam Csizmadia Blue Earth Dean Dewitz Blue Earth Drew Lyon Blue Earth Mark Portner Brown Chad Gunter Chippewa Rowland Boike Chippewa Rich Leiseth Chippewa Gordie Molenaar Chippewa Garlan Dubbels Dakota Edward Smith Dodge Cole Pestorious Freeborn Adam Callstrom Goodhue Kevin O’Connor Goodhue Dustin & Steve Lindstrom Goodhue Shannon Haugen Goodhue Josh Finnesgard Goodhue Perry Dohrn Goodhue Tom Henderson Goodhue Brian Werner Hennepin Bill Doyscher Lac Qui Parle Nathan Braun Le Sueur Nathan Ebert Le Sueur Joe Doherty Le Sueur Craig Norgaard Lincoln Tim Jerzak Lincoln Jessica Olson Marshall Matt Schwarze McLeod

D.C., to promote our policy priorities, with one united objective in mind: protecting the profitability of Minnesota soybean farmers.

To support your industry by becoming a member of the nation’s premier state soybean association, visit mnsoybean.org/msga/invest. Membership levels start at just $20 for students, and a 3-year membership costs just 22-cents per day. That’s a value that just makes sense.

Name County Jack Ludowese McLeod Eugene Anderson Mower Willis Grimmius Murray Steve Schreier Murray Luke Gordon Nobles Gravenhof Farms Nobles Corey Hanson Norman Bruce Brenden Otter Tail Jeremy Peterson Out of State Jim Lund Out of State Zach Lynnes Out of State Steve Olson Out of State Chris McDonald Out of State Bradley Salberg Out of State Josh Gackle Out of State Andy Martin Out of State Marlin Iverson Polk John & Kurt Peterson Polk Todd Sorenson Polk Chuck Gaffaney Pope Dr. Fawad Shah Ramsey Tim Gross Ramsey V P Hagen Redwood Nicholas Ludowese Renville Duane Remer Renville Dustin Dovenmuehl Renville Joel Bakker Renville

Name County Allan Dovenmuehl Renville Tim Sullivan Renville Jake Watkins Renville Rick Kramer Renville Tom Wertish Renville Matt Aarons Renville Mitchell Donkers Rice James Bossmann Rice Professional Ag Marketing Rock Don Dinger Rock Ryan Hoff Rock Dennis Pick Rock Lucas Peters Rock Joey Pick Rock Jared Pick Rock Nick Bork Rock Teresa Dahlgren Roseau Cory Bennett Sherburne Andrew Mages Stearns byron oconnor Steele Anthony J. Hasbargen Traverse Steve LeVan Wabasha Harold Luhmann Wabasha Tim Weaver Wabasha Norm & Al Brudelie Watonwan Lucas Sjostrom Wright Scott Manch Yellow Medicine

Cut on the line and return today Name:____________________________________Date of Birth:______/________/_______ Farm/Company Name:______________________________________­___________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________State:______Zip:_________County:_____________ Email:*________________________Phone:*_________________Cell:__________________ 3 Year Membership: $250(includes Minnesota Soybean sweatshirt and $100 biodiesel rebate) Pullover size (circle one): S M L XL XXL XXXL Biodiesel Coupon (Value $100)

Payment information:

Check Enclosed (payable to MSGA) CC: (VISA/MASTER?DISC/AMEX) Card:__________________________ Exp. Date (M/Y):____/____ CVV:____ Signature_______________

1 Year Membership: $120 Yes I want to save $20! 1 Year Membership: $100 (with auto renew payment via credit card). By checking this option, I understand my annual membership to MSGA will renew automatically, charging the credit card on file at the time my membership expires Young Professional (age 35 and under) & Retired: $70 Student (age 22 and under): $20

I’m a new member

Renewing member ID#____________Recruiter Name:______________

Minnesota Soybean Growers Association 1020 Innovation Lane Mankato, MN 56001 507-388-1635 Online applications also available at mnsoybean.org/msga/invest

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Save the Date!

January 22-23, 2025 Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Mankato, MN Arriving early? Join us Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Banquet Hall for the Expo Welcome Reception! mnagexpo.com

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#MNAGEXPO25