Spring 2020
Special to The Globe
Grant Crawford, Danielle Evers and Krista Kopperud listen to a guide discuss farming in Cambodia.
MARL Class X wraps up two-year experience By Leah Ward lward@dglobe.com REGIONAL — Class X of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program has finished its two-year seminar, and four southwest Minnesota participants are ready to bring their new knowledge back to their communities. MARL Class X traveled across the state to learn about agriculture in other areas and network with its 30 class members from varying ag backgrounds. They also took a oneweek trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about how agriculture interacts with public policy, and a two-week trip to Cambodia and Taiwan for
international exposure to the global food supply chain. Local Class X members include Matt Altman, product manager at JBS Worthington and owner of Five Pine Cattle Co.; Danielle Evers, Southwest Minnesota certification specialist with the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program and Pipestone Soil and Water Conservation District; Krista Kopperud, owner of Painted Prairie Vineyard in Currie; and Grant Crawford, bovine nutritionist with Merck Animal Health. The four shared what they learned from their MARL experience and how they will use it in their careers and communities.
Danielle Evers
Evers described her overall MARL experience as “more than I expected it to be.” She named personal growth as a primary benefit of the program. “It changed how I look at myself,” she said. “It opened a lot of doors for personal development.” Evers noted that she learned to be more aware of her individual strengths and how she can use them effectively. In Washington, MARL Class X participants spent 45 minutes with U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, DFL-Detroit Lakes, whose district includes Pipestone and Murray counties and part of Cottonwood County. Peterson chairs the House Agriculture Committee. Evers was impressed with the time
Peterson took to listen to ag leaders from his state. The group also visited the International Trade Commission and other groups that help write legislation. “It was eye-opening to see the (legislative) process at that level,” shared Evers, who became aware of some of the challenges that arise while legislators try to get bills passed on behalf of their constituents. The international trip was one of the last components of the MARL Class X experience, as the contingent returned to the United States on March 1. “The trip helped push us outside of our comfort zones,” Evers recalled.
MARL: Page 6