Jessica Noble, a State Farm agent in Worthington, belongs to the Minnesota Corn Growers Association in order to show support for her farmer clients like Vern Suedkamp in Adrian.

Written by Jonathan Eisenthal

So an insurance agent and a banker walk into a Corn Growers meeting…

Could be the intro to an amusing anecdote, except it actually happens.

The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) was born in 1978, an advocacy group formed by farmers, to be a voice for farmers. Current membership stands over 7,100 members, making MCGA one of the largest grassroots farmer organizations in the country.

But why do more than 300 business owners, professionals, leaders of social organizations and others who don’t till the soil also belong to MCGA?

“I joined — this is my first year — because of the farmers I have as clients, and friends,” said Jessica Noble, a State Farm insurance agent in Worthington, Minn.. “Obviously, farming is an important part of the local economy and what we do in southwest Minnesota. So that’s why I joined, to support my local guys.”

Some MCGA business members share an obvious connection with farming. For instance, seed dealers and implement dealers — businesses whose entire customer base is farmers.

Jem Builders in Hector does a lot of work with farmers.

“We sell and build grain bins,” said Jason Swanson, a partner in the business. “So we’re tied in with farming.”

“Weather challenges this winter and spring made the bin building business that much more competitive,” Swanson continued. “So keeping a high profile by doing things like going to the Wellner Farm Show and belonging to MCGA are a way to keep a competitive edge. Farmers are always getting bigger bins to make things simpler. It makes sense to belong to a farmer group because that’s where most of our business comes from.”

Swanson and his partner employ four to five people during the summer when demand for new bins is highest. Not only does his business depend on farmers, but Swanson also raises corn and soybeans, giving him a double incentive to stay in the loop.

Other members reflect the social reach of MCGA. Leadership programs like FFA and Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (MARL) hold memberships in MCGA. And still others represent the public interest issues that farmers face.

Houston Engineering, a full service civil engineering firm in Maple Grove, Minn., decided to join this year because of the water quality/environmental projects they’ve been hired to do through the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.

“We’ve developed a web-based tool for MCGA and Minnesota Agricultural Water Resources Center to do data management for the Green Star program,” said Brian Fischer, GIS project manager for Houston Engineering.

Greenstar is a self-assessment that helps farmers understand the water quality impacts of their practices and consider options that might reduce environmental impacts like erosion.

Fischer feels that membership helps him stay informed about what is happening in agriculture.

“We get the MCGA newsletters and emails that come out,” said Fischer. “It’s good to keep informed about the workshops, trainings and events that are coming up that have to do with water quality and agricultural impacts on the environment. Our specialty is water management and flood control…. Engineering projects we do often involve farmers, through other organizations like counties or watershed districts on projects like designing dams, or flood control structures, or water quality studies and modeling.”

Many of MCGA’s business members reflect the fact that what’s good for the farmer is good for Main Street.

“We really just want to be supportive of the farmers who do business with us,” said Keith Maetzold, president of Farmers and Merchants Bank, based in Cannon Falls, Minn. The bank has five full service branches and two deposit gathering branches in southeastern Minnesota.

“We know that if our farmer customers are successful, we’re successful. Hopefully organizations like Minnesota Corn Growers Association will help them to be successful,” Maetzold said.

Maetzold said his connection to farmers, and membership in MCGA does come with some fringe benefits.

“One of the nice things I get to do every once in a while is, I get to be the judge for some of our customers who are competing in the National Corn Growers’ yield contest,” said Maetzold. “That’s fun. I get to go out there and measure up some of their corn for the contest.”

Noble did not grow up on a farm, nor does she come from a long line of farmers, but membership in MCGA provides a vital connection for her.

“I grew up in Worthington,” said Noble. “This is home. These are people I’ve known my entire life.”