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Minnesota Corn welcomes new research director

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Paul Meints

Dr. Paul Meints

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting innovative research with a focus on agriculture, environmental stewardship and biofuels, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) recently announced the hiring of Dr. Paul Meints to serve as the organization’s Research Director.

Meints will oversee a farmer-funded research portfolio totaling $4 million annually that supports projects at institutions such as the University of Minnesota, as well as on-farm initiatives such as Discovery Farms Minnesota.

“I’m looking forward to working on behalf of Minnesota’s corn farmers and maximizing their research investments to seek solutions to a variety of issues,” Meints said. “Whether it’s improving water quality or finding new uses for corn, Minnesota’s corn farmers have demonstrated their commitment to supporting quality research. This is a great opportunity.”

Meints, who grew up on a family corn, soybean, pork and beef farm in Chippewa County in Western Minnesota, has a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master’s degree in plant breeding genetics from the University of Minnesota. Meints earned his Ph.D. at Oregon St. University.

After working on the faculty at Mississippi St. University from 1997-2004, Meints lived in Kenya for three years where he helped the East African nation improve its agricultural and plant-breeding practices.

When Meints returned to the United States, he remained at Mississippi St. until accepting a position as Research Program Manager at the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, where he served until he joined the MCGA staff on March 10.

Meints replaces Dr. Adam Birr, who was named MCGA Executive Director in September.

MCGA has nearly 7,200 members and represents the interests of more than 24,000 corn farmers throughout Minnesota. The Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC) administers the efficient and effective investment of Minnesota’s corn check-off. The shared mission of both organizations is to identify and promote opportunities for corn farmers, while building better connections with the non-farming public.

To learn more about MCGA, visit mncorn.org, follow @mncorn on Twitter, or “Like” Minnesota Corn on Facebook.

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