Getting to know MCGA's new farmer-leaders
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
In recent elections, farmers Kirby Hettver, Paul Henning and Tim Wiersma were elected to serve on the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) board of directors.
Hettver, 39, farms with his brothers in Chippewa County on a farm that has been in his family since 1902. Hettver and his brothers are fifth-generation farmers and grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa on 1,600 acres.
The brothers also have a seed business combined with custom planting and harvesting, and consultation and sales of precision agriculture equipment and technology.
Hettver is a graduate of the Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leadership program, Class VI.
Asked why he got involved, Hettver said, “First of all, I love my profession as a farmer. My great uncle Marvin, who passed away last March, would always say that the reason you do the work is not only because you love it, but also to ensure that the next generation can do it and love it the way you have done. I hope that one day my five- or my seven-year-old daughter will say ‘Hey Dad I want to farm.’ They will be able to make that choice because we have a strong organization that is advocating for the health of the industry.”
Paul Henning, 68, farms with his son Robert between Lakefield and Okabena, where they raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa and feed out 400-600 beef cattle per year.
Henning has helped found a number of important local farm organizations and businesses. He took part when Jackson County Corn Growers organized as a local commodity group, and took part for many years in planning its Political Action Committee fundraiser, the Corn Cob Open, which grew over the years and draws hundreds of farmers to take part in the golfing fun and seize the opportunity to meet informally with elected officials and industry leaders.
“I’ve always found it interesting to be around the farm policy making, to discuss the issues and try to get things done that are helpful to farmers,” Henning said. “That’s why a group of five of us got together and founded Minnesota Soybean Processors.”
Henning spent three years working to organize the venture, and then served for 11 years on its board. The facility broke ground in 2002 as a soybean crushing plant, and then added the capacity to make biodiesel in July 2005.
One of Henning’s passions is telling the positive story about agriculture’s great successes and how vital it is to our society.
“I always felt we should advertise — we should go out there and market, market market! Henning said. “When it comes to renewable fuels, these are good products that people will buy if they know what it is all about. There are ways of telling the story where people hear it and they just want to be a part of it. Not everybody can be a farmer, but everyone can support American agriculture.”
Tim Wiersma, 55, farms near Albert Lea, where he raises corn and soybeans in a four family partnership called Frontier Family Farms. He recently launched his own Syngenta seed dealership.
Born and raised on a farm in Hollandale, Wiersma left farming after his father died and started a career selling seed, inputs and equipment. He returned to farming in 1999. Wiersma hopes that his range of experience in ag business and in starting his own farm, gives him a useful skill set for MCGA. He has also served his church as a youth pastor and has taken roles on its board and various advisory councils.
He counts a number of grower leaders as good friends, and talking with them over the years created an interest in serving other farmers through the MCGA organization.
When Wiersma worked at the elevator, Gayle Bergstrom was a customer, and Tim recalls, “Gayle would talk about what he had learned through MCGA and how he was able to help other farmers, particularly in supporting the ethanol industry — listening to him talk about these things always intrigued me.”
Friends Dan Hoffman and Jerry Demmer also convinced Wiersma that serving on the MCGA board is a very worthwhile pursuit.
Tim has decided to join MCGA’s Production Stewardship committee because he is interested in the research on water quality and nutrient management that is supported through Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council. He is also passionate about the need to preserve government policies that support farm-based renewable energy.
“The whole RFS is very critical for us in rural Minnesota,” he said. “In our area we have a lot of ethanol plants — the corn market here is so much stronger because of ethanol. I also feel that the environment is an important issue for us. Because we do live in a society that has lost its agrarian roots to a great extent, educating of our city cousins about how we farm and about the care that farmers take in protecting the environment and our natural resources. It’s a story we need to tell again and again, so people feel connected to the good work that we are doing on our farms.”
