Grassroots Leaders: Wes Beck
The Minnesota Corn Growers Association and Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council are farmer-led grassroots organizations focused on identifying and promoting opportunities for corn farmers. This “Grassroots Leaders” series introduces you to the grower leaders who are working on your behalf as corn farmers.
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
On a fine, sunny winter’s day, Wes Beck surveys his family’s farm in St. James. The snow-covered prairie is nearly featureless. But he appreciates “our little spot on the prairie here.” In just seven weeks, the snow will be gone, things will be greening up, and he’ll be getting ready to plant.
It’s a very typical southern Minnesota farm, in Beck’s opinion—they raise corn, soybeans and pigs. They use GPS-driven variable rates of seed and fertilizer, to maximize production and limit environmental impact. Just like most Minnesota farms. His son, David, and his family, have their own farm operation and David works closely with Wes, while also keeping his day job off the farm. Wes’ wife, Karla, is principal of the St. James High School, a 500-student, grade 6-12 school.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that all our farms are also part of bigger systems: the ag production system and the food production system,” said Beck. “I don’t know if there has ever been a time when our operations were more influenced by outside factors: government policies and regulations, the potential need for new products beyond ethanol and feed. New challenges are coming at us, with the excitement about electric cars. We, as farmers, need to be looking forward to what the future may hold, and hopefully that can provide some guidance and some wisdom as we move down that road.”
Beck was elected to the state board of directors of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association last January, and, even in the very exceptional Covid-year of 2020, he saw clearly how the organization is an essential voice in the leadership of agriculture. He credits the MCGA staff for keeping things afloat during the pandemic, but he feels that now is the time that farmers’ issues can gain momentum again.
“Right now, our priority is E15, the 15 percent ethanol gasoline blend. We also need, nationally, to underscore the importance of the renewable fuels standard, which requires 15 billion gallons of ethanol in the national fuel supply,” said Beck. “Here in Minnesota, we need to move E15 forward and keep our state’s position as a leader in the biofuels industry…It’s going to be an uphill pull, but I think we can do it.”
Another key issue in Minnesota involves tax policy. Farmers and local governments need a more consistent and fair tax policy from the state towards buffer strips—land no longer in production should not be taxed as if farmers still grow crops there.
“We want a tax system that funds the government in a fair and equitable manner, with an acceptable formula. It should be a system that encourages sound business practices,” said Beck.
Beck foresees some of the important future markets for corn will include things like polymers derived from corn, or use innovations such as Clearflame™ Engine Technologies. While the successful products of the future can’t be predicted with certainty, and the nation will need a range of different energy technologies, Beck feels that MCGA can help government make policy that keeps ethanol in the mix, because ethanol continues to stand up well as a clean, renewable source of energy.
Beck believes in the future of Minnesota farming: “We need to be at the table, taking part in the discussion, so that Minnesota’s farmers can prosper well into the future.”
