Growers jump back into in-person events: MCGA Field District 3
As a grassroots organization, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) is driven by the efforts of corn farmers and their local county corn grower associations. MCGA district field managers (DFMs) travel the state in an effort to empower farmers and county organizations with resources, information and support to be successful. This year, we have been highlighting these local grassroots efforts.
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
“It’s so exciting that people are getting back into the swing of things and doing what they do best. For my county corn grower associations, that’s being in touch with the public and reaching out to fellow farmers to bring people together in a grassroots effort to support agriculture,” said Kennedy Janssen, DFM for MCGA’s District 3, which includes 19 central Minnesota counties, from Crow Wing to Nicollet.
Each county organization does things in a slightly different way, and that’s what Janssen loves about the job, in which she serves as a liaison between the local and statewide corn organizations.
This summer, the Benton/Sherburne Corn Growers Association is bringing back its Ag Careers Day. More than 100 kids from the school districts around St. Cloud and Buffalo come to a farm site where they learn from ag professionals at 10 different stations representing everything from engineering and agronomy to sales and communications.
The Dakota/Rice County Corn & Soybean Growers Association is planning a Better Fuel Initiative event at a Kwik Trip in Lakeville to continue spreading the word about the benefits of unleaded 88, a 15% ethanol fuel blend.
“The goal is to get more and more contact with the non-ag community,” Janssen said. “We’re finding that people are receptive to our message about the benefits of unleaded 88: saving them money, helping the environment and helping support our local communities.”
Membership is a big priority for the Morrison/Crow Wing County Corn Growers Association. For an upcoming membership-day event, they are inviting all their members to a tractor pull in Alexandria, with a focus on building camaraderie.
“They just really want to get together because they have been missing that,” Janssen said.
Variety plots offer an objective demonstration of the performance of different corn hybrids, and the Wright/Hennepin County Corn Growers Association is focusing its efforts this growing season on creating the most useful plot for farmers at its site in Buffalo.
The Le Sueur/Scott County Corn & Soybean Growers Association will continue this coming year its program of naming one or two high school juniors to sit on its board. The board finds the students’ voices useful in its deliberations, and, at the end of the year, it awards them college scholarships. The next pair of students are due to be selected in August.
The McLeod County Corn & Soybean Growers Association will host its annual meeting in late August. This year it decided to make it a more casual, fun event by bringing it to the McLeod County Fairgrounds during the county fair. As in years past, grower-leaders will have a speaker and present scholarships during the event. They also will present an award to recognize leadership in agriculture.
The Mille Lacs/Isanti/Kanabec/Chisago/Pine County Corn Growers Association, which covers a large geographic area, will offer its first-ever variety plot this year in Princeton. It also sponsors a breakfast-on-the-farm event.
The Nicollet/Sibley County Corn & Soybean Growers Association is doing a membership drive this summer.
“For this event, they are going to have members visit neighbors and make a whole day of it,” Janssen said. “They plan to involve the entire board of directors of the two counties. Everyone who signs up will get a T-shirt. They want to create an event that is more personal. It’s literally a drive. To physically meet people. There is a desire to see people again after the pandemic year.”
Janssen grew up in Sherburn, Minnesota, and took part in 4-H and FFA, which led her to make agriculture her career. She attended the University of Minnesota to study ag marketing and international agriculture.
“The essence of this job as a DFM is to solve problems and try to work with the many different goals and expectations and priorities that each group has. I love that,” said Janssen, who has been a DFM for two and a half years.
“But ultimately, the county organizations have the same goal,” she added. “They want to support their community and the state and continue to build up the reputation of corn growers.”
Meet and connect with your local DFM here, and read more about MCGA District 1 and MCGA District 5.
MCGA is building a more sustainable future for the state’s corn farmers. Like all grassroots organizations, MCGA gathers its strength from its members. Join today!
