Catching up with the Council: Duane Epland
The Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC), which oversees the Minnesota corn check-off, is led by 11 grower-leaders from across the state with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. In our “Catching up with the Council” interview series, we’ll learn about their farms, work with Minnesota Corn, and thoughts on agriculture. Interviews for the project are by Jonathan Eisenthal.
Duane Epland, MCR&PC vice chair
Twin Lakes, Minnesota
Tell us about your farm: Where is it, what do you grow, how long have you farmed, who do you farm with, and how long has your family farmed this land?
I have been farming for over 40 years and currently grow corn and soybeans with my brother, Bruce. Our father started the home farm in 1960, and our mom’s side started here about the same time. Our farm in Twin Lakes is right on the Minnesota-Iowa border. It extends from Interstate 35, 25 miles to the west. We also have fields near Joyce, Iowa, to just south of Interstate 90.
We had our struggles in the 1980s, but my dad started a trucking company that pulled us through. When my wife and I got married, we had operating loans for the farm at 19 to 20 percent interest. She was making $3.50 an hour as a teller at a bank and was supplying the health care, handling the day care, and put the groceries on the table.
Now, we have an excellent team of employees, including an office manager who operates out of what used to be our trucking office and a former mechanic from Kibble Equipment. One of our truck drivers has been with us for 22 years. My dad, Jerry is still active at 83. He stops by the farm daily to check what’s going on. Additionally, our spouses play a critical role in the success of the operation. My sister-in-law, Lisa, and my wife, Jean, are still currently working off the farm as well, though they are hinting at retirement.
Why did you join the MCR&PC?
My brother and I are always up for a challenge; we don’t sit on the sidelines and complain. I want to find solutions to problems, and I believe we need positive people on all sides of issues that come up. That was what really made me join. It’s only four meetings a year on paper, but it is a whole lot more than that. We’re always learning and looking for the next ground-breaking research. We want to invest in opportunities for corn farmers and that’s just what we do. Fortunately, I have an understanding partner in my brother, who was on an ethanol plant board before, so he knows the demands and he’s understanding when I have council commitments.
Do you have particular goals that you would like to pursue as a grower-leader?
One goal is to further expand the use of ethanol and other corn-based products. Sustainable aviation fuel is fantastic, and ClearFlame EngineTechnology in the diesel truck market is looking great.
[More: Learn about Minnesota Corn’s investment in ClearFlame on the Minnesota Corn Podcast]
Additionally, one of the biggest things is to continue to fund academic research. The University of Minnesota is such a great institution for learning focused on agriculture, agribusiness, and ag research. They are our biggest partner. North Dakota State and South Dakota State are also great. The Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council partners with them all to underwrite amazing research that helps farmers. The Upper Midwest is blessed to have so many great agricultural research institutions.
Who has inspired you by their example? What did you find inspiring about them?
My go-to guy is Gary Prescher, the current MCR&PC chair. I have his back, and he assures me that he has my back.
Whenever I am at a meeting of the MCGA board and MCR&PC, it’s a learning experience. I can’t say enough about the staff—Executive Director and CEO Adam Birr and his team—and that is why Minnesota Corn has such strong membership.
How do you like to spend your free time? Do you have hobbies? Play a sport? Like to travel?
We have a Jeep, and we hit two-lane blacktops, destination unknown. We have a daughter who lives in Wyoming, and I have connections in Alabama and Arkansas, who we like to visit. Sometimes, the unknown can be the most pleasant surprise … I still a passion for getting out and seeing the world.
What do you think is something about farming that might be surprising to the average consumer?
The reality is farmers are working year-round. It may seem that we are not busy in the winter and the summer, but all kinds of things have to happen in all those times of the year so we can hit the ground running in our busiest times: planting and harvest.
