Catching up with the Council: Dave Vipond
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.
Dave Vipond, MCR&PC member
Mahnomen, Minnesota
Tell us about your farm.
I grew up on a farm near Herman, Minnesota, but moved to Mahnomen 35 years ago. In about 2001, my wife and I decided to branch off on our own into our own crop insurance business and to farm for ourselves. My two sons, as they have gotten older, have joined the farming operation. We are all partners, each with one-third ownership in both the farm and the insurance business. We also have three daughters who are not involved in the farm. We raise about 60% corn and 40% edible beans, a rotation we transitioned to a few years ago. We have added irrigation to our farm, and that’s added to our diversification.
What do you love about farming and what do you find to be the most challenging aspects of it?
What I love about farming is being out and producing something, creating something new every year. Using the land to produce food and fuel and just being able to work outside and work with your family are all aspects of farming that I love.
A few years ago I would have said the most challenging part of farming is the weather, but right now I would say the most challenging part of farming is the regulations and the political landscape.
Why is it important for you to participate in Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council?
What drew me to the MCR&PC was just to learn more about how we are marketing our crops and how the check-off helps increase our income and strengthen our sustainability as farmers. The more you get into it, the more you see how important Minnesota Corn is to market development. There are a lot of people out there who don’t really know much about where their food comes from. They seem to think it just comes from a grocery store. They don’t realize that somebody actually has to grow it and raise it. The same goes for some of the misunderstanding about biofuels. Biofuels like corn ethanol adds tremendous value for Minnesota’s economy and helps us achieve the goals of clean air that everyone supports. Minnesota Corn and other farmer organizations are working together to make sure biofuels have a long-term place in our energy sector.
Who is someone you look to as a great example of leadership, who inspires you by their example?
The folks on the Minnesota Corn board inspire me the most. Their contribution, their devotion to the growers and this industry, is extraordinary, along with their down-to-earth approach and willingness to dig in and learn what it takes to connect with people. MCGA President Dana Allen-Tully just went out to Washington, D.C., to testify for the Farm Bill. That’s because of her leadership. She is a person people listen to; they can understand her and trust her. That’s what’s been the most inspiring to me: The people on the Minnesota Corn board who have leadership roles, who have stepped up and made a real difference.
How do you like to spend free time?
A hobby I’ve had for a long, long time is flying airplanes. I just flew down to the Minnesota Corn board meeting yesterday. I like that there are no stop signs, no speed limits, no construction, and there’s nobody up there (over northern and central Minnesota). We’ve flown to Florida. We’ve been to several Commodity Classics. Besides that, we do have a fishing boat that doesn’t get used nearly enough. We have a lake place, and we love to hang out there with the kids and grandkids.
What is something about farming that might be surprising to the average consumer?
I think the amount of money a farmer invests per acre just to produce a crop would surprise many people. In a year like this, with all the weather challenges, you can invest $600-$700 per acre and not know what kind of return you will get.
