Talent in the GreenSeam

I speak with many over 2,700 square-foot businesses and orga- greenhouse, an active nizations across the FFA program, and region regarding their over 350 students in current and future 10 course offerings.” community.” challenges and opportunities. The overwhelming challenge mentioned most often is finding a reliable workforce. Businesses need people to fill the gaps within their organizations. Without people, they cannot grow. Without TALENT IN THE GREENSEAM By Garrett Lieffring Caleb claims this success “is directly related to our instructors developing a program/curriculum that meets our student’s interests and the needs of our growth, they struggle to survive. Brynn Bohlke has long been In 2019 and after a 25-plus year absence of agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) courses in the district, Mankato Area Public Schools developed a public-private partnership which created a new AFNR pathway for students. Caleb Watson, career pathway coordinator at Mankato Area Public Schools writes, “During 2019, MAPS offered one AFNR course that enrolled 40 students across the district. Since then, our program has grown to include two full-time instructors, an involved with 4-H and FFA, and reflects on her experience by saying “I knew 4-H and FFA to be organizations that were exclusively for farmer’s kids to gather, show animals, and show off their hard work. It never occurred to me that there was much more to it than that. But of course, it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to be a part of the agriculture education program and participate in events and interact with the local agriculture community that my perspective drastically changed.”

Machine Storage

~ Hire Your Local Contractor ~ ~ Save Money on a Material Package ~

(Non-Constructed)

35 lb Trusses; 50 lb Ground Snow Load DataCAD Drawings for Construction All Wind, Lateral, Catwalk, Corner, and Knee Bracing Included Solid, Nail-Laminated Columns Colored Screw Fasteners

Guaranteed Complete (When constructed according to supplied drawings)

Material Packages DO NOT INCLUDE: Labor, Tax, or Delivery

Grizzly Supply, Inc.

Helping Bohlke change her perspective were instructors Ethan Dado and Robin Tidd. “They have done a wonderful job of being mentors and teachers to me about the world of agriculture and all it really has to offer,” Bohlke stated. “They’ve opened the eyes of many students — including myself — to the possibilities within the industry beyond the harvesting crops and raising livestock. They’ve been able to show and truly emphasize that FFA is for all — and that goes beyond kids with farming backgrounds. FFA offers the chance to learn and build on top of things like leadership, creativity, entrepreneurship, careers, and skills that you will be able to utilize throughout your life.”

“When we can relate what we are teaching to the students’ lives, that not only helps them understand the topic better, but helps them realize why it’s important to learn,” said Dado. “It is our job as teachers to answer the question, “why are we learning this.” In our AFNR courses, we can easily answer this by talking about food, fuel and fiber. Our students do not realize their connections to our industry until we connect them to the supply chain. Students also learn best by having hands-on learning on top of lecturing and discussions. Anywhere from 40 to 85 percent of our class time is spent on labs and hands-on learning. It also helps students of all backgrounds (rural, suburban, urban) understand why agriculture and natural resources are important and impact them.”

Tidd grew up in the city and recognizes the importance of students getting involved in agriculture education. “Taking agriculture classes and being involved in 4-H and FFA exposed me to careers I didn’t know were out there,” she said. “I want to show you don’t have to live on a farm to be involved with agriculture. Even if students choose to not go into a career within the agriculture field, it is important for them to understand where their food and other resources come from.”

Tidd and Dado have helped create catchy class names such as “Pets and Paws” for the Introduction to Animal Science course. “We work hard to build relationships with our students and once we get to know them, their strengths and interests, we inform them of future courses to take … we structure our classes so that every day is different! Throughout each of the classes we learn about different topics through discussions, labs, activities and presentations,” Tidd said.

Attracting and educating the future talent in AFNR doesn’t stop in high schools. Dr. Shane Bowyer finds “most students only see ag careers as on the farm getting dirty, driving a tractor, and milking cows. However, when we start to talk about technology and the business side of the industry, they start to see things a little different.”

Bowyer is the director of Minnesota State University Mankato’s AgriBusiness and Food Innovation program. He continues to remind students “these careers include data analysts, engineers, accountants and more. These are good, high-paying jobs that can be found in agriculture and food whether it is in a small town or the big city. Educators need to present these opportunities through examples, bringing in industry professionals, and taking tours.”

Megan Roberts, executive director of the Minnesota State Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence, says, “The Minnesota State Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence supports all Minnesota State system faculty and students to promote workforce development and career promotion in agriculture, food and natural resources. Our goals are to inspire students to pursue careers in this field, enhance educational opportunities, and engage with industry to meet workforce needs.” SACE holds summer camps, engages in secondary classroom visits, hosts professional development workshops and more.

Educators and industry leaders are stepping up to the plate to support the workforce of tomorrow. If you are interested in joining this effort, consider being a mentor, speaking with a class, hosting students for a job shadow, or inviting a class to tour your facility. These things matter and students, more than ever, are looking for these opportunities to connect.

Whether students want to be a farmer, accountant, chemical applicator, business analyst, computer scientist, welder, machinist, teacher or business owner, there is a place for them in rural Minnesota.

It is said it takes a village to raise a child. It could also be said it takes a region to raise a workforce. v

By DICK HAGEN is an increasing problem. We’ve got good The Land Staff Writer Emeritus guys now. I like to start with young high

Thanks to their relentless ambitions, school kids and work with them until American farmers also occasionally have they’re ready to out and do their own remarkable adventures. Case in point is thing.” my Northwood, Iowa farmer friend Tom The crew spent nearly five weeks in Stevens, who a few years back got into northern Minnesota last season and the custom hay baling service as a means required accommodations for their home of generating extra income for his Worth away from home. “We purchased a camper County farm. unit,” Stevens explained. “Before we left,

Stevens has had his share of unexpect- my good wife packed us up pretty well ed adventures too … like this past season with clothes, food and other provisions. If when he and his ‘baling crew’ traveled we didn’t want to eat from the camper, over 500 miles into northern Minnesota we’d just pull out and drive to a restaufor a most unusual, but rewarding, baling rant. My wife stayed at the farm attendexpedition. We recently had a chance to ing to things — plus we had some local settle into a couple of well-used chairs baling around the Northwood area also. and chat about that experience. We do around 4,000 acres down here.”

To start off, I asked Stevens how long What are some of the common snags he has been operating at his Worth involved in custom baling? “About like County location? “I started farming with any baler,” Stevens shrugged, “the pickmy dad when I was just a kid,” he said. ups — but you always got to pay attention (His grandfather, L.G. Stevens and brothto the knotters. These balers have six er Alan were both prominent hog produc- knotters (six strings) and they put on two ers). “My wife Amber and I moved to this knots per string; so each bale has 12 farm in 2000. We’re just a couple miles knots. A guy really has to learn how to southeast of Northwood on Pheasant Avenue South.” The Stevens family includes daughter Skylar, age 28 and son Joshua, age 17.) looking for custom hay balers. Pretty soon I had a guy calling me from northern Minnesota. Ended up doing about 8,000 bales up there last season in the Warroad and Baudette, Minn, area … only about 10 miles from Lake of the Woods. I never even thought there was farmland up there; but we ended up with 24 baling customers in our first expedition into the work on knotters. Ninety percent of the time we can fix our own knotter problems and our local guy is very adept if needed. Even when baling up north, he’d give us directions over the cell phone on how to remedy our problems. Daniel Sholwalter of Clearview Ag, north of Saint Ansgar is the guy and he’s a gem.” north country.” See BALING, pg. 12 Most of those bales were loaded onto semis and went west to Wyoming and Montana to be ground up for cattle feedlots. “These were square bales,” said MAINSTREETBUSINESSES FOCUSED Stevens, “3 by 4 by 8-feet — because they fit so well ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (MBFFA)on these flatbed semi trailers. We averaged about 1,175-pounds per bale. We were baling straw from Are you afood and agriculture business looking harvested bluegrass seed. They grow lots of blueto expand in Southern Minnesota? grass seed up there, so we were baling the straw after combining. After that, we went into cereal rye Contact us todayfor no-cost,customized consulting from a team of experts to identify potential partners, build networks, and then into wheat. The wheat straw was by far the and drive solutions for yourbusiness. Tim and Amber Stevwns Photo by Dick Hagen easiest … most density and just good baling.” Stevens said last year the rate for his service was PARTNERSHIPS@MNSU.EDU LEARN MORE! |HTTPS://LINK.MNSU.EDU/MBFFA |507-389-1624 $30 a ton. With price increases on fuel and other expenses, he knows he will have to increase baling prices; but hasn’t yet decided the new rates. “We have two balers; plus a large bale stacker which we pull with another tractor. We load each bale and stack them at the edge of the field.” “Today a new baler costs about $175,000; the Mill Stacker — made in Fruitland, Idaho — was about $125,000. I also have a roundbaler, McHale brand name, made in Ireland. I’ve run Vermeer balers made in Pella, Iowa. “We usually have a three-man crew and ideally a fourth guy to shuffle us around and help out as needed,” Stevens went on to say. “Finding good help Funded (in part) through agrantwith the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Tim Stevens stands in front of the baler which is part of the caravan he brings for custom baling jobs. He said a new baler will cost in the neigborhood of $175,000.

Stevens reminisced on how the whole custom baling operation came into being. “We bought a couple of big square balers from a local guy and decided we’d like to take them out and see how much custom work we might be able to generate,” he said. “I mentioned to him that I’d like to take these rigs out west or up north to see about getting into custom baling business.”

Constantly running a baler places stress on the equipment most farmers won’t experience. “We’re running Massey Ferguson (Heston 2270 high densiity balers)” Stevens explained. “My dealer talked with someone in Kansas who had access to farmers

BALING, from pg. 11

Stevens had a unique experience getting his stack loader home last season. This bale stacker is too big to fit on his flatbed trailer, so he hitches it behind his tractor which cruises at about 30 miles per hour down the highway. It was about 200 miles into the trip home between Belgrade and Brooten, Minn. when a rear tire blew out at 2:45 in the morning. “I sat around for a while, then got on the internet access. Of course, nobody would answer their phone until 7:30. Nobody stopped along the highway either. I would gladly have taken a lift into town if someone had stopped. It took about 12 hours — from 2:45 a.m. until about 2:45 p.m. — until I was equipped with two new tires (both rear wheels) and ready to roll again. It was about 560 miles so didn’t get home until about 4 p.m. Monday.”

At 52 years old, Stevens is pleased with the business he has developed and plans to continue as long as body and mind prevail. When we spoke, he was making plans to head north for this year’s baling expedition. “They’re about 30 days behind up there, so it’s probably a late August start for our crew this season,” Stevens said. “Lots of 40-foot headers on combines up in the wheat country, so these big rigs leave a big enough swath for our balers too. Down here, it looks like we’re going to have a great crop again this season. I suspect we may be getting calls from North Dakota and South Dakota farmers soon too. In good weather, with both rigs we can do upwards of 250 acres in a day … and that amounts to nearly 800 bales.”

Custom baling aside, Stevens has his own spread to operate — about 700 acres. “I run about 100 acres alfalfa hay and the other 600 acres on a corn/soybean rotation. I raised hogs for years; but when that financial squeeze came on is when I started this custom hay baling idea. I always like to have some livestock, so hired a local guy to do some baling of my alfalfa to feed my cows. When I saw his charges for custom hay baling, which was round bales, that’s when I thought maybe I should look at the custom hay baling business too and it just sort of expanded from there.”

Stevens said he felt the farm economy is pretty good right now; but the general economy is “tanking” and the farm economy usually follows that same pattern. “We’ve got to make what we can when we can and trust the good Lord will favor us accordingly,” he said. “But I’m discontent with the growing amount of farm land moving in the CRP (Conservation Reserve Program). Sure, one can talk the benefits of conservation; but it keeps lessening farming opportunities for younger guys wanting to make a start at farming. USDA data shows farming acres across America keep diminishing — getting bigger, but fewer isn’t the answer for American agriculture!”

As I got up to leave, Stevens said he treasures the friendships he has made with farmers in northern Minnesota. “They are resilient,” he stated. “They learn when to bend and make adjustments as needed. Just a good bunch of guys up there. We really got good rapport with the farmers up there. A lot of the fun of going up there was meeting these farmers and viewing their farm life. v

Please read attached email

CODE AND REP NAMES ALREADY ON AD THE LAND 3.417 x2”

The Land Photo submitted Stevens travels with a three, sometimes four-man crew. He said finding good workers is a challenge and he’s happy with the ones he has got.

Hay and straw directory available

AMES, Iowa — Dry conditions and extreme heat have slowed the growth of hay and straw in some parts of Iowa. If you’re short on supply, consider finding a seller through the free hay and straw directory offered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

More than 70 farms and farm companies are listed as selling hay and/or straw across the state, with details about the crop, as well as information about delivery, custom baling and hay grinding services.

Farmers who are interested in selling hay or straw can add their information, and are encouraged to update their listing regularly.

Sixty percent of the state is abnormally dry, according to the Aug. 4 U.S. Drought Monitor, and more than 30 percent is experiencing a moderate drought. In northwest Iowa, some counties are experiencing d

CUSTOM FENCE BUILDERS

severe and extreme drought conditions.

“Dry conditions in some areas have impacted pastures and hay yields,” said Russ Euken, beef and swine specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “So far, most row crops in all but the driest areas have not been impacted too severely, but hot and dry conditions going forward will have more impact on yields.”

“The directory gives sellers a place to make people aware of what they have to sell and buyers a place to find forage they may need,” said Euken.

Denise Schwab, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist in northeastern Iowa, said producers commonly rely on local hay and straw auctions, but she added that the state directory is another useful tool. Schwab said many parts of the state, including northeast Iowa, have generally had a good haying season, but variability persists across the state.

The directory allows users to search by product and by county. Anyone can view the hay and straw directory, but only Iowa sellers are included on the list.

If you are a farmer interested in selling hay or straw and need to update your information, consider creating an account in the online system, or contact Judy Allison at (515) 281-8604 or judy.allison@ iowaagriculture.gov.

This article was submitted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. v