The new crop

It’s no coincidence the annual SCC Ag Symposium takes place on South Central College’s campus in North Mankato, Minn. Certainly the school has the facilities to deliver a quality event; but the real golden ring was the hundred or so students who attended.

This year’s symposium, which took place on Feb. 16, featured a dozen exhibits in the lecture hall’s foyer area and many of the big guns were present: Christenson Farms, Compeer Financial, Crystal Valley Ag, Profinium, GreenSeam … just to name a few. Many of these companies help sponsor the Symposium and it works out well for all parties. The South Central College Foundation gets a financial boost and the companies get a crack at the students. And recruiting was on.

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By Paul Malchow

brought into focus how vital a dependable workforce is.”

So in the dog-eat-dog world of recruiting workers, how to you offer competitive salaries and benefits without tipping the scales of a profitable business? “We have to work smarter,” admitted Keinholz. “We have to come up with innovations that will attract younger generations.”

The Symposium kicked off with a three-person panel moderated by Dr. Megan Roberts. Fielding Roberts’ questions were Jase Wagner, president and CEO of Compeer Financial; Roger Keinholz, CEO of Crystal Valley; and Sheryl Meshke, president and CEO of Associated Milk Producers Inc. — probably better known as AMPI.

Each of the executives took a turn touting the impressive statistics of their respective companies. They also were candid about the challenges they are currently facing: workplace security, supply issues and a looming recession which could be just one interest hike away.

But far and away, on top of everyone’s list was finding workers. “So much of our organization hinges on rural development,” said Wagner, “and we’re not able to do everything because we are not fullstaffed.”

All three panelists agreed a career in agriculture isn’t exclusively manure, boots and mud. Accountants, engineers, scientists and computer geeks can all find a home in agriculture. “The people we’re recruiting don’t necessarily have a farm background,” Keinholz said.

The GreenSeam organization, with its ties to Minnesota State University – Mankato, is working to make inroads in connecting students with the modern world of agriculture. A burgeoning interest in the FFA program also bodes well for creating a deep pool of ag professional prospects.

But the needs of the ag industry are immediate and a company’s financial stability can be shaken with a bad growing season … or a pandemic. “Our plants had to run 24/7,” said Meshke. “It really

Wagner and Keinholz agreed the new crop of workers entering the agriculture arena now will probably not be with their company in a few years. “New opportunities come up, chances for advancement,” Wagner said. Keinholz is a prime example. After graduating from North Dakota State University, Keinholz spent four years on active duty as a paratrooper in a combat Airborne Engineer unit. After the service, he owned and operated a boat dealership before becoming involved in a management apprentice program through Land O’ Lakes and Crystal Cooperative. He then spent the next years managing different cooperatives. In 2000 he became the General Manager of Crystal Co-op in Lake Crystal.

“The career path is never straight,” said Meshke. n

Grain Marketing Economist Ed Usset is with the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. An author and instructor, Usset shared his grain marketing insights at the SCC Ag Symposium.

The complexities of grain marketing have always kept me on the sidelines — watching a sport I wasn’t familiar with and having problems “just picking it up.” Bull markets, bear markets, futures, basis … all spoken in a foreign language I don’t fully understand.

Usset changed that (a little).

He explained there are seasonal patterns for the price of corn and soybeans in Minnesota and Iowa: low in October, high in June. “To have a good marketing plan,” Usset said, “you have to be proactive — looking ahead. Not reactive, not over-reactive and not inactive.”

Usset went on to talk about pre-harvest pricing and tracking basis and storage costs and exit strategies. Most of it seems to make sense … maybe even common sense. But I have a new respect for what farmers need to know when selling their year’s work.