‘A Huge Success’: MSGA Starts New Conversations During Annual Hill Visits

Feb 23, 2024

As the nation’s longest-running state soybean advocacy group, a dozen directors from the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) met with a slew of state legislators for the first time during its annual Hill Visits in St. Paul on Feb. 21. For farmer leaders, the initial conversations offered a platform to explain to legislators the basics on MSGA’s mission and policy priorities.

“Our Hill Visits were a huge success,” MSGA President Bob Worth said. “Not only did we get to see both sides of the aisle a lot, but we got to see people we’d never seen before. We had lots of good feedback through these new conversations.”

In 2024, MSGA is working to build on – and protect – its policy wins from 2023 while continuing to improve the outlook for Minnesota’s 25,000 soybean farmers. And with over 30 one-on-one legislative meetings during its Hill Visits, MSGA spread its messaging to both sides of the aisle.

“We want to thank MSGA for their advocacy and support,” said Andrea Vaubel, Minnesota Department of Agriculture deputy commissioner. “We’re excited to work with you on opportunities at the Port of Duluth and the amazing inroads we’ve made in Morocco.”

The push to B100

Biodiesel has been a big-ticket item for MSGA for two decades, beginning with the landmark move to B5 in 2005. This session, MSGA farmer leaders are encouraging any and all biodiesel implementation avenues, including the adoption of B100 (100% biodiesel) in state trucks, especially snowplows, through Optimus Technologies.

“We are drumming up support for B100,” said Jamie Beyer, who represents Minnesota on the American Soybean Association. “Farmers need to be part of the cutting carbon conversation; we’re part of the solution.”

Cities in states surrounding Minnesota have already started upgrading dozens of multi heavy-duty vehicles to B100 (100% biodiesel) to reach net-zero emission goals. Biodiesel is already cutting carbon in Minnesota; if the state wants to meet its environmental goals, it can continue to lead by adopting B100, MSGA Treasurer Ryan Mackenthun told Sen. Bruce Anderson.

“We already have the technology, and it’s reliable,” said Mackenthun, who farms in Brownton. “Biodiesel brings back value to rural Minnesota and our farmers.”

Talking shop

While on the Hill, MSGA highlighted the pressing need to continue addressing deer depredation. Farmers from across the state have reported substantial yield losses and damages totaling tens of thousands of dollars. In 2023, MSGA sought a bill that would assist Minnesota farmers whose operations and feed storage areas have been decimated by deer. Though the legislation didn’t pass, MSGA is continuing to urge legislators and state agencies to find solutions and assist affected operations.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.