As the saying goes, “The future depends on what we do in the present.”
That adage is top of mind for leaders of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC).
“The soybean industry is continually faced with new challenges,” MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka said. “The checkoff is always thinking ahead on how we can be more effective and proactive, not only for our soybean farmers, but the researchers.”
Enter the Future of Soy Summit.
Every two years, the checkoff hosts the Future of Soy Summit to bring together farmers, industry leaders and researchers to challenge the status quo and address these issues head on.
After identifying those topics around current challenges, a robust agenda is built.
Diving deeper
Every leadership path looks different, but they all start with a step.
For current Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) Vice President Ryan Mackenthun, leaping into leadership meant immersing himself in unfamiliar topics.
“I remember walking into one of my first board meetings and they were talking about dredging the Mississippi River,” Mackenthun said during an emerging leader panel. “I felt like I was in way over my head, but after a few meetings and a few discussions with other directors, I quickly became more engaged with the happenings within the organization.”
For MSR&PC Vice Chair Gail Donkers, her pathway to leadership looked different. From being involved in numerous organizations, Donkers mentioned finding the organizations that you are passionate about.
“It is important to find your people,” Donkers said. “And that is what (Minnesota) Soybean has done for me.”
Donkers credits her family and her job at Minnesota Farmers Union in aiding in her ability to volunteer.
“I was told when I first started my job at Minnesota Farmers Union, ‘Your position at Minnesota Soybean is just as important as your job at Minnesota Farmers Union. If you work hard at your job at Minnesota Farmers Union, I will let you go do whatever you need to do with Minnesota Soybean because you’re fighting for Minnesota farmers every day you are working there.’”
The future isn’t just the challenges the soybean industry faces, but also the next leaders making those decisions to increase soybean profitability.
Therefore, the Summit not only brings current soy leaders to the table but identifies individuals who want to further their leadership within the organization.
Meeker County soybean farmer Cole Anderson’s leadership track started at the Emerging Workshop program held at this year’s past MN Ag Expo, which was launched in 2024 by MSGA and supported by the soy checkoff.
“I wanted to learn how everything is affiliated, and learn the direction soy is moving forward, too,” Anderson said.
As for Kelsey Henke, her experience with the checkoff was much different. For the past couple years, she has been a leader on the county board level for the Nicollet-Sibley County Corn & Soybean Growers.
“I looked at this as an opportunity to grow what I can do for our county and eventually do for the state level,” Henke said. “I am here to soak up as much as I can to be better in future.”
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