Minnesota Crop Improvement Association is seeking candidates for 2 positions on its 11-member Board of Directors. The positions are: Director for District 1 and director for District 2 (see accompanying MCIA Board District map). The District 1 seat is currently held by Brad Barth, who is eligible for re-election. The District 2 seat is currently held by Bob Ehlers, who is not eligible for re-election.
These positions are Category A Directors, who are elected by and from the members of MCIA at its Annual Meeting to serve three-year terms. The Board of Directors is the Association’s policy-making body. It is required to hold at least two regular meetings per calendar year in addition to the Annual Meeting. MCIA’s 2022 Annual Meeting will be held January 12, 2022.
If you are interested in serving on the MCIA Board of Directors or would like to nominate someone, please contact MCIA President/CEO Fawad Shah at 1-800-510-6242 or by e-mail at fawad.shah@mncia.org.
Recipients of the 1943 Premier Seedsman Award: Hiram Johnson, Conrad Nietfeld, Charles V. Simpson, and Oscar J. Olson.
We encourage members to submit nominations for MCIA’s annual Honorary Premier Seedsman, Premier Seedsman, and Achievement in Crop Improvement awards, which will be presented at the MCIA Annual Meeting, January 12, 2022.
If you know a producer, seed conditioner, or supporter of MCIA deserving of recognition for their service to the seed industry, involvement in MCIA, and contributions to their community, or if you have questions about nomination requirements, please contact Roger Wippler at 1-800-510-6242 or by e-mail at wippl002@umn.edu.
At every annual meeting of the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association, the association’s president reports on MCIA’s activities over the past year and provides an assessment of the state of the organization. Following are highlights from Dr. Fawad Shah’s presentation to MCIA’s membership on January 13, 2021.
MCIA’s responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by developing and implementing a preparedness plan, adopted from CDC and MDH guidelines to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the MCIA staff.
MCIA is in good financial health. The fiscal year 2019–2020 was very successful, and MCIA investment funds also saw strong growth. Growth in Organic Services continued and yielded another profitable year. Bailey Webster was hired to fill an open organic certification specialist/inspector position, after Susan Stewart’s retirement. Carl Anfinson was hired in Foundation Seed Services to fill the open seed production coordinator position. Field inspection districts were realigned, increasing the number of districts from three to four. Tom Keskey and Dan Krenz were hired as field supervisors to fill district three and four positions.
MCIA established a relationship with West Central Technology to provide MCIA with IT support services. In April, MCIA launched a new website. The new website is secure, mobile-friendly, and improved site navigation.
MCIA has developed a 99% Non-GMO Corn Seed Program. It has been approved by AOSCA’s IP program standards.
MCIA continues to collaborate with the University of Minnesota (UMN) in protecting the intellectual property rights of university-developed crop varieties. MCIA joined with the Farmers Yield Initiative, UMN’s general counsel and the dean and director of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to address the issue of “brown bagging” and level the playing field for all seed producers and sellers.
MCIA’s Seed Laboratory successfully developed and implemented a Quality Management System and received accreditation by the USDA’s Accredited Seed Laboratory Program. Manager Chase Mowry became qualified as a Canadian Seed Grader. Now, seed tested and graded in the MCIA Seed Laboratory can be shipped into Canada without further testing. Thus, saving customers time and expense. Seed Technologist Sam Banks recently passed his Registered Seed Technologist exam.
MCIA’s priorities for fiscal year 2020–2021 include training of new staff, completion of the database project, adding new lab services, supporting the sale of PVP-protected varieties, and continued efforts to identify local, regional, and international opportunities to increase the visibility of MCIA.
Note: The full, official minutes of the 2021 MCIA Annual Meeting, which include the President’s Report, were published in the spring 2021 issue of the Minnesota Seed Grower.
On January 13, 2021, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association presented its highest honor, the Achievement in Crop Improvement Award, to Dr. Don Wyse, Professor of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. The award, presented annually since 1972, recognizes exemplary service to the seed industry as well as outstanding leadership in agriculture. Dr. Wyse has made significant contributions to grass seed production and is a well-respected teacher, researcher, and leader.
MCIA also recognized four Premier Seedsman awardees, Bob Ehlers of Elbow Lake, Clyde Kringlen of McIntosh, and Dean Terning and Dennis Terning of Cokato. Each year since 1928, MCIA has presented this award to recognize individuals or partners involved in quality seed production, active in MCIA, and who provide excellent service to the seed industry. University of Minnesota research scientist Donn Vellekson and veteran MCIA field inspector Randy Krzmarzick were the recipients of MCIA’s Honorary Premier Seedsman Award, which recognizes individuals not directly involved in seed production but who have actively supported the seed industry, MCIA, and their local community. MCIA has presented this award annually since 1930.
The awards were presented at the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association’s 118th Annual Meeting. The virtual event was hosted at MCIA’s office in St. Paul, Minnesota, January 13, 2021.
Dr. Don Wyse, University of Minnesota, professor and researcher, came to Minnesota in 1974 to accept a weed scientist position. The focus of his work quickly became quackgrass control in Kentucky bluegrass. Thus began a 45-year relationship with the grass seed producers in northern Minnesota. His work has been a key part in the success of the grass seed industry in Minnesota but has also benefited others in agriculture. He is a well-respected teacher, researcher, and leader. Don has taken the collaborative philosophy that helped the grass seed industry succeed and applied it to other initiatives in which he has been involved. Today, through the Forever Green Initiative, his work focuses on Kernza and other perennial and winter annual crops.
Read more about Dr. Wyse’s contributions to northern Minnesota’s grass seed industry here.
Premier Seedsman Awards
Bob Ehlers; Dean (back), Dennis (front), Doris (left) and Tonya Terning (right); Clyde Kringlen. Photos used by permission of the awardees.
Bob Ehlers has been a certified seed producer for 45 years. Today he owns and operates Red River Marketing Company near Elbow Lake. His entry into the seed business was based on the belief that, “Good year or bad, farmers will need quality seed every year.” Today he grows certified wheat and soybean seed. With a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Minnesota, Bob built his own approved seed conditioning facility in 1994; he was also a partner in building a second seed facility in Thompson, North Dakota. Bob is an active MCIA member, serving as vice chair of the board of directors. He has also been active in various local organizations, including his church and area school board.
Clyde Kringlen has been associated with certified seed since he and his father purchased McIntosh Farm Service in 1981. Operating their MCIA-approved seed facility, he worked with local seed growers conditioning and selling certified wheat, oats, and barley. Over the years, Clyde developed a passion for wheat production and today manages wheat seed production for West Central Ag Services. He sees the value of wheat in the rotation and enjoys seeing the advancements being made in wheat production. Clyde has also served his community in a variety of ways including the McIntosh Fire and Rescue, St. Mary’s Church, and the Larry Sing golf tournament to support ALS research.
Dean and Dennis Terning, of Cokato, grew up in a seed corn producing family. They also grew certified seed of small grains and soybeans, conditioning it in a seed plant built by their father Ralph. The brothers did all the jobs necessary for seed production and learned the importance of quality. In 1985, Dean and Dennis began producing hybrid seed corn for their retail brand, Terning Seeds. Those first two hybrids have grown into a large-scale seed corn production operation. Today they can produce, harvest, and dry seed corn from over 6,000 acres. They continue to work with other local seed companies and say much of their success is due to great employees who take pride in producing high quality seed.
Honorary Premier Seedsman Awards
Donn Vellekson and Randy Krzmarzick. Photos used by permission of the awardees.
Donn Vellekson began working at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, in 1975. As a research scientist, his career has been devoted to turf grass and forage seed production research. He grew up on a crop and livestock farm near Dawson, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Initially, his work focused on Kentucky bluegrass, timothy, and birdsfoot trefoil. Much of Donn’s work is done at the Magnusson Research Farm near Roseau and today perennial ryegrass is a primary emphasis. Over the years, he has received great cooperation from farmers and seed processors in the Roseau and Lake of the Woods area. Donn’s work on fertility, herbicides, winter hardiness, and seed production has been instrumental in the success of the Minnesota grass seed industry.
Randy Krzmarzick has been a reliable MCIA field inspector for 22 years. From his home farm near Sleepy Eye, he has walked thousands of acres across southwest Minnesota. Inspecting fields of oats, wheat, soybeans, and occasionally corn, Randy is a key part of the seed certification process. Each field must be evaluated prior to harvest for varietal purity, other crops, and weeds. His part-time work provides him the opportunity to meet people from family-owned operations to multinational corporations. As someone who loves the outdoors, he enjoys walking fields and is proud to play a small part in seed production. Randy is also involved in the Brown County Farmers Union, St. Mary’s Church, and the Sleepy Eye area food shelf.
The 2021 MCIA Annual Meeting, which was held today, January 13, 2021, included an election to fill four seats on the MCIA Board of Directors. Members re-elected incumbent board members Nancy Ehlke (Category B, University of Minnesota), Nat Forster (Category A, District 3B), and Denise Thiede (Category A, Related Industry). Members also elected Kelsey Henke, of Anderson Seeds, St. Peter, Minnesota, to fill an open board seat for District 3A (Category A).
Please plan to join us the morning of Wednesday, January 13, 2021, for MCIA’s 118th Annual Meeting. This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting will be held virtually, via Zoom. To keep our online time together to a manageable two hours, 9–11 a.m., we have organized a condensed, but informative, meeting program.
During the business meeting segment of the Annual Meeting, we will hear brief organizational and fiscal reports from officers of MCIA’s Board of Directors. We will also hold an election for open seats on the board.
Next, we will be joined by three seed industry experts. Each will give a 20-minute presentation. Andy LaVigne, President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association, will discuss the state of the industry—highlighting the Covid-19 pandemic and changes in the political environment. Brent Turnipseed, Manager of the South Dakota State University Seed Lab and Assistant Department Head of Agronomy, Horticulture, & Plant Science at SDSU, will address common issues in seed testing. Denise Thiede will provide an update from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Denise is MDA’s Seed, Weed, Hemp, and Biotechnology Section Manager and an MCIA board member.
Invited speakers include Andy LaVigne, Brent Turnipseed, and Denise Thiede.
We will fill out the program with MCIA’s annual award presentations. Don’t miss this opportunity to recognize the contributions and achievements of your seed industry colleagues. We will announce the recipients of the Honorary Premier Seedsman, Premier Seedsman, and the Achievement in Crop Improvement awards.
To register for the meeting, click here. To access meeting documents please visit our Annual Meeting page. If you have any questions about the meeting, please call us at 800-510-6242 or email mncia@mncia.org.
