The results are in! The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) is pleased to announce that five grower leaders have been elected and reelected to the board of directors. Tasked with directing soybean checkoff dollars to increase profitability to Minnesota soybean farmers, MSR&PC’s elected board of 15 directors are dedicated to maximizing checkoff dollars in three core areas: research, promotion and education.

Elected to their first terms on the MSR&PC board are Corey Hanson, representing District 1, 2 & 3, and Joel Schreurs, who will represent District 7. Hanson will replace Kris Folland, who served nine years on MSR&PC, while Schreurs will fill the position vacated by Jim Willers, who retires from MSR&PC after 21 years of checkoff leadership.

“We’re super excited to have two new directors joining us to serve our state’s soybean farmers and see which ideas they bring forward,” said Gail Donkers, MSR&PC vice chair and election chair. “It’s a high learning curve, so we’re excited to bring them along, but we also thank Jim and Kris for going above and beyond for the Council.”

Though Hanson and Schreurs are new to the MSR&PC board, both have extensive experience representing Minnesota soybean growers on the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) board. In addition, Schreurs represents the Council on the U.S. Soybean Export Council.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of directing checkoff funds and working with my fellow farmer leaders,” Schreurs said. “I think the Council is thinking outside the box, and I’m excited to be part of this team and out in front of people promoting the checkoff.”

Hanson, who grows soybean, corn and alfalfa on a cow/calf operation, currently serves as president of the Norman County Corn & Soybean Growers Board, a group that helps promote soy at the local level.

“I want to help Minnesota farmers understand how soy checkoff dollars work to benefit our state’s farmers, along with showing the differences between MSGA and MSR&PC,” Hanson said. 

Council vets reelected

Returning to MSR&PC’s board are District 4 Director Paul Freeman of Fergus Falls; Cole Trebesch, from Springfield, representing District 8; and District 9 Director Ben Storm, who farms in Dover.

“The collaboration between MSR&PC and MSGA makes this one of the leading organizations in the state,” Trebesch said. “It’s a fun organization to be a part of.”

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture administers the election, and more than 3,700 Minnesota farmers received ballots. New and returning directors will begin their three-year terms on July 1.

“During my first two terms on the Council, we started some exciting projects,” Storm told Soybean Business magazine. “I’m excited to be able to see them through. It’s been a great learning experience and I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve Minnesota’s soybean growers in the proper use of their checkoff dollars.”

Minnesota’s checkoff program has helped improve the farm economy across more than a half-century. Half of the state’s soybean checkoff funds stay in Minnesota, with the other half invested by the United Soybean Board. The national soybean checkoff is federally mandated by the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act. Those funds are directed toward building new markets, addressing agronomic issues and growing demand for soy.

“It has been very gratifying to see and understand the wide range of benefits this wise investment brings to Minnesota soybean farmers,” Freeman said. “I’ve witnessed the progress and can see the many ways that the one half of one percent we pay into the checkoff returns value to the producer.”