After growing up on the family farm in southwest Minnesota, Pat Hennen questioned the wisdom of plying a trade that depends on the whims of Mother Nature.

“I enjoyed farming, but remember saying to my dad when I was in college, ‘I don’t know why anyone would want to be a farmer and rely on the weather,’” Hennen says, laughing. “But it usually seems to work out.”

Fortunately for Hennen, his Lyon County farm was spared the historic rains that other counties in his region endured this growing season.

“We’ve been very fortunate so far,” he says.

Hennen grows corn and soybeans with his brothers, Steve and Andrew, and son, Philip, on the family farm in Gent, Minn. Hennen serves on the Lyon County Corn and Soybean Growers Board, and has been an MSGA member for more than 20 years. He continues to invest in MSGA because he knows his investment is helping farmers have a voice in the state and federal capitals.

“I don’t have time to go lobby for myself up in the Cities,” he says, “and I think it’s important that farmers continue to be represented in St. Paul and D.C. My membership ensures someone is looking out for our best interests.”

The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association is the nation’s largest soybean association because farmers and agribusinesses have recognized the value MSGA membership brings. ‘Faces of MSGA’ recognizes those members who actively promote Minnesota’s soybean industry.