One step inside Mike Youngerberg’s office inside the Minnesota Soybean headquarters and it’s like taking a visit to Hundred Acre Wood to get a dose of wisdom from Owl from Winnie the Pooh. You’re guaranteed to walk away with a newfound knowledge of your job at hand and a helpful token of insight about life.
More than three decades of shelling out wisdom and his vast impact undoubtedly made its mark. Youngerberg, senior director of product development and commercialization with Minnesota Soybean, earned the Distinguished Service Award at the Minnesota Ag & Food Summit Nov. 7 in Minneapolis. The event was hosted by AgriGrowth, a nonprofit member association for the agricultural and food systems industry in Minnesota.
“I’ve got a lot of people to blame for this,” Youngerberg joked before taking the stage.
The prestigious award, an AgriGrowth tradition since 1968, is presented to an individual, team or organization who has made a significant contribution to strengthening food systems and agriculture in Minnesota. For those who have interacted with Youngerberg since he joined Minnesota Soybean in the 1980s, he was an obvious recipient.
“He has spent decades advancing the industry that we all work with and we’re all a part of,” said Tom Slunecka said, CEO of Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC). “There’s no one more deserving.”
Throughout his tenure, Youngerberg has worked diligently to coordinate biodiesel research and education programs, earning him the position of Minnesota Biodiesel Council Executive Director in 2005. He’s become one of the national’s leading experts on biodiesel and helped Minnesota pass the nation’s first biodiesel mandate in 2002 after several years of advocacy efforts alongside farmer leaders.
“There’s a lot of people I need to thank that have been part of my career for many years,” Youngerberg said. “First off, my wife, Vicki. If it wasn’t for her persistence and saying, ‘you really should take that job at Minnesota Soybean,’ it wouldn’t have happened. She has supported me since then, day in and day out.”
In addition to his family at home, he also adores what has grown to become his ‘chosen family’ of colleagues.
“I enjoy the people that I work with,” he said. “It’s really a network you can rely on. Sometimes we’re the creators and sometimes we are the followers.”
Until he does decide to hang his hat on an illustrious career, Youngerberg will continue to lift up others just as he has been with this award.
“There are so many great people in the state of Minnesota who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work together to accomplish something,” he said, looking out at the familiar AgriGrowth crowd. “You people here in this room – organizations, businesses and people – you are what make Minnesota the number one agriculture state in the U.S. Thank you.”
