Two new faces with backgrounds in Minnesota agriculture joined Minnesota Soybean this week.

Katelyn Blackwelder and Sam Johnson are both joining the organization as regional project managers, and began working this week with local corn and soybean county boards. Blackwelder will represent western and northwestern Minnesota. Johnson will serve counties in southwest Minnesota.

“We’re extremely excited to welcome Katelyn and Sam to our growing team,” Minnesota Soybean CEO Tom Slunecka says. “They are both bright, young talents who possess excellent communications skills and a vast working knowledge of Minnesota agriculture.”

Blackwelder was raised on a dairy, corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa farm in Chockio, Minn. A graduate of North Dakota State University, Blackwelder was previously communications director for the North Dakota Corn Growers Association.

“I’m excited to return home to Minnesota. I’m ready to hit the ground running, and start helping to promote and enrich the county boards,” Blackwelder says. “Minnesota is unique in that we’re the only state to have these grassroots boards at the county level, and I’m looking forward to continuing the great work the local boards do promoting ag in their community.”

Johnson is native of Glenville, Minn., and raised corn, soybeans and cattle on the family farm in Freeborn County. He’s a former FFA state officer, and recently graduated in agriculture business from South Dakota State.

“Being immersed in the Minnesota agriculture community for as long as I can remember, I’m proud to join a first-class organization like Minnesota Soybean,” Johnson says. “Southern Minnesota was where I was born and raised, and I’m eager to work with farmers who put in the tireless effort every day to work their land and make their communities a better place.”