This article by first ran in the March-April 2026 issue of Soybean Business. Click here to read the digital issue. 

By Mark Askelson

For the last two decades, there’s been one voice guiding the local leaders of the county soybean program in northern Minnesota. Now, that familiar voice and friendly face is hanging up her “Minnesoyta” hat and riding off into the sunset – straight toward retirement.

Lorri Ann Hartel first became involved with Minnesota Soybean back in 2006. At that time, Polk County was the only established county soybean program in the northwest region. Through Hartel’s work at her company, Prairie Ag Communications, she worked alongside Minnesota Wheat and the University of Minnesota Extension to help establish more county soybean programs in the region at a time when soybeans were starting to become a regular part of farmers’ crop rotations.

Today, Polk County harvests nearly 12 million bushels of soybeans each year, and northwest Minnesota’s soybean production reaches nearly 50 million bushels annually.

“It probably wasn’t until 2008 that most of the counties finally got organized and developed a board of directors, so it took some time,” said Hartel, who lives in Red Lake Falls. “Because Polk County was already established we were able to use a lot of their bylaws and use them as a template.”

Since helping establish those counties, Hartel has been a trusted adviser for the counties and their work promoting soybean checkoff investments and Minnesota Soybean Growers Association membership. She’s helped with everything from supporting Ag in the Classroom by donating books to local schools, donating soy-based Skechers shoes to first responders and promoting biodiesel through donations to FFA programs and fire departments.

“I think the Skechers ‘Stepping Up’ campaign was probably one of my favorites, just seeing the great joy and the impact that it brought to the communities,” said Hartel, who still sports a pair of soy-based Skechers on her feet. “But I think overall I’ve just enjoyed getting to know the people who I’ve gotten to work with the counties and the friendships we’ve developed over the years.”

One of those great friendships is with Beltrami farmer Mike Skaug, who joined the Polk County Soybean & Corn Growers board back in 2010 and later became MSGA president in 2021. Skaug says Hartel has been a steady rock behind their county board over the years, helping keep them on task and never failing to help meet their objectives.

“She’s always been very prompt and organized, which made being a director for the county really easy,” Skaug said. “We could always rely on Lorri

Ann to help us with whatever task we had.”

Another past MSGA president from the north country, Theresa Gillie, has also built a strong friendship with Hartel over the years. Hartel’s fun-loving personality and strong network in agriculture made her a soybean star of the north.

“She’s so interconnected with everybody, not just with soybeans but all of agriculture, and she has this calm, lovable and supportive nature about her,” said Gillie. “Everybody knows Lorri Ann and everybody loves Lorri Ann. It’s hard not to!”

Gary, Minn., farmer Corey Hanson, a director with the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, has worked with Hartel for 20 years, initially to help create the Norman County Soybean Growers board.

“She’s a huge reason why we became, and stayed, an organized county,” said Hanson, who’s now president of the county board. “Without Lorri Ann, we don’t have a Minnesota Soybean footprint here in northwest Minnesota. She made sure we stayed within compliance and did everything right to stay a recognized county.”

Lorri’s story

Along with her work in the county program, Hartel has also helped coordinate some of the events that Minnesota Soybean has supported in the northern regions, such as the Prairie Grains Conference, International Crop Expo and Big Iron. She has also been instrumental in arranging the bus that brings the growers from northern Minnesota down to Mankato each year for MN Ag Expo. Not only does she recruit farmers for the trip, but she also lines up snacks, refreshments and even entertainment for the long journey, ensuring everyone on board has a good time in a relaxed atmosphere.

“The bus rides to Ag Expo were always some of my favorite times, but then after the meetings were over, we’d meet up and just talk about life and how things were going,” Gillie said. “She has always been so much more than just a communicator; she’s become a very dear friend.”

Hartel’s commitment to organizing the bus trip shows through its annual roster of riders.

“I was looking back at some photos I had taken 10 years ago of everyone who was on that trip; it’s almost the same group we had this year in 2026,” said Hartel. “We just really enjoy each other’s time, and I really enjoy getting to catch up with the folks from Mankato because I only get to see them maybe once a year.”

Despite being some six hours away from Minnesota Soybean’s home office in Mankato, Hartel has played a crucial role in keeping the northern growers connected with what’s happening across the state and helping soybeans maintain a strong presence in that region. To show their appreciation, MSGA recognized Hartel during its annual meeting at MN Ag Expo.

“It’s been absolutely crucial to have someone like Lorri Ann living in that region, who’s connected to producers, has deep roots in the area and is passionate about promoting membership with MSGA and can communicate back to our state office the challenges, issues and needs of our northern growers,” said MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek during Ag Expo. “In addition, Lorri Ann has played a huge role in promoting soy checkoff projects in those counties.”

Following her retirement, Hartel is looking forward to spending more time with her also-retired husband, Dean, as well as some much-deserved time on the beach.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lorri Ann for helping to grow, build and nurture our county boards in northwest Minnesota,” MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka said. “There’s simply no way that Minnesota Soybean would have the strong presence it has today in northern Minnesota without Lorri Ann’s contributions over the past two decades.”