This column first appeared in the September-October 2025 issue of Soybean Business. Click here to read the digital edition. 

Well, my fellow farmers, we’ve prevailed through the dog days of summer and things are about to get really busy as we get ready for the grind of fall harvest.  

As you well know, the work at the Minnesota Soybean Growers Associatio never stops and our team sure stayed busy this summer. In July we traveled to Washington D.C., for the American Soybean Association summer Hill Visits where we met our federal policy makers. Then, a few weeks later during Farmfest, we had the chance to reconnect with many of those legislators, but this time on our own “turf” – literally, as we once again rolled out the soy-based SYNLawn artificial turf in our booth this year.  

 In all my years attending Farmfest, I can’t recall having more participation from our grower leaders than this year, from longtime directors like Bob Nelsen to rising advocates such as Raymond DeMars and Gary Schoenfeld. We had such constructive dialogue with our legislative leaders this summer that we decided to postpone our September MSGA-led Hill Visits to D.C. We believe it’s smart practice to space out our Hill Visits; thus, we hope to instead return to D.C. in early 2026 to deliver our priorities for the year.  

MSGA President Darin Johnson is encouraging farmers to be mindful of their mental health this harvest.

Along with visiting with our legislators and fellow farmers at Farmfest, I had the privilege of sitting on a panel alongside new USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg to discuss trade, which – news alert! – is a pretty important topic right now. I am optimistic that Luke is going to get some trade deals done and be actively involved with us farmers in making sure we have a seat at the table. I’m looking forward to working with him more in the future. 

 Speaking of trade, I want to recognize some of our farmer leaders at MSGA, including Vice President Ryan Mackenthun and Director Matt Purfeerst, who hosted trade teams from South Korea on their farms this summer. It’s been a few years since I’ve had the opportunity, but I know how important those trade visits are to building relationships and giving our potential soy buyers a chance to see what life is like on our farms, our commitment to putting out a quality crop and our passion for farming.  

As much as we love what we do, farming can be a very stressful occupation, especially when markets are tough and Mother Nature isn’t cooperating. Just remember that you aren’t in this alone and there are people and resources available to us during times of stress or despair. My friend and MSGA colleague Bob Worth has done an amazing job preaching the importance of mental health to our farmers and I hope to do the same. If you are struggling, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has agricultural mental health specialists ready and willing to help. First and foremost, take care of yourself and your mental health and please utilize those resources (Call 833-600-2670 or text FARMSTRESS to 898211). Remember, health is wealth!  

Lastly, please be safe as we approach the fall harvest. Take your time, try to get some rest when you can and make smart decisions. Enjoy these moments, too, because this is what we look forward to all year and it’s nice to see the fruits of our labor come to fruition. From my operation to yours, have a safe and happy harvest, friends. Let’s roll!   

Darin Johnson farms in Wells and serves as president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association