In episode #26 of Minnesota Crop Cast, David Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down for a chat with Tom Slunecka, Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSPR&PC) https://mnsoybean.org/msrpc Tom grew up on a beef ranch in central South Dakota, received his degree from SDSU, and went on to serve in a number of roles in the ag sector. Tom led important contemporary farmer focused programs with both public and private organizations. Tom is a true servant to Minnesota and U.S. agriculture. Tom joined the MSR&PC in 2012 and continues to support farmers in their efforts to increase economic and environmental sustainability and resiliency.

Tom led the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) https://mnsoybean.org/msga and the MSR&PC in efforts to develop the Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) https://aginnovationcampus.org in Crookston, MN. The AIC is a soybean processing plant and much more. It is an incubator for agricultural innovations that develops novel products and increases the value of agriculture. The AIC fills an important space between the public and private sectors to support creativity that would otherwise not flourish. Tom provides an update on Phase 1 and discusses future phases at AIC.

The Minnesota Ag Expo https://mnagexpo.com takes place in Mankato, MN at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center on January 17 and 18, 2024. Tom talks about the importance of this annual event for Minnesota corn and soybean growers. It is a time for legislative resolutions and much more. There are 24 excellent speakers scheduled, including the UofM’s own P.J. Fleck. There is a jam-packed trade show, University of Minnesota researchers on hand, and lots of time and space for chatting with farmers and folks from across the Ag industries. Join Dave and Seth for a conversation with Tom Slunecka today.

Please join us for another lively Minnesota CropCast.