LATEST NEWS
- July Agri-Growth Newsletter Published
- Business Models May Help Biogas Production Take Off
- Member In Focus: Harvest Land Cooperative
- 2010 AgPAC Golf Tournament Raises Record Funding
- Minnesota Agri-Growth Council Seeks Board Candidates
- New website promotes federal immigration reform
- The Minnesota Business Immigration Coalition, which the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council is a member of, has launched a website to raise awareness on the need for federal immigration reform. Learn more at www.mnbic.org
- Registration Open for the Faegre & Benson 2010 National Conference on Food & Agriculture Biofuels!
- Members and friends of the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council will receive $100 off the registration fee. Enter discount code AGR10FAB when registering to get the discounted fee of $295.00.
- July 28, 2010 at the Hilton Minneapolis
- Relevant topics will be addressed under the following categories:
- Food Production & Safety
- Production Agriculture and the Environment
- Brand sustainability and Your Intellectual Property
- Doing Business in the World Market
MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Organization: Harvest Land Cooperative
Locations: Main offices are in Morgan, MN
The Harvest Land Cooperative was formed in 1984 with the merger of the Springfield and Morgan Farmers Elevators, both founded in 1904. Harvest Land Cooperative is a grain and farm supply cooperative located in Morgan, Springfield, Comfrey, Morton, and Wabasso. Harvest Land has approximately 1,200 producer stockholders.
Harvest Land Cooperative is a majority owner of AgQuest Financial Services, which consists of eleven other farm supply cooperatives and private retailers. AgQuest is a full service lender, providing financial products in eight states to agricultural producers. AgQuest Financial Services consists of Northland Capital (a nationwide leasing company with headquarters in St. Cloud, MN), AgQuest Energy (owns eight wind towers on the Buffalo Ridge in partnership with local land owners), and AgQuest Insurance (provider of crop insurance and P&C coverage in eight states).
Q & A with Gordy Jensen, CEO and general manager:
What’s new with your organization?
We continue to see good growth in both our traditional
and non-traditional enterprises. It’s our company philosophy
to continuously strengthen and go the extra mile for
our customers. We create lifelong relationships between
us and the customer. As long as we continue to offer a
trusting relationship, something that will always be at the
heart of our company, our customers will look to us first
with their inputs.
What are key trends affecting your industry?
As the ag production
industry continues
to consolidate,
we must continually
upgrade to handle
larger volumes and
provide quicker
and more efficient
services.
On the financial
products and insurance
side, we see
continued growth
and opportunities.
What are your legislative priorities?
Increased regulation and the costs associated are a
major concern. Our group is always working in defense
of the Capper-Volstead Act. This act allows agricultural
producers to form voluntary co-operative associations
for purposes of producing, handling and marketing farm
products.
Finally, the hours-of-service regulations coming under
review are always a concern for our industry. The restrictions
affect the shorted seasons in production ag, so we
monitor this area very closely.