Photo by Deb Gau Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President Bob Worth looks over some of the soybean crops on his farm in Lake Benton on Aug. 23.

LAKE BENTON — Bob Worth likes being involved in the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, enough to serve as its president for another term.

Worth was re-elected president this summer. He became the first person to serve two consecutive terms since the first MSGA president in the 1960s.

Worth served a previous term in the past and was then elected to the national American Soybean Association board. He said he came back as MSGA president two years ago at the request of some longstanding members.

“We have a young board,” Worth said. “They wanted someone with experience who could provide leadership and mentorship. I decided I could do that.”

As MSGA president, Worth plays a key role in informing legislators about farm issues. He also makes appearances throughout Minnesota at public events.

He said he tries to work across party lines in a way that leads to support for the farm sector on both sides of the aisle.

“I’m not a politician.” Worth said. “I’m concerned about the amount of partisanship in modern politics. I try to get past that. Issues affecting farmers don’t have to be partisan.”

He said it’s important to build on support of rural lawmakers by reaching out to those from urban areas. The urban counterparts often have little or no familiarity with agriculture.

He values input from MSGA members, who help to shape their organization’s legislative priorities and strategies.

“It’s all about doing what’s best for individual farmers and for agribusiness,” he said. “We face challenges like the trend toward high land values. Most young farmers have debts that go well beyond what I had when I started. I wasn’t even sure I could pay off mine.”

He said cooperation among farm sector leaders is important for sending a clear, unified message to legislators and the general public.

“We sometimes have to counteract misinformation,” Worth said. “Issues like climate change are complicated. We shouldn’t forget all the things that have already been done in the past 100 years to protect our resources. We should keep doing them.”

The MSGA press release announcing Worth’s re-election pointed to success in the most recent legislative session.

Examples of MSGA’s actions include advocating for a grain indemnity fund, supporting an increase in the ag homestead tax credit, preventing regulations on treated seed, protecting the use of soybean biodiesel, and increased investment in marketing for international trade.

MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek said Worth plays an important role in MSGA outreach and in working with fellow board members and the general membership.

“Bob is a tremendous advocate for soybean farmers,” Smentek said. “He has a firm grasp of state and national issues and works well with lawmakers and agency leaders. He really enjoys being a mentor to our younger leaders. His involvement is one of the reasons we’re all optimistic about the future of MSGA.”