Minnesota agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy. According to recent estimates, agriculture accounts for roughly 30% of Minnesota’s GDP, equating to the state’s second largest industry.

Closer to home, agriculture is quite literally the lifeblood of local economies throughout southwest Minnesota. In Lincoln County — where I farm with my family — the nearly 300,000 acres of farmland (the majority of which is used to raise corn and soybeans) generate over $186 million in market value, according to the 2017 Agriculture Census. This total puts Lincoln County among the top 600 ag-producing counties in the entire United States. And contrary to popular belief, 95% of the 672 farms in Lincoln County are family owned. Agriculture’s vast economic impact also extends to Lyon, Pipestone, Murray and Yellow Medicine counties — and beyond.

Many of those dollars are reinvested in our community — in banks, auto dealerships, fuel stations, hardware stores, restaurants, civic organizations and our students. Promoting our community and the next generation of producers are key priorities of the organization I’m proud to chair, the Lincoln County Corn and Soybean Growers Association. Each year, our volunteer, farmer-led board holds an annual meeting. The marquee event features an auction with all proceeds going toward scholarships for area high school seniors. Over nearly 20 years, Lincoln County farmers have walked the talk by raising $350,000 for local students. That’s how we invest in the next generation!

Lincoln County agriculture leaders also have an outsized presence at the state and national levels. Lake Benton farmer Bob Worth is president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) and is the only farmer elected to serve multiple, two-year terms with MSGA. Minnesota has become a national leader in the renewable fuels movement, helping to create homegrown fuels like biodiesel that further boost profitability by adding more than $1 in value to every bushel of soybeans. Bob has also worked on tax relief that has benefited not only farmers, but small businesses throughout Minnesota. I’m proud to serve alongside Bob on the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, along with Joel Schreurs, a Tyler farmer who’s nearing the end of his nine-year run on the American Soybean Association. Joel is one of the foremost experts on agricultural trade and infrastructure and currently serves on the U.S. Soybean Export Council.

Sometimes, though, it can feel like agriculture is taken for granted in our hometowns. That’s why every Saturday morning during the Lincoln County Fair, we cohost an Ag Awareness Breakfast for just 40 cents (roughly the farmers’ share) per meal to underscore how we continue doing our part to feed the world starting right here at home.

There are several ways our friends and neighbors in Lincoln County can support producers. First, buy locally sourced food from our livestock producers.

Doesn’t food simply taste better when it’s raised closed to home?

Secondly, we encourage you to join both MSGA and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. Farmers and businesses professionals have directly profited from the work done by our advocacy organizations. Membership options start at just $20 per year and offer many benefits; however, the biggest benefit of all is knowing that you’re playing a role in helping us put boots on the ground in St. Paul and Washington, D.C., to ensure farm-friendly policies have a voice at the table. Because when agriculture succeeds, so does our entire community.

Come see us this year at the Fair, join our state organizations and visit with our farmer-leaders to learn more about the many ways Lincoln County agriculture keeps our region thriving.

— Brian Fruechte farms in Verdi and is chair of the Lincoln County Corn and Soybean Growers Association.