A group of southern Minnesota farmers is helping to lead the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association into the future.

Wells farmer Darin Johnson was recently re-elected president of the MSGA’s board of directors, with fellow southern Minnesotans Ryan Mackenthun of Brownton re-elected vice president and Rose Wendinger of Watonwan County re-elected treasurer. Kyle Jore of Thief River Falls serves as board secretary. Elections took place last month in Mankato.

“I’m honored to once again represent this storied organization,” Johnson said following the vote. “We’ve got some unfinished business in St. Paul and Washington, D.C. I’m excited to hopefully work with some clearer legislative and regulatory direction in the year ahead while pushing our legislative leaders in the right direction.” 

Johnson was also elected to represent MSGA on the American Soybean Association later this year when ASA Director George Goblish completes his third and final term. 

Like Johnosn, Mackenthun said he, too, was pleased to earn re-election to the board.

“I’m happy to be on the officer team; it’s a great team and we’re all excited to work for our farmers and our communities,” he said. “It’s a really unique time to be involved in ag policy, but we’re fortunate at MSGA to have an audience at the capitols that is willing to listen and engage with us.” 

For her part, Wendinger said the organization is in prime position to remain a leading advocacy voice at the state and national levels. 

“We hope to have some powerful conversations with policymakers to improve the outlook for Minnesota soybean farmers,” Wendinger said. “We’re all confident in Darin and the structure that’s been built here.” 

Minnesota farmers representing MSGA and ASA were scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., in July to promote pressing federal policies, including biofuels, tariffs and food security. MSGA leaders will gather again in August to discuss leftover 2025 issues and forecast emerging priorities for 2026.

“It’s back to work for MSGA,” said Johnson, a fourth-generation farmer. “This is a fantastic team, and I truly feel lucky to help lead our soybean industry here in Minnesota.” 

The MSGA is a nonpartisan, farmer-led advocacy organization established in 1962. The organization represents the interests of Minnesota’s nearly 26,000 soybean farmers. MSGA’s goal is to ensure profitable soybean farming by influencing favorable farm legislation, monitoring government policies and supporting research and market development activities.

A Butterfield farmer is the new state executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in Minnesota.

Kurt Blomgren was appointed to the post on May 5.
Blomgren is a fourth-generation family farmer from Butterfield, currently operating a diversified crop and livestock farm with his son, Vance, and family.

Blomgren has been a member of the Minnesota Farm Bureau for the last 27 years. He has served on the Watonwan County Farm Bureau board of directors, served for three years on the Minnesota Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and was a member of the state resolutions committee.

In his local community, he is a volunteer firefighter, Sunday school teacher and mentor to local urban youth who have livestock projects at his farm.

In his new position, Blomgren is responsible for overseeing the delivery of FSA programs to agricultural producers in Minnesota. These commodity, conservation, credit and disaster assistance programs are designed to ensure a safe, affordable, abundant and nutritious food, fiber and fuel supply for all Americans.

“FSA state executive directors serve in a critical role carrying out USDA’s mission at the state level — ensuring that our focus is on meeting the needs of local agricultural producers by putting farmers and ranchers first,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam.

“Rural communities need our support now more than ever. Our newly appointed state leaders bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their position as SED, and they will play an integral role in shaping the future of agriculture in their state.”

FSA is dedicated to helping America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans.

FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees.

Sirrina Martinez
Multimedia reporter
smartinez@pipestonestar.com

Northwest of Woodstock, you will find the farm of Brian and Liz Winsel, a local family with a history of agricultural roots. Brian grew up just two and a half miles from the site he purchased in 2004, helping his parents, Ken and Barb Winsel, who had a farrow-to-finish operation for sows. Across the road, his grandfather had stock cows, and Brian spent a lot of time working and learning from his grandfather and father.

After graduating from high school, he went to South Dakota State University in Brookings and received a two-year degree in general agriculture education. During his time at SDSU he was able to come home and continue to farm, and he always knew that’s what he would end up doing after finishing his college education, Brian said.

“I grew up a farm boy. I was always helping on the farm growing up,” he said. “I guess I kind of knew when I went to college that I was going to be back on the farm. My grandpa lived right across the road from my dad, he kind of helped me get into farming and he wanted to see me come back and farm because I was the last Winsel boy there to take over.”

Today, Brian still works alongside his father, farming around 1,000 acres of corn, soybeans, or alfalfa. Although the pair has their own fields, they still team up to get the job done, Brian said.
“We always work together and have certain fields that are mine and certain fields that are his, but we just work together and get them planted and harvested,” Brian said.

Brian’s main operation is sheep, and his 900 head of ewes keep him busy, in addition to the spring and fall hustle of planting and harvesting. He also has 80 head of stock cows that he is in the process of calving out at the moment.

His business partner, Bryan Kruse, who has a percentage of the sheep and cattle, helps with the sheep and cattle in the lambing season when it is “all hands on deck,” Brian said.

“He’s there for the morning shift and I’ve got the night shift and we just make it all work,” he said.
Reflecting on where he started and where he is now in his operation, Brian acknowledged that success and growth take time, hard work, and patience.
“You know, we have 900 ewes, but that was kind of a growing phase,” he said. “I’ve had sheep for about 20 years now, and the first year you get 100, the second year you get 200, and the next year you have 400. It was a growing phase. We have been up to 1,000 ewes before. It is a lot of work, and as my kids are getting older and into more activities, it is kind of nice to not have to lamb as many so that I can still take a little bit of time and go to some of their activities.”

Liz works at the courthouse in Pipestone in the assessor’s office, and Brian also serves on the Rock Township Board.

Brian and Liz’s three children, Aurora, 17, Harper, 14, and Monte, 12, are active in sports, band, 4-H, FFA, and other activities. Despite their full schedules, during the busy seasons when they are not involved in those activities, they are helping Brian around the farm.

“The kids help out in the lambing season,” he said. “I enjoy when they are out there, when they are helping, if they are able to. I am able to show them new things with the animals and even with equipment. We have different equipment now that runs itself, and I get to show Monte how to do that, and he’s happy to do it. It’s a good feeling that they are learning a little bit about the farm life.”

While he hopes the farm will stay in the family, Brian wants his children to do what makes them happy. However, if they do want to stay in the family business, there will be room for them when they are ready, Brian said.

“I guess time will tell, I’m not going to push anybody into farming,” he said. “If they want to come back and farm, they’re more than welcome to.”
Recognizing that having the opportunity to grow up on the farm, he feels blessed to have had the chance to experience the lifestyle and to also bring his children up in such an environment.

“I was really fortunate that I had my grandparents and my mom and dad were behind me in getting back into the farm and creating an opportunity for me,” he said. “My grandpa got out of the stock cows, which allowed me to get in. He helped me in using some of his equipment, and my dad too. I am very thankful that I was able to do so.”