Working for You

Working for You

Each month we provide some key areas where MGGA leaders and staff have been working on your behalf. Here is a sampling of important issues and activities for January 2022:

*Board of Directors voted to approve the 2022 Executive Leadership. Tryg Koch will serve as President, Nathan Keane as Vice President, Boyd Heilig as Treasurer, Klayton Lohr as Secretary and Mitch Konen will serve for one year as Past President.

*Montana Grains Foundation (MGF) met for a two day strategic planning session. MGGA and MGF will be hosting a donor dinner for the Winifred-Asbjornson Plant Sciences Chair in February.

*President Tryg Koch sent a letter to nominate Past President Konen to the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) to run for the office of Secretary of NAWG. Konen will campaign through the winter with a vote taking place at Commodity Classic in the spring.

*Staff and officers had an introductory Zoom meeting with Chase Brady as he was recently voted as director of District 5 since Mitch Konen is termed out.

*EVP Vergeront participated in a monthly policy meeting with NAWG staff and state staff. Top line issues discussed included; the upcoming winter meeting in Washington, D.C., Farm Bill and supply chain surveys, disaster aid for 2020 and 2021 and the Bipartisan Build Back Better legislation.

*Staff and leadership participated in a focus group to discuss exploring decarbonization pathways with agriculture and landowners. Michelle Leonti, Administration Manager, Energy Research Institute with Montana State University led the discussion with Resources and Communities Research Group, Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University.

*Staff from MGGA and Montana Wheat and Barley Committee had their annual Christmas Lunch with a white elephant gift exchange. Let’s just say swag from both MGGA and MWBC was flowing.

*Past President Konen and EVP Vergeront participated in a Task Force Meeting for the Montana Innovation Hub for Agriculture and Technology (MIHAT). The development is in the beginning stages and members of ag organizations, bankers, Montana State University College of Ag and the Montana Department of Ag joined.

*Past President Konen is serving on the ARPA Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Committee with the Montana Department of Ag. $7.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds will be allocated to strengthen and diversify Montana’s industry through targeted investments in value added agriculture projects across the state. The application period for the ARPA Agriculture Infrastructure Grant closed on December 15.