Each year, the Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts select a farmer of the year from each county, and this year Mitch Pederson, Direct Sales Specialist on #TeamMillborn was chosen as the Lincoln County MN Conservation Farmer of the Year! What drives Mitch to implement conservation practices on his operation and how does he use his learnings at Millborn?
Why are conservation practices important for you and your operation?
For me and my operation, conservation is important for profitability, to reduce input costs, and to ultimately leave the land better than I received it for the next generation. Since moving to my great uncle’s farm in 2018, I have started to use cover crops, received an EQIP grant with NRCS to install water and fences for rotational grazing, and have brought livestock back on all of the available acres on the farm.
For me and my operation, conservation is important for profitability, to reduce input costs, and to ultimately leave the land better than I received it for the next generation.
Where did your passion for farming and conservation come from?
My passion for farming and conservation came from my dad and great uncle. My dad had milk cows, so grazing dairy cows and putting up good quality hay were part of my early childhood memories. Working with my great uncle was also important, because even though he was particular in how he wanted things done, he made it really fun and was always happy no matter how hard the work was. A lot of my education and learning opportunities like attending the South Dakota Grassland Coalition Grazing School have also broadened my understanding and passion for conservation.
How do you use the knowledge and experiences you gain on your own operation in your day-to-day at Millborn?
The fun part of my job is working with customers who are just starting out with a conservation practice. Whether they are planting a cover crop for the first time, trying to identify native grasses in their pasture, or working on setting their drill, those are things that I have learned the hard way on my operation and I enjoy giving customers a jumpstart to success for the seeds they purchase from Millborn. Having experienced flooding and prevent plant in 2019, to drought type conditions the last two years, I am able to work with our customers to provide advice and seed options to those producers going through similar situations. I learn every day from my teammates – each day at Millborn is challenging and fun.
Congratulations to Mitch on his well-deserved recognition – contact him or any of our other experts on Team Millborn with your questions about conservation or any other products we offer.
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