The second MARL seminar brought class #13 in Austin, MN. The group “blew on in” with 40 mph winds and got caught up on what they’d been up to since seeing one another in September. After enjoying a delicious lunch from Piggy Blue’s Bar-B-Que it was time to get down to business. Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Kicking off the day was John Garry, President & CEO, Development Corp. of Austin sharing about the city of Austin and its economic development plans. He discussed how the city is working on ways to attract and retain people to the Austin area. One highlight was learning about how instrumental the Hormel Foundation is in the community. John also briefly discussed the FAARM Program which is a partnership between the University of MN and Riverland College. Students will work together on a 1,300 acre farm which will include a visitor center and outreach.
Next up was Pete Van Erkel, Turtle Creek Watershed board member and local historian of Hollandale. An interesting fact is that Hollandale was built on a drained marshland dating all the way back to early 1900’s. The land grew some very high value crops all harvested by hand.
His presentation covered a lot of historical information from the area and discussed the evolution of his farming operation. Having grown everything from corn, soybeans, sweet corn, carrots, potatoes and onions, his operation was very diverse. Today he is focused on growing seed potatoes for the cascade potato variety. Interesting tidbit, his operation grows the potatoes for Mrs. Gerry’s Potato Salad- yum!
Following our presenters, Toby worked with the group on the focus of Seminar 2 – “Communicating Effectively.” During this portion the class had the opportunity to do some storytelling and team building. Photos were passed around to everyone and they were tasked with creating a story around them. It was a fun and engaging way to work on different communication techniques. Throughout the experience participants discussed the purpose of communication, keys to effective communication and then set their own personal goals for the seminar.
We continued our Austin journey by spending the evening at the SPAM Museum. SPAMbassador Larry demonstrated great storytelling and communication skills we discussed earlier in the day by utilizing facts, emotions, and practical communication skills to effectively share the story of SPAM and its importance to the American (and global) landscape.
MARL Class #13 member is on the SPAM Innovation wall at the SPAM Museum!
We also had the pleasure of having several Hormel staff members, including vice president of legislative affairs Chad Randick, senior vice president of R&D and FSQ Kevin Myers, group vice president of Hormel International Swen Neufeldt, and vice president of sales east retail Darren Carter, share their stories and insights on how to grow as a leader.
Among the key points the group discussed was not being afraid to embrace challenges and look outside your comfort zone for opportunities, because you never know where they will lead. They also stressed the importance of programs like MARL in helping us build relationships and networks that we can use both professionally and personally. We face many of the same challenges regardless of our roles and careers, and it is important to have a strong network to support you as you navigate those situations.
As we departed the museum and headed out for dinner and socializing, many of us reflected on the communications skills we learned during the day, and were excited to continue our development on Thursday.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
After touring the Spam Museum and learning about the history of Hormel Foods, the MARL class woke up Thursday morning excited to see how it’s made. Prior to embarking on a plant tour, the class met with plant manager Ed Finnegan, where we learned not only about the operation of the plant and its almost 2000 employees but also Ed’s own background beginning as a supervisor at the Austin facility and managing international plants before returning to Austin.
Continuing on the seminar’s theme of communication, the class received insight into how Ed and others broke down communication barriers while working with employees who speak limited or no English. He shared the importance of body language and respect for cultural normalcies when communicating with colleagues and workers from global backgrounds.
The class was fortunate to also have valuable additions to the conversation from fellow class member Joel Reiman, Product Development Leader at Hormel, who had a personal role in developing some of the products soon to be viewed in the plant.
Splitting into 3 groups, the class had an opportunity to see not only the production of Spam but also sausage and bacon (Hormel’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch bacon was being sliced and packaged as the group toured). Following the tour of Hormel, the group continued to the harvest floor operated by QPP. For some of the class participants who raise hogs, this was their opportunity to see their work come full circle, especially as at least one class member brings hogs to this very plant.
The More You Know:
- The plant processes 19,200 pigs a day and is a leader in pork processing across the country!
Hormel Institute
In the afternoon, we transitioned from pork to people at the Hormel Institute, where their mission is to inspire discoveries that improve and extend human life. Using cutting-edge technologies, the Institute tackles fundamental biological questions with innovation and creativity, aiming to improve lives and foster hope.
We met with Brenna Gerhart, Development & External Relations Admin Manager, and Gail Dennison, Director of Development and Public Relations. Their passion for the Institute’s work was evident as they introduced us to several initiatives, including:
- Minnesota Bioimaging Center (MBiC): We toured this innovative space, designed to enhance bioimaging research for biomedical and agricultural discoveries. Highlights included the $8–12 million Krios cryo-electron microscope (pictured), used to study viruses like HPV and dengue fever. A team of eight researchers relocated from Penn State to Austin, MN, to utilize this technology. Additional funding is needed to complete this ambitious project.
Quote: “We’re proud to conduct research on a small scale that’s making an impact on a profound level.” – Dr. Kyle Messina
- Community Outreach and Education: The Institute’s three pillars—education, outreach, and clinical studies—are central to its mission. We were impressed by youth programs that served nearly 5,000 participants in 2024, doubling from 2023. A clinical study of interest to our group focuses on the health and gut microbiome effects of consuming organic, pasture-raised beef versus conventionally-raised beef.
Austin, Hormel, and the Hormel Institute exemplify how leadership and passion can drive meaningful change in rural communities.
Riverland Community College
Next, we visited Riverland Community College and met Nick Schlitz, Agricultural Instructor and Program Coordinator. We also had an inside perspective, as our own MARL Class 13 member, Okechukwu (Okey) Ukaga, serves as the Dean of Food & Agriculture.
Riverland’s agricultural programs enroll 5,000 students, with half attending fully online. Farm Business Management is their largest program, with 10 instructors embedded in southern Minnesota communities, supporting farm families. Nick highlighted how diverse teaching methods enable Riverland to lead in agricultural education.
He also shared leadership advice we found inspiring:
- Study great leaders—learn from their successes and mistakes.
- Create ripple effects—a small decision can inspire greatness elsewhere.
- Embrace change—great things happen when you try something new.
Nick and Okey also discussed plans for FAARM (Future of Advanced Agricultural Research in Minnesota). This visionary project aims to position Minnesota as a leader in human, animal, soil, water, crop, and ecosystem health. Their excitement was palpable—they even likened its potential impact to Stanford’s role in Silicon Valley.
Day 3 – Friday, December 6, 2024
On Friday, class 13 jumped just across the state line into Iowa to meet at Absolute Energy, an ethanol plant. Led by CEO Tyler Schwark and Grain Merchandiser Troy Olsen, the class learned about all different aspects of Ethanol production and its co-products as well as topics ranging from Carbon Intensity Scores to plant improvements and efficiencies gained over the years to the benefits of utilizing ethanol.
Following our morning discussion, Troy took Class 13 on a tour of the plant, showcasing the state of the art facility and the processes it takes to turn corn into ethanol, corn oil, distillers grain, and CO2.
After the class’s tour of the plant, they returned to the office to hear from Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota BioFuels Association. Brian presented how the association communicates the benefits of ethanol to a broad and diverse audience. Brian covered considerations to make when trying to craft a meaningful and effective message that caters to target audiences.
Toby Spanier, our Program Leader closed out seminar number two with a couple quick notes and a look forward towards our next seminars. Although lunch was prepared for the road, it should be noted, most people stayed to converse and socialize with classmates and enjoy the company of each other. Over two seminars, less than 6 days overall, the group certainly seems to be bonding well and looking forward to the rest of the experience that MARL offers.
Blog contributors: MARL Class #13 – Effective communication in blog format!
Mandy Hunecke, Rachel Reisig, Ryan Vesey, Emily Dehn, Cameron Henning
Comments