New Positions Opened up in the Farm Business Management.

Two new Minnesota State Farm Business Management instructor positions were created by The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council (MAELC)

FREMONT, CA: The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council (MAELC) has created two new Minnesota State Farm Business Management instructor positions through grant funding. MAELC is a 16-member legislative body that leads efforts to promote and develop agricultural education in the state which includes members from the state government, agricultural educators, and agriculture sector representatives. As part of the Minnesota State system, Farm Business Management is offered both online and in-person at seven college sites across the state. Farmers and people interested in farming receive specialized coaching from instructors who help them achieve their business and family goals. MAELC is in its sixth year of supporting Minnesota's Farm Business Management programmes through grant money.

Two new Targeted Additional Instructor grants were established this year to reach underrepresented populations. The Urban Teacher award will provide 180,000 USD over two fiscal years to hire an instructor in the seven-county metropolitan area. The Specialty Crop Instructor award will be Minnesota's second of its kind, with total funding of 70,000 USD distributed over two fiscal years. Central Lakes College was awarded both grants after a competitive grant application and review procedure. Sarah Dornink, MAELC's executive director, stated that even though they have had Farm Business Management Additional Instructor funding for several years, the MAELC board decided that a more strategic approach was required to reach the underserved farming populations. Metro geographic areas and speciality crop producers were focused on by specific instructors as they would bring more attention to these audiences. Furthermore, it is another avenue towards strengthening Minnesota’s farm economy. Cory Detloff, Director of the Ag and Energy Center and Farm Business Management at CLC expressed how Central Lakes College would provide Farm Business Management education to various students with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, owing to the support of MAELC.