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AURI www.auri.org/ has invited Minnesota Ag and Rural Leadership (MARL) to join them in their exhibit tent at Farmfest on August 7, 8 and 9. MARL has graciously accepted their offer. Please make plans to visit the tent to say hi to our friends at AURI and gather at the MARL table to reminisce with MARL Alumni and others. We do need MARL Alumni to staff the table for a one hour shift and will have a sign up opportunity at the end of July.
Bruce and Ann Tiffany are planning to host MARL Friends and Alumni at their farm near Farmfest on August 8. Mark your calendars and look for more details soon.

Late breaking news...The November MARL Class VII kick off seminar and orientation will be held in Willmar.

MARL Class VI Representative to the MARL Board Kirby Hettver and MARL Executive Director Dan Hoffman met with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association's www.mncorn.org/ Producer Services Committee in Shakopee this week. Kirby and Dan thanked them for being generous funding partners and shared MARL happenings.

KSMQ "Farm Connections" is beginning a new season and will include an episode exploring MARL Class VI experiences in Morocco and another episode about The American Fondouk Donkey Hospital in Fez, Morocco.

The cooperative venture between MARL and Rural Leadership North Dakota still has room for you to participate. On Wednesday, June 27 join us from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM at CHS in Inver Grove Heights for a tour, lunch and presentations about marketing, international trade and the CHS business. The next day Thursday, June 28 a second tour is set up at Cargill Corporate Headquarters in Wayzata beginning at 2:30 PM. This will be followed by a Mississippi river boat cruise and dinner. You can attend either tour or both and can add the river boat cruise and dinner. Call Cindy Weber at 507-389-6975 or e-mail her at weber168@umn.edu for more information and to RSVP.

CHS Headquarters - Inver Grove Heights, MN

Cargill Headquarters -Wayzata, MN

Team Players

MARL Class VI Alumni Rick Smith and Gail Donkers gave a very interesting presentation complete with pictures and personal stories regarding their MARL International Study Trip to Morocco to the SE Minnesota Ag Alliance on May 21. MARL Alumni Jim O'Connor and Carey Tweten, MARL Board of Director Jim Checkel, MARL Executive Director Dan Hoffman and past UM Extension educator and MARL presenter Madge Alberts were also in attendance. The group had some great questions.

Kristin Harner and her staff from the MN Farm Bureau were great hosts to the MARL Board of Directors for their May 23 board meeting at the MN Farm Bureau offices in Eagan. It was at this meeting that MARL Class VI Representatives Kirby Hettver and Jane Wilcox-Hardwick joined the board for the first time. Kirby and Jane each contributed to the meeting and were able to share their current and relevant MARL experiences with the board.

May 24 was the special day for recognizing the 2012 Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture award recipients at the UM McNamara Alumni Center. MARL Board Chair, Sandy Ludeman was a recipient of the cherished prize in 2011. Ludeman stated that MARL has some very acomplished alumni that should be nominated for the Siehl Prize in the future. For more information go to:
www.cfans.umn.edu/siehlprize/

Kyle Petersen, Harmon Wilts, Jim Sieben, Kirby Hettver, Roger Imdieke, Stan Claussen, Dan Lippert and Dan Hoffman met at the MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar on May 29. The purpose of the meeting was to assemble a plan of action for an educational and inspiring MARL Alumni function revolving aound tours, technology and collaboration in the Wilmar area. Mark September 7 and 8, 2012 on your calendars, because you will not want to miss this upcoming event.

MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar    www.mnwesttechnology.com/purpose.php

Stan Claussen introduced Dan Hoffman to MARL funding partner United FCS personnel. On the return to Southern Minnesota, Hoffman met with staff at MARL funding partner Southwest Initiative Fund (SWIF)staff in Hutchinson.

Thanks to all for being great team players.