Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Greenseam Workforce Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
GreenSeam advocates highlight regional ag workforce and school partnerships
Summary
GreenSeam representatives told the committee they promote the region as an agribusiness cluster, support entrepreneur workshops and help reestablish agricultural education programs such as Mankato’s FFA and high‑school ag classroom; students described program benefits.
Sam Ziegler, president of GreenSeam, described the nonprofit’s work to promote a regional food and agribusiness cluster, support entrepreneurs, and link businesses with education and workforce development resources. GreenSeam staff and volunteers said the group provides employer outreach, convenes partners, produces an annual state‑of‑ag report and helps develop talent pipelines.
Wesley Beck, GreenSeam board chair and a farmer, said the organization focuses on retaining and expanding businesses in the ag value chain and on workforce development, citing a five‑to‑one private match for the organization’s activities. Robin Tid, an agriculture teacher at Mankato Area Public Schools, testified that GreenSeam helped reestablish an agriculture program and FFA chapter in the district: she credited the organization with helping form an advisory board, find fundraising, arrange field trips and resolve greenhouse issues necessary for class activities and plant sales.
Two Mankato students, Delaney Kantak and Faith Mason, described opportunities through FFA: leadership events, career‑development competitions and networking that helped them select college majors and career paths.
Why it matters: Witnesses framed GreenSeam’s work as workforce and pipeline development that supports both school‑based ag programming and local agribusinesses. Representatives and presenters described the organization’s role in connecting schools, colleges and employers to create career pathways.
Ending: No appropriation or statutory change was proposed in the hearing; presenters asked the committee to consider continued support for regional talent development programs that partner with public education and colleges.
