SUGARCREEK, Ohio – “To provide farmers with insight, education and help them become better managers of their farm operation.”

That is the goal of Micah Mensing, Farm Credit Mid-America customer education manager, one of nine chosen in Farm Foundation’s 2023 Young Agri-Food Leaders program.

Farm Foundation, headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., is an accelerator of practical solutions for those in agriculture and offers several programs that help foster trust and understanding among a broad range of stakeholders across food and agriculture. The firm has been in existence for 80 years.

Farm Credit Mid-America services a four-state territory (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee). It is a cooperative lending institution specifically for the rural community involving agriculture. Mensing has the task of developing the education strategy for producers and is the lead on executing workshops and conferences that support farmers in becoming more informed managers.

“Our customers rarely think of themselves as CEOs, but many of these farmers are managing and operating a multi-million-dollar organization,” said Mensing from his office in Sugarcreek. “We need to provide them with resources that any other large organization is receiving.

“One of our goals is giving back to the communities that we serve. The core of our business is that of lending to farmers, however one of our principles of our philosophy is the education part. One of the most important things that we can do in giving back to those rural communities is to provide them with that insight and education that makes them more successful on their farms.”

Mensing gets his message across to farmers by way of webinars, conferences and even one-on-one meetings with producers.

“When we speak about all the services we offer we tend to draw a pretty large crowd,” he said. “My job is unique in that I get to go out into the marketplace and find all of the resources out there. Then, after finding all of the challenges that farmers are dealing with, present these resources to the farmers. What I say to them is ‘hey, I know as a farmer you have to wear so many hats as the CEO of your operation. Let’s see if we can help you by giving you some insight into risk management and financial management that will help you become a better manager.’”

Mensing is no stranger to the rural community he addresses. He grew up on a farm near Oak Harbor, Ohio, and took part in 4-H and FFA growing up.

“My wife’s family farms fulltime and it’s my goal is to get back to the farm, but right now I had to move to the city for a year or two,” said Mensing, referring to his residence in Dover, Ohio, northeast of Columbus.

Mensing earned an associate’s degree in production agriculture from Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute before obtaining his bachelor’s degree in agriscience at OSU.

“The 2023 cohort of Young Agri-Food Leaders brings together a diverse group of individuals with a wide range of experiences in the food and agriculture industries,” said Jenna Wicks, program manager at Farm Foundation. “We hope that throughout their year in the program they will be able to expand their network, learn about food and agriculture in new ways, and develop their leadership skills that will carry them as the next generation of leaders in food and agriculture.”

In addition to the Young Agri-Food Leaders program, Farm Foundation offers programs such as Farm Foundation Round Table, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Economics Trade Fellowship, Agricultural Scholars, Congressional Fellowship, Farm Foundation Cultivators, Young Farmer Accelerator and Farm Foundation Awards.