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Nearly 800 ag retailers and industry leaders gathered in the heart of Minneapolis for the CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show Dec. 10-12.

The annual show featured pesticide applicator recertification courses, a chock-full agenda with experts in hot topics in weed and pest management, water quality, conservation and soil health, ag technology and artificial intelligence (AI), policy and election updates and more.

Keynote speakers included Erin Mies from People Spark Consulting, who spoke in two sessions about building company culture and leadership. Erik Hoegemeyer of Midland University presented insights overview of the global political climate and its impact on supply chains.

“The 2024 Short Course was a successful event with a lot of positive feedback from our attendees,” said Lee Helgen, MCPR executive director. “The U of MN team did a great job of supporting the planning efforts, helping get our speakers lined up and collecting program details.”

Several sessions about AI demonstrated the value of AI tools and the rapid evolution of AI in applications in the agriculture sector. The policy and elections update panel featuring Blois Olson and Brian McClung shared insights on how election results will influence ag policy and highlighted the value of building relationships with policymakers. The conservation programming provided useful overview of the opportunities and resources available to reach sustainability goals.

During the MCPR Annual Meeting, Chair Rick Walker presented an update on membership and a year in review, while Helgen discussed key outcomes for the 2024 Legislative Session and priorities for 2025-2026. Walker also recognized MCPR board members, including outgoing member Dale Johnson, who is retiring from the board after serving since. Replacing Johnson on the board is Casey Carlson, precision ag manager at Ag Partners. Reelected to the board were Andy Oeding in district 4, Brian Meyer as custom applicator representative, Kyle Kraska as technology representative and Scott Barnes in the at-large position.

Walker also recognized the MCPR scholarship winner Cora Huhn, a junior at North Dakota State University from Litchfield, Minn. 

New at the event this year were Special Interest Groups. The discussion groups gathered attendees interested in special topics, including Women in Ag, Conservation Programs, Young and Emerging Leaders and Sales Agronomists. Several of the groups reported strong participation.

Also new was the After Hours Casino Night, where attendees enjoyed a variety of casino games, networking and chances to win prizes donated by sponsors, board members and more. Proceeds supported the MCPR and the MN Crop PAC.

MCPR is seeking feedback to improve the overall event experience for future years. Attendees can fill out the evaluation survey at this link.

The 2025 show will be held Dec. 2-4 at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.