MARL maximizes impact of agricultural and rural leaders
The Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program began in 2000 after a two-year research and development project involving Southwest Minnesota State University, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and University of Minnesota Extension.
More than 380 Minnesotans have graduated from the program. Class members participate in an immersive two-year educational experience designed to develop the skills of Minnesota’s agricultural and rural leaders, maximizing their leadership potential at local, state and national levels. Class 11 MARL participant Chelsea Honnette (pictured) operates a coffee-hulling machine with her class in Ecuador.
The connections she’s made have improved her work as a product manager at AGCO Corporation, an ag equipment manufacturer in Jackson. “I come across challenges that farmers have, and I’m able to better contextualize them for our design engineers who are working to solve the issues,” she said.
Highlights
- Jackson County 4-H youth set and met goals for SWIM, the Seeing Wellness in Motion 4-H program, in which youth learn the fundamentals of swimming, track and field events, and educational opportunities around health and wellness.
- The Jackson County 4-H Legacy Fund provides money to make a capital investment in a 4-H project area for which a young person would not otherwise be able to purchase, such as a camera for photography, a miter saw for a shop project, a tiller for a gardening project or a breeding livestock need.
- RSDP impact: With support from a CERTs Seed Grant, the city of Jackson adopted a Bicycle Incentive Program in which businesses reward those who bike to work or visit their business, all to foster energy efficiency and authentic community engagement.
- U of M Farm Family of the Year: The Tewes family farm is home to 100 cow-calf pairs, 60 breeding ewes and a mix of corn and soybeans. The children have been deeply involved in raising and showing livestock in 4-H.
- Farmers Jerry and Nancy Ackerman, innovators and Extension event participants, have been integral in sharing messages about soil health, opening their doors and speaking to the community about what they’ve learned.
- Extension provides financial capability education for participants in the judicial district’s treatment courts, including adult and juvenile drug courts, and courts for mental health, veterans, family dependency and DWI/DUI.
Jackson County office
Extension has 14 regional offices supporting all 87 counties in Minnesota.
Jackson County partners with Extension to deliver practical education and research you can use at home, at work and in your community. More about Extension in our county.
About the Minnesota 87 project
Spend time in any Minnesota county, and you will almost certainly encounter University of Minnesota Extension. Our faculty and staff, volunteers, participants, alumni and partners are woven into the fabric of rural, urban and suburban Minnesota life. This project showcases Extension in action through photos, stories and a sampling of the many ways Extension has touched the lives of people in every county.