check for funding

Pictured above: Representatives with the Montana Grains Foundation present a check to MSU for $1 million as seed funding, which formally began the five-year challenge to bring a world-renowned plant scientist to MSU. Left to right: Lola Raska, Lochey Edwards, Dale Schuler, Glenn Duff, Gary Broyles and Ryan McCormick. 

History 

In 2013, Montana State University, the state’s oldest and largest land-grant institution, joined the grassroots call from the Montana Grains Foundation, to bring a world-renowned scientist to the university who would help Montana grain growers remain competitive and sustainable through research tailored specifically for Montana’s current and future challenges in production agriculture. Together, Montana’s agricultural community and MSU challenged themselves to raise $5 million dollars in five years to bring a permanent endowed plant science chair to MSU. In the first year, Montana farmers rallied together to invest $1 million from their own pockets. In the following two years, an additional $1.8 million was raised from Montana producers and agribusiness, followed by longtime MSU alumnus and supporter Norm Asbjornson, gifting the endowment $2 million in 2017. The chair has since grown into a vision for expanding statewide support for Montana’s grain growers with the help of MSU faculty and the Montana Grains Foundation, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, Montana Grain Growers Association, and a multitude of agribusinesses and grain producers to permanently endow the first dedicated plant sciences chair, the Winifred Asbjornson Plant Sciences Chair, on behalf of Montana agriculture.

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Producers

The following producers, families, agribusiness and grower-representative groups have given in support of the chair:

7 W Farms 

AG Wise, Inc. 

Agri-Prairie Insurance, Inc. 

Harold Ray Armstrong 

Norm Asbjornson 

Gavin Bahnmiller

Kallan Bahnmiller  

Steve & Michelle Bahnmiller

Tyce & Cassie Bahnmiller

Louis Beirwagen

Bosch, Kuhr, Dugdale, Martin & Kaze, PLLP   

Bouma Truck Sales     

Merlin & Patricia Boxwell 

Keven & Vicki Bradley 

David & Barbara Broberg

Broyles Farms, Inc.        

C. Doreen Carpenter       

CG Ag Consulting, LLC      

CoBank          

Columbia Grain, Inc.    

Stephen & Barbara Cybulski

Daka Farms  

Dan Works Farms, Inc.      

Brett & Kay DeBruycker    

Edwardsfarm

Eggebrecht Farming Company

Fred & Elva Elling

Michelle Erickson-Jones & Travis Jones

Flying B, Inc. 

Frontline Ag Solutions, LLC 

Gateway Simmental, LLC   

Kevin & Robyn Good

Logan & Tammy Good  

Grain Craft                 

Knud Grosen  

Hansen Grain Company     

Hansen Wheat Farms 

Inbody Farms, Inc.

Karen & Jerry Jensen

Johnson Farms   

K J K Farms, Inc.

Brian Kaae  

Karag, Inc.

KB Farming

Koefod Insurance Agency

Kolstad Farms

Robert & Millie Kruse

Christopher & Tiffanie Labbe  

Pamela & David Linker

Mary T. Fowler Annual Gift Trust  

Carl & Janice Mattson

Vincent & Kerry Mattson

McCormick Farms, Inc.

McCormick Land Co.

Joseph & Harriet Mistowski  

Molin Co.

Molinario Export Co.

Monsanto Co.

Montana Agricultural Business Association

Montana Grain Growers Association

Montana Grains Foundation

Montana Wheat & Barley Committee

Mountain View Co-op

Northern Seed LLC

Northwest Farm Credit Services

Edwin Onstad

Lola & Steven Raska 

Rocking K Land & Cattle, Inc.

David & Claire Roehm 

William & Wendy Roehm

Sawfly Research Foundation 

Roger & Lisa Sammons

Karen & Keith Schott 

Schuler Bros.

Mary Schuler 

Sheffels Farms, Inc. 

Skookumchuck Ag

James & Jacalyn Souther 

Stockman Bank

Jon & Claire Stoner 

Styren Farm, Inc.

Pattie & Neil Sweeney

T & S Borlaug Brothers

TerraLogics, Inc.

TJ Farms, Inc.

Torgerson's LLC

Treasure State Seed, Inc.

Triangle Company

Daren & Dolores Vick

William "Bing" & Lois Von Bergen

Michael & Lynda Waters

Terry & Wanda Weckerly

Wilbur-Ellis Holdings II, Inc.

Wild Horse Seeds LLP

Randal Wolenetz

Marvin Works