New board members and new processes

During the last week of February, Team MFA and your board of directors participated in six District delegate meetings held around the trade area. The sessions included communication of key changes in some product and service offerings, operational efficiencies and upgrades, and an update on the first five months from a financial standpoint. Our bottom line is slightly better than plan.  

Board elections were held in four districts during these meetings. In District 2, Tanner
Michael of Unionville, Mo., ran unopposed and was elected to his second term. Jim Novinger of Kirksville in District 3 also ran unopposed and will begin his third term on the board.  

Contested elections were held in two districts this year. In District 10, Mark Scott of Wentzville was elected to fill the seat vacated by Steve Stumpe. In District 14, Richard Detring of Farmington was elected. He fills the seat held by Doyle Oehl, who reached term limits. 

Congratulations to those elected to the board. There’s a great deal of talent on the board, and they work hard for you.  

During the district delegate sessions, I also discussed an upcoming change to membership meetings. Your board and management are always looking for the best platform to communicate with members, particularly our elected delegates. A key consideration is the delegates’ time commitments throughout the year—annual meeting, delegate meetings, advisory board meetings, and product/service meetings.  

The board has voted to discontinue the spring delegate meetings going forward. We will use the strength of the group/local advisory board meetings to provide the same information. Board members and management are committed to being part of the process. 

This change will impact MFA Incorporated board elections. Elections will be moved to our annual meetings, which will be held the week of Nov. 17 in seven different regions again this year. Locations, dates and times will be announced later. The nominating process will be conducted earlier to accommodate the change. All applications must be received by June 30. Elections will be held in Districts 1, 4, 5, 8 and 13 in November 2025. 

As part of my comments during the delegate meetings, I also addressed some of the key initiatives being worked on by NCFC (National Council of Farmer Cooperatives). MFA is a member and is working with NCFC to protect your interests. Initiatives include the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, scheduled to sunset this year and with it, Sec 199A (DPAD); an updated farm bill with enhanced safety nets; Make America Healthy Again and its potential impacts to production agriculture; and trade/tariffs.  

There are no definitive answers for any of those at this time, but they will continue to develop. While it seems to change minute by minute, as of this writing, it looks as if potential tariffs will not significantly impact plant food and crop protection inputs for this spring season. But stay tuned.  

We certainly live in a period of uncertainty. Indian banker Chandra Kochar may have said it best: “Adaptability is a great asset to have because life is so unpredictable, and things can change overnight for any of us.” 

Best of luck this spring season.