Nate Boettcher, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services CEO

This column originally was posted in the PPCS Monthly newsletter, parts of it have been edited for timeliness. I was asked to share this with our community by a  farmer and it’s my pleasure to once again say thank you.

As I’ve drove around our service area this fall, it’s clear that harvest is in full swing. This season has been a good one for crops—ample rainfall, warm but not extreme temperatures, and few damaging storms. Watching the combines roll and seeing fields full of grain, I’m reminded of the incredible mix of technology, expertise, and sheer effort it takes to put food on our tables. The men and women who prepare the soil, care for their animals, and keep our food system moving forward often don’t get the recognition they deserve. This November, I want to take a moment to simply say thank you.

At the same time, I know agriculture brings with it many discussions and differing viewpoints. Concerns about water quality, land use, and the scale of modern farming are real and deserve to be heard. But it’s also important to recognize that agriculture remains the backbone of our local economy. Farms support jobs, sustain businesses, and make productive use of our land. When farmers explore new opportunities—whether it’s renewable energy through solar arrays, or innovative manure management with biogas facilities—they often face criticism from multiple directions. These conversations can become challenging, and at times it can feel like our farmers are stuck in a no-win situation.

I recently attended a conference where colleagues from South Dakota shared how their dairy farms are growing in scale. They explained that expansion isn’t just a choice, but a matter of economic survival—farms can’t operate the way they did in the 1960s and 1970s. Interestingly, many of these expansions include on-site digesters and biogas systems that not only handle waste but also generate renewable energy. I’ve seen the same trend in Iowa, and right here in Pierce County, one of the first local biogas facilities will soon open. It’s an encouraging example of how agriculture can adapt, create jobs, and contribute to new sources of energy.

These questions of growth and change aren’t limited to agriculture. Just recently, a data center was proposed in Dunn County. Data centers, like farms, are part of the future economy and critical to our national infrastructure. Yet, as with farms, the project sparked strong reactions. It’s understandable that people worry about impacts, but dismissing those who choose to participate as only caring about money or themselves overlooks the potential benefits for the broader community. We serve a small data center and it has shown us how these facilities can complement the grid, support reliability, and prepare us for the future.

I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do believe our communities will be stronger if we can focus less on saying “no” and more on asking, “What would it take to get to yes?” Agriculture, energy, and technology are all intertwined in shaping our future, and progress will only come if we work together to find solutions.

This Thanksgiving, I am deeply grateful for our farmers, for the veterans who have served, and for all of you—our members—who make this community what it is. Let’s continue to support one another, seek common ground, and ensure that the opportunities ahead strengthen both our farms and our future.