The Minnesota Corn Growers and Minnesota Soybean Growers use check-off dollars to fund a lot of research at the University of Minnesota. It includes studies on fertility, population, water quality, tile drainage, soybean aphids, corn bore and root worm, resistance weeds, and the list goes on. In addition, the Corn and Soybean Growers also fund a portion of faculty and extension positions at the University of Minnesota. The point is when some production issue come up, farmers can get science-based research results to deal with and manage it. It is the farmers' money paid into the check-off that funds a lot of the research.

In the picture is Lisa Behnken, who is a crops specialist at the University of Minnesota Rochester Extension office. Behnken does a lot of research on herbicides and weed resistance. She is explaining her results and talking weed management with one of the farmers at the Minnesota Ag Expo. The Trade Show was set up in the hockey rink and the big hallway outside is where the University had about 20 displays set up like Behnken's. It was a great opportunity for farmers to talk one-on-one with researchers about their work or specific questions they have.

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