This year's recipients of the Siehl Prize in Agriculture include an innovative farmer who is known worldwide for his conservation practices, a steadfast leader in the agribusiness finance industry, and a longtime voice of agriculture in southwestern Minnesota. Recipients are chosen for three categories: knowledge (teaching, research and outreach), production agriculture, and agribusiness.

Each winner (or "laureate") receives a monetary award of $50,000 and a beautiful granite and glass sculpture. The Siehl Prize is named in honor of philanthropist Eldon Siehl, a successful Minnesota businessman who wanted to educate the general public about where their food came from and to provide recognition for the dedicated people who make it their life's work.

This year's winners are:

Wallace "Wally" Nelson (knowledge): Mr. Nelson was the original superintendent at what is now the Southwest Minnesota Research and Outreach Center near Lamberton was a tireless advocate for putting agricultural research to work for farmers. He led the research center for nearly 40 years, contributing to important breakthroughs in corn management, hail damage, soils and drainage.

James "Tony" Thompson (production agriculture): Mr. Thompson is a Windom, Minn. farmer who manages his family's nearly 5,000 acres to produce bountiful, profitable crops while carefully conserving the farm's soil and water. He's opened his home and farm to hundreds of researchers and scientists who want to learn more about agro-ecology.

Paul DeBriyn (agribusiness): Mr. DeBriyn is the president and CEO of AgStar Financial Services. He took over a struggling agricultural lender in the 1980s and built it into an industry leader. In addition to his business success, DeBriyn has been a leader in advocating for agriculture, in developing leadership and scholarship programs, and in helping rural economies thrive.

The recipients were announced today as part of the celebration of National Ag Week. They will be honored at a ceremony on May 26 on the University campus.

U of M students are doing great things in their communities and around the world!

Megan Meyer, U of M dental therapy student, has devoted her life to A Hand in Health. This is the international nonprofit organization that she founded five years ago. Meyer created this organization in response to the many mission trips she has experienced in places such as Mexico and Gambia, Africa. Through working with patients during surgery at the Sulayman Junkung General Hospital in Gambia, Meyer was inspired to continuously help people less fortunate than herself. Now, she is an inspiration to other University of Minnesota students!

Since its founding, A Hand in Health has aquired 20 volunteers. Meyer has recently began a project to send one million books to the Gambian people. Currently, there is only one book per 1,000 citizens in this small, poverty-stricken nation. A Hand in Health, partnering with Books for Africa, has already delivered 7,500 books to create the first community library in Gambia. This service will undoubtedly benefit the children of Africa, and will improve the current 40.1 percent literacy rate of Gambia.

Meyer's life-long commitment to community service sets an amazing example for other students. She has proved that one person can make a huge difference, no matter how old (or young) you are! To learn more about Megan Meyer and A Hand in Health, check out this Minnesota Daily article. For even more information on this success story, visit the the 1 Million Books for Gambia blog, or the Books for Africa website.

The University of Minnesota offers great opportunities to develop academically, personally and professionally. Whether students are seeking a job for a little spending money or are ready to kickstart their careers, the University of Minnesota is a great place to work!

Student jobs can also be a great way to build professional skills, gain valuable experience in your field, and explore potential careers. As a student, I worked for the Office of Admissions as a customer relations representative, which eventually led to my current position as the College of Liberal Arts admissions counselor. My job with Admissions was one of my best college experiences!

The University is dedicated to developing professionals in their student workforce and recognizes students for their outstanding service. For example, each year the Outstanding Student Employee Recognition Awards honor about 10 percent of undergraduate student employees. The awards are awarded annually to recognize our outstanding student employees. That is a great honor to be able to put on a resumé talk or about during an interview! 

Employers at the University of Minnesota recognize that students are students first, and employees second. They will work around your class schedule and are often flexible during finals weeks or if you have an upcoming project or test. You can check out some of the employment opportunities at the University's Employment website where you can search by title, position category, location, and more!

Name: Yefei Jin
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Major(s): Theatre and Asian Languages & Literatures
Year in School: Junior, Class of 2012

Colleges and universities he considered: As a high school senior, Yefei's top choices for college included the University of Minnesota, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Hope College, and Yale University.

Why he chose the U of M:
"I chose the University of Minnesota for its prime location in a metropolitan area and the abundance of opportunities provided by its thriving artistic community. After visiting the campus, I discovered the strong academic and creative connections the university had with the local community. As a student pursuing the mechanisms for creating social change, the combination of service learning projects and academic rigor made the University of Minnesota the best choice for me."

How Yefei is involved at the U of M:
"I'm currently involved in multiple creative projects as well as student groups on campus, both of which motivate my academics and career goals. I'm in the process of writing a play for my senior project next year, called 'Atsumori in San Francisco.' As a student playwright, director, and actor, I've performed original pieces on campus for open audiences and student groups. As a board member of the Korean Student Association, I also seek to engage with the multicultural student body on campus. And finally, this summer, I will also be serving first year students as an Orientation Leader."

The highlight of his U of M experience so far:
"My U of M experience has taken me beyond what I could ever have imagined. My experiences on and off campus in theatre, education, and leadership development have been absolutely inspiring. I owe much of my passion to peers and faculty for offering me the support and insight for my creative development. At this point in my collegiate career, I have secured a strong mission statement along with the tools to challenge injustices."

His advice to future U of M students:
"Join organizations!!! Here you will find not the students who think like you, but those with similar passions. Some of these students will be your lifelong peers. As you pursue your interests, important relationships will form and with collaborating in student organizations, prepare to be amazed at how much you can learn!"

I love history and trivia. For my most recent post, I thought it would be fun to highlight some fun facts and trivia about Minnesota.

• On September 2, 1952, the world's first successful open-heart surgery was performed at the University of Minnesota.
• Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is the largest urban sculpture garden in the country.
• Minnesota has more Fortune 500 companies per capita than any other state in the country.
• Minnesota was the "Flour-milling capital of the world" from the 1880's through the 1930's.
• Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined.
• The Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota in the largest Federal forest in the lower 48 states.
• Minnesota has one recreational boat per every six people, more than any other state.

I hope you all enjoyed some fun facts about Minnesota. Interested in visiting? Schedule your U of M campus visit today, and while you are here, explore the Twin Cities! Check out our Twin Cities Guide for Campus Visitors.

*All facts provided by minnesotafunfacts.com