Instructor Brant Groen to retire May 14
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/06/2010 9:27 AM
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WILLMAR, Minn. — Brant Groen, who has developed Ridgewater College's dairy management courses into one of the nation's top two-year programs, is retiring.
Groen will retire May 14 after 34 years at the Willmar campus.
The Chandler, Minn. native admits teaching wasn't his first career choice. He grew up on a dairy farm and was encouraged by his two older brothers to follow their path. Both had completed ag education degrees. Groen knew an ag education background could be the springboard for a career in the dairy industry including a possible return to the family farm with his brothers and father.
Groen attended Worthington Community College and received his ag education degree from South Dakota State University.
While student teaching at Pierre, S.D., his instructor and mentor suggested Groen give teaching a try for at least one year. The one year turned into three at Ivanhoe High School and led to an offer from Ridgewater College to join the ag program.
He was hired to teach in its Farm Operations and Management program in 1976. The area vocational technical college couldn't offer a dairy management program at the time. Those courses were part of Hutchinson's vocational offerings. At Willmar, Groen would offer courses for those interested in a dairy emphasis.
When he started at Willmar, there were 180 students in the program. The 1980's farm economic crisis was tough on the program and enrollment numbers dipped to 91 students around 1990. It's picked up again with around 200 students in the ag program.
Among the first classes he taught was ag mechanics. The coursework was not his forte.
"I knew enough about ag mechanics to be dangerous," Groen joked. He recalled spending half the summer taking classes to aid his teaching of the course. Groen also became friends with Hutchinson campus ag mechanics instructor Paul Kobermusz.
"He knew of all the industry meetings and invited me to come along," Groen said.
Kobermusz was asked to head an ag mechanics program at Willmar which gave Groen an opportunity to focus on dairy.
"It was nice to hand that baton over to Paul," he said.
During his tenure with Ridgewater, Groen has seen plenty of changes in the dairy industry and the courses he teaches. IT was a rarity for farms to have a parlor or freestall in the 1970s, he said. Herds were often 60 cows or less. Today it's rare to have herds around 60 cows. One of his students hails from a 5,000-cow dairy.
The courses he teaches helps prepare students to meet the industry's needs and challenges. He uses the latest technology and software as he teaches dairy students more about herd management, records, nutrition and budgets. The biggest change in the curriculum is the addition of technical hands-on programs and a focus on management skills.
"Students, whether they are in ag business, dairy or farm operations and management, need to learn management skills," he said. "Often they are going into positions after graduation where they are managing employees.:
Most of the graduates seek positions close to home, he said.
"They love their home area," he said. "If they can find a job within 20 miles of home, they are happy. That's awsome because it's helping that home community. We are bringing those leaders back."
During the last few months of the school year, the Ridgewater ag wing is fairly quiet. Most students are learning on-the-job through internships and on-farm classes.
"It's a time where I also become a student," he said. "I often learn something during my visits to see students in their internships."
As Groen reflects on his career at Ridgewater, he immediately points to the dedicated staff he's been "super blessed" to work with and the students and supportive parents.
Some have asked Groen how he handles the fact some of his students make more money than he has made. It's not a problem, Groen said.
"I think it's awesome, he said. "It's great to have former students give you a call. They want to talk and pick your brain. That's great."
Groen has mixed emotions about retirement. He has reached the "rule of 90" where his age plus years of teaching equals 90, he said. While he's looking forward to new opportunities, he's sad about leaving the students, staff and program he's worked with over the 34 years.
The father of three is looking for a full-time job as his youngest prepares for college in the fall.
His wife, Sharon, is a pre-school teacher at Redeemer Lutheran in Willmar.
For now, he's preparing to hand off the baton to his successor.
And his words of advice? Keep in contact with the industry and learn how students learn.
"Not every student learns the same," he said. "The hands-on learning is key."