The Minnesota Turkey Growers Association (MTGA) and Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council (MTRPC) announce the following slates of officers for 2018-2019:
Minnesota Turkey Research & Promotion Council
President – Kim Halvorson, Halvorson Turkeys, Morristown
Vice President – Chris Huisinga, Huisinga Turkey Farms LLC, Renville
Secretary-Treasurer – Max Velo, Evelo Inc., Rothsay
Minnesota Turkey Growers Association
President – Chris Huisinga, Huisinga Turkey Farms LLC, Renville
Vice President – Paul Kvistad, Kvistad Poultry, Wood Lake
Secretary-Treasurer – Wayne Knudsen, K&B Turkeys LLC, New London
Officers were officially announced at the annual meetings of the MTGA and MTRPC, held March 14 in Minneapolis, Minn.
MTRPC officer bios:
MTRPC President, Kim Halvorson of Morristown, MN, owns and operates Halvorson Farms. She has been a turkey farmer for 27 years and raises approximately 100,000 heavy toms/year (about 3.2 million pounds/year) annually in Rice County.
Kim is currently a member of the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce; is a minority liaison with Farm Service Agency; is the current vice-chair of the Rice County District One Hospital Board of Directors. She also served on the Rice County Board of Adjustment from 2006-2011; the Rice County Planning and Zoning Commission from 2002-2011 (serving as past chairwoman); and is a founding member and past chairwoman the Rice County Childcare Association from 1995-2002.
Kim has conducted many media interviews about the turkey industry and was also featured on a DVD compiled by the Minnesota Farm and Food Coalition about livestock production in Minnesota. She has three daughters – Breann, Benita and Greta – and a son, Bernt.
MTRPC President Chris Huisinga owns and operates Huisinga Turkey Farms, LLC in Renville, MN. Prior to starting this venture in the past year, he was the General Sales Manager for Ag Forte. Ag Forte (the flagship brand for Willmar Poultry/Life-Science Innovations) is the largest supplier of day old turkey poults in the world annually selling 100 million turkeys globally.
Prior to his current role, Chris was the General Manager for Ag Forte’s North Division consisting of over 300 employees across 2 hatcheries, 58 parent stock breeding farms, 2 grandparent breeding farms, a vaccine production division, and veterinary services. During his career he has held roles in operations, marketing, finance and business development for Life-Science Innovations and its affiliates and Wells Fargo Corporation in both Minnesota and Florida.
Chris has a BA in Business from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul (Minnesota) and a MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers (Florida). Chris and his wife Joi have two children, Ethan and Ella.
MTRPC Secretary-Treasurer Max Velo has been actively involved in the turkey industry for 13 years. With a farm in Ottertail County, he raises 400,000 hens per year.
Max and his wife Piper have four children Daryl, Kelsey, Alanna and Nita.
MTGA officer bios:
President Chris Huisinga owns and operates Huisinga Turkey Farms, LLC in Renville, MN. Prior to starting this venture in the past year, he was the General Sales Manager for Ag Forte. Ag Forte (the flagship brand for Willmar Poultry/Life-Science Innovations) is the largest supplier of day old turkey poults in the world annually selling 100 million turkeys globally.
Prior to his current role, Chris was the General Manager for Ag Forte’s North Division consisting of over 300 employees across 2 hatcheries, 58 parent stock breeding farms, 2 grandparent breeding farms, a vaccine production division, and veterinary services. During his career he has held roles in operations, marketing, finance and business development for Life-Science Innovations and its affiliates and Wells Fargo Corporation in both Minnesota and Florida.
Chris has a BA in Business from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul (Minnesota) and a MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers (Florida). Chris, his wife Joi, have two children Ethan and Ella.
MTGA Vice President Paul Kvistad, a second-generation turkey farmer from Yellow Medicine County, owns and operates Paul Kvistad Poultry, which produces 200,000 light hens per year.
Currently, Paul is serving as the chairperson on the Education/Workforce Committee for MTGA and has been on the board of the Yellow Medicine County Corn Growers for 16 years. He served as a past member/president for the Echo Lions Club for 12 years and a past board member for the Farmers Co-op Elevator for 9 years. In addition, he continues to usher at Swan Lake Church.
Paul and his wife Jamie have three sons: Hunter, Payton and Brock.
MTGA Secretary-Treasurer Wayne Knudsen of K & B Turkeys, LLC, is a first-generation turkey grower and produces 120,000 toms/year in Redwood county.
Wayne has served as a board member for the Echo School District/YME District, the MN River Valley Education District & the Redwood County Fair. In addition, for 23 years he has been an active member in his church, the Echo Alliance Church, and served as an elder, board member & treasurer.
Wayne and his wife Kay have been married 39 years and have four children and many grandchildren.
