Minnesota State Mankato’s Annual Schmitz Lecture to Feature Women Leaders in Agriculture

Wednesday, March 24, 2021
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Virtual event

Mankato, MN – Minnesota State University, Mankato’s College of Business will host a “virtual fireside chat” with Kristin Duncanson and Sheryl Meshke, two prominent women leaders in agriculture, Wednesday, March 24 from 3:30-5pm.

The annual entrepreneurial-centered event, part of the Richard Schmitz Food Entrepreneurship Series, is free and open to the public. Online registration is available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/richard-schmitz-food-series-kristin-duncanson-and-sheryl-meshke-virtual-tickets-132097399879.

The theme of this year’s event is “Be Local, See Global.” Duncanson is owner and partner of Highland Family Farms, a Minnesota-based corn, soy and hog farm. Meshke is co-president and CEO of Associated Milk Producers, Inc.

According to a College of Business preview of the event, Duncanson and Meshke will discuss how the pandemic has affected their industry, and how innovation is key to surviving in an ever-changing agricultural world. The two women will describe how “innovation, supply chain management, sustainability and consumer needs are at the forefront of their daily decision making.”

Duncanson and Meshke both serve as board members for the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council.

For more information, please contact Jen Cucurullo, director of marketing and communications in the College of Business, by phone at 507-389-5424 or by email at cobevents@mnsu.edu.

The Richard R. and Mary L. Schmitz Endowment for Opportunities in Food Entrepreneurship, which was founded in 1999, creates scholarships and supports the annual Richard Schmitz Food Entrepreneurship Series. This includes executives within a broad range of food processing, retailing and wholesaling industries.

This lecture provides an opportunity for Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Business to engage the growing sector of agri-business with students, alumni and friends in a format that educates the community about growing needs in the agriculture world.

Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,604 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.