Bernard honored, surprised

During the 2023 Waseca County Farm and City Luncheon Thursday, March 16, local Mark Bernard was recognized as a leader in area agriculture and honored with the “Distinguished Agricultural Leadership” award.

“I was a little surprised by the nomination,” Bernard said after the program. “When I was first nominated it was before Covid. I thought, well, they probably forgot about this thing. And, you know, it took a little time to go through the process. It gave me the chance to reflect on my career.”  Bernard mentions that 40-some years is a long time to reflect upon, and that doing so caused him to think about how much has changed.

New Richland resident and Star Eagle columnist Bernard has made a name for himself in the field of agronomy. Born and raised on a family farming operation in the Spring Valley area, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in agronomy and soil science at the University of Minnesota-St. Paul Campus.

“My parents, John and Betty, were mentors,” Bernard remembers. “But I had many mentors over the years– teachers and then, after I got into college, guys like Jerome Lensing. Once I was in business, Gyles Randall was definitely a mentor of mine. And the list goes on. I had some great employees to mentor along the way myself. So that taught me what this whole thing means. You just pay it forward. That's all you do.”

After graduating in 1981, Bernard found his way to North Dakota, where he worked for Centrol/Cenex as an agronomist. There, he experienced the challenges of working with a wide range of crops, including durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, sunflowers, flax, yellow mustard, Oriental mustard, dry edible beans, and safflower.

In 1985, Bernard moved to New Richland and began working as an agronomist with Huntting Elevator. In 1987, he started working for Paul Miller and his young company, Agro-Economics. Soon after, Bernard became the sole owner of the company, which specializes in crop consulting, soil sampling, and yield analysis. He has since added drone capabilities to Agro-Economics' services and stays up-to-date with changes in technology.

Bernard and Agro-Economics have had a significant impact on area agriculture, particularly during the ag crisis of the 1980s. Bernard's recommendations focus around using soil samples to determine what inputs, at what level, would most benefit crops grown in a specific field. This allowed farmers to save money by using, usually, decreased amounts of fertilizer, especially nitrogen. Site specific chemical and pesticide application saved producers even more money while helping improve production. Agro-Economics has long been recognized as a well-informed, independent source for crop production guidance.

Much of that guidance results from Bernard’s own small farming operation, which he says, helps him to “keep the pulse” of the land. Bernard raises hay, crops, and livestock. “It’s like my own little laboratory,” he says. “I use the information and experience generated to help my business and other livestock people, especially sheep producers.” He remembers an incident long ago, for example, when he noticed the differences in soil composition between land where he had spread manure and where he had not, and some of the realizations that led him to.

Bernard is an active member of various agricultural professional organizations, including the Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Weed Science Society of America, North Central Weed Science Society, American Society of Agronomy, and The American Cheviot Sheep Society. He has also maintained his certification as a Certified Professional Agronomist since 1992 and adheres to the organization’s code of ethics.

He is also the agronomist for the annual Pro Farmer Crop Tour, a survey which travels throughout a seven-state region during the month of August assessing the production potential for corn and soybean crops. Bernard refers to it as “the first boots-on-the-ground look at the US corn and soybean crop in the seven top-producing states.” This year will be Bernard’s twentieth with the “eastern leg” of the tour.

In addition to his work and involvement in professional organizations, Bernard is a well-known figure in the New Richland farm and non-farm communities. He has been writing the “Fencelines” column in the Star Eagle for more than two decades, resulting in more than 1,000 columns. “LaVonne Meyer asked me to write a column once in 2003,” Bernard recalls. “I thought she wanted just one!”

In his column, Bernard keeps readers abreast of local weather, crop conditions, happenings on the Bernard farmstead, updates on his trusty Studebaker, and the latest news of the weather eye and the “scurs.”  With weather being a critical factor in crop production, Bernard has been a Skywarn weather spotter for more than a decade, giving him valuable insight into the behavior of storms and their impact on crops.

Bernard, along with his wife Jo, has also been an integral part of New Richland and Waseca County society. They have been involved in various activities, including the Lions Club, being members of the state (Northstar) and national chapters of the Studebaker Drivers Club, assisting with 4-H, and their local church.

Bernard's accomplishments are numerous, and he has made a lasting impact on the field of agronomy, as well as the local community. 

Toward the end of the program, it was joked that it would take an entire special edition of the Star Eagle to document Bernard’s achievements in agriculture.

“I'm not used to that,” Bernard said about going from being a writer/reporter to being “reported on.”

“It's a little different,” Bernard joked. “You just don't think about it.”