Sugar Producer

12 SUGAR PRODUCER | MARCH 2024 Even aer finishing his term as president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, a position that many in the sugarbeet industry know is time-consuming and demanding, we think Minnesota grower Nate Hultgren won't have any problem filling his time with on- and off-farm activities. Watching over and managing 7,000 acres of crops and a herd of 70 cows seems plenty enough. But Hultgren continues in his position as chairman of the board at Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC). And then there is his family, which includes five children who are very busy in all sorts of activities. Hultgren is quick to point out that he has had plenty of help as he navigat- ed (and continues to do so) all those responsibilities, especially while he served a two-year term as president of ASGA, which ended this past February. at was crucial considering he spent countless hours in his responsibility as president, attending meetings, testifying before the House ag committee and pre- senting at the USDA Ag Outlook con- ference, developing long term plans for ASGA, and the list goes on and on. All this while still serving, as mentioned, as chairman of the board at SMBSC, which has more than 500 shareholders. He said, "My family has been very important throughout this process. I have 5 kids; Lily [18, freshman at University of Minnesota-Duluth], Nora [16], Elias [16], Ruby [14] and Oliver [12] and they're at that time of family life of peak 'busy-ness' since some can't drive and all are in extra-curricular activities such as football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, music lessons and FFA. A lot has fallen on my wife Jaime's shoulders. is year will be our 25th wedding anniversary and I'm sure she's never had to take on as much without me as she did in the last year with my activity on the farm, Southern Minn, and ASGA. I'm forever grateful for the honor and privilege of representing all the beet growers of America and I'm also grateful for the extra everything Jaime took on. My dad [Duane] and brother [Noah] also played a big part in giving me the flexibility to serve on these boards." We've seen Hultgren in action on the farm and in national meetings and he is always busy doing something. Last fall when we caught up with him on the PAST, PRESIDENT AND FUTURE FROM MINNESOTA TO WASHINGTON, DC, HULTGREN DIGS IN TO GET THE JOB DONE BY LANE LINDSTROM Neil Rockstad (l) and Nate Hultgren help lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery in 2023. At the time, Rocks- tad was vice president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and Hultgren president.

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