The Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation welcomed over 350 attendees at its third-annual Ag Day Gala on National Ag Day, March 19. 

The event was held at the North End Event Center on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Attendees represented all aspects of agriculture, celebrating the diversity of agriculture in Minnesota, and the impact and contributions of the industry on the Minnesota economy.

Highlights from the evening included Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen presented a proclamation declaring ‘Agriculture Day in Minnesota’, WCCO reporter John Lauritsen serving as the keynote speaker, and great networking and story sharing among attendees.

The appetizers and main meal all featured items sourced from Minnesota companies, including:
Autumnwood Farms, Forest Lake
Blondies Butcher Shop, Wanamingo 
Compart Family Farms, Nicollet
Faribault Cheese Caves, Faribault
Fresha, Morris
Funky Chunky Popcorn, Eden Prairie
Heart O’Lakes Meats, Pelican Rapids
JonnyPops, Elk River
Ody’s Country Meats, Ostrander
O’Shaughnessy Distillery, Minneapolis 
Pure Prairie Poultry, Charles City, IA
Redhead Creamery, Brooten
Revol Greens, Owatonna
Riverview Dairy, Morris
Schmidt’s Meat Market, Nicollet
Sparboe Companies, Litchfield
Spring Grove Soda Pop, Spring Grove
St. Joseph Meats, St. Joseph
Swanson Meats, Minneapolis
University of Minnesota Meat Lab, St. Paul
University of Minnesota Pilot Plant, St. Paul

A special thank you to all of the sponsors who made the day possible:
Presenting Sponsor: Starkey Hearing/Start Hearing|
Dinner Sponsor: Compeer Financial 
Social Hour Sponsors: Blondies Butcher Shop, Enbridge
Signature Drink Sponsor: O'Shaughnessy Distilling
Entertainment Sponsor: Farm Bureau Financial Services
Photo Lounge Sponsor: Kowalski's Markets
Floral Sponsor: Len Busch Roses
Milk Salute Sponsor: Midwest Dairy
Dessert Sponsors: Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association; American Crystal Sugar Company; Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative; Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative
Minnesota Flavor Favor Sponsor: Minnesota Corn
Foundation Partners: Cargill, CHS, Chisago County Farm Bureau, Land O'Lakes Inc., Meeker County Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Pure Prairie Poultry, Riverview LLP, Stearns County Farm Bureau, Syngenta, University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota-CFANS, Washington/Ramsey County Farm Bureau
Foundation Friends: Ag Country Farm Credit Services, Anoka County Farm Bureau, Canadian Consulate, IDEAg Group, Hennepin County Farm Bureau, Minnesota Beef Council, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Pork Producers, Minnesota State Fair Foundation, R.D. Offutt Company, USDA-NRCS, Wright Farms