Jerad Michels – Eide Bailly
Tell us about yourself and business.
I grew up on my family grain and hog farm that’s located just outside of North Mankato. From as early as I can remember, I wanted to be a farmer. When it came time to go to college, I wanted to get a degree in agriculture but Minnesota State University – Mankato did not offer a degree in agriculture at the time. I didn’t want to leave the Mankato area because I wanted to continue to work at my family farm. I decided to go into business and received my undergrad and master’s in accounting at MSU – Mankato. Thankfully, I can still work on my family farm and help prepare taxes for Agricultural businesses/farmers.
Why does your business invest in GreenSeam?
Eide Bailly invests in GreenSeam because many of our clients are directly or indirectly tied to agriculture. From directly working with farmers or businesses that are impacted by the status the farm economy is in, Eide Bailly wants to see growth in the region.
Do you recommend others to invest in GreenSeam and why?
I would recommend others to invest in GreenSeam because its one of the few Agricultural advocates in the area. It’s an investment into the current and future growth of Agriculture.
How does GreenSeam, the organization, shape the future of agriculture, business, and communities in the region?
GreenSeam is investing in the future through education, addressing concerns, and bringing the industry together. By bringing Agricultural classes to the area more individuals can learn about the impact it has and keep the talented individuals in the region. GreenSeam has forums to find out what local businesses are struggling with. Once they have targeted the issues, they are looking to work towards a solution as a collective. Bringing businesses together, the industry has the knowledge to work together and grow.
Share with us some of the opportunities your business/industry receives from being in the GreenSeam region.
Eide Bailly has benefited by other businesses and individuals knowing we have a strong Agricultural accounting group in the area to support them. We have the specialization to provide consulting and tax services to provide them the help them need.
What would you share with someone considering moving to and working in our region?
I would share that GreenSeam is here to help. The issues you are having, others are facing too. The industry is strong and GreenSeam is here to help the region stay strong in Agriculture.
