The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee has appointed a new Vice President to their staff after going six months with interim Jason Laird at the helm.
The move to appoint Kent Kupfner was an easy one as his resume of over 30 years of service to grain and agriculture stood apart from the crowd.
“This job requires a lot of heavy lifting. A lot of work with the grain industry and foreign buyers and growers and domestic farmers across the state and finding someone who can handle all these characteristics is very important,” says Marketing and Communications Director/Former VP, Jason Laird. “We’re excited to bring Kent on board, and help him kick off the next leg of his career.”
For Kent himself, the qualifications that secured him the position are really just a testament to the kind of man he is and the upbringing he’s had.
“I grew up in a rural Montana community. It feels like second nature to me, frankly, to work closely with the growers and appreciate what they’re going through,” says Kupfner. “Whether it’s drought years, or good years, problems because it’s too wet at harvest.”
Kupfner knows the job is all about the healthy balance between supporting domestic farmers in-state, and securing clients at the international level.
“When it comes to buyers, whether it’s a foreign country or a domestic market, we’re the mouthpiece for that. We seek markets and promote the quality of our product. Being able to accommodate our Taiwanese customers, out Korean customers, certainly the Japanese, and some of the Central and Latin American countries. We look forward to showing that Montana wheat and barley is superior, which will benefit our industry, and therefore it goes right back to the farm gate,” Kupfner says.
He also added he’s looking forward to the Grain Growers Convention which will be held soon.
“Looking forward to shaking some hands and getting to know additional growers here, their concerns, and industry trends.”
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