The Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics is proud to announce that all four recipients of the 2025 Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture are connected to this department.
This prestigious biennial award honors individuals and teams who have made extraordinary contributions to agriculture, including advancements in production, agribusiness, and knowledge dissemination.
Carmen Fernholz, recipient of the award in Production Agriculture, was a founding member of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA). Brothers Michael and Geoffrey Graham, recipients of the Agribusiness award, both received their undergraduate degrees in APG. Geoffrey also received his master’s degree here under the guidance of the late Ron Phillips. And the recipient of the Knowledge award has gone to the late APG Professor Don Wyse, a visionary leader in agriculture.
The Siehl Prize was created in the early 1990s by a generous gift from New Ulm-area livestock breeder and businessperson Eldon Siehl, a dedicated philanthropist who had a lifelong interest in agricultural systems. Siehl was concerned that people were losing touch with their agrarian roots and wanted his gift to ensure that achievements in agriculture would be recognized and celebrated. Awards of $25,000 are presented biennially in three categories: Production Agriculture, Agribusiness, and Knowledge.
The Siehl Prize laureates are listed below:
Carmen Fernholz — Production Agriculture: Carmen Fernholz has long been a leader in Minnesota’s farming community. He established A-Frame Farm in Madison, Minnesota, in 1972, and is an organic farming pioneer, first certifying organic in 1975. In 1992, Fernholz was a founding member of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) and he has testified at the Minnesota Legislature numerous times to advocate for sustainable agriculture. From the beginning of his farming career, he has focused on soil conservation and water quality and he continues to be a highly sought mentor by other producers.
Michael Graham and Geoffrey Graham — Agribusiness: Brothers Michael and Geoffrey Graham have made a substantial positive impact on global agriculture throughout their careers. Michael is the head of global plant breeding at Bayer Crop Science, where he oversees the plant genetics and breeding program and leads a global team to develop seed with better genetics for farmers. Geoffrey is the global plant breeding lead at Corteva Agriscience, where he is responsible for all global breeding activities. Both men, who have held a variety of roles at major companies over the years, today direct hundreds of employees in countries throughout the world in the effort to use science and technology to drive innovation in agriculture.
Donald Wyse — Knowledge: The late Professor Wyse of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics made prolific knowledge contributions to agriculture throughout his 50-year career at the U of M. His work centered on a profound vision for the future of agriculture: sustainability through crop diversification. To further this vision he started the Forever Green Initiative, which combines basic research with crop commercialization efforts so that it can be profitable for farmers to produce continuous living cover. Wyse, a legendary figure in his field and amongst his students and colleagues, passed away in July 2024.
The 2025 Siehl Prize laureates will be honored at a ceremony at the Bell Museum of Natural History on May 28, 2025. Previous laureates are listed here.