Bernie Wrede has served on the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association Board of Directors for the past six years and was recently named its Producer of the Year.

The award announcement was made during the association's ninth annual Mid-America Alfalfa Expo at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings, NE.

An active volunteer, Wrede's most recent involvement has been promotion of the Orphan Grain Train Operation Hay & Grain Lift, which provides hay and grain to drought-stricken farmers and ranchers.

Wrede is active in his community and has held several offices with the Zion Lutheran Church in Pierce.  His memberships include Farm Bureau, Corn Growers and the LEAD Alumni Association.

After graduating from Chadron State College in 1972, Wrede taught for six years.  He and his wife, Carol, began farming in 1980.  They first raised corn and soybeans.

Then, in the early 1990s, the Wredes began raising alfalfa, which soon proved to be the main cash crop.  Over the years, the Wredes have increased their alfalfa acres to about 1,400.  They concentrate on producing dairy hay and have sold alfalfa to most of the eastern states.

They are parents of two daughters, Jamie attended Kirksville School of Osteopathic Medicine and is currently doing rotations in Ohio, and Joanie attends Wayne State College.

NAMA Producer of the Year focuses on customer satisfaction

"Meeting the dairy customer makes a difference"

Bernie Wrede, the NAMA 2003 Produced of the Year, knows he has a great product -- western alfalfa hay grown on his 1,600-acre farm in Pierce, Nebraska, located in the northeast part of the state.  "For the dairy producer, there's more milk in our hay than in what's grown in the East," he says.  "Eastern hay may test the same as what we grow in Nebraska, but cows will yield more milk when they're fed our hay."

Bernie doesn't rely on the top quality of his product to sell itself.  He's one of many NAMA growers who haul most of their crop directly to dairies throughout the U.S.  It's a practice that pays dividends by putting him in face-to-face contact with his customers.  "There's no substitute for meeting your customer and seeing their operation first-hand," he says.  "I learn how they feed their hay and the kind of moisture content that's suited to their cows.  Delivering my own hay also lets my customers know that I have a personal commitment to them and their dairy."

Hauling his own hay puts Bernie on the road 40 to 50 days a year, traveling to states as far east as Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland, and to various other states between the East Coast and Nebraska.  He enjoys the personal rapport with dairy producers, which he considers to be super people to deal with.  "I find that my dairy customers develop a commitment to me, in part because of our personal relationship, but also because they know I'll stand behind my product.  If there's a problem of any kind, we make it right.  We load three bales at a time on my farm, so we don't see all of every bale.  The dairy producer unloads them a bale at a time and usually inspects every one.  If any bale is suspect, we'll replace the hay or credit them on their next load."

The Produce of the Year honor caught Bernie by surprise, but it's an honor well deserved according to Luke Jacobsen, NAMA President.  "In addition to being an experienced and very successful alfalfa grower, Bernie has been active on the NAMA Executive Board for many years," Luke notes.  "Bernie represents NAMA at many of the farm shows where we exhibit, and takes a deep interest in the forage needs of dairy producers and in crop technology.  He exemplifies what NAMA is all about."

Bernie Wrede (pronounced REE-dee) is also active in the Orphan Grain Train (see box below), an agriculture-related humanitarian organization based in Norfolk, Nebraska.  Bernie was one of numerous Nebraska farmers who participated in Operation Hay and Grain Lift, an Orphan Grain Train program that last year donated 240 semi-loads of hay to livestock producers who were impacted by extreme weather.  "Orphan Hay and Grain Lift is a program where farmers help farmers," Bernie comments.  "It was so rewarding being part of something that gives to people in need."

Congratulations, Bernie!  NAMA is honored to have you as one of its members.

Orphan Grain Train
Doing Good Worldwide

Orphan Grain Train (OGT), the humanitarian organization supported by Bernie Wrede and other NAMA members, was founded in 1992 as a Christian humanitarian and disaster relief organization.  Based in Norfolk, Nebraska, OGT has sent more than 17 million lbs. of hay, food, clothing and medical relief supplies to needy people in Eastern Europe, Central and south America, Asia, Aftrica, Mexico and to recipients in the U.S.