January 16, 2025 will officially mark the conclusion of John Schafer’s nine years of service to the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute’s (AURI) board of directors. As a board member, he represents the Minnesota Beef Council, where he serves as chair of the research committee.
Along with farming, Schafer has been active in a number of organizations, including the Buffalo Lake Development Corporation and Minnesota Hereford Breeders. In 2006, the USDA Secretary of Agriculture appointed Schafer to represent Minnesota on the Cattlemen’s Beef Research & Promotion Board. Schafer represented the Cattlemen’s Beef Research & Promotion Board on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee for five years and was Vice-Chairman of the National Beef Checkoff’s Product Enhancement Committee for two years.
Schafer joined the AURI board because of his varied experience with AURI. He and his father provided input in the 1980s as to why AURI should be created. As a young farmer in the 1980s, he experienced the farm crisis firsthand. Schafer notes: “Necessity is the mother of invention and AURI was a necessary invention.” Later, Schafer worked with AURI staff to create an outline for beef research in Minnesota. “I was impressed with the help AURI provided in creating a research blueprint to address the most pertinent topics facing the beef industry,” he explains.
When Schafer joined AURI in January 2016, it was an organization in flux. With a newly hired executive director, he participated in many strategic conversations about the future direction of AURI and priority areas. “I’m proud of what we accomplished in setting the path AURI is currently on. We also made a committed effort to diversify AURI’s funding so it would not be 100 percent dependent on state taxpayer dollars. AURI is now partly funded by grants and fees for service.”
The AURI accomplishments Schafer feels most proud of include the amino acid single-cell protein research that is being commercialized by Sanos Nutrition, which he calls “visionary,” and the recent work to support the Upper Midwest meat processing industry that was hit hard by Covid. AURI and the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Services (USDA-AMS) established a two-year joint USDAAMS Cooperative Agreement: Empowering Local and Regional Protein Processing in the Upper Midwest to ensure a viable local and regionalsmall-to-medium-scale protein processing industry.
“I’ve experienced firsthand how AURI has improved the rural economy over the past 35 years. There is more to be done but the unique way Minnesota has structured AURI – as a nonprofit with an independent board of stakeholders – sets AURI up for continued success.”
AURI’s greatest strength, Schafer feels, is its people. “I am very impressed with the staff AURI has been able to attract. Many employees have been with AURI for 15 years plus. The staff’s loyalty to the organization, commitment to see things through, and dedication to AURI’s mission is remarkable.”
Executive Director Shannon Schlecht, who began at AURI roughly the same time as Schafer, notes: “John has been a great contributor to AURI’s advancements and overall impacts over his nine years on the board. He has brought forth many experiences and skill sets to our organization, has been a dedicated board member, and has represented Minnesota’s livestock sector and perspectives in AURI’s strategic decisions. His contributions to the mission and valuable insights in approaching novel opportunity areas to commercial possibilities has been truly remarkable. Thank you John for your servant leadership and contributions to value-added agriculture.”
