FUTURE LEADERS FELLOWSHIP SPOTLIGHT Compiled by Suz Trusty
Te TPI Future Leaders Fellowship is a members-only small-group leadership experience that brings together new and current leaders in the natural grass industry. It’s an immersive 24-month program focused on developing new skills and enhancing existing leadership characteristics. Within this interactive framework, participants individually contribute to the long-term success of their career and their organizations and become even more effective advocates for the natural grass industry. As the first cohort wraps up the program, we’re sharing its participants’ stories.
Ryan Menken - Jasperson Sod Farm Ryan Menken is co-owner of Jasperson Sod Farm in Union Grove, Wisconsin. His current role is office manager, overseeing the day-to-day customer orders, delivery schedules, and invoices, along with four other staff members. In addition, he tracks sales, keeps the numbers consistent and verified, makes customer visits, and oversees projects.
Jasperson’s is a third-generation family farm, with Randy and Hilda Jasperson, as the second generation, purchasing additional land to expand the operation. Teir son Mark is the third generation and Ryan is married to their daughter, Dawn. Te farm now totals approximately 1,600 acres, with about 800 acres devoted to corn and soybeans and 800 acres to sod production, in rotation primarily with soybeans. Tey grow premium Kentucky bluegrasses and bluegrass/tall fescue mixes.
Tough Ryan and Dawn attended different high schools, they knew each other through their involvement in 4-H and FFA. Despite his activity in those organizations and his family’s farming background, farming was not Ryan’s career plan. He and Dawn began dating in 2001, when she was a high school senior and he was a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, majoring in physical and health education. Ryan says, “I got my CDL to haul sod for Randy, a great job during summers and school breaks, and I helped with fall planting and seeding throughout college. Dawn also chose UW-Whitewater, majoring in education and library science. I transferred to Carroll University to complete my teaching degree.”
Ryan and Dawn married in 2006 and both embarked on careers in education. Ryan says, “I continued working summers on the sod farm production team throughout my nine years of teaching. When Randy bought more land
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about ten years ago, he asked me to work at the farm full- time, teaming with Mark on production and technology. My move into the office has allowed me to shadow Hilda in her role as office manager to thoroughly understand that aspect of the business.”
On the personal side, Dawn currently works as the library media specialist for the pre-kindergarten through 8th- grade students at North Cape Elementary School. Teir son Bennett is in 6th grade there. Ryan serves on the School Board. Teir daughter Makenna is a freshman at Waterford Union High School.
Getting involved is a family trait. Ryan says, “Makenna is one of the few freshmen on the varsity swim team. Bennett recently played Charlie Bucket in the Creative Youth Performing Arts Collaborative, Inc.’s staging of Willy Wonka Jr. And both are active in 4-H and FFA. Dawn and I both serve on the board of the Rec and Select Baseball Program, our community’s version of Little League. I’m also on the committee that helps plan and set up our annual ‘county breakfast on the farm’ event.”
So, of course, Ryan was immediately interested when he learned about the Future Leaders Fellowship program. He says, “I saw it as an opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and to help showcase the industry. What I learned about leadership styles and qualities helped me better understand how my leadership style pertains to the different personalities and leadership styles of Randy and Mark. Knowing that, and learning the strategies to help offset and support it, is a huge benefit of the program.”
Ryan reports the program enhanced relationships. “Te willingness to share strategies and pain points, being able to reach out and talk business and life, sharing how to cope with the battles of home versus work has been awesome. We’ve become a big, extended family.”
Matt Duncan of DLF was Ryan’s one-on-one connection, another benefit of the program. Matt visited the farm early in 2022. Last fall, Ryan and his farm manager met Matt at LaCross Seeds, a DLF affiliate, for a tour with that state- of-the-art facility’s site manager.
Te Germany trip was a highlight for Ryan. He says, “Every farm has different practices and setups for their fields, shop, and offices. Learning the why as well as the how helps us all grow our own businesses.” Te group's legislative trip to Washington D.C. was another highlight. (See the article on page 116 for a detailed report of that trip.)
Ryan would absolutely recommend the FLF program to anyone who wants to grow personally and in their business.
TPI Turf News November/December 2023
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