Farming has become Therese Romsdahl’s second act in life. After 30 years working in the Minneapolis suburbs as a records supervisor for Shakopee Police Department, Therese married Brian Romsdahl, a lifelong producer in Watonwan County, and reinvented herself as a farmer.

“It was a change of life for me, a lot of transitions, but I’m starting to get the hang of farming now,” Therese says with a laugh.

The Romsdahls raise beef cattle, corn, soybeans and alfalfa on their operation south of Butterfield. Therese handles the bookkeeping and other various duties, and recently learned how to operate machinery. Like most Minnesota farmers, the Romsdahls have been enduring a drought this growing season, but Therese says their field in southern Minnesota is managing to receive just enough moisture from Mother Nature to sustain their crops.

“This is the driest it’s been in the 10 years since I’ve been here,” she says, “but we’re getting a half-inch here or there, and that seems to help.”

Therese has been an Investor Member director with 40 Square for several years. She joined the board on behalf of Minnesota Farmers Union, an advocacy group that promotes better access to affordable health care (Brian is a longtime MFU member). When 40 Square launched in 2018, Farmers Union made a commitment to appoint a representative to the co-op board.

“We appreciate what Farmers Union does for farmers,” Therese says. “They’re the bridge between farmers and legislators.”

Off the farm, Therese and Brian enjoy exploring Midwestern highways on their motorcycles.

“We like to do go anywhere where the road takes us,” she says.

A seat at the table

Recently, Therese joined the 40 Square board at Crystal Valley Coop in Mankato for its first in person meeting in more than a year. It’s been a learning curve grasping the complexities of the health care industry, Therese says, but the farmer-led board is highly engaged and diverse.

“Our board is comprehensive, and we hear all the conversations as a whole and ask questions,” Therese says. “We have people with financial experience and we have the hands-on farmers and people representing the farmers themselves. That’s the unique thing about 40 Square – you have farmers on the board, so we hear all the discussions.”

Having a farmer voice is key to one of the many reasons why 40 Square is a viable option for growers and agribusinesses. 40 Square sets itself from the marketplace in several ways: Members have a voice, and the cooperative isn’t focused solely on profits. With 40 Square, employers can offer insurance to not just their families, but their employees and families.

“The membership has a seat at the table, and has a voting right,” Romsdahl says. “And we’re a not-for-profit, so we’re trying to bring the best service at the most affordable cost.”

Romsdahl also raved about working alongside 40 Square’s staff, led by Executive Director Char Vrieze.

“Char and the whole team are amazing,” she says. “They’re detail-oriented, they are information-driven. If you have a question, they will find the answer. They’re always seeking to improve the organization.”

Vrieze says the admiration is mutual.

“Therese is an extremely valuable member of our board both in and out of our board meetings. She comes prepared, always eager to learn, asks challenging questions and has a perspective unlike any of our other board members as someone who is representing an entire Minnesota ag trade association with Minnesota Farmers Union,” Vrieze says. “It is also not uncommon to receive a call or email from her asking questions, providing out of the box thinking, providing information and suggestions. She’s clearly engaged and thinking about 40 Square on a regular basis outside the boardroom.”

For Romsdahl, serving on a board whose focus is on health plans means thinking outside the box and looking at the industry through a different vantage point.

“I think all ideas should be considered, and that’s what 40 Square is doing. We are testing new ideas,” Romsdahl says. “All across our nation, new ideas are being talked about and I’m hoping that change does come soon.”

Romsdahl’s mission to provide better health care to farm families aligns perfectly with 40 Square’s.

“It’s about the greater good,” she says, “not profit.”