Winter 2015

PROFILE OF COREY PRINS, AFM
COURTESY OF ASFMRA
One of Corey Prins’ fondest memories growing up on the small
family farm near Edgerton, Minnesota, was the hours he spent
in the tractor. As the eldest son, Prins had a lot of responsibility
and was delighted when his father, Lloyd, delegated crop
responsibilities to him in his teen years.
“At a young age Dad had me out cultivating, and I loved every
minute of being out on the tractor,” Prins says. “I grew up loving
everything about crop production and the land. I knew then that I
would end up doing something in agriculture—I just didn’t know
what that would be.”
Those were formative years for Prins, who would go on to South
Dakota State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness
with a minor in agronomy. After graduation Prins pursued a career
off the family farm as the farm wasn’t large enough to support
two families. After a stint in the seed business, he went into farm
management, joining Northwestern Farm Management Company
in Marshall, Minnesota, in 2006.
“When I got into farm management, I felt like I had the
world by the tail,” Prins recalls. “I told myself that I’m doing all
the things that a farmer does except for operating the tractor.
But I can get that fix by helping Dad when we go visit the
family farm.”
FARM MANAGER OF THE YEAR
The passion for the land and hands-on approach with working
with his clients has served Prins well in his professional life. This
year, Prins was recognized for that success by being named the
2015 American Association of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
(ASFMRA) Professional Farm Manager of the Year, which was
presented to him at the association’s annual meeting in San Antonio
this past fall. Prins says it was an honor to receive the award from
ASFMRA, an organization that he credits with strengthening his
credentials as a professional farm manager.
“ASFMRA-accredited members lead in their respective
fields by meeting the complex needs of agriculture’s changing
environment,” Prins says. “In addition, the relationships that I
have built across the country have broadened my knowledge of
different cropping systems and created a network of contacts for
sharing information and solutions to common problems.”
Prins’ leadership in ASFMRA started early in his career, and
in 2012 he was recognized for that service with the ASFMRA
Early Career Award. Prins’ passion within the organization is
continuing education and professional excellence in the field
of farm management; he is currently serving as chairman of the
association’s Management Education Committee. He received
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