b'AOSCA celebrates MCIAs Roger Wippler with Honorary Lifetime MembershipMinnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA)s foundation manager honored at AOCSAs AGM.Madeleine BaergEACH YEAR,the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) celebrates the long-time and substantial efforts of one or two seed industry members via an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award.The award, which has been presented since 1946, is impor-tant to AOSCA as it is a way we can show appreciation for those who have dedicated their career to the certified seed industry, says Sarah Wilbanks, AOSCAs CEO. This year, AOSCA was pleased to present an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award to Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA)s foundation manager, Roger Wippler. At the awards ceremony, held during AOSCAs annual general meeting, North Dakota State Seed Commissioner, Ken Bertsch, described Wipplers lifetime in agriculture and seed with the fol-lowing biography:Wippler grew up on a 30-acre hobby farm near Randall, MN. When he and his other siblings were old enough, his mom would farm them out to help the neighbors pick rocks, stack bales or milk cows. The kids also farrowed sows and sold feeder pigs as FFA projects.Wippler was very involved in FFA in high school and continued to pursue agriculture by going to Central Lakes College to study Landscape and Horticulture. His next step was attending the University of Minnesota where he received a degree in Ag Education. Being a top-notch student in grain grading and crop seed identification, he was asked by the University of Minnesotas Crop Judging Team advisor to join the team. The team went on to become national champions. He didnt yet know how much this training would come in handy for his future career.After graduating from the U of MN, Wippler taught one year of high school agriculture before returning to the campus to pursue a masters degree. While working on this degree in 1989, he was offered the foundation AOSCA presented an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award tomanager position with MCIA. Minnesota Crop Improvement Association foundation managerIn his position with MCIA, hes driven thousands of Roger Wippler.miles and walked hundreds more to check out each 20/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2024'