A countryside scene with a green lawn, a gravel path, several farm buildings including a red barn with white trim, a smaller brick building, a white house, and a windmill. There are trees in the background and a partly cloudy sky overhead.

Welcome to Farmamerica!

We are Minnesota's only agricultural interpretive center, nestled in rolling acres near Waseca. 

Every visit is a chance to see how farming touches your daily life in ways you might never have imagined. From the food on your table to renewable energy in the vehicle you drive to the fabric of the clothes you wear, agriculture shapes so many aspects of our world.

Plan your visit.

Mission, Vision & History
Meet the Team
Board of Directors
Support
Discovery Farms

Mission, Vision & History

Group of children and a woman outdoors at a farm or garden, examining plants behind a wire fence on a bright sunny day.

Our Mission

To connect Minnesotans to the evolving story of agriculture through hands-on educational experiences, partnerships, and community engagement.

A group of children gathered around a large white turkey, touching its feathers, outdoors in front of a red barn-style building.

Our Vision

Minnesotans and consumers view agriculture as a part of the solution to our food, fiber, energy, and environmental challenges.

A rural farm scene with a red barn, a small brick building, and a tall windmill, under a partly cloudy sky.

Our History

Farmamerica was established by the Minnesota legislature in 1978 to preserve, celebrate, and promote the state’s rich connection to agriculture. We started with a few acres, donated by Roy & Marcie Lukken, and with the help of the local community, legislators and contributors, we built the center into a 360-acre site which includes a visitor center, a pond and prairie, many external historical buildings, plus a collection of antique farm equipment.

Meet the Team

  • Jessica Rollins

    Jessica Rollins

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Jessica joined the Farmamerica team in 2016. With an agriculture background and a degree in psychology and multimedia, she has a wide range of experience in the ag industry, including public relations, ag communication, and marketing. She stays busy with her two daughters and husband who farms near Pemberton.

  • Kari Wadd

    Kari Wadd

    PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    Kari joined the Farmamerica team as the Program Coordinator in 2023. Kari has a degree in design, enjoys event planning, and has kept agriculture and education as part of her life in many capacities in 4-H and FFA. She has been a member of the Waseca community for over 20 years, and currently resides on a farm in Waseca with her husband, Trent and two children.

  • Randy Wadd

    Randy Wadd

    SITE MANAGER

    Randy, the former Shop Manager at Smiths Mill Implement for 35 years, manages and cares for the grounds and buildings on our 360-acre sites. He and his wife reside in rural Waseca on a hobby farm. 

  • Morgan Mudgett

    Morgan Mudgett

    COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

    Morgan is a a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato where she earned her BS in Marketing and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing pickleball, and taking walks!

  • A woman with curly hair, glasses, and a smile, standing outdoors in a natural setting with trees and foliage, wearing a floral blouse, a necklace, and a cardigan.

    Hilary Kruger

    ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

    Hilary joined the Farmamerica team in 2025 as Administrative Coordinator. She has been a long-time Waseca resident and has fond lifelong memories of bringing her two boys to Farmamerica events when they were little. Hilary enjoys the peaceful walking path that highlights the prairies with wildflowers at Farmamerica, and having some of the farm animals greet her as she passes by the barn.

Farmamerica Board of Directors

Lisa Gjersvik, Chair

Agricultural Utilization Research Institute,
Waseca, MN

Judi Baker, Chair

Seneca Foods,
Elysian, MN

Gary Johnson

Retired, Wenger Corp,
Waseca, MN

Julie Tesch

Center for Rural Policy & Development (CRPD)
Waseca, MN

Erin Rossow, Vice Chair

Ag Management Solutions,
Mankato, MN

Jim Checkel

Retired Mayo Clinic,
Kasson, MN

Lauren Servick

MN Pork Board,
Mankato, MN

Angie Youngerberg

Blue Earth County Human Services,
Janesville, MN

Roger Toquam, Treasurer

Toquam Family Farm,
Blooming Prairie, MN

Jerry Demmer

Demmer Farms,
Clarks Grove, MN

Baylee Sorensen

Compeer Financial,
Mankato, MN

Lynette Ziegler

Ziegler Farms,
Good Thunder, MN

Two boys are kneeling on the grass with a pig at an outdoor farm or fair. They are smiling and petting the pig, which is eating apples on the ground. Behind them are trees, a red barn, and farm equipment under a clear blue sky.

Support Farmamerica

Are you excited about our mission and vision? There are many ways to get involved. Learn about memberships, volunteer activities and ways to support our work.

Get Involved
Wildflowers and tall grasses by a body of water with trees and a white church in the background.

Discovery Farms

See Farm Research in Action

At Farmamerica, we're proud to be part of Discovery Farms - giving Minnesota farmers hands-on data to help inform their conservation drainage decisions. This project illustrates one way farmers are actively working to solve water quality challenges and improve farm sustainability.

Learn more

Contact

Have a question? Get in touch with a member of our team.

Send a Message