Cole Trebesch

BLOOMINGTON – 40 Square Cooperative Solutions has elected Springfield farmer Cole Trebesch as its new chair.

At its January board meeting, the 40 Square Board of Directors elected Trebesch to preside as chair. Trebesch, who replaces Robby Gieseke, previously served as vice chair.

“I’m humbled and grateful to have the confidence of my fellow directors and the 40 Square team,” Trebesch said. “This organization is the first of its kind, and I’m proud to help lead 40 Square as we continue to grow and evolve.”

In one of his first duties as chair, Trebesch joined 40 Square Executive Director Char Vrieze at MN AG EXPO in Mankato, where the two met privately with Gov. Tim Walz to advocate expanding affordable health care options in the state.

“We had a very constructive conversation with the governor and hope we can find some solutions to address some of the challenges facing cooperatives such as ours,” Trebesch said.

New Ulm farmer Steve Hoffman was named vice chair and Dick Nesvold has been re-elected to serve as secretary/treasurer. Trebesch and Hoffman are also chair and vice chair of 40 Square’s Health Plan Trust, respectively, while Kevin Lauwagie was tabbed as secretary/treasurer. Gieseke stepped off the board after four years as chair.

Trebesch lives just a few miles south of the family farm in Springfield with his wife, Miranda, and their son, Oliver, and daughter, Elise. Together with his father, Richard, Cole raises corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle.

“We live agriculture day in and day out,” he says. “It keeps us all close.”

40 Square is an independent, member-owned agricultural cooperative offering health insurance plans for Minnesota’s farm families, businesses that provide direct services to production agriculture and their employees.