Oct 2023 - Journal Final - Flipbook - Page 5
Preparing for and Embracing
CHANGE AT PIPESTONE
A familiar proverb states that only three things in life are certain— birth, death, and change. While
change isn’t always enjoyable and we often don’t get to choose whether it happens, we do get to
decide how to react to it, and in best cases, de昀椀ne it before it de昀椀nes us.
Generational change has been top-of-mind for PIPESTONE since the inception of the Pipestone
System and our original mission of Helping Farmers Today Create the Farms of Tomorrow in the late
1980s. We knew that if farms were going to be successful for tomorrow, they needed to plan for and
(gasp) welcome change early.
Transition at PIPESTONE is no different, and we subscribe to the same advice we have given to our
farmer clients all these years. It’s why we aggressively work on our business transition plan and just
like farm planning, it requires years to complete and constant, intentional thought to be done right.
In July, we announced a signi昀椀cant structure change at PIPESTONE with the creation of two distinct
divisions. This change aimed to better meet the needs of our company and clients for the next
generation.
Pipestone Services
The Services Division focuses on the areas we serve our farm families every day through veterinary
service, animal health, research, sow farm and mill management, nutrition, and business service
functions.
Pipestone Partnerships
The Partnerships Division focuses on investment areas outside of our normal operations that we
partner with farmers on—speci昀椀cally through Wholestone, Greenstone, and Yellowstone.
The new structure lent itself to the ideal time to also transition leadership from Luke Minion to
myself in the Services and Sean Simpson in the Partnerships Division. That too, came after years of
planning and intentional thought to help Luke meet his personal goals.
We are grateful that in this case, our planning allowed us to craft our desired outcome, on our
terms, and because change is never-ending, we are already working on what is needed for the next.
Our passion to Help Farmers has never been more alive. Thank you for the opportunity to serve
your family through the past and future generations. We can’t wait to see what changes are yet to
come.
Hannah Walkes
Hannah Walkes
President
Pipestone Services
Hannah Walkes hails from a traditional crop and
livestock farm in southwest Minnesota. A graduate
of South Dakota State University, she began her
career with PIPESTONE in 2007 and today, serves as
President of Pipestone Services.
Sean Simpson
President
Pipestone Partnerships
A graduate of the University of Iowa and Hamline
University School of Law, Sean Simpson joined
PIPESTONE in 2013 as General Counsel. Today he
serves as President of Pipestone Partnerships.
Fall 2023 | 5
