AGRICULTURE
Alumni Profile
Calvin Spronk
Everyone wants to stand out in their professional field, but for Calvin Spronk, sprouting success has never been a problem. He's a variety man and something of a pioneer. In 1979, he became one of the first to graduate from Dordt College's agri-business program, a program that didn't even exist when Calvin enrolled as a freshman.
"The coming of the agri-business major helped me see how I could continue my education in an area I was interested in at a Christian college," Calvin said. "You have to do what you're interested in."
And he's done just that. He used what he learned to found Spronk Seed Farm, a seed conditioning plant that distributes bags of seed to farms and businesses. He grew his business out of Edgerton, Minnesota, and today, the company supplies seed to locations more than a hundred miles away.
Calvin is thankful that Dordt required him to study a wide range of topics, including marketing, business, writing, and speech. These courses aren't usually required for an agricultural degree, but this unique combination was the starting point for his success. He offers nothing but praise for what he learned in his business and biology courses at Dordt.
"Chemistry, botany, zoology, and genetics gave me a good background and knowledge base, which helped me keep up with changes in today's agricultural advancements, including technology," Calvin said.
In addition to successfully managing his seed company, Calvin has been a supervisor for the Pipestone County Soil and Water Conservation District and a member of the board of directors for the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association.
