Business Strengths

MODERN GRAIN AND BULK STORAGE FACILITIES

Over the past several years we have invested in a commercial grain dryer and an additional 240,000 bushels of grain storage bringing out total to over 600,000 bushels. This allows us be as efficient as possible during harvest and gives us the capacity to store the majority of our grain. Storing our grain gives us additional marketing opportunities. We have also invested in on-site storage for fuel, fertilizer, LP, and seed which allows us additional purchasing opportunities. 

EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

We strive to continually invest in the modern technology and equipment we feel makes us more efficient, reliable, and that helps us to be the best stewards of the acreage we manage. Some examples include:

1

Purchasing equipment fitted with tracks to minimize harmful compaction during the critical stages of crop production.

2

Equipment outfitted with GPS guidance to maximize efficiencies, minimize overlap waste, and variable rate planting populations.

3

Utilizing farm computer programs to help us turn data into useful information. This technology allows us to explore inefficiencies and opportunities associated with seeding,fertilizers, and herbicide rates, and to more easily identify areas on farms that need extra attention or improvement. In summary, these tools help us see where we’ve been, were we are now, and where we want to go.

4

Investing in equipment that allows us to improve the production and value of farms we manage. This includes the equipment needed to install sub-surface drainage systems as well as equipment that improves surface drainage or removes fence rows.

UTILIZATION OF ORGANIC AND COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS

The idea of organic or “natural” agriculture has received a lot of attention in recent years.  Manure from livestock production provides a valuable organic source of the primary nutrients as well as many micro nutrients needed in crop production.  However, typical forms of organic fertilizer do not have exact ratios of what a specific crop needs. They need to be supplemented to ensure a healthy ecosystem exists within soil.   We have found that combining organic and commercial fertilizers forms a complimentary relationship that maximizes the soil’s production ability.  It is our goal to effectively manage nutrient inputs to achieve a balance between profitable crop production and sustainable, environmentally-friendly stewardship. 

Organic Fertilizers Benefits:

- creates a “savings account” of N, P, and K as well as many micro nutrients within the soil that are depleted by repeated crop plantings.

-adds organic matter to soil which improves soil structure, aeration, nutrient retention, and water holding capacity.

-organic forms of nutrients resist leeching and slowly release to the plant as microorganisms in the soil break them down into primary nutrients.

-in addition to helping to grow the plant, organic fertilizers help promote the life and overall health of the soil. 

Commercial Fertilizers Benefits:

-nutrients are refined to their pure state which makes them very available to plants and therefore, very effective in stimulating plant growth. 

-they are highly analyzed and blended to produce the exact ratio of nutrients needed.

-they are more predictable and reliable than organic fertilizers.