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Miss Missouri at MFA Annual Mtg.

Chuck Zimmerman

Welcoming us to the start of the MFA, Inc. annual meeting is Don Mills, Chairman of the Board. He’s pictured here with Shelby Ringdahl, current Miss Missouri. Shelby will be signing the National Anthem for us. I spoke to both of them prior to the start of today’s activities. Shelby says she’s seen a lot of local companies come and …

Agribusiness, Audio, Cooperatives

GROWMARK Supports Kleckner Fellowship

Cindy Zimmerman

One of the many ways that GROWMARK participates in the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue is through support of the Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT)Kleckner Fellowship. GROWMARK Corporate Relations Specialist Karen Jones attended the World Food Prize events for the first time this year, the first time they have helped sponsor the fellowship, which was created last year in …

Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK, World Food Prize

GROWMARK Highlights National Co-op Month

John Davis

Our friends at GROWMARK are joining cooperatives throughout the country in celebrating the contributions co-ops make to the social and economic development of rural America during National Co-op Month in October. This year’s theme is “Collaborate, Communicate, Cooperate,” reflecting the benefits that arise from collaboration – the sharing of ideas, resources and capital which helps individuals accomplish more together than …

Agribusiness, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

Results from GROWMARK Annual Meeting

Jamie Johansen

Last week GROWMARK held their Annual Meeting to discuss the year-end financial results and carry out other business for the cooperative. Business units produced record sales for the 2013 fiscal year, which ended August 31. I spoke with CEO of GROWMARK, Jeff Solberg, and he reported estimated sales of $10.3 billion for fiscal year 2013. Pretax income is estimated at …

Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

Fueling the Farm Progress Show

Jamie Johansen

You can only imagine the fuel consumption during the Farm Progress Show. GROWMARK and FS have sponsored the fuel for the largest outdoor farm show for the last 30 years and expect to go through about 2,500 gallons this year. That amount is down from previous years because the field demonstrations had to be cancelled. Gerald Doty retired from the …

Audio, Cooperatives, FS System, GROWMARK

GROWMARK FS Websites Get Updates

Cindy Zimmerman

The 35 FS member cooperatives of the GROWMARK system are getting updated websites to better serve their customers and farmer-owners. “Technology’s changed so much we really wanted to be able to give our members as much of an advantage with their websites as possible,” said Jana Kiefer, GROWMARK Electronic Communications Coordinator, who noted that they have been in the website …

Agribusiness, Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

iPad-Conrolled Drones at Landmark

Chuck Zimmerman

Taking your iPad out in the field to fly a drone sounds like a lot of fun. It definitely is for an agnerd! This “fun” activity is becoming a business task more and more. The agronomists at Landmark Services Cooperative are getting in on the fun by using tablet-controlled drones for field scouting. One of the advantages this provides is …

Agribusiness, Apps, Audio, Cooperatives, Farming

Farmer Cooperatives on the Hill

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s a great week for the National Council of Farmers Cooperatives to be holding its annual Washington Conference with all that is going on in the nation’s capitol impacting the agriculture industry. GROWMARK Executive Director of Corporate and Government Relations Chuck Spencer called me from DC this morning to talk about what they are discussing on the Hill and of …

Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

Coalition Pleased With Immigration Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

Representatives from both agricultural employers and farm labor are pleased with guest worker provisions included in the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act introduced in the Senate yesterday. Leaders from the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) held a press conference yesterday to highlight the stake American agriculture has in immigration reform. Late last week, a landmark agreement on immigration …

Ag Groups, Audio, Cooperatives, Dairy, Farming, Produce