AGRONOMY
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The Agronomy team. Most of you interact with Doug Kraska, Joe Forner, Art Templin or myself. While we may be the“ face” of the agronomy department, we are only a small part of the team. Once we sit down and make decisions about your farm / fields, a lot of work goes into taking your farm plan and executing it in the field. Here is a little bit about the men that make that happen.
Mark Eggers has been with Mid-County for 6 years. He is a top-tier operator that can always be counted on to get the job done both accurately and safely. Mark is also the go-to guy when something breaks down. He will either fix it on the spot or“ McGyver” a fix until the right part can be found. New technology is something that Mark also adapts to very quickly. One thing you might like to know about Mark is that he is also a farmer and works with his father on their farm just a few miles from Cologne.
Tim Lieske is the newest member of the Agronomy team with 5 years of experience. Tim is another operator for Mid-County and is very good at what he does. He is very conscientious about every field he is on. If something doesn’ t look right or feel right he will ask to make sure his customer is getting what they wanted, where they want it and when they want it. Tim is very good at using all the new technology that seems to change on a daily basis. Tim is also the go-to-guy in training for repairs! One thing
VRT- More than a saying
Joe Forner Agronomist / CCA
( 952) 466-3730
joef @ midcountycoop. com
Over the course of the year, I get a chance to visit with other agronomists. One item that astonishes them is how much VRT( Variable Rate Technology) we do at Mid-County. Over the last few years about 90 % of our DAP and Potash are applied using prescription maps and VRT. About 95 % of our aglime is also applied this way. It may be surprising to others, but it shows the commitment of your Coop and the understanding of the producers that use these technologies are not experimental, but that this is standard practice for both now and in to the future.
At Mid-County we have adopted an
VRT By
The Team to Beat!
approach of hand crafted VRT. We have always thought that field variability applies to the grower with 2000 acres as well as one with 50 acres. Some of our growers
use a third party consultant to make the recommendations and others use the services of the Coop to take samples and make recommendations. Either way works for us and it is really up to the comfort level of the grower being able to www. midcountycoop. com
you might like to know about Tim is that he recently purchased his first house.
Dale Schmitz is our longest tenured employee; he has been with Mid-County for 23 + years! Dale can do anything at Mid-County and not just in the agronomy department. You may find him putting on anhydrous ammonia one day, delivering propane the next day and hauling fuel
Scott Nelson Agronomy Manager( 952) 466-3733
scottn @ midcountycoop. com
when he gets done with everything else. Dale has been delivering products and applying fertilizer on farms in the area for so many years, he knows where just about every field is! One thing you might like to know about Dale is that he is a Captain on the Cologne Fire Department.
Kenny Schwartz has been with Mid-County for 5 years. He is our yard man, tender driver, NH3 tank expert, government regulation compliance person and about 100 other things! Kenny seems to know everyone and I don’ t think I have met anyone that doesn’ t know Kenny! You might say he really likes to talk! Kenny keeps us compliant on all the regulations that keep changing with chemicals and NH3. He is also in charge of making sure our warehouses are kept organized. For those of you that have been here- that is a HUGE job! One thing you might like to know about Kenny is that he is an avid hunter, fisherman and grandpa.
While you may be familiar with the face of the Agronomy department, you have now been introduced to the HEART of the agronomy department. We couldn’ t do all the things we do
without our awesome team. Please let us know how we may assist you,
Scott Nelson, Agronomy Manager
work with a third party or having the trust in the Coop to make recommendations in a simple and seamless manner.
Going forward, we are constantly looking for new ways to apply technology in order to enhance yields and to control cost. We are always looking for feedback from growers as to their needs that are not being met. This may include yield mapping, variable rate seeding, or remote imaging to name a few. In this time of elevated commodity prices and input prices, technology costs are a relative bargain compared to what they were ten years ago. Progressive growers need to leverage this technology and Mid-County Agronomy will do everything we can to make sure that this technology is used to the best of its ability. Give us a call this winter, we will help you plan your 2013 program.