MID-COUNTY AGRONOMY
Page 4 www. midcountyCoop. com
Meet our new
Fertilizer start to finish agronomy manager
Scott Nelson
( 952) 466-3730
“ I like the atmosphere here at the co-op,” commented Scott Nelson, who became Mid-County Co-op’ s agronomy manager last September. Since he started, Scott has been busy preparing the plant for the changing seasons, ensuring that everything is running smoothly.“ I really like interacting with the customers,” he said.“ They’ re just solid, down-to-earth folks. They’ ve been pretty open to having a new guy around, too.” Although he’ s been at Mid-County less than a year, Scott isn’ t new to agriculture. He grew up across from a farm, and began working there at age 8. He continued the job part time until his 20s, and was considering farming as a career.“ I loved it,” he said.“ It was a goodsized dairy, with beef, hogs, and chickens, too.” However, after a back injury in 1990 that required surgery, doctors advised a less physical vocation. Scott then went to work for his parents’ bulk fuel delivery and convenience store company. In 2000, he moved into the underground line locating industry. His latest position was regional manager, which required substantial travel to nearby states. When Scott heard about Mid-County’ s agronomy manager opening, he was excited about the opportunity. As manager, one of Scott’ s goals is to increase efficiency of the agronomy department.“ We also want to continue to deliver a high level of customer service and accuracy in everything we do, whether it’ s billing or spraying,” he said. When he’ s not at work, Scott enjoys spending time at home in Delano with his wife, Carol, and three children, ages 12, 15, and 18. Scott can also be found playing guitar in a rock / country band called Wobblebox. The popular group performs at bars, weddings, and other private parties, donating part of its proceeds to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. At Mid-County Agronomy, Scott can be reached at( 952) 466-3730.
All the fertilizer a field needs
The photo above shows bins of unblended fertilizer. Mid-County Agronomy Manager Scott Nelson stands by several tons of ESN fertilizer, which is polymer-coated to control nitrogen release. The new fertilizer is designed to release nutrient based on soil temperature, to make nitrogen available later in the season.
Mid-County Agronomy offers a wide selection of liquid and dry fertilizers, to accurately meet soil nutrient needs with precise application.
Available liquid fertilizers include 28 percent, ammonium thio( 12-0-0-26s), 10-34-0, and 9-18-9. Dry fertilizers include urea, potash, DAP, ammonium sulfate, MAP, and potassium sulfate.
Custom blending is available to meet each area’ s unique soil needs.
Efficient fertilizer blending
At Mid-County Co-op, upgrading our fertilizer blending system is one way we’ ve recently increased our company’ s efficiency.
Since the system was installed, we’ ve enjoyed lower maintenance costs, less downtime, and a faster, more streamlined blending process.
The blue and white elevator on the far left of the photo was added this winter. As an incoming unloading system, it is the first stop for Mid-County Co-op’ s fertilizer. After semi trucks dump it into the elevator, the fertilizer goes into storage bins.
From there, Mid-County employees move the fertilizer into a hopper which loads the tower.
A mix of old and new
Before it is blended, fertilizer is lifted to the system’ s tallest blue and white tower.
The photo above shows a close-up view of the co-ops elevator that carries the fertilizer to the top of the tower.
Once it is lifted, the fertilizer drops into one of several bins in the top of the 8-ton blending system. It is then mixed with other types of fertilizer, per customer specifications. After about 30 seconds of blending, the fertilizer is ready to be put into trucks.
The tan-colored hopper in front of the new blending system is part of Mid- County’ s former system. It is now used as an additional truck load out.