Sharing Knowledge Worldwide

On Dec. 16, 25 visitors from the Chinese Agricultural Development Bank of China met with Jeff Solberg, GROWMARK senior vice president of finance; Marshall Bohbrink, GROWMARK vice president of risk management and treasurer; and Gary Nebergall, FS Agri-Finance marketing manager at the GROWMARK headquarters in Bloomington, Ill.




The Chinese visitors were taking part in the University of Illinois China Leadership Program, a customized financial management program at the Urbana-Champaign campus. The program included faculty lectures on financial as well as ag-related topics.


As a complement to their classroom study, the visitors were also able to meet with various agribusiness leaders in Illinois, as well as American farmers.

A Year's Worth of Safety

After a one year hiatus, Safety and Insurance Services once again ran their Children’s’ Safety Poster Contest this fall. Open to children and grandchildren of FS member cooperative and GROWMARK facility employees, the contest had an excellent result with more than 100 posters submitted from 18 member cooperatives.

"We were very happy with the quality of the posters drawn by the children and grandchildren of our System employees," said Doug DeFilippo, safety services manager. "The selection process was difficult with so many posters showing excellent safety messages."

Each entrant receives a certificate of appreciation and the 12 winning posters will be featured on the 2010 GROWMARK Compliance Calendar. The winning artists will also receive their choice of a savings bond, Walmart, Toys R Us, or FS gift card.

This year's winners are:

January: Bretlyn Crow, age 12, Lincoln Land FS, Inc.

February: Yaley Steele, age 11, Gateway FS, Inc.

March: Kenzy Moore, age 8, Wabash Valley Service Company

April: Katie Gress, age 8, AgVantage FS

May: Mackenzie Cryder, age 10, GRAINCO FS, Inc.

June: Paige Myroth, age 10, Conserv FS, Inc.

July: Cole Perry, age 13, Gateway FS, Inc.

August: Emily Knuth, age 9, Frontier FS Cooperative

September: Erica Patrick, age 9, Frontier FS Cooperative

October: Travis Hahn, age 8, Frontier FS Cooperative

November: Kaitlin Rutz, age 13, Madison Service Company

December: Katilin Schmitz, age 7, Gateway FS, Inc.

Supporting the Future of Agriculture

The FS Seed Division of GROWMARK recently renewed its commitment to Illinois Ag in the Classroom programs with a check for nearly $59,000. The check was presented to IAA Foundation chairman Philip Nelson at a ceremony held November 19, 2009 in Bloomington.

“Although agriculture is constantly advancing and continues to be an integral part of our lives, today’s youth are becoming less and less exposed to it,” said Steve Barwick, GROWMARK senior vice president of marketing and operations. “In the past, it was common to have some link to agriculture in every family, either directly or indirectly. Kids today are becoming less conscious of the importance of agriculture and are not making the connection between how it is vital to their everyday lives.”

The FS Seed Division has provided annual contributions to the Illinois Ag in the Classroom program since 2003. One-half of the donation is used for direct grants administered by FS member cooperatives at the local level. This year’s contribution brings the six-year total to nearly $349,000.

The IAA Foundation was established in 1987 to support educational, research and charitable activities which benefit agriculture, Illinois farm families, and county Farm Bureaus. Illinois Ag in the Classroom provides agriculture-based curricula for K-8 students and teacher training. The IAA Foundation supports Illinois Ag in the Classroom programs through a variety of annual fundraising and donations such as the one from FS Seed.

A Day of Remembrance

The Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies held a ceremony in honor of Veteran's Day on November 11.

Elizabeth Fozard, a COUNTRY Financial employee who recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, addressed the group. Representatives from the Illinois Farm Bureau and GROWMARK also spoke, and the Family of Companies Choir sang.

A Humvee was also on display for employees to view, along with several local servicemen and women who could answer questions about their service.

Energy Marketing Managers Meet

Nearly 40 energy marketing managers from across the GROWMARK System met at the brand-new Marriott hotel in Bloomington for a two-day meeting on sales leadership.

The attendees heard presentations from Gordon Lee, GROWMARK Southern Region manager, on leadership lessons learned from his personal experiences in the System; Andrew Bennett on creating a culture conducive to building strong relationships with customers and making sure everyone in the company is working toward the same goals and objectives; and Kyle Fricke from Afton Chemical, manufacturers of Dieselex Gold. GROWMARK Energy Division personnel also spoke to the group.

"The program was well-received and I think attendees were able to take home some useful information," said Ron Durdle, energy marketing and communications manager. "We are working on several ways to follow up on some of the ideas brought out by our speakers."

Copies of both Lee and Bennett's presentations are available on the Energy Resources site.

Helping Create CleanFARMS

This post and photos are courtesy of Janice Johnson, Ontario communications specialist.

For three days in late October, farmers were able to bring their obsolete pesticides, unused animal health products and used sharps (needles, syringes and scalpel blades) to a series of 16 collection sites across Ontario for safe and environmentally responsible disposal. There was no cost for this service to farmers and all organizations volunteered their time and labor to the success of the program.

FS hosted five drop off locations: GROWMARK’s Ontario Distribution Centre in Kitchener, North Wellington Co-operative Services in Harriston, Huron Bay Co-operative in Dundalk, Vineland Growers Co-operative in Jordon Station, Thunder Bay Co-operative Farm Supplies and Co-operative Regional de Nipissing Sudbury in Thornloe.

Jeff McCallum, communications and marketing specialist for North Wellington Co-operative Services in Harriston said farmers were very positive about the program and that almost half of the participants traveled more than 40 kilometers to get there, with the furthest coming from about 80 kilometers away.

From all accounts, the program at the FS locations was an overall success.

Dave Rogers, Dundalk branch manager for Huron Bay Co-operative reported an overwhelming response with the allocated canisters overflowing to almost filling a full trailer load.

"There was a much larger number of farmers in with obsolete crop protection products than ever projected,” Rogers said.

Scott Wright, Vineland Growers Co-operative purchasing manager and health and safety management co-chair said they didn’t expect a big response, but he was proven wrong.

“During the three days we received product from 101 farms, three other dealers and one government agency. In total we filled 16 totes, six barrels, 13 skids and five boxes of animal health. This could not have been accomplished without the help from several volunteers,” Wright said.

Ben Postuma, general manager of Thunder Bay Co-operative was impacted greatly.

“I commend the chemical companies for their efforts in this program and am totally impressed with the amount of clean up this created in the local area." he said.

Pesticide collection programs have been run in Canada by CropLife Canada since 1998 under the CleanFARMS banner. More than 270,000 kilograms of obsolete product have been collected in Ontario during previous collection campaigns in 2001 and 2005.

This program is co-ordinated by AGCare with financial support from CropLife Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Other project partners include Ontario Farm Animal Council, Canadian Animal Health Institute, Ontario Veterinary Medical Association and Ontario Agri Business Association. For more information, visit http://www.agcare.org/ or http://www.ofac.org/.

Frank Galfusz, GROWMARK Ontario Distribution Centre shift supervisor proudly displays the mass of collected obsolete products that he helped compile. The accumulation consisted of three boxes of animal health medication, a box of sharps and 20 skids and three drums of obsolete pesticides. “The oldest product collected was lead arsenic that had a Pesticide Control Products registration number of 19, which suggests that it was the 19th product registered with the Act in Canada,” Galfusz said.

Roxana Open House

An open house and customer appreciation event was held at Madison Service Company's Roxana, Ill. fuel terminal. Nearly 50 customers stopped by to tour the facility, purchase discounted fuel, and enter a drawing for FAST STOP gift cards.

The facility includes a 24-hour, unmanned FAST STOP Express fueling station, as well as 30,000 gallons of bulk fuel storage for both Madison Service Co. and GROWMARK. Distillate/biodiesel blends of B2, B5, B11, B20 or any blend in between are available. Fuels can also be additized with the proprietary FS Dieselex Gold performance enhancer, SURE-FLO cold flow improver and Premium Diesel Express additive.

Fueling the Cure

Information in this post was taken from a press release distributed about this program. Photos are courtesy of Betty Thornton, Heritage Cooperative.

Three Ohio cooperatives deployed pink propane delivery trucks this month in a unique partnership to support the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

"All of us have been affected by cancer in some way," said Eric Parthemore, Heritage Cooperative CEO. "We hope that Fueling the Cure propane delivery trucks can serve as a gentle reminder to people how important cancer research is for all Ohio families and encourage our customers, employees, and communities to join us in giving."

Heritage Cooperative employees pose beside a pink propane truck at the kick-off event for "Fueling the Cure." From left to right: Ray Etgen, energy manager; Jamie Conley, propane driver/sales representative; Cathie Olejniczak, energy coordinator; Eric Parthemore, CEO; John Dunbar, COO; and Keith Bailey, energy specialist.

Each of three cooperatives - United Landmark, London, Ohio; Southwest Landmark, Xenia, Ohio; and Heritage Cooperative, West Mansfield, Ohio - has committed to make a minimum of $10,000 corporate donation to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research by October 2010. In most cases, the amount will be based on a donation of $1 per delivery stop from October 2009-October 2010. In addition, the cooperatives have set a goal to raise $5,000 in donations by employees and customers during the year-long campaign and help The James establish 50 new donor-benefactor relationships.

Jamie Conley (left) and Eric Parthemore at the kick-off event. Conley is the only female propane driver/sales representative among the three sponsoring cooperatives. She will drive the Fueling the Cure truck for Heritage Cooperative, in memory of her mother-in-law and in honor of her sister and several customers who are breast cancer survivors.

Each cooperative is donating in-kind use of a brand new pink propane delivery truck to serve as a roving billboard for the campaign. Each of the cooperatives' other delivery trucks will have a Fueling the Cure decal on the truck tank or door.

The campaign website at http://www.fuelingthecure.org/ will track donations with a fuel gauge that will be updated at least monthly.

Proud Ohio State fans create the "Block O" at the kick off ceremony. From left to right: Eric Parthemore; E. Gordon Gee, president of The Ohio State University; John Dunbar; and Thad Dixon, propane manager of United Landmark.

Menard Terminal Open House

GROWMARK Energy Division hosted an open house at the Menard Terminal near Petersburg, Ill. on October 7. Nearly 50 member cooperative employees, vendors, and industry leaders attended the event.

The facility was purchased in August 2008, and offers storage for more than 10 million gallons of gasoline, disesl fuel, ethanol, and biodiesel. Custom biodiesel blends are made with a state-of-the-art ratio blending system. Member cooperatives and other customers within a 100-mile radius are served by this facility.

GROWMARK Names Scholarship Winners

Thirty-eight college students from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin will be able to continue their education with help from the regional agricultural supply cooperative, GROWMARK.

They are recipients of GROWMARK-sponsored scholarships aimed at promoting higher education in agriculture and business.

“GROWMARK invests more than $47,500 annually on scholarships. We’re investing today for a return tomorrow,” says Steve German, GROWMARK university relations and member employment manager. “There’s a need for agriculture businesses to support formal education to strengthen agriculture.”

GROWMARK has been supporting college students with scholarships since the early 1960s. Today, they are awarded to students majoring in agriculture or accounting at 15 universities and colleges. Each educational institution is responsible for the selection process and awarding scholarships. University scholarship recipients are honored each year at the GROWMARK Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Students receiving scholarships are listed below:


Dordt College
Rachel Gorter, daughter of Harold and Ruth Gorter of Otley, Iowa, is majoring in plant science.

Illinois College
Heather Miller, daughter of Robert and Kathi Miller of Bloomington, Ill., is majoring in communications and political science.

Illinois State University
Tyler Lyons, son of Steve and Sandy Lyons of Sidell, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and animal science.
Calahan Mallaney, son of James and Rosemary Mallaney of Kankakee, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness.
Katie Miller, daughter of Tim and Becky Miller of Morton, Ill., is majoring in finance and accounting.
Heather Pierson, daughter of Dale and Tina Pierson of Elburn, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness.
Sarah Siefker, daughter of Darrell and Susan Siefker of Monee, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and animal industry management.

Illinois Wesleyan University
Sarah Micale, daughter of Col. Peter and Diane Micale of Minot AFB, N.D., is majoring in accounting.

Iowa State University
Jess Cavin, son of Mark and Diane Cavin of Sigourney, Iowa, is majoring in agribusiness.
Josh Henik, son of John and Jan Henik of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, is majoring in agronomy.
Kaylee Keppy, daughter of Loren and Jeantee Keppy of Durant, Iowa, is majoring in animal science.
Sarah Pakala, daughter of Lynn and Gayl Pakala of Dike, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural studies.
Kimberly Peterson, daughter of Lloyd and Nancy Peterson of Cleghorn, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural business.
Kiley Swanson, son of Charles and Judy Swanson of Dayton, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural systems technology.

Murray State University
Jordan Timberlake, daughter of Ed and Dolores Timberlake of Mt. Carmel, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness.

Northwest Missouri State University
Brian Coleman, son of Ben and Nancy Coleman of Callao, Mo., is majoring in agriculture business.
Justin Findley, son of Rick and Judy Findley of New Hampton, Mo., is majoring in agronomy.
Sarah Meissen, daughter of Charles and Nancy Meissen of Bethany, Mo., is majoring in agribusiness and animal science.

Pennsylvania State University
Ben Kratzer, son of James and Doris Kratzer of Port Trevorton, Penn., is majoring in agricultural systems management.
Kristina McAllister, daughter of Wesley and Paula McAllister of Petersburg, Penn., is majoring in animal sciences.

Purdue University
Kimberly Donaldson, daughter of Paul and Kathie Donaldson of Kentland, Ind., is majoring in agronomic business and marketing.

Southern Illinois University
Leslie Frost, daughter of Terry and Sandy Frost of Louisville, Ill., is majoring in plant and soil science.
Mary Kate Huebener, daughter of William and Gayle Huebener of Brighton, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness economics accounting.
Sarah Jo Timmons, daughter of Randall and Rhonda Timmons of Seneca, Ill., is majoring in agricultural systems.
Kristen Woods, daughter of Paul and Laura Woods of Newton, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness economics.

University of Illinois
Mitch Heisler, son of Mike and Diane Heisler of Warsaw, Ill., is majoring in agricultural and consumer economics. He is the recipient of the Herndon Scholarship, established to honor Fred E. Herndon, president of a GROWMARK predecessor company from 1931-1959.
Chelsi Rhodes, daughter of Lonnie and Kristy Rhodes of Thomasboro, Ill., is majoring in agri-accounting.
Mark Smith, son of Roger and Carol Smith of Earlville, Ill., is majoring in crop sciences.
Dorothy Spencer, daughter of Brad and Prudence Spencer of Yale, Ill., is majoring in agricultural communications.
Adam Tallcott, son of Wayne and Deb Tallcott of Mendon, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness markets and management. He is the recipient of the Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarship. GROWMARK sponsors the scholarship to honor Melvin E. Sims, president of GROWMARK, Inc. from 1959-1980.

University of Wisconsin - Madison
Sheri Nelson, daughter of Ben and Cindey Nelson of East Troy, Wis., is majoring in life science communications.

University of Wisconsin – Platteville
Carlee Bocker, daughter of Terry and Vicki Bocker of Lanark, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness.
Curtis Goeke, son of David and Valerie Goeke of Dakota, Ill., is majoring in agricultural business.
Drew Nesemeier, son of John and Jan Nesemeier of Milledgeville, Ill., is majoring in soil and crop science.

University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Tyler Anderson, son of Richard and Marlys Anderson of Oronoco, Minn., is majoring in agribusiness.

Western Illinois University
Jake Bonnell, son of Jan and the late Jeff Bonnell of Amboy, Ill., is majoring in agricultural business.
Rachel Knisley
Bryan Schullian, son of Dan and Beth Schullian of Quincy, Ill., is majoring in agriculture education.

Cripe named director, MID-CO COMMODITIES

John Cripe has been named director, MID-CO COMMODITIES, effective Sept. 15, 2009. He replaces Louis Blank who retired with 31 years of service.

A graduate of Purdue University, Cripe worked for Continental Grain before joining MID-CO in 1983. In 1994 he transferred to GROWMARK’s Energy Division, and in 2002 was named manager, energy risk management.

Cripe and his wife Laura live in Downs, Ill. and have three children.

Fertilizer Storage Deal to Bolster Southern Illinois Availability

GROWMARK, Inc. announced an agreement with Lange-Stegmann to lease exclusive space in St. Louis to store and distribute fertilizer products.

The agreement is designed to ensure a reliable supply of fertilizer products throughout southern Illinois, according to Rod Wells, GROWMARK director, agronomy sales and operations. “This agreement will give our customers confidence that they will have access to the fertilizer products they need, when they need them,” he said.

The Lange-Stegmann facilities are uniquely positioned with access via road, rail, or river. “We will have access to all modes of transportation and will take advantage of the best method to get product to those who need it,” he said.

2009 Farm Progress Show

The 2009 Farm Progress Show held in Decatur, Ill. saw record crowds and beautiful weather. Once again, FS member cooperatives were well represented with a display at the corner of Central Progress and 11th street. The exhibit featured a remote control racetrack, an anhydrous ammonia safety display, and entertainment by comedian Tim Cavanaugh.

The GROWMARK board of directors and executive staff took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Monsanto exhibit, where they saw new technologies in corn and soybeans.

Besides staffing the exhibit during the three-day show, FS cooperative personnel also provided fuel for all show equipment - both biodiesel and an ethanol blend - and assisted with agronomic recommendations on official show corn and soybean plots.

Economy on the rebound?

Whether the economy is, in fact, rebounding is yet to be seen, according to Vince Malenga, LaSalle Economics.

Speaking at the MID-CO summer meeting in Fontana, Wisc., Malenga said the next three to four months will see a significant improvement in the GDP. "People are underestimating the boost in the GDP in the third quarter," he said. The jump in the GDP is fueled, in part, by the Cash for Clunkers program, which sold 250,000 cars in July alone. "This trickles through the economy," he said. "With the auto industry under-inventoried, the boost in demand will lead to increased (auto) production in the second half of the year."

Although Malenga focused on the near-term third quarter, he said the question remains: what happens in the fourth quarter and beyond? The answer to that question is still unfolding.

Mid-year update

The 2009 MID-CO summer meeting, held August 1-4 in Fontana, Wisc., offered attendees a high-level look at crop production, politics and legislative issues, and the economy.

Steve Freed, ADM Investor Services, told participants although some areas of the U.S. did not get a crop planted, "Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Minnesota, have had near perfect crop conditions." He said that lends support to those who are calling for a near-record corn crop.

Freed said China will continue to be a factor in world markets, due to internal constraints. "They're running out of water," needed to produce a good crop, he said.

In an overview of issues and politics, Jim Wiesemeyer, Informa Economics (www.insidewashingtontoday.com) said, "the power structure is changing. This is the most White House-centric administration since Reagan." That means all cabinet level positions will take their cues from the White House.

In USDA, Wiesemeyer warned participants to watch USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsak. "He is a very different personality. Production agriculture is not a top issue," with him. Rather, he's focused on farmers markets, sustainability, and organic agriculture.

Wiesemeyer also issued a warning about the Attorney General's office, and Christine Varney, the assistant attorney general in particular. Wiesemeyer said the AG's office will have an increased focus on mergers, including agriculture, railroad and seed companies, which will put many companies on their radar screen.

Top issues in the Obama administration include health care reform, climate change, food safety reform, financial regulation reform, and immigration reform.

Farm Progress Show 2009

The 2009 Farm Progress Show will be held in the Decatur, Ill. permanent site on September 1 – 3.

The FS brand will be strongly-represented at this well-attended ag showcase. If you plan to attend, you are certain to see the rows of FS Flags greeting visitors upon entering Progress City. Throughout the grounds, FS is acknowledged as the official on-site Fuel Sponsor, as well as the official Agronomic Supplier of the highly visible field demonstration plots.

On August 31, three familiar voices will be heard on the 10 a.m. radio show, AgriTalk, hosted by Mike Adams. This pre-show special will feature interviews from Randy Holthaus on FS Grain Systems; Matt Hynes on FS Seed; Mark Dehner on Liquid Fuels including Dieselex Gold and biofuels. For a list of AgriTalk station affiliates, go to http://www.agritalk.com/stations.php

The FS Exhibit lot is at the corner of 11th and Central Progress, in Progress City, where members greet their customers and interact with other ag community leaders. Activities there reflect the casual and engaging atmosphere of the Farm Progress Show, including entertainment by family-friendly comedian Tim Cavanaugh, remote control car races, and NH3 safety education conducted by Jenny Poole, from GROWMARK Safety & Insurance Services. Displays for FS Grain Systems, Fuels, Propane, Agronomy & FS Seed demonstrate to visitors why FS is The Local Answer to Your World of Needs.

For other information about the show, go to http://www.farmprogressshow.com/

Wabash Valley Service Co. Wins National Award

Tom Stahl submitted this article he wrote for the Wabash Valley newsletter.

Wabash Valley’s Browns, Ill. location is the 2009 Environmental Respect Award National Winner. Wabash Valley beat out four other semi-finalists and received the award in Washington, D.C. in July. This is the second win for Wabash Valley; the Hamilton County location was chosen as a regional winner in 2006.

Mike McCurdy, Browns plant manager, said, “We are very pleased to receive this award. All of our employees try to protect the environment with every job we do, but the groundwork for this award was laid by Kent Ochs, as he designed this plant from the ground up to be both productive and environmentally safe.”

Regulatory and Safety Coordinator Kent Ochs, who designed the plant, commented, “I am very proud of each and every WVSC employee for winning the prestigious award. My task was simple: to design, permit, and oversee the construction of the Browns facility. It was a great personal honor to have that opportunity. But in all honesty, even the best design, technology, and equipment, are in fact useless without the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our employees.”

Finalists were selected by a panel of industry experts who looked at excellence in site design, in-plant storage and handling procedures, proper application and leadership in safety and stewardship among customers and employees.

The Environmental Respect Awards, sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection, CropLife magazine, and Farm Chemicals International magazine, are the agricultural industry's highest recognition for environmental stewardship among U.S. agricultural retailers, those who serve farmers and ranchers with the nutrients, pest control, and agronomic information critical to effective crop production. For information on the Environmental Respect Awards, visit www.environmentalrespect.com.

Wabash Valley Service Company employees pose outside the Browns, Ill. facility, named the national winner of the 2009 Environmental Respect Award.

SIGMA Scholarships Awarded

The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) recently awarded 9 scholarships in varying amounts to assist in the education of marketers’ employees, their children, and dependents of employees. Three of the winners are from the GROWMARK System.

Receiving $2,000 are Amanda Carls, a student at the University of Northern Iowa and daughter of Mary Carls, GROWMARK processor I, and Emily Parks, an Illinois State University student, daughter of Sid Parks, GROWMARK manager, precision farming. Nicole Wright, a student at St. Louis School of Pharmacy and daughter of David Wright, Evergreen FS energy specialist, received a $1,000 award.

The scholarship recognizes individuals who volunteer in their schools and communities and maintain a 2.5/4.0 grade point average. There were 113 total applications this year.

Foundations for Success

The Foundations for Success workshop was held June 22-26 and June 29-July 2 at the Monsanto Training Center in Monmouth, Ill. The event was attended by 60 crop specialists and agronomy advisors, representing 18 member cooperatives and subsidiaries. Participants came from Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, as well as Ontario and GROWMARK FS.

During the week-long training, attendees learned about corn and soybean growth and development, insects, plant diseases, soil fertility, weed identification, herbicides, new technology, and sales techniques. Many sessions were hands-on in the test plots at the training center. Foundations for Success has been held in this format since 2002.

(Left to Right): Blake Wilken, Fred Wilker, and Cory Bebensee, all of AGRILAND FS, INC., examine soybeans to determine what caused their poor growth.

Damon Anderson, AGRILAND FS, INC. (left) and Tony Tennant, FS PARTNERS (right) learn how to use a portable GPS unit from Sid Parks, GROWMARK manager, precision farming (in white hat), John Grandin, Western Region seed agronomist (second from right), and Sandy Boyles, precision farming project coordinator (in green shirt).

Kate Graves, GROWMARK FS, LLC, examines soybean cyst nematodes under a microscope.

Bill Emmert (right) and Richard Halsne (left), both of AgVantage FS, Inc., use a portable GPS unit to mark the location of a soil sample in a field.

Darwin Engelkes, AgVantage FS, Inc. (left) and Bob Konert, FS PARTNERS (right) diagnose possible herbicide damage in a young corn plant.

(Left to right): Jordan Klosterman, Tiffany Ochs, and Andrew Spray, all of Wabash Valley Service Company, assess the growth stage of a stalk of corn and prepare to wash the roots to check for rootworm damage.

Cooperative Communications Association Awards

Left: Amy Bradford
Right: Jenny Haycraft

Four GROWMARK employees were honored at the recent Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) Institute, held in Kansas City, Mo. First place awards went to Karen Jones, publications and news specialist and Tiffany Loercher, graphic designer in the employee magazine category and the cooperative education categories for the GROWMARK Spirit. Second place honors were earned by Amy Bradford, corporate communications manager, in the speechwriting category; Jenny Haycraft, marketing communications specialist, for the 2009 Crop Protection Handbook; and Jones in the words and pictures category.

The Cooperative Communicators Association works to help its members excel in communications, from writing, photography, and editing to video, layout, and design. It also emphasizes ideas and strategies aimed at making communications more successful for cooperatives.

Left: Tiffany Loercher

Right: Karen Jones

Claude Gauthier Elected CCA President

Claude Gauthier, Ontario Region manager, has been elected president of the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), a national organization representing more than 2,000 cooperatives and credit unions across Canada.

Gauthier joined the CCA board in 2004 and previously held the role of vice president. He is a long-time leader in Ontario's agricultural cooperative community. He served as president of United Co-operatives of Ontario (UCO) in the 1990s and joined GROWMARK when it bought UCO in 1994.

North Wellington Co-op Celebrates 65 Years of Business and a New Central Feed Warehouse

This article appeared on Marketwire on June 23, 2009 and was written by Janice Johnson, Ontario communication specialist.

A 65th anniversary celebration for North Wellington Co-operative Services, Inc. will include a gift to its members in the form of a new central feed warehouse at the cooperative's combination grand opening and anniversary gathering starting at 11:30 a.m. on June 25th at 56 Margaret St. South in Harriston, Ontario.

The new central feed warehouse replaces an older feed manufacturing mill. A much larger building than the previous one, it measures 40 ft. x 100 ft. and is large enough to serve all four branches and customers of North Wellington Co-operative. It will house bagged feed, and will include a large generator equipped to fully power the store, warehouse, propane plant, crop protection warehouse and cardlock gas bar in the case of a power outage.

Kelly Boyle, the cooperative's general manager, sees this as a much needed change and a better use of space. Customers will notice improvements in a few ways, but the biggest benefit is that in most cases, they will be able to pick up orders with one stop at the new warehouse instead of multiple stops around the property. "As well, the improvement to our appearance in the community will be an extra bonus for our neighbors as they enjoy the nicer view," Boyle says.
"We are one of the strongest cooperatives in Ontario," says North Wellington Co-operative Services President Eric Rae. "For a business to grow for 65 years, it not only requires a strong group of employees, an outstanding management team and board of directors but also a great amount of community spirit and customer-member loyalty."

After the grand opening ceremony, a barbecue lunch will be served to celebrate the cooperative's milestone anniversary.

An early picture of the cooperative in Harriston, Ontario.

North Wellington Co-operative Services, Inc. started as Harriston Co-operative Association on May 9, 1944 with the purchase of a feed mill on Margaret Street in Harriston. In 1956, the cooperative built a new feed mill, and entered into the bulk fuel business and a couple of years later, provided propane services. In 1960, Mount Forest District Co-operative Co. Ltd. became part of the Harriston group, and the expanded co-operative gained the name it has today. In the early nineties, during a process called Co-operative Restructuring in Ontario, the cooperative purchased the Hanover and Durham branches from United Co-operatives of Ontario, and in 1994, joined the new Ontario regional cooperative GROWMARK, Inc. The next decade was a time of calculated growth: The cooperative demonstrated its commitment to providing garden expertise and opened four new greenhouses. It expanded its energy product offering with rural energy marketing leader, UPI Inc., and created a central warehouse in Harriston. Today, 4,000 members own the cooperative. It has annual sales approaching $28 million and in 2008, had a net income of more than 475 thousand dollars. Profits of the cooperative are shared with members and used to improve the services of the cooperative.

The Harriston office of North Wellington Co-operative Services, Inc. today.

Agrichemical Container Recycling

Once again, GROWMARK is working with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Container Recycling Council, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Container Services Network, Illinois Farm Bureau, and University of Illinois Extension to offer agrichemical container recycling beginning in late July. The containers will be ground into small plastic chips that can be used to make shipping pallets, fence posts, drainage tubing, plastic lumber and other useful products.

Special one-day collection sites will be:

Two Rivers FS, Inc., Pittsfield, Ill., afternoon of July 27

Lincoln Land FS, Inc., Jacksonville, Ill., morning of July 28

Sunrise Ag Service Company, Virginia, Ill., afternoon of July 28

Two Rivers FS, Inc., Rushville, Ill., morning of July 29

Gold Star FS, Inc., Aledo, Ill., afternoon of July 30

Gold Star FS, Inc., Lyndon, Ill., afternoon of August 3

Conserv FS, Inc., Rockford, Ill., afternoon of August 4

Conserv FS, Inc., Marengo, Ill., morning of August 5

GRAINCO FS, Inc., Lostant, Ill., morning of August 6

Evergreen FS, Inc., Minonk, Ill., afternoon of August 6

Ag-Land FS, Inc., Hanna City, Ill., afternoon of August 10

Ag-Land FS, Inc., Green Valley, Ill., morning of August 11

Illini FS, Leverett, Ill., afternoon of August 13

Evergreen FS, Inc., Maroa, Ill., morning of August 14

Gateway FS, Inc., Waterloo, Ill., afternoon of August 26

Madison Service Company, Marine, Ill., afternoon of August 27

M & M Service Company, Girard, Ill., morning of September 1

More information about the program is available by calling the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 800/641-3934.

Twelve Facilities Earn National Safety Council Recognition

Employees at 12 GROWMARK facilities earned safety recognition awards from the National Safety Council for having an injury/incidence rate for 2008 lower than the national average for their location's National American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

The facilities earning recognition are:

Albany Maintenance, Illinois
Alpha Distribution Center, Illinois
Bloomington Seed Testing Lab, Illinois
Bourbon Fertilizer, Illinois
Colfax Fertilizer, Illinois
Des Moines Maintenance, Iowa
East Liverpool Fertilizer, Pennsylvania
GROWMARK Lubricants, Iowa
Philadelphia Fertilizer, Pennsylvania
South Roxana Maintenance, Illinois
Tank and Truck Center, Iowa
Tremont Maintenance, Illinois

2009 GROWMARK Intern Class Selected

In the fiftieth year of the program, 48 college students are exploring career opportunities as GROWMARK Summer Interns. They are working at FS cooperatives in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ontario; at GROWMARK FS, LLC and Seedway, LLC; and at the GROWMARK corporate office in Bloomington, Ill.

The interns are exposed to accounting, marketing, research, communications, and product and service-related activities.

The group attended an orientation program at the GROWMARK corporate office in May, and will reconvene in June for an agribusiness tour. Each intern will complete a special project and deliver a presentation on that project in August.

The interns come to GROWMARK from:

Brock University

Megan Farr, daughter of Gord and Kelly Farr of Churchill, Ontario, is majoring in business administration and working at Vineland Growers Co-operative, Ltd.

Delaware Valley College

Kery Swope, son of Ken and Sue Swope of Marietta, Pa., is majoring in agribusiness and working at Seedway, LLC.

Lucas Waybright, son of Bert and Cheryl Waybright of Gettysburg, Pa., is majoring in agribusiness and working at GROWMARK FS, LLC.

Illinois College

Heather Miller, daughter of Robert and Kathi Miller of Bloomington, Ill., is majoring in communications/political science and working in the Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Division of GROWMARK.

Illinois State University

Nathon Scheirer, son of Daniel and Debera Scheirer of Metamora, Ill., is majoring in agricultural industry management and working at Ag View FS, Inc.

Matthew Thompson, son of Tom Thompson of Sherman, Ill. and Donna Hartman of Greenview, Ill., is majoring in agricultural industry management and working in the Agronomy Division of GROWMARK.

Matthew Witte, son of Chris and Linda Witte of Shirley, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and agronomy and working for Evergreen FS, Inc.

Iowa State University

Andrea Beatty, daughter of Daniel and Nancy Beatty of Mendota, Ill., is majoring in agricultural education and studies and is working at Ag View FS, Inc.

Garrett Boeding, son of Lynn and Dee Boeding of New Hampton, Iowa, is majoring in ag studies and working at AgVantage FS, Inc.

Michael Brown, son of Robert and Debra Brown of Winfield, Iowa, is majoring in agriculture studies and working at New Century FS, Inc.

Jess Cavin, son of Mark and Diane Cavin of Sigourney, Iowa, is majoring in agribusiness and working at New Century FS, Inc.

Brandon Milligan, son of Mark and Christie Milligan of Baxter, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural studies and working at New Century FS, Inc.

Jennifer Mormann, daughter of Dan and Sandy Mormann of New Vienna, Iowa, is majoring in dairy science and working at Three Rivers FS Company.

Travis Rudat, son of Todd Rudat of Columbus, Neb. and David and Melissa Poore of Council Bluffs, Iowa is majoring in logistics and supply chain management and working in the Logistics Division of GROWMARK.

Chasen Stevenson, son of Rick and Tamra Stevenson of Knoxville, Iowa, is majoring in agricultural studies and working at AGRILAND FS, INC.

Pennsylvania State University

Joseph Leslie, son of David and Brenda Leslie of Connoquenessing, Pa., is majoring in agribusiness management and working at GROWMARK FS, LLC.

Kristina McAllister, daughter of Wesley and Paula McAllister of Petersburg, Pa., is majoring in animal sciences and working at GROWMARK FS, LLC.

Andrew Snyder, son of Ed and Sally Snyder of Boyertown, Pa., is majoring in agribusiness management and working at GROWMARK FS, LLC.

Kathryn Tokarz, daughter of Joseph and Cecelia Tokarz of Mansfield, Pa., is majoring in agribusiness management and working at Seedway, LLC.

Purdue University

Travis Coty, son of Mike and Gina Coty of Reminton, Ind., is majoring in biology and working at Ag View FS, Inc.

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Kathleen Carmack, daughter of John and Janet Carmack of Villa Grove, Ill., is majoring in plant and soil science and working at Illini FS.

Kevin Fry, son of Clell and Rita Fry of Stoy, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness economics and working at Wabash Valley Service Company.

Lucas Harre, son of Curt and Jodi Harre of Nashville, Ill., is majoring in plant and soil science and working at AgriPride FS, Inc.

Dane Kief, son of Elmer and Karen Kief of Rankin, Ill., is majoring in agricultural systems technology and working at Illini FS.

Truman State University

John Sheehan, son of John and Barbara Sheehan of Jefferson City, Mo., is majoring in accounting and working for AGRILAND FS, INC.

University of Guelph

Claire Daly, daughter of Keith and Annette Daly of Uxbridge, Ontario, is majoring in animal science and working at Sunderland Co-operative, Inc.

Cate McCorquodale, daughter of Murray and Cassie McCorquodale of Embro, Ontario, is majoring in animal science and working at FS PARTNERS.

University of Illinois

Rachel Deters, daughter of Michael and Rebekah Deters of Teutopolis, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness marketing and management and working at Effingham-Clay Service Company.

Bradley Follmer, son of Michael and Mary Follmer of Graymont, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness marketing and management and working at Evergreen FS, Inc.

Chris Keblusek, son of Michael and Sue Keblusek of St. Charles, Ill., is majoring in advertising and working at Conserv FS, Inc.

Mak Kern, son of Michael Kern of Kansas, Ill. and Suz Stevens of Kansas, Ill., is majoring in agrifinance and working at Illini FS.

Adam Leady, son of Ed and Vicky Leady of St. Charles, Mo. and Ralph and Sue Mateer of Blue Mound, Ill., is majoring in Technical Systems Management and working at Illini FS.

Mitch Lindberg, son of Kevin and Kim Lindberg of Galva, Ill., is majoring in agricultural engineering and working in the Facility Planning and Supply Division of GROWMARK.

Adam Moritz, son of Phillip and Kristi Moritz of Buckingham, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and working at Conserv FS, Inc.

Mark Smith, son of Roger and Carol Smith of Earlville, Ill., is majoring in crop sciences and working in the Seed Division of GROWMARK.

Ben Wendling, son of Rick and Sara Wendling of Mason, Ill., is majoring in agricultural economics and working at Total Grain Marketing, LLC.

University of Northern Iowa

Ryan Musson, son of Robert and Barbara Musson of Iowa City, Iowa is majoring in accounting and working at AGRILAND FS, INC.

Krista Schmeling, daughter of Mike and Bobbi Schmeling of Milford, Iowa, is majoring in finance/real estate and working at AgVantage FS, Inc.

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Scott Rowntree, son of Tom and Kay Rowntree of Waterford, Wis., is majoring in agronomy and soil science and working at Conserv FS, Inc.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Ross Brunsman, son of Wayne and Denise Brunsman of Dyersville, Iowa, is majoring in soil and crop science and dairy science and working at Three Rivers FS Company.

Curtis Goeke, son of David and Valerie Goeke of Dakota, Ill., is majoring in agricultural business and working at Stephenson Service Company.

Joel Lasack, son of Jim and Lola Lasack of Oxford Junction, Iowa, is majoring in agribusiness and working at AgVantage FS, Inc.

Drew Nesemeier, son of John and Jan Nesemeier of Milledgeville, Ill., is majoring in soil and crop science and working at Gold Star FS, Inc.

Jacob Robinson, son of Richard and Nancy Robinson of Alexis, Ill., is majoring in agribusiness and working at Gold Star FS, Inc.

Matthew Schlachter, son of Todd and Lorrie Schlachter of Lena, Ill., is majoring in soil and crop science and working at Stephenson Service Company.

Western Illinois University

Jake Bonnell, son of Janice Bonnell of Amboy, Ill., is majoring in agricultural business and working in the Seed Division of GROWMARK.

Brian Fairfull, son of Bruce and Jill Fairfull of Virden, Ill., is majoring in agricultural science/agronomy and working at M & M Service Company.

Shannon VanTine, daughter of Tim and Robin Ebert of Oquawka, Ill., is majoring in accounting and working at Ag View FS, Inc.

“This year’s intern group is one of the largest, and very diverse,” said Steve German, GROWMARK university relations and member employment manager. “The interns come from the Midwest, the East Coast and Ontario, Canada. They represent a range of career interests as well – agronomy, seed, crop protection, communications, logistics, structures, accounting, turf, dairy nutrition, precision farming, agri-finance, marketing, and grain.”

The GROWMARK intern program began in 1959 with three interns. Since then, 685 students have been involved in the program. “We are currently hiring an average of 50-70 percent of our summer interns into full-time employment throughout the System,” German said.

Krista Wolf Honored by NAMA

Krista Wolf, GROWMARK manager, brand strategy and marketing communications, was recently honored by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) with the Horizon Award at its recent conference in Atlanta, Ga.

The Horizon Award recognizes achievements by up-and-coming members of the organization on local, regional, and national levels. Wolf’s work in energizing the Heartland NAMA Chapter and leadership role in planning Regional Best of NAMA events earned her the award.

NAMA is the nation’s largest professional association for professionals in marketing and agribusiness.

New General Store Open in Effingham

Effingham-Clay Service Company recently held a grand opening celebration for their new General Store in Effingham, Ill. The store not onlyfeatures traditional FAST STOP fueling options and convenience store items, but also a propane dispenser for propane-powered vehicles, Illinois homegrown products, and a general store area with pet food, boots, fencing supplies, and more. Garage doors are also on display, courtesy of the cooperative's Altamont Overhead Door business.

The Illinois Homegrown products display includes jams and jellies, salsas, preserves, sauces, candles, and dry mixes. A cooler holds a variety of meats and cheeses.

Certified Propane Specialist Clinton "Shorty" Devall, Jr. (right) talks to Greg English of Midway Ford Truck Center about the propane-powered F-150 English had on display during the open house.

The general store area of the building has a wide variety of farm and animal supplies. The prize drawing table was a popular stop for guests at the grand opening.

The overhead garage door display is visible along the back wall.