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.