MKC Connections - Winter 2014 by Mid Kansas Cooperative Association (MKC)

Connections

Winter 2014

Inches, Not Just Acres Page 8

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CONTENTS WINTER 2014 IN THE COMMUNITY

Editorial Staff Kerry Watson Director of Communications Nichole Gouldie Communications Specialist Management Dave Christiansen President and CEO Danny Posch Senior Vice President and CFO Dave Spears Senior Vice President and CMO Erik Lange Vice President of Southern Area Operations Steve Peterson Vice President of Northern Area Operations Darin Marti Vice President of Eastern Area Operations Dave Sell Director of Energy Operations Kerry Watson Director of Communications Brett Myers Director of Human Resources and Development

Helping Those in Need Together, MKC and local communities helped nearly 400 families through their annual “Share the Warmth” and “Angel Tree” programs.

EDUCATION

Making the Connection Individuals and organizations make connecting youth to agriculture a priority.

Our vision: MKC will be a highly valued, customer-focused business engaged in profitable relationships with high business ethics and employee satisfaction.

Connections

Ag Symposium The 2014 Ag Symposium hosted by MKC explored agriculture as it relates to policy, big data, crop yields and advocacy.

FEATURES

MKC P.O. Box D Moundridge, KS 67107 620-345-6328 www.mkcoop.com

Rice County Habitat for Humanity Donation will be used to assist with costs associated with a new home being built in Sterling. Fighting Hunger in Local Communities MKC continues to help fight hunger in its communities.

Inches, Not Just Acres With the help of MKC’s Optimal Acre Program, producers are able to place their inputs in the right place for optimum return on investment. Knows No Age Bill Taylor always knew farming was going to be the way of life for him.

FROM THE FIELD

Comprehensive Internship Program One-of-a-kind comprehensive internship program will accelerate the on-boarding process of new employees for MKC and our industry partners.

STRAIGHT TALK

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN By Dave Christiansen

So Why Get Involved?

Time is such a precious commodity today and very few people have much free time on their hands. Life is, and always will be, much easier when we choose to limit our involvement and stay on the sidelines, sometimes even playing the role of the victim. We can come up with unlimited excuses for not getting involved and some of them even have some merit. Regardless of what someone chooses to invest, be it time, money or intellectual capital, many times it means getting involved or taking a stand for what you are passionate about, and that takes commitment. I suppose each of us have our own reasons for choosing a level of involvement and I can fully appreciate those who choose not to. I can tell you MKC believes it is in the best interest of our cooperative to jump in with both feet. Today your cooperative is much more involved than at any time in our history. Occasionally I am asked why MKC does get involved. It really comes down to three areas: leadership, education and advocacy. The following explains how we see our role and why we think it’s in our best interest for MKC to be involved. LEADERSHIP There are a whole host of or-

ganizations and groups related to our industry that are involved on a daily basis either influencing or establishing policies that impact the day-to-day operations of the co-op as well as your operations. Certainly state legislators come to mind but also organizations like Kansas Grain and Feed Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Petroleum Marketers, The Fertilizer Institute, National Society of Accountants and many others who are integral to our business today. Not only do these groups lobby, they are sought out by policy makers who seek their counsel and collective wisdom. Policy makers such as state legislators, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Agriculture, IRS and OSHA are generally willing to listen to people who are demonstrating a commitment to high standards. You can add to these groups in a slightly different context ones who are more cooperative oriented such as National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives. Then you can look at our regional cooperatives as a uniquely separate group. Cooperatives like Land O’ Lakes, CHS and CoBank are groups that

have a tremendous impact on our business. Many of the decisions they make will have an impact that will last not just today but for decades. This is why we strive and are fortunate to be active in leadership roles within many of these groups. It is a considerable time investment, but one we think is integral in establishing the environment we want to operate in. EDUCATION Too many times we run into “experts” in agriculture who have, at best, a very limited understanding of what we all do on a daily basis. Whether it’s raising safe, low cost food or protecting the environment, none of us get the credit for the effort that gets put into it. Sadly, many of the people who have no clue about what goes on at the farm live and work right here in rural America. They see us daily and are still misinformed. Interestingly enough many of those people – including us - want the same outcome. We want a safe food supply, animals and the land treated well, and to be respectful of our environment. Many times people have unrealistic viewpoints of agriculture because they aren’t involved in agriculture on a dayto-day basis. While there certainly Continued on page 14

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IN THE COMMUNITY

Contribution to Rice County Habitat for Humanity By Kerry Watson, Director of Communications

MKC recently supported the Rice County Habitat for Humanity through a donation of $1,000. Steve Olson, location manager of MKC’s Rice County facility, presented the donation to Rice County Habitat for Humanity President Tom Simpson and Rusty Thode, project manager. The donation will be used to assist with costs associated with a new home being built in Sterling. According to Simpson, this is the 13th house the organization has built in the county since the organization was formed ten years ago. “We are very appreciative of MKC’s support,” Simpson said. Last year, MKC participated in a similar project through the Habitat for Humanity in Marquette, providing equipment and manpower to their efforts. “Supporting these types of programs is important to us,” stated Kerry Watson, director of communications for MKC. “The co-op and our employees are committed to keeping our rural communities strong by giving back with our time, talent and resources.”

Fighting Hunger in Local Communities By Kerry Watson, Director of Communications

Hunger exists in every community in the nation, from urban city centers to rural America. According to statistics from Feed America, one in seven Kansans will turn to a food bank for meals in the next year. Chances are someone you know or someone your child goes to school with struggles to get enough to eat. To meet the demands of the holiday season, a number of civic organizations and businesses are doing their part to help fill the shelves of food banks across Kansas. MKC, in partnership with Land O’ Lakes, Inc. Foundation, joined these efforts and contributed $44,000 to 30 food banks located throughout its region. “Just as hunger knows no age, neither does fighting it,” states Spencer Reames, chairperson for the MKC Community Involvement Committee. “We all have a

Connections

role to play in solving hunger in our communities.” MKC began taking on hunger as a cause four years ago when it started its first annual food drive. Since that time, nearly 30,000 pounds of non-perishable food items and $87,000 has been donated to food banks. Organizations benefiting from this year’s cash donations are: Reno County Food Bank, Salvation Army (Newton), Salvation Army (Butler Co.), Salina Emergency Aid, McPherson Co. Food Bank, Abilene Food and Clothing Center, Love in the Name of Christ (Ottawa Co.), Northern Rice Co. Food Bank, Marion Co. Food Bank, Flint Hills Breadbasket (Manhattan), Onaga Food Pantry, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry (Westmoreland) and Harvesters Food Pantry (Alta Vista).

IN THE COMMUNITY

Helping Those in Need

By Kerry Watson, Director of Communications

It’s unfortunate to know there are people in our rural communities struggling to meet the financial demands of day-to-day life. The unexpected need for a new coat or a parent’s stress of wondering if their young child will get to experience the joy of opening a present at Christmas can be overwhelming. Members of the MKC Community Involvement Committee helped eliminate some of this stress for nearly 400 families through their annual “Share the Warmth” and “Angel Tree” programs. Started three years ago, the annual coat drive, “Share the Warmth”, is held each October just as temperatures start to drop. Thanks to the generosity of employees, customers and community members, this year’s coat drive netted 250 gently used and new coats. Caps, gloves and scarves were also collected. MKC’s Angel Tree program was also started three years ago. According to Kaila Armendariz, member of the Community Involvement Committee, 150 children ranging in age newborn to 14 years old were adopted

by employees. “The generosity of our customers and employees has been amazing,” stated Armendariz. “It feels good to give back to our communities, helping those in need.” The Community Involvement Committee extends their appreciation to everyone who contributed to these projects.

Young Leaders Attend CHS New Leader Forum By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

Twelve representatives from MKC attended the 2014 CHS New Leader Forum, a program that builds next generation’s leaders for agriculture and rural America. Those attending from MKC were Andy and Michelle Herman of Wheaton; Curtis and Betsy Patrick of Lindsborg; Hilary Worcester of Manhattan; Jameson Eichman

of Wamego; Lucas Hamm of Salina; Nichole Gouldie of Inman; Nick Mazouch of Marquette; Russell and Tiffany Rezac of Onaga; and Thayne Rawson of Lindsborg. They were among 300 young producers from across the U.S. participating in the program December 3-5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in conjunction with the CHS annual meeting. During the three-day forum, participants heard from leading experts on agriculture, leadership, cooperatives and risk management. Speakers included Carl Casale, president and CEO, CHS Inc.; Mark Mayfield, speaker, author and ag ambassador; Dr. Greg McKee, director, Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives; and Terry McClure, board member, Nationwide and president, McClure Farms LLC. The New Leader Forum also featured a networking event with the CHS board of directors and participation in the 2014 CHS Annual Meeting, including workshops and the annual meeting business session. CHS Inc. is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States, diversified in energy, grains and foods.

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EDUCATION

Making the Connection

Connecting youth to agriculture

By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

While farm fields are common sights around the predominately rural state we live, many students today aren’t attuned to agriculture. Although no one can discount the thousands of hours and hundreds of people who work diligently to spread the positive message about agriculture, there are still many young minds to educate. At Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch, straw hats and chickens are common sites seen by second grade students that visit Johnstown Farm. For the fourth year, second grade students from McPherson elementary schools participated in Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch “In the Class and On the Farm” agricultural education program. “For so long, I was taking our family’s farmstead south of Lindsborg for granted,” says Laura Mourn, education coordinator at Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch. “Educators at heart, my mom, sister and I made it our mission to come up with a fun way to connect students with the farm.” Started in 2011, the family spearheaded the addition of the classroom element to their already two and a half acre pumpkin patch that welcomed visitors to the farm each fall. The program is two-fold, Mourn says. The first part

brings sisters and coordinators Angie Flippo and Mourn into the second grade classrooms. “These hands-on lessons are a basic introduction of the “what” and “why” of Kansas agriculture,” she says. In the classroom setting, students learn an age appropriate definition of agriculture. The definition all classes learn and recite is “agriculture is the process of preparing the soil to grow crops and livestock.” The traditional classroom lesson prepares students to visit the farm. “Most of the students don’t realize how agriculture affects them in their everyday life,” Mourn explained. “We start with what the students ate that morning for breakfast or how they got to school, and almost always we can relate it back to agriculture.” Mourn added the second part of the program is a day at Johnstown Farm where students experience lessons in the core content areas taught through the lens of agriculture. “Our lessons are in math, language arts, science and other basics, using curriculum immersed in agriculture,” Mourn commented. “As an educator, I love the hands-on, real-life experience for the students.” For example, a lesson in math is taught talking about how a farmer isn’t going to count the number of seeds they will plant, instead they will estimate. Mourn says because of sponsored support from MKC and other organizations, Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch was able to welcome nine second grade classes to the farm. In 2014, Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch reached 191 second graders. “No matter the agricultural learning experience, hopefully the students will talk about the field trip at home, and that will in turn interest their parents and siblings,” Mourn says. All efforts made to educate youth help re-establish connections which once existed because farming was in everyone’s close family. Today that Sisters and coordinators at Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch, Angie Flippo and Laura Mourn, welcomed more than 190 students is not the case, making the need to teach youth about where food really to their farm near Lindsborg to educate youth about the importance of agriculture.

Continued on page 13

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EDUCATION

Ag Symposium

By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist, and Kerry Watson, Director of Communications

The 2014 Ag Symposium hosted by MKC explored agriculture as it relates to policy, big data, crop yields and advocacy. The symposium, the 10th such event for MKC, drew a diverse crowd of farmers and ranchers, industry representatives, MKC employees and sponsors. The event boasted a powerful program for the nearly 175 in attendance. For the fifth consecutive year, Jim Wiesemeyer provided an agricultural outlook presentation to farmers and ranchers in attendance. Focused on the aftermath of the 2014 elections, Wiesemeyer noted issues in Washington D.C. impacting the business of agriculture. Wiesemeyer, senior vice president of Informa Economics, Inc., discussed what it means for agriculture now that the Republican Party took the Senate, built the house majority and won several key governor races. Wiesemeyer noted the November elections showed the lowest voter turnout since 1942 but much attention is already turning to the 2016 presidential and congressional elections. In 2016, at least 34 senate seats will be up for election, 24 republican seats and 10 democratic seats. Speaking to the agenda for the new GOP controlled Congress, Wiesemeyer says hot topics will be budget resolution, health care reform, energy, trade and tax policy, and infrastructure and transportation spending. Wiesemeyer concluded that changes in Washington and the U.S. economy continue to affect

the everyday functioning of agriculture and producers should always be prepared for these changes. Dave Gebhardt, director of agronomic data and technology for Winfield Solutions, provided information about the trends in ag technology, data science, types of data and steps to take in 2015. “Every farmer makes an average of 40 decisions each year about his operation,” Gebhardt says. “And everybody is creating data driven decision making tools for the producer to use.” Citing numerous sources during his presentation, Gebhardt notes wireless data transfer is getting cheaper, there are more connected mobile devices than people and storing data is getting cheaper. He also noted the top five technologies to watch in precision ag include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), variable rate seeding, data solutions, Smart devices and in-cab solutions. Gebhardt closed his presentation with the following steps to take in 2015: 1) gather your 2014 data; 2) consult with your local and trusted advisor; 3) evaluate options for 2015 based on data availability; and 4) relatively low prices will enable producers to try several tools on several fields. Dr. Fred Below, professor of plant physiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, presented “The Quest for High Yield Corn and Soybeans.” Dr. Below has spent the last 25 years reaching for 300 bushel corn and

Dave Gebhardt 85 bushel soybeans. “The ability to produce 300 bushel corn and 85 bushel soybeans rests on seven factors,” Below explained. Using a systems-based approach to achieve optimal plant health, Below showed that by identifying seven wonders of corn and six secrets to soybean production, producers could work to optimize each of the factors and capitalize on their positive interactions. “It’s not the one thing you do for high yield, it’s what you don’t do that kills yield potential,” Below says. Dr. Below’s entertaining style kept the crowd’s attention as he told the story towards high yield crops and how they could learn from it. Following Dr. Below, agricultural producers and ag advocates, Continued on page 12

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By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

Inches, Not Just Acres For many producers, farming is measured in inches, not just acres. As Darcy Nickel and hundreds of other farmers begin preparing the soil or planting their crops each year, an increasing number are turning to the technology in precision agriculture to optimize their crop. In fact, precision agriculture is becoming more of a regular practice that many farmers have integrated into their operation without considering it a form of precision agriculture anymore. With nearly every tractor, sprayer and combine utilizing GPS auto-steer systems and various monitors, precision agriculture is being implemented on more and more farms every day. The changes in technology are exciting for Nickel, beginning his fifth year using precision agriculture. Nickel is the first to point out that each field of his is different but with a number of services MKC offers for precision agriculture through the Optimal Acre Program, Ross Benisch, MKC precision agriculture specialist, and he can customize a plan for each field. Precision agriculture uses technology to compile data for farmers so they can operate more efficiently, thus better managing production costs, increasing production and increasing profits. Essentially, it is a practice that uses detailed, site-specific information to accurately control and manage inputs, Benisch says. Benisch said farmers traditionally spread uniform rates of fertilizers, seed and irrigation across their farms. One field may have several different soil

types and fertilizer needs, he said, and the amount of bushels it would grow can vary significantly from acre to acre. “Through the MKC Optimal Acre Program, precision agriculture uses technology and data the farmer owns to increase input efficiency and bushels per acre,” Benisch says. “The goal is to help producers place their inputs for optimum return on investment.” Ten years ago, the market was focused heavily on GPS guidance for machinery because of the instant results the growers saw with improved in-field productivity, reduced operator fatigue and the ability to operate machinery for longer hours. “After GPS, it moved toward more site specific agriculture like the creation of variable rate prescriptions for inputs such as crop nutrients, lime, seed and irrigation water,” Benisch says. “We take a practical approach to our precision ag,” says Nickel, who grows corn, soybeans and wheat. “We use it as an overall management tool where it makes sense instead of using it on every acre.” Costs are a determining factor when choosing whether or not to use precision agriculture, but Benisch says farmers are quickly finding they can be profitable using the data that is collected. While there is cost involved to get started to gather the field data to make the variable rate prescriptions, the data can be used for several years before testing is needed again. “Often, the increase in input efficiencies results

“With the help of MKC, our farm looks at the precision ag data we collect as an investment rather than an expense because of the many benefits we have seen on our own operation.” Darcy Nickel, producer

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FEATURE

in the data paying for itself,” Nickel says. “With the effectively use crop inputs year after year after year. help of MKC, our farm looks at the precision ag data “The more data a farmer collects the more we can we collect as an investment rather than an expense customize each field to achieve maximum profitbecause of the many benefits we have seen on our ability over time,” Benisch says. He recognizes not own operation.” everyone has the same goals in mind so it makes As for the precision ag services currently offered sense to start with the important base layers of by MKC, Benisch information and exsays they like to pand into the other start with grid services MKC offers. sampling beHe also notes over cause it tests for time, the informamany key factors tion that is valued including soil for a particular field nutrients and pH will most likely be which are vital collected and actfor every crop ed on, while other grown. “With the fields may not need grid sample rethe same layers of sults, we can then information to make variable apply good management many products to decisions for the increase applicaupcoming year. tion accuracy,” he “Each field is says. “MKC has unique. The more the equipment pieces of data we to variable aphave to help solve Ross Benisch, precision ag specialist for MKC, reviews field data with Darcy Nickel, Goessel area ply lime and crop producer. the yield puzzle, the nutrients so the more accurate we farmer doesn’t have to own any extra equipment to are going to be with our VRT prescriptions and the take advantage of what grid sampling can offer.” producer will have a greater return on investment,” As farmers keep records of this information year Benisch says. MKC uses the information the grower after year, patterns begin to emerge and the inhas and combines it with the field data collected to formation gained from GPS technology becomes a put together a customized program that best fits the valuable reference upon which to base vital mangrower’s operation, he says. agement decisions. “It is often hard to tell people about our appreNickels says one of the most important purposciation for precision agriculture,” Nickels says. “I es of the Optimal Acre Program is it gives them the would encourage anyone who is interested in learnopportunity to optimize their yield potential and ing more to ask MKC.”

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FEATURE

His Passion Knows No Age By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

William “Bill” Taylor loves to work on the land. He awakes early every morning to continue his passion. That passion of farming that started when he was a young boy in the 1930’s . Taylor, now 93, has lived near Manhattan his entire life besides the three years he served in World War II until he was honorably discharged from the military in December of 1945. Taylor drove a half-track (a vehicle with wheels in front for steering and tracks in the back) and saw many battles first hand during World War II including D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Taylor was deeply moved by his war experience, but does not talk about his combat experiences much. Born in Manhattan in 1921 and raised near Wamego, Taylor described his childhood as typical of that of a Depression-era family. “My parents did a little farming, but it was tough,” Taylor says. As hard as his rural life might have been, he enjoyed it enough to pursue a career of farming and raising cattle. “I love the cattle,” Taylor says. “Always have and always will.” Taylor says one of the best parts about his chosen livelihood is that he is his own boss and noted the weather and government regulations have been the most difficult to work with. After returning from the war, Taylor met Lorna, a farm girl from Wheaton, Kansas. They married in 1948 and are still together today. The Taylor’s have one son, two grandsons and five great-grandchildren. RETURNING TO THE FARM After returning home from the war in 1945, the G.I. Bill provided Taylor with a loan to start a farm of his own. But Taylor couldn’t find an inch of farm ground. He did the next best of farming on his own and got a job at the Kansas State University Agronomy Farm. It was there Taylor learned a lot about farming. “I read whatever I

could get my hands on to learn,” he says. After discovering he could draw funds from the G.I. Bill for four more years if he was actively engaged in farming, he contacted the farmer he worked for in high school. “The gentlemen sold me half of his cowherd and some machinery on a note,” Taylor said. “After four years, I was eager to find more land. I ended my ties with my boss and was out on my own.” In 1949, Taylor became a member of the Farmers Union Cooperative. “Our landlords were members, so [we] became members too,” he says. Taylor recalls the local service station in Manhattan with the Farmers Union Co-op grain elevator beside it. “We picked up our feed there, got our flat tires fixed and delivered grain,” he says. “It was similar to what we see today, just quite a bit smaller.” ON THE LAND TODAY A co-op member for 65 years, Taylor and Lorna recalled memories of attending the cooperative’s annual meetings in Manhattan. To Taylor, the co-op has always been there. “It has been about convenience and good service,” he says. “I grew up in the system so I guess you could say I don’t know any better.” As a long-time co-op member, Taylor was eager to attend the informational meetings prior to the merger of Farmers Cooperative Association and MKC. “At my old age I have seen many things change,” Taylor said. “The merger and the co-op’s growth is a good change.” Farming alongside his grandson, Taylor says it takes a lot of time and resources to keep their operation running today. Taylor added he appreciates the expertise they receive from MKC. When talking about the future, Taylor looks forward to getting ready to plant next year’s corn and soybean crops and watching his cattle finish out. “I have no plans to retire until I am called away,” he says.

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EDUCATION

Ag Symposium Continued from page 7

Greg Peterson and Derek Klingenberg, shared their creative and sometimes unorthodox way of advocating for agriculture. Peterson, an Assaria, Kansas native, says he started advocating for agriculture in grade school when he tried to convince his friends that agriculture was cool. His adventure really started when he was still an agricultural communications student at Kansas State University. After deciding he wanted to make a parody video that combined his passion for farming, music and communicating, the first Peterson Farm Brothers parody came together. In June 2012, the Peterson Farm Brothers released a video titled, “I’m Farming and I Grow It.” It quickly went viral much to their surprise. Four days after being released, the brothers had interview invites from multiple statewide news outlets as well as an invite from Fox News in New York City. Only four days after being released, their first video had more than 1 million views. Since their first video, the brothers have released more videos and now have 34 million views on

YouTube. Peterson says the videos have given them many opportunities around the country to talk about agriculture. In addition to their videos, Peterson also advocates for agriculture using Facebook, Twitter and blogging. “There are many ways to advocate for agriculture besides social media,” Peterson says. “Our family started giving farm tours and personal conversation with consumers is sometimes most effective.” Don’t miss the chance to advocate for agriculture was Peterson’s key message to the diverse group of farmers and ranchers at the symposium. As a result of Peterson’s whimsical notion, millions of people have a different view into what farming is all about. As one of the stars in the MKC “White Pickup Truck” video parody, Derek Klingenberg has had tremendous outreach in his own YouTube video parodies about his family’s farm and ranch in Marion County. Klingenberg, noted for his videos promoting agriculture, says he likes to start his videos with an attention getter. To demonstrate,

Klingenberg shared the story behind his video, “Serenading the Cattle with My Trombone.” He posted the video on a Sunday and by Monday noon the video had 20,000 views. By Monday at midnight his video of him playing his trombone in a pasture, sitting in a lawn chair while the cows begin coming towards him, had 1 million views. “It is crazy,” Klingenberg says. “Millions of people all over the world watch the videos promoting agriculture, but I haven’t left the farm.” While these Kansas farm boys are YouTube sensations, they still have their roles on their family’s farming and ranching operations. It is to that point, Peterson and Klingenberg encourage anyone to advocate for agriculture. The symposium wrapped-up with a short presentation from Dave Spears, vice president and CMO for MKC, about the role MKC plays in advocating for agriculture. “We all have a role in advocating for agriculture,” Spears says. “MKC works to advocate for agriculture on behalf of the producers we serve.”

ATTENTION GRAIN PRODUCERS!

TAKE ACTION TO RECEIVE SIGNIFICANT TAX DEDUCTION Grain customers can take advantage of this deduction by completing the master marketing agreement on-line or signing and returning the copy recently mailed from Team Marketing Alliance. For more information about this deduction, visit www.tmagrain.com or contact Emily at 620-345-4187.

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FROM THE FIELD

MKC Launches Comprehensive Internship Program

Making the Connection

MKC recently launched a one-of-a-kind comprehensive internship program developed to accelerate the onboarding process of new employees for MKC and its industry partners. Hilary Worcester, talent and industry partnership coordinator for MKC, will lead the comprehensive internship program. This program will employ an environment focused on merging academia and real world application through industry partner directed projects. Real hands-on projects for interns may include data analysis, seed sales and much more, Worcester explains. Students participating in the program will be high performing Kansas State University students who have participated or desire to participate in an internship program with MKC and industry partners.

comes from an increasingly important part of education. MKC believes it is important, if not critical, for people to continue to have an idea about where their food comes from. “It is not a good thing if people believe milk comes from a carton,” says Jeff Jones, MKC location manager at Haven. “Not recognizing a cow is ultimately responsible for milk production is not completely uncommon when we visit schools.” That is where MKC’s “Ag Everyday” presentation derived from. The presentation, developed for fourth grade students, discusses what grain is, what major grains are grown in Kansas, where the grain goes and what the grain is used for. To wrap up the presentation, MKC employees put together a “felt pizza” with the students and discuss where the ingredients come from. After putting together the “pretend” pizza, students get to enjoy a real slice of pizza. “For kids, pizza is often a preferred food. And within a pizza, much of what farming supplies can be seen,” Jones says. “The simple pizza in many ways encapsulates the variety of agricultural and food production into something all students can relate to.” Like many employees, Jones enjoys seeing the excitement in the classroom when the students make those real connections to agriculture. More than 75 presentations have been made by MKC employees since the program began in the fall 2012 by Shane Eck, MKC location manager at Lindsborg. Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch and “felt pizzas” are certainly efforts which are on the right track to spread the positive message about agriculture.

By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

Worcester is looking forward to helping our industry partners retain those talents they want to hire. “This program provides industry partners and MKC continued connectivity with interns through the school year,” she said. “It is a unique opportunity to increase our onboarding success due to extended exposure of visions, culture and expectations.” She brings a range of experience as she has served in numerous positions in the health field over the past 10 years. Worcester grew up on a farm near Lindsborg. She has a B.S. in life sciences and pre-physical therapy from Kansas State University and a M.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. As of October, the program includes three interns working for MKC part-time who are current K-State students. Worcester is excited about the opportunity and the program. “I’m a big believer in the knowledge our youth have about the fields they are studying,” she said. “MKC and industry partners will see first-hand the students taking their knowledge and applying it to MKC intern Sarah Unruh consults with Hilary Worcester, coordinator of the real world at talent and industry partnerships, about a project she is working on for our cooperative the accounting department. Unruh is a senior at Kansas State University, locations.” majoring in accounting and agricultural business.

Continued from page 6

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A Business Relationship with Added Value By Devin Schierling, TMA Grain Marketing Manager

As we near the completion of one of the most volatile crop years in recent history, it’s important to reflect on and further develop the vision of our company’s risk management division. Regardless of the direction of the grain markets or the size of the crop, our focus is building long term, value-added business relationships to help our customers manage their farm’s revenue potential throughout the year. While the business relationship we strive to have with our customers is uniquely different and based on the individual needs of each customer, TMA focuses on grain marketing and crop insurance. The quest to identify the high of today’s volatile grain markets is one of the most frequently discussed topics throughout the nation. TMA helps customers identify opportunities in the market place and execute risk management strategies that fit their needs. Often times these opportunities may be 18 months in advance of a crop year’s harvest and we know a lot can change during that time. TMA’s grain marketing specialists focus on helping producers manage their farm’s revenue potential throughout the year, allowing us to add more value back to their operation in volatile markets. Navigating through the ever-changing and increasingly complicated farm programs of today runs a close second in topics discussed amongst agricultural producers. Not only does TMA provide customers with the education and information they need to make decisions about government programs, we understand how these decisions will impact the future of our customer’s operation. By staying focused on customizing each customer’s crop insurance and government program decisions, our crop insurance specialists are truly working for the customer, maximizing their farm’s revenue potential. Just like other valuable long-term relationships, there are going to be highs and lows. However, TMA’s goal will always be to provide our customers with the service, knowledge, and execution they need to be successful. The relationships are based on a genuine care for the customer and love for the agriculture industry. Every crop insurance and grain marketing specialist is as unique as the relationship they have with their customer. Recognizing the value of the relationship is what sets TMA apart from our competition.

14 Connections

President’s Column Continued from page 3

are a few groups who have agendas out to hurt production agriculture, many people just don’t have the knowledge of what those involved in agriculture do. To the degree we can, we’ve decided to take that challenge on. Many of our employees give presentations throughout our area on everything from how food gets to the table to how safe our food supply really is and the incredible productiveness of the American farmer. Our employees always enjoy this opportunity and we frequently get requests from civic groups, church groups and schools to present. It takes resources and time to take employees away from their regular jobs but there are well intentioned people spreading misinformation on a daily basis and unless all of us get involved, it will be the only story people hear. ADVOCACY Over the past few years you’ve seen us get much more involved in advocacy for the many facets of agriculture. I suppose it would be wonderful to live in a world where advocating for who we are and what we do wouldn’t be necessary. But with all the voices shouting to be heard, it seems there is little opportunity for legitimate discussions. Many of us are certainly willing to engage people in those discussions when given the opportunity, but mostly we are limited to snippets or sound bites that we attempt to push out to our audience. Advocacy comes in many forms today and I’m very impressed with the efforts taken by individuals and groups such as the Peterson Farm Brothers, Derek Klingenberg, CommonGround Kansas and many others. In addition, MKC takes an approach to be a voice for agriculture through our social media outlets and newsletter in hopes that we can reach as many people as possible to share the positive message of agriculture. Ultimately, we want to support and protect the livelihood we work for each and every day. I hope you see the value in our leadership, education and advocacy!

10 - $1,000 scholarships awarded to high school seniors 10 - 1,000 scholarships awarded to college students

WHO CAN APPLY? High school seniors and college students planning to attend or returning to an accredited university or college including community, vocational or technical school.

APPLY AT

www.mkcoop.com

DEADLINE IS

March 16, 2015

307 W. Cole P.O. Box D Moundridge, KS 67107

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Begin Next Season’s Crop Nutrient Planning with Soil Sampling After crops are harvested, producers have an ideal opportunity to determine fertility status and plan for next season’s crop nutrient needs. “It is easier to gather soil samples and evaluate whether available nutrients will support next year’s crop after the crops are removed,” says Nathan Miller, MKC seed agronomist. “It’s also important to check soil pH levels, since pH has a direct effect on soil nutrient availability.” The following tips will achieve accurate results from soil testing. Tip #1: In conventional tillage fields, it’s important to take soil samples at a consistent depth of 6 to 8 inches across the field. Making a permanent mark on the probe at the selected depth will help ensure a consistent sampling depth. Being off by just an inch across a field can make a significant difference in accuracy. Tip #2: In no-till fields, take two samples in each location, with the first sample at 2 inches and the second sample at 6 inches. This helps determine which nutrients have worked their way deeper into the soil.

Tip #3: Pull 12 to 15 individual cores for each composite sample. Submit one to two composite samples per 80-acre field. Tip #4: For variable-rate plant nutrient applications, divide the field into 2.5-acre grids and take four to six core samples per grid. Grid sampling data will help find the precise amount of plant nutrients needed in each area of the field for greater application efficiency and optimal return on investment. Tip #5: Use a plastic bucket when collecting samples to ensure accurate results. The zinc in galvanized pails can raise zinc level readings and skew results. “Low commodity prices have many farmers looking for ways to reduce nutrient costs,” Miller says. “By measuring soil nutrients we can identify fields that might be able to handle a lower fertilizer rate as well as fields that can’t.” Visit your MKC location for your soil sampling needs.