Jul 30, 2014

Road trip to NEXT!

Last week, on the way to the GROWMARK “NEXT” Conference held in Peoria, Illinois, about 30 Ontario FS crop specialists took part in a four-day agronomy focused road-trip filled with “excellent learning opportunities,” says Don McLean, GROWMARK Ontario agronomy business director.

The first stop at Pride Seeds AgReliant Genetics Research Station in Champaign, Illinois gave the group a better understanding of just how far Pride Seeds has come in the development of new hybrid seed varieties. “New hybrids are produced in half the time it used to take!,” says Bill Brown, GROWMARK Ontario field sales agronomist. “What used to be a seven to eight year timeframe, now we are introduced to new varieties in three to four years’ time.”

Next, the group arrived in Peoria, to attend GROWMARK’s FS Agronomy Event called “NEXT”. Just as its title suggests, this value-packed conference focused clearly on the future in agronomy trends and GROWMARK programs.

On the way back to Ontario, the bus stopped in Union Hill, Illinois to visit Bayer CropScience’s Research facility to learn more about what’s next in weed resistance science. The big eye-opener here for the group was witnessing first-hand the enormous threat that comes from the weed “Palmer amaranth”. “Unless multiple modes of action are put into play right at the onset of its presence, it will not take long for this mighty weed to completely takeover and highjack a full crop,” says Brown. “So far, we don’t have it here in Ontario, but we must take this weed very seriously and be prepared.”

























LEFT- Scott Vandehogen, AGRIS Co-operative seed specialist stands beside corn field impacted by Palmer amaranth in Union Hill, Illinois. Note: Scott is six feet tall!   RIGHT- Don McLean posing with massive Palmer amaranth weed!

Attending the conference and road trip were FS crop specialists from AGRIS Co-operativeCounty Farm CentreFS PARTNERS, Huron Bay Co-operative, North Wellington Co-operativeSunderland Co-operativeThunder Bay Co-op and Wanstead Farmers’ Co-operative. “It was an excellent networking opportunity for crop specialists from all over the province to share stories, ideas and discuss what’s NEXT!” says McLean.

  Ontario FS crop specialists visit Pride Seeds AgReliant Reaserch site in Champaign, Illionois:
BACK ROW (L-R): Kyle Beatty and Ryan Beatty (County Farm Centre), Bill Brown (GROWMARK), Jeremy Tanner (AGRIS Co-op), Tyler Sabelli (AGRIS Co-op), Sean Chase (FS PARTNERS), Scott Vandehogen (AGRIS Co-op),  Chris Snip (AGRIS Co-op),  Marty Osborne (AGRIS Co-op), Kevin Van Eerd (AGRIS Co-op), Jeff Wilson (County Farm Centre). SECOND ROW (L-R) Mike Parker (Wanstead Farmers Co-op), Brent Troyer (North Wellington Co-op), Jennifer MacDonald (Huron Bay Co-op), Dave VanCasteren (FS PARTNERS), Seamus Postuma (Thunder Bay Co-op), Nathan Saarloos (FS PARTNERS), Dale Bolton (Sunderland Co-op), Mark McKerrall (AGRIS Co-op), Sandy McAllister (Huron Bay Co-op).  FRONT ROW (L-R): Adam Bent (Sunderland Co-op),  Luke Hartung (North Wellington Co-op), Graham McLean (AGRIS Co-op), Clarke Aitken (AGRIS Co-op), Don McLean (GROWMARK), Kent Wolfe (AGRIS Co-op), Jessica Gaukel (AGRIS Co-op), Mike Pedlar (Huron Bay Co-op).







Jul 23, 2014

This year's new 4-H Ambassadors and GROWMARK Interns tour FS

The 2014 Ontario 4-H Ambassadors along with GROWMARK’s summer interns and summer students took a day away from their regular routine to learn more about the FS System.

Below is the full group together posing in front of  a 1942 Ford Stake truck purchased by North Wellington Co-operative as part of its 70th anniversary celebration at the co-opertive's site in Harriston. 

Introducing this year's 4-H Ambassadors and GROWMARK Summer Interns:
Top (L-R): 2014 4-H Ontario Ambassador Paul Knoops of Oxford county, FS Interns Leslie Bowman (Co-operative Regional Nipissing Sudbury), Matt Sikorski (Lucknow District Co-operative), summer student Tomas Mcmanus (FS PARTNERS) and Alex Richardson (AGRIS Co-operative). Bottom L-R: Jeff McCallum, North Wellington Co-operative marketing & communication specialist, GROWMARK Interns Mary Walton (FS PARTNERS), Bryce Rodman (Sunderland Co-operative), Justin McNally (FS PARTNERS), 4-H Ambassadors Chris DeKlein of Middlesex county, Brook Thompson of York region, Kate Higgins of Huron county, Sarina Goodfellow of Lennox county and Kelly Boyle, North Wellington Co-operative general manager. 4-H Ambassador Tamara Hamilton is not present.

The one-day tour consisted of a visit to UPI Energy’s bulk fuel plant in Guelph, an FS PARTNERS agronomy and Great Lakes Grain facility in Ayr, North Wellington Co-operative’s unique retail store and lawn and garden centre, and a quick glimpse of the 24-hour remotely monitored cardlock FAST STOP® fueling station. 

The group learns about the complex operations of UPI Energy LP from 
Bob Hodgson, manager, propane dispatch and logistics.


Kevin Stumpf, FS PARTNERS branch manager gives an overview of 
the grain and agronomy business at the Ayr site.  


This is the 9th year for the 4-H Ontario Ambassador Program sponsored by GROWMARK, Inc. and UPI Energy LP. Ambassadors promote 4-H in Ontario provincially, regionally, locally and at some national events. 

The Ambassadors will also attend UPI Energy’s annual meeting next month called Rendezvous and participate as flag bearers during the opening ceremonies. Ambassador Brooke Thompson will be travelling to Chicago at the end of August to attend the GROWMARK Annual Meeting to represent 4-H Ontario. Also selected to attend as youth representative from Junior Farmers of Ontario is Kim Hooey and representing Co-operative Young Leader Program, Matthew Gerrits who has been chosen as Ontario's youth speaker along with other youth speakers from FFA Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.



Jul 11, 2014

GROWMARK names Spradlin new CEO


Jim Spradlin has been named chief executive officer of GROWMARK, Inc. effective September 16, 2014. He replaces Jeff Solberg who will retire in September.  

Spradlin is a 1982 business administration and economics graduate of Illinois College, Jacksonville, Ill.  He has held various positions within the GROWMARK System of co-operatives, including controller of Schuyler-Brown FS, regional administrative director, general manager of Piatt Service Company, general manager of Ag-Land FS, and region manager (Central Ill.), energy division manager, agronomy division manager, and vice president of agronomy for GROWMARK. Jim is one of five members of the Purdue University Center for Commercial Agriculture’s Industry Advisory Council. He serves on the board of directors for The Fertilizer Institute, and is a former local director of Rotary International.

In announcing Spradlin as CEO, GROWMARK Chairman of the Board and President, John Reifsteck, said:  “Selecting a CEO to lead GROWMARK’s management team is among the most important and impactful decisions the Board can make. Jim has the skills, knowledge, experience, and support to successfully lead GROWMARK into the future. The Board has great confidence in him and his ability to lead the multitude of talented employees throughout the GROWMARK System.”