As we took a break in July from some regularly scheduled events and marked Independence Day, MABA had more time over the past few weeks to plan for our busy fall and winter months – namely the upcoming Outlook Conference, our December virtual RUP credit sessions and the 2024 Winter Conference.
We continue to encourage members to visit this link to learn about upcoming events.
One program we’re especially proud of is the Agri-Business Leadership Program, which brought together our incoming cohort of participants in late July. We also recognized the outgoing, 2022-23 class at the same two-day seminar hosted in the Grand Rapids area.
For nearly 15 years, this program has helped emerging leaders in Michigan’s agribusiness community learn about the work of your Association and become more familiar with policy advocacy at the local, state and federal levels. Classes convene four times per year in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Washington, DC and Detroit.
For our joint session of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Agri-Business Leadership Program classes, a total of 18 industry leaders traveled to the west side of the state. The groups convened at King Milling Co., and attended meetings in downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to presentations from a range of West Michigan business, community and agricultural leaders, class members had an opportunity to tour King Milling and learn about the company’s ongoing expansion.
We thank King Milling Company for hosting, and the full range of experts who joined us in July to lend their insights! Speakers during the two-day seminar included:
Leadership Group Program Participants
Our outgoing 2022-23 class includes: Aaron Fahrner, Cooperative Elevator Co.; Austin Chandonnet, Bayside Best Beans; Austin Huizenga, Nutrien Ag Solutions Michigan; Hilaree Fraly, BASF Agricultural Solutions; Jake Herbruck, Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch; Jake Schuster, Harvest Solar; Karen Warner, Michigan Agricultural Commodities; Kody Myers, Star of the West Milling Company; Melinda Sweeney, The Andersons, Inc. and Nathan Rosenbrock, Nutrien Ag Solutions.
The 2022-23 Agri-Business Leadership Program class members include: Eddie Fahley, Helena Agri-Enterprises; Jeff Leslie, Cooperative Elevator Co.; Rodney Stevens, Ceres Solutions Cooperative Inc; Justin Edwards, Ackerman Marketing, Rob Clark, Michigan Sugar Company; Melissa Carter, Caledonia Farmers Elevator, Raegan Gembarski, Star of the West Milling Company; and Alyssa Redding, Nutrien Ag Solutions Michigan.
Soil testing remains one of the most cost-effective methods for farmers and ag retail advisors to optimize ROI while avoiding unneeded nutrient applications. With wheat harvest wrapping up, these harvested fields are prime areas for grid or zone sampling plans that can identify nutrient variability within the field.
Areas of fields with deficient nutrient levels can be located and be brought up to sufficient levels, boosting yield potential. Identifying areas with excess nutrient levels offers the opportunity to reduce nutrient application rates in those areas, while still maintaining full yield potential. The cost of a soil testing program, as a result, is well worth it in terms of the full range of economic benefits back to the farm business.
There continue to be substantial environmental benefits to soil testing, which supports farmers’ ongoing efforts to protect soil health and water quality. Soil testing promotes strong on-farm stewardship by optimizing nutrient use and avoiding runoff.
Both of these benefits are enhanced by the continued advance of technology. One of the most exciting elements of modern agriculture is the pace at which visualization and modeling based on gathered data can benefit on-farm decision making. This holds true with soil testing data. Modern variable rate application equipment can utilize the data layers generated by intensive soil sampling to precisely apply prescribed fertilizer rates on a sub-acre basis.
Ag retail advisors – including more than 300 Certified Crop Advisers across Michigan – can work with farmers to help them craft a soil testing program tailored to their business.
Managing these open wheat fields into the fall benefits from a cost-effective soil testing program, with intensive soil testing offering the opportunity to benefit farm economics in both the short and long-term.
This newsletter is brought to you by the Michigan Agri-Business Association and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program. For more information, visit miagbiz.org.
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Michigan’s Pesticide Container Recycling Program provides cost-free recycling opportunities for pesticide users to properly and safely dispose of containers. The program is a partnership between the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, the Michigan Agri-Business Association, the Ag Container Recycling Council and pesticide users across Michigan. The program ensures that plastics are recycled or converted to other beneficial uses instead of taking up landfill space and decreases the likeliness that unclean or improperly stored contents will leach pesticide residue into the environment.
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