Related Stories

Learning the lessons When you've had the chance to visit with farmers, ag retailers, and farm managers for more than 30 years, there's one thing you learn right away about Share your joy of agriculture A century ago most Americans lived either on a farm or near a farm or had relatives they could visit on a farm. The public looked at farming as God's 4 ideas for coping with ASR WORK HARD to manage growers' expectations about Asian soybean rust (ASR), advises Duane Mol, chemical manager for Crop Production Services, Galesburg, To expand or not to expand EXPANSION THROUGH merger or acquisition has been taking place in the ag retail industry for some time now. Some mergers and acquisitions have gone relatively Old habits die hard YOUR GROWERS' crop rotation has most likely changed over the years, but their lime applications may not reflect that change. Some Midwestern researchers Scout for western bean cutworm WESTERN BEAN cutworms (WBCs) have been a problem in the western Corn Belt since the 1940s and last year were discovered to have migrated further east SPCC update THE EPA has been visiting agricultural dealerships to check on Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans, reports the Illinois Fertilizer 4 risks in buying fertilizer PERHAPS THE biggest lesson learned by the agricultural supply industry in the past year is that the business environment is riskier than ever, especially Rotary cutter for medium-duty cutting Three options available BUSH HOG helps producers choose just the right-sized cutter for medium-duty mowing chores. The company offers 5-, 6- and 7-ft. Budget proposal unfairly targets farm bill There's a popular old adage that says, If it isn't broken, don't fix it. That saying came to mind in early February when the administration released a Software developers and suppliers 2005 AGRIS Corporation 800/795-7995; Fax: 770/238-5205 E-mail: info@agris.com; sales@agris.com Web site: www.agris.com What's new: AgroGuide is an agronomy Free online course APPLY'S SISTER publication Delta Farm Press has launched a free online course providing one continuing education unit (CEU) for American Society of Agronomy Looking to lenders CROP INPUT financing programs have become as competitive as the products themselves, and all signs point to a continuation of this trend. The crop input Stay ahead of your customers WITH THE fast pace of change nowadays, identifying your customers' needs may seem like trying to hit a target moving at the speed of a Japanese bullet Energy money available ANYONE INTERESTED in improving energy efficiency on a farm may apply for a grant or a loan from the USDA. However, he or she must apply for the money Immigration reform Just how important is agricultural immigration reform? Judging by a letter that was sent to Congress last month, it's extremely important to almost 400 Managing what you know What do we know? I might say I know my customers, but what does this mean? Do I know these people socially, and do I have deep knowledge of their business Invaluable service WHY SHOULD ag retailers sell services? The resulting customer interaction is invaluable and helps create long-term ties that are difficult for competitors Q&A DAN TOWERY created Ag Conservation Solutions, an ag consulting business, in January 2005, after working 25 years with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Invaluable service WHY SHOULD ag retailers sell services? The resulting customer interaction is invaluable and helps create long-term ties that are difficult for competitors Treat seeds for success SINCE THE INTRODUCTION of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant traits in corn and soybeans, ag retailers have seen a huge shift Court good customers WHAT'S THE best way to keep good customers coming back and to attract new ones? Fix annoying problems The first step is to focus on frustrations, says Atrazine adjustments FOR GROWERS concerned with using atrazine to control weeds on sensitive watersheds, management alternatives are plentiful, says Bill Johnson, Purdue University Friends of the environment THE DECISION to invest in new storage and handling facilities in the last few years has reaped rewards for Eastern Farmers Co-op and Farmers Elevator Memorable field days FIELD DAY season rolls around again in just a few months. Farmers will attend, knowing they will more than likely get a good meal and a seed cap. But Grain storage spillover LIKE MANY grain-handling businesses, Buckingham Cooperative, near Waterloo, IA, needed to react quickly last year to find enough storage space to accommodate Covering new ground Venturing into new markets can have its ups and downs. Some ag retailers have successfully added lawn and garden or hobby farmer product lines, for example INDUSTRY ABM receives grant The USDA recently awarded Advanced Biological Marketing (ABM) an $80,000 grant for its innovative research in fungicides. ABM was one The first impression Finding reputable home remodeling and repair companies is never easy, but after we decided to replace all the windows on the front of our 30-year-old Double-span pivot A NEW dual-span irrigation pivot from Valmont Irrigation is helping growers in the West raise high-density crops such as carrots. Two sets of spans on 3 ideas to help you keep customers THESE DAYS it's extra challenging to satisfy and keep customers, says Nancy Friedman, president, Telephone Doctor, St. Louis, MO, an international customer The great (driverless) race IT TOOK two tries over two years and a doubling of the prize money from $1million to $2 million, but in October 2005, the DARPA Grand Challenge found 21 days and counting It generally takes 21 days for a certain behavior to become a habit, says Colleen Francis, president of Engage Selling Solutions, a sales training company FROM THE TOP Tell us about your experience with Syngenta Crop Protection in Latin America and what that experience will mean to your new position here in North America. CROPS Arrow herbicide Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA) introduces Arrow herbicide, the first generic clethodim, which can be used for eliminating the Q&A THE CROPLIFE Ambassador Network (CAN) is the educational outreach program of the Mid America CropLife Association (MACA). Brian Miller, environmental/auditing