Producers Blog

I learned a few important lessons this week. First, I learned that being flexible is vital in the world of agriculture. Additionally, I learned that crops are resilient and farmers are some of the most hopeful people you will ever find.

I started the week in Minnesota, where my plan was to ride with Hank Neyens, the Minnesota sales intern. However, plans changed and I ended up spending most of the day writing newsletter articles. It ended up being a very productive day and I got plenty accomplished!

The next day I was able to meet up with most of the marketing team in Vermillion, SD. It’s always fun when we have the opportunity to work together. I enjoy bouncing ideas off of them and learning about what’s coming up in the future for Producers Hybrids.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to ride with Justin Krell, a District Sales Manager in Minnesota, Kally Philipp, the Minnesota Agronomy Intern, and Hank Neyens, the Minnesota Sales Intern. Although it was raining, the four of us had a very productive day looking at crops in a wide variety of stages.

Minnesota was recently hit with a few hail storms, and the crops were showing it. Bean fields looked desolate and the shredded corn fields looked more like pineapple fields than anything. We saw four fields with damage that, from the road, looked like a complete loss. However, once we got in the field and started to dissect plants, we realized that the crop wasn’t completely gone. Most of the beans we saw were not completely killed off by the hail and would more than likely continue to grow and repair themselves. In all of the corn we saw, the growing point was not damaged by the hail so it would restore itself as well.

Although the crop looked rough from the road and farmers were feeling down, once we got into the fields and started digging, spirits started to be lifted. Farmers realized that they might lose some of their crop, but they wouldn’t lose it all. It was amazing how learning that even some of their corn and beans were going to be okay would lift their spirits. It reminded me that in farming, almost more than any other profession, you have to be an optimist otherwise you would not be a farmer. 

After a morning full of looking at damaged fields, we decided to see some fields that looked a little more promising. We visited a P3 trial in the same area that had not been hit with the hail. The corn looked great and differences between varieties were really starting to show up. It was amazing how one mile down the road corn fields were completely shredded, and this field was standing strong without any issues. This goes to show that while farming takes high levels of knowledge, it is also partially a game of luck, adaption and being able to roll with the punches to make the best out of every situation.

The rest of my week was spent in Iowa with a positive attitude. We saw some sad fields, but they were going to fight back and be healthy. We saw some healthy fields that reminded farmers to be thankful when things go their way. It seems to be a common trend in these blogs that attitude is everything and being positive can help any situation. So, I hope everyone has a week full of positive thoughts and hopeful spirits. Stay tuned for more adventures next week, because I am #ready4more!