From the Manager's Desk

Jan 02, 2022


Happy New Year

January Update

Happy New Year to all of you from the staff at Premier Cooperative and welcome to 2022. I hope everyone was able to slow down over the holidays and spend some much needed time with family and friends. It’s always a little chaotic scheduling and planning for shorter work weeks around the holidays, but also well worth the extra effort once everyone can relax and enjoy their time off. 

A little deeper into this month’s newsletter, be sure to check out the information regarding scholarships available exclusively to the children of Premier’s membership. As a part of Premier’s stewardship and community giving, our focus on youth, agriculture and education has awarded more than $100,000 over the past ten years to graduating seniors. If you have a high school senior this year with plans for college next fall, please don’t miss out on this opportunity for members only. 

On January 26th we will be holding the annual meeting of the members of Premier Cooperative. Due to COVID, last year we were forced to only offer a virtual update in lieu of our traditional annual meeting. As I write this update late in December, we are planning to hold an in person annual meeting. In addition, with a recent spike in cases and heightened concerns over the new Omicron variant, we will also be offering a virtual option for the meeting for those unable to attend in person. More information can be found on our website with location, time, and virtual details. 

While the calendar may have just rolled into the new year, your cooperative is already a quarter of the way through our next fiscal year. In addition to this time of year being very busy at your cooperative with feed and propane deliveries, conditioning and marketing this year’s grain, and preparing crop plans and securing inventory for 2022, we are also going over a long list of equipment, vehicles, facilities, and other investments we’ll be making in 2022 to serve you better. Whether these investments involve replacing worn out vehicles or equipment, upgrading existing systems, or perhaps new expansion projects, each year your cooperative reinvests millions of dollars back into its infrastructure. While some purchases are cut and dry, such as replacing a truck, others can be a bit more of a challenge to measure the value and future return on investment of our member’s equity. This is something your board and employee team look forward to reviewing each year. Of course, investing in new equipment and buildings would be a waste if it wasn’t for the quality team of employees we have ready to put it and other technology to work for you each day.

Thank you for helping to make 2021 a successful year at your cooperative. We rely on your continued support to allow us to invest in the staff and fixed assets needed to help meet your needs while providing a safe and rewarding environment for the employee team. It remains our goal to be the Premier company for our customers and employees. While this is our goal, we also know we will not always exceed your expectations or ours. We do hope, however, that the partnership our members/owners (you) and us have worked hard to build over the years will help all of us not only get through these challenges but will help us emerge as a better company to serve you in the future.

Matt Severson

CEO

Read More News

Mar 03,2023
With spring just around the corner, your cooperative is gearing up for another one of our seasonal rushes…spring planting season. Not only will we see our total employee count peak for the year, but nearly every asset in the company will be in use. While many businesses have equipment and buildings that are in use all year long, our grain and agronomy divisions have millions of dollars invested in some assets that only get used for a few months out of the year. It is critical that these assets are fully operational and ready to go when the season starts. Our agronomy operations team has spent the winter months going through all the equipment to make sure it's in good working order, unwrapping and greasing up the new sprayers, trucks and other equipment we’ve purchased this year, updating technology and precision tools on existing equipment, and conducting hours of training on its use and safety. 

In addition, the crop advisors and admin staff have been putting the finishing touches on crop plans and seed orders, wrapping up input financing and nutrient management plans, hiring and training new staff including college interns to help scout fields, and maybe taking a little time away to get rested for what is sure to be long days and short nights ahead. If you’re still looking to finalize plans for this planting season, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our highly trained crop advisors.

Gearing up for spring is not only about the equipment, but also the additional staff needed to provide the products and services our members rely on to help feed the world. Each year we try to fill about 100 full and part time positions at our eleven agronomy locations. These positions can last from six weeks up to eight months. Most seasonal positions involve delivering product to our members or directly to fields to keep our custom application machines running smoothly. If you or someone you know is interested in seasonal or year-round employment, please contact Shayla at our Mt Horeb office or stop by one of the agronomy locations. The hours can be flexible and available up to seven days a week. If agronomy work isn’t for you, ask about openings at any of our other locations including retail associates, plant operations, truck drivers, administrative professionals and more. Premier is always looking to add quality people to our team.

Thank you for your continued support of Premier Cooperative and its staff. Have a great month and stay safe!
Mar 03,2023
Cattle nutrient requirements can vary by season and stage of production. Now is a great time to evaluate your cattle mineral programs and map out a plan to maximize impact.

While minerals are a relatively small portion of the diet, they control many vital functions in cattle and impact everything from cattle reproduction to feed efficiency and overall herd health. That's why it’s so important to make sure the mineral needs of your cattle are being met year-round.
Mar 03,2023
I know many of you have plans in place for a spring burndown herbicide application. If not, here are a few reasons for you to get in contact with your Premier agronomist to do so. Spring burndown applications typically target winter annuals and perennial grasses that overwinter and resume growing as soon as temperatures warm in the spring.  As they get going in the field they immediately begin stealing water and nutrients from the soil, and can create planting challenges. With the onset of resistant weeds like waterhemp, and standby challenges like giant ragweed, it is a best practice recommendation to add a strong residual herbicide to your preplant spring burndown application.  Doing so helps keep populations down and gets ahead of your first early post application. Here are some tips for establishing clean fields that give your crop a strong start.