FS logo celebrates 60 years of success!

For added information and interesting highlights on the evolution of the FS brand, visit www.facebook.com/fsservices

4-H Ontario essay contest deadline; coming up fast!

The theme for this year’s 4-H Essay Contest is: “Exploring Careers in Agriculture.” The contest is open to all Ontario high school students who are members of 4-H.

This year, students are asked to choose a career in agriculture, find someone currently working in that career, and conduct an interview. Students then will write their essays about that career and the details of their interview.

The Ontario provincial winner will win $500 and the winner’s 4-H Association will receive $300. Two runners-up each win $125.

Essays should be approximately 500 words, typed and double-spaced. The postmarked entry deadline for Ontario 4-H members is May 15. Additional program details should be viewed online at www.growmark.com  (click on Our Commitments/Youth & Young Farmers/Essay Contest/4H Ontario) or at www.4hontario.ca

The essay contest has been in place for 22 years, sponsored by the GROWMARK System and FS member co-operatives, in conjunction with US state FFA leaders and 4-H Ontario, to help young people develop their writing skills, learn about current issues affecting agriculture, and understand the unique role of co-operatives. 

Is winter really an off-season in agriculture?

So if you think the winter is a slow time for agriculture, just ask a few of the Ontario FS crop specialists what they have been up to these past few months.

“Our philosophy is to utilize this time to maximize our knowledge base,” says Don McLean GROWMARK agronomy business director.

Right after harvest, GROWMARK gets very busy in the business of education by providing FS crop specialists with a variety of learning opportunities on everything from horticulture, custom application training to nutrient management. Each one of these topics is dissected into a number of full-day training programs that give FS System employees more insight into their day-to-day operations and better prepare them for the upcoming spring growing season.

Over 100 crop specialists attended
the 2015 GROWMARK Agronomy Conference
at White Oaks Conference Centre in St. Catherines.

It all wraps up with the biggest show of the year for the agronomy folks with the Annual GROWMARK Agronomy Conference. Bill Brown, GROWMARK field sales agronomist and one of the event planners summed up this year’s conference as “one of the best”. Bill admits he hasn’t seen the official survey results from participants, but from the comments back, he knows it was a very worthwhile event.

Ontario FS crop specialists took some time to stretch 

during a 15-minute re-energize session provided 

by White Oaks staff.

“Quality speakers, attention to detail and science based knowledge made a huge impact this year,” says Brown. Topics such as white mold and weed resistance are common subjects, but GROWMARK’s weed science technical manager Dr. David Powell took it to a whole new level with great detail into the science of how white mold organisms move and the motivation behind its growth.

“The subject of economics in most cases can be very dry, but key note speaker Aaron Gampel, vice president and deputy chief economist with Scotiabank brought a humourous spin to the subject with a variety of personal stories from his local Niagara region making the subject of economics captivating and light-hearted,” says Brown.

Overall the conference covered the core subjects and offered more unique discussion on topics such as how nodulation happens, how large growers think and then finished off with a quick session on how to take great pictures in the field using just your iPhone.

In the midst of all this training, add a number of tradeshow opportunities and outside conferences into the mix, and you have the makings of a very productive winter for FS agronomy teams. Within the province, there was representation at the Canadian DairyXPO in Woodstock, London Farm Show, Lindsay Farm Show, Certified Crop Advisor Conference and later this month FS employees throughout the province will be working the FS exhibit at the GFO March Classic.

Bill Brown of GROWMARK at this year's Canadian Dairy XPO. Also helping to man the booth
was Scott Snowe and Scott Cressman of FS PARTNERS, Luke Hartung of North Wellington Co-operative Services
and Brent Lamont of Huron Bay Co-operative. 

Sponsorship dollars go a long way for OAC leaders!

GROWMARK and the FS Co-operatives have a strong connection to many of the agriculture leadership programs in Ontario to be proud of, and most recently FS participated as Gold-level sponsors for the Ontario Agriculture College (OAC) Conference held at the University of Guelph Campus.

We just heard back from one of the participants that wanted to thank us for our support and share some of the highlights of the event.

"I just wanted to thank-you for your sponsorship with regards to this years conference. We had a great turn out of students, and it was much bigger than last year. The speakers were very informative, and we got very good feedback from the participants.

Learning how to be leaders on social media and in discussions by positively promoting agriculture. The #farm365 twitter phenomenon was discussed in detail, and we were taught that remaining respectful and telling OUR story is the best way to break down some of the misconceptions about our industry.

Hearing alumni speak about the importance of getting involved while in school is important because it helps students to develop essential problem solving, leadership and social skills, and it opens doors in the future.

Participating in team building exercises got students thinking, communicating and networking with other students that they may not have known as well before."

 Over 75 University of Guelph students attend 2015 OAC Leadership Conference themed "Grab life by the roots" 

Established in 1874, the OAC is a founding college of the University of Guelph and is recognized as Canada's largest and most renowned agricultural college encompassing a province-wide network of campuses, field stations and research facilities.

North Wellington Co-op writes its own history book!

Members attending North Wellington Co-operative's recent Annual Meeting were pleasantly surprised to learn about a newly published book that tells the many stories that make up the 70 years of history for the co-op.

The authors of the book are past general manager of the co-op Bill Chamberlain along with his daughter Cathy Chamberlain who is a long-time co-operative communicator. They took this project on as a labour-of-love wanting to produce the 100-page history book so that others in the co-op community could reflect on the past and celebrate the present. 

North Wellington Co-op was established in 1944 and has survived through many changes in agriculture, economic downturns and a pension crisis. Today the co-op is a thriving community icon in the towns of Harriston, Durham, Hanover and Mount Forest with an annual sales figure of close to $34M and about 5,000 member-owners. 

"Congratulations to all those who have worked with such dedication in the past and today," says the co-operative's general manager Kelly Boyle. "I truly admire the foresight of those who fashioned the foundation of our co-operative for success over the past 70 years."

The new book was well received by members of the co-op and will be sold in all four of the co-operative’s FS stores. Some of the books will be given to local libraries and historical societies.

             Bill Chamberlain, author of new book, signs his new publication during North Wellington Co-operative’s Annual Meeting. (Right) is Cathy Chamberlain, editor of the book and long-time co-op communicator with Mollie Loughran, NWC accounts receivable clerk.

Look at what's next coming down the road!

The FS Bringing You What's Next tag line is catching on throughout Ontario with FS Co-ops. 


















And now introducing you to North Wellington Co-operative's newly branded FS Bringing you what's next rolling stock.

October stands for Co-op awareness!

The end of October marks the conclusion of the official celebrations for Co-operatives in North America with Canada celebrating Co-op Week and the US celebrating Co-op Month. 

It is therefore, a fitting time to share the video of the speech given at the GROWMARK Annual Meeting this fall from a young Co-operative Young Leader graduate about the strength of co-operative values, helping to reduce poverty worldwide.

Seventeen year-old Matthew Gerrits was the Ontario youth speaker this year at the Hilton Chicago, where he addressed his thoughts to more than 1,000 GROWMARK delegates, friends and employees of GROWMARK, Inc. Matthew was sponsored to attend CYL by Wanstead Farmers Co-operative.

Matthew is the first speaker in the video followed by youth representatives Abrah Meyer Iowa FFA, Cody Morris Illinois FFA and Alison Wedig Wisconsin FFA. 

Have a look: http://vimeo.com/106501804

Co-op Week --- a reflection of our co-operative history

Our co-operative heritage for Ontario agriculture co-ops dates back 100 years. It was in 1914 that this united agricultural-based co-op network began when a group of farm leaders met and developed the concept of connecting Ontario farmers into one organization.

But it is not only agriculture co-ops that take part in this annual weekly celebration called Co-op Week. The co-op sector has deep roots in Canada. 

In the late 19th century, farmers in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada developed co-operative creameries and cheese factories to meet the needs of the growing dairy industry. Alphonse Desjardins founded Canada’s first caisse populaire in Lévis, Quebec in 1900. And in the first decade of the 20th century, farmers in western Canada organized co-operatives in an effort to market their products.

Co-op Week has been celebrated by francophones throughout Canada since 1958. In 1981 celebrations were held among Anglophone co-ops in the Maritimes and Saskatchewan. The event went national in 1982 with the encouragement of the Co-operative Union of Canada, a predecessor of the Canadian Co-perative Association.

During Co-op week, fundraising efforts from GROWMARK Ontario employees are geared towards supporting the Co-operative Development Foundation that provides financial support and guidance to global communities in need of a new start through co-operative practices.

    

Celebrating Co-ops Internationally!

Next week is Co-op Week in Canada which is uniquely a Canadian phenomenon. In the United States, October is Co-op Month, and the InternationalCo-operative Alliance and United Nations have an International Day of Co-operatives on the first Saturday in July.

Internationally, good things are happening to strengthen the co-op identity worldwide. Shortly after the United Nations named 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives, the International Co­-operative Alliance developed a new logo for all co­-operatives to use and align with a universal brand that differentiates co-ops from other forms of business.

The Co-­operative marque or logo is now a universal symbol for the global co­-op movement and its collective identity.

At the same time, the General Assembly for the International Co-operative Alliance approved a new go-forward plan outlined in the "Blueprintfor a Co-operative Decade" created to drive forward the beginnings of a world-wide campaign to take the co-operative way of doing business to the next level.

The ambitious plan in this Blueprint - the “2020 Vision” - is for the co-operative form of business by 2020 to become:

• The acknowledged leader in economic, social and environmental sustainability,
• the mode preferred by people, 
• and last but not least, the fastest form of enterprise. 

To read more about this global initiative, visit www.ica.coop

To obtain the universal co-op logo, contact me at: jajohnson@growmark.com or visit www.ica.coop

Lucknow Co-op demonstrates fertilizer blending at its best

70 years strong!

Big advancements in fertilizer blending was the hot topic of conversation at LucknowDistrict Co-operative’s open house event featuring its new Layco declining-weight blend  fertilizer facility.  

The new blending system is a big improvement for farmers in the area bringing greater efficiencies in everything from more storage capacity, faster loading and receiving times, and superior customized blending abilities.

Lucknow Co-op's new Layco declining-weight blend fertilizer facility.

Allan Scott, Lucknow District Co-operative general manager says this type of facility is quite new to Ontario. “The blender operation is level to the ground making for a more efficient and economical operational flow, that will ultimately provide added value for our members,” says Scott.

The blending system is housed in a new 90’ x 140’ facility that can handle up to 11 products incorporated into one blend compared to only three products in a mix with the co-operative’s previous system. 

“Speed is a huge advantage,” says the co-operative’s agronomy manager Blair Morrison. “With our old system, we would blend about 350T a day, whereas with this facility, we are able to produce 120T per hour, giving us more time to be face-to-face with our customers.”

The site now has additional unloading points, and a new 90 ft. weigh platform making inbound and outbound flow more fluid, reducing wait times for trucks entering the yard.

Capturing the full expansion of Lucknow District Co-operative's growing operation.

Scott says he knew the co-op was on to bigger and better things when it bought 40 more acres of land two years ago, allowing for expansion and growth.

“And now that Lucknow Co-op is in its 70^th year of business, we are keen on honouring our past, but even more so, we are embracing the future for our farmer-owners,” says Scott.

Over 200 burgers served at open house event.

FS Success at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show

For those of you that came out to see us last week at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, thank you! 

This was our first time at the show in many years representing the whole FS Ontario Co-operative System. If you didn’t get a chance to drop by, here are a few photos that you might enjoy. A big thank you to all who helped out at the show!

Juli and Jeff set up Ontario map display

Mary gets ready to talk FS Agri-Finance

The team on day 1

Early morning anticipating a great day ahead!

Scott and Jim talk grain marketing

Michelle and UPI Energy team deliver Dieselex Gold tank

Buzzing with activity Day 1!

FS Co-ops display

FS Co-ops display 2

Bruce and Terry setting up

Taking a break with FS Interactive colouring book!

Dieselex Gold testimonials

After last night's rain, Janice & Juli are hoping sunshine is what's "Bringing you what's next"!

Kent and Jeff meet and greet our guests

Jeff with customer...where is your farm in Ontario?

Young ag leaders stop in to say hello!

Dennis chats with Huron County farmer.

Eric talks Grain Marketing Insight Program

Vicki demonstrates GLG mobile site

Jason greets our guests at the Agronomy station

Don and Devin review GLG Crop Assessment Tour results.


Hope to see you all again next year!

Co-operative roots grow deep in Dundalk

Steep in co-operative history,” is the best way to describe the community of Dundalk which is home to one of 10 branches of Huron Bay Co-operative.

New FS Dundalk crop centre 

I recently attended the grand opening of the co-op’s new crop centre in Dundalk with about 350 local supporters. “It is no wonder we had such a great turn out today,” said Dave Rogers branch manager. “There is a steep history here of co-op loyalty.” The co-operative has been a part of this region for 62 years and has a strong membership base with many multi-generational farms that have been a part of the co-op for a long time,” says Rogers.

Byron Monk, Huron Bay Co-operative president

I first got the chance to speak with the president of Huron Bay Co-operative Byron Monk, who has been a member of the co-op for 30 years. Not only was his dad, Orville Monk, on the United Co-operatives of Ontario (UCO) board in the early 80’s, but also his great grandfather Herman Monk was the president of the first co-op (North Brant 1) to join, what was then called, Farmer County Buying Clubs in the 1940’s.

I then chatted with Dale Pallister, past president of Dundalk Co-op and long-time member. He admits there have been ups and downs over the years, but when asked what kept him tied to the co-op during hard times he quickly replied, “If you don’t support your local community, it will starve!" He went on to say that it is not always about best price, but about the strong customer service and personal touch you get from your co-op. Pallister told me that his farm is now entering its seventh generation of family ownership.

During the day, staff cooked about 350 barbecue hamburgers and sausage-on-a-bun. The ribbon cutting ceremony was well attended and it was interesting, but not surprising, to hear from the mayor of the township, that he too, has co-operative roots that go back to when his father sat on the UCO board.

The new crop centre facility holds 2,000 metric tons of fertilizer compared to the old building that had a storage capacity of 350T. It now houses five, 200T bins and four, 250T bins compared to the previous building of five, 70T bins.

“The biggest impact for our members is the ability to have product on hand when needed,” says Rogers. “Not only do we now have six times more storage space, but we can now off-load product in half the time.” The facilities new ten-tonne vertical blender system replaces a four-tonne tub-blender.

During his comments at the grand opening ceremony, Byron Monk commended the employees of Huron Bay Co-op on their teamwork in getting this facility up and running for spring 2014. “It was imperative that we bring our farmer-members a more efficient system to accommodate the growing needs in this part of the province," said Monk. "And this spring, we did just that!"  

Ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 7 (L-R): Dave Rogers, Huron Bay Co-operative Dundalk branch manager; Brian Milne, mayor of the Township of Southgate; Bill Walker, MPP Grey/Bruce/Owen Sound; Byron Monk, Huron Bay Co-operative president; Jeff Hurst, Huron Bay Co-operative general manager and Jennifer MacDonald Huron Bay Co-operative crop specialist.

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-operative, County Farm Centre, FS PARTNERS, Huron Bay Co-operative, North Wellington Co-operative, Sunderland Co-operative, Thunder 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).

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 70^th 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.