Blog Archives
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Dispatches From the GEAPS Exchange
By Arlette Sambs - Wednesday February 27, 2013
GEAPS is, and rightfully so, proud of it’s 2013 Exchange in Louisville this week, pointing out that it’s the largest event ever. This is my 29th GEAPS. After 29 years we’re supposed to have earned and learned from great experiences, which gives us the right to provide a bit of perspective. Here’s mine: First, the industry always represents and reflects progress. Perhaps whether we like it or not. The mergers and consolidations we’ve all seen — from farms to feed mills to co-ops — bring some pain. But it also brings progress, builds scale and often improves our opportunity to innovate, to add services and continue growing. Second, highlighted by the attendance we’ve seen at many sessions here in Louisville, people... -
Time For A Break
By Arlette Sambs - Thursday December 20, 2012
A friend of mine can quote just about every line from “It’s a Wonderful Life” and, I think, give a full description of at least four versions of “A Christmas Carol.” While I can’t do that, I have to admit, I do enjoy this time of year. Yes, we’re tying up all the loose ends of one fiscal year and plunging ahead into the next. And we probably all look at our budget numbers, hoping that hard work, sweat, intelligence and a bit of fresh thinking make them achievable. But growing up on a farm, with all of the things that can and did go wrong, I always tried to look at the bright spots and always tried to figure out what the tough times taught us. One of the things I learned, after watching Mom and Dad work so hard for all... -
Biological Manufacturing?
By Arlette Sambs - Tuesday November 20, 2012
Last June at the IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Michael Boehlje , a well-known and well-respected ag economist from Purdue University. Dr. Boehlje, while well aware of today’s production agriculture, also looks into the future, focusing his work on strategic planning and thinking, particularly given the dynamic (turbulent?) business climate we all live and work in today. This month, I attended the Equipment Manufacturers Conference (EMC) in San Diego, CA, pulled together by the American Feed Industry Association . This group (which includes many of my customers — those who advertise to support Feed & Grain ’s media properties) represents the interests of equipment manufacturers who are... -
Save Time and Improve Value?
By Arlette Sambs - Tuesday November 13, 2012
I’ll say it right up front: If we lose your attention — we’re toast. No, I don’t think that’s likely, particularly since Feed & Grain has spent more than 50 years working to keep your attention, but if we don’t worry about losing you, then we’re not doing our job. And our job is to deliver information you need, want and value. That’s how we earn your attention. In today’s digital world, earning your attention becomes more and more complex — in a good way. Digital technology gives us the opportunity to help you save time and help us provide more value. We can target to you the information you need, delivered consistently or readily accessible. Less clutter and more value. There are some technologies that... -
Proudly Serving You
By Arlette Sambs - Thursday August 2, 2012
Last month I attended the 2012 IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference in Altoona, IA. The conference brought together the entire interconnected agriculture sector — including large grain and livestock producers — for three days of cutting-edge education, exhibits and networking. The opening presentation featured Kip Tom, managing member of Tom Farms LLC, based in Leesburg, IN. Tom Farms is a global production, sales and service operation, specializing in corn and soybeans, that operates over 16,000 acres in Indiana and another 4,000 acres in Argentina. Kip began by sharing a little about his family's farming background. Then he brought up an important concern he admitted to thinking about almost daily: the task of feeding 9.3... -
Technology Takeover
By Arlette Sambs - Thursday May 17, 2012
I recently attended my daughter’s FFA awards banquet at a local high school where she teaches agriculture. Like most kids, everyone of the students had their cell phones in their hands, typing away. After a failed attempt to get the kids to practice one more time before the event started, the teachers confiscated all of the phones from the kids on stage — and it was like taking one of their arms away to give them up. The awards ceremony went off without any interruptions, at least no one could be seen texting anyway. The reason I bring up this anecdote is because you see it happening everywhere. Everyone is always on their smart phone — from texting to talking with someone to browsing the Internet for “stuff” — what did we... -
Agribusiness Stresses Safety in Ag Classes
By Arlette Sambs - Tuesday May 1, 2012I recently read an article in the Janesville Gazette where a high school ag instructor was conducting a FFA farm safety class for her ag students. She had the local firefighters and EMTs, a local grain and feed elevator along with a helicopter company to demonstrate and train for farm accident rescues such as a grain bin extraction, auger entrapment an anhydrous ammonia leak and a tractor rollover. What a great idea — farm safety in the classroom! As I read the article, I also found it interesting that the FFA President was the son of the local grain company. This young man plans on majoring in agriculture management and business law at UW-Madison, and will eventually work in the family business. He has a special appreciation for...
