2011 September/October Issue - Land O'Lakes Inc.

agronomists and crop growers are ableto decide what product to apply whereand when by taking into considerationthe presence of pests, product performanceand return on investment for thecrop grower.Most recently, United Cooperativeis taking advantage of the WinfieldSolutions R7® Placement Strategy tool,which precisely matches crop inputs withfield conditions, helping us reach evenhigher levels of precision.Even early in the planning and buildingstages of additions at the cooperative,sustainability and environmentalsafety are always a priority. UnitedCooperative’s facilities and operationshave been built and managed to greatlyreduce our environmental footprint.Concrete containment pads and dikes,double-wall tanks, covered load-out facilities,pavement to improve dust control,container recycling, and grain dustcontrol all work together to make our locationsenvironmentally friendly.Today, all involved in production agriculturehave learned what is needed tobe good stewards of the land, and thisEnvironmental RespectAward WinnersIn total, three Land O’Lakes co-op memberswere recognized by the AgriculturalRetailers Association (ARA) as statewinners of the Environmental RespectAward. The following member co-opsreceived the state award:• Ceres Solutions LLP – Rockville,Indiana• Wheat Growers –Aberdeen,South Dakota• United Cooperative – Beaver Dam,WisconsinUnited Cooperative’s South Beaver Dam, Wis., location features state-of-the-art grain, agronomy andmaintenance facilities and equipment.continues to improve. Basic suppliersof agricultural inputs, distributors, agriculturalretailers, cooperatives and,most importantly, crop growers have allEven early in the planning andbuilding stages of additions atthe cooperative, sustainabilityand environmental safety arealways a priority.made huge progress in the last 30-plusyears. We need to continue this journeyso that future generations will continueto benefit.Each step of production agriculture hasnow been reviewed and redesigned to efficientlyimprove stewardship of the land,and cooperative leaders need to continueto implement these practices. Yesterday’sapplication rate of gallons per acre hasbeen replaced with ounces per acre. Cropnutrient manufacturers have evolvedtheir products to include additives thatreduce the potential of denitrificationand leaching of nitrogen. This assurescrop growers their product stays availableto the crop, helps water quality andreduces nitrous oxide emissions.I am excited about the future of agriculture.As crop production technology continuesto improve, our agronomists willbe able to expand the use of sustainabilitypractices with our customers, allowingtheir crop land to produce food for futuregenerations and to become more and moreefficient in doing so. !David has served aspresident and chiefexecutive officer forUnited Cooperative,based in Beaver Dam,Wis., since 1984, andUnited Ethanol, Milton,Wis., since its inception.Under his leadership, United Cooperativehas grown aggressively, with revenues of$7.2 million in 1984 to more than $325 millionin 2010. He has led United Cooperativethrough multiple mergers, acquisitions andconstruction projects over the past 27 years.www.landolakesinc.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 17