Since 2008, we’ve designated at least one veteran scout on the Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour as a
Master Scout. It comes with a lot of hard work and sweat through many years of crop scouting on the
Tour. But it takes more than that. A Master Scout educates others and shares vast knowledge with scouts
to enhance their understanding of what we uncover in Corn Belt fields. —Chip Flory and Brian Grete
Richard Guse
The Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour is proud to welcome Richard Guse of Waseca, Minn., to a select group of Tour scouts that have been named Master Scout. Richard originally came on Crop Tour in 2006 because he
wanted to get a better understanding of crop potential outside of his farming operation in
south-central Minnesota.
He engages with scouts from many different walks of life, all of whom have an interest in agriculture but don’t always have the field-level knowledge of what they are seeing. Richard’s ability to educate scouts, whether from the investment world or another country, makes him a Master Scout.
“I never hesitate to put Richard in a vehicle that has inexperienced scouts because I know he will educate them on what they are seeing in fi elds,” Eastern Tour Director Brian Grete says. “If they have questions, he will give them a straightforward answer. His ability to explain sometimes complicated answers in an easy-to understand manner is well-received. Richard is one of my veteran scouts others most commonly ask to ride with during the Tour.”
For his 12 years of dedication to the Tour, and for all of the knowledge he has shared with hundreds of other crop scouts over the years, we are proud to name Richard to the ranks of Master Scout.
Denny Rollenhagen
The Tour struck gold when it tapped into a group of Minnesota farmers in the early 2000s. These scouts have proven to be valuable hosts to hundreds of rookie scouts.
They provide a wealth of information and perspective and are workhorses in the field. Denny Rollenhagen from Wells, Minn., is one of those gold nuggets. He’s a 13-year Tour veteran who has covered thousands of
miles and collected thousands of corn and soybean samples. He has traveled with the media and shared his observations on the Tour in front of packed meeting halls.
“Denny’s educational efforts have included scouts that don’t speak English on a dozen or more occasions,” Western Tour Director Chip Flory says. “We’ve paired Denny with these Tour members because he is one of the most patient and persistent educators we’ve got. He wants each scout to enjoy the Tour to the fullest and to wrap up the week with the information and crop perspective they seek.”
It takes commitment to the Tour to achieve Master Scout status. Denny has shown that commitment by hitting the road with us since 2005. He’s taking care of future Tours, too: Denny has introduced Wyatt, a second generation Rollenhagen, to the Tour.
For these reasons and many more, we are proud to welcome a much-deserving Denny to the ranks of Master Scout.
