Season after season, growers work with the NEW Cooperative agronomy team, reviewing what worked, what needs to change and what the year’s goals are. Headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the co-op cultivates trust with its farmer-members because of the reliable recommendations the team provides.
“Time in the business, being family-oriented and of course, our members are the major reasons NEW Cooperative has been as successful as it has been,” said Agronomy Manager Shan Jaeschke, who has been with the co-op for 27 years. “Don’t get me wrong. We have a lot of stresses and items that we’re always trying to figure out. But overall, it’s just been a very enjoyable ride.”
Consistent service builds trust
Once employees join the NEW Cooperative team, they tend to stay for a while. Jaeschke is grateful for that because growers can develop trusting relationships with their representatives year after year. The co-op team members get to know where their customers’ fields are located, and become familiar with weeds, insects and disease pressure their growers are facing. The in-field knowledge helps them work with growers to adjust plans for the following season.
“We communicate with our farmer-members to determine their needs each season. We don’t assume we know; we work together,” Jaeschke said. “We offer the same products as other co-ops, but our people make all the difference. Those giving advice, making applications, hauling product — no matter the step in the process — our people are what separates us from the competition.”
Jaeschke explained the farmer-members rely on the NEW Cooperative team to spray herbicides, to spread fertilizer and lime, to scout and more. To be the most effective, cooperative representatives look at each farm operation individually and ask the growers what services they need from the co-op.
“We preplan in late summer, so we’re ready to go in early fall,” Jaeschke said. “We have an action plan that outlines which growers want us to make their herbicide applications, who needs technical information and who may need help calibrating equipment. This way, we’re not drinking from a firehose and trying to figure out what to do when growers need us the most.”
Plans made. Plans changed.
Although Jaeschke and his team work with growers to make the best laid plans, they know they must be agile — adjusting to changes in weather, equipment breakdowns and other unexpected challenges that may come their way.
“What we say we’re going to do, we do. What we say is going to happen, happens,” Jaeschke said. “And then Mother Nature throws 100 curveballs at us between now and next fall. So, we must be able to change on the fly, whether that’s an application, product or service.”
To navigate those changes, Jaeschke said, they always need to be communicating with growers. The agronomists have as many as 40 touch points with growers throughout the season to evaluate what’s happening in the field and how they may need to update plans.
Partnering with Corteva Agriscience
Not only is communicating with its farmer-members important but also working with manufacturers supplying the products growers want and need is imperative. NEW Cooperative puts a lot of trust in companies, such as Corteva Agriscience, to provide the product support needed to help growers succeed.
“A company that stands behind its products is very important,” Jaeschke said. “Knowing we have a reliable representative who will be there is No. 1 when partnering with other companies.”
Jaeschke said the second priority is consistency from the company, and No. 3 is product and overall portfolio knowledge that can help his team make the best recommendations for farmer-members.
History shapes the future at NEW Cooperative
Several years ago, NEW (which stands for Northeast Webster County) Cooperative began a scholarship program to encourage agriculture students to return to their rural communities. Jaeschke received the scholarship in 1995 and said it’s a privilege to continue serving the farmers in his hometown and surrounding areas.
“I have a great team of agronomists,” Jaeschke said. “We aren’t boastful, but we are very proud of where we’re at today. All of these qualities I’ve mentioned allows NEW Cooperative to remain nimble and always able to adapt quickly while offering the best service to our farmer-members.”
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