>>> “They’re as much partners as customers.” – Tim Diemert, CEO, Wisconsin River Co-op Heartland bases a signifi cant amount of its nutrient decisions on the petiole leaf samples taken four times during the growing season. “That way we can spoon-feed fertilizer — N, P and K, plus zinc, manganese or other nutrients — where needed,” Farm Manager Knights says. “It’s all recorded in our proprietary software database.” Potatoes are nutrient guzzlers, requiring more fertilizer three to fi ve times a year. Part is applied as dry product, the rest is liquid and fed through irrigation systems. Crop protectants are applied using ground and aerial spraying, depending on the urgency and time of year. Other management programs get the same kind of detailed attention. “We get aerial photos of every fi eld to check irrigation coverage. If a nozzle is plugged or there are problems like skipped rows from a plugged planter, it will show up quickly,” Jeremie says. “We’ve been doing that for more than 20 years. We even have one of our farm managers in the plane to visually inspect fi elds.” Adams because they can handle our needs. We have good synergy with the co-op and, partly because of us, they’re able to purchase larger supplies at bigger discounts, which helps us, too.” Heartland not only buys diesel, gas, propane and fertilizer from the co-op, but also uses the co-op team to apply crop protection products when farm staff can’t do it fast enough with its own equipment. Often that means applying during the night. “We’re in constant contact with Heartland personnel on crop protection and fertilizer recommendations,” says Tim Diemert, CEO of Wisconsin River Co-op. “We even adjust our •• SEE MORE •• Find more photos at chsinc.com/c. Production Partners On average, Heartland buys 10,000 tons of fertilizer a year to keep its potatoes growing at their peak. “We know we’re a demanding customer, so it’s important for us to have a good working relationship with our suppliers,” Dick says. “We’ve developed a long-term partnership with Wisconsin River Co-op at “We’re in constant contact with Heartland personnel on crop protection and fertilizer recommendations,” says Tim Diemert, Wisconsin River Co-op CEO. 24 March/April 2012 CHSINC.COM