Preston, Idaho — Franklin County Grain Growers, operating here in its 81st year, expects to be modernizing its agronomy operation with the merger effective Jan. 1 with Rupert-based Valley Wide Cooperative. But the details on what’s upcoming are still in the making. “We really need some help to keep our agronomy operation going,” offered General Manager Steve Hinckley. “We see things that we would like to be able to do and we always say we’ll do it next year if we can get far enough ahead. But next year it’s always something else. The people at Valley Wide have enough backing that they see what needs to be done and they do it.” Hinckley said there are plans now for upgrading equipment for spreading and delivering the fertilizer. “We haven’t had spreaders for a few years, so we will have at least one truck available this spring. We’ll also be upgrading our mixer. Before spring I expect we’ll have a new mixer – won’t be a brand new one, but a real good upgrade. One that will have a scale so you can weigh how much of the different fertilizers that go in.” Hinckley didn’t know how old the present mixer is, but it appears to have been around for quite awhile. He explained, “It’s been a problem up to now using a skid loader and taking a bucket full and weighing it and then hoping that when you load their trucks with fertilizer carts you’re getting close to the same size bucket load each time.” Hinckley said plans are also to have a few more fertilizer carts that are in better shape, and possibly a liquid fertilizer spreader. But the fertilizer storage building that’s been in need of upgrading will have to wait perhaps until 2013.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain