The Link - Spring 2024

SPRING 2024

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

p.06

2023 ANNUAL MEETING RECAP

p.10

TWIN BROOKS LOCATION JOINS AGTEGRA

p.12

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: RON WOLFF

Pictured: Last fall saw record-breaking harvest numbers across Agtegra territory, as can be depicted by the eight grain piles at Agtegra's Grebner location in November. Read more about highlights from last fall on pg. 4.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Rick Osterday | Java, SD

First Vice President

Heather Beaner | Mellette, SD

Second Vice President

Matt Johnson | Webster, SD

Secretary

Steve Halverson | Pierre, SD

Directors

Chad Boekelheide | Northville, SD

Glen Crawford | Aberdeen, SD

Joel Erickson | Langford, SD

Jay Esser | Redfield, SD

Chris Eymer | Reliance, SD

Wallace Knock | Willow Lake, SD

Jeff Lakner | Wessington, SD

Steve Pfeifer | McLaughlin, SD

Randy Sell | Oakes, ND

Kim Vanneman | Winner, SD

Andy Weisser | Roscoe, SD

Nonvoting Advisory Directors

Scott Baumiller | Hazelton, ND

Jordan Nitschke | Jud, ND

MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about Agtegra's governance, visit agtegra.com/ governance or scan the QR code below!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

03 MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP

04 A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

06 ANNUAL MEETING RECAP

10 TWIN BROOKS LOCATION JOINS AGTEGRA

12 EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: RON WOLFF

16 APPRECIATION NIGHT

17 AG CO-OP DAY AT THE SD CAPITOL

18 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: AG EDUCATION

20 DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT: JAY ESSER

21 KIDS' CORNER

22 NEWS BRIEFS

CONTACT US

605-225-5500 | www.agtegra.com

Copyright 2024 Agtegra Cooperative. All rights reserved.

Agtegra Cooperative is a local agricultural cooperative headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It is owned by over 6,700 farmers and ranchers, predominantly in North and South Dakota, with a network of over 70 locations and 850 employees.

FROM THE CEO

JASON KLOOTWYK - JASON.KLOOTWYK@AGTEGRA.COM

Hello!

We have been looking ahead to the spring season for quite some time! Agtegra had a tremendous harvest season for grain receipts and agronomy application. Our customers in many geographies had record yields, which translated into record receipts at many Agtegra locations. Our team stayed aggressive on sales, and we are confident in our ability to execute shipments and limit inventory risk for the substantial amount of grain that had to be piled. The mild fall weather allowed us to get ahead on fertilizer application, and we are in a great position as we head into spring planting.

Many of our facility improvement projects are either complete or well underway. Every business unit will benefit from the capital outlay to increase our speed and space. Additionally, we are already in the capital planning phase for next year, and we will continue to re-invest in our core assets to service our customer base.

Some of our larger agronomy asset improvements are underway but include scopes that will not be complete until spring of 2025 because of the size of the projects. These include significant blending tower and storage upgrades.

We also continue to work on strengthening our supply chain, and recently we were able to add the agronomy warehouse at Twin Brooks, South Dakota, to our list of locations. This will help service existing customers on our eastern boundary with better access to dry and liquid fertilizers, desired crop protection, and seed.

While investing in core assets will remain our primary focus, we still look to grow where it makes sense. Agtegra is seen as a viable partner for those that desire growth or partnership opportunities in energy, grain, feed, and agronomy. As inflationary expenses continue to ratchet up, we must continue to grow to maintain a strong and sustainable business model that can continue to service your farms and businesses.

Thank you for your business!

A bountifulHARVEST

Last fall, Agtegra received record volumes of both corn and soybeans, and because of the extra steps our team members took in receiving this crop by piling and protecting grain on the ground, we were able to keep our member-owners going throughout harvest. As of the end of February, many of these ground piles have already been picked up and shipped to market. Piling grain on the ground often raises quality concerns, but of the thousands of rail cars Agtegra has loaded since last fall, very few cars have produced a discount due to quality.

Another highlight from the fall included our soybean moisture program, which included no drying charges on new deliveries up to 15% moisture thanks to our export grain terminal partner on the west coast, EGT.

"We're proud of our many successes from this fall, from not plugging out a grain facility to our soybean moisture program and the hard work our team members did to take the grain in, protect it, and then ship it out," says Travis Antonsen, Agtegra Senior Vice President of Grain Marketing and Rail Logistics.

Operations Manager Cody Bonn directs the tarp unrolling process as the team prepares to tarp a soybean pile at Agtegra's Craven facility east of Ipswich.

An aerial view of the eight piles at Agtegra's Grebner facility on the east side of Aberdeen in November 2023.

A crew of maintenance, special operations and other employees tarp the soybean pile at the Craven facility.

An aerial view of Mellette's piles in November 2023.

ANNUAL2023MEETING

Agtegra Cooperative held its annual member meeting on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. Management and board leaders discussed the cooperative’s performance and the vision for future growth in addition to announcing the results of the 2023 director and delegate election. At the board meeting following the annual meeting, the Agtegra Board of Directors held its annual reorganization meeting and elected officers.

2023 FISCAL YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

$18.9 MILLION LOCAL INCOME

STRONG BALANCE SHEET

INCREASED EQUITY

DIRECTOR2023 ELECTION RESULTS

ELECTED DIRECTORS

ELECTED OFFICERS

APPOINTED NONVOTING ADVISORY DIRECTORS

Glen Crawford Aberdeen, SD District 1

Wallace Knock Willow Lake, SD District 2

Steve Halverson Pierre, SD District 3

Rick Osterday Java, SD District 4

Randy Sell Oakes, ND At-Large

Scott Baumiller Hazelton, ND District 4

Jordan Nitschke Jud, ND District 1

Rick Osterday Java, SD President

Heather Beaner Mellette, SD First Vice President

Matt Johnson Webster, SD Second Vice President

Steve Halverson Pierre, SD Secretary

DELEGATE2023 ELECTION RESULTS

1 DISTRICT

2 DISTRICT

3 DISTRICT

4 DISTRICT

Gaylon Anderson Aberdeen, SD

Kyle Anderson Verona, ND

Morgan Holler Pierpont, SD

Landon Kuecker Webster, SD

Jordan Nitschke Jud, ND

Brian Eckmann Cavour, SD

Steve Masat Redfield, SD

Matt Micheel Cavour, SD

Gordy Salmen Madison, SD

Ryan Zwart Colman, SD

Drew Diehm Presho, SD

Clay Fenenga Hamill, SD

Jeff Messmer Wessington Springs, SD

Katherine Porter Highmore, SD

Adam Schindler Reliance, SD

Nathan Davis Ipswich, SD

Brad Heyne Hosmer, SD

Thomas Schaefbauer Strasburg, ND

Gary Ternes Strasburg, ND

Caleb Wiest Herreid, SD

THANK YOU

2023 NONVOTING ADVISORY DIRECTORS

ABOUT NONVOTING ADVISORY DIRECTORS

Agtegra's Board of Directors may appoint up to two nonvoting advisory directors to serve a one-year term every year. The position helps provide members interested in serving on the board the unique opportunity to attend, observe and participate in board and committee meeting discussions.

RETIRING DIRECTOR

Matt Micheel Cavour, SD

Jeff Messmer Wessington Springs, SD

Quentin Larson Pollock, SD

Pictured: Board President Rick Osterday hands a thank you gift to Quentin Larson and his wife, Lori, at the 2023 annual meeting. Quentin served on the board for over 37 years.

AGTEGRA WEST-CON NEW BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

Effective November 13, 2023, Agtegra began leasing and operating Western Consolidated Cooperative’s (West-Con) agronomy warehouse near Twin Brooks, South Dakota, to better serve the needs of agronomy customers for both cooperatives. Additionally, Agtegra and West-Con have made arrangements allowing for the use of liquid fertilizer and crop protection storage.

“I'm excited to bring Agtegra products and services to the Twin Brooks area and be a part of a cooperative that values its local communities as much as Agtegra does."

- Jared Engebretson, Twin Brooks Location Manager

“Agtegra and West-Con are two strong, locally owned cooperatives, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with the West-Con management team and board on this venture.”

-Jason Klootwyk, Agtegra CEO

Pictured: Twin Brooks Location Manager Jared Engebretson welcomes community members to the Twin Brooks open house event in January.

Pictured: West-Con General Manager Paul Mattson and Agtegra CEO Jason Klootwyk

RON WOLFF

AGTEGRA EMPLOYEE BY DAY, SHEEP EXTRAORDINAIRE BY NIGHT

Drawings from his wife’s and daughter's daycare kids and pictures of his family’s national awardwinning sheep line the walls of Ron Wolff’s office. He can tell you a story about every single one of those pictures and drawings if you ask him, but when you get the answer, you will quickly learn that for Ron, agriculture, raising sheep and supporting the next generation are extremely important to him.

The Oakes assistant manager started his career with Agtegra Cooperative as an applicator in 2001. Over the last 24 years, he has transitioned from managing the Hecla Corn Receiving facility to his position today. To Ron, supporting the location is his top

priority, which has meant anything from renewing his applicator’s license and applying a couple thousand acres to filling in when dispatch has needed him.

“I do quite a bit of everything but nothing specifically,” Ron laughs.

“Quite a bit of everything” is no exaggeration.

Remember those sheep photos in his office? His family’s sheep flock adds another full-time “hobby,” as Ron puts it, to his life.

Ron and his wife of 40 years, Beth, operate Wolff’s Suffolks at their farm a few miles outside of Oakes. Their three adult daughters, Becca, Courtney and Tayler, have all been involved with the family’s sheep throughout their childhoods, with Tayler and Courtney currently investing in and assisting with daily operations of the flock themselves.

“It’s a pretty expensive hobby,” Ron laughs.

Ron has been involved in agriculture his whole life, having grown up on a farm and shown sheep and cattle in 4-H and FFA. His dad, having grown up with Suffolk and crossbred sheep, continued raising sheep while Ron was a young boy. As the years went on, the Suffolk breed soon became the only sheep in the flock.

Today, Wolff’s Suffolks maintains around 75 ewes year-round, with their best of the best hitting the show circuit.

Ron remembers the first time he sent a sheep to the North American International Livestock

Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Kentucky. NAILE is often considered one of the most prestigious livestock shows in the country.

“A guy from Illinois offered to buy one of our ewes at the South Dakota State Fair and take her to Louisville,” Ron reminisces. “I

can vividly remember sitting at the Hecla Corn Receiving Facility when I found out that she received reserve junior champion at the show.”

That ewe was only the beginning of a long line of success for Wolff’s Suffolks. The following year, the ewe’s full brother received national junior champion buck. Ron soon began taking more sheep to Louisville and other shows across the country. His goal, especially on the national level, remained consistent: make the top five in each class.

“Judges only talk about the top five over the microphone, and I wanted our sheep to get talked about,” says Ron. “People start noticing your sheep after that.”

At the 2021 NAILE, Wolff’s Suffolks received Champion Suffolk Pair of Ewe Lambs. This same pair of ewes went on to show at the 2022 event where they each won their respective classes and received the 2022 Champion Suffolk Pair of

Pictured: Ron Wolff sits at his desk in Oakes, surrounded by photos of his national award-winning sheep and drawings from his wife and daughter's daycare kids on his desk.

Pictured: Wolff's Suffolks' 2022 National Champion Fitted Ewe at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.

Yearling Ewes award. Ron cannot recall any other pair of ewes that have ever accomplished both awards like those two did.

But that is not the only award the 2022 NAILE brought for the Wolffs. In addition to exhibiting the Champion Fitted Suffolk Ewe with a ewe they raised, they were named Premier Exhibitor.

“That year was truly the culmination of everything for us,” says Ron.

NAILE is not the only show that the Wolff family has a long history of attending and succeeding at. Ron notes that he has been showing at the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen, South Dakota, for over 40 years, having hardly missed a year over those four decades.

“I have been showing sheep at the Brown County Fair since the time when the sheep were housed in the current beef barn,” Ron says.

Those who have walked by the open class sheep barn on Saturday afternoon of the Brown County Fair have likely heard Ron’s voice on

"I have had the pleasure of getting to know Ron over the past several years, and a few words come to mind when I think of him: integrity, leadership and hardworking. Ron has earned the respect of his colleagues and the community by paying homage to generations before him, all while leading and guiding the next generations. Ron has dedicated his life to agriculture and has passed that passion down to his own children and many other lives that he has touched."

- Lee Bohling, Agtegra Oakes Location Manager

a microphone a time or two before. Ron has been the announcer for the Brown County Lords and Ladies Lead for – in Ron’s words – forever.

Lords and Ladies Lead, otherwise known as “lamb lead” at many fairs, displays and promotes the sheep and wool industry. Contestants, who range in age from youth to adult, are evaluated on their wool-based outfit and the presentation of their sheep. During the contest, Ron reads a script that describes the contestant’s outfit and their sheep to the audience.

“Apparently I’m halfway entertaining, because they keep asking me back!” Ron says. “I can’t dress myself real well, but when you’re a house with only one male, you don’t dress yourself often.”

In addition to the Brown County Fair, Ron announces the lamb lead contest at both the North and South Dakota State Fairs.

Ron’s support of youth involvement in the sheep industry and agriculture in general can also be easily demonstrated by the daycare kids’ drawings hung up in his office. His wife’s and daughter’s daycare kids come out to see the sheep quite often, and he enjoys being able to teach them about the industry. Off the farm, Ron has been supporting 4-H and FFA programs for decades, having been a 4-H leader for over 20 years, receiving honorary chapter FFA degrees from two different high schools and supporting youth and collegiate livestock judging teams.

Supporting youth in the sheep industry was the main purpose in establishing Wollf’s Suffolks Annual Production Sale, which is held at their farm the last Sunday of April every year. The family will celebrate their 20th sale in 2024.

Ron carries the same pride he has in his sheep flock to his job at Agtegra and the relationships he has with customers.

“I treat their fields like my own – I take a lot of pride in taking care of our customers and their fields,” says Ron.

The cooperative system is something that Ron strongly values, providing him with a

personal sense of responsibility to serve customers well.

“I don’t just put in hours; I have a responsibility to show up for our customers because what they do depends on us. We are making a difference on our farmers and the lives of those in our communities,” says Ron.

Whether it be building relationships with customers at Agtegra or Wolff’s Suffolks, Ron will always value the opportunities that both have provided him.

A niche market

While some producers may sell their castrated male lambs at the sale barn, the family has pivoted to selling lamb meat direct to consumers.

“People want to buy locally sourced meat,” says Ron. “After we officially got our license to sell, we’ve been selling cuts of fresh/frozen lamb meat at the Red River Market in Fargo for seven years and even have restaurants who will buy our ground lamb from us for their dishes.”

Pictured: The Wolff Family (l to r): Courtney, Tayler, Beth and Ron Wolff and Becca and Jeremy Tullar

Pictured: Wolff's Suffolks booth at the Red River Market this fall.

Agtegra offers full-service solutions for your whole farmeverything from ear tags to fertilizer! As a member-owner of a local cooperative, taking advantage of the comprehensive portfolio Agtegra has to offer benefits your farm, Agtegra and the community you live in. We’re celebrating our employees and member-owners who support Agtegra’s whole offering with a summer concert.

HOW MEMBERS CAN EARN CONCERT TICKETS:

Purchase or sell a minimum of $5,000 in at least 4 categories to receive:

4 categories = 2 tickets

5 categories = 4 tickets

6 categories = 6 tickets

7 categories = 8 tickets and 2 VIP passes

8 categories = 10 tickets and 4 VIP passes

WWW.AGTEGRA.COM/APPRECIATION-EVENT

Qualifying purchase dates: August 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. Performance will be held August 3, 2024 at the State Fairgrounds in Huron, SD. Thank you to our business partners for helping to support this event!

Fertilizer

Crop Protection Seed Custom Application

Ag Tech & Innovation Center Grain Energy, Truck & Auto

Feed & Farm Supply

AG CO-OP DAY at the Capitol

Agtegra representatives participated in "Ag Co-op Day at the Capitol" on January 31 in Pierre, South Dakota.

"Cooperative leaders participated in committee hearings and updates from SD Public Utilities Commission and SD Dept. of Ag and Natural Resources, seeing first-hand how the process works. Attendees were able to connect with legislators as they served lunch, were introduced on the Senate and House floors and had their picture taken with the Governor and Lt. Governor. Our legislative body has fewer individuals who are closely tied to agriculture, so it is important that agriculture engage in the legislative process every chance we get. Ag Co-op Day is one of those," Brenda Forman, Executive Director of the South Dakota Association of Cooperatives, said.

"Several directors and staff were at the Capitol to build relationships and inform legislators about our purpose and how vital Agtegra Cooperative is to South Dakota agriculture."

- Kim Vanneman, Agtegra Director

Agtegra also hosted an Agtegra Legislative Dinner on the evening of January 30, which provided the opportunity for Agtegra delegates, directors and employees to connect with state legislators.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT

Agricultural Education

At Agtegra, agriculture is at the core of everything we do. Promoting and enhancing agricultural education opportunities is critical to the success of our communities. We are committed to the development of our future workforce and future farmers/ranchers.

Blue Jackets Bright Futures Program

The Blue Jackets Bright Futures program provides jackets to FFA members at no cost to them. The iconic blue jacket is considered part of members' "official dress," which is often worn at conventions and large contests. Both the South and North Dakota FFA Foundations use this program to award jackets to members who apply for the program and as an avenue for donors to sponsor an FFA member's jacket.

"The Blue Jacket Bright Futures program offers FFA members throughout the state to receive their own jacket. It symbolizes more than just a piece of clothing; it signifies belonging, pride, and the journey towards personal and professional growth for our members. These jackets become a tangible representation of our dedication to agriculture, leadership, and community service, serving as a constant reminder of the values we uphold as part of the FFA family. We are grateful to Agtegra for their unwavering support, which enables us to continue empowering the future leaders of agriculture."

- Beth Allen, North Dakota FFA Foundation Executive Director

4-H Programs

Agtegra supports 4-H programs in both North and South Dakota every year. Made possible by a match program, the Land O'Lakes Foundation doubles each of Agtegra's donations to generate a greater impact on each program. Last year, Agtegra was able to impact the 153 4-H clubs within its trade territory. Because each county's program is different from the next, each one can utilize the resources in ways that will best benefit the youth that it serves.

"Brown County 4-H has a commitment to providing opportunities for our members to grow skills needed to be productive members of their community. We are not able to make this happen without the support of community businesses like Agtegra. With Agtegra’s support, we can recognize and award our members for their hard work, make improvements in the areas we host our events in, and provide opportunities for our members to grow their skills."

- Becca Tullar, SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Program Advisor - Brown County

South Dakota State Fair Farm to Home Exhibit

Located in the FFA Ag Adventure Center at the South Dakota State Fair, the Agtegra Farm to Home exhibit was started in 2020 with the purpose of showcasing modern agricultural practices, communicating commitment to natural resources and demonstrating wholesome and safe food production practices. Each year, new educational pieces are added to the exhibit to enhance the learning opportunities available for youth and adults alike.

From a refrigerator and pantry shelves that provide facts about food to a grocery scanner that notes the agricultural products found in each household item, the exhibit's engaging activities draw visitors in to learn more about the agriculture industry.

"The Farm to Home exhibit helps the FFA members who are working at the Ag Adventure Center start conversations and empower consumers to value today’s agriculture. We greatly appreciate Agtegra's investment in making the exhibit possible and helping us add new things each year!"

-

Gerri

Eide, South Dakota FFA Foundation Executive Director

DIRECTOR JAY ESSER Spotlight

Jay

Esser is co-owner and operator of Esser Farms Inc., his family’s farm that has been in operation since 1932. Jay earned his business degree from the University of South Dakota in 1990 with an emphasis in economics. Upon graduating, Jay returned to the farm to join his dad, Ron, uncle, Charles, and cousin, Dan. When Jay’s dad and uncle retired in the early 2000s, Dan and Jay took over the farm and have farmed together ever since. Recently, Dan’s son, Nick, and Jay’s daughter, Alexis, have come back to help on the farm. Today, their diversified farm consists of growing corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa and finishing fat cattle.

Jay has been involved with the governance of a cooperative since 2010 when he first became a delegate for North Central

Farmers Elevator. In 2020, Jay was selected as one of Agtegra Cooperative’s first nonvoting advisory directors. In 2022, he was elected to the Board of Directors to represent District 2.

Jay is currently completing his 12th and final year as a Director at Redfield Energy and is an Ethanol Action Team member for the National Corn Growers Association. He has also served as a member of the Redfield School Board.

Jay currently serves on Agtegra’s finance committee. His involvement on this committee makes him proud of the financing programs Agtegra has to offer.

“I’m a numbers person,” says Jay. “I like understanding and seeing the dollars and cents of the decisions made as part of the board and assist in making decisions to benefit the people of the co-op.”

I love being part of the decision-making process. I like to ask questions and formulate opinions on topics specific to Agtegra. I want to be a part of a cooperative that is progressive for current and future members.

Above: Jay and his daughter, Alexis, work cattle at their farm near Redfield, SD. Right: Jay's daughters Alexis, Olivia, Elizabeth and Ashley with Jay.

Let's go on a SCAVENGER HUNT

Agriculture is everywhere - even in your own house! Many materials that you or your family use every day come from a farm or ranch. With the help of a parent, can you find all of these items in your house? Learn more about what agricultural product they came from while you explore!

can be made from the sugar in sugar beets

socks can be made from fabrics such as the wool from sheep

paintbrush can be made from pig hair

crayon can be made from soybeans

football can be made from cowhide

bread can be made from wheat

pillow can be filled with materials such as chicken feathers

toothpaste can be made from corn

soap can be made from animal fat

Kristi Johnson Named Chief Human Resources Officer

Kristi Johnson joined Agtegra Cooperative in December 2023 as Chief Human Resources Officer. In her role, Kristi is responsible for providing leadership and strategy across the organization as it pertains to employees, including talent acquisition/recruitment, the employee value proposition, employee engagement, performance management, employee programs, policies & procedures, legal compliance, training and development, payroll and benefits.

“We are very excited for the skillset that Kristi brings to Agtegra,” says Agtegra CEO Jason Klootwyk. “Our need for engaged employees continues to grow, and I look forward to Kristi helping lead us in that effort."

Bringing over 30 years of human resources experience to Agtegra, Kristi has served in various roles within the areas of employee relations, talent acquisition and recruitment, compensation and benefits, compliance and employee development and training for companies such as Black Hills Energy, Midco, Great Western Bank and POET. Over the course of her career, Kristi has revamped talent acquisition processes and programs to develop internal talent and attract strong external candidates in addition to creating and developing highly functional and strategic human resources teams and establishing policies, procedures and programs that attract and retain talent.

Kristi currently holds certifications from the Society of Human Resource Management as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) and has served as a board member for Dress for Success Black Hills and the Southeast Society of Human Resources.

Having grown up on a farm near Flandreau, South Dakota, Kristi graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

“I was attracted to Agtegra because of the mission and vision of the company and character of the team. I’m proud to work for an organization where employees live the values daily and where serving the communities and customers are top priority.”

- Kristi Johnson

Pictured: Kristi's daughter, Jamie, son, Dustin, husband, Brian, and Kristi

JVG & Agtegra Grow Footprint in ND

Agtegra Cooperative has entered into an agreement to pursue the acquisition of the shuttle loading facility from Columbia Grain International at Oakes, North Dakota. This acquisition is being done on behalf of our joint venture partners at James Valley Grain. The location will be owned and operated by James Valley Grain.

James Valley Grain is a joint venture between Agtegra Cooperative and Norway Spur Cooperative and has been in operation since 2001. JVG operates grain locations at Oakes, Verona and Berlin, North Dakota. Agtegra is the majority owner of JVG.

Agtegra continues to support North Dakota farmers through partnerships and existing locations and looks forward to continued success in the region.

Leaving a Legacy: Dr. Matt Owens

In the winter / spring of 2022, approximately 100 Agtegra employees had the opportunity to participate in a pilot training class coined ‘Dakota Responder’. The program was created because of a collaboration between Dr. Matt Owens of Redfield Community Memorial Hospital, Agtegra, and the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in response to a study conducted in 2015 in which Department of Health data indicated that one-third of EMTs were unable to respond to an emergency in an appropriate time frame. Agtegra was chosen as a partner due to the large footprint in eastern South Dakota where employees are well-positioned to provide lifesaving care until EMS personnel can arrive. Employees were trained in ‘Stop the Bleed’, administering Narcan®, and automated external defibrillators (AED) operation. Each trained Agtegra employee was provided with a “ditch kit,” which provides them with the life-saving tools they need in case they encounter an emergency, including a CPR face mask, a tourniquet and additional supplies to apply basic first aid.

In November 2023, Dr. Owens passed away, leaving a great legacy for his efforts in training individuals in early response techniques in rural areas and bringing awareness to the need for additional EMS resources in rural communities. One of Dr. Owens’ final offerings to Agtegra was the donation of 80 ditch kits from funding he received as the recipient of the COPIC Humanitarian Award honoring a physician for volunteer medical services and contributions to their community. This allowed Agtegra to do something for our farmers that nobody else can do, and for that, we’re forever grateful.

Custom built planters for Agtegra farmers.

Every ARx Planter is unique to each farmer and their operation. Starting with the bare planter bar, Agtegra Innovation Center specialists work with you to custom design and build your planter. Every component decision is yours to make!

We partner with brands like Harvest International®, Precision Planting® and Yetter® and even manufacture components in-house. Planters are then assembled right here in Agtegra territory at your local Innovation Center. Build your ARx Planter before Spring 2024 for the best season yet!

908 Lamont Street South Aberdeen, SD 57401