FEBRUARY 26, 2022
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VISION NEWSLETTER IN THIS ISSUE AG VALLEY VISITS NORTON FFA CLASSROOM FROM JEFF'S DESK WORK ANNIVERSARIES SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES PRODUCER SUMMIT
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Ag Valley visits Norton FFA for a classroom visit Haley Ehrke, Public Relations Director, visited the Norton FFA Chapter to discuss what Ag Valley Co-op is and what she does in her job. Haley discussed what a brand is, how to market a product, and the importance of marketing.
FEBRUARY 26, 2022
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From the CEO, Jeff Krejdl As I am writing this, we are all watching the events unfolding in Ukraine with fascination. From a humanitarian standpoint, it is tragic as I’m sure the loss of life will be tremendous, and we certainly feel for the citizens of Ukraine. From a market standpoint, the Ukraine conflict will cause yet more disruptions. The leaders of the business units within Ag Valley Coop are all watching their respective markets very closely. They will do their best to minimize the impacts of those disruptions in your operations. I know I have mentioned this before, but that is one of the significant benefits of being part of the cooperative system. We will have the products and services available for you in uncertain times, assuming the risk in these volatile market situations. That allows you to concentrate on managing and operating your farms. Over the next few months, your cooperative will be focusing on several different initiatives. First, we will be working on our human capital strategies. Having enough labor continues to be a problem for Ag Valley, much like it is for your operations. There are no easy answers, but we will be working on programs designed to retain the talent that we have today and recruit the quality talent necessary to ensure Ag Valley Co-op can meet your needs in the future. Secondly, we will be focusing on education. Ag Valley Cooperative was started in 1953 and has a tremendous story that needs to be told. The cooperative system is an integral part of the marketplace, and there is a reason that both local and regional cooperatives exist today. Over the next several months, I will be talking about the seven cooperative principles and why they are an essential part of the foundation of the cooperative system and, more specifically, your local cooperative. Infrastructure is the third initiative that we will be focusing on. We know that we need to continue improving our facilities and equipment to keep up with the advancing technologies you are implementing into your operations. In closing, I again want to say thank you for your business. We know that we would not exist without you and your business, and the rest of the employees of Ag Valley Co-op and I are thankful that you allow us to assist you with your farming operations. Our goal every day is to help make your operation run smoother. I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you, so please give me a call or stop in Edison and let me know what we can do to help make that happen.
Jeff Krejdl
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF A COOPERATIVE 1. Open and Voluntary Membership 5. Education, Training, and 2. Democratic Member Control Information 3. Members' Economic Participation 6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives 4. Autonomy and Independence 7. Concern for the Community
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FEBRUARY 26, 2022
Congratulations to our employees who are celebrating work anniversaries in February! Billy Abbott, Edison Station, 6 years Paul Becker, Norton Agronomy, 6 years Frank Duckworth, Maywood Feed, 16 years Rochelle Ehlers, Maywood Admin, 11 years Michelle Haag, Oxford Ampride, 19 years Rikki Luce, North Platte Grain, 3 years Cindy Schluckebier, Indianola C-Store, 9 years
Scholarship Opportunities
Ag Valley Co-op Scholarship Ag Valley Co-op is proud to offer scholarships to high school seniors who are pursuing higher education. Applications can be found at agvalley.com/scholorships or by contacting Nikki at 308-927-3681.
Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation Scholarships The Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation (NCCEF) will provide 11 scholarships totaling $31,000 for the 2022/23 academic year to students at the University of NebraskaLincoln (UNL) College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR), the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis, and the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK). The NCCEF scholarship program includes seven $3,000 scholarships at UNL in honor of Michael S. Turner–one to a freshman and the balance to upperclassmen–majoring in Agribusiness or Agricultural Economics and one $3,000 scholarship at UNL in honor of Robert C. Andersen to an upperclassman majoring in Agribusiness or Agricultural Economics and two $2,000 scholarships at NCTA in honor of Michael S. Turner to students majoring in Agribusiness or Ag Production Systems and one $3,000 scholarship at UNK in honor of Michael S. Turner to an upperclass student majoring in Agribusiness The scholarship program was initiated with the 1993/94 academic year as an important addition to the Council's youth education efforts. Since that time, 220 scholarships totaling $282,600 have been provided to students. Scholarship committees at UNL, NCTA, and UNK make the selection of recipients based on criteria established for each scholarship. The Foundation only verifies local cooperative affiliation and Council membership requirements. Individuals will need to complete an online application form and submit it electronically to UNL, NCTA, or UNK by April 15, 2022. The link for students to complete/submit an application can be found in our website at http://www.nebr.coop/foundation/scholarships.
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FEBRUARY 26, 2022
Ag Valley Co-op Producer Summit Ag Valley Co-op hosted the first annual Producer Summit in McCook, NE, at the Red Willow Fair Grounds on February 16th. Producers had the opportunity to listen to featured speakers: Steve Cubbage, Farmobile - Carbon Credit Industry Expert, Al Dutcher, UNL Extension - Climatologist, Cheryl Karguth, StoneX, Energy Expert, Josh Linville, StoneX, Fertilizer Expert, Jim Warren, CHS Hedging, Commodity Expert. Thank you to the producers that were able to attend. We look forward to seeing you at next years' Producer Summit.
Top Left to Right: Jeff Krejdl gives the Welcome. Steve Cubbage gives his presentation about Carbon Credits. Bottom Left to Right: Al Dutcher presents on weather patterns. Lacey Parsons with Bushel shows a producer how to use the Ag Valley Co-op app.