Planting the seed

By Kathy Hanks, Freelance Writer for MKC
School funding cuts forced a McPherson teacher, Tiffany Pacey, to eliminate class field trips to the farm.

But, she still wanted to introduce her Eisenhower Elementary School kindergarten students to the world of agriculture and help them understand where their food came from.

So, she visited the Groveland branch of Mid Kansas Cooperative and brought back different grains to discuss with her curious students.

“I was flying by the seat of my pants,” Pacey admitted.

The path least traveled

As silly as this may sound coming from a guy who admittedly enjoys the warmth of spring sunshine, summer evenings and fall days, I love this time of year!  While this time of year used to be considered our “slow time”, it is when we essentially cram every kind of imaginable meeting into four months. 

The reason I love this time is that I actually look forward to the meetings. While I may dislike the travel and every minute being scheduled for the foreseeable future, the exchange of ideas with so many different people provides me with a way to challenge everything we know today.  This exchange allows for intelligence to be cumulative and not singular and it allows for an environment that fosters the innovation necessary for improved performance.   It is in this sharing of ideas and concepts, trials and errors, and successes and failures that we learn from each other. 

MKC to host blood drives

Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person like you who makes the choice to donate. There is no substitute for your donation. When you make a blood donation, you join a very select group.

According to the American Red Cross, currently only 3 out of every 100 people in America donate blood.

Meet the future of MKC!

Enjoy this video featuring pictures of MKC employees' children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
http://animoto.com/play/tmhB9Uc2ee3ymAIYZhq0kA

Tractor safety training offered

Reno County Extension is offering a tractor safety training course  scheduled for Saturday, April 14. 

According to U.S. Department of Labor requirements, anyone 14 years or older and who plans on doing farm work for someone other than a parent or legal guardian must complete a Tractor Safety Course. 

Anyone interested in taking the course should contact the Reno County Extension at 620-662-2371.  There is a $20 registration fee.  The clinic is scheduled to begin a 8:00 a.m. and will conclude at 4:00 p.m.

Making a difference

MKC employees take great pride in donating their time to communities.  MKC encourages their employes to help keep their communtiies strong by supporting organizations of their choosing.  Daniel Huls, II is just one of those many employees who volunteers to make a difference in his community.

Daniel is an elevator superintendent at Burns.  He is nearing the completion of his first two-year term as a city council member for the Burns community. Daniel became active within his hometown after a number of local residents encouraged him to do so.  Along with serving on the city council, Daniel volunteers his time helping to coordinate the city's annual car show.

"I got involved with the city council and the annual car show because it was a way for me to give back to the people of this community who saw a potential in me and helped buide me towards a better path for my life," stated Daniel.  "What I'm doing is rewarding and there's no better way for me to pay back those folks." 

Walton seed plant bulks up to meed demand

Larger and faster farming equipment means today’s producer farms at a much faster pace than he did twenty years ago.  To keep up with this pace MKC continually analyzes their facilities to ensure they have the speed and space to meet the needs of their customers. 

At MKC’s agronomy center in Walton, the need for more speed and space was especially true as the demand for bulk seed had increased two-fold resulting in an upgrade to the current system.   The recent installation of four bulk seed bins has doubled the center’s seed storage.