JAKE OLDENBURG, VP OPERATIONS
As we wrap up another season and look ahead to 2026, I want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding effort from our entire team this past year. Thank you to those who came in early, stayed late, stepped outside of their comfort zones, and worked together to take care of our customers. That kind of dedication was evident everywhere and I want to say thank you. What made it even more impressive was that you got the job done safely. We had very few accidents/injuries this year, and that reflects your awareness, discipline, and commitment to doing things the right way.
SAFETY FIRST AND ALWAYS
As both the Operations Manager and chair of the Safety Committee, safety remains a top priority. Our safety committee has been meeting regularly to establish goals for 2026, focused on further reducing injuries and incidents. These goals will be shared soon across all teams.
We’re also reviewing our training process for the year ahead. While the core of our training program will remain the same, you can expect some new delivery methods and fresh topics. The goal is to make training more challenging, informative, and even a little entertaining.
REVIEWING EQUIPMENT, SERVICES, AND FACILITIES
With the ag economy tightening, we’re doing a full review of our operations, from people to equipment to facilities, to evaluate what’s truly necessary moving forward.
Some examples:
- Sprayers: We’ve reduced our fleet back to a more efficient size. That means we need to be smarter with routing and make sure we have the right operators in the right seats.
- Drone Application: After some field experience last summer, we’re analyzing whether to continue offering this service and who we might partner with if we do.
- Strip-Till Equipment: We fell short of our targeted applied acres for this machine.. That needs to improve, from customer planning all the way through sales and operations. The sooner we start, the better chance we have to finish before winter. We are collaborating on ideas for this upcoming year.
- Facilities: On the agronomy side, we’ve made smart investments over the last 5–10 years and are in a good place to serve customers. On the energy side, we’re in the process of closing our second refined fuel plant, Corwith, due to low usage.
INCIDENTS, INVENTORY, AND COMPLIANCE
Our Incident Focus Group met in mid-January with a sharp focus on reducing incident claims, especially in our application services. We know that customers expect high-quality, nearly perfect service, and while perfection isn’t always possible, we can keep improving how we train, plan, and operate.
We’re also staying busy with compliance reporting:
Tier II hazardous chemical storage
Aboveground storage tank renewals
Pesticide and repack reporting
These might not be the most exciting tasks, but they’re critical to keeping us compliant and protecting our license to operate.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
As we move into the new year, I ask that everyone stays open-minded and flexible. We’ve made great strides in cross-department collaboration, and that’s something I want to continue building on.
We’ll keep focusing on:
- Reducing incidents (application-related or otherwise)
- Maintaining tight inventory control
- Preventing unnecessary write-downs or write-offs
Thank you all for the hard work, professionalism, and commitment you bring every day. Let’s keep that momentum going into 2026.