This week, Regional Sales Manager Mark Bradke is in the host seat, visiting with Premier Cooperative’s Karlee Deitchler. The duo discusses the evolution of agricultural practices and the integration of advanced technologies in farming, each bringing their generational perspective to what’s happening in the industry and what the outcomes mean for farmers.
It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss, pairing a 40-plus-year career with a recent graduate who brings a lifetime of farming experience to Gen Z.
Where we’ve been and where we’re going in #AgTech
Mark Bradke starts the conversation by reflecting on his long career in agriculture and the technological advancements that have transformed farming practices. A key transition, one Bradke calls a “step change”, was the shift in soil sampling from composite samples to grid.
“I talk about step changes in agriculture, and there aren’t a lot of them, but the last step change that I feel like I went through was moving from composite sampling to grid sampling. And this (Taranis technology) feels a lot like that. We’re giving growers a better opportunity to understand what’s going on in their field and strengthening their relationship with their trusted advisors.”
A Gen Z Perspective
As a Crop Production Specialist for Premier Coop, Karlee Deitchler knows a thing or two about the importance of grower-advisor relationships and appreciates the technologies that help build and strengthen those relationships. Deitchler shares how Taranis has seamlessly integrated into Premier’s tech offering and what her lifelong farming experience means for that integration.
“I think the growers who I work with at Premier can relate to me, or I can relate to them,” she laughs, drawing on her time on the farm and ability to connect. “I know what they’re going through because my husband and I are going through it, too.”
She says that her age and background are a boon for the farmers she serves, helping them find the “tools” they can incorporate into their management practices to improve their bottom line at the end of the year.
“I am obviously a younger generation. I try to bring a lot more technology to the farmers I work with, which can be interesting because there are some who are against it. I try to share how and where it has its place,” she says.
Established in 1893, Premier is no stranger to adapting and evolving to fit the needs of the farmers it serves. In its 100+ years of operation, the company has seen significant changes both as a business and within the industry. Today, the cooperative realizes that meeting the needs of its agronomy team and the teams that support agronomy is paramount.
“Premier has been around a very long time and has gone through a lot of changes, but the changes we’ve made in the last couple of years, I think, are extremely important for the future. We put in a new fertilizer facility at our Lancaster location, and they’ve already broken ground on a facility at Cuba City,” Deitchler says. “Premier is always looking for ways to better the future.”
If you’re looking for a perspective, innovation, and “what’s next” from a company that has “been there for more than 100 years,” this is the AcreForward episode for you.
