A partnership with the local co-op can lead to mutual long-term success

Ask Brandon Wuethrich to name a trusted partner in his farming operation, and his local Ceres Solutions Cooperative is one of the first on his list.

Wuethrich’s operation, Top Notch Farms, located in Francesville, Indiana, includes brothers Chance and Dustin. They are the third generation to farm this ground, and the fourth generation joined the farm full-time last year. The operation centers on corn and soybeans but has branched into other businesses.

“We grow corn and soybeans, along with some silage and popcorn. We have several facilities that store and warehouse grains for some large companies, and we do long-term storage for some specialty crops. We also dry and store our own crops,” Brandon Wuethrich says. Chance heads that part of the business, along with much of the bookkeeping. Dustin oversees the farm’s manure operation. They work closely with a local dairy to apply nearly 60 million gallons of the dairy’s manure onto their farmland and adjoining ground. Brandon leads the production side of the farm. “We farm in three counties,” he says, “and we also have some ground that we custom farm.” 

All told, there’s a tremendous amount of time spent on the farm to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Ceres Solutions is a farmer-owned cooperative headquartered in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The co-op does business in energy, agronomy, seed, and animal nutrition products, and maintains 35 offices across northern Indiana and southern Michigan, with 750 employees servicing its members.

The Pleasant Ridge branch, located in Rensselaer, Indiana, is where Wuethrich first began his relationship with the co-op. “It has been a part of our operation for as long as I can remember,” he says. 

Joe Kosta, regional sales specialist with Ceres Solutions, is the main contact for Top Notch Farms, supported by team members in several locations throughout the area. “That’s the benefit of having multiple locations and service points,” Kosta says. “We can bring team members in to assist our customers throughout the year.”

As farm sizes have grown in the area, the co-op has adapted. “If a farmer needs a specific service or product, we can determine which office is the most convenient,” Kosta says. “We still can offer that localized service, but we can also pull in resources to ensure we are servicing all our customers in the fastest, most convenient manner.”

It’s a partnership

Both Kosta and Wuethrich view their relationship as a strong partnership. “I have worked with a lot of my customers for upwards of 25 years, and I know their operations inside and out,” Kosta says. “My goal, and the cooperative’s goal, is to help our customers be successful.   

“I work to be ahead of the curve and always work to get that extra bushel,” Kosta adds. “I treat every acre like I would treat my own farm, and if I don’t see a benefit, there’s no way I will recommend something for their operation.”

Wuethrich says he’s often approached by other agricultural service providers. “But when it comes down to it, my local Ceres cooperative provides the products and services we need,” he says. “Our cooperative has the people available to take care of us. That’s the biggest reason why we stay with our local cooperative.   

“We’re talking about three generations, going on four. And each generation has worked with our local cooperative,” Wuethrich says. “As new products are introduced, especially with new hybrids and varieties, we lean on our co-op to bring all the new information to the table, sit down with us, and help us make the best decisions to improve our bottom line. Farming would be much riskier if we were having to make all these decisions alone. Our co-op is always testing new products and helps us understand how these new products can bring value to our farm. Without the services of our cooperative, decision-making would be a shot in the dark.”    

As farms get larger, Kosta says the co-op’s role will be to continue to look for innovative ways to bring the best products and services. This includes not only the physical products but also the knowledge and expertise behind the products. “It’s finding whatever it takes to make sure we can service all our customers,” he says. 

That includes all operations within the service region. “We bring our services to farms of all sizes,” Kosta says. “It’s a matter of getting to know our customers, how they farm, and how we can best meet their needs.”

Communication is key

In 2020, the region saw its first incidences of tar spot in corn. “At that time, no one in the area really understood how bad of a disease it could be and how much of an impact it could have on the crop,” Wuethrich says. “We needed to know the products that worked, as well as when to apply and at what rates.”

Working with Kosta and Ceres Solutions, Wuethrich was able to devise a program for fungicide applications that provided the best results. “We also looked at our entire spray program,” Wuethrich says. In addition to fungicide, the spray mix began to include insecticide to protect the crop. “At one time, we wanted to save a penny, so we would spray our fungicide on and didn’t put insecticide in. Then, two weeks later, something would come into the area, and we’d have to pay for another flight to spray on insecticide. Now, we’re doing the insecticide plus the fungicide together in the same application, so it’s saving us a trip. We used information Ceres Solutions provided to help us devise our plan. That’s saving bushels and saving us money.”

That’s just one example of how consistent communication helps the relationship flourish. “We are always sharing information about the farm, and Ceres Solutions is able to provide us with information we use,” Wuethrich says. “At harvest, we’re always sharing information on the yields we are seeing, and they sit down with us to develop a plan for the next year. They help us place hybrids where they need to go. There’s no such thing as too much communication.”

As the farm grows, Wuethrich says Ceres Solutions will play an even more critical role. “We honestly cannot do this on our own. We are only as good as the people we work with, and we must work as a team to be successful,” he says. “By using our local cooperative, we are taking advantage of the knowledge and support that will help us to be strong and successful.”

Investing in the future

One important aspect of Ceres Solutions is its relationship with the community. “Our cooperative supports 4-H, FFA, and other youth organizations throughout the year,” Kosta says. “We want to grow the next set of leaders and get them to stay in our community. It’s no secret that the population of our rural communities is shrinking. We want to invest in those kids and show them that there is a future in our local communities, because we will need that leadership.”

Wuethrich says Ceres’ commitment to the community had a direct impact on his family. His children, who participated in youth ag programs, directly benefited from the co-op’s support of an international study program. “Ceres helped finance those trips, and those are experiences that my kids will never forget. It gave them a tremendous opportunity to broaden their horizons and bring that knowledge back to the farm,” he says.

Kosta sums it up like this: “We are still in the relationship business. If you aren’t taking care of your people, it really doesn’t matter the products you sell.”