Farmers are cautious people when it comes to change. But, for four wheat growers who sat on the farmer panel at the Indigo Wheat Solutions event, Aug. 28 and 29 in Dodge City and Wichita, Kansas, embracing change has been a positive experience they said.
The panelists included Doug Manhart, Grainfield; Doug Keesling, Chase; Todd Tobin, Iuka; and Aaron Dohm, Grainfield, Kansas. Both locations saw lively audience questions about the Indigo system following the panel discussion.
For Keesling, signing on with Indigo gave his wheat extra value because the company is able to pay him a premium for the quality he’s already producing.
“From my perspective, right now, everything is tough in agriculture,” Keesling said. “This is just one way to increase our revenue on a per-acre basis.”
Beyond the premium for his wheat is the added service Indigo writes into its contracts with growers, he added.
For example, Indigo provides agronomic help through its new microbial technology that can be applied to seeds for increased vigor in the field, as well as its staff agronomists who consult with farmers. Keesling said this past year was a rough one with drought all year long, but he noticed differences in the Indigo wheat versus the other wheat he grew.
“This year was an interesting year what with the drought and lack of rain all year long,” he said. “But I did notice that the Indigo wheat was greener through the winter, and it came up better with the little to no rainfall we got. It was able to cover the ground better and it had a yield bump, and that’s what puts money in my pocket.” Keesling also said he appreciated that the varieties he grew off of the approved list from Indigo are those that consumers demand and have quality traits millers and bakers desire. That yield bump benefits me, as well as the consumer, he said.
Overall, the farmer panel said that on the whole, the system has been good for their farms and their fields and they look forward to working with Indigo in the future.
Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached at 620-227-1807 or [email protected].
