CHARLESTON—On July 27, the Concept AgriTek team hosted more than 80 customers and dealers from around the world in a two-day event focused on helping farmers leverage agronomy, biology and chemistry to get the most from their soils and seed genetics.
Day one of the event aptly named, “Agronomy at Work”, kicked off and ended with tours of the 2023 facility expansion. Led by different members of the Concept AgriTek team, a message of advancement and enhanced service resounded.
“With the expansion we’ve worked to complete in 2023 we’ve increased both our manufacturing and storage capacity by more than 10x,” Mark Glastetter, Regional Sales Manager, told attendees in his group. “We’ve also streamlined loading and delivery with the addition of our delivery and loading site. We can handle around 60 trucks a day right now.”
Following lunch and farming fellowship, the group boarded buses bound for both corn and soybean fields to see Concept AgriTek products at work. The nearly 30-mile commute to the fields provided a glimpse of the drought challenges farmers in the Bootheel have faced throughout #Grow23 and offered the Concept AgriTek team an opportunity to share the importance of their proprietary technologies and grower-local trials.
“We have more than 100 plots in 2023 that are local to our customers. As an industry, we need better local data, and that’s what we are providing. Trials aren’t just about product performance, they’re about creating and providing options when and where you guys need them the most,” Director of Agronomy, Bert Riggan explained. “You saw on the way out here what kind of challenges farmers in this area have faced this year. You may be facing drought, too, or you may be in an area that got too much rain. We work on finding solutions that make a difference where our customers are.”
In addition to the Concept AgriTek proprietary technologies that backs every product that leaves the Charleston, MO production facility, the company also showcased their use of spray drones in managing plots.
Manned by Garrett Hensley, Research Agronomist, and Bree Burrow, a 2023 research and technology intern, Sweet Success, was applied at the soybean field while attendees looked on.
“This is our first year using a spray drone to apply our products to test plots and it has been a game changer,” Hensley shared. “We can make micro adjustments to prove how important the right nutrition at the right time is in foliar feeding plants.”
Day one wrapped with additional production facility tours, a “notes comparison” between attendees, and a positive 2024 outlook given by Concept AgriTek President, Daniel Hensley.
Day two offered the first annual Concept AgriTek golf tournament. Albeit hot, the day was filled with on-the-course farming talk, good food, and camaraderie.
“As we continue to grow here at Concept AgriTek, it’s important to us to never lose sight of why we do what we do,” said owner Trey Curtis. “We started this company to help farmers and we’re still committed to that mission. We’re adding to our team to make sure that we’re still able to provide customized solutions for the farmers we work with, expanding our facilities to ensure we have the production and storage capacity to meet their needs and growing our dealer network to make sure product is ready and available when they need it. I this these past two days were a great overview of where our commitments lie and what we’re doing to make sure we keep them!”
To learn more about Concept AgriTek and find a custom solution for your acres, visit www.conceptagritek.com
