2017 May Newsletter

2017 May Newsletter


2017 Mid-Year Meeting

Are You Ready for the Mid-Year Meeting?

By Kristin Nottingham, Software Solutions Integrated, LLC

We are closing in on one month until the Mid-Year Meeting, and we hope you can attend! Here is a checklist to make sure you are ready for Altoona, IA.

  • Register for the meeting! Registration is only $150.00 for both members and non-members. 
  • Check out the Mid-Year Meeting schedule, and plan your week. Whether you are enjoying the company of AgGateway members in team meetings or checking out the sights near Des Moines, we want to ensure you are enjoying your stay.
  • Book your hotel arrangements at Prairie Meadows before May 22nd to ensure you receive the discounted group rate of $107 per night.  > Read more...

eConnectivity Benefits

A Message to Share with Ag Retailers, Manufacturers and Distributors

By Brent Kemp, AgGateway Executive Vice President and COO

It's a new spring season - crop nutrient, crop protection and seed products are being applied. Now is the time to think about year-end reporting! If your company or your trading partners aren’t connected for ease of year-end reporting – share this message with them now:

More and more companies are moving to standardized electronic reporting, which allows seamless, electronic exchange of data. This saves time, boosts your efficiencies and inventory control, and enhances customer service.

Imagine having a process and standard reporting format in place that will:
  • Meet supplier's requirements and support your business and your customers.
  • Accommodate customer changes before the year-end reconciliation.
  • Allow you to fix just a few stray exceptions at the end of the season instead of spending long days reviewing errors past the deadline.

Some Ag Retailers are already realizing these benefits by using AgGateway's Ag Industry Identification System (AGIIS). Companies throughout the industry use the AGIIS directory to uniquely identify farmers, businesses, drop points, rail locations and more. These identifiers are standard in the industry - they are accepted by most chemical and seed manufacturers, fertilizer manufacturers, distributors and service providers. > Read more...

Member Services

Reliable Resources

By Chris Crutchfield, AgGateway

About seven months ago, both of my boys moved out of the house and got an apartment together. So far, so good. No one has moved back home! Because they took their furniture with them, we were left with two empty, extremely disgusting, bedrooms that needed a ton of TLC and all new furniture. After some scrubbing, spackling and paint, we headed to Ikea.

If you’ve ever built your own furniture from a box, you understand how time consuming and frustrating it can be, especially when the instruction manual is difficult to follow. Such was my case. But, at the height of my frustration, I remembered that some folks are kind enough to post “How To” videos on just about everything, and I could find a You-Tube tutorial showing how to assemble the same exact dresser. The gentleman in the video obviously experienced the same confusion and published this video so others would not have to go through the same pain. This tutorial was a life saver, and it saved me a lot of time and heartache. > Read more...

eConnectivity Orientation

Good Steps to Getting Connected

By Susan Ruland, AgGateway Communications Director

Just a reminder: There’s a wealth of information on the “Get Connected” section of the AgGateway website. One section is called “Getting Started”  and it includes these helpful orientation tips:

  1. As a first step in getting connected, for AgGateway members and those still considering membership, take AgGateway’s eConnectivity Readiness Survey. Submit your completed survey to Member Services (Member.Services@AgGateway.org), and we’ll contact you to develop a plan of action that’s tailored to your business needs. (There is no cost for this readiness review; it is provided as part of AgGateway’s mission to promote, enable and expand eBusiness in agriculture.)
  2. Watch an 18-minute webinar on eBusiness readiness that can help your organization understand what you’ll need to do to prepare for eBusiness. Click here. 
  3. For a brief introduction to eBusiness, review the white paper, “eBusiness Fundamentals for the Agriculture Professional; Why eBusiness is Essential to Today’s Agricultural Businesses,” by Jim Wilson, AgGateway Standards Director.
    > Read more...

Gateway to Ag Careers

Nominate a Student Today!

By Kristin Nottingham, Software Solutions Integrated, LLC

As students are beginning internships within your organizations, we ask that you keep your eyes open for potential candidates for the Gateway to Ag Careers grant. The Conference Committee is always taking nominations for this valuable program. Offering students the chance to attend our Annual Conference raises awareness of the organization and helps college students learn about the agriculture industry.

Nominating a student is easy! Simply complete the nomination form found here, write a paragraph explaining why the student would be a good fit for the grant, and have the student write a one-page essay of why he or she is interested in attending. Send this information to Kristin Nottingham at knottingham@agvance.net, and the Conference Committee will take care of the rest. Depending on how many sponsorships we have for the program determines how many students will receive grants. To sponsor this program, ensuring more students have the opportunity to attend our conference, network with our members, and learn about the organization, please email sponsorship@aggateway.org.

To learn more about the Gateway to Ag Careers program or to pass on this information to a student, visit the Gateway to Ag Careers page.