They call it, simply, seedsmanship. That hyper service-focused mantra in which Channel Seed employees get their boots dirty to best improve a farmer’s yield.
“We don’t want Channel to be a one-stop deal, just selling you a bag of corn or a bag of beans, and be gone. We want to bring our service and our products together to help farmers throughout the year,” said Mike Vondrak, a Channel salesman who was talking to people this week at the Ag Media Summit in Utah.
During growing season, getting out once a month to a farm to help implement the grower’s strategy is typical, though Mother Nature has the final say on how crucial a visit is. But it’s more than just the growing season — Channel espouses a year-round strategy as part of their Field Checkup Series.
In winter, there’s a focus on discussing the plans for the next season and breaking down the best products based on field and soil types. In spring, the thrust is on planting. For summer, they’ll review the land prescription that was laid out and keep an eye out for diseases and for nutrient needs. Rounding out the calendar are yield checks and harvest in the fall.
“The customers need to be successful for me to be successful,” Vondrak said. “I don’t want to drive down the driveway and have the customer say, ‘Oh, dang, he’s back.’ We want to build that relationship and be ready to answer questions.”
