Making your land work for you can be a balancing act. If you are a modern farmer, you want to get the most from your crops. But at the same time, you want to keep the cost of your inputs low. If you are involved in the care of turfgrass and other plants in the landscape, you want them to be healthy throughout the season. Conklin`s nationally-recognized products and technologies are designed to help balance the equation so you know you are using the very best products for successful results.
Proven Technologies
All products have either been developed within the company's own Research and Development Department or have been developed at other institutions. Conklin's exclusive AgroVantage System has been constantly proven through years of field trials and through independent research agencies nationwide.
Conklin's Online Soil System
Meeting soil needs translates to healthier plants. Conklin's AgroVantage Online Soil System is an economic and environmental product recommendation program offering you an opportunity to reduce applied chemicals and fertilizers, lower input costs and obtain optimum results.
Conklin's AgroVantage System is rapidly becoming recognized as the premier recommendation program in the United States available to today' s professional grower, ag chemical and fertilizer dealer, independent consultant, or commercial lawn applicator. Besides featuring state-of-the-art products for plant growth and management, the AgroVantage System utilizes the latest in technology and soil test recommendations through the nation's leading independent laboratory. Once the soil analysis is complete, all data is available at your fingertips via the World Wide Web.
Conklin Success Stories
Ahead of the Pack - How AgroVantage drove Bigg Dogg Agg into the lead
Mark, Pam and Jason Fillbrandt
It’s all about service to his customers for Mark Fillbrandt of Felton, Minn. This was especially evident in his business
philosophy of running it similar to a family farm – offer quality products, have a close relationship with his clients and intimately know and understand their production practices.
This philosophy is reflected in his mission statement: “We offer our customers quality products, a fair price, personal services,and the experience in knowing how best to provide those services to save our customers time and create a more profitable business.”
He started his agriculture career in 1980 with Cargill and moved on to other agricultural companies before he, his wife, Pam, and son Jason, opened their full-service agriculture retail dealership, Bigg Dogg Agg, in January 2001. The full-service agronomy company offers a wide range of services to their customers that include crop consulting, chemical applications and agriculture equipment sales.
“We find what our producers need, anything from machine parts to sprayers,” explains Mark. “I do a lot of research with a good network of contacts who cover a wide area to make sure my customers get the best deal. It may not be the most efficient way of doing business, but we have relationships that work.”
He also has worked as a certified crop advisor (CCA) for the past 15 years. The core of the business centers around consulting, specializing in intensive wheat management. “I help producers make money growing wheat,” says Mark. His client’s wheat crops consistently average 10 bushels higher per acre than other producers in his area, 1 point to 1.5 points higher in protein and
1-2 pounds heavier in test weight. “I work a lot on the quality of wheat,” he notes. “You have to manage the crop all year round.”
Currently, Mark has 24 full-time crop producer clients, along with several part-time ones. This covers more than 35,000 acres of crops spanning 150 miles throughout northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota. While specializing wheat, he also advises producers on managing corn, soybeans, sunflowers, alfalfa, sugar beets, flax and barley.
“Working with a CCA, you have another set of eyes looking at your crops,” says Mark. “It’s not a matter of me coming up with a recommendation; it’s more about working together with the producer, his program and cropping system. We make decisions together and learn as the growing season progresses.”
Being a CCA has given Mark more credibility within the agricultural industry, especially with potential new clients. Along with having to pass state and national tests, a CCA must have extensive experience and continuous training to maintain his certification.
This motivation to provide more value-added services to his clients is what led Mark to learn more about the AgroVantage® crop management system he heard about on local radio advertisements on KQLX of Lisbon, ND, in March 2008. Specifically, Mark was interested in foliar feeding as an alternative to broadcast applications. “You can’t afford to throw out extra fertilizer because you might have a crop out there,” he says. “You put enough fertilizer on the field for 40-60 bushels per acre of wheat, and determine the stand’s potential, then spoon-feed fertilizer after you know more about the stand and the weather.”
The next step Mark took was to attend an informational meeting about Conklin’s AgroVantage crop management system, specifically foliar feeding crops. He was impressed with the discussion on research, documentation and statistics on crop timing.
“There are so few companies that ever instruct you about which of their products to use as your crops move through the various growth stages,” explains Mark. “I learned when to foliar feed during a crop’s development.
It is so helpful to be walked through the growth stages of crops and told specifically when you should apply each product.”
Along with offering a wide variety of products, one of the staples of this crop management system is proper soil testing to maximize the effectiveness of each farming operation. The soil test results enable Mark to make specific nutrient and application recommendations for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, secondary and micronutrients to his clients.
Another key is continuing education and training on the AgroVantage products, but also on basic agronomy, soil analysis, plant fertility and foliar feeding. These products give Mark another way to help his clients maximize their ROI (return on investment). Several of Mark’s clients are seeing greater yields. Three of his spring wheat producers harvested yields of 80 to 90 bushels per acre, when the average in their region is 37 to 40 bushels per acre.
Offering the AgroVantage system is a win-win proposition for Mark. His clients have more value-added product options and it also allows him to earn a residual income in addition to his retail dealership.
Producers are buying into the system, especially if it allows them to minimize the number of fertilizer applications each year.
“Time is not our friend in this part of the country,” explains Mark. “We have to be very diligent to get things done on time. That’s where Conklin crop timing charts work for us, especially with foliar feeding. It’s not very often that if you miss the application window, then you’re told not to apply the fertilizer. With this system, if you miss the window, you don’t spend the money because you won’t get the maximum return.”
All of the AgroVantage products work hand in hand with his consulting philosophy. “I’m able to offer my producers the ability to buy high-quality products at wholesale prices,” he says. “It makes it nice to go out to a producer with a high quality product at a factory wholesale price.”
The AgroVantage system has enabled the Fillbrandts to offer their clients more value-added products, a large network of crop producers to work with and the ability to earn more money.
Testimonial
Amplify-D® is one of my favorite AgroVantage products. We have seen anywhere from four to 12 bushel increases by using Amplify D. It costs less than one bushel per acre to use. This has been our number one selling product.
All products have either been developed within the company's own Research and Development Department or have been developed at other institutions. Conklin's exclusive AgroVantage System has been constantly proven through years of field trials and through independent research agencies nationwide.
Conklin's AgroVantage System is rapidly becoming recognized as the premier recommendation program in the United States available to today' s professional grower, ag chemical and fertilizer dealer, independent consultant, or commercial lawn applicator. Besides featuring state-of-the-art products for plant growth and management, the AgroVantage System utilizes the latest in technology and soil test recommendations through the nation's leading independent laboratory. Once the soil analysis is complete, all data is available at your fingertips via the World Wide Web.
It’s all about service to his customers for Mark Fillbrandt of Felton, Minn. This was especially evident in his business
philosophy of running it similar to a family farm – offer quality products, have a close relationship with his clients and intimately know and understand their production practices.
Along with offering a wide variety of products, one of the staples of this crop management system is proper soil testing to maximize the effectiveness of each farming operation. The soil test results enable Mark to make specific nutrient and application recommendations for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, secondary and micronutrients to his clients.