Frenchman Valley Farmers Cooperative, Inc., Imperial, Neb., announces the launch of a strategic new partnership, VantagePoint™, a broad and bold new brand to provide their member-owners a new opportunity to control input costs and enhance profit potential.
In cooperation with VantagePoint™ crop performance, a new line of trademarked crop inputs, Frenchman Valley Cooperative (FVC) now takes the first step toward providing the best possible crop input line-up under local control.
“Through the VantagePoint™ brand, FVC will be positioned to provide customers with the most agronomically-sound chemistry at a cost point that lowers their cost without compromising performance,” says John Bender, Frenchman Valley CEO in announcing the new cooperation. “FVC will be better able to provide the necessary crop enhancement products and further grow our relationships with our customers.”
Farmers in the production conditions of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming are driven to produce more crops in a less than an ideal environment, explains Bender. “This area is arid and has unique challenges,” he says. “This often makes weeds tough to control as they quickly harden off, and crops are subjected to more stress.”
“We have devoted years and countless resources into providing our growers with the most logical solutions to our tough problems,” says Ben Sauder FVC Vice President of Agronomy. His team is tasked with controlling weeds that are resistant to chemicals and delivering value to customers. “We have a very thorough evaluation process that we run all chemicals and enhancement products through before we sell them. If something does not work,” says Sauder, “we want to find that out in our evaluations, not on one of our customer’s acres.
“Figuring out what combinations are the most economical and provide the best outcome for the grower,” he says, “is always the goal at FVC. I want the staff to be equipped with the best training and knowledge when they step on to a farm. In the long run, if we do it right the first time, we will save time and money. It takes a long time to earn trust. We don’t want to lose that over suggesting the wrong solution.”
The VantagePoint™ initial product portfolio includes crop input additives widely used by corn, soybean and wheat growers. The list includes WATCHTOWER™ ST seed treatments and STANDKING™ plant growth regulator, OUTPOST™ drift control, water conditioners, surfactants, and ROYALGREEN™ micronutrients nutritionals. All are available for immediate sale through a local Frenchman Valley Agronomy Production Advisor. The cooperative is also evaluating possible crop protection offerings through the RESILIENCE™ brand.
“These branded-label products will be produced specifically for us and will fit well into our long-term strategy of serving members/customers all across our four-state service area,” shares Jim Haarberg, Chairman of the FVC Board of Directors. He sees opportunity for saving money with the VantagePoint™ products, but also as a way for the cooperative to grow, best adapt to an everchanging market place and exceed the demands of producers.
“We are always looking to gain efficiency and provide the best solutions for farmers and I think VantagePoint™ Crop Performance is going to help us do that,” Sauder adds. “We want to help growers make the most out of every dollar they spend with us.”