Here’s some of my work from Landus Ag Cooperative
* I couldn’t link everything because of the website redesign, but I’ve pated some of my favorite stories/articles/blogs below.
in addiiton to writing for Landus, I was editor of our internal and external newsletters. I also co-produced our podcast, assisted with event coordination, and drafted content for written, video, and image media.
Des Moines Central Campus Unveils New Barn for Agriculture Students
DES MOINES, Iowa (May 9, 2024) – Des Moines Independent Community School District unveiled its newly constructed barn for agriculture and horticulture students. The new barn will give Central Campus students the opportunity to gain real-world experience working in the agricultural industry.
Central Campus’ Associate Principal Kelsie Mouchka hosted the event and introduced featured speakers including Landus President & CEO, Matt Carstens. The Matt and Shanda Carstens Family Foundation, in coordination with Landus and the Landus Board of Directors, raised $50,000 for the barn’s construction with the goal of inspiring the next generation of agricultural workers and farmers.
“Farming is one of the world’s oldest professions and remains one of, if not, the most critical industry in the world. This barn represents Landus’ commitment to ensuring the longevity and vitality of agriculture work by providing the next generation of farmers with the tools and experience needed to usher in the next era of farming. We’re proud to support Central Campus and its agricultural sciences program,” said Carstens.
Event attendees included Matt Smith, Des Moines Public School (DMPS) Associate Superintendent; DMPS Board Members; Dave Berger, DMPS Executive Director of Operations; Matt and Shanda Carstens; and students in the agricultural sciences program.
“The future agriculture leaders of Iowa will come from all backgrounds – urban populations included. This investment in the future of agriculture demonstrates Central Campus’ commitment to creating diverse opportunities for students and inspiring the next generation of leaders across all industries.”
The new barn will be open for all students in the metro area who choose the Central Campus Ag program. Landus and Central Campus are providing opportunities for all students to know that they belong in the Ag field. Interested students may sign up now for the fall semester on the Central Campus website.
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About Des Moines Independent Community School District
For over 100 years, Des Moines Public Schools has been educating the students of Iowa’s capital city. Today, we are the largest provider of public education in Iowa, with more than 30,000 students and nearly 5,000 teachers and staff at work in more than 60 schools throughout the community.
About Landus
Landus is a forward-thinking agriculture solutions company that keeps the farmer at the center. Landus connects thousands of farmer-owners with the world through grain, agronomy, and distribution, deploying traditional and nontraditional methods fueled by innovation and sustainability across 34 states and 16 countries. Landus is known for transforming the traditional cooperative model with its innovative approach to technology and strategic partnerships, identifying the challenges that farmers face today and developing data-backed individualized solutions that impact every part of the supply chain.
Landus 2023 Annual Meeting Recap
DES MOINES, Iowa (December 6, 2023) — Landus, one of the largest farmer-owned cooperatives in Iowa, held its eighth Annual Meeting on Monday, December 4, 2023. Landus executive leadership and board members reviewed the cooperative’s record-breaking performance, for the fourth consecutive year, including financial insights, patronage, and the vision for future growth. Landus also announced the results of four board director positions and the board officers for the 2023 fiscal year.
Board of Director Elections
As announced during the Annual Meeting, elected as board directors for three-year terms are:
- Matt Chambers of Audubon, Iowa
- Dan Reynolds of Rockwell City, Iowa
- Jeff Frank of Auburn of Auburn, Iowa
- Brett Heineman of Ogden, Iowa
In a board meeting following the Annual Meeting, officers of the Landus Board of Directors were elected as follows:
- Matt Chambers of Audubon, Iowa – elected Chair
- Matt Showalter of Hampton, Iowa – elected Vice Chair
- Dan Reynolds of Rockwell City, Iowa – elected Secretary/Treasurer
Appointed as associate (non-voting) members of the board are:
- Halie Renze of Auburn, Iowa
Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Highlights
Kathleen Lyons, Landus chief financial officer, provided a detailed report of the 2023 fiscal year financials during the Annual Meeting, including these highlights:
- Record Sales of $2.4 billion which edged out fiscal year 2022 sales by $27 million (nearly 15% increase)
- Total pre-tax income amounted to $37 million surpassed fiscal year 2022 by over $8 million (28% increase)
- Farmers were rewarded in two ways
- In the form of a two-cent patronage dividend on grain bushels
- Landus invested over $120 million in capital improvements across several locations.
Outlook
Matt Carstens, Landus president & CEO, compiled the accomplishments from the year and delivered updates to the projects to come from Landus. Landus Conduit is wrapping up its first year of operation and the light-asset framework has paid off big for Landus in building out its customer base outside of the traditional Landus geography. Carstens also touched on what it means for a company to be rural and the importance of keeping rural viable for the foreseeable future.
Dave Lemke’s Iowa Certified Crop Adviser of the Year Application
Dave was among the first to complete the CCA exam when it launched in 1992. Since then, he’s honored the standards set forth by the CCA by approaching his farmers with strong morals and respect to deliver the best service to them. In doing so, he’s shared his knowledge with new crop advisors and other farmers. Landus shared a short feature of Dave on our website and social media channels (full link below), and we encourage you to take a look at the comment section filled with responses praising his abilities and knowledge.
Main Street Series: QUANTM Life Systems
Two unlikely things paired great together over the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic — Tim Unruh : baking :: weight loss : cookies.
After being in the crop input business for over 35 years, Tim Unruh discovered a new avenue for his agri-based experience. And although it didn’t directly involve his past knowledge in the agricultural business, it did incorporate innovative crop and his knack for innovation.
While we were all confined to our homes during the pandemic, many of us (including Tim!) found it difficult to exercise and keep on top of our physical health.
“I was at the heaviest weight I’ve ever been. My desk was close to the refrigerator, and I gained some weight. I tried the frozen meals, calorie counting, and other diets, and nothing was working. I started experimenting in my kitchen over the weekends to come up with something that tasted good and could help me lose weight,” said Tim.
The QUANTM Life brand was born with hours of trial and error in the kitchen. The QUANTM Life Meal Replacement Cookie Mix brings the convenience of a quick meal replacement, the health benefits of added protein, and it tastes great.
With his crop input background and innovation-forward mindset, Tim’s knowledge and research led him to hemp protein. Finding it appealing for its sustainability, nutritional aspects, and tasteTim found a winner in hemp protein.
“I had done some research on different kinds of protein for our product and found that hemp protein is sustainable, it’s packed with omegas and aminos, it’s easily digestible, and it’s allergen-free,” said Tim.
After losing over 25 pounds himself, and sharing the cookie mix with friends and family, he discovered that his creation worked. Tim’s friends and relatives began to share their weight loss stories on social media and encouraged him to continue making more of the mix in his kitchen. The cookies satisfied their appetite, and they tasted sensational.
“At one point I was making mixes for people I didn’t know who were halfway across the country, and even then, I still wasn’t sure I wanted to make a business out of this,” said Tim.
joyodingo.com 