David Hula, Jayson Lusk, and Fred Below are all confirmed as key speakers for Meristem's "Breakthrough to Excellence" Dealer Partner meeting, Aug. 10-12 at Lake Lawn Lodge in Delavan, Wis. They will headline an event also including plot tours, agronomic know-how, and the unveiling of results from hundreds of soil tests pulled all across the Corn Belt by Meristem's EXCAVATOR Field Research Team.
"It's our intent not only to have high-quality, innovative products," said Mitch Eviston, founder and CEO of Meristem, based out of Columbus, Ohio. "We also want to equip our dealer partners with the knowledge they need to help every farmer earn more." Eviston said the event is exclusive to Meristem dealers and prospective dealers and each of the speakers will bring information key to carrying out elements of Meristem's mission.
Boosting Yields. David Hula is the world record holder for corn yield -- posting more than 600 bushels/acre in the 2021 NCGA National Corn Yield Contest. Hula's winning 2021 entry was from his home operation, Renwood Farms, in Charles City, Va. Located 10 miles upriver from the historic Jamestown Settlement, it's seen 400 years of agriculture. It was also the site of Hula's world record yield of 616 bushels/acre in 2019.
"I'm not really interested in 'beating' other farmers. What I'm interested in is pushing the boundaries and being a student of the crop," said Hula. "If you want to grow big corn, you've got to pay attention to all the details."
Embracing Innovation. Jayson Lusk, PhD, Distinguished Professor and Head of the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University, writes about how technology and agriculture can work together to help solve the world's largest food issues and improve our farming system. Following many years of studying food regulation and comparing costs and benefits of the policies in question, Lusk will bring his fresh, in-depth views on the global ag outlook and future of farm profitability.
"A very important piece of our mission at Meristem is opening up a faster pathway to more farmers and millions of acres for new innovative technology," said Eviston in relating Lusk's participation in the Breakthrough to Excellence event. "With the threat of global hunger increasing, we need economists like Jayson -- technology advocates."
Mastering Agronomics. Fred Below, PhD, Professor of Crop Physiology at University of Illinois and creator of "The Six Secrets of Soybean Success" and "The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World," has decades of experience in soybean and corn production systems and a personal mission of improving farmer decision-making. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the environmental, genetic and management factors that impact the productivity of corn and soybeans, Dr. Below annually leads a team of graduate students in extensive plot trials across Illinois.
"Fred Below is a leading, real-world expert on how corn and beans actually grow," said Eviston. "We are very excited to be able to connect with him and learn more about what he's been learning, especially in this current volatile time."
Eviston also said attendees will hear from other important players in the context of panel presentations and discussions. Meristem's product development guru Joe Gednalske, holder of more than 30 patents for adjuvants, and biological expert Larry Fiene, Founder and CEO of Planet Earth Agronomy will weigh in on proper use and yield advantages. Matt Rohlik, managing director of Arva Intelligence will be on-hand to share recent research and perceptions of the carbon market. Participants will also be the first to learn of the results from Meristem's own massive effort -- more than 600 treated and untreated fields -- to document the positive effects of EXCAVATOR all across the Corn Belt.
"It's quite possibly the largest organized, real-world, in-field research effort ever done on a biological crop input," explained Eviston, "and at our August meeting we will be unveiling that data. We're out to prove how EXCAVATOR can make nutrients available and improve yield across a wide variety of soils and growing conditions. We want to show more farmers how to fight back against high fertilizer prices."
While the meeting is exclusive to Meristem dealer peartners and their families, Eviston said it is open to those honestly interested in becoming Meristem dealers. "We know there are others out there that would be a perfect fit for us," he said. "So, if you want to join us on this journey to reduce waste and improve ROI in American agriculture, please connect with us through https://www.meristemag.com/.
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