Bee Friendly
Bees are essential. They pollinate plants that feed the world and help maintain a balance between other species and the environment. By carrying pollen from one plant to another, other pollinators like butterflies, birds and bats also contribute to food production. However, with the population of bees declining by 30% each year, researchers have battled to understand why.
Meet Jade Crum
Meeting with customers, attending trade shows and working conventions have kept Jade Crum busy. With only a few months under his belt, Crum is acclimating to his new Fratco sales position by jumping in at full speed: an immersive way to introduce oneself to the four generation-strong company’s top-tier placement in the pipe industry.
iFarm
Farmers blasting weeds with pinpoint lasers? Precision planting drones? Farmhands running on solar power rather than morning joe? These aren’t futuristic Star Trek episodes but rather today’s ag-tech breakthroughs. After years of anticipation, robotics is taking a major leap into the ag workforce: making a critical difference for farmers and helping feed the planet.
The Art of Listening
For new farmers looking to invest in land, the task can feel daunting. Pressures abound, like finding the perfect plot, the purchase price, competing with those who have deeper pockets in a volatile market, There are a million ways to invest in the family farm, whether it’s technology, machinery, or staff. But there’s one way that doesn’t cost a dime, and pays out dividends for years to come: listening. It’s an art that most people haven’t mastered, yet is essential for a healthy farm and family.
Family: The Foundation for Success
Although lawns do not require as much care in cooler months as they do in spring, summer and fall, winter weather doesn’t mean completely ignoring your yard. For grass that’s spring-time ready, here are a few steps you can take now to have the envy of the neighborhood yard later.
Lawn Prep Now, Green Grass Later
Although lawns do not require as much care in cooler months as they do in spring, summer and fall, winter weather doesn’t mean completely ignoring your yard. For grass that’s spring-time ready, here are a few steps you can take now to have the envy of the neighborhood yard later.
Next Gen Farming
For new farmers looking to invest in land, the task can feel daunting. Pressures abound, like finding the perfect plot, the purchase price, competing with those who have deeper pockets in a volatile market, creating a solid business plan to gain financing and how to engage with consumers to move the needle towards profitability. Now, consider the growers speeding towards retirement. The average age of the US farmer is 58. Close to 60% own their property and are 65 years or older. While many lease their acreage to others for farming, some continue rolling up their sleeves daily out in the fields. The face of agriculture is changing over the next few years and the dance between transfers of knowledge, skills and––lest we forget––land means everything. Whether discussing legacy farmers or white-collar workers ready to ditch the rat race, they’ve shown up ready to go, right on time and with methods and measures a little different than their predecessors.
Under the Turf
for participants and fans. Not every weekend in the stands is filled with sunshine. Rain delays happen, but canceled events due to water-logged fields don’t have to. From iconic stadiums to Little League baseball diamonds, having the right pipe in place means standing water, torn turf and Mother Nature won’t dominate on the field.
Sharing a Commitment to Service & Quality
In the mid-1980s, two brothers invested $2,700 in a tile machine and a dream. By 1990, they officially incorporated Johnston Land Improvement, which over the past three decades has grown into a booming business in Victoria, Illinois. Specializing in drainage systems for construction sites, the company is well-known in their community and in the region for providing an incredible level of service. Bryan Johnston, one of the brothers and current president of the company, says, “We’ve really got it good with our customers. Business has been good. It’s been fun.”
Meet Brandon Herron
Coworkers that feel more like family than business associates are a common theme among Fratco employees. Brandon Herron echoes that sentiment, proudly serving as the Mount Pleasant location’s plant manager.