A group of 23 farmers from Brazil visited Countryside Cooperative in Durand last week and had the opportunity to visit local farms and learn about agriculture in Wisconsin.

Countryside Cooperative hosts Brazilian farmer group, take farm tours

 

Countryside Cooperative in Durand hosted a group of 23 farmers and cooperative managers from Brazil on August 14.

The group, from the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil, represented 15 different cooperatives, and came to Countryside Cooperative as part of a trip coordinated by CHS Cooperative, said Animal Nutrition Specialist Joe Burke. 

"They came to see how Countryside Cooperative works and functions with larger cooperatives, such as CHS and Land O Lakes. They got to take a look at our governance in the co-op."

Burke said the group mostly consisted of grain farmers.

"We talked about how the cooperative is run, and the plants we deal with here," Burke said. "We also discussed nutrients, diseases, and transportation. The group was full of very good questions."

Burke said overall, farming practices between Mato Grosso and the US seem to be quite similar, but moving goods after the harvest is harder in Brazil.

"They have to haul their harvests a long distance on a poor road system, and they have limited rail to get the grain to port for exportation," he said. "That's one of the advantages in the US."

The visit started at 9 a.m. August 14 with a Q&A session at the cooperative with Greg Kreuger, Board Chair, Frank Brenner, CEO, Mike Christienson, Agronomy Supervisor, and Burke. 

The group was led on a tour of Sun-Bow Farms near Plum City, owned primarily by Jay Richardson.

"We toured the grain and dairy farm, and again talked about the importance of the co-op, and how it helps Jay's operation," Burke said. 

The group next traveled to John Kreeser's farm near Downsville, where Kreeser led a discussion on how his farming operation runs, as well as the relationship with the co-op. 

Burke said the group next went to the Cooperative's windfield plant plot near Menomonie.

"We had a discussion about the plants and nutrients needed in our climate," he said. "Then, the group went on their way."

Burke said the group was surprised at all the different departments of the cooperative, such as the hardware stores, convenience stores, energy, grain, feed, and agronomy. He said the structures are a bit different.

"They dont' have a cooperative with supplies, services, and training," Burke said. 

Another difference, Burke said, was the size of the farms in Brazil is much larger.

"They can be anywhere from 3,000 to 70,000 acres," he said. "They also plant two crops every year. Typically it's corn this time of year, then in our winter months, which is their summer, they plant soybeans."

Burke said the soybean yields are similar, but they tend to yield only 60 percent of the typical corn yeilds here.

The group spent the day at CHS in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, on the 15th.

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