Leadership Academy Class Learns About Agribusiness
Posted
Staff Report-
The Kosciusko Leadership Academy 2010-2011 class gathered at Creighton Brothers in Warsaw Oct. 19 to learn about the agricultural business in Kosciusko County.
Ron Truex, president of Creighton Brothers, discussed farming as a business. Kelly Heckaman, Purdue Extension educator, did a comparative analysis of agriculture in Kosciusko County. Rick Van Puffelen of Chore-Time Brock discussed agriculture as an industrial operation.Van Puffelen began with the history of CTB, telling how it started in the founder's basement in 1952 and grew through the years, resulting in 2002 becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. He informed the KLA class that CTB "feeds the world" and has facilities located around the globe, serving poultry, hog, egg production, and grain industries on an international basis with 49 percent of its sales outside the U.S. Van Puffelen further shared that CTB operates in 11 geographic locations outside the U.S. and in five locations in the U.S.
Heckaman followed next and began with the definition of a farm: "Any place from which $1,000 or more in products are produced or sold."
According to figures, the farm population is decreasing steadily. She explained the pros and cons of agriculture in Kosciusko County. Although Kosciusko County has a good road and rail system, good diversity of production, and a banking system that understands agriculture, land cost is high and the average age of farmers is 53.6 years old. Fewer young people are becoming farmers.
She ended by inviting KLA class members to attend the upcoming free Taste of Agriculture event at the Warsaw fairgrounds April 12. People will have the opportunity to taste products available and produced in Kosciusko County.
Truex shared how Creighton Brothers began in 1925 selling eggs in brown boxes.
He talked about the company's progression from just selling fresh eggs to including milk cartons of frozen scrambled eggs, next adding eggs in water submersible bags, and then adding packages of crumbled eggs for buffets to pre-cooked egg patties for use in eating facilities.
Truex revealed that large eggs are the largest sellers and are the freshest eggs to buy due to the huge volumes shipped.
He ended by sharing that they recycle their eggshells by putting them into the soil and are planning in the future to feed them to chickens as a source of calcium.
The next KLA meeting will be the Presentation Skills Seminar Nov. 9 at the DePuy headquarters, starting at 7 a.m.
