2023 – The Year Without a Spring

The winter has had record-high temperatures and minimal precipitation. To me, it feels like a continuation of the weather from Spring or the lack of a Spring. On Mother’s Day (May 12) in 2023, there were still snowbanks on field edges and in tree rows. On June 3 WCAS was over 95% done spreading fertilizer for Spring planting. That was one of the fastest-spreading seasons we had. WCAS had near-record Spring fertilizer sales in the shortest spreading season on record. This did not come without some issues; wait time for spreading, resupply of fertilizer, and availability of fertilizer not preordered. WCAS has taken all of this into consideration into how WCAS can do better.

WCAS prides itself on speed, supply and service. To increase the speed of our service WCAS has swapped out a 70ft boom machine for an 80ft spinner box on one of the floaters. Increasing our ability to service our customer's needs was also a big priority and to do that we have enlisted another contract floater. This will allow us to cover more acres in a timely manner. The third pillar we take pride in is supply. The addition to the fertilizer plant in Mahnomen will allow us to go into spring with more supply, and allow WCAS to utilize its truck fleet more efficiently since they will not be transferring product all spring. There are no guarantees in agriculture, but we are hopeful that these adjustments and additions will enable WCAS to better serve its patrons at one of the most important times of the growing season.

-Brad Fronning