August at AGRI-SEARCH: Seasonal or Self-Induced Stress?

As any busy season arrives in our lives, the to-do list lengthens. Whether planting, harvest, calving or any other demanding "season," hours of work increase and can become quite lengthy at the peak of the season. The seasonality of agriculture can put extra demands (and stress) upon us depending upon the position we find ourselves in.

But what about the rest of the year? Are you one who thrives under a constantly full calendar and a never-ending to-do list? Does your workload never seem to lighten up? Or when it does lighten up, do you automatically increase your other activities or responsibilities to fill every hour of every day?

For many adults, relaxation is not an easy thing and may even be a foreign concept. I know people like that. Some have accused me of such. Whether tightly wound, highly motivated, or simply addicted to the stress that high-demand schedules bring, this can have a variety of effects, both good and bad.

We all need balance and boundaries in our life to maintain our health, our relationships, and ultimately to enjoy and thrive in our work. Excess stress can be devasting to our health, impacting upon our personality, and damaging to our relationships. Where does your stress meter stand?

Take time to summarize a “typical” day, week and month in your own life. Chart it out and examine what it looks like. Do you have time for the things that keep your life balanced and healthy? Are exercise, spiritual renewal, family, friendships, reading, learning, and hobbies anywhere to be found? Be honest with yourself. Lay out a plan to manage the stressors of your life. Then, gain some additional insight by reading, “Are We Addicted to Stress?” elsewhere in this newsletter.

5776 - Location Manager - Nationwide

Highly successful grain company is seeking Location Managers to guide merchandising, operations, and profitability of their facilities. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned grain professional with experience in both Operations and/or Merchandising.

4116 - Ag Processing Company CFO - Wisconsin

Successful and expanding agricultural processing company is seeking a top-notch CFO to strengthen and bring additional talents and structure to their leadership team. This individual will have a strong accounting and finance background and will assist and challenge the board and CEO as they continue to explore and carry out key growth initiatives.

3932 - Agronomy Retail Sales - Central Illinois

Illinois agronomy retail company is seeking a salesperson to sell a full line of chemistry, fertilizer, professional services, and seed direct to farmers from their location in Central Illinois. This company is very relationship focused and will want you to have a very good rapport with your customers and take a vested interest in their operations.

6246 - Education and Market Research Manager - Chicago

Midwest-based agriculture risk management company is seeking a new associate for their Education and Market Research Team. This position is ideal for a motivated, team-oriented person with excellent problem-solving and communication skills. The primary responsibilities will include delivering educational content to groups around the country in a live format as well as research projects. This includes, but is not limited to, communicating the basics of futures and options employed in a hedging capacity, writing periodic newsletters, and analyzing data.

4120 - VP of Marketing - United States

One of the leading Agribusiness Financial Services companies is seeking to hire a VP of Marketing to serve on its leadership team. This is an exceptional opportunity to become a part of an industry that serves the local farmer on a national scale.

5777 - Operations Manager - Nationwide

Highly successful grain company is seeking Operations Managers at several locations Nationwide. The right candidate will have experience in grain facility management or a similar industry. Experience should include managing employees and solid mechanical knowledge. You will also be responsible for blending, inventory, minor projects, and safety. Successful candidate should be a self-starter and be highly motivated.

5814 - Grain Marketing Consultant - Illinois/Indiana

A reputable risk management company in northern Illinois is seeking an experienced Grain Marketing Consultant to lead producers through the entire crop marketing and planning process. This company prides itself on offering an excellent work-life balance while providing top-notch service to their clients.

3934 - Equipment Operations - Western Indiana

This is a career opportunity for you to operate the "big rigs" of agriculture. These are high-tech diesel-powered machines with touch computer screens that place you high above the crop in a climate-controlled environment. The job is a combination of in the field equipment operation and in the shop helping make repairs. The company invests heavily in having the best brands and latest models for you to operate.

5807 - Business Development Manager - Latin America

Highly successful Midwest-based agricultural hedging and consulting firm is seeking a Business Development Manager to work in a vital role on their client service Latin America team. Their clients produce, consume, process, and export commodities throughout the world. This position can be based out of most areas of the United States as long as you have access to a major airport.

5815 - Processing Equipment Business Development and Sales Manager

A highly successful equipment manufacturer is seeking a Business Development and Sales Manager to work in a vital role in the oilseed industry. The client is seeking a self-motivated, team-oriented professional to join their growing team as they look to take their business to the next level.

5812 - Grain Merchant – Kansas City

Thriving agricultural commodity company is seeking a Grain Merchant to join their growing team for a cross-country position that trades in the mid-Atlantic region (more or less from Pennsylvania down to Georgia / northern Florida). One to five years of grain merchandising / trading experience is required, preferably in some part the mid-Atlantic territory.

My wife and I recently completed a trip to Germany that we had originally planned for 2020. After three Covid cancellations, our “Faith, Farming & Family” tour group of 30 people finally got to experience a trip filled with memories that will last us a lifetime.

It started out a bit stressful as our tour guide with whom we had worked closely for nearly five years suffered a fall on our very first stop after arriving in Berlin on day one. She had to fly home immediately, which meant I went from “tourist” to “tour guide.” Thankfully everyone helped out and worked together to make things go smoothly the rest of the trip.

We began with a tour in Berlin, enjoyed Lutherstadt Wittenberg, and then visited the farming area in the north of Germany where I lived on the farm as an FFA exchange student 40 years earlier. Our experiences there were phenomenal thanks to my good friend Holger. We visited a dairy, a “biogas” plant on a farm where they turn corn silage and hog manure into profitable electricity, and an amazing “Trekkermuseum” (tractor museum and everything from farms of bygone years). We also had an incredible welcome Barbeque at the local fire department that included the local “Posaunenchor” (trombone band) serenading us with beautiful songs as we got off the bus, a wonderful meal, and an evening filled with fun, fellowship and laughter.

We enjoyed touring a grain elevator / barge loading facility and fertilizer plant, had a touching tour / presentation at the “German Border Police Museum” that recounted the days of the wall that separated a divided Germany, and were blessed by a spirit filled worship service in the local church where I worshipped for the six months when previously living in Germany. The pastor spoke everything in German, his wife repeated the scripture readings and sermon in English, and for a few songs the congregation was invited to sing in one’s choice of German or English. It was beautiful, and they made us feel welcome and right at home.

Continuing the “faith” portion of our tour, we visited Eisleben, Erfurt, and Eisenach, three key cities in the life of Martin Luther, which like Wittenberg, are all located in the former communist East Germany. Then it was on to the “family” part of our tour, where we visited my wife’s family - the Rincker’s - historical bell foundry. We also visited the German Bell Museum started by the Rincker family in a beautiful castle nearby. The Rincker family has been making bells since 1590 under 14 consecutive generations of family ownership. The current generation of owners and my wife share a great-great grandfather from which four brothers came to America, and one stayed to run the family bell firm.

After a Rhein River cruise, the “farming” portion of our tour continued with a tour of the John Deere plant in Mannheim and a visit to a local winery in the “Weinstrasse.” We then left Heidelberg for Munich, where we visited Dachau concentration camp, a very somber and moving experience. We also had educational walking tours in the city and of “Third Reich” history, enjoyed an evening at the jovial Hofbräuhaus, and concluded our trip in Salzburg, Austria, with a Sound of Music tour and farewell dinner before flying back to Chicago.

For many, pending deadlines and packed schedules are not overwhelming, but instead can be a driving force that pushes them toward greater productivity. We have processes to streamline, goals to achieve, promotions to earn, debt to eliminate, exercise regimes to master, dreams to chase, and people to help and inspire. The “I work best under pressure” mantra environment creates a Catch-22; we get frustrated with ongoing stress, but we perform at the highest level of effectiveness and efficiency when under the exact stress we try to escape.

For some, busyness can be reassuring; a feeling of constant forward-motion and accomplishment is much preferred over being stagnant or empty. That reassurance can come with an eventual price – stress, while beneficial in moderate amounts, is harmful in excessive amounts, as are most things.

We are seeking an office professional to join us at our headquarters in Arthur, Illinois!

As Office and Data Administrator, you will organize and coordinate office administration and procedures to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Regular and effective communication with all staff in a variety of ways is key. Your role on the AGRI-SEARCH team is to assist all recruiters in providing leadership and professional assistance to our agribusiness client companies.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in handling a wide range of administrative and executive related tasks and will be able to work independently with little or no supervision. You must be exceedingly well organized, accurate and detail oriented, flexible, and enjoy the administrative challenges of supporting a diverse team of both in-office and remote recruiters. Proficiency with technology and social media is desirable.

If you or someone you know enjoy a team environment and are customer service oriented, highly organized, and detail oriented, please send a resume to Dave Allen at dave@agri-search.com or call 217-543-5208 today!

Do you have the grit to not give up and stay true to the course, no matter how difficult it may be? Are you competitive and possess a strong sales mentality where every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes”?

If so, and you have a passion for connecting with and helping people, plus a strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, or other areas, please contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you about how a recruiting career may be a great fit for you.

Founded in 1995, AGRI-SEARCH is a professional recruiting firm providing clients with customized recruiting solutions in various niches within the agricultural industry. Our success results from our industry focus, our specialized approach to recruiting, and our staff's lifelong roots in, dedication to, and vast understanding and knowledge of the agricultural industry.

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”