Speaking the Truth Boldly and in Love

Who do have in your life that you absolutely trust what they say is true? You may not always like it or agree, but you know they shoot you straight. Hopefully you are surrounded by people like that. Although the world has changed and there is a lot of “noise” out there, people are still hungry to know the truth. We must become discerning to find out what is true and what is not.

John 8:32 above makes a direct statement that knowing the truth will set us free. This leads to the question, what is the truth? Our country and culture were built on the foundation of the principles found in the Bible. Historically, Biblical truth has been our nations standard both legally and culturally.

Today, we find people claiming to be offended by about anything, whether Biblical or otherwise. World views are all over the board. In living our lives, it is important to be sensitive to what others think and believe, but it is also important to seek the truth and speak up for what

we believe.

For several years, my wife and I privately cultivated a vision to create housing in our small town for adults with special needs. Having an adult daughter with Down Syndrome still living at home, this issue was and is very close to our hearts. For parents who are in situations like us, as we look to the future, we see nowhere in town for our adult children to live should something happen to us. Besides losing their parents who care for them, they would lose their homes, their jobs, their friends, and literally everything when forced to live out of town.

As we sat silently on this vision for a few years, we worried, "What will people think of having "special" people living in their neighborhood in a CILA (Community Integrated Living Arrangement) house?" We hoped for the best, but we didn’t know. Quietly, privately, we began talking to others in similar situations; they shared our concerns and wanted to join the cause. Ultimately, earlier this year, a group of nine families serving on the Board of Directors for Arthur Legacy of Love Foundation went public. We began to expose the need for housing (which is a nationwide crisis, not just an Arthur issue) and are in the process of moving forward to raise awareness and funds to build quality housing to serve our special residents.

People responded amazingly. We have been encouraged that when we approach a problem with transparency, speak the truth of the situation in love, and boldly lay out a plan to address the need, people respond in a positive manner. To learn more about speaking freely and listening and better understanding others, read "The Culpability of Free Speech" found elsewhere in this newsletter.

3925 Agronomy Sales Representative - Pacific Northwest

A talented Wholesale Fertilizer salesperson is needed for a territory in the western United States. Based in Spokane, Washington, the territory includes most agricultural states west of The Rockies. This role requires about 50% travel with the remaining 50% of your time spent in the Spokane office. You will represent the company in regional trade associations and at trade shows. Must have qualifications including an agronomy retail background, being able to talk the language and understand the challenges associated with retail, and a minimum of two years of successful sales experience. A BS degree in an ag-related field is preferred, but not required.

5803 Regional Operations Manager - Western Cornbelt

A highly successful and rapidly growing agribusiness in the upper Midwest is seeking individuals experienced in senior level / general management to lead regional operations of the business.

4118 Senior Tax Manager / Tax Partner - Little Rock, AR

One of the country’s leading full-service accounting firms that has served the agribusiness and real estate investment industries for over four decades, is seeking the best of the best to assume the role of Senior Tax Manager / Partner. The successful candidate will step into the current practice of one of the industry’s top veterans in real estate tax advising, who has just recently retired. Having the foundation of a well-established book of business in addition to a support team of over 250 associates, you will be positioned for unlimited growth opportunities.

5806 Customer Risk Representative - Amarillo, TX

Highly successful national grain company seeks a Customer Risk Representative near Amarillo, TX. You will coach and develop the origination team as well as work directly with producers. The ability to develop meaningful relationships with customers is a must. You will be a first point of contact with producers as well as be a liaison between the specialty contract group and the Merchandisers.

5804 Grain Company General Manager - Central Illinois

A thriving central Illinois grain company is seeking a General Manager to replace their retiring GM. With nearly 120 years of rich tradition, providing great customer service, they need a grain professional with solid merchandising experience and excellent people skills.

7677 Plant Manager, West Iowa - Eastern Nebraska

A seed production company is seeking an individual to manage a plant in western Iowa. The plant produces and processes about 275,000 units of corn and has 15 full-time people with part-time staff as needed. The company is flexible on education and experience. They desire someone who enjoys leading people and seeing them be happy and successful while producing a product that exceeds customer guidelines. Agricultural experiences are desired, but not required. If you have managed a processing or manufacturing plant, then this role may be for you.

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.

8024 Maintenance Manager Food Processing Plant - Eastern US

A leading worldwide protein provider is seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager. A successful candidate must have exceptional knowledge and skills to ensure maximum performance of one of the world's most elite food processing systems. Extensive knowledge of computer automation and electrical systems is a must. The ideal candidate will have two locations to choose from within the southeastern US. Locations are in rural settings that are conducive to raising a family without the distractions of a metropolitan influence and are close to the coast and the mountains.

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. The successful candidate should be a self-starter and highly motivated.

1065 Customer Service Rep / Grain Equipment Sales - Northern Illinois

Respected and expanding northern Illinois grain equipment company is seeking a dedicated Customer Service Representative / Grain Equipment Sales professional to strengthen their team in this hybrid position. Approximately 10% travel; you will work primarily from your home office.

5800 Merchandiser - Kansas City

Successful and progressive agricultural company is seeking a Grain Merchandiser based out of Kansas City. You must have a solid understanding of all aspects of the grain trade, as well as the NGFA Trade Rules. The ideal candidate will have the ability to maintain and develop solid business relationships with suppliers, both commercial and producers, and customers alike. You will be responsible for your own book of business and P&L. This is an excellent opportunity for a rewarding career in a truly entrepreneurial environment. Traders of all experience levels will be considered.

5765 Grain Location Manager Trainee - Illinois

Attention new or recent grads looking for a great career opportunity in the grain industry! Successful and growing grain company is seeking a Grain Location Manager Trainee for one of their modern and well-maintained facilities. The successful candidate will be able to come into one of their locations and train to ultimately step into a Location Manager role.

It has been a while since you've heard from me in this newsletter! Since then, we welcomed our second child to our family. Last August we had a little baby boy named Archer, and he filled our lives and our hearts in a way we didn't know could happen.

Being a new mom, you get a lot of good advice and suggestions… some that you didn't even have to ask for. Social media is especially quick to tell you when you are doing "too much" or "not enough" of something." With all that noise, one of the biggest and loudest voices you must overcome as a mom is the voice in your head. Like most people I want to be good at everything, and unfortunately, that isn’t always feasible. Archie was diagnosed with RSV at seven weeks, and due to that his little lungs have been compromised and every little cold has become a bigger deal for him. He has spent much of his life sick and that makes it a little harder to be a super mom, wife, employee, friend, etc. Which has forced me to shift my focus and expectations. I have been blessed to work with an amazing and understanding team here at AGRI-SEARCH and they have supported me and family throughout this entire journey, but I know many women who are not as fortunate. They have to make tough decisions regarding balancing their life as a professional and as a mom. Trust me when I say, I know how scary and difficult it is to ask for help and admit when you can’t do it all, but surrounding yourself with people who have your best interest at heart will only improve your rate of personal and professional success.

All of us have the ability and the opportunity to help someone around us. I challenge you to look around your professional environment, are you providing space for your team or colleagues to speak up when they need help? Are you providing an environment where people can balance being successful at their jobs as well as being successful in their personal life? Today, work life balance has become more important than high salaries. We all need to do our part in making our professional environment a place not only we want to be, but a place future team members want to be as well.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

In the past five years, much has changed. In 2018, Facebook had over 2.23 billion monthly average users (MAU) compared to 2.96 billion in 2022. Twitter reported growth from 298 million MAU in 2018 to 368 million in 2022. TikTok catapulted from 271 million MAU in 2018 to over 1 billion MAU in 2022.

What’s stayed the same? No matter the medium, we have always had the right to free speech, but never has the freedom of opinion been accessible to so many. But what happens when instead of judging, we end up being judged?

If you had to pinpoint a turning point, it was perhaps the launch of CNN in June of 1980. Prior to CNN, news programming delivered relatively factual information for an hour or two a day. After CNN, although it was an amazing accomplishment to cover events live as they happened and to have an endless stream of information, it created a demand for opinion. How else would you fill 24 hours of news for 365 days per year?

A decade later, the abundance of the accessibility for opinions skyrocketed with the growth of easy-to-use Web browsers in the mid-1990’s. As of 2018, Facebook had over 2.23 billion monthly active users – all voicing their opinions.

We have always had the right to free speech, but never before has the freedom of opinion been accessible to so many.

As an employer, what is your culpability for the free opinions of your employees?

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.”