Brent Klein, a custom farm applicator with Simplot Grower Solutions in Ashton, Idaho, has been named one of four finalists to be honored as 2014 Operator of the Year.
Conducted by AGCO Application Equipment, the annual program recognizes the top professional applicators throughout North America based on their professionalism, customer service and community involvement.
Klein was praised for his focus on timely, quality work and strong customer relationships.
"Growers demand Brent be the guy who does their applications, leading to customer loyalty and satisfaction," said Steve Hansen, Simplot Grower Solutions manager/certified crop adviser, who nominated him. "Special care is taken to do a professional job, even on the longest and hardest days and weeks."
Klein and his wife, Robin, have two grown sons, Austin and Breck, and one grown daughter, Katelyn, and live in the small farming community of Wilford, Idaho.
Klein has been with Simplot Grower Solutions for more than 17 years as an applicator, working in the all-liquid Simplot Grower Solutions plant in the region, and also performs product research and training.
He uses a 9203 TerraGator with high flotation tires to apply liquid fertilizer, protective farm chemicals and/or nutrients on farm fields, and a RG1100 RoGator to apply post-emergent fungicide and other chemicals.
Both are AGCO machines and Klein really likes having all the latest "smart" technology so farmers never have to pay more for chemical than the field needs, as booms shut off when chemical has already been applied.
"Both of these machines are great. One year, we had a different machine, but we quickly went back to AGCO," Klein said, adding they have the kind of capacity, performance and power he needs to handle any kind of farm terrain. "Both the TerraGator and RoGator are really dependable machines, and that is what we need when we cover so many acres."
Klein covers 38,000 acres in the southeastern corner of Idaho, the northwestern corner of Wyoming and up in the Three Forks-Belgrade, Mont., area. In the Montana area, he is an applicator for seed potato and seed pea farmers, and in Idaho and Wyoming, he applies for seed potato farmers and some wheat and malting barley producers.
Klein also believes in serving the youth in his farm community.
During their younger days, his children were all active in 4-H and FFA, and the Kleins helped them raise and show lambs and sheep.
"We loved working with our own and the other kids in 4-H and FFA," said Klein, adding he was a leader one year.
Klein believes in supporting youth in 4-H and FFA, and every year he heads down to the Fremont County Fairgrounds to set up the pens and panels needed for the kids to show their animals. Even though his children are grown, Klein continues to help out in any way he can to support the farm youth organizations.
"I always try to buy a market lamb or another animal at the sale to support the kids," Klein said.
Klein was thrilled to have been nominated and feels very humbled by the honor. "I consider it an honor to be nominated as there are so many applicators much more deserving than I am," he said.
Klein and the three other finalists will be guests of AGCO at the 2014 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference & Expo Dec. 2-4 in New Orleans, where one of them will be announced as this year's Operator of the Year winner and receive a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The other three finalists are Jeff Hammond of Henderson, Mich., Jeff Morris of Hammond, Ill., and Jerry Deese of Marion, Ark.
"These finalists were selected because they all demonstrate an exceptional level of dedication to their profession, their customers and their communities," said Mark Sharitz, AGCO director of national accounts and government sales, who leads the Operator of the Year program. "Our 2014 finalists consistently go above and beyond expectations, earning the respect and admiration of their agri-retailers, the farmers they serve and their fellow applicators."
Now in its ninth year, Operator of the Year is designed to pay tribute to the top customer applicators throughout the U.S. and Canada. These applicators spend long hours in the field every season, utilizing the latest application equipment and technologies to apply fertilizer and crop protection products on thousands of farm acres.
All nominees receive a certificate from AGCO to recognize their achievements in one of the most demanding jobs in agriculture.
Source: The Prairie Star