At its annual conference last week, AgGateway honored individuals and companies that are advancing electronic connectivity efforts in agriculture and related industries, thereby expanding the use of information to maximize efficiency and productivity. Randy Fry, Data Process and Information Systems Manager with Ceres Solutions Cooperative, received AgGateway’s Ron Storms Leadership Award, the organization’s top honor. The award recognizes repeated, outstanding efforts by an AgGateway volunteer member in promoting collaboration among AgGateway teams and advancing initiatives to enable eConnectivity. In presenting the award, former Ron Storms recipient Dennis Daggett of ProAg described Fry as a driving force and champion of the AgGateway mission, both inside and outside the organization.
“Randy leads by example – with true conviction and heart,” Daggett said. “He has a ‘get it done’ attitude to move things forward. He is a true believer in AgGateway standards, and why the industry benefits as companies implement connections using those standards.”
Fry has served on AgGateway’s Operational Board and in leadership positions for the Seed Council and Automatic Identification Data Capture (AIDC) Task Force. Most recently, he led the effort to create an informational video on barcoding in seed and ag retail operations, and has a column on overcoming objections to electronic implementation and barcoding in AgGateway’s November newsletter.
AgGateway also presented its annual AgGateway in Action Awards. Recipients are chosen by the leadership within various council segments, recognizing individuals who have moved connectivity efforts forward in the current year. The 2017 winners include Jeff Griffeth of Co-Alliance, presented by the Ag Retail Council; Steve Daigle of Elemica, the Allied Providers Council; Robert Kovalsky of The Mosaic Co., the Crop Nutrition Council; Mike Glidden of JR Simplot, the Crop Protection Council; Scott Nieman of Land O’ Lakes, the Grain & Feed Council; Dick Moore of Red Wing Software, the Precision Ag Council; Randy Fry of Ceres Solutions, the Seed Council; and Donald Green of Crop Production Services, the Specialty Chemical Council.
Barcoding Inc. was recognized by the Operational Board with an AgGateway in Action Company Award for its contributions this year. The company was praised for its leadership on the AIDC Task Force, for its role in helping companies articulate and promote the value of eConnectivity, and for its work in AgGateway’s communications and social media initiatives.
In addition, President & CEO Wendy Smith gave the 2017 President’s Award to Jeremy W. Wilson, Technology Specialist at Crop IMS. Smith described Wilson as a tireless AgGateway advocate who “presents our message and the results of our work to many audiences, stressing with them the importance of standards and implementing eConnectivity.” Wilson is active on AgGateway’s precision agriculture teams, and recently helped conduct a successful grain traceability proof-of-concept on his farm in Olney, Ill.
AgGateway’s Annual Conference drew international business and IT professionals from across the industry. AgGateway extends its thanks to the many generous conference sponsors, including Titanium Sponsors: AGDATA, Monsanto, F4F (Part of Proagrica); Gold Sponsors: BASF, The Mosaic Co., WinField United; Silver Sponsors: AGCO, Brandt, Crop Production Services, Dow AgroSciences, EFC Systems, John Deere, Rosen’s Diversified, Syngenta; and Conference Sponsors: ACS, AgCIO Roundtable, AgVantage Software, ARMtech Insurance Services, Barcoding Inc., Bayer CropScience, CF Industries, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, DXC.technology, GROWMARK, Key Cooperative, Software Solutions Integrated (SSI), SST Software (agX), Wilbur-Ellis, and XS Inc.
Source: Ag Gateway