Craig Harris works out of the Agronomy office at one of Blencoe's largest grain co-operatives. Following the announcement of his company's Wōntgrō product, he has become one of the most sought-after interviews in southwestern Monona County.
Craig commutes to Blencoe from his estate in Onawa, Iowa, where he lives with his wife Ceres and two youngest sons, Monsanto and DuPont.
The business day of agriculture starts early, so I made a point to be at his office at 7:00 a.m. While I was waiting for him to arrive, I had ample time to explore Craig's office.
Craig has a spacious corner office on the mezzanine level of the co-op tower. Surrounded by windows, the office has a bright, fresh appearance and is uncluttered by signs of work.
Taped to his desktop is a sign: "Place Boot Heels Here."
I was struck by the piles of hats scattered around the office. On the bookshelves, on the floor, on the window sills were hats of all colors, festooned with the names of farm seed and chemical companies.
I started to count them, and had tallied over 500 when, at 9:30, Craig entered the office.
Craig Harris: Man, I get tired of the bumper-to-bumper traffic every single day...
Nate Frikandellen: I was just noticing all the hats. What do you do with all of them?
CH: In my line of work, a man's wealth is shown by the number of hats he has. A hat is currency, it's like a pack of cigarettes in prison or chips in a casino. When a vendor comes to see me, they demonstrate their respect for me by giving me maybe a dozen or so hats...
NF: I see...
CH: ...and I never have to go shopping. On our anniversary, I gave my wife an Asgrow Seed hat. For Christmas and birthdays I give my boys Farmer's Co-op hats.
NF: Are the boys surprised when they open up the presents and find a hat?
CH: Not any more.
NF: Well, let's start at the beginning. When did you first get interested in agronomy?
CH: Even when I was a little kid, I loved TV shows like Star Trek, Carl Sagan's Cosmos, anything to do with the stars and the vast reaches of outer space. Then when I was 10 years old I got a toy telescope and a hat that said "Stargazer".
NF: Let me stop you there for a minute. What you're describing sounds like astronomy, not agronomy.
CH: Yeah, well ... long story. When I showed up for my second year at South Dakota State, some buddies and I spent the weekend before exploring the "vast reaches of outer space." I was a little wasted for the 8:00 Monday class ... you know, there's such a small difference between AS101 and AG101.
NF: So you ended up in an agronomy class by mistake...
CH: Yeah, and it was two months before I figured it out, then I thought, "Oh, well"...
NF: So, what's the day of an agronomist like?
CH: It's really pretty simple. Around here, the farmers only grow two different kinds of things. They grow those tall plants with the yellow lumps on them...
NF: Corn?
CH: Yeah, that's it ... and they grow those bushy things with the pods ... I think they're some kind of pea.
NF: That's probably soybeans.
CH: You're sure they're not peas? Look like peas ...
NF: I'm pretty sure.
CH: Whatever ...
NF: Anyway, what would you say is the best thing that's happened in agronomy since you started?
CH: Without a doubt, Roundup. That stuff is amazing! You can put it on anything and it will kill the weeds and leave all the good stuff behind. My neighbor has a quarter acre vegetable garden and he's pulling weeds all the time!
I gave him a couple of gallons of Roundup yesterday and told him that would take care of it!
NF: You can't use Roundup on vegetables ... that will kill everyone of of them!
CH: Are you sure?
NF: I'm very sure.
CH: Excuse me, I've got to make a call ...
Harris grabbed his cell phone and ran out of the office. Ten minutes later, he was back, a worried look on his face.
NF: Did you get him in time?
CH: Almost ... well ... that's going to cost me a hat ...
NF: Well, let's change the subject. What would you say is your biggest challenge on the job?
CH: Math.
NF: Math?
CH: You bet. You can't believe how much math there is to remember. How many quarts in an acre; how many bushels in a tare. It never ends!
That's why I liked astronomy. All you had to know were the twelve signs of the Zodiac and your birthday ...
NF: Now, that sounds like astrology, not astronomy.
CH: Same thing ...
NF: Let's move on. I want to talk about your new Wōntgrō product ...
CH: Great! I've got a bag right here! Want some? They're delicious!
NF: No, thanks. What motivated you to bring this to market?
CH: I've always been concerned about the financial health of farmers. They are really getting squeezed these days.
Look, I know what I charge the farmers, and if they have to pay other people what they pay me, they're getting hammered!
If enough of these folks go out of business, they're not going to need me anymore ... so I guess I'm looking out for my own job security.
NF: So Wōntgrō is a good way for farmers to save money?
CH: After they pay for the seeds, you bet. We charge $325 a unit for Wōntgrō, that's pretty competitive with other seeds. After that, the farmer spends close to nothing.
NF: And that price is guaranteed and stable?
CH: Sometimes it goes up a little bit on Mondays. Depends on what my weekend was like.
NF: I think you are to be commended for looking out for the growers in this community.
CH: "Customer Value" ... that's my slogan.
NF: That a very commendable way to conduct your business.
CH: I didn't say it was my policy ... it's just my slogan.
NF: Craig, thanks for your time.
CH: You're welcome ... I wasn't that busy anyway. Here! Take a hat on your way out!
March 25, 2014
Additonal Coverage of Harris Lo-Yield Hybrids:
Harris Lo-Yield Hybrids Launches Revolutionary New Product (Monday, March 24, 2014)
Harris Wōntgrō Promises Financial Breakthroughs for Growers (Wednesday, March 26, 2014)
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