soil testing

AgSource operates three divisions: Agronomy, Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) and Food and Environmental Services. Its Verona, Wis., headquarters also serves as its dairy record service center. Laboratory locations in the Midwest include Menomonie, Marshfield and Bonduel, Wis., Ellsworth, Iowa, Lincoln, Nebr. and Umatilla, Ore.

AgSource Cooperative Services is a producer-owned cooperative dedicated to providing comprehensive agricultural testing and information services. With the cooperative's mission in mind - to provide products and services to enhance members' profitability - AgSource serves members and customers nationwide and internationally.

In 1957 and 1958, a pilot project was developed to machine process DHIA records in Wisconsin. By 1959, 50,000 cows were processed with this technology and Agricultural Records Cooperative (ARC) was formed to provide an effective organization for the expansion of this service. ARC continued to expand and by July, 1965 all Standard (supervised) DHIA herds in Wisconsin were machine processed. In the early 1970's several local DHI Associations merged with ARC allowing for direct field service. Besides producers who were direct members of ARC, many independent associations paid to have their records processed there as well.

ARC became Wisconsin DHI Cooperative (WDHIC) in 1981 and in 1996 the organization was renamed AgSource Cooperative. In 1993 Cooperative Resources (CRI) was formed by 21st Century Genetics and WDHIC. This structure continued to expand with WDHIC becoming AgSource, 21st Century Genetics becoming Genex, the addition of other A.I. companies, and Central Livestock Association later joining CRI. All three organizations are cooperatives. Besides the CRI cooperative board, each cooperative has their own board of directors and voting delegate structure.

In 1967, the first soil laboratory was opened, and in 1978 a forage and grain testing laboratory was added, expanding the services provided by ARC to more than just DHI testing. In later years, additional laboratories were purchased including a food and environmental laboratory in 2000, and the Belmond, Iowa, Soil Lab in 2002. In 2006, AgSource strengthened its position in the turf market with the acquisition of Harris Laboratories in Lincoln, Nebr.

All AgSource DHI patrons (including members of affiliated county DHI associations) vote for delegates at local meetings. These delegates elect a nine-member Board of Directors at the annual meeting. Directors serve a three year term, set cooperative policies and select two members of the Board to serve on the Cooperative Resources International Board of Directors.

In 1993, state boundaries governing DHI services were eliminated allowing AgSource to offer services outside of Wisconsin. Today, the organization has 6,000 patrons and approximately 200 employees. In addition, AgSource is responsible for training and supporting employees of affiliated independent county DHI associations.

A family owned and operated farm in Palmer, Alaska, Country Garden Farms continues the harvest of high-quality sod, endeavors to keep local farmland, golf courses and lawns in great conditions by providing only the best sod.

Tifton Physical Soil Testing Laboratory, Inc. (TPSTL) was established in 1982 to provide the Sports Turf Industry a means of having potential and existing construction materials tested by scientific procedures to achieve optimum physical properties. The goal of this lab is to provide test results that truly represent the physical characteristics of the material being tested. The purpose of these tests is to develop putting green rootzone mixtures that meet USGA recommendations for golf green construction and to develop Sportsturf Rootzone Mixes with optimum physical properties for athletic fields.

We are an independent testing laboratory free from any commercial, financial, or other conflict of interest pressures which might adversely affect the objective quality of our work. Our clients range from some of the most elite golf courses in the world to nine hole municipal golf courses. We have developed rootzone mixes for athletic fields used in the Olympics to local high school football fields. We are cooperative and will help you select the least expensive materials to use.

We participate in the United States Golf Association Proficiency Testing Program which is an interlaboratory exchange of samples each quarter to compare analytical values obtained in our lab with those from other accredited labs to determine if our values are consistently within the maximum allowable error defined by the analytical means from all participating labs. Each day we test, our lab uses an internal standard thats physical properties are well documented by repetition alongside tests of client samples with unknown values to achieve traceability. Our laboratory equipment is calibrated with NIST traceable standards. We have back-up equipment to eliminate any down-time. Our laboratory supplies meet ASTM certification for supplies and materials described in the ASTM methods we use. Our test reports include the results of the test, the reference of the ASTM methods used, and recommendations, which are provided at no charge. Tests results are treated as confidential, controlled documents and are kept on file.

The golf club or athletic field always suffers the consequences of poorly constructed greens or playing surfaces, i.e., increased maintenance costs and poor playing conditions. Where golf greens are constructed that meet USGA recommendations, consistent and satisfactory greens can be more easily developed and maintained. The USGA Recommendations for Putting Green Construction are the result of years of scientific investigation and field experience and have a successful record in all geographic locations. According to reports, greens built following USGA recommendations, and are properly maintained, can expect at least 20 years of satisfactory service. As USGA built greens become older, this figure will likely increase well past 20 years. Since 1982, TPSTL has developed over 20,000 putting green mixes that have met USGA physical property recommendations for golf green construction in the U.S. and over 100 foreign countries.