Voice Viafield
Happy Thanksgiving
November 2014
Viafield Voice
Six Ways to Like Your Job More - Page 1
The
Six Ways to Like Your Job More Most people don’t love their jobs. In fact, many studies show that only about 1 in 5 people really enjoy their jobs, about 1 in 5 actively dislike their jobs, and the rest are fairly neutral on the topic. Since most of us spend more time working than doing anything else except sleeping, this seems unfortunate. Unless you’re the kind of person who derives more satisfaction from complaining about something than you would from enjoying it (I know there are some people like that), it seems as though it would be better to like work more.
Lots of how-to-enjoy-your-work-more articles focus on finding a different career, one that ignites and/or fulfills your passions. But what if you’re in a job that – for whatever reason – you can’t or don’t want to change? Maybe you’ve spent years building a skill or expertise, and in order to change jobs, you’d have to start at a much lower level in another field. Perhaps your current job provides something that you do like – a short commute, good benefits – that you’re not willing to give up. Or it could be that, in this strange economy, you simply think the smartest move is to stay put. It’s easy to assume that you can’t change the way you feel about your job. We say to ourselves, ‘it is what it is.’ But there are actually a number of things you can do to enjoy your job more, starting today:
The Importance of Team Member Dress - Page 3
Notes From the “Safety Guy” - Page 4
Stop hanging with the haters. In every organization, there will always be some people who take great delight in trashing everything. Ultimate cynics, they’ll regale you with stories of how the boss is an idiot, the company is out to get you, the rest of the employees are chumps, and the work is ridiculous and meaningless. While there’s a certain mean-spirited, self-righteous satisfaction in taking the everyone’s-a-loser-but-us approach, in the long run it will just make you more unhappy. Hearing only the negatives about your workplace makes it hard to see the positives that may exist, and it ultimately will make you feel worse about yourself (if this place and these people are so awful, why am I still here?). Spending time with colleagues who have Continued on page 2
R
a more balanced view can dramatically shift your emotional response to your job.
who work for me.” Not only is he enjoying his job – he’s built a kick-ass team, and they’re getting great results.
Ask for more of what you like. Think about whether there are some parts of your job that you like more than others. It may be that your employer would be open to your doing more of those things. One woman I know, an executive assistant for many years, realized that the part of her job she really liked was coordinating events. She noticed that her company often engaged an outside resource to manage larger events, and asked her boss if she could take on some of that work. Her boss agreed. Now, six years later, her entire job consists of coordinating events for her boss’ part of the business – and she reports that she’s ‘having a great time at work, most days.’
Change Your Boss. Whether people enjoy their jobs is highly correlated with how they’re managed. A poor manager – disengaged, critical, selfserving, untrustworthy – can put a real damper on anyone’s work satisfaction. In mid-size or larger companies, you can look for a job working for another manager – especially if your job skills are easily transferable to another part of the business. Even If this isn’t possible, you can sometimes change your existing boss. Most people, when they have a less-than-great boss, just throw up their hands and assume they have to live with it. But fairly often, a bad boss is not a bad person – he or she is just bad at managing others. If you get clear about the one or two things you’d most like him or her to do differently, and ask for those changes in a respectful and hopeful way, you might be surprised at the positive response you get.
Talk to yourself differently. I often write about the power of self-talk; it’s especially important when it comes to enjoying (or not enjoying) your job. A few years ago I was coaching a very senior client who was unhappy because he’d recently found out that he wasn’t being considered as a candidate for the top job in his company. The CEO, my client was told, had decided to groom a younger executive for the job. For about six months, my client’s basic self-talk message was “Why should I stay here? – I’ll never get a bigger job, and I’ll end my career never having run anything.” We talked about whether he should start a job search, but he wasn’t ready to do that – a lot of factors both personal and professional tied him to his current job. Then he started to question his own self-talk: Do I really need to be the CEO to be happy? What’s wrong with my current job? He shifted his self-talk message to: “I have a big, complex, interesting job, and I can have a huge positive impact on the organization and on the people
Learn something. Often, not being happy at work just comes down to being bored. If you can do your job with one hand and half your brain – no wonder you’re not happy. Most people are happiest when they’re at an optimum level of engagement: neither under-challenged or over-challenged. If your learning curve has flattened out at work, think about what you might learn that would make your job more interesting and make you more useful to the organization: learning new skills or acquiring new knowledge can increase both job security and job satisfaction. Work harder. This may seem entirely counterintuitive, but it’s part of what I said earlier about the ‘right’ degree of challenge. You may feel like you’re being
clever to get away with clocking in at 9, leaving on the dot of 5 and taking a long lunch – but over time, only doing what’s needed and not a bit more is likely to backfire. In Dan Pink’s excellent book, Drive, he notes that ‘purpose’ and ‘mastery’ are two of the things we humans find most motivating: finding meaning in what we do, and getting really good at it. By just skating through work, you’re depriving yourself of both. Instead, think about where you could lean into your job to find more purpose, or to get more expert. Do you enjoy helping younger colleagues grow? Spend more time coaching people who report to you. Are you fascinated by the impact social media could have on your business? Talk to the folks in your business who are exploring that and figure out how to apply it to your work. Often just making the effort to find more satisfaction at work can have a positive impact. Realizing that your experience is more within your control than you thought can be a very positive thing – and could be the start of a long-term shift toward more happiness at work. Just think: you could make it so that Monday morning is something you look forward to… Erika Andersen is an author and the founding partner of the consulting firm, Proteus. Erika is an international speaker and has been featured in leading business publications including The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fortune, and Investor’s Business Daily.
ViafieldVoice 2
The Importance of Team Member Dress According to Wikipedia, a uniform means a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization’s activity. Uniform also means to be the same, and without any difference. If the dress of the members of an organization remains the same, then there is a sense on commonality which develops amongst them. Uniforms also depict solidarity, stretching all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire where dressing in the same attire showed unity, pride and a sense of belonging. But why is team member dress so important? It reflects our brand. Our brand should be visible in every aspect of our business! Team member dress is just another way to show customers what our organization is all about. No matter what area of the business you work in, how you present yourself to customers help set the tone for their experience with Viafield. It makes it easy to see who’s a Team Member. If a customer needs something, how will s/he know that you can help them if you’re not representing our brand? We certainly don’t want customers to accidentally ask a competitor for a product we sell! Uniforms make it easy for customers to know you’re a team member at a glance. It creates a professional environment. We know that our team members have very different backgrounds and lifestyles, but when they put their uniforms on, they’re all part of the same team. Uniforms help create a professional environment and help team members get in the right frame of mind to do a great job. It inspires customer confidence. Our products and your services might be great, but for many customers, the appearance of our team makes a big difference. Simply put, uniforms make Viafield team members look reliable and trustworthy. This lets customers know that they can count on us to do the job right. Below is the current Viafield policy for team member dress (page 57 in the Team Member Handbook). HR.460 - Uniform Allowance Effective Date: 9/1/2010 Revision Date: N/A Viafield does have a uniform policy for all eligible team members. This policy is put in place to promote professional appearance and unity among all team members. Team members in the following employment classifications are eligible to participate in the company’s uniform policy: Regular full-time team members To assist its team members, Viafield will provide an annual clothing allowance based on the fiscal year (September 1 to August 31) of $300.00 to be used for the purchase of approved merchandise or will make available a listing and/or samples of their clothing options for the team member to choose from. These items may be seen and purchased thru the internet on the Viafield web store. Team members are expected to utilize this company benefit and wear the appropriate clothing to work each day or when representing the company at meetings or other business related event. Items purchased on the web store will automatically be subtracted from your total allowance. Jeans, shoes and other approved items not purchased on the website will receive reimbursement with their purchase receipt. The date and item must be circled and expense sheet filled out and turned in to the location team leader. Uniforms that are torn, old, faded, or otherwise not professional in appearance, will not be able to be worn at work. Flip-flops, shorts, sandals, tank tops and T-shirts will also not be allowed at work.
ViafieldVoice 3
Safety Corner
Notes from the “Safety Guy”
Hello Team Members. As we travel for work or with family and friends for the upcoming holiday season, we need to always be aware of possible winter driving conditions. I know it is easier said than done, but if you can leave earlier, drive slower and safer, you will be a much better defensive driver. This will allow you to watch out for other people who may be in a bigger hurry.
Here are some helpful tips that will hopefully keep you, family, and friends safe during the upcoming winter driving season. Brakes: • Know your brakes: When your brakes lock up on wet and slippery roads or during a panic stop, you lose steering control and your vehicle can spin. • Anti Lock Braking Systems (ABS): In vehicles equipped with ABS, the driver’s foot remains firmly on the brake pedal, allowing the system to automatically pump the brakes. Rear wheel ABS prevents wheel lockup so your car stays in a straight line. If your car has ABS control on all four wheels, you also keep steering control. If you have steering control, it is possible to avoid a crash by steering around hazards if a complete stop cannot be accomplished in time. • Get the feel of the road: While braking or accelerating, do so gently. Be aware of how slippery the road is and adjust your speed accordingly. Rising temperatures greatly increase the slipperiness of ice and snow. • Brake before curves: All vehicles are particularly sensitive to over-powering and over-braking on curves. Unseen hazards around the bend may require an evasive action, so turn your steering wheel slowly and smoothly, keep a constant speed in the turn, and pump your brakes carefully if it’s necessary to slow down or stop. • Stretch your “following” distance: Knowing that winter surfaces increase stopping distance three to 12 times, the smart driver increases their normal dry road following distance. Heavy trucks require a longer stopping distance on slippery roads than passenger cars. Remember… don’t tailgate. Tires: • Make sure you have the right tires: Tires with deep treads are essential for safe cornering and handling on slippery roads. Check the air pressure frequently to maintain the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. Visibility: • Be able to see and be seen: Clean all the snow and ice off of your windshield, other windows, outside mirrors, lights, and reflectors. • Make sure your vehicle is equipped with good wipers: Check that wiper arms exert enough pressure on the blades to ensure a clean sweep. If moisture or ice builds up on the inside or outside of your windshield, stop and clean it off. Lights: • Use proper lights: Never drive with parking lights instead of headlights during late winter afternoons or in the early evening. Parking lights can cause an oncoming driver to think you are farther away than you are. Keep headlights clean; dirty headlights can greatly reduce your longdistance vision at night. I want to thank all of you for everything you do for Viafield and also doing it as safe and effecient as you possibly can. I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2015.
Kevin Davis
Viafield Safety Team Leader
Happy Thanksgiving ViafieldVoice 4
Scholarships Now Available The world of agriculture is important to the survival of everyone. It’s more than just growing food; it’s about a goal to preserve the value of the land where it is grown. At Viafield we believe in investing in the future of people who wish to pursue career fields dedicated to that same goal. A person has a better chance of getting the job they want in this field if they have a good education. We hope that this scholarship will
help ease the cost of covering college expenses and allow students to focus on what really matters, doing well in their program. If you are a graduating high school senior pursuing an agriculturalrelated major at any two - or four - year college we encourage you to apply for the Viafield Youth Ag Scholarship worth $1,000. Six of these scholarships will be given away every year. The following are the guidelines for students who wish to apply for this scholarship. You can download the application at the bottom of the page.
Student Eligibility • • • •
•
High school senior, graduating in the spring. Must intend to major in agriculture. Legal U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The student or the parent of the student must be a patron member of Viafield (a cooperative). Students of Viafield Team Members who are Class A and Class B coop members in good standing.
Visit www.viafield.com/scholarship for more details.
WinField Offers $1,000 Scholarships to 20 Students WinField is keeping the tradition of the Careers in Agriculture Scholarship Program, by announcing the kick-off for this year’s offering. Scholarships worth $1,000 will be awarded to 10 high school seniors and 10 college students in their first or second year who demonstrate scholastic achievement, leadership in agriculture and a perceived ability to contribute to agriculture in the future. For more information and to apply, visit www.winfield.com.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THIS YEAR’S PARTY AFTER CHRISTMAS January
Mark your calendar for the upcoming Viafield Party After Christmas. This year’s event promises to be one you’ll remember with great food, friends and even better entertainment.
10
Keep an eye out for your invitation in the mail.
You will not want to miss the party of the year! ViafieldVoice 5
A
D
D
I
T
I
O
N
S
Amanda Starr
Dustin Guyer
Position: Customer Service
Position: Agronomy Operations
Locations: Rudd
Locations: Arlington
Start Date: November 3, 2014
Start Date: November 17, 2014
Scott Tomlinson
Richard Wright
Position: Driver
Position: Agronomy Operations
Locations: Northwood
Locations: Arlington
Start Date: November 17, 2014
Start Date: November 17, 2014
CareerOpportunities “Check out our career section of the website... we want out team members to continue developing as Viafield grows opportunities!” Current Full-TIme openings • • • • • • • • • •
Agronomy Account Manager - East Region Agronomy Account Manager - Marble Rock Agronomy Operations - Arlington Agronomy Operations - Marble Rock Applicator - Arlington Applicator - Marble Rock Applicator - Randalia Feed Truck Driver (2nd Shift) - Elgin Shop Mechanic - Arlington Truck Driver - West Region
Congratulations We have a new Lil’ Viafield team member as of Saturday, November 22. Dominic and Danielle Vance welcomed their new baby girl, Aubrie Lynn. She weighed 7.8 lbs and was19.5 inches long. Dominic is an Agronomy Sales Relationship Manager out of our Marble Rock facility. Aubrie joins older brother Kolbie and older sister Kylie, who are very excited about bringing her home! Congratulations to the Vance family!
Current Part-TIme openings •
Operator (2) - Valley C-store - Clermont
ViafieldVoice 6
December Birthdays A number of Team Members will be celebrating their birthdays in December. Here’s your reminder to send them best wishes on their special day. Lori Butikofer December 3 Arlington Levi Wolf December 4 Rockford Duane Horn December 9 Arlington Rich Bishop December 10 Maynard Rick Davis December 11 Viafield Chris Menke December 13 Charles City Scott Hansen December 14 Carpenter John Swehla December 16 Clermont David Adams December 16 Arlington Richard Wright December 16 Arlington Patrick Moellers December 18 Maynard Lori Ahlf December 22 Charles City Nathan Schupbach December 22 Elgin Alex Laumann December 23 Randalia Shelby DeVolt December 28 C-store Sydney Michael December 29 Intern
UpcomingEvents December 1-2, 2013 - Cultivating Excellence 2.0 Meeting - Arden Hills December 3-4, 2013 - Cultivating Excellence 1.0 Meeting - Arden Hills December 9, 2013 - Safety Meeting - Charles City - 9:30 AM December 10, 2013 - LTL Meeting - Charles City - 9:00 AM-3:00 PM December 25, 2013 - Christmas Day - All locations closed January 1, 2014 - New Years Day - All locations closed January 10, 2014 - Holiday Party - K of C Hall - Charles City - 5:00 PM
Stay in touch with your cooperative through our social media outlets. Copyright © 2014 Viafield, a cooperative. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the express written permission of Viafield is prohibited.
ViafieldVoice 7
November 2014
Viafield Voice
Six Ways to Like Your Job More - Page 1
The
Six Ways to Like Your Job More Most people don’t love their jobs. In fact, many studies show that only about 1 in 5 people really enjoy their jobs, about 1 in 5 actively dislike their jobs, and the rest are fairly neutral on the topic. Since most of us spend more time working than doing anything else except sleeping, this seems unfortunate. Unless you’re the kind of person who derives more satisfaction from complaining about something than you would from enjoying it (I know there are some people like that), it seems as though it would be better to like work more.
Lots of how-to-enjoy-your-work-more articles focus on finding a different career, one that ignites and/or fulfills your passions. But what if you’re in a job that – for whatever reason – you can’t or don’t want to change? Maybe you’ve spent years building a skill or expertise, and in order to change jobs, you’d have to start at a much lower level in another field. Perhaps your current job provides something that you do like – a short commute, good benefits – that you’re not willing to give up. Or it could be that, in this strange economy, you simply think the smartest move is to stay put. It’s easy to assume that you can’t change the way you feel about your job. We say to ourselves, ‘it is what it is.’ But there are actually a number of things you can do to enjoy your job more, starting today:
The Importance of Team Member Dress - Page 3
Notes From the “Safety Guy” - Page 4
Stop hanging with the haters. In every organization, there will always be some people who take great delight in trashing everything. Ultimate cynics, they’ll regale you with stories of how the boss is an idiot, the company is out to get you, the rest of the employees are chumps, and the work is ridiculous and meaningless. While there’s a certain mean-spirited, self-righteous satisfaction in taking the everyone’s-a-loser-but-us approach, in the long run it will just make you more unhappy. Hearing only the negatives about your workplace makes it hard to see the positives that may exist, and it ultimately will make you feel worse about yourself (if this place and these people are so awful, why am I still here?). Spending time with colleagues who have Continued on page 2
R
a more balanced view can dramatically shift your emotional response to your job.
who work for me.” Not only is he enjoying his job – he’s built a kick-ass team, and they’re getting great results.
Ask for more of what you like. Think about whether there are some parts of your job that you like more than others. It may be that your employer would be open to your doing more of those things. One woman I know, an executive assistant for many years, realized that the part of her job she really liked was coordinating events. She noticed that her company often engaged an outside resource to manage larger events, and asked her boss if she could take on some of that work. Her boss agreed. Now, six years later, her entire job consists of coordinating events for her boss’ part of the business – and she reports that she’s ‘having a great time at work, most days.’
Change Your Boss. Whether people enjoy their jobs is highly correlated with how they’re managed. A poor manager – disengaged, critical, selfserving, untrustworthy – can put a real damper on anyone’s work satisfaction. In mid-size or larger companies, you can look for a job working for another manager – especially if your job skills are easily transferable to another part of the business. Even If this isn’t possible, you can sometimes change your existing boss. Most people, when they have a less-than-great boss, just throw up their hands and assume they have to live with it. But fairly often, a bad boss is not a bad person – he or she is just bad at managing others. If you get clear about the one or two things you’d most like him or her to do differently, and ask for those changes in a respectful and hopeful way, you might be surprised at the positive response you get.
Talk to yourself differently. I often write about the power of self-talk; it’s especially important when it comes to enjoying (or not enjoying) your job. A few years ago I was coaching a very senior client who was unhappy because he’d recently found out that he wasn’t being considered as a candidate for the top job in his company. The CEO, my client was told, had decided to groom a younger executive for the job. For about six months, my client’s basic self-talk message was “Why should I stay here? – I’ll never get a bigger job, and I’ll end my career never having run anything.” We talked about whether he should start a job search, but he wasn’t ready to do that – a lot of factors both personal and professional tied him to his current job. Then he started to question his own self-talk: Do I really need to be the CEO to be happy? What’s wrong with my current job? He shifted his self-talk message to: “I have a big, complex, interesting job, and I can have a huge positive impact on the organization and on the people
Learn something. Often, not being happy at work just comes down to being bored. If you can do your job with one hand and half your brain – no wonder you’re not happy. Most people are happiest when they’re at an optimum level of engagement: neither under-challenged or over-challenged. If your learning curve has flattened out at work, think about what you might learn that would make your job more interesting and make you more useful to the organization: learning new skills or acquiring new knowledge can increase both job security and job satisfaction. Work harder. This may seem entirely counterintuitive, but it’s part of what I said earlier about the ‘right’ degree of challenge. You may feel like you’re being
clever to get away with clocking in at 9, leaving on the dot of 5 and taking a long lunch – but over time, only doing what’s needed and not a bit more is likely to backfire. In Dan Pink’s excellent book, Drive, he notes that ‘purpose’ and ‘mastery’ are two of the things we humans find most motivating: finding meaning in what we do, and getting really good at it. By just skating through work, you’re depriving yourself of both. Instead, think about where you could lean into your job to find more purpose, or to get more expert. Do you enjoy helping younger colleagues grow? Spend more time coaching people who report to you. Are you fascinated by the impact social media could have on your business? Talk to the folks in your business who are exploring that and figure out how to apply it to your work. Often just making the effort to find more satisfaction at work can have a positive impact. Realizing that your experience is more within your control than you thought can be a very positive thing – and could be the start of a long-term shift toward more happiness at work. Just think: you could make it so that Monday morning is something you look forward to… Erika Andersen is an author and the founding partner of the consulting firm, Proteus. Erika is an international speaker and has been featured in leading business publications including The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fortune, and Investor’s Business Daily.
ViafieldVoice 2
The Importance of Team Member Dress According to Wikipedia, a uniform means a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization’s activity. Uniform also means to be the same, and without any difference. If the dress of the members of an organization remains the same, then there is a sense on commonality which develops amongst them. Uniforms also depict solidarity, stretching all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire where dressing in the same attire showed unity, pride and a sense of belonging. But why is team member dress so important? It reflects our brand. Our brand should be visible in every aspect of our business! Team member dress is just another way to show customers what our organization is all about. No matter what area of the business you work in, how you present yourself to customers help set the tone for their experience with Viafield. It makes it easy to see who’s a Team Member. If a customer needs something, how will s/he know that you can help them if you’re not representing our brand? We certainly don’t want customers to accidentally ask a competitor for a product we sell! Uniforms make it easy for customers to know you’re a team member at a glance. It creates a professional environment. We know that our team members have very different backgrounds and lifestyles, but when they put their uniforms on, they’re all part of the same team. Uniforms help create a professional environment and help team members get in the right frame of mind to do a great job. It inspires customer confidence. Our products and your services might be great, but for many customers, the appearance of our team makes a big difference. Simply put, uniforms make Viafield team members look reliable and trustworthy. This lets customers know that they can count on us to do the job right. Below is the current Viafield policy for team member dress (page 57 in the Team Member Handbook). HR.460 - Uniform Allowance Effective Date: 9/1/2010 Revision Date: N/A Viafield does have a uniform policy for all eligible team members. This policy is put in place to promote professional appearance and unity among all team members. Team members in the following employment classifications are eligible to participate in the company’s uniform policy: Regular full-time team members To assist its team members, Viafield will provide an annual clothing allowance based on the fiscal year (September 1 to August 31) of $300.00 to be used for the purchase of approved merchandise or will make available a listing and/or samples of their clothing options for the team member to choose from. These items may be seen and purchased thru the internet on the Viafield web store. Team members are expected to utilize this company benefit and wear the appropriate clothing to work each day or when representing the company at meetings or other business related event. Items purchased on the web store will automatically be subtracted from your total allowance. Jeans, shoes and other approved items not purchased on the website will receive reimbursement with their purchase receipt. The date and item must be circled and expense sheet filled out and turned in to the location team leader. Uniforms that are torn, old, faded, or otherwise not professional in appearance, will not be able to be worn at work. Flip-flops, shorts, sandals, tank tops and T-shirts will also not be allowed at work.
ViafieldVoice 3
Safety Corner
Notes from the “Safety Guy”
Hello Team Members. As we travel for work or with family and friends for the upcoming holiday season, we need to always be aware of possible winter driving conditions. I know it is easier said than done, but if you can leave earlier, drive slower and safer, you will be a much better defensive driver. This will allow you to watch out for other people who may be in a bigger hurry.
Here are some helpful tips that will hopefully keep you, family, and friends safe during the upcoming winter driving season. Brakes: • Know your brakes: When your brakes lock up on wet and slippery roads or during a panic stop, you lose steering control and your vehicle can spin. • Anti Lock Braking Systems (ABS): In vehicles equipped with ABS, the driver’s foot remains firmly on the brake pedal, allowing the system to automatically pump the brakes. Rear wheel ABS prevents wheel lockup so your car stays in a straight line. If your car has ABS control on all four wheels, you also keep steering control. If you have steering control, it is possible to avoid a crash by steering around hazards if a complete stop cannot be accomplished in time. • Get the feel of the road: While braking or accelerating, do so gently. Be aware of how slippery the road is and adjust your speed accordingly. Rising temperatures greatly increase the slipperiness of ice and snow. • Brake before curves: All vehicles are particularly sensitive to over-powering and over-braking on curves. Unseen hazards around the bend may require an evasive action, so turn your steering wheel slowly and smoothly, keep a constant speed in the turn, and pump your brakes carefully if it’s necessary to slow down or stop. • Stretch your “following” distance: Knowing that winter surfaces increase stopping distance three to 12 times, the smart driver increases their normal dry road following distance. Heavy trucks require a longer stopping distance on slippery roads than passenger cars. Remember… don’t tailgate. Tires: • Make sure you have the right tires: Tires with deep treads are essential for safe cornering and handling on slippery roads. Check the air pressure frequently to maintain the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. Visibility: • Be able to see and be seen: Clean all the snow and ice off of your windshield, other windows, outside mirrors, lights, and reflectors. • Make sure your vehicle is equipped with good wipers: Check that wiper arms exert enough pressure on the blades to ensure a clean sweep. If moisture or ice builds up on the inside or outside of your windshield, stop and clean it off. Lights: • Use proper lights: Never drive with parking lights instead of headlights during late winter afternoons or in the early evening. Parking lights can cause an oncoming driver to think you are farther away than you are. Keep headlights clean; dirty headlights can greatly reduce your longdistance vision at night. I want to thank all of you for everything you do for Viafield and also doing it as safe and effecient as you possibly can. I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2015.
Kevin Davis
Viafield Safety Team Leader
Happy Thanksgiving ViafieldVoice 4
Scholarships Now Available The world of agriculture is important to the survival of everyone. It’s more than just growing food; it’s about a goal to preserve the value of the land where it is grown. At Viafield we believe in investing in the future of people who wish to pursue career fields dedicated to that same goal. A person has a better chance of getting the job they want in this field if they have a good education. We hope that this scholarship will
help ease the cost of covering college expenses and allow students to focus on what really matters, doing well in their program. If you are a graduating high school senior pursuing an agriculturalrelated major at any two - or four - year college we encourage you to apply for the Viafield Youth Ag Scholarship worth $1,000. Six of these scholarships will be given away every year. The following are the guidelines for students who wish to apply for this scholarship. You can download the application at the bottom of the page.
Student Eligibility • • • •
•
High school senior, graduating in the spring. Must intend to major in agriculture. Legal U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The student or the parent of the student must be a patron member of Viafield (a cooperative). Students of Viafield Team Members who are Class A and Class B coop members in good standing.
Visit www.viafield.com/scholarship for more details.
WinField Offers $1,000 Scholarships to 20 Students WinField is keeping the tradition of the Careers in Agriculture Scholarship Program, by announcing the kick-off for this year’s offering. Scholarships worth $1,000 will be awarded to 10 high school seniors and 10 college students in their first or second year who demonstrate scholastic achievement, leadership in agriculture and a perceived ability to contribute to agriculture in the future. For more information and to apply, visit www.winfield.com.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THIS YEAR’S PARTY AFTER CHRISTMAS January
Mark your calendar for the upcoming Viafield Party After Christmas. This year’s event promises to be one you’ll remember with great food, friends and even better entertainment.
10
Keep an eye out for your invitation in the mail.
You will not want to miss the party of the year! ViafieldVoice 5
A
D
D
I
T
I
O
N
S
Amanda Starr
Dustin Guyer
Position: Customer Service
Position: Agronomy Operations
Locations: Rudd
Locations: Arlington
Start Date: November 3, 2014
Start Date: November 17, 2014
Scott Tomlinson
Richard Wright
Position: Driver
Position: Agronomy Operations
Locations: Northwood
Locations: Arlington
Start Date: November 17, 2014
Start Date: November 17, 2014
CareerOpportunities “Check out our career section of the website... we want out team members to continue developing as Viafield grows opportunities!” Current Full-TIme openings • • • • • • • • • •
Agronomy Account Manager - East Region Agronomy Account Manager - Marble Rock Agronomy Operations - Arlington Agronomy Operations - Marble Rock Applicator - Arlington Applicator - Marble Rock Applicator - Randalia Feed Truck Driver (2nd Shift) - Elgin Shop Mechanic - Arlington Truck Driver - West Region
Congratulations We have a new Lil’ Viafield team member as of Saturday, November 22. Dominic and Danielle Vance welcomed their new baby girl, Aubrie Lynn. She weighed 7.8 lbs and was19.5 inches long. Dominic is an Agronomy Sales Relationship Manager out of our Marble Rock facility. Aubrie joins older brother Kolbie and older sister Kylie, who are very excited about bringing her home! Congratulations to the Vance family!
Current Part-TIme openings •
Operator (2) - Valley C-store - Clermont
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December Birthdays A number of Team Members will be celebrating their birthdays in December. Here’s your reminder to send them best wishes on their special day. Lori Butikofer December 3 Arlington Levi Wolf December 4 Rockford Duane Horn December 9 Arlington Rich Bishop December 10 Maynard Rick Davis December 11 Viafield Chris Menke December 13 Charles City Scott Hansen December 14 Carpenter John Swehla December 16 Clermont David Adams December 16 Arlington Richard Wright December 16 Arlington Patrick Moellers December 18 Maynard Lori Ahlf December 22 Charles City Nathan Schupbach December 22 Elgin Alex Laumann December 23 Randalia Shelby DeVolt December 28 C-store Sydney Michael December 29 Intern
UpcomingEvents December 1-2, 2013 - Cultivating Excellence 2.0 Meeting - Arden Hills December 3-4, 2013 - Cultivating Excellence 1.0 Meeting - Arden Hills December 9, 2013 - Safety Meeting - Charles City - 9:30 AM December 10, 2013 - LTL Meeting - Charles City - 9:00 AM-3:00 PM December 25, 2013 - Christmas Day - All locations closed January 1, 2014 - New Years Day - All locations closed January 10, 2014 - Holiday Party - K of C Hall - Charles City - 5:00 PM
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