The details have always been important to Gregg and Cindy Sauder. As farmers, they learned that paying attention to the little things paid big dividends in yields, profits and growth.
By paying attention to the details, Gregg and Cindy learned that precision placement paid huge dividends on their corn and soybean operation near Tremont, Illinois. Gregg experimented on ways to get precise depth control. He tinkered with seed meters trying to eliminate the skips and doubles that occurred in his corn fields.
Naturally, his neighbors kept an eye on this aggressive young farm couple. When others saw his improved stands, he started tinkering with meters for friends and neighbors. Then Eugene Keeton, the inventor of the finger pickup corn meter and the brush meter for soybeans, came to Gregg and Cindy with his newest invention – the Seed Firmer. And after testing and trial, the Sauders became the exclusive distributor of this revolutionary planter attachment. That was the beginning of Precision Planting – 1993.
Today, Precision Planting is the headquarters for new ideas and technology that contribute to better seed spacing, better depth control and better root systems. The scope of the company has changed to include proprietary meter components, the MeterMax meter calibration system, a broad range of Keeton Seed Firmers and the To The Max roller harrow.
Gregg always says he is better at raising kids than corn -- the Sauder family has grown, too. Now there are seven Sauder children that are active in the farm and in the family business. The company, now with 22 employees, operates from the family farm where all of the concepts are put to the test. After a decade of experimentation, the Sauders use an intense production system. Corn is planted in 20" rows at populations that vary from 34,000 to 42,000 plants per acre. Their drive for precision on their own 4,000 acre farm has attracted a lot of attention from producers, nationwide. Now, Gregg and Cindy are sharing their passion and their knowledge through grower meetings and seminars.
Gregg is a charismatic speaker with a broad understanding the agronomic systems needed to consistently grow 230- to 250- bushel corn in Central Illinois. His presentations cover the nitty-gritty specifics of starter placement, nitrogen management, population, using test plots to evaluate hybrid and fertility programs, planter management, corn on corn systems, scouting and tillage systems.