*This story was updated to reflect both sets of events that occurred on August 17 – 18 and September 7 – 8.
DES MOINES, Iowa (September 12, 2023) — For the second time this year, the Landus Innovation Connector has opened its doors to farmers, showcasing the latest technologies and strategies in ag.
This year the Innovation Connector: Summer Series had multiple highlights that spanned innovation in healthcare management systems to virtual replicas of real Landus locations. Across these innovations, attendees rotated through seminars that covered the updated Innovation Connector space with six new vendors since the spring series, a reinvented Landus finance department, and a revolutionary way for farmers to access affordable healthcare.
Over 500 guests joined President & CEO, Matt Carstens for the first two dates of the fifth Innovation Connector Series. Starting with opening statements from Matt, guests reviewed the annual numbers from the last fiscal year, previewed new programs like healthcare through Otegrity, advancements in Landus Conduit, new financing options, and highlighted the small business vendors that participated in the spouse/guest segment of the Innovation Connector.
Internal estimates for the 2023 fiscal year are nearing completion. This year boasts two strategic location acquisitions in southern Minnesota and northeast Iowa, the announcement of a new Fort Dodge location, and a steadfast dedication to zero mergers. There will be more detailed dollar figures in the annual report, which is published in December.
Since the last Innovation Connector Series, healthcare was highlighted as one of the most concerning topics for farmers. During Matt’s opening remarks, he unveiled that Landus has commissioned Otegrity to provide tailored healthcare options for Landus members. Thank you to all the farmers who participated in the preliminary survey. Expect details on the plans to be announced on October 15, 2023.
The latest partnership Landus is proud to unveil is with Tesseract. Throughout the Innovation Connector Series, various ag conferences, and likely on your social media and news feeds, “data” has been a hot topic the ag industry is tapping into. Tesseract partnered with Landus to optimize the wait times at locations and monitor grain storage bins and truck loads. By building a digital replica of each location and tracking the capacity of bins and deliveries, Landus can get customers in and out of locations quicker and back to work faster. More information will be announced regarding the intricacies of this partnership and what farmers can do to optimize their own farm. For now, please review Tesseract’s website and LANDWERX’s website for information to come.
As the Landus GROW Solutions Center team has expanded and increased the number of farmers Landus can serve, the new business venture branch of Landus; Conduit, has drummed up business outside the state of Iowa. The farmer is put at the center of what they both do through these two expanding models.
Rounding out the evening, guests were invited to spend the evenings on the rooftop patio for drinks and face time conversations with Landus staff members. Attendees were also entered into raffles that included Iowa State football tickets to the Iowa and Oklahoma games, Solo Stoves, and JBL Bluetooth speakers.
Our next farmer event series will be announced on our website and social media channels!
