Delivering Efficiency in the Heart of Iowa
How Prairie Ridge Ag Services keeps farmers moving ahead with the Maximum Farming System
For Prairie Ridge Ag Services, putting customers first isn’t just a business philosophy. It’s how they operate. As co-owners, cousins Derek and Brian Reinhart wear many hats. They farm in Polk City, Iowa, and are also Ag Spectrum Independent Dealers, seed sales representatives, and trusted advisors to farmers throughout the area. Reinharts understand the challenges growers face during the busiest times of the season. That’s why their team prioritizes helping customers stay productive, even when it means putting their own farming operation on hold. “Ultimately, our customers come first and the farm comes second,” Derek Reinhart says.
That customer-focused mindset has guided Prairie Ridge Ag as a Maximum Farming System dealership for a decade. After being introduced to Ag Spectrum, Reinharts were drawn to the company’s proven agronomic approach. “There was no real science behind what we were doing before,” Derek says about traditional fertility programs in their area. “Mark Doty, our Ag Spectrum Area Manager, approached us with something different. The System focuses on actually taking care of the crop.”
After seeing success on their own farm, Reinharts began sharing the Maximum Farming System with customers through their existing seed business. Today, the businesses work hand in hand, allowing them to help farmers maximize crop performance season after season.
“They truly do have farmers’ best interests at the forefront,” says District Sales Manager Shane Frantum. “They look at every operation holistically, and that has helped them become trusted advisors in the area.”
A key part of that support is Prairie Ridge Ag’s distribution model. Farmers bring tender trucks directly to Prairie Ridge Ag’s facility, where they quickly load product and head back to the field.
To keep customers moving, Prairie Ridge Ag has invested heavily in storage, pumps, and a metering system designed for accuracy and efficiency. “We’re to the point where we can get a truck filled in five minutes or less and they can be out the door and keep moving,” says Derek. “They don’t want to be sitting around waiting for product, and we make sure that doesn’t happen.”
These efficiencies help ensure growers have access to the products they need, exactly when they need them. Area Manager Mark Doty has witnessed how the focus Reinharts have put into their business benefit farmers. “Farmers knowing they can get the products they need quickly and with minimal hassle means a lot to them in the thick of the season.” Mark continues, “Customers know they can count on Prairie Ridge Ag.”
After years of implementing the Maximum Farming System on both customer farms and their own operation, Reinharts have a clear view of what drives success with the System. “Farmers willing to listen to the why and do all the steps, honestly,” Derek says. “The farmers who want to see the good yields, and are willing to put the work and time into it, they tend to be the ones that have the most success.”
For Reinharts, the System’s long-term value is straightforward. “The simple answer is that it works,” Derek says. “And it works over differing seasons and soil types.” Combined with Prairie Ridge Ag’s commitment to service, timely product availability, and hands-on support, their confidence in the Maximum Farming System continues to help farmers succeed year after year.
