The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and ambassadors welcomed Crop Performance owner Jonathan Patterson with a ribbon cutting celebration. Crop Performance is located at 350 E. State St. in Bluffton.
Patterson grew up in the agriculture industry and was a participant in 4-H.
“I really like animals and as a hobby I show and judge chickens all over the country,” explained Patterson. “My degree from Purdue University is in agriculture economics with a minor in poultry science; I had a dream of working in commercial poultry industry. The poultry industry is very bio-secure; therefore, you can’t raise your own chickens and work for a poultry farm.”
Patterson decided to get into the agronomy and fertilizer business.
“I was able to work with an agronomist out of Fort Wayne that had a service territory of over 20 states,” said Patterson. “I didn’t know anything about fertilizer at the time; however, my employer was a very good teacher; I had the pleasure of working with him for over nine years and learned a lot about soil science and fertility.”
Four years ago, Patterson and his wife, Amber, purchased the building off East State Street in Bluffton to be used as a storage facility for an Amazon and eBay business. The 8,000 square foot storage facility soon transitioned into a fertilizing business. Crop Performance started to grow through building the customer base.
Crop Performance specializes in liquid fertilizers for corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa. Their products supply the nutrients and energy the plants need to achieve maximum yields. The solution is full of micronutrients, bio stimulants, sugars, and other important nutrients for the soil and plant. “The in-furrow application is applied as highly concentrated nutrients so the early seedling will get the nourishment needed to grow faster and healthier,” said Patterson. “Our goal is to impact the yield with smaller quantities of nutrients placed directly on the seed or beside the row for more nutrient efficiency and better return on their investment.”
“We often look over soil and tissue tests with our growers to identify nutrient deficiencies. From there we can make a custom mix to fix any problems,” stated Patterson.
In addition to the in-furrow treatments, Crop Performance provides foliar feeding for crops.
“This process allows farmers to apply nutrients with their pesticide applications,” Patterson said. “The foliar products give the plant a boost of energy or nutrients that may be lacking in the soil to keep it growing. The limiting nutrient is determined in the crop; my role is to come in and figure out how to fix the issue.”
Patterson said he works with farmers of all sizes. Currently the customer base is 300-to-10,000-acre growers. Crop Performance serves farmers throughout Indiana, Northwest Ohio, Southern Michigan, and Eastern Illinois.
Growing the business and adding employees is a goal of Patterson.
“We were fortunate to grow 85 percent in 2021 compared to 2020; I can’t sustain that kind of growth without help. I would like to take care of what I currently have, keep the relationships strong and acquire 5-6 new customers a year,” stated Patterson. “Due to the growth I have experienced so far, I was able to hire Daniel Fiechter just this month; that is exciting. We will be able to service our customers much more effectively and efficiently with two of us getting the work done.”
Crop Performance is a family business and Patterson wants to not only take care of the farmers but do what is good for the environment as well.
“We know how important it is for the soil and water conservation districts to not create pollution and run-off of nutrients into the creeks, rivers, lakes, streams, and ocean. Due to our business applying the product directly on the source, and spoon feeding the nutrients where they belong, this does not create excess. Moving forward, we want to convey how important this message is for conservation and sustainability.”
