CHS Inc.

“The average American is five generations removed from the farm, so there’s a lack of understanding about what farmers actually do,” says Nicole Berg, Washington farmer, industry leader and cooperative owner. “We have to prioritize telling agriculture’s story, so we’re not always playing defense. Getting more people involved will help us create a bigger offense.” Berg is a fourth-generation farmer and former president of the National Association of Wheat Growers. She speaks up for agriculture in a big way. Along with her father and two brothers, Berg raises wheat and specialty crops near Paterson, Wash., and is a long-time member of CHS Primeland, based in Lewiston, Idaho. Hear how she balances farming and advocacy.

Our drivers cover a lot of ground each day making deliveries that support the businesses of our farmer-owners and cooperatives. It’s challenging to drive thousands of miles a year without a safety incident, but some of our safest drivers go beyond and earn the CHS Million Safe Mile Award. Only a select few have made it to three million miles since we launched the award in 2019. Lonny Pickerign is one of those select few. "I feel very proud to have reached this milestone,” says Pickerign. “For me, the key to driving all those miles without an incident is to be a conscientious employee and follow the rules set by CHS and the DOT. And, I love driving for CHS, so the miles and the time flew by very fast.“ Based at our Rosemount, Minn., transportation facility, Lonny is our longest-tenured transportation and logistics fleet driver with 36 years of service, starting with a division of Cenex before the company merged with Harvest States to form CHS. More recently, he’s logged about 3,000 miles per week delivering lubricants to several facilities. His manager, Chris Johnson, recently presented him with the award at our headquarters in Inver Grove Heights, Minn., and took him and his family to a Minnesota Twins baseball game. “This is such a rare accomplishment that it took Lonny 36 years to achieve it,” says Johnson. “It takes a lot of self-awareness and skill to remain accident-free for such a long stretch. Lonny’s calm driving demeanor, focus on helping others and commitment to defensive driving techniques are a few key reasons why he was able to achieve this milestone.” Congratulations on three million safe driving miles, Lonny.

Recent shipping disruptions at the Panama and Suez canals increased costs and made U.S. grain less competitive globally.     Neil Johnke, a corn trading expert with CHS, helps us understand the impact of the situation.    Since mid-2023, low water levels have frequently restricted Panama Canal traffic, while geopolitical conflicts have caused ships to avoid the Suez Canal. These issues force ships to take longer, costlier routes.    The Panama Canal's drought has led to restricted ship drafts and higher transit rates, rerouting many grain shipments from the U.S. Gulf to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing time and fuel costs by 30%. The Suez Canal has seen reduced traffic due to Houthi rebel attacks, further increasing freight rates and rerouting commerce.    “Our logistics experts are working tirelessly to find alternative routes and strategies to keep our supply chain moving despite these challenges,” says Johnke. 

You might ask: What's the potential for career growth at CHS? As a diversified and global company, we offer vast opportunities for your professional growth. You can learn, grow, and advance within the organization. Whether you’re just starting your career or seeking new challenges, our supportive environment empowers you to achieve your goals. Hear from Wendy Wondercheck, one of our recruiters, about how we prioritize employee development and foster career success.

We’re celebrating National Intern Day! Interns are important to CHS as a critical source of talent. Beyond that, “for both audiences – the company and the intern themselves – we have an offering that is valuable," says Jay Debertin, president and CEO, who started with the company as an intern with Cenex. Our internship program allows students to develop in-demand skills while working on real projects, be immersed in our businesses and connect with company leaders. Thank you, interns, for your contributions to CHS. #NationalInternDay #CHSIncIntern

One common area for internships at CHS is engineering. Meet Dawson Blakeslee, an electrical engineering intern at our refinery in Laurel, Mont. Working at a diversified company is something intriguing, he says. "I had seen myself working in a totally different field of electrical engineering, but with the help of this internship, I can see myself working more in energy." #CHSIncIntern

This summer, we have more than 200 students interning with us across CHS. They're contributing to projects across several functions and locations. Many of them are at our headquarters office in Inver Grove Heights, Minn., while others are at facilities across rural America. Here’s a peek at some of the highlights of our summer internship program. #CHSIncIntern

Part of our CHS intern experience each summer includes helping them be immersed in our business. One way we do this is by taking a group of interns from our headquarters office on a tour of ag retail facilities. This year's tour included a visit to a grain elevator, a refined fuel and propane storage facility and an agronomy campus, all within our Rochester, Minn., business unit. “It is important to expose everyone to the work at hand and have great young minds willing to learn," says Bryan Lewis, senior director of operations at CHS Rochester, who led the tour. "These interns are the future." #CHSIncIntern

In response to the devastating floods that have impacted our employees and farmer-owners in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota, we've stepped up to lend a helping hand. Together with CoBank and Land O'Lakes, Inc., we're donating a combined $100,000 towards relief efforts to American Red Cross. Funds will support disaster relief in various ways, such as safe shelter, food, supplies and health services. “As cooperatives, we understand the value of joining together to promote the greater good," says Megan Wolle, senior director, stewardship, CHS. "We’re proud to support the Red Cross as they help these impacted communities to recover and rebuild." Learn more: https://bit.ly/3xY3Tj1.

Review company performance across agriculture and energy in our fiscal year 2024 Q3 financial results, released today: https://bit.ly/4cVoweI.