MCIA Job Opening – Seed Production Quality Manager

The position is full time with salary commensurate with experience. Individuals should have an energetic positive attitude, be responsible for individual projects, be able to manage and process information, have a customer focused mindset, be familiar with seed production, with understanding of seed corn preferred. The position requires in state travel with occasional out-of-state travel…. Continue reading →

A New Year, New Field

The field inspection season begins around mid-June and typically lasts until the beginning of October. Wheat inspections, along with other miscellaneous grain fields, will begin around 4 weeks before harvest and last a few weeks verifying genetic purity. Next are soybeans. Soybean inspections begin at R2 growth stage to verify blossom color and will usually… Continue reading →

A New Year

In the lab the crop year doesn’t follow the typical calendar year, in the lab the calendar year is June 1st to May 31st. The busiest time of year is over the winter. We will receive boxes upon boxes of corn, soybeans, edible beans, and other miscellaneous crops. During those months we dread seeing a… Continue reading →

Merry Christmas from MCIA!

From our MCIA Family to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas and safe holiday season! The MCIA Office will be closed December 24, 2021 through January 3, 2022.

Soybean Seed Quality in the Lab

The MCIA seed lab is seeing some lower quality soybeans as a result of delayed harvest due to warm wet conditions in October.  It is always interesting doing multiple tests on a particular seed lot to learn more about its quality.  It is especially true this year.  With seed – every lot is unique, but… Continue reading →

Congratulations to Joyce – 10 years at MCIA!

Joyce has been with MCIA since 2011 as a lab technician, where her main jobs were planting and evaluating seed samples. Joyce’s duties have now expanded to overseeing all aspects of the lab, from the intake of samples to the final billing. She is very systematic and thorough – characters we have come to rely… Continue reading →

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Thank you to the Producers and Farmers who put food on our table not only today, but everyday! The MCIA Office will be closed on November 26, 2021. Stay grateful, friends!

Corn Chowder Recipe (YUM!)

The temperatures are getting colder, which means comfort food! Below is a very delicious recipe from Joyce! Enjoy! Corn Chowder 6 strips of bacon, diced 2 medium onions, diced 6-8 small potatoes, pared and diced 2 cups water, divided 1 Tbl instant chicken bouillon 3 cups milk 2 cans cream corn ½ tsp salt 1/8… Continue reading →

Learn to Know The Beast

What exactly does it mean when a field inspector gives you a call and says, “I plan to be in your fields this week, just giving you a heads up!” That inspector is going to be walking your fields, taking six, 1,000 plant counts per field looking for variety off-types, weed pressure and types of… Continue reading →

Wake Up Your Seeds with Coffee

It has been said that hot Coffee is a substitute for bleach in a seed test which can be used to measure seed coat damage which can relate to seed germination. It is sometimes referred to as the clorox Bleach Test. In this test seeds are soaked in a weak solution of bleach and water. … Continue reading →