Naig impressed with use of technology at O’Brien County Ag Supply | News
Naig impressed with use of technology at O’Brien County Ag Supply | News
Publish Date: 2026-06-07 16:00:00
Source Domain: www.nwestiowa.com
PRIMGHAR—Iowa secretary of agriculture Mike Naig was impressed with O’Brien County Ag Supply’s innovations with technology during his visit to the Primghar-based agribusiness.
Naig toured O’Brien County Ag Supply on Friday morning, May 29, in Primghar as part of his annual visits to every Iowa county. He also made stops in Osceola, Lyon and Sioux counties that day.
After Naig entered through the doors of O’Brien County Ag Supply, agronomist Steve Koch and Naig discussed the agribusiness and its dedicated employees.
“We have a great working group that isn’t afraid to put in the hours and do the things needed,” Koch said.
He told Naig this is O’Brien County Ag Supply’s third summer using the latest technology from John Deere, running two field sprayers.
“The more observations you can make, the better,” Naig said.
“It’s taking some time to find that technology, make it work, how we’re making it evolve,” Koch said.
Naig asked what the noticeable result of the technology is, and Koch said they are using less product, spraying 20 percent of a field.
“That’s a great story to tell about how technology is enabling these things,” Naig said.
Koch said O’Brien County Ag Supply is adjusting through experiments and trials.
“We’re using less herbicides in the environment,” he said.
Naig said he enjoys seeing the experiments executed on farmland, compared to seeing the tests in labs at universities.
“I get to see lots of stuff in the test and demonstration category, so it’s good to see it in the wild, if you will,” he said.
“It is still a work in progress,” Koch said. “It creates extra opportunity for us.”
Koch gave Naig a tour of the facility and its bays.
Before the agribusiness made its home at 625 Industrial Park Road in Primghar, it was Black’s Farm Store at 320 S. Hayes Ave.
O’Brien County Ag…
