Quality assurance becomes part of agriculture

The Colusa Elevator Company in Wever may not be alone in recognizing the importance of quality assurance standards in today's global marketplace, but the elevator company does stand alone as the first grain elevator in the nation to receive ISO 9002 certification. Just as Iowa State University Extension has assisted business and industry in meeting the quality assurance requirement of ISO 9002, it now is supporting the creation of a production base of unmatched quality assurance in agriculture.

The Colusa Elevator Company at Wever is ISO 9002 certified.

"We saw that the demands of the marketplace were changing," said Nick Huston, terminal manager operator of the Colusa Elevator Company. "We wanted to be able to offer grains with specific qualities and provide users with assurance of quality. We want to make a contribution to production agriculture."

Huston began working with Lee County Extension in 1996, and extension director Bob Dodds sees the elevator's certification as offering a competitive edge as specialty crops become more common. Extension and the Southeast Iowa Agriculture Advisory Council, a coalition of 16 counties that explores ideas for change, currently are coordinating a pilot project to certify five producers in September. The same model then will be repeated with 10 more producers.

Fred O'Brien, QM Consulting Inc., assisted Colusa Elevator with certification requirements. In looking at Iowa value-added agriculture and the increasing need for identity-preserved grains, O'Brien believes this application of certification to agriculture has potential.

"It is exciting to be a part of this," O'Brien said. "The international marketplace wants to buy grains from specific locations and specific producers to be sure of the quality and identity of the grains."

These Iowans would like to see the complete agriculture circle become ISO 9002 certified -- beyond elevators and producers, to seed, fertilizer and other links. According to Dodds, ISU Extension can lend support as in Lee County, putting resources together with needs.

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• Last update: Sept. 18, 2000