Staff Training 2026 – Emily Bell, Marketing Manager

Each Spring, our team gathers in Des Moines for our annual staff training meeting, bringing employees from across our organization together for several days of learning, collaboration, and connection. This year’s training covered a wide range of topics designed to strengthen our knowledge so we can better serve our clients, including worker cooperatives, grain hedging and merchandising, cooperative equity, tax updates, GAAP disclosures, artificial intelligence tools, ethics and fraud awareness. The meeting provided valuable opportunities to learn from industry experts and one another while staying current on issues impacting our business.

Of course, the event wasn’t all work. One of the highlights of the week was attending an Iowa Wild hockey game, where staff enjoyed cheering on the home team and spending time together in a relaxed setting. A few lucky employees even got the chance to take a ride on the FanBoni—the fan version of the Zamboni—creating memories and plenty of laughs. Our annual training meeting continues to be a great opportunity to grow professionally while strengthening the relationships that make our team successful.