May 2014
Trailhead www.frcoop.com 1-800-233-6627 May 2014
We are “On a Mission” You know the situation: a person is hard at work, totally concentrated on the project at hand and probably doesn’t have time to be interrupted. They’re “on a mission.” As I consider what has happened at Farmers Ranchers Co-op over recent history and what lies ahead, the phrase “on a mission” seems appropriate for your cooperative, as well. Our mission statement reads:“Farmers Ranchers Co-op is committed to being a business partner with our patrons, efficiently providing products, services and expertise that enhance the profitability of our member owners.” The three words in that statement that best describe what we provide each day for our members are products, services, and expertise. In this issue you will find more about our continued commitment to all three factors of our mission. It’s evident, for example, in our feed department feature introducing you to Dr. Jennifer Saueressig, beef cattle nutritionist. Dr. Saueressig, who
has researched feeding corn ethanol byproducts to cattle, is bringing additional expertise to our feed department—a department that, in the last five years, has seen unprecedented growth in both tons manufactured and different rations developed. It has been exciting for the co-op to be expanding and improving the feed department and its quality personnel. You will also meet new faces at our Agronomy Center. In our last issue, we introduced our new manager, Justin Nelson. Now you’ll meet new members he has added to the team. Employees are the key to realizing our mission in agronomy: to grow with the everchanging needs of today’s farmer. You’ll also read about a new tire truck at Ainsworth, helping fulfill our mission to provide customer service. Last but certainly not least, our mission includes leadership. In this issue I welcome Mark Sedlacek, your new member on the board of directors. It is exciting to have a board that is committed
Manager’s Moment By Kent Taylor President & CEO ktaylor @ frcoop.com to the company’s success. Find out more about Mark and his thoughts for the cooperative on the back page. We are “on a mission”—a mission to help make your business successful. Famers Ranchers Cooperative is an extension of your farm/ranch. The work is hard, but it is most certainly worth it as we feed the world. n
“Farmers Ranchers Co-op is committed to being a business partner with our patrons, efficiently providing products, services and expertise that enhance the profitability of our member owners.”
Visit us at the Sandhills Ranch Expo June 11-12.
There’s a Doctor in the House By Rocky Sheehan, Feed Division Manager, rsheehan @ frcoop.com Not only has the Farmers Ranchers Co-op feed department invested in new facilities, equipment, and technology over the past several years, but we’ve implemented food safety processes, won quality awards, and continued to break records in terms of feed tonnage manufactured. We’re not stopping there. We recently added Dr. Jennifer Saueressig, beef cattle nutritionist, to our feed team in a consulting role. Raised on a cow/calf farm in south central Michigan, Saueressig received her B.S. in Animal Science from Michigan State University before pursuing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science, with emphasis in
beef nutrition, from North Dakota State University (NDSU). She worked as a research technician while at NDSU, later serving as beef nutritionist and technical support for Kalmbach Feeds in Ohio. We’ll be utilizing her expertise to help our sales staff better understand our products and the features and benefits they provide our ranch customers and their cattle—helping us develop marketing materials as well as adding value to the products we manufacture. “I appreciate that Farmers Ranchers Co-op is a progressive company and that their feed business is growing,” explains Dr. Saueressig. “They want to capture an even bigger
marketplace, and I’m ready to help them succeed in expanding their business even further.” What’s exciting for us is that, with Dr. Jennifer Saueressig Dr. Saueressig’s assistance, we’ll be offering a fullservice feed program and taking very good feed products and making them better. We’re beginning this issue with an article authored by Dr. Saueressig and cattle production specialist Darren Klein. n
The Aureo + Bov Advantage
Feed Focus
By Dr. Jennifer Saueressig, beef cattle nutritionist, and Darren Klein, cattle production specialist for Zoetis The combination of Aureomycin® and Bovatec® in feed is used to maximize health and performance of stocker and backgrounding cattle. Aureomycin is a trade name for chlortetracycline (CTC) and is used to prevent and treat diseases such as pneumonia, coccidiosis, and anaplasmosis. Bovatec, the trade name for Lasalocid, is an ionophore that enhances rumen microflora activity. Bovatec is labeled for improved feed efficiency and average daily gain plus the control of coccidiosis. The combination of Aureomycin + Bovatec (Aureo + Bov) promotes healthier cattle that are more efficient and productive. Kansas State University conducted an 82-day research study on grazing steers to evaluate Aureo + Bov combination in mineral. Steers consuming the combination mineral had 10% greater average daily gain compared with unmedicated control steers (2.64 lbs vs. 2.40 lbs per day; Figure 1). With increased gain comes profit. Calves consuming the Aureo + Bov combination can net $45.50 more than calves offered a non-medicated mineral (Table 1). The economics are simple, the Aureo + Bov combination can put money in your pocket by increasing efficiency and protecting cattle from disease. n
PAGE 2
Figure 1. Performance of Aureomycin + Bovatec
Table 1. Mineral Economics (example prices)
Control Aureomycin Bovatec Aureo+Bov
Price/ton $700 $780 $820 $900 Price/4 ounces $0.088 $0.098 $0.103 $0.113 Price/100 days $8.75 $9.75 $10.25 $11.25 ADG Improvement 0.15 0.21 0.28 0.39 100-day Gain 15 lbs 21 lbs 28 lbs 39 lbs Value @ $2.00 $30.00 $42.00 $56.00 $78.00 NET PROFIT $21.25 $32.25 $45.75 $66.75
©2014 Farmers Ranchers Cooperative. All Rights Reserved. Published in partnership with VistaComm® (www.VistaComm.com).
New Faces in Agronomy By Justin Nelson, Agronomy Division Manager, jnelson @ frcoop.com The Agronomy Center has added a number of new staff members to help service our customers in a timely fashion— whether it be in the field or at our facility. Our goal is to meet and exceed your expectations, whether with application, delivery of product, or agronomy advice and service. We’d like you to meet the new people on our team. In addition to the new faces here, our staff also includes familiar faces: Mark Ewert and J.P. Murphy in sales, along with semi-drivers Chop (Gerald) Watts and Mike Clark, applicators and drivers Bill Franklin and Will Rice, and driver Rose Franklin. In mid-July you’ll also begin seeing physical changes at the Agronomy Center. We’ll start a tear down of the old dry facility and construction of a new one. It’s one more way we’re staying one step ahead to provide you with top-notch agronomy service and products. n
Brooke Worden
Jeffrey Castor
Levi Hollenbeck
Jess Lammers
Ryan Simonson
APPLICATORS
Jarred Porter
Robbie Ashcraft
New Mr. Tire Drive Card Mr. Tire locations in Ainsworth and Valentine are now offering a credit card that can help you stretch out major tire purchases of $250 or more interestfree for up to six months. The Mr. Tire Drive Card can be used for purchases at any participating Mr. Tire location—a great idea for students away at college. Purchases of $250 and more also qualify the holder for a $25 gift card, and the card holder will receive double the rebate amounts from participating tire companies. Come in and we’ll walk you through the easy and quick online application. n
New Tire Truck Hits the Road This new, four-wheel-drive 2014 International tire truck is now on the road servicing farmers and ranchers out of the Ainsworth Mr. Tire location. The truck, with a remote crane, is operated by Dale Mapes. The new truck replaces a 2008 model that is now servicing the Valentine area. Call Mr. Tire for your on-farm tire service. After-hours service is available. n
Energy Focus
Kelsey Konken
DRIVERS
Agronomy Forum
OFFICE STAFF
PAGE 3
Farmers Ranchers Cooperative 224 South Main Ainsworth, Nebraska 69210
INSIDE TAKING FEED TO NEW LEVELS PAGE 2
People Focus
Back Home and Happy Mark Sedlacek wasn’t always certain he wanted to farm or ranch. Mark grew up working alongside his dad, Duane, on the Johnstown-area home farm/ranch— practicing his roping skills on any yard ornament on the place. But with high school diploma in hand, Mark headed to Northeast Community College in Norfolk focused on the automotive technology track and some day opening his own shop. That dream came to fruition. After completing the program and working in an automotive shop in Norfolk, Mark opened and ran his own shop on his father’s farm for five years. Then, in 2005, the ranching bug hit. He bought some land, cows, and equipment. “Working on the farm and ranch was home,” recalls Mark. “I missed it.” A lot has happened since then. In 2008, he and his wife, Codi, bought land southwest of Ainsworth. They built a new home that features mounted trophies from some of his hunting adventures, and a new shop that provides ample space to work on equipment. The couple had a son in 2013. And, in March, Mark was elected to the Farmers Ranchers Co-op board of directors. “I was approached about running and thought it would be a good way to be involved in the community,” says Mark. “The co-op is involved in so many things, it would be good to try and help out.” The cooperative’s products and services are not all new to Mark. A long-time customer of fuels, feeds, and Mr. Tire, Mark has a good grasp of the business, but he says he’s ready to learn more. He’s also ready to bring another young producer’s perspective to the board and share the knowledge he brings from his specific farm and ranch business. “I believe in the co-op,” says Mark. “We’re keeping money in the community and our
Mark Sedlacek and his cow dog, Diggs.
members actually get a financial benefit back. That’s very important.” Mark and his dad continue to work together, managing their cow herd and backgrounding calves on contract. They have also been in the contract haying business—at one time haying for Ted Turner on his ranches hours away near Ogallala and Oshkosh. They now concentrate on haying in the local area. Does he ever miss working in his own automotive shop? “There are days,” he says, “when the wind is blowing or it’s cold outside and working in a heated shop sounds nice. Other than that I’m happy with what I’m doing now.” n
Check out Hurley & Associates latest market commentaries. Go to frcoop.com.
We are “On a Mission” You know the situation: a person is hard at work, totally concentrated on the project at hand and probably doesn’t have time to be interrupted. They’re “on a mission.” As I consider what has happened at Farmers Ranchers Co-op over recent history and what lies ahead, the phrase “on a mission” seems appropriate for your cooperative, as well. Our mission statement reads:“Farmers Ranchers Co-op is committed to being a business partner with our patrons, efficiently providing products, services and expertise that enhance the profitability of our member owners.” The three words in that statement that best describe what we provide each day for our members are products, services, and expertise. In this issue you will find more about our continued commitment to all three factors of our mission. It’s evident, for example, in our feed department feature introducing you to Dr. Jennifer Saueressig, beef cattle nutritionist. Dr. Saueressig, who
has researched feeding corn ethanol byproducts to cattle, is bringing additional expertise to our feed department—a department that, in the last five years, has seen unprecedented growth in both tons manufactured and different rations developed. It has been exciting for the co-op to be expanding and improving the feed department and its quality personnel. You will also meet new faces at our Agronomy Center. In our last issue, we introduced our new manager, Justin Nelson. Now you’ll meet new members he has added to the team. Employees are the key to realizing our mission in agronomy: to grow with the everchanging needs of today’s farmer. You’ll also read about a new tire truck at Ainsworth, helping fulfill our mission to provide customer service. Last but certainly not least, our mission includes leadership. In this issue I welcome Mark Sedlacek, your new member on the board of directors. It is exciting to have a board that is committed
Manager’s Moment By Kent Taylor President & CEO ktaylor @ frcoop.com to the company’s success. Find out more about Mark and his thoughts for the cooperative on the back page. We are “on a mission”—a mission to help make your business successful. Famers Ranchers Cooperative is an extension of your farm/ranch. The work is hard, but it is most certainly worth it as we feed the world. n
“Farmers Ranchers Co-op is committed to being a business partner with our patrons, efficiently providing products, services and expertise that enhance the profitability of our member owners.”
Visit us at the Sandhills Ranch Expo June 11-12.
There’s a Doctor in the House By Rocky Sheehan, Feed Division Manager, rsheehan @ frcoop.com Not only has the Farmers Ranchers Co-op feed department invested in new facilities, equipment, and technology over the past several years, but we’ve implemented food safety processes, won quality awards, and continued to break records in terms of feed tonnage manufactured. We’re not stopping there. We recently added Dr. Jennifer Saueressig, beef cattle nutritionist, to our feed team in a consulting role. Raised on a cow/calf farm in south central Michigan, Saueressig received her B.S. in Animal Science from Michigan State University before pursuing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science, with emphasis in
beef nutrition, from North Dakota State University (NDSU). She worked as a research technician while at NDSU, later serving as beef nutritionist and technical support for Kalmbach Feeds in Ohio. We’ll be utilizing her expertise to help our sales staff better understand our products and the features and benefits they provide our ranch customers and their cattle—helping us develop marketing materials as well as adding value to the products we manufacture. “I appreciate that Farmers Ranchers Co-op is a progressive company and that their feed business is growing,” explains Dr. Saueressig. “They want to capture an even bigger
marketplace, and I’m ready to help them succeed in expanding their business even further.” What’s exciting for us is that, with Dr. Jennifer Saueressig Dr. Saueressig’s assistance, we’ll be offering a fullservice feed program and taking very good feed products and making them better. We’re beginning this issue with an article authored by Dr. Saueressig and cattle production specialist Darren Klein. n
The Aureo + Bov Advantage
Feed Focus
By Dr. Jennifer Saueressig, beef cattle nutritionist, and Darren Klein, cattle production specialist for Zoetis The combination of Aureomycin® and Bovatec® in feed is used to maximize health and performance of stocker and backgrounding cattle. Aureomycin is a trade name for chlortetracycline (CTC) and is used to prevent and treat diseases such as pneumonia, coccidiosis, and anaplasmosis. Bovatec, the trade name for Lasalocid, is an ionophore that enhances rumen microflora activity. Bovatec is labeled for improved feed efficiency and average daily gain plus the control of coccidiosis. The combination of Aureomycin + Bovatec (Aureo + Bov) promotes healthier cattle that are more efficient and productive. Kansas State University conducted an 82-day research study on grazing steers to evaluate Aureo + Bov combination in mineral. Steers consuming the combination mineral had 10% greater average daily gain compared with unmedicated control steers (2.64 lbs vs. 2.40 lbs per day; Figure 1). With increased gain comes profit. Calves consuming the Aureo + Bov combination can net $45.50 more than calves offered a non-medicated mineral (Table 1). The economics are simple, the Aureo + Bov combination can put money in your pocket by increasing efficiency and protecting cattle from disease. n
PAGE 2
Figure 1. Performance of Aureomycin + Bovatec
Table 1. Mineral Economics (example prices)
Control Aureomycin Bovatec Aureo+Bov
Price/ton $700 $780 $820 $900 Price/4 ounces $0.088 $0.098 $0.103 $0.113 Price/100 days $8.75 $9.75 $10.25 $11.25 ADG Improvement 0.15 0.21 0.28 0.39 100-day Gain 15 lbs 21 lbs 28 lbs 39 lbs Value @ $2.00 $30.00 $42.00 $56.00 $78.00 NET PROFIT $21.25 $32.25 $45.75 $66.75
©2014 Farmers Ranchers Cooperative. All Rights Reserved. Published in partnership with VistaComm® (www.VistaComm.com).
New Faces in Agronomy By Justin Nelson, Agronomy Division Manager, jnelson @ frcoop.com The Agronomy Center has added a number of new staff members to help service our customers in a timely fashion— whether it be in the field or at our facility. Our goal is to meet and exceed your expectations, whether with application, delivery of product, or agronomy advice and service. We’d like you to meet the new people on our team. In addition to the new faces here, our staff also includes familiar faces: Mark Ewert and J.P. Murphy in sales, along with semi-drivers Chop (Gerald) Watts and Mike Clark, applicators and drivers Bill Franklin and Will Rice, and driver Rose Franklin. In mid-July you’ll also begin seeing physical changes at the Agronomy Center. We’ll start a tear down of the old dry facility and construction of a new one. It’s one more way we’re staying one step ahead to provide you with top-notch agronomy service and products. n
Brooke Worden
Jeffrey Castor
Levi Hollenbeck
Jess Lammers
Ryan Simonson
APPLICATORS
Jarred Porter
Robbie Ashcraft
New Mr. Tire Drive Card Mr. Tire locations in Ainsworth and Valentine are now offering a credit card that can help you stretch out major tire purchases of $250 or more interestfree for up to six months. The Mr. Tire Drive Card can be used for purchases at any participating Mr. Tire location—a great idea for students away at college. Purchases of $250 and more also qualify the holder for a $25 gift card, and the card holder will receive double the rebate amounts from participating tire companies. Come in and we’ll walk you through the easy and quick online application. n
New Tire Truck Hits the Road This new, four-wheel-drive 2014 International tire truck is now on the road servicing farmers and ranchers out of the Ainsworth Mr. Tire location. The truck, with a remote crane, is operated by Dale Mapes. The new truck replaces a 2008 model that is now servicing the Valentine area. Call Mr. Tire for your on-farm tire service. After-hours service is available. n
Energy Focus
Kelsey Konken
DRIVERS
Agronomy Forum
OFFICE STAFF
PAGE 3
Farmers Ranchers Cooperative 224 South Main Ainsworth, Nebraska 69210
INSIDE TAKING FEED TO NEW LEVELS PAGE 2
People Focus
Back Home and Happy Mark Sedlacek wasn’t always certain he wanted to farm or ranch. Mark grew up working alongside his dad, Duane, on the Johnstown-area home farm/ranch— practicing his roping skills on any yard ornament on the place. But with high school diploma in hand, Mark headed to Northeast Community College in Norfolk focused on the automotive technology track and some day opening his own shop. That dream came to fruition. After completing the program and working in an automotive shop in Norfolk, Mark opened and ran his own shop on his father’s farm for five years. Then, in 2005, the ranching bug hit. He bought some land, cows, and equipment. “Working on the farm and ranch was home,” recalls Mark. “I missed it.” A lot has happened since then. In 2008, he and his wife, Codi, bought land southwest of Ainsworth. They built a new home that features mounted trophies from some of his hunting adventures, and a new shop that provides ample space to work on equipment. The couple had a son in 2013. And, in March, Mark was elected to the Farmers Ranchers Co-op board of directors. “I was approached about running and thought it would be a good way to be involved in the community,” says Mark. “The co-op is involved in so many things, it would be good to try and help out.” The cooperative’s products and services are not all new to Mark. A long-time customer of fuels, feeds, and Mr. Tire, Mark has a good grasp of the business, but he says he’s ready to learn more. He’s also ready to bring another young producer’s perspective to the board and share the knowledge he brings from his specific farm and ranch business. “I believe in the co-op,” says Mark. “We’re keeping money in the community and our
Mark Sedlacek and his cow dog, Diggs.
members actually get a financial benefit back. That’s very important.” Mark and his dad continue to work together, managing their cow herd and backgrounding calves on contract. They have also been in the contract haying business—at one time haying for Ted Turner on his ranches hours away near Ogallala and Oshkosh. They now concentrate on haying in the local area. Does he ever miss working in his own automotive shop? “There are days,” he says, “when the wind is blowing or it’s cold outside and working in a heated shop sounds nice. Other than that I’m happy with what I’m doing now.” n
Check out Hurley & Associates latest market commentaries. Go to frcoop.com.
