November 2010
Connections Fall Update Issue
www.viafield.com
November 2010 Issue 04
Board of Directors Rick Matt / Pres
Moving Forward with Community Involvement Clermont
Ron Balek / VP
Manly
Jim Jorgensen / Sec
Rudd
Brad Brownell
Westgate
Steve Fullerton
Rockford
Jerry Jellings
Oelwein
Dennis Meyer
Northwood
Karl Benjegerdes
Manly
Rodney Shaffer
Arlington
Mike Staudt
Floyd
Jim Trainer
Northwood
Rick Willert
Rockford
CONTACTS Kent Appler 563-423-5293 CEO [email protected] Brad Foster Grain Mike Harden Agronomy
641-454-2282 [email protected] 641-315-2515 [email protected]
Bill Hayes 563-426-5566 Feed [email protected] Mike Kuboushek 563-380-6156 Energy [email protected]
Viafield reflects on predecessor cooperatives involvement in the community If harvest season isn’t done already it’s certainly coming to a close. As a cooperative in the beginning stages, we want to reflect not only on the harvest season, but our involvement in the community. As our predecessor cooperatives proved, we are part of the small town communities we call home. This relationship is something we hope to continue as we move forward as your cooperative, Viafield. In years past supporting the community was achieved through many outlets. Whether through monetary donations to local schools for post proms, school yearbooks and sports programs, or being active in local FFA and 4-H chapters, our area youth is something we take great pride in. Often it’s a cliché to say, but young people are our future and we believe in supporting that cause. In the future, our goal is to continue these relationships with school activities and clubs aimed at developing our area youth.
Customer appreciation days are something we have implemented not only with our predecessor cooperatives, but something we have hosted in the early stages of this new company. These serve as a great opportunity for our team to not only visit with members of the cooperative, but our customers in the community. It also serves as a great way to say thank you for everything you do with us. We will inform you, our members, of future customer appreciation events we are planning. As your cooperative continues business operations, the foundation built on community involvement will continue to be a cornerstone of our core values. We are open to new ideas and projects that will allow us to become involved in the community. Please contact us with your ideas.
Announcing Viafield Financial Results Newly unified cooperative uses previous earnings as a benchmark. Along with reflecting on our involvement in the community, we have taken some time to evaluate ourselves financially and project ahead to the future. Two months into the unification of Farmers Cooperative, Northeast Iowa Cooperative, and Progressive Ag Cooperative, the financials for your new cooperative are still in the works. The best indicator of where we will be in
the coming year can be based on what each cooperative has done in the past. Although not the only predictor of our future financial status, this information does provide a window to the future. On page two of this newsletter you will find the financial analysis for the three cooperatives that unified to form Viafield.
Financial Information Continued from page one
Farmers Cooperative
Northeast Iowa Cooperative
Progressive Ag Cooperative
Total
Sales
$69,254,184.74
$123,010,069.00
$72,055,859.33
$264,320,113.07
Gross Margins
$3,998,242.64
$7,287,018.00
$5,125,476.17
$16,410,736.81
Total Expenses
$6,695,364.53
$12,268,812.00
$6,779,651.07
$25,743,827.60
Net Operating Savings (Loss)
$-129,176.27
$475,103.00
$1,118,737.79
$1,464,664.52
Net Savings (Loss)
$246,353.56
$1,788,256.00
$1,435,528.50
$3,522,950.06
A Different Kind of Harvest Season By Brad Foster
Brad Foster Grain Business Team Leader As of October 22, 2010 company wide we were at 91% of last year’s receiving’s on corn and 120% of last year on our soybeans. This is not our final on corn, but I think what it tells us is that you have accomplished in basically in 5 weeks what took us 2 ½ months to accomplish last year. This just goes to show you never
know what harvest will be like from year to year. This also speaks to how adaptable you and your cooperative need to be to be able to meet the challenges head on.
and we are now basically done with corn. We thank you again for your business this harvest season, and hope you enjoy the rest of your fall.
As you are reading this I hope your harvest is coming to a close. We have had great weather to reap our bounty of soybeans and corn, plus the fact that there was very little, if any drying cost associated to the corn harvest. With that being said I realize it created a few logistical issues with the grain coming in at such a fast pace. I would like to take the time to thank our members and customers for working so well with us during this time.
Website Information
It is amazing to think about how well operations went this fall. Bean harvest started about 5 weeks ago
Thank you The Viafield Team
The web addresses for marblerock.com and northeastiowacoop.com no longer exist. To visit viafield’s website please use www.viafield.com. If you are experiencing trouble viewing the webpage, this could be the issue.
Gearing up for Winter By Mike Kuboushek, Viafield Energy Team Leader year looks like anymore. Even though the weather is still pretty nice, we all know winter is coming. As you finish your fall work and are filling your fuel tanks for winter, don’t forget to order Cenex Wintermaster Diesel. We currently offer this product at the bulk plants and are ready to serve you.
By now most of the farmers in our area are wrapping up harvest and going to the fields to do fall tillage. It sure didn’t seem normal this year without the sound of corn dryers humming in the country for the last four to six weeks. That being said, it is hard to determine what a normal
Tank Maintenance Tips for maintaning your fuel tank this winter Implementing a tank maintenance program can drastically reduce your chances of having negative issues with your diesel fuel. Contamination by water and dirt entering the fuel as a result of careless fuel handling may cause poor diesel engine performance. Extreme care must be exercised. Fuel tanks caps, dispensing nozzles and hoses should be kept clean to eliminate potential sources of contamination. Regularly removing water from storage tanks, vehicle fuel tanks, and filter bowls is important. Dry storage systems will reduce injection system corrosion and biological growth.
Remember Wintermaster is a premium diesel with all the premium additives and is blended to perform down to -30 Fahrenheit. Also remember to let us know if you need your propane tank refilled before the really cold weather hits.
Refined Fuel Product Information For more information on Cenex Wintermaster Diesel or any of the refined fuels offered at Viafield. Please visit www.viafield.com and go to the Energy section. Descriptions of all of our products can be found on the webpage.
Rest assured that the Energy Team at Viafield is ready and willing to take care of all your propane and refined fuel needs this winter.
Water
Tank Maintenance Tips
Water gets into diesel fuel storage and vehicle tanks in several ways – by condensation of humid air, during transportation, by leakage through faulty fill pipes or vents and by careless handling. During fuel withdrawals, tanks can breathe in large volumes of humid air. Water in the fuel can cause injector nozzle and pump corrosion, biological growth and fuel filter plugging with materials resulting from the corrosion or biological growth. In cold northern winters, ice formation in fuels containing water creates severe fuel line and filter plugging problems.
• Tilt tanks to direct water and debris away from the outlet
Proper tank maintenance can limit the impact of water on your fuel. Follow these guidelines. Both vehicle and storage tanks should be checked frequently and maintained.
• Pressurize tanks to keep vapor and air inside • Drain and remove all contaminates every 3 months (or as often as needed) • Install proper filtration systems on bulk tanks • Filters: All engine manufacturers equip their engines with fuel filters to protect the fuel system. You should replace these filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. • Clean pump screens regularly • Sample fuel for quality assurance purposes quarterly • Clean tanks annually
PO Box 38 Marble Rock, Ia 50653
Financial Information Inside
www.viafield.com
www.viafield.com
November 2010 Issue 04
Board of Directors Rick Matt / Pres
Moving Forward with Community Involvement Clermont
Ron Balek / VP
Manly
Jim Jorgensen / Sec
Rudd
Brad Brownell
Westgate
Steve Fullerton
Rockford
Jerry Jellings
Oelwein
Dennis Meyer
Northwood
Karl Benjegerdes
Manly
Rodney Shaffer
Arlington
Mike Staudt
Floyd
Jim Trainer
Northwood
Rick Willert
Rockford
CONTACTS Kent Appler 563-423-5293 CEO [email protected] Brad Foster Grain Mike Harden Agronomy
641-454-2282 [email protected] 641-315-2515 [email protected]
Bill Hayes 563-426-5566 Feed [email protected] Mike Kuboushek 563-380-6156 Energy [email protected]
Viafield reflects on predecessor cooperatives involvement in the community If harvest season isn’t done already it’s certainly coming to a close. As a cooperative in the beginning stages, we want to reflect not only on the harvest season, but our involvement in the community. As our predecessor cooperatives proved, we are part of the small town communities we call home. This relationship is something we hope to continue as we move forward as your cooperative, Viafield. In years past supporting the community was achieved through many outlets. Whether through monetary donations to local schools for post proms, school yearbooks and sports programs, or being active in local FFA and 4-H chapters, our area youth is something we take great pride in. Often it’s a cliché to say, but young people are our future and we believe in supporting that cause. In the future, our goal is to continue these relationships with school activities and clubs aimed at developing our area youth.
Customer appreciation days are something we have implemented not only with our predecessor cooperatives, but something we have hosted in the early stages of this new company. These serve as a great opportunity for our team to not only visit with members of the cooperative, but our customers in the community. It also serves as a great way to say thank you for everything you do with us. We will inform you, our members, of future customer appreciation events we are planning. As your cooperative continues business operations, the foundation built on community involvement will continue to be a cornerstone of our core values. We are open to new ideas and projects that will allow us to become involved in the community. Please contact us with your ideas.
Announcing Viafield Financial Results Newly unified cooperative uses previous earnings as a benchmark. Along with reflecting on our involvement in the community, we have taken some time to evaluate ourselves financially and project ahead to the future. Two months into the unification of Farmers Cooperative, Northeast Iowa Cooperative, and Progressive Ag Cooperative, the financials for your new cooperative are still in the works. The best indicator of where we will be in
the coming year can be based on what each cooperative has done in the past. Although not the only predictor of our future financial status, this information does provide a window to the future. On page two of this newsletter you will find the financial analysis for the three cooperatives that unified to form Viafield.
Financial Information Continued from page one
Farmers Cooperative
Northeast Iowa Cooperative
Progressive Ag Cooperative
Total
Sales
$69,254,184.74
$123,010,069.00
$72,055,859.33
$264,320,113.07
Gross Margins
$3,998,242.64
$7,287,018.00
$5,125,476.17
$16,410,736.81
Total Expenses
$6,695,364.53
$12,268,812.00
$6,779,651.07
$25,743,827.60
Net Operating Savings (Loss)
$-129,176.27
$475,103.00
$1,118,737.79
$1,464,664.52
Net Savings (Loss)
$246,353.56
$1,788,256.00
$1,435,528.50
$3,522,950.06
A Different Kind of Harvest Season By Brad Foster
Brad Foster Grain Business Team Leader As of October 22, 2010 company wide we were at 91% of last year’s receiving’s on corn and 120% of last year on our soybeans. This is not our final on corn, but I think what it tells us is that you have accomplished in basically in 5 weeks what took us 2 ½ months to accomplish last year. This just goes to show you never
know what harvest will be like from year to year. This also speaks to how adaptable you and your cooperative need to be to be able to meet the challenges head on.
and we are now basically done with corn. We thank you again for your business this harvest season, and hope you enjoy the rest of your fall.
As you are reading this I hope your harvest is coming to a close. We have had great weather to reap our bounty of soybeans and corn, plus the fact that there was very little, if any drying cost associated to the corn harvest. With that being said I realize it created a few logistical issues with the grain coming in at such a fast pace. I would like to take the time to thank our members and customers for working so well with us during this time.
Website Information
It is amazing to think about how well operations went this fall. Bean harvest started about 5 weeks ago
Thank you The Viafield Team
The web addresses for marblerock.com and northeastiowacoop.com no longer exist. To visit viafield’s website please use www.viafield.com. If you are experiencing trouble viewing the webpage, this could be the issue.
Gearing up for Winter By Mike Kuboushek, Viafield Energy Team Leader year looks like anymore. Even though the weather is still pretty nice, we all know winter is coming. As you finish your fall work and are filling your fuel tanks for winter, don’t forget to order Cenex Wintermaster Diesel. We currently offer this product at the bulk plants and are ready to serve you.
By now most of the farmers in our area are wrapping up harvest and going to the fields to do fall tillage. It sure didn’t seem normal this year without the sound of corn dryers humming in the country for the last four to six weeks. That being said, it is hard to determine what a normal
Tank Maintenance Tips for maintaning your fuel tank this winter Implementing a tank maintenance program can drastically reduce your chances of having negative issues with your diesel fuel. Contamination by water and dirt entering the fuel as a result of careless fuel handling may cause poor diesel engine performance. Extreme care must be exercised. Fuel tanks caps, dispensing nozzles and hoses should be kept clean to eliminate potential sources of contamination. Regularly removing water from storage tanks, vehicle fuel tanks, and filter bowls is important. Dry storage systems will reduce injection system corrosion and biological growth.
Remember Wintermaster is a premium diesel with all the premium additives and is blended to perform down to -30 Fahrenheit. Also remember to let us know if you need your propane tank refilled before the really cold weather hits.
Refined Fuel Product Information For more information on Cenex Wintermaster Diesel or any of the refined fuels offered at Viafield. Please visit www.viafield.com and go to the Energy section. Descriptions of all of our products can be found on the webpage.
Rest assured that the Energy Team at Viafield is ready and willing to take care of all your propane and refined fuel needs this winter.
Water
Tank Maintenance Tips
Water gets into diesel fuel storage and vehicle tanks in several ways – by condensation of humid air, during transportation, by leakage through faulty fill pipes or vents and by careless handling. During fuel withdrawals, tanks can breathe in large volumes of humid air. Water in the fuel can cause injector nozzle and pump corrosion, biological growth and fuel filter plugging with materials resulting from the corrosion or biological growth. In cold northern winters, ice formation in fuels containing water creates severe fuel line and filter plugging problems.
• Tilt tanks to direct water and debris away from the outlet
Proper tank maintenance can limit the impact of water on your fuel. Follow these guidelines. Both vehicle and storage tanks should be checked frequently and maintained.
• Pressurize tanks to keep vapor and air inside • Drain and remove all contaminates every 3 months (or as often as needed) • Install proper filtration systems on bulk tanks • Filters: All engine manufacturers equip their engines with fuel filters to protect the fuel system. You should replace these filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. • Clean pump screens regularly • Sample fuel for quality assurance purposes quarterly • Clean tanks annually
PO Box 38 Marble Rock, Ia 50653
Financial Information Inside
www.viafield.com
