October 2013
Connections
R
October 2013 Issue 36
www.viafield.com
Board of Directors
October is Pork Month
Viafield is a Proud Supplier to Area Pork Producers. Rick Matt / Pres Ron Balek / VP Rick Rex / Sec Steve Fullerton Karl Benjegerdes Brad Brownell Jerry Jellings Jim Jorgensen Dennis Meyer Rodney Shaffer Mike Staudt Jim Trainer
Clermont Manly Marble Rock Rockford Manly Westgate Oelwein Rudd Northwood Arlington Floyd Northwood
Pork, the other white meat, use to be the marketing tagline for the world’s most consumed meat. Now, the pork industry is trying to inspire people to rediscover the value of their products. And while the consumption of pork and pork products is still very popular around the world, it’s the dollars that pork production generates that continues to drive a huge chunck of the economy here in Iowa.
•
563-423-5293
CEO [email protected]
Steve Bodensteiner Rick Davis
•
641-330-9345
CFO [email protected]
•
563-419-9655
Operations [email protected]
Brad Foster
641-420-5685
Grain [email protected]
Mike Harden
641-315-2515
Agronomy [email protected]
Bill Hayes
563-426-5566
Feed [email protected]
Mike Kuboushek
563-380-6156
Manure management plans, soil and water conservation practices, air quality strategies, wildlife habitat management and environmental management innovations are all critical components of a pork producer’s operation. Livestock manure is widely accepted as a natural crop fertilizer and is a valuable commodity to Iowa farmers. The nutrients found in manure are vital to corn and soybean plants.
•
Did you know?
Contacts Kent Appler
•
•
Nearly all Iowa pork producers have family farms. Many are third and fourth generation producers and the number of young producers who want to continue the tradition is growing. Pork producers are committed to providing daily care for their animals in a way that protects the animal’s well-being. Most hogs are raised in modern, environmentally controlled barns to allow producers to closely monitor and care for each animal, provide ample food and water, prevent disease and keep them comfortable year ‘round. Producers actively participate in PQA Plus and other food safety and animal care programs to ensure the quality and safety of the pork products they produce.
We take great pride in providing area pork producers with feed and supplies that they need everyday. We thank all of you for your business and hope to continue to provide you with the products and services you need to succeed. QUICK FACTS ABOUT PORK
•
• • •
Energy [email protected]
Kevin Davis
563-387-7572
Safety [email protected]
Mark Wilbur
612-308-9339
Sales [email protected]
•
Iowa is the nation’s leader in pork production because of abundant feed supplies, leading production practices and responsible producers who provide the best in animal care. On average, 30 million hogs are raised in Iowa annually. More than 39,000 jobs are directly related to raising and caring for hogs. The industry generates nearly $950 million in household income. Iowa pork production alone contributes nearly $5 billion to the Iowa economy each year.
It’s Time To Set Up Your Grid Sampling Don’t continue to get low yields because of old data
As we are all preparing for the fall harvest season, we need to start planning for fall grid sampling. If you look at today’s high input costs and the present commodity prices, an up-to-date grid soil test of your fields is essential to plan for the future. By properly identifying nutrient levels with grid sampling, your Agronomy Account Relationship Manager can help you make the best management decisions for your fields. Fertility programs, crop yields, crop removal, soil types and different weather conditions all play a major part Brian Dirksen in dictating the change that have taken place in your fields since the last time it was sampled. That’s why at Precision Ag Specialist Viafield, we recommend that grid sampling be done every 4 years. This is especially important if your fields are due to be resampled this fall. With the extreme growing conditions that have happened in the past few years, we need to make sure that you’re not over or under applying crop nutrients for your fields and those nutrients are being spread in the proper areas. If your fields didn’t have a crop on them this year, it’s a perfect time to work on increasing the fertility test levels of those acres for future years. Our precision ag department provides fast turnaround times for your grid samples. By getting your acres lined up early, we can be in your fields right after you combine and get the results back to you within 7 business days. At Viafield, we use SST Summit Professional, which is the industry leader at processing raw data into valuable information. With SST, we can fine tune your fertility recommendations to meet your nutrient and financial goals. Every recommendation is tailored to you, we never use the “one program fits all” approach. Through SST Summit Professional, we’re able to bring in your yield data, give you an in-depth yield map and informative reports about your fields. We can also take that yield data and create a nutrient removal fertilizer recommendation to apply fertilizer on your fields. The yield removal data can also be incorporated into your grid sampling program and be used to further fine tune fertility recommendations. Some of you may have seen Viafield’s new Precision Ag Trailer at your local parades or field days this summer. Viafield is committed to bringing our customers the latest in Precision Ag. We are a full service Precision Planting Dealer and have equiped our new trailer with everything needed to come right to your farm and run your planter meters on our Precision Planting Test Stand. We can test most any brand of planter meter, finger or vac. Checking the meters now will give information on what you need to do with your planter before next spring’s planting season. You will know if your planter is ready for the spring or if you need to do some upgrades. With the ability to setup at your farm, our trained team can check over other parts of the planter at the same time. To learn more about our precision ag capabilities and how you can start getting more out of each acre, contact Brian Dirksen, Precision Ag Specialist at 563-380-8952 today.
Time is Approaching for Weaning Beef Calves Feed Update
The main goals at weaning time are to create the least amount of stress to the calves and to get them started properly on the correct feed. 3 easy steps we can take to eliminate stress include: • • •
Dehorn, castrate, provide immunization and booster shots well ahead of weaning. Bring the cows and calves into the lot two to three weeks prior to weaning to adapt to the surroundings (ex: water tanks and feeders) Creep feeding or preconditioning the calves so they learn to eat from the bunk before their weaned. Using products such as Stress Care Supplement and/or Rangeland Stress tubs will help with this.
For Information about feed products that Viafield offers for your calves, contact Mike Kirby at 563-419-9522 or [email protected] or Mason Kolbet at 563-920-2043 or [email protected]. Mike Kirby
Mason Kolbet
We Have The Energy to Make it Through Winter Energy Update
Well, here we are, October already, Fall is upon us, and another Harvest Season is under way. You know what that means...winter weather and those cold temperatures are right around the corner. With that in mind, there are a few topics I would like to touch on today. Fall Diesel - Diesel prices have been rising lately and where they will be after harvest is anyones guess. The Viafield Energy Team offers diesel contracting programs to help you lock in a fixed price that you can be comfortable with.
Mike Kuboushek Energy Team Leader
AFD - The Viafield Refined Fuels Team converted to the AFD Delivery Program starting December 1, 2012 and things have been going very well. In tanks that use large quantities of fuel, we simply put a monitor in to measure the fuel level for you. When the tank gets low, we have a truck routed to your location to fill it up. You no longer have to watch your gauge and order fuel. We take care of keeping fuel in the tank, and send you a bill at the end of each month Matt Katcher Mason Kleitsch for the fuel you used that month. You don’t have to pay for all the fuel stored in Energy Sales Specialist Energy Sales Specialist your tank, just what you used. 641-330-0942 563-379-7585 For further details and information on diesel contracting and AFD, contact your Viafield Energy Sales Specialist today.
Always Think Safety First
Harvest season can be a very dangerous time for producers Hello to all the Viafield Customers from your Safety Team Leader. I hope that you have all had a safe and enjoyable summer with family and friends. Now, as the kids are heading back to school, hopefully you are working on your equipment and preparing it for the fall harvest. Harvest time is a primary revenue time on many farms and is also one of the peak periods for farm injuries and deaths. Most of these injuries can be prevented through effective farm safety management. I want to share a few of these safety tips with you. • • • • • • • •
Kevin Davis Develop a “Safety First” attitude. Follow safe work practices at all times and set a good example for Safety Team Leader your children or hired workers as well. Be physically and mentally fit before operating equipment. Fatigue, stress, and worry can distract you from operating the equipment safely. So make sure to take frequent breaks and eat as nutritiously as possible. Pay attention to all safety information by reviewing the operator’s manual and replacing warning decals if needed. Inspect all equipment before operation and correct any hazards such as missing guards, PTO shields, and leaking hydraulic hoses. Make sure everyone who operates the equipment has the appropriate training and is physically able to operate the equipment safely. Shut down equipment, turn off the engine, remove the key and wait for all moving parts to stop before dismounting and/or cleaning equipment. Keep bystanders and others away from equipment operation areas. Establish “Safety Zone” play areas for children and hold them to it. Also remember “3 Points of Contact” (2 hands and a foot or vice versa) anytime you are entering or exiting any equipment or vehicle. Slip, trips, and falls cause many strains and sprains, up to and including death.
In the heat of the season when everything seems so chaotic, that is when we need to remain as calm as possible and do our work the safest way we can. As the famous writer Mark Twain said, “It is better to be careful 100 times, then to get killed once.” We want to partner with all our customers to make their farm businesses as efficient and profitable as possible, but with “SAFETY” always the first priority. Thank you for your business and BE SAFE!
R
1001 Blunt Pkwy Charles City, IA 50616
R
HARVEST CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAYS Take a break with us!
During harvest season, we invite you to lunch at the co-op. A custom that began many years ago at several locations, is a custom that we’re happy to continue. Enjoy a FREE lunch from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM on the dates & locations listed below. October 23 Arlington, Clermont, Elgin, Lamont, Maynard, Randalia, Sumner, Winthrop
October 24 Carpenter, Grafton, London, Manly, Marble Rock, Myrtle, Northwood, Rockford, Rudd
Connections October 2013 Issue In this Issue • October is Pork Month • Setup Grid Sampling Today • Weaning Beef Calves • We Have the Energy for You • Harvest Safety
Look inside for more info
www.viafield.com
R
October 2013 Issue 36
www.viafield.com
Board of Directors
October is Pork Month
Viafield is a Proud Supplier to Area Pork Producers. Rick Matt / Pres Ron Balek / VP Rick Rex / Sec Steve Fullerton Karl Benjegerdes Brad Brownell Jerry Jellings Jim Jorgensen Dennis Meyer Rodney Shaffer Mike Staudt Jim Trainer
Clermont Manly Marble Rock Rockford Manly Westgate Oelwein Rudd Northwood Arlington Floyd Northwood
Pork, the other white meat, use to be the marketing tagline for the world’s most consumed meat. Now, the pork industry is trying to inspire people to rediscover the value of their products. And while the consumption of pork and pork products is still very popular around the world, it’s the dollars that pork production generates that continues to drive a huge chunck of the economy here in Iowa.
•
563-423-5293
CEO [email protected]
Steve Bodensteiner Rick Davis
•
641-330-9345
CFO [email protected]
•
563-419-9655
Operations [email protected]
Brad Foster
641-420-5685
Grain [email protected]
Mike Harden
641-315-2515
Agronomy [email protected]
Bill Hayes
563-426-5566
Feed [email protected]
Mike Kuboushek
563-380-6156
Manure management plans, soil and water conservation practices, air quality strategies, wildlife habitat management and environmental management innovations are all critical components of a pork producer’s operation. Livestock manure is widely accepted as a natural crop fertilizer and is a valuable commodity to Iowa farmers. The nutrients found in manure are vital to corn and soybean plants.
•
Did you know?
Contacts Kent Appler
•
•
Nearly all Iowa pork producers have family farms. Many are third and fourth generation producers and the number of young producers who want to continue the tradition is growing. Pork producers are committed to providing daily care for their animals in a way that protects the animal’s well-being. Most hogs are raised in modern, environmentally controlled barns to allow producers to closely monitor and care for each animal, provide ample food and water, prevent disease and keep them comfortable year ‘round. Producers actively participate in PQA Plus and other food safety and animal care programs to ensure the quality and safety of the pork products they produce.
We take great pride in providing area pork producers with feed and supplies that they need everyday. We thank all of you for your business and hope to continue to provide you with the products and services you need to succeed. QUICK FACTS ABOUT PORK
•
• • •
Energy [email protected]
Kevin Davis
563-387-7572
Safety [email protected]
Mark Wilbur
612-308-9339
Sales [email protected]
•
Iowa is the nation’s leader in pork production because of abundant feed supplies, leading production practices and responsible producers who provide the best in animal care. On average, 30 million hogs are raised in Iowa annually. More than 39,000 jobs are directly related to raising and caring for hogs. The industry generates nearly $950 million in household income. Iowa pork production alone contributes nearly $5 billion to the Iowa economy each year.
It’s Time To Set Up Your Grid Sampling Don’t continue to get low yields because of old data
As we are all preparing for the fall harvest season, we need to start planning for fall grid sampling. If you look at today’s high input costs and the present commodity prices, an up-to-date grid soil test of your fields is essential to plan for the future. By properly identifying nutrient levels with grid sampling, your Agronomy Account Relationship Manager can help you make the best management decisions for your fields. Fertility programs, crop yields, crop removal, soil types and different weather conditions all play a major part Brian Dirksen in dictating the change that have taken place in your fields since the last time it was sampled. That’s why at Precision Ag Specialist Viafield, we recommend that grid sampling be done every 4 years. This is especially important if your fields are due to be resampled this fall. With the extreme growing conditions that have happened in the past few years, we need to make sure that you’re not over or under applying crop nutrients for your fields and those nutrients are being spread in the proper areas. If your fields didn’t have a crop on them this year, it’s a perfect time to work on increasing the fertility test levels of those acres for future years. Our precision ag department provides fast turnaround times for your grid samples. By getting your acres lined up early, we can be in your fields right after you combine and get the results back to you within 7 business days. At Viafield, we use SST Summit Professional, which is the industry leader at processing raw data into valuable information. With SST, we can fine tune your fertility recommendations to meet your nutrient and financial goals. Every recommendation is tailored to you, we never use the “one program fits all” approach. Through SST Summit Professional, we’re able to bring in your yield data, give you an in-depth yield map and informative reports about your fields. We can also take that yield data and create a nutrient removal fertilizer recommendation to apply fertilizer on your fields. The yield removal data can also be incorporated into your grid sampling program and be used to further fine tune fertility recommendations. Some of you may have seen Viafield’s new Precision Ag Trailer at your local parades or field days this summer. Viafield is committed to bringing our customers the latest in Precision Ag. We are a full service Precision Planting Dealer and have equiped our new trailer with everything needed to come right to your farm and run your planter meters on our Precision Planting Test Stand. We can test most any brand of planter meter, finger or vac. Checking the meters now will give information on what you need to do with your planter before next spring’s planting season. You will know if your planter is ready for the spring or if you need to do some upgrades. With the ability to setup at your farm, our trained team can check over other parts of the planter at the same time. To learn more about our precision ag capabilities and how you can start getting more out of each acre, contact Brian Dirksen, Precision Ag Specialist at 563-380-8952 today.
Time is Approaching for Weaning Beef Calves Feed Update
The main goals at weaning time are to create the least amount of stress to the calves and to get them started properly on the correct feed. 3 easy steps we can take to eliminate stress include: • • •
Dehorn, castrate, provide immunization and booster shots well ahead of weaning. Bring the cows and calves into the lot two to three weeks prior to weaning to adapt to the surroundings (ex: water tanks and feeders) Creep feeding or preconditioning the calves so they learn to eat from the bunk before their weaned. Using products such as Stress Care Supplement and/or Rangeland Stress tubs will help with this.
For Information about feed products that Viafield offers for your calves, contact Mike Kirby at 563-419-9522 or [email protected] or Mason Kolbet at 563-920-2043 or [email protected]. Mike Kirby
Mason Kolbet
We Have The Energy to Make it Through Winter Energy Update
Well, here we are, October already, Fall is upon us, and another Harvest Season is under way. You know what that means...winter weather and those cold temperatures are right around the corner. With that in mind, there are a few topics I would like to touch on today. Fall Diesel - Diesel prices have been rising lately and where they will be after harvest is anyones guess. The Viafield Energy Team offers diesel contracting programs to help you lock in a fixed price that you can be comfortable with.
Mike Kuboushek Energy Team Leader
AFD - The Viafield Refined Fuels Team converted to the AFD Delivery Program starting December 1, 2012 and things have been going very well. In tanks that use large quantities of fuel, we simply put a monitor in to measure the fuel level for you. When the tank gets low, we have a truck routed to your location to fill it up. You no longer have to watch your gauge and order fuel. We take care of keeping fuel in the tank, and send you a bill at the end of each month Matt Katcher Mason Kleitsch for the fuel you used that month. You don’t have to pay for all the fuel stored in Energy Sales Specialist Energy Sales Specialist your tank, just what you used. 641-330-0942 563-379-7585 For further details and information on diesel contracting and AFD, contact your Viafield Energy Sales Specialist today.
Always Think Safety First
Harvest season can be a very dangerous time for producers Hello to all the Viafield Customers from your Safety Team Leader. I hope that you have all had a safe and enjoyable summer with family and friends. Now, as the kids are heading back to school, hopefully you are working on your equipment and preparing it for the fall harvest. Harvest time is a primary revenue time on many farms and is also one of the peak periods for farm injuries and deaths. Most of these injuries can be prevented through effective farm safety management. I want to share a few of these safety tips with you. • • • • • • • •
Kevin Davis Develop a “Safety First” attitude. Follow safe work practices at all times and set a good example for Safety Team Leader your children or hired workers as well. Be physically and mentally fit before operating equipment. Fatigue, stress, and worry can distract you from operating the equipment safely. So make sure to take frequent breaks and eat as nutritiously as possible. Pay attention to all safety information by reviewing the operator’s manual and replacing warning decals if needed. Inspect all equipment before operation and correct any hazards such as missing guards, PTO shields, and leaking hydraulic hoses. Make sure everyone who operates the equipment has the appropriate training and is physically able to operate the equipment safely. Shut down equipment, turn off the engine, remove the key and wait for all moving parts to stop before dismounting and/or cleaning equipment. Keep bystanders and others away from equipment operation areas. Establish “Safety Zone” play areas for children and hold them to it. Also remember “3 Points of Contact” (2 hands and a foot or vice versa) anytime you are entering or exiting any equipment or vehicle. Slip, trips, and falls cause many strains and sprains, up to and including death.
In the heat of the season when everything seems so chaotic, that is when we need to remain as calm as possible and do our work the safest way we can. As the famous writer Mark Twain said, “It is better to be careful 100 times, then to get killed once.” We want to partner with all our customers to make their farm businesses as efficient and profitable as possible, but with “SAFETY” always the first priority. Thank you for your business and BE SAFE!
R
1001 Blunt Pkwy Charles City, IA 50616
R
HARVEST CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAYS Take a break with us!
During harvest season, we invite you to lunch at the co-op. A custom that began many years ago at several locations, is a custom that we’re happy to continue. Enjoy a FREE lunch from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM on the dates & locations listed below. October 23 Arlington, Clermont, Elgin, Lamont, Maynard, Randalia, Sumner, Winthrop
October 24 Carpenter, Grafton, London, Manly, Marble Rock, Myrtle, Northwood, Rockford, Rudd
Connections October 2013 Issue In this Issue • October is Pork Month • Setup Grid Sampling Today • Weaning Beef Calves • We Have the Energy for You • Harvest Safety
Look inside for more info
www.viafield.com
