Happy New Year from Grainland
www.Grainland.Coop
January 2014
Happy New Year from Grainland Let me start out by hoping you and your families all had a safe and joyous holiday season. I love being around family this time of the year and reflecting on all the things we have to be thankful for.
Looking back 2013 was an interesting year for your cooperative. The biggest item, for sure, has been the start of the building process in February of your new shuttle loader. The project is on schedule and should be a huge asset to the company for many decades to come. The quality of the build is amazing, and the facility will be the first asset ever built with a 100 year-plus life expectancy. We are anxious to see if the facility gives us some of the capabilities we are hoping for and its potential is unlimited. We have seen a lot of repair work done to existing grain facilities and plans are in place to continue progress on making Grainland’s grain facilities the fastest and most efficient place to dump in our territory. Look for more “tweaking” by harvest next year.
New focus in all departments Rick Unrein General Manager
Our merchandising staff is revising our farm program and gearing up for your needs in the future so let us help you with marketing. Our Car Care Centers and Downtown have added some amazing new equipment and are now aligned with a major tire brand capable of making us very competitive. We are offering unheard-of pricing and a special kind of Continued on Page 6
Highlights from the past year
Works begins on the new shuttle loader
Car care department starts new tire program
January 2014 Precision ag continues to grow
1
Markets look much different than one year ago
W
hat a difference a year makes in the corn market! Last year corn was supported by bullish fundamentals due to drought and “buy happy” commodity funds that made corn marketing easy. This year looks to be much more challenging as the price of corn has dropped dramatically due to a bumper U.S. crop. In its November Scott Kirkwood Supply and Demand Estimate, the Grain Division USDA estimated prices for the upcoming year to be in a range of $4.10-$4.90. Does a “big crop” get bigger and put further pressure on prices? The USDA will let us know Jan. 31 with the final U.S. corn production estimate, and that is the number the market will trade for the rest of the marketing year. Watch for that report to be posted on our website at www.grainland.coop. Producers with bushels yet to market this year should set realistic price goals and take action when those opportunities occur. Setting these price objectives is often difficult. A good
way to determine a price goal is to decide profit per acre. By no means is this a sophisticated way of marketing; in fact many might consider it boring, but it helps you tune out “market noise” to be a successful grain marketer. Although we have just concluded corn harvest, it is never too early to start thinking about setting price objectives for new crop year 2014. If you need assistance in determining profit per acre, please contact any CHS/Grainland grain merchandiser. We have several spreadsheets we can share with you or work with you on them. Wheat The wheat market has been trading sideways since harvest. Strong wheat feeding prior to corn harvest and exports to Brazil have supported wheat prices in spite of the large selloff in the corn market. The current futures market environment is inverted, thus telling us the market wants the wheat now and not later. The first insurance price for 2014 wheat is $7.11. Producers should consider setting price objectives and placing target order contracts. CHS/Grainland offers marketing programs for corn, wheat, millet and sunflowers stored on your farm. We encourage you to contact any CHS/Grainland merchandiser for more information.
Your Grainland grain merchandisers
22
January 2014 January 2014
Scott Kirkwood Steve Young Perry Campbell Aaron Schaefer
970-774-6166 970-854-2254 970-854-3141 970-774-6166
Timely energy delivery our goal
W
e were glad to see the harvest go so smoothly in Grainland’s energy department. Jason Donovan did a great job of making sure everyone received their fuel when it was needed. We know harvest can be a stressful time and we work hard at Grainland to make sure your operation has what it needs, when it needs it. Now it is time to look forward to think about contracting fuel for 2014. Fuel contracts are available. Call me at 970-854-2654 or 970-520-2234 for prices. With winter upon us, rest assured that the diesel fuel at all our locations is winter-blended to 70/30 with Anti-Gel. This is good to temperatures of -25 degrees. And remember, it is always best to keep your diesel tanks full during the winter months. This helps with condensation in the tank so you don’t have problems later. If you have questions about the energy department, or just want to visit about options for your energy needs, contact me. We welcome your input as we work to make your cooperative even better.
Carolyn Arens Energy Division
HappyHolidays from everyone at Grainland! Austin Tharp joins energy department Austin Tharp joined Grainland’s energy department in early December. He is training to become a certified energy specialist. Austin is originally from Holyoke and grew up on a cattle ranch in the area. He graduated from Doane College in Crete, Neb., with a business administration and marketing degree last May. When he and wife, Vanessa, moved back to Holyoke, Austin was looking for a career that would combine his business knowledge with his passion for agriculture. He found just that at Grainland Cooperative. “I’m excited for the challenge to go out and visit with people I know,” Austin said, “to continue those relationships and begin new relationships too.” He will be based out of the Holyoke Car Care Center but hopes to be on the road most of the time, talking with producers and customers about their energy needs. He can be reached at the Holyoke Car Care Center, 970-854-2654, or by cell phone, 970-466-2463.
January 2014 January 2014
3
3
Meet Grainland’s new sales manager
Winter is time of education for agronomy sales staff
I
Ron Graff joined the team at Grainland in early November as the cooperative’s sales manager. He shares duties equally with Grainland and CHS/M&M Cooperative, a neighboring cooperative which is also part of CHS Country Operations division. Ron’s main responsibilities will be to put together marketing programs for agronomy and seed and get that information out to producers. All Grainland agronomy sales staff will report to Ron. “Hopefully, we can bring more marketing programs to the growers,” he said, “bringing chemical, fertilizer and seed together.” Previously, Ron had been seed coordinator and agronomy salesman for CHS/M&M. He has been with CHS/M&M for almost nine years. He has been in the agronomy industry for the past 25 years. Currently, Graff is based out of the Wiggins area but he travels the entire Grainland and CHS/M&M trade territories. He lives in the outskirts of the tiny town of Deerfield. As part of the co-op system, he enjoys giving back to the community and having a chance to help the cooperatives grow while also watching producers in the area prosper. After work, he likes to play golf when time and weather permits. He also runs a small catering business and loves to cook. This also gives him a chance to
spend time with family and friends. He has a son, Aaron, 31, and a daughter, Amber, 28. Contact Ron at 970-768-3941. 4
January 2014
want to first thank our producers for their business in 2013. We work to maintain a high level of customer service for our producers. Last spring was a challenge as everyone worked tirelessly in the short timeframe we had, and we appreciate the patience of both our employees and our producers during that time. Now we are looking towards 2014. Over the coming winter months, our agronomy sales staff will be attending meetings to keep their licenses up to date while also making sure they have the most recent information to share with producers. Grainland will also be offering two recertification meetings for private applicators with dates to be Cal Birkhofer announced soon. You can always check out our Agronomy Division website at www.grainland.coop where we post information regularly. As we look ahead, the 2014 wheat crop is in the ground and looking good so we want to take care of that. Grainland will again be offering dual application wheat top-dressing programs. The main benefit of a top-dressing program is getting the nitrogen to the root zone when the wheat wakes up in the spring. After top-dressing, producers can then come back with weed killer and fertilizer for a second boost. We are again offering prepay programs on fertilizer and chemicals. Please keep in touch with your sales person as he will have all the latest prices. I expect our sales staff to contact each and every one of our producers if they haven’t already to keep producers informed about the latest offerings from Grainland. There are also many ways to get special financing, even 0% in some cases. Sales staff will have all the details. We have hired a new sales manager. Ron Graff will be working with Grainland sales staff to bring the latest programs and information to our producers. Learn more about Ron in the column on the left. There is also a new staff member in our precision ag department. Mackade Skinner will be assisting Taylor Horton in bringing CHS YieldPoint Complete technology and information to our producers. Learn more about Mackade on the next page. Looking forward to spring, I am optimistic. Good moisture in late summer and into fall has set us in the right direction. As always, if you have any ideas or concerns, contact me. Customer service is our number-one priority. Thank you for doing business with Grainland, a member-owned cooperative. We are here to help you.
Now is the perfect time for soil sampling on your farm Now is the time to consider soil sampling on your farm. As activities slow down over the winter months, it’s the perfect time to take soil samples in your fields. The information you get back from those soil samples can be used to make fertilizer decisions and plan for next year’s crop. And with prepay incentives, you want to have the most accurate information as soon as possible. Contact your Grainland agronomy team about taking soil samples now so you can have the best information to prepare for the season ahead. Don’t forget to talk to our agronomy team about CHS YieldPoint Complete. This variable rate program Taylor Horton can help you increase yields and profits. Now is a Precision Agriculture great time to review your yield data, set goals and discuss the YieldPoint Complete program. YieldPoint Complete includes: →→ Field Mapping →→ Satellite Imagery →→ One soil sample per zone →→ One tissue sample per zone →→ VRT Prescription Generation →→ One VRT Application (dry or liquid) →→ As-Applied Map Generation →→ Year- end report Acres for this program are limited so contact your Grainland agronomy team to discuss your plans for spring. This is the second year we are offering this program to growers. We have seen positive results from last season. For example, one farmer who used YieldPoint Complete saw increased consistency throughout many of his fields because of the precision ag practices he put into place. The goal of this program is to maximize producers’ return on investment. We take pride in being a fast adopter of technology advancements and we want to help you implement those technologies on your farm. Contact your Grainland agronomy team for more information.
Precision Ag department continues to grow
Meet Mackade Skinner, who joined Grainland’s precision agriculture department on Nov. 18. Mackade is a native of Holyoke. He didn’t grow up on a farm near Holyoke, but he often helped friends and farmers. “Living in a town like this, you can’t help but be exposed to agriculture and a lot of things included with it,” he said. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in land use with an emphasis in planning, Mackade decided to move back to Holyoke to raise his family. He was looking for a job that was agriculture-related but would also complement his degree. When he heard about an opening in Grainland’s precision ag department, he was excited about the chance to try the new career. In his new job, Mackade uses the software and hardware available through CHS YieldPoint Complete to assist farmers with creating management zones to improve input efficiencies while also creating better return on investments. He works closely with Taylor Horton, who heads the precision ag department. “It’s by far the most satsifying career I’ve been a part of,” Mackade said. Mackade and wife Amanda have two children, Gavin, 2, and Ethan, 4 months. Amanda works from home where she does finance management for Elitch Gardens of Denver. Contact Mackade at 970-466-0266 or [email protected].
January 2014
5
Unrein
Continued from Page 1
credit for those who need it.Agronomy continues to fine tune our personnel and equipment situation to give you even better service in the future. Our precision program is continuing to prove itself with the performance we expected. The feed mill is getting an OSHA facelift and a new focus will be coming in 2014. Our Petroleum Division and convenience stores are making some changes that everyone will welcome this year. With Gary Peintner’s retirement, your accounting staff is making some adjustments under Rick Cumming’s direction and will continue to bring you outstanding service. 2014 is setting up to be an interesting and challenging year, and your cooperative is ready to attack the issues as your partners in any way possible.
Staff changes We had two gentlemen that have long rich histories retire in December.
Gary Peintner dedicated his entire 37-year career to the cooperative system, all to the owners in our area. From accountant to manager to chief operating officer, Gary has given his best to make things work in good and trying times. Always a team player, Gary’s input and leadership was well respected through the Hyline years and on to today. His input will be missed. Denny Grauberger spent 27 years in our system, all of them in a leadership role in the feed division. Denny was as dependable as they come and always placed his customers first. His laugh was as contagious as his customers’ loyalty and a lot of changes took place during his tenure. These two men were great teammates and true friends and I wish them all the best in their retirement. Thanks so much to Jody and Linda for putting up with their cooperative husbands — the hours and all that goes along with being a part of it. Thanks to all of you who came to their retirement luncheons and we will honor them again at our annual meeting in March.
Congratulations to Steve Young who will take over in the Assistant Manager position, Randy Gibbs the feed manager, and Rick Cumming as controller. These gentlemen believe in CHS/Grainland and will continue with their current duties while accepting the added responsibilities with positive attitudes. We continue to train your staff and hire new people whom we hope will make an impact for a long time to come with your cooperative. Succession planning is a real priority in the near future. Once again I personally wish you all the best in 2014. You have a wonderful and dedicated staff. We respect your opinions and need your business so we can continue to help you, our owners, grow your business and support the communities we love to live in. Thank you very much for your business and my door is always open. Please feel free to share your opinions with me. I hope to see you all at the annual meeting.
Check out our website, www.grainland.coop, for the latest information, as well as useful tips like the winter weather communication guidelines below.
CDC Checklist: Winter Weather Communication
6
January 2014
+ Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure: • Battery-powered radio (for listening to local emergency instructions). Have extra batteries. • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver (for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts). See www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr for more information + Find out how your community warns the public about severe weather: • Siren • Radio • TV + Listen to emergency broadcasts + Know what winter storm warning terms mean: • Winter weather advisory: expect winter weather conditions to cause inconvenience and hazards • Frost/Freeze warning: expect below-freezing temperatures • Winter storm watch: Be alert; a storm is likely • Winter storm warning: take action; the storm is in or entering the area. • Blizzard warning: seek refuge immediately! Snow and strong winds, near-zero visibility, deep snow drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
Steering into the future As Bill Garretson begins his third year on the Grainland board, his only regret is that he didn’t get on the board sooner. “I always thought I never had enough time to be on the board, but now I wish I had done it sooner,” Bill said. “These cooperatives and companies need to have input from their patrons. It’s important to know what the people are wanting. They need this guidance from the other side.” Bill, a dryland and irrigated farmer who lives north of Haxtun, has been farming for 30 years. He always knew he would one day take over the family farm from his father, and did just that after a few years in college. “I started out in the school of hard knocks right off,” he said with a chuckle. “But I like my job. I like how you are always doing something different. By the time you get tired of doing one thing, you go on to another thing.” When he was asked to run for the Grainland board in 2011, he decided he had been farming long enough and his operation was running the way he had always envisioned it, so he had the time to put toward the board. “I’m a person that likes to be involved,” he said. “I like to be part of the solution instead of just stepping back and complaining.” He was surprised at how much he has learned since he joined the board. “There’s more to it than I thought,” he said. “It was quite an eye opener for me.” He is seeing the cooperative from both sides of the fence, and he recently returned from CHS’s annual meeting in
Minneapolis, Dec. 5-6. While there, he enjoyed learning more about the global presence of CHS and how that benefits the U.S. farmer, both for export of products and import of farm nutrients. He also learned more about the increase in refinery output to supply the midsection of the U.S. with diesel fuel. Bill said boards serve two basic purposes: representing the farmers to get the services, price and products they need, and steering the cooperative in the direction it needs to go by making sound financial decisions. “I think the biggest strength of Grainland is it’s a full-service cooperative,” Bill said. “It provides just about everything the community needs and it is a part of the community. It pays taxes. It is the first one to donate to community causes, and it is a major employer in Phillips County.” As Grainland continues to serve its rural agricultural community, Bill sees agriculture facing some major challenges. “Right now, I think our biggest problem is our loss of political clout in our rural areas and the increase in government mandates, regulations and paperwork,” he said. He said redistricting is turning the voting public more urban. And urban voters don’t understand the issues facing
Bill Garretson Grainland Co-op Board Member
rural communities. Regulations and paperwork are pushing farms to become bigger and bigger to keep up with the paperwork. “I don’t think the family farms are gone, but I think the small farms are gone,” he said. Bill and his wife, Darcy, have one daughter, Kelsey, who is a sophomore at the University of Wyoming. Darcy is superintendent of Haxtun Schools.
January January 2014 2014 7
7
PO Box 118 Holyoke, CO 80734
www.Grainland.Coop
Happy Holidays!
Have you heard about Tanks for Thanks? There are lots of people out there who go above and beyond to serve their communities. It’s about time they get a little something back. Now you can nominate them to receive free fuel from Cenex®. We’ll have monthly drawings to celebrate these good deeds. Go to withyou.cenex.com/tanks-of-thanks/ to nominate someone. Melinda Cox of Haxtun was nominated for her dedication. GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Melinda Cox Haxtun, CO Melinda works as a teacher’s aide in our school. All the kids love her and she is always there for them and has their best interests at heart. She is very active in her church and community. Our community reached out to her family when her son was seriously injured in an accident. She is now giving back, helping wherever she can.
8
January 2014
Newsletter production by Jennifer Chick/In the Ink
January 2014
Happy New Year from Grainland Let me start out by hoping you and your families all had a safe and joyous holiday season. I love being around family this time of the year and reflecting on all the things we have to be thankful for.
Looking back 2013 was an interesting year for your cooperative. The biggest item, for sure, has been the start of the building process in February of your new shuttle loader. The project is on schedule and should be a huge asset to the company for many decades to come. The quality of the build is amazing, and the facility will be the first asset ever built with a 100 year-plus life expectancy. We are anxious to see if the facility gives us some of the capabilities we are hoping for and its potential is unlimited. We have seen a lot of repair work done to existing grain facilities and plans are in place to continue progress on making Grainland’s grain facilities the fastest and most efficient place to dump in our territory. Look for more “tweaking” by harvest next year.
New focus in all departments Rick Unrein General Manager
Our merchandising staff is revising our farm program and gearing up for your needs in the future so let us help you with marketing. Our Car Care Centers and Downtown have added some amazing new equipment and are now aligned with a major tire brand capable of making us very competitive. We are offering unheard-of pricing and a special kind of Continued on Page 6
Highlights from the past year
Works begins on the new shuttle loader
Car care department starts new tire program
January 2014 Precision ag continues to grow
1
Markets look much different than one year ago
W
hat a difference a year makes in the corn market! Last year corn was supported by bullish fundamentals due to drought and “buy happy” commodity funds that made corn marketing easy. This year looks to be much more challenging as the price of corn has dropped dramatically due to a bumper U.S. crop. In its November Scott Kirkwood Supply and Demand Estimate, the Grain Division USDA estimated prices for the upcoming year to be in a range of $4.10-$4.90. Does a “big crop” get bigger and put further pressure on prices? The USDA will let us know Jan. 31 with the final U.S. corn production estimate, and that is the number the market will trade for the rest of the marketing year. Watch for that report to be posted on our website at www.grainland.coop. Producers with bushels yet to market this year should set realistic price goals and take action when those opportunities occur. Setting these price objectives is often difficult. A good
way to determine a price goal is to decide profit per acre. By no means is this a sophisticated way of marketing; in fact many might consider it boring, but it helps you tune out “market noise” to be a successful grain marketer. Although we have just concluded corn harvest, it is never too early to start thinking about setting price objectives for new crop year 2014. If you need assistance in determining profit per acre, please contact any CHS/Grainland grain merchandiser. We have several spreadsheets we can share with you or work with you on them. Wheat The wheat market has been trading sideways since harvest. Strong wheat feeding prior to corn harvest and exports to Brazil have supported wheat prices in spite of the large selloff in the corn market. The current futures market environment is inverted, thus telling us the market wants the wheat now and not later. The first insurance price for 2014 wheat is $7.11. Producers should consider setting price objectives and placing target order contracts. CHS/Grainland offers marketing programs for corn, wheat, millet and sunflowers stored on your farm. We encourage you to contact any CHS/Grainland merchandiser for more information.
Your Grainland grain merchandisers
22
January 2014 January 2014
Scott Kirkwood Steve Young Perry Campbell Aaron Schaefer
970-774-6166 970-854-2254 970-854-3141 970-774-6166
Timely energy delivery our goal
W
e were glad to see the harvest go so smoothly in Grainland’s energy department. Jason Donovan did a great job of making sure everyone received their fuel when it was needed. We know harvest can be a stressful time and we work hard at Grainland to make sure your operation has what it needs, when it needs it. Now it is time to look forward to think about contracting fuel for 2014. Fuel contracts are available. Call me at 970-854-2654 or 970-520-2234 for prices. With winter upon us, rest assured that the diesel fuel at all our locations is winter-blended to 70/30 with Anti-Gel. This is good to temperatures of -25 degrees. And remember, it is always best to keep your diesel tanks full during the winter months. This helps with condensation in the tank so you don’t have problems later. If you have questions about the energy department, or just want to visit about options for your energy needs, contact me. We welcome your input as we work to make your cooperative even better.
Carolyn Arens Energy Division
HappyHolidays from everyone at Grainland! Austin Tharp joins energy department Austin Tharp joined Grainland’s energy department in early December. He is training to become a certified energy specialist. Austin is originally from Holyoke and grew up on a cattle ranch in the area. He graduated from Doane College in Crete, Neb., with a business administration and marketing degree last May. When he and wife, Vanessa, moved back to Holyoke, Austin was looking for a career that would combine his business knowledge with his passion for agriculture. He found just that at Grainland Cooperative. “I’m excited for the challenge to go out and visit with people I know,” Austin said, “to continue those relationships and begin new relationships too.” He will be based out of the Holyoke Car Care Center but hopes to be on the road most of the time, talking with producers and customers about their energy needs. He can be reached at the Holyoke Car Care Center, 970-854-2654, or by cell phone, 970-466-2463.
January 2014 January 2014
3
3
Meet Grainland’s new sales manager
Winter is time of education for agronomy sales staff
I
Ron Graff joined the team at Grainland in early November as the cooperative’s sales manager. He shares duties equally with Grainland and CHS/M&M Cooperative, a neighboring cooperative which is also part of CHS Country Operations division. Ron’s main responsibilities will be to put together marketing programs for agronomy and seed and get that information out to producers. All Grainland agronomy sales staff will report to Ron. “Hopefully, we can bring more marketing programs to the growers,” he said, “bringing chemical, fertilizer and seed together.” Previously, Ron had been seed coordinator and agronomy salesman for CHS/M&M. He has been with CHS/M&M for almost nine years. He has been in the agronomy industry for the past 25 years. Currently, Graff is based out of the Wiggins area but he travels the entire Grainland and CHS/M&M trade territories. He lives in the outskirts of the tiny town of Deerfield. As part of the co-op system, he enjoys giving back to the community and having a chance to help the cooperatives grow while also watching producers in the area prosper. After work, he likes to play golf when time and weather permits. He also runs a small catering business and loves to cook. This also gives him a chance to
spend time with family and friends. He has a son, Aaron, 31, and a daughter, Amber, 28. Contact Ron at 970-768-3941. 4
January 2014
want to first thank our producers for their business in 2013. We work to maintain a high level of customer service for our producers. Last spring was a challenge as everyone worked tirelessly in the short timeframe we had, and we appreciate the patience of both our employees and our producers during that time. Now we are looking towards 2014. Over the coming winter months, our agronomy sales staff will be attending meetings to keep their licenses up to date while also making sure they have the most recent information to share with producers. Grainland will also be offering two recertification meetings for private applicators with dates to be Cal Birkhofer announced soon. You can always check out our Agronomy Division website at www.grainland.coop where we post information regularly. As we look ahead, the 2014 wheat crop is in the ground and looking good so we want to take care of that. Grainland will again be offering dual application wheat top-dressing programs. The main benefit of a top-dressing program is getting the nitrogen to the root zone when the wheat wakes up in the spring. After top-dressing, producers can then come back with weed killer and fertilizer for a second boost. We are again offering prepay programs on fertilizer and chemicals. Please keep in touch with your sales person as he will have all the latest prices. I expect our sales staff to contact each and every one of our producers if they haven’t already to keep producers informed about the latest offerings from Grainland. There are also many ways to get special financing, even 0% in some cases. Sales staff will have all the details. We have hired a new sales manager. Ron Graff will be working with Grainland sales staff to bring the latest programs and information to our producers. Learn more about Ron in the column on the left. There is also a new staff member in our precision ag department. Mackade Skinner will be assisting Taylor Horton in bringing CHS YieldPoint Complete technology and information to our producers. Learn more about Mackade on the next page. Looking forward to spring, I am optimistic. Good moisture in late summer and into fall has set us in the right direction. As always, if you have any ideas or concerns, contact me. Customer service is our number-one priority. Thank you for doing business with Grainland, a member-owned cooperative. We are here to help you.
Now is the perfect time for soil sampling on your farm Now is the time to consider soil sampling on your farm. As activities slow down over the winter months, it’s the perfect time to take soil samples in your fields. The information you get back from those soil samples can be used to make fertilizer decisions and plan for next year’s crop. And with prepay incentives, you want to have the most accurate information as soon as possible. Contact your Grainland agronomy team about taking soil samples now so you can have the best information to prepare for the season ahead. Don’t forget to talk to our agronomy team about CHS YieldPoint Complete. This variable rate program Taylor Horton can help you increase yields and profits. Now is a Precision Agriculture great time to review your yield data, set goals and discuss the YieldPoint Complete program. YieldPoint Complete includes: →→ Field Mapping →→ Satellite Imagery →→ One soil sample per zone →→ One tissue sample per zone →→ VRT Prescription Generation →→ One VRT Application (dry or liquid) →→ As-Applied Map Generation →→ Year- end report Acres for this program are limited so contact your Grainland agronomy team to discuss your plans for spring. This is the second year we are offering this program to growers. We have seen positive results from last season. For example, one farmer who used YieldPoint Complete saw increased consistency throughout many of his fields because of the precision ag practices he put into place. The goal of this program is to maximize producers’ return on investment. We take pride in being a fast adopter of technology advancements and we want to help you implement those technologies on your farm. Contact your Grainland agronomy team for more information.
Precision Ag department continues to grow
Meet Mackade Skinner, who joined Grainland’s precision agriculture department on Nov. 18. Mackade is a native of Holyoke. He didn’t grow up on a farm near Holyoke, but he often helped friends and farmers. “Living in a town like this, you can’t help but be exposed to agriculture and a lot of things included with it,” he said. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in land use with an emphasis in planning, Mackade decided to move back to Holyoke to raise his family. He was looking for a job that was agriculture-related but would also complement his degree. When he heard about an opening in Grainland’s precision ag department, he was excited about the chance to try the new career. In his new job, Mackade uses the software and hardware available through CHS YieldPoint Complete to assist farmers with creating management zones to improve input efficiencies while also creating better return on investments. He works closely with Taylor Horton, who heads the precision ag department. “It’s by far the most satsifying career I’ve been a part of,” Mackade said. Mackade and wife Amanda have two children, Gavin, 2, and Ethan, 4 months. Amanda works from home where she does finance management for Elitch Gardens of Denver. Contact Mackade at 970-466-0266 or [email protected].
January 2014
5
Unrein
Continued from Page 1
credit for those who need it.Agronomy continues to fine tune our personnel and equipment situation to give you even better service in the future. Our precision program is continuing to prove itself with the performance we expected. The feed mill is getting an OSHA facelift and a new focus will be coming in 2014. Our Petroleum Division and convenience stores are making some changes that everyone will welcome this year. With Gary Peintner’s retirement, your accounting staff is making some adjustments under Rick Cumming’s direction and will continue to bring you outstanding service. 2014 is setting up to be an interesting and challenging year, and your cooperative is ready to attack the issues as your partners in any way possible.
Staff changes We had two gentlemen that have long rich histories retire in December.
Gary Peintner dedicated his entire 37-year career to the cooperative system, all to the owners in our area. From accountant to manager to chief operating officer, Gary has given his best to make things work in good and trying times. Always a team player, Gary’s input and leadership was well respected through the Hyline years and on to today. His input will be missed. Denny Grauberger spent 27 years in our system, all of them in a leadership role in the feed division. Denny was as dependable as they come and always placed his customers first. His laugh was as contagious as his customers’ loyalty and a lot of changes took place during his tenure. These two men were great teammates and true friends and I wish them all the best in their retirement. Thanks so much to Jody and Linda for putting up with their cooperative husbands — the hours and all that goes along with being a part of it. Thanks to all of you who came to their retirement luncheons and we will honor them again at our annual meeting in March.
Congratulations to Steve Young who will take over in the Assistant Manager position, Randy Gibbs the feed manager, and Rick Cumming as controller. These gentlemen believe in CHS/Grainland and will continue with their current duties while accepting the added responsibilities with positive attitudes. We continue to train your staff and hire new people whom we hope will make an impact for a long time to come with your cooperative. Succession planning is a real priority in the near future. Once again I personally wish you all the best in 2014. You have a wonderful and dedicated staff. We respect your opinions and need your business so we can continue to help you, our owners, grow your business and support the communities we love to live in. Thank you very much for your business and my door is always open. Please feel free to share your opinions with me. I hope to see you all at the annual meeting.
Check out our website, www.grainland.coop, for the latest information, as well as useful tips like the winter weather communication guidelines below.
CDC Checklist: Winter Weather Communication
6
January 2014
+ Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure: • Battery-powered radio (for listening to local emergency instructions). Have extra batteries. • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver (for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts). See www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr for more information + Find out how your community warns the public about severe weather: • Siren • Radio • TV + Listen to emergency broadcasts + Know what winter storm warning terms mean: • Winter weather advisory: expect winter weather conditions to cause inconvenience and hazards • Frost/Freeze warning: expect below-freezing temperatures • Winter storm watch: Be alert; a storm is likely • Winter storm warning: take action; the storm is in or entering the area. • Blizzard warning: seek refuge immediately! Snow and strong winds, near-zero visibility, deep snow drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
Steering into the future As Bill Garretson begins his third year on the Grainland board, his only regret is that he didn’t get on the board sooner. “I always thought I never had enough time to be on the board, but now I wish I had done it sooner,” Bill said. “These cooperatives and companies need to have input from their patrons. It’s important to know what the people are wanting. They need this guidance from the other side.” Bill, a dryland and irrigated farmer who lives north of Haxtun, has been farming for 30 years. He always knew he would one day take over the family farm from his father, and did just that after a few years in college. “I started out in the school of hard knocks right off,” he said with a chuckle. “But I like my job. I like how you are always doing something different. By the time you get tired of doing one thing, you go on to another thing.” When he was asked to run for the Grainland board in 2011, he decided he had been farming long enough and his operation was running the way he had always envisioned it, so he had the time to put toward the board. “I’m a person that likes to be involved,” he said. “I like to be part of the solution instead of just stepping back and complaining.” He was surprised at how much he has learned since he joined the board. “There’s more to it than I thought,” he said. “It was quite an eye opener for me.” He is seeing the cooperative from both sides of the fence, and he recently returned from CHS’s annual meeting in
Minneapolis, Dec. 5-6. While there, he enjoyed learning more about the global presence of CHS and how that benefits the U.S. farmer, both for export of products and import of farm nutrients. He also learned more about the increase in refinery output to supply the midsection of the U.S. with diesel fuel. Bill said boards serve two basic purposes: representing the farmers to get the services, price and products they need, and steering the cooperative in the direction it needs to go by making sound financial decisions. “I think the biggest strength of Grainland is it’s a full-service cooperative,” Bill said. “It provides just about everything the community needs and it is a part of the community. It pays taxes. It is the first one to donate to community causes, and it is a major employer in Phillips County.” As Grainland continues to serve its rural agricultural community, Bill sees agriculture facing some major challenges. “Right now, I think our biggest problem is our loss of political clout in our rural areas and the increase in government mandates, regulations and paperwork,” he said. He said redistricting is turning the voting public more urban. And urban voters don’t understand the issues facing
Bill Garretson Grainland Co-op Board Member
rural communities. Regulations and paperwork are pushing farms to become bigger and bigger to keep up with the paperwork. “I don’t think the family farms are gone, but I think the small farms are gone,” he said. Bill and his wife, Darcy, have one daughter, Kelsey, who is a sophomore at the University of Wyoming. Darcy is superintendent of Haxtun Schools.
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PO Box 118 Holyoke, CO 80734
www.Grainland.Coop
Happy Holidays!
Have you heard about Tanks for Thanks? There are lots of people out there who go above and beyond to serve their communities. It’s about time they get a little something back. Now you can nominate them to receive free fuel from Cenex®. We’ll have monthly drawings to celebrate these good deeds. Go to withyou.cenex.com/tanks-of-thanks/ to nominate someone. Melinda Cox of Haxtun was nominated for her dedication. GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Melinda Cox Haxtun, CO Melinda works as a teacher’s aide in our school. All the kids love her and she is always there for them and has their best interests at heart. She is very active in her church and community. Our community reached out to her family when her son was seriously injured in an accident. She is now giving back, helping wherever she can.
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January 2014
Newsletter production by Jennifer Chick/In the Ink
