Proud of our team and our customers

www.Grainland.Coop
December 2014
Proud of our team and our customers
What a difference a year can make! This year, we brought in 6.8 million bushels of wheat,
1.6 million bushels of millet, and 13 million bushels of corn. It’s amazing what a difference
rain coupled with farmer’s ingenuity can make.
We have been blessed with outstanding yields, but those large harvests have stretched our
storage to its limits. It has also meant long hours put in by our employees. I am so proud
of our employees who went from wheat harvest to millet and corn harvest with only a few
weeks’ break. It just shows what extraordinary things can happen when our team works
together between all departments.
The shuttle loader was finished in late summer and we completely filled it for the first time
earlier this month. After a 28-day settling period, we will be able to load trains and are
looking forward to showing it off to our patrons. We are hoping to have an open house in
late spring so watch for more information. This facility opens up great opportunities and
possibilities for us. Grain storage and shipment will always be our priority there, but there
may be opportunities to partner with other area businesses to use our shuttle loader. The
loop track opens up new venues to explore.
Rick Unrein
General Manager
At Grainland, we are always looking for opportunities to grow. The patrons of Farmers
Continued on next page
Looking forward to 2015...
Loading our first rail cars at the shuttle loader
Meet Grainland’s feed department
December 2014
1
Check out YieldPoint Water Optimization
Unrein
Continued from Page 1
Cooperative Association out of Brule,
Neb., just approved a merger with
Grainland Cooperative. We are excited
for the opportunities this presents as we
move forward and expand our services
into that new territory. We will now
have locations in Brule, Big Springs and
Ogallala, and a great bunch of employees
to go along with them.
Earlier this month, eight of your
Directors and four Young Leaders
attended CHS’s annual meeting in
Minneapolis. They came home even
more excited about our future and being
a part of CHS.
Mark your calendars for our annual
meeting Thursday, March 5, at the
Holyoke Event Center. Come out to hear
about all we have done in 2014 and our
plans for 2015 and beyond.
Thank you for your business and the
support of our communities this year.
We hope you have a very special holiday
season, and we hope the season finds all
of your families happy and healthy. We
are looking forward to a fantastic 2015
for Grainland and hope we can be the
extension it takes for the same result in
your operations.
HappyHolidays
andHappy NewYear
from all of us
at Grainland
Cooperative
2
December 2014
Consider
delayed price
contracts
As you begin to look at purchases for
next spring’s inputs, consider delayed
price contracts on your grain. With
delayed price contracts, you can get a
cash advance which can create cash flow
as you pay bills and prepay fertilizer or
seed. But you still maintain the ability to
price your grain later. The advance must
be taken by Jan. 31, 2015.
Grainland also offers a crop input
financing program through CHS Capital.
Steve Young
This program can be used for any
Grain Division
purchases that you make at Grainland
Cooperative. The program requires
application and approval. Apply before
March 15 for fall harvested crops. Contact me about either
of these options, [email protected] or 970-854-2254.
I realize we just finished harvest but be thinking about
where you want to put target orders for new crop (wheat
or corn). Call any of the grain merchandisers or place your
orders through our DPP platform on our website, www.
grainland.coop.
If you are not getting the type of information you want
from our staff, whether by phone, email, text, or whichever
communication means works best for you, let us know
and we will be happy to give you the service you need and
deserve.
We wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to
working with you in 2015.
Storage space a premium this year
This year’s harvests, from wheat to millet
and corn, have been extraordinary and
have highlighted why it is important to
have adequate space to handle these
large crops. We have spent the months
after harvest moving grain between
locations to make room for the next
harvest. Now with corn harvest behind
of us, the winter months will be spent
moving grain out of our bins and down
the road by truck or rail to end users.
Shuttle loader
Our shuttle loader construction project
is complete and the bins have now been
filled. In order to check for settling, we
had to fill the bins in increments. Now
that the bins are full of wheat, we have
several shuttle trains scheduled in 2015
to get that grain out and on its way down
the line. It’s been a long project and we
have all been looking forward to the end.
Now that the facility is completed, we
are excited to begin using it to benefit
farmers across the area. We will be
bringing in wheat
from all of our locations
to ship out through the
shuttle facility. This
summer’s outstanding
wheat crop created the
need for every bushel of
storage space available.
With the shuttle facility
up, after wheat harvest
we began putting wheat
into it from all the other
locations to make room
for the large millet crop.
The shuttle location will
be used primarily for
shipping out wheat since
there is enough demand
locally for our corn. The
shuttle loader stores
1.4 million bushels and
the loop track can
load 110-car trains. The
facility will be used primarily for shipping
wheat, but there is the potential to
partner with other local companies to
use the track. We are always look at all
possibilities to make the most of the
assets we have.
Corn harvest
Because of the 13 million bushel corn
harvest, we used every inch of storage
space. We had to pile corn on the
ground, but we will be getting it up and
into our facilities as soon as possible.
At our other locations, we continue
to upgrade equipment. Our goal is
to make all of our facilities as fast as
possible so producers can get in and
out quickly during harvest, when every
minute counts. We’ve gotten a lot of
compliments about how smoothly things
have gone at our facilities during harvest
and we are proud of that. It’s obvious
things are moving faster because when
you drive past our facilities during
harvest, there are no long lines. On
average, trucks can come into our facility
and be back on the road to the field in
six to seven minutes.
Harvest went really well with the
volume of grain we handled. The dollars
we spent were worth it. Our biggest
commitment to
our producer/
members is
to provide the
best and fastest
equipment to
speed up their
harvest.
We continue
to look at
Bob Schaefer
opportunities
Operations
to grow our
customer
base, especially in the northeast and
southwest areas of our trade territory.
We are assessing the idea of adding
fertilizer and liquid nitrogen storage in
those areas to create shorter hauling
distances. Time is essential when you
are in the busy spring season and
unnecessary miles add time we don’t
have.
With harvest behind us, we look forward
to 2015. We will look to the future with
the understanding that everything we
do must benefit our producer/members.
Thank you for doing business with us in
2014. See you in 2015.
December 2014
3
Hard work, long hours pay off
First, I want to thank everyone for their business in 2014. We started off with a challenging
spring, but it was nice to see the long hours and hard work reflected in good yields once harvest
time hit. Now we turn our attention to 2015, just a few days away. Please talk with any of our
agronomy sales staff about the various prepay programs as we start planning for spring. We have
several finance options available through CHS Capital, John Deere financing and CFA. We can
work with you to find a program that is right for you.
There are several Colorado recertification classes being offered in January and February. These
are required for growers who apply their own chemicals and for those who plan to buy restricted
products. Each meeting will start at 7 a.m. with a free breakfast offered by Grainland Cooperative.
The informational meetings will begin at 8 a.m., done by noon. Cost: $35 at the door.
Jan. 16, Holyoke, Phillips County Event Center
Feb. 6, Haxtun Community Center
Feb. 24, Julesburg Fire Hall
As you begin planning what you will need for corn seed, give Thom Simpson a call, 970-520-1529.
Watch our website, www.grainland.coop, for test plot information. This will give you a good
indication of how different hybrids perform in our area.
We look forward to serving you in 2015 with the same commitment and focus that helped 2014
become another productive, successful year.
4
December 2014
Cal Birkhofer
Agronomy Division
Agronomy department changes
We have had many changes in the agronomy department in the
last few months. Effective Nov. 1, Charlie Vogel became the new
operations manager at Holyoke while Wayne Ashburn moved to
operations manager at Haxtun. Also Nov. 1, Josh Young became
the new blend plant manager in Haxtun while J.D. Jones joined
the agronomy sales team. Mike Clark joined the Grainland
agronomy department as an applicator on Nov. 17. Join me in
congratulating them.
Agronomy Contacts
Holyoke Agronomy Office
970-854-3554
Haxtun Agronomy Office
970-774-6167
Randy Shaw
970-520-7996
Tom Gertner
970-520-3664
John Starkebaum
970-520-6748
Charlie Vogel
Holyoke
Operations
Manager
Wayne Ashburn
Haxtun
Operations
Manager
Josh Young
Haxtun
Blend Plant
Manager
J.D. Jones
970-466-9248
Thom Simpson
970-520-1529 Agronomist/Seed
Taylor Horton
970-520-9054 Yieldpoint/Sales
J.D. Jones
Agronomy Sales
Mike Clark
Applicator
Mackade Skinner
970-466-0266 Yieldpoint/Sales
Cal Birkhofer
970-520-4537
Check out the new look at
www.Grainland.coop
Have you visited www.grainland.coop lately? You will see a
new look on our website. You’ll find the same features as
before, but in a more user-friendly, cleaner format for better
viewing from all your devices.
You can still find our DPP electronic grain marketing
program as well as information about our delayed price cash
advance contract and cash bids. There is current, up-to-date
information from all our departments, from agronomy to
our car care centers and fuel. Find contact information and
resources to help you get the most from your operation.
Find CHS Grainland on Facebook.
Follow us for the latest news.
As you browse, we want to hear your comments about our
new look. Contact Steve Young at [email protected]
with your feedback.
December 2014
5
Now is the best time for precision ag planning
Now is the time to put YieldPoint Complete to work on your farm. We are now enrolling
producers for 2015. Get the most out of your dollars. Seeing yields increase is always
a plus, but our number one priority is getting you the best return on investment. By
providing the services and information needed to help you make informed decisions,
YieldPoint allows you to maximize your return on investment.
YieldPoint Water Optimization
For the 2015 growing season, CHS Grainland has added the YieldPoint Water
Optimization module. YieldPoint Water Optimization is an integrated systems approach
to managing irrigation to enable you to maximize your water efficiency, increase your
profitability, and conserve your natural resources. By applying water in the right
amount, at the right time, in the right locations of the field based on soil water-holding
capacity, active root zone of the crop, water needs of the crop, and weather (historical,
current, and future), we can help you achieve your production goals.
Knowing when to irrigate and refill the profile can be a tricky decision, and if you
guess wrong and run short on water, it can be costly. If you water too much, you can
inhibit the plant’s root development and ability to uptake nutrients from the soil. CHS
YieldPoint Water Optimization helps make these decisions for you by combining our
agronomic knowledge with soil moisture probes to monitor your field throughout
the growing season.Let’s take water optimization to the next level. YieldPoint Water
Optimization gives us the ability to create variable rate irrigation prescriptions for your
pivot. Depending on the hardware installed on the pivot, prescriptions can be created
by degree sectors or zone managed.
Taylor Horton
Precision Agriculture
YieldPoint Complete
With corn harvest behind us, now is the time to bring your yield data into our YieldPoint
Precision Ag Department. We can analyze your data with many other data layers
including soil, tissue and satellite imagery to create management zones in your field to
get a complete picture for developing planting and fertilizer prescriptions as we look
towards the next season. The more information we have, the better we can help you
prepare for spring. We can also take soil samples over the winter months to get a more
complete picture of what you are working with.
Our Precision Ag department is ready to serve your needs by helping you increase
productivity and return on investment on your farm. Now is the time to come in and
talk with our team. Our expertise can help you make those tough decisions to best
utilize the ever-changing technology.
6
December 2014
Mackade Skinner, below, operates the soil
sampling machine this fall. Now is the
perfect time to take soil samples, which will
help with planning for next season.
Stopping problems before they start
In the energy department, we are as much about being proactive as reactive. That is why we offer fuel
sampling at no cost to Grainland customers. We take fuel samples from your fuel tanks which are then
sent to a laboratory for testing. This provides an accurate indication of what is going on with your fuel
and can help prevent problems down the road.
Winter fuel maintenance
Don’t forget about winter fuel maintenance too. Know your Cloud Point (temperature at which wax
crystals start to form in the fuel) and Cold Filter Plugging Point or CFPP (temperature at which filters
plug and the equipment becomes inoperable). If fuel reaches its cloud point, heat the fuel back up by
pulling the piece of equipment inside. If the fuel has already gelled, heat your tank by wrapping it up
or by blocking the elements of Mother Nature. Dumping additives into fuel to get rid of gelling doesn’t
always help. Fuel can only be treated up to 2x the initial treat rate.
Fuel contracts
Fuel contracts are available for next year with March through May options, and June through August
options. We are also offering bulk oil ordering. If you order by Feb. 27, with delivery in March, there are
discounts available. You can also get bulk oil equipment through Grainland Energy.
Carolyn Arens
Energy Division
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)
If you have a vehicle that requires DEF, we can help. We’ve got the products you need to keep you running smoothly all winter
long. Stop by to see what we have to offer.
SPCC
SPCC regulations continue to be on the horizon. There is a set time frame in which the EPA is going to make its final ruling on the
threshold limits. There will be changes made, but the final decision is not yet out so please stay in contact with Grainland Energy
for future news on the changes.
Grainland Energy Contacts
Office – 970-854-2654
Carolyn Arens – 970-520-2234
Austin Tharp – 970-466-2463
December 2014
7
The right tires make all the difference
Get ahead of your tires during the challenging winter driving season. The right type of tires for your
situation can make all the difference. There is a case to be made for winter tires and all-season tires.
Know the differences to make sure you are choosing the right kind of tire for your vehicles.
Goodyear.com is a great resource to compare different types of tires.
Winter Tires vs. All-season Tires
• Winter tires provide enhanced braking performance in snowy and icy conditions
• Perform well in all types of winter conditions – snow, ice, sleet, slush, wet and cold dry roads
• Feature tread designs made specifically for ice, snow and other severe winter conditions
• Specially formulated tread rubber stays flexible at low temperatures for better vehicle control
• Aggressive tread reduces snow build up
• Most drivers find that winter tires provide a sense of confidence and control in challenging winter
weather conditions
Mike Walters
Car Care Manager
• All-season tires are designed to help provide traction and grip in wet and snowy conditions
• Provide stable handling and even treadwear in both wet and dry conditions
• Although all-season tires offer traction in a variety of different weather conditions, winter tires surpass them when it comes
to traction in snow and ice
The cheapest tire isn’t always going to be the best tire so know the benefits and features of each type to get the most from
your tires. Check out tire performance ratings. The ratings are set independently through a government program so you can
get impartial information to help with tire purchase decisions. If you buy tires through our Grainland Car Care Centers, you also
receive free lifetime rotation at any of our locations.
Don’t forget, if you buy four select Goodyear tires with the Goodyear Credit Card by Dec. 31, you can receive mail-in rebates
through a prepaid Visa gift card of up to $160.
We can service all your automotive needs so stop in at any of our car care centers to see how we can help you.
Car Care Center hours
Mon-Fri., 7:30am-5pm; Dec-Feb, Saturday close
Open on Saturdays starting in March, 7:30am-noon
8
December 2014
Amherst
Randy Haskell
970-854-4333
Haxtun
Mike Walters
970-774-6147
Holyoke
Gary Nail
970-854-2654
More than just a convenience
At Grainland C-Stores, we work hard to create an environment where customers are satisfied and employees are happy. Our
employee focus is to go that extra mile to make our C-Stores successful while also making sure our stores are a great place to
work. A great C-Store is more than just a convenience. We take pride in the young people who start with us as a first job and then
go on to succeed as adults using the people skills learned right here with Grainland.
C-Stores
Safety is always a focus at our C-Stores. CHS Grainland takes pride in its safety record and we make sure that every new employee
spends time recognizing safety concerns in our stores. We want to make sure our stores are safe for our customers and for our
employees. Our employees receive benefits such as sick time and vacation time, 401-K options, and profit-sharing. We appreciate
our employees and we continue to work hard to make our stores a valuable place to learn and improve personal growth.
Fast and efficient
We are always looking to make our C-Stores fast and efficient. We recently went through an upgrade to our Pinnacle Palm
system. CHS Grainland takes pride in securing our customers’ credit card information and with this upgrade, that information is
as secure as possible. The Pinnacle Palm system is much more user friendly and, at the management level, adds more detail to
the tracking of sales and other departmental information.
Our C-Stores are up in sales from last year. Much of that growth can be attributed to ongoing construction projects and energy
crews working in the area. We look forward to future growth as more area projects and railroad repairs bring in new and
ongoing customers.
Check out our new lottery machines
New lottery machines went online in our stores on Nov. 9 with a new faster terminal and more user friendly features. Come in
and check them out. Sign up for the Cenex Coffee Card Club, submit entries for the Cenex Tanks of Thanks program and don’t
forget, Cenex gift cards make great presents for those on your shopping list. During the holidays, we are adding new cappuccino
flavors like White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha and German Chocolate Cake Mocha. Come in and try the new Hawaiian Hazelnut
Cappuccino. There is always something new and exciting to try, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Left: Tina Workman,
C-Stores manager,
rings up a sale with the
upgraded Pinnacle Palm
system.
Below (l. to r.): Jenny
Sporing, associate
assistant manager,
Workman, and Lynda
Adams, assistant
manager, stand next to
the new lottery machines
installed Nov. 9.
C-Store hours
Holyoke
Mon-Sat: 5am-8pm
Sun: 8am-8pm
Haxtun
Mon-Sat: 5:30am-9pm
Sun: 8am-9pm
December 2014
9
Renewed focus in feed dept.
With new employees in the Grainland feed department, there is a renewed
focus to build lasting relationships with customers. Quality and customer service
will always be the top priorities here. We want to make sure that our customers
are satisfied with everything that comes from our feed mill and feed inventory.
Customers make the feed department a success. A trusting relationship benefits
everyone. We offer on-farm feed deliveries by truck and pickup. If you’re on
the combine or at the basketball game, we can bring feed to your operations as
an added convenience. And if a feed situation arises after hours, we will try to
do what it takes, within reason, to accommodate you. Because we are nothing
without our loyal customers supporting and trusting us.
With cattle prices at such high levels, it’s an exciting time in the industry. Talk to
us about how to think outside the box to capitalize on those levels, getting the
most for your hard work and dedication to a tough industry.
We are a small but dedicated department.
Brian Santistevan has been with Grainland for about
a year and became feed department manager in
April. He brings new energy to the department. He
is committed to knowing each current customer
personally while developing new relationships
with area producers and livestock operators. Our
feed truck driver Jeanne McClain moved from
the Grainland agronomy department to the feed
department in August. She is on the road almost
every day delivering feed. Jonah Daley joined the
department in September as the feed mill operator.
With new employees,
the Grainland feed
department has a
renewed focus to build
lasting relationships
with customers.
Feed department
mployees are (l. to r.)
Jeanne McClain, Brian
Santistevan and Jonah
Daley.
10
December 2014
Meet the new
feed dept. manager
Brian Santistevan
became feed
department manager
in April. He and wife
Lyanne moved to
Haxtun from Eaton,
where he worked at a
feed mill and feed lot.
Lyanne is a part-time
veterinarian. They
have two children, Caleb, 5, and Ruby, 3.
CHS annual meeting highlights
For fiscal 2014 (Sept. 1, 2013 – Aug. 31, 2014), CHS reported
net income of $1.1 billion on revenues of $42.7 billion, each the
second best in company history. The company also returned an
unprecedented $637.2 million to its owners in cash and preferred
stock. Based on fiscal 2014 results, CHS will distribute an estimated
$518 million in cash in fiscal 2015, consisting of patronage, equity
redemptions and preferred stock dividends.
From left, Marcus Kammer, Andrea Kammer, Steffany Firme,
Dan Firme, Alex Schmidt, Angela Hulinsky and Kyle Hulinsky
attended the CHS New Leaders Forum, part of the 2014 CHS
Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., Dec. 3-5.
New Leaders experience
2014 CHS annual meeting
Earlier this month, seven young producers from
Grainland Cooperative traveled to Minneapolis, Minn.,
for the 2014 CHS Annual Meeting. These members
were guests of Grainland Cooperative and participated
in the New Leaders Forum Dec. 3-5. Those attending
the forum and annual meeting were Marcus Kammer,
Andrea Kammer, Steffany Firme, Dan Firme, Alex
Schmidt, Angela Hulinsky, and Kyle Hulinsky.
New Leaders are a specially selected group of top
young producers who, over the course of three
intensive days, examine in-depth issues and challenges
facing cooperatives, agriculture and rural America.
They also learn ways to build their leadership skills
to benefit their cooperatives and communities.
Sessions featured top-notch, professional speakers and
agribusiness experts.
Recent CHS business highlights include:
• Proceed with plans to construct a $3 billion fertilizer
manufacturing plant at Spiritwood, N.D.
• Initiated $406 million in projects at its Laurel, Mont., refinery to
boost efficiency and increase diesel production.
• Issued $1.4 billion in preferred stock on the NASDAQ exchange
over the past 18 months; this included retiring previously earned
cooperative owner qualified equity with $200 million in preferred
stock
• Acquired Terral River Service, securing storage and ensuring
fertilizer supply in the Delta region through eight Mississippi River
terminals.
• Purchased an ethanol plant at Rochelle, Ill., with 133 million
gallons of annual production, adding value for corn producers and
accessing strong markets for ethanol and its coproduct, DDGs.
• Completed a $30 million production expansion, along with
equipment and food quality process upgrades, at its Creston,
Iowa, soybean processing facility.
• Became an owner of a grain export terminal being built at
Necochea, Argentina, providing access to growing Asia-Pacific
markets.
• Opened four new propane terminals and made other significant
investments to ensure secure supply amid the loss of a major
regional distribution pipeline.
• Invested in the future of agriculture, cooperatives and rural
communities with $10.5 million in contributions from CHS
Corporate Citizenship and the CHS Foundation.
Have you heard about Tanks for Thanks?
There are many 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
and to read about the many people from our area who have already
been nominated for their work and service to others..
December 2014
11
PO Box 118
Holyoke, CO 80734
www.Grainland.Coop
What’s ahead in 2015?
Grainland annual meeting March 5
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, March 5
Phillips County Event Center, Holyoke
Dinner, 5:30 p.m.
Meeting, 7 p.m.
12
December 2014
Newsletter production by Jennifer Chick/In the Ink