Grain Update - Innovative Ag Services

Ag Biz Briefs
Fall 2014
Grain Update
Ron Barkema, VP of Grain
It is hard to believe that our summer is
already over and we are fast approaching
the 2014 harvest season. IAS employees
have been very busy cleaning out grain
bins making way for your new crop
harvest. Premiums continue to be paid
for old crop grain. Those premiums
will stay around until the market is
confident that the pipeline is starting
to recharge. Stocks are extremely low
in Iowa with certain areas tighter than
others. Ethanol plants and soybean
processors are all running basically hand
to mouth on stocks which are requiring
many ethanol plants to pay 50 cents or
more over new crop corn values just to
keep the plants running until harvest.
Soybean processors have been paying
as much as $3.00 over new crop values
in order to draw enough beans to keep
those plants running. Please contact
one of our grain originators if you feel
you have a corn or bean field that you
could harvest early potentially giving
yourself the ability to take advantage
of some of these nearby premiums.
Remember they will go away in a hurry
once everyone gets in the field.
The IAS trade area has experienced a
generally favorable growing season
and the crop appears to be looking
very good in most areas. We have
new grain bins going up at Elkader,
Cleves, and Monticello and all should
be available for this year’s harvest.
With that said IAS will be in very good
shape for space this fall and will be
able to handle all of your storage
requirements. In the past three years
IAS has added over 5 million bushels
of permanent storage space.
I have established the 2014 harvest
policies and a copy is available at any
of your IAS locations. You can also view
our harvest policy on our website at
www.ias.coop. Even though gas prices
are 20% higher than a year ago IAS has
elected to hold the drying rate at the
same level as last year. Storage rates
and price later fees are also the same as
a year ago. IAS is proud to say that we
have one of the most competitive grain
policies in the area.
SEPTEMBER USDA REPORT
USDA was just out with their monthly
supply/demand report. They have now
pegged corn production at 14.395 bln
bushels. That is 363 million bushels
more than the August numbers. It
currently figures out at a 171.7 bpa
yield. This was the largest August to
September increase on record. They
have soybean production at 3.913 bln
bushels which is also up 97 million
bushels from the August report. The
soybean yield is currently projected
at 46.6 bpa. USDA has the Illinois crop
now projected at a record 194 bpa! Will
the trend continue with larger numbers
in the October report? Trade will be
watching the temperatures very close
the next couple weeks with concern of
an early frost.
Have a safe 2014 harvest season and as
always THANK YOU very much for your
continued grain business!
IAS Board of Directors
Randy Blake, President
LeAllan Buerger Stan Norman
Paul Cook, 1st Vice President
Tim Burrack
Joe Thraenert
Steve Perry, 2nd Vice President Adam Hill
Loren Manternach, Secretary
Growing Relationships to Maximize Success!®
Fall Update
Rick Vaughan, CEO
We have completed another fiscal
year as of August 31, 2014. The final
audit results will not be available
until late October, but I can report
to you that we will have a good
year overall. Earnings from IAS’s
core operations will be similar to
the previous year. Additionally
Pine Lake Ethanol had an excellent
year relative to the previous
year. This will boost IAS’s total
earnings and therefore dividends
for our members. We have added a
substantial amount of new capital
this past year to enhance service
levels for our patrons, exceeded
budget for paying our members
their deferred dividends and have
also retired a higher than budgeted
amount of long term debt. These
results strengthened our balance
sheet while balancing
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the cash flow needs of the
business and our members. Full
details of fiscal 2014 will be
available in our 2014 annual
report
later
this
fall.
The
process in preparing for a new
fiscal
year
before
officially
completing the past fiscal year can
be a challenge. This is especially
true this year due to the last 60
days of decline in the grain markets.
We, like you, are sorting through
all of the opinions and anticipated
changes to determine exactly how it
all will eventually sort out. We must
judge what changes, and balance
what changes we hear will be
temporary and which changes are
here for the longer term. I do believe
that commodity price volatility
will not be suppressed for too
long due to the world dynamics of
crop production, demand, demand
growth and weather volatility.
We are looking forward to a good
crop in the majority of our trade area.
We are anxious to put the new grain
handling, drying and storage assets
to work. We do expect to have ample
storage capacity this fall. There will
be some relocation activity in season,
but we have and will continue to
reduce as much in season movement
as possible between IAS locations.
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We anticipate a good fall agronomy
season if Mother Nature allows. We
also look forward to putting the new
agronomy division assets to work
and getting an important jump on
next year’s planting process. There
will be 4 board elections this fall and
all incumbents have elected to run.
The 4 board members are: President
Randy Blake of the Andrew area,
Secretary Loren Manternach of the
Cascade area, Vice Chairman Paul
Cook of the Hubbard area and Stan
Norman of the Union area. A letter
will be mailed in the coming month
outlining the details. IAS welcomes
members to consider running for the
board. The nominating committee
will consider members who live in the
general geography of the incumbent
board members’ general geography.
If you have interest and have
questions, you are welcome to call
President Randy Blake, any of the
IAS board members or Rick
Vaughan, CEO.
Have a safe fall harvest season!
Thanks for your business!
Market Insights
IAS
CORN
SOYBEANS
SOYBEAN MEAL
8/1/2014
9/2/2014
8/1/2013
9/1/2013
3.51
3.66
5.93
5.74
11.81
12.56
13.45
14.84
452.00
628.00
429.00
530.00
Agronomy Update
Tim Krausman, VP of Agronomy
As I write this we are receiving rain.
The crops are showing the extremes
we faced this past growing season
as they are maturing quickly. In our
trade territory we will see a wide
range in yields again this year. We
have areas that will be as good as
ever, and we have areas that have
been completely devastated by hail
or excessive rain that are zero. It
is amazing what a difference a few
miles can make in terms of weather.
what I can tell you with confidence
is, we as an industry can not apply
all of the Nitrogen, Potash, and Map
in the spring. Also, there has been a
small window of opportunity these
past few springs to get crops planted
in a timely fashion, and waiting for
fertilizer application can be very
frustrating. Possible yield decrease
could offset any potential savings if
markets did happen to soften.
As you talk with your Innovative Ag
Services agronomy advisor please
make sure you understand how
fertilizer plays a role into Innovative
Advanced Solutions to ensure we are
maximizing every acre on your farm.
Thanks for your business and
please be safe as we go through the
harvest season.
The hot topics this fall are the same
as previous ones, yield and grain
price. This year fertilizer prices
seem to be just as important. While
the grain markets have fallen, it was
expected that fertilizer prices will
fall as well. Unfortunately this isn’t
the case. Fertilizer logistics have
been a major challenge this past
year and they are only getting more
problematic as fall approaches.
Barges and rail cars are arriving late
which is driving up price due to the
need of application.
As price continues to rise and
become more inverted with the
grain market, it is driving the
question of waiting until spring. I
can’t tell you if prices will be the
same, more, or less this spring, but
3
How Did We Do?
Rob Roose, Regional Sales Manager
The last time I wrote this article
I discussed sticking to a sound
agronomic plan in the face of declining
commodity markets. Unfortunately
that trend hasn’t reversed. That said it
is more important than ever to get the
most out of every acre. It will be easy
to get into a mindset that says don’t
spend money. I would argue that it
is more important to have a mindset
that focuses on Return on Investment.
As I write this planes are flying.
Fungicides and foliar nitrogen is being
applied. Growers aren’t doing this to
spend more money; they are doing it
to finish off what looks to be a crop
with some serious potential.
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As we move into fall we have some
questions ask. I think the one that
is most important is what do I do to
be profitable. My challenge to our
Agronomy Advisors is to put a plan in
place for your individual farms. Help
make the agronomic decisions that
will make your acre as productive
as possible. This will be the route to
success long term. We will be looking
at yield enhancing practices that will
increase productivity on your farm.
Our tendency may be to say no, simply
because we are looking for less cost
per acre. I feel we need to move past
that and ask what our upside is for
enhancing our management practices.
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By the time you read this we should
have data in our hands from our crop
care team, and the trials that were
conducted this year. Across the IAS
trade territory we have several large
scale trials of 9 different soybean and
corn management practices. These
won’t look at just a product. They
will look at what we can expect from
our crops with varying intensity in
our management practices. It will
also give our Agronomy Advisors
information that was gathered on
our farms that will help us make
better decisions locally. Bottom line
is we will make recommendations
that don’t focus on dollars/acre or a
certain product, but revenue/acre and
the right decision for that acre.
New to the IAS Team
Donna Swanson, Seed Sales Specialist
Please let me take this opportunity to
introduce myself. My name is Donna
Swanson and I am proud to say that
I am working as your Seed Specialist
for the West Region of IAS. I live
with my husband and two children
just north of Story City. I have been
involved in sales and management
for 15 years, and am coming from a
District Sales Manager position in the
seed industry.
I believe that seed selection should
be much more than “hype” over the
newest latest and greatest number.
Even the best variety can fail if every
aspect of your operation isn’t taken
into consideration when selecting
and placing hybrids. This is why
I teamed with IAS. IAS has made
significant investments in time
and resources to ensure that our
Agronomy Advisors are equipped
with the tools and product knowledge
to partner with you in your decision
making process. Who better to help
you place seed than the person that
helps you with your fertility plans,
crop protection plans, and scouting?
They know where your fields are, the
soil types, the field history, and your
management practices. Taking all
of this into account when making a
seed recommendation is something
only your Agronomy Advisor can
do for you. I cannot think of a more
powerful tool! We have the best
genetics and traits available from six
seed companies in our toolbox. We
never have to settle for a number that
is “ok” because we can pull from our
diverse lineup to select an excellent
fit for each unique situation.
and offer invaluable local group data
to our participants.
In addition, we are testing value
added products and management
practices
in
our
replicated
Innovation Trials so we can make
solid recommendations and tell you
from first-hand experience which
products and practices are effective.
With our Bronze, Silver, and Gold
programs we are able to help you
take your precision ag program to
the next level. We can solidify our
recommendations by using data from
your farms to give us a deeper look
into variables affecting your fields
I can’t express how excited I am
to be involved in a company with
such a commitment to being on the
cutting edge of agriculture with so
many new and exciting things on the
horizon. It is my commitment to keep
our Agronomy Advisors up to date
in the seed industry and to continue
to find ways to make your operation
more profitable. I look forward to
meeting and working with all of you
in the near future!
We also spend countless hours
learning through training, scouting
fields, and assessing plots, giving
us the knowledge and expertise
necessary to make the best seed
recommendations.
We feel that
we have captured the best of what
the industry has to offer in our IAS
seed guide. Please get with your
Agronomy Advisor to go over the
best seed options for your farms.
5
2015 ­– What Will it be?
Ron Fedeler, Agronomy Advisor
As I write this article we are looking
at December futures on corn of $3.50
and beans at $10.12. A year ago corn
was $4.69 and beans were $13.55. I
have gotten a lot of questions lately
on what to do about fall fertilizer.
Historically, fall has been the most
cost effective time to fertilize, with
that being said; first of all we need
to know where your fertility is at. So
if you are not current on your grid
sampling or haven’t grid sampled,
now would be a good time to get
with your Agronomy Advisor and get
it set up.
Once we know where your fertility
is, we can sit down and put a plan
together. With your farm grid
sampled we can accurately put the
nutrients where they are needed. A
200 bushel crop of corn will remove
80# of phosphate and 60# of
potash. A 60 bushel crop of soybeans
will remove 50# of phosphate and
80# of potash. It is very important to
keep our nutrient levels up with the
genetics of our new corn and bean
hybrids. The potential for yield is
there if we take care of the crop. Here
at IAS we have many tools to help
you maximize your 2015 crop yields.
We can start with the grid sampling
and move into your fertilizer plan.
We also offer our Silver Program
which will give you yield results in
almost any level you wish:
• Yield by Variety
• Yield by Soil Type
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• Yield by Variety by Soil Type
• Yield by Soil Type by Variety
• Yield by Nutrient Level
• Yield by Planting Date
• Yield by Seeding Rate
• Yield by Relative Maturity
• Yield by Seed Company
Also included in the Silver
Program are VRT planting maps
and recommendations. We also
have access to all Answer Plot data
from Winfield on four major seed
companies. This data is compiled
from over 200 Answer Plots and is
well replicated in every plot. This
information helps immensely in
placement of product.
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In conclusion, we know that
commodity prices are challenging
right now, but we also have to
remember to concentrate on yield
because at the end of the day, yield
pays the bills. Also let’s be safe out
there this fall and feel free to go into
your nearest Agronomy Advisor with
any and all questions.
Feed Progress Report
Mike Duncomb, VP of Feed
Over the past year I have shared some
of the focus priorities and projects
your Feed Department has been
working to complete. Our progress is
as follows:
1.Mill Efficiency and Automation –
We have completed the distributor
work and upgraded our batching
system at Hopkinton. The Cuba City
ingredient storage and handling
improvements to the primary mill
structure have been completed
along with adding a batching
system. Adjustments have been
made at Elkader to improve grain
handling/receiving to the mill
facility. Roof maintenance and
repair work is being completed at
Hubbard and Lawn Hill. We will
be completing a micro ingredient
handling system at Hopkinton in the
near future. As we look into fiscal
2015, we are planning additional
improvements at Elkader and Cuba
City along with a comprehensive
analysis of our Hubbard milling
facility. All of these improvements
will increase our manufacturing
efficiency, improve capabilities,
and enhance our quality and food
safety processes and controls.
2.Swine Business – Your Swine
Consulting team continues to work
aggressively with our producers
sourcing feeder pigs and finishing
sites adding to our swine sales
volumes. A primary focus has been
starting up a MetaFarms Bureau
for our customers and we have put
150,000 pigs into our bureau to
date. We are planning to double
that number in 2015.
3. Beef Business – Our focus
continues to be assisting our
producers with feedlot and
performance
monitoring
to
provide better information to make
decisions. Your Beef Consulting
team continues to add feedlots
into our data base. In addition, we
have restructured our consulting
team to better serve the IAS trade
area.
6.IAS Brand Focus – Over the past few
months, we have added a number
of “IAS Branded” products to our
product offerings. We will be
offering these products at all of the
IAS locations bringing consistency
and focus to our product offering.
Similar product offerings through
our mill facilities will also help
with inventory management and
mill efficiency.
4.Dairy Business – Considerable focus
has been and will continue in the calf
and heifer area of our data business.
We are also in the process of
restructuring and building our Dairy
Consulting Team in our primary
dairy areas enhancing service to our
customers (including the retirement
our 2 Dairy Consultants from the
IAS Team).
As we embark on a path of continuous
improvement our objectives are to
bring better information, services
and products to your farm gate. As
always, we look forward to any
feedback or suggestions to enhance
the value the IAS Team brings to your
livestock business.
5. Internal Information Systems –
As many of you are aware, we have
spent considerable time installing
and enhancing our internal
information systems.
These
efforts are ongoing and enhanced
information
and
information
systems are improving our Teams
ability to manage their business
and provide better information to
our customers.
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Don’t Forget the Buffer
Mike Moellenberndt, Dairy Production Specialist
The inclusion of buffers in dairy
rations is well researched and
beneficial. However, sometimes it is a
forgotten tool, or one that is taken for
granted.
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Research as far back as 1965 shows
that buffers positively impact
cow health and performance. The
recommended inclusion rate for
sodium bicarb in lactating diets is .75
to 1 percent of TMR dry matter.
Without buffer the cow’s health can
be impacted. Rumen function and
ration performances may be lessened.
If a cows rumen ph fluctuates to lower
than desired levels, microbial yield
and efficiency drops, dry matter intake
goes down and metabolic disorders in
relation to rumen acidosis.
Today’s diets use more corn silage
than in years past. Today’s diets
also include more fermentable
carbohydrates, which require more
buffering. Rations also minimize fiber
and rely more on microbial protein
and fermentation.
Without buffer cows may have
inconsistent manure, signs of
indigestion and subclinical acidosis.
Feed efficiency may also be lowered.
There may be off feed incidents, less
cut chewing and lower butterfat
percent’s.
Also, overcrowded facilities force
cows to gorge or slug feed rather
than small meals more often. This
contributes to rumen acidosis.The
purpose of buffers is to smooth out
the bouts of acidosis that cows will
experience from time to time.
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Producers will probably see more
consistent dry matter intake and
healthier cows.
Managing Stressful Times
Patrick Bries, Beef Production Specialist
As I am writing this article the
seasons are beginning to shift from
our warm sunny summer days to the
brisker cooler fall evenings. Which
means weaning calves is happening
all around us on a daily basis. Each
calf handles weaning differently
depending on the age of the calf, the
genetics behind the calf, the mineral
status of the calf, and also if the calves
were previously exposed to a creep,
through some or all of the summer.
Stress is something these calves are
facing more than they have ever
experienced in their short life before
this. They are being moved away
from their homes with momma, into
a strange pen or through a sale ring.
Managing this stress is an essential
aspect of having a successful start to
these calves’ lives as feeders.
This fall as calves begin to be sold,
record prices will most likely be given
to be able to fatten these feeders to
market. These uncharted prices can
become uneasy to digest and process
for calves and yearly’s both. When
looking at purchasing a group of
feeders the question usually comes
up on how much are they worth. Each
and every cattle producer will answer
this differently and no answer is right
or wrong. When considering what
is too much to pay for these calves
weaned or un-weaned break-evens
compared to the futures becomes
a very important element to look
at. Total cost of gains are lower than
the past few years, this number is
composed of feed costs, yardage,
death loss, interest, vet charges,
etc. Feed costs have decreased over
the past year which has lowered
this number. Another aspect of the
equation is death loss which can be
unpredictable and significant. There
are many tools to help keep healthy
cattle healthy and risky cattle moving
in a forward direction.
There are many options and
directions to go from here. Sitting
down and having a conversation on
different ways to start calves is an
important conversation to have. A
proper vaccine protocol on incoming
cattle is important to calf health; this
is a great conversation to have with
your veterinarian. Also, medicating
through the feed in the form of
crumbles is an effective tool to use on
incoming cattle of all sizes and ages.
Then there are those higher stressed
calves and more at risk calves which
are being weaned or transported
longer distances. For these calves a
starter program or using a starter or
stress tub can be a great benefit and
can add significant value to those
calves. By supplying the calf with
adequate levels of essential organic
minerals along with other minerals
and vitamins can remarkably increase
the calf’s immune system and
replenish the depleted minerals and
vitamins from the recently endured
stress. These programs are extremely
palatable and great for gut health.
Determining which protocol to use is
a valuable conversation to have with
your IAS nutritionist.
9
PED (Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea)
Todd Landt, Swine Specialist Purina Animal Nutrition
I realize that there has been a lot of
information on this disease in the last
year. However, I wanted to touch on
some highlights about the disease
and management suggestions.
PED
•Coronavirus
•US strains are similar to a 2012
strain found in China
•Method of introduction into the
United States is unknown at this
time
CLINICAL SIGNS
•Similar to TGE
•Vomiting and Diarrhea
•Villous Atrophy similar to TGE
•Incubation period - 36 hours,
spreads through a naïve herd in
4-5 days
•
Virus is shed in stool for 30-35
days
•
High mortality in suckling pigs,
low in feeder and growing pigs
Management Tips
ENVIRONMENT
•Maintain good ventilation
•Ability to ventilate well greatly
helps health challenged pigs
•Better ventilars remove more
undesirable compoundsAmmonia, Dust and Pathogens
•Warm temperatures more than
normal
a)Nursery – 85 degrees
b)Wean to Finish – 78-80 degrees
c)Mat temperature – 85-90
degrees
NUTRITION
•Electrolytes for pigs with Diarrhea
(Utilize Purina Ultra Care swine
electrolyte)
•Maintain Hydration
•Administer until pigs are through
diarrhea or health challenge
•Purina Ultra Gel has been very
effective in helping rehydrate pigs
and to get them eating dry feed
•Utilize Purina Ultra Care 100 for
pigs less than 12 lbs.
•Utilize Purina Ultra Care 200 for
pigs over 12 lbs.
•Milk replacer is not recommended
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KEEPING PED OUT OF BARNS
•Good Biosecurity practices
•Establish a clean line in the barn
and unloading chutes
•Wash and disinfect chute when
finished loading and unloading
•Utilize disposable boots, clean
coveralls, sorting panels etc...
•Only allow clean, disinfected
trucks to back up to your facility
•Emphasize with truckers the need
to clean the tractor cab thoroughly
•Educate Manure hauler on your
biosecurity plan
•Discuss manure hauling
route to minimize chances of
contaminating your facility
•Minimize personnel entering
facilities
Please feel free to contact the IAS
swine group if you have further
questions or if we can help your
operation in any way.
Déjà vu this Winter?
Randy Swenson, VP of Energy
Hello, from your man with gas!
I remember when I was younger, my
grandfather told me to enjoy the
moment, as when you get older, time
flies faster. What a true statement
that was! It seems just a short time
ago that we were wondering if winter
was ever going to end and looking
forward to spring’s arrival. Once it
arrived, spring and summer flew by
us like we were standing still!
Last year was a year that most of
us will not forget when it comes to
propane demand and supply. Could
this year be a repeat? As cooler
weather pushes into the US in the
near term, everyone is thinking about
the possibility of colder weather in
the long term. Several sources have
recently released winter 2014-15
forecasts that are calling for a repeat
of last winter’s below normal temps
and above normal precipitation.
This has propane strengthening.
Propane’s price increase is a result of
several factors; concerns about high
crop drying demand for a record corn
crop and additional risk of a weather
price premium with the potential
of another severe winter. Record
setting exports are also a factor
with propane, as they are likely to
continue.
I don’t want to sound so negative; I
just want everyone to be prepared.
Transportation will continue to be an
issue. With the closing of the Cochin
pipeline, the influx of Minnesota,
North and South Dakota propane
marketers coming to Iowa to earn
pipeline allocation this past summer
has been historic. Also, many of
these marketers will be looking at
Nebraska terminals to supplement
propane demand needs once the
Iowa pipeline goes on allocation
as well as Conway and Bushton, KS
terminals.
We have positioned ourselves by
adding more storage for our LP
bobtail fills and bigger tanks at our
locations that burn LP for corn drying.
We hope this will alleviate some of
the headaches that were experienced
last year. On the transportation side,
we will continue to use our own
trucks along with other commercial
carriers that we have lined up.
The propane industry has been
working diligently to come up
with solutions that will make life a
lot easier during demand season.
Many trained professionals have
brainstormed ideas for a solution.
Bottom line is: the pipeline owners
still could give two shakes. Greed
and profitability is the top slot in
their list of priorities. I’m not sure I
even see customer satisfaction on
the first page. IAS WILL work hard
for the customer and we will do
everything possible to maintain a
satisfied customer. Our staff, drivers,
service men and customer service
representatives are second to none.
This could turn out to be a very
smooth fall and winter. Our goal is
to make it seamless! Be safe this fall
and thank you very much for your
business!
11
Operational Update
Brian Kramer, Vice President of Operations
With the fall season quickly
approaching, final efforts are
underway to complete this year’s
grain & agronomy facility projects
across the company. All projects will
be able to be used for this harvest
season.
In Cleves, IA, a major expansion
project is getting its final touches.
At the west side, a 160,000 bushel
grain bin was erected to add soybean
storage capacity to that complex.
That bin had been moved from the
Steamboat Rock location which has
been closed as we consolidated
storage and handling into the
Cleves facility. On the east side, a
new dumping facility was built that
includes:
•Two receiving pits of 15,000 bph
and 12,000 bph
•Two 5,000 bushels overhead load
out bins
•Zimmerman 4,750 bph grain dryer
•A total of 1.36 million bushels of
added capacity in four Brock bins
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The improvements in Cleves will
accomplish a number of things for
IAS. First, it will consolidate the
grain handling & storage into one
site vs. operating in Steamboat
Rock & Cleves. This will improve
labor productivity for the company.
The project in Cleves will also add
storage & drying capacity into a
geography that is deficit today and
also strategically is positioned as a
backstop for corn going into the Pine
Lake Ethanol facility nearby.
In Elkader, IA, both storage and
handling improvements have been
made as well. An older 2,000 bph
grain dryer has been updated with
a new Sukup 4,000 bph version.
A new wet leg was also added to
provide wet corn into the new dryer
as well as updating of other fill and
reclaim pieces that existed. A 105’
MFS 730,000 bushel grain bin was
constructed making it the largest
capacity grain bin in the company.
This bin will be filled with a conveyor
coming from the concrete elevator
structure nearby. The Elkader
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area was also deficit grain storage
capacity and most all of this grain
will be processed on site thru the
feed mill that exists there as well.
Elma, IA will also be receiving an
upgrade to their drying operations
by the addition of a new wet leg that
will draw wet grain from two of the
concrete silos to feed the dryer. The
addition of this leg will improve the
receiving capabilities of this site by
freeing up one of those legs that
was used to fill the dryer before this
improvement.
The Monticello, IA facility will also
see some additional storage capacity
later this fall. A 105’ MFS 632,500
bushel storage bin is being built
and will be done in time to catch
the mid part of harvest. This bin
will be filled and reclaimed thru
the infrastructure that was added
three years ago. The decision to
build this bin was later than normal
but was prompted by storm damage
that resulted in the loss of storage
capacity within IAS locations earlier
this summer. Forecasting continues
to show a deficit of storage capacity
in this geography and this capacity
can be added without additional
infrastructure costs.
In agronomy, the Waukon facility
is now home to a new 6,000 ton
dry fertilizer facility constructed
over this past summer. This new
facility replaces the one at the west
location that has lived its useful life.
The facility can receive and blend/
load out product at 200 ton per
hour. A new Ranco Declining Weight
blending system will be used in
this facility. Anhydrous ammonia
storage once at the west location has
now been moved to the new site in
Waukon as well. Additional storage
has also been added taking them
from 70,000 gallon of storage before
to 188,000 gallon today. The new
facility will be plumbed and ready
for fall application season. These
two projects in Waukon will greatly
improve efficiencies and labor
productivities of operating at one
facility vs. two.
Two new dry fertilizer application
units are ready for fall application as
well. A new Ag Chem 8400 TerraGator
VRT air flow will be in Central City as
well as a new Ag Chem 1300 row crop
dry VRT spinner in Monticello. These
units feature the latest technologies
available and will boost capacity and
reliability as we enter the fall season.
The Monticello unit is also intended
to provide late spring/summer urea
side dress capabilities as well.
Innovative Ag Services is continually
looking at capital projects that are
aligned with our Purpose Statement’s
core values and strategies. Thank
you for your past and continued
patronage of IAS. Please remember
safety as you embark on the harvest
and fall application seasons.
13
Improving Internal Communication
Carla Elliott, Vice President of Human Resources
When managing multiple locations it
can be sometimes difficult to deliver
the same consistent message and
deliver that message at the same time
to everyone. What information am
I talking about? The information we
were looking to share as a company
was just not general company
announcements. So the question was
how do we get real time information
in front of the employee? Ensuring
delivery of the company’s Core
values, Safety initiatives, Training, Pay
& Benefit information etc.
With all that said IAS has implemented
an internal Intranet system in
partnership with our payroll provider
ADP. The platform is called Workforce
Now. Over the past few months myself
and the HR team have been working
on creating this online environment to
integrate systems to improve internal
communications with employees and
leadership across all locations.
The implementation was done in
phases over the past few months.
On any given day an employee can
do multiple things. They punch in
and out on their time card on this
system, can request time off, they
can make a request to change their
taxes and banking information, and
they can look at and approve their
performance reviews. This is just the
beginning of what this system will do
for us. The employees have all their
benefits at their fingertips including
links to every benefit provided by
the company. IAS annually does their
entire benefit enrollment in an online
environment as well. The employee
can also use this site to sign up to
participate in the different wellness
challenges that the company puts
on and this new resource also allows
the employee to be notified of open
positions internally and they can click
on a link and be taken to the area they
need to be in to fill out an internal
application. From a management
standpoint it allows managers access
to all the forms and information to
help them manage the day to day
activities associated with staffing.
It’s been a big project and we
continue to work on improving the
environment every day. It is in no
way a substitute for real time human
contact but an addition to improving
internal customer service and
providing more information at the
employee’s fingertips.
Pre-Harvest Safety & Security
Thatcher Block, Director of Safety and Compliance
Just a short time ago we discussed
the benefits of pre-season planting
preparation, and now we need to
talk about pre-harvest safety and
security. During harvest, you have a
large amount of work to do within a
small window of time. This urgency
is likely what causes more incidents
and damage than any other time of
the year.
All injuries can be prevented through
effective and safe work practices. Do
not allow fatigue and stress to distract
you from safely operating equipment
and machinery.
Always inspect
and correct any hazards before
operating equipment. While farm
14
security presents unique challenges
for producers, there are some basic
and practical measures that can be
established at the farm level. Due
to the unique nature of our industry,
not all recommendations may be
appropriate for your operation.
In addition to prevention, early
identification to minimize damage
should an event occur is also very
important. Conduct periodic checks
along the perimeter of all fields
and facilities for signs of suspicious
activity or unauthorized entry.
Educate farm members to be alert
for signs of tampering with crops,
equipment, and facilities. Make sure
Ag Biz Briefs | Innovative Ag Services
the areas surrounding and within farm
buildings are well lit. Hold frequent
safety and security meetings with all
employees and family members who
work or live on the farm.
As I said earlier, harvest time is one
of the peak periods for farm incidents
and injuries. Many of these incidents
can be prevented through effective
farm safety management. While it
is difficult to address every incident
that may be encountered, applying
preventative and response measures
will “Maximize the Value of Individual
Operations.”
One Internship Program Year Ends
& Planning for Next Year’s Program Begins
Craig Schroeder, HR Generalist II
The Summer of 2014 Internship
Program came to a close on Thursday
August 14th. The program ended
with a Wrap-Up Picnic that included
internship presentations, bean bag
tournament, and a steak dinner. The
interns have now returned to their
respective colleges with a better
understanding and knowledge of how
Innovative Ag Services operates and a
better outlook on their future plans.
We would like to thank our members
and customers for the impact that
you have played in the success of this
program. Throughout the summer
many interns stated how great our
members and customers treated
them and how much they learned
from you. One intern was nervous
about a customer meeting and by the
end of the meeting; it was one of his
greatest experiences of the summer.
We all play a key role in helping these
students learn, grow, and succeed in
their careers.
As our Purpose Statement states we
are always trying to have Continuous
Improvement and that is true with
the internship program. We are
already discussing what worked,
what didn’t work, and how can we
improve on the program for next
year. As a part of that process we are
starting the recruitment to find our
talented student interns for Summer
2015. We will be at Career Fairs at
University of Wisconsin Platteville
on September 24 and at Iowa State
University on October 14. If you have
a student or know of a student that
may be interested, have them talk
to us at one of these career fairs or
have them apply online at www.
innovativeag.com/careers. If you
or any students have questions in
regards to the internship program
please have them contact Craig
Schroeder at craig.schroeder@ias.
coop or at (319) 465-2022 Ext 128
or contact Renee Dubberke at renee.
[email protected] or at (641) 8642561 Ext 20.
Again, we thank you for your help and
support of the internship program.
We had a very successful Summer
2014 Program and we look forward
to having a successful Summer 2015
Program as well.
15
Iowa Locations
Ackley
Alden
Alta Vista
Andrew
Austinville
Cascade
Center Junction
Central City
Cleves
Elkader
Ellsworth
Elma
Farley
Faulkner
Garden City
Geneva
Hopkinton
Hubbard
Independence
Lawn Hill
Manchester
Monona
Monticello
Oran
Owasa
Packard
Union
Waukon
Williams
Winthrop
Wisconsin Locations
Cuba City
Hazel Green
Platteville
Store Hours
Monday thru Friday
7:30am to 4:30pm
Saturday
All locations hours are varied with
the season check with your local
IAS location to confirm.
visit our website:
www.ias.coop
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Growing Relationships to Maximize Success!®