October 2014 - Hawkeye REC

News
AGE 10
In
This
Issue...
PAGE 2
Manager’s Message
PAGE 3
Monthly Board Report
Outage Report
Capital Credits
PAGE 4
Fire Prevention Month
Safe Electricity
Heartland Security
PAGE 5 Crop Farm Energy
Energy Tip of The Month
Questions/Complaints
October - 2014
PAGE 6
Century/Heritage Farms
PAGE 7 Recipes Century Farm (cont.)
PAGE 8 Dates to Remember
Borlaug Inspire Day
Connect with us...
“Lighting Up Your World In Pink”
October marks National Cooperative Month
when we take time to celebrate co-ops and talk
about why our not-for-profit member-owned
business model is special. Offering our members
real value – and working to improve the quality
of life in the communities we serve – is just one
way we set ourselves apart.
Employees and their families, directors, and friends will
celebrate by wearing pink this year for October’s Breast
Cancer Awareness Month in a special way. We lost a
long-time employee of 24 years to cancer this summer
and are honoring her memory by wearing pink ribbon
REC shirts and pink hard hats to “Shine Like Sherie”.
“Shine Like Sherie”
“Somebody to seed and
weed, feed and breed…and
rake and disc and plow and
plant and tie the fleece and
strain the milk. So, God
made a farmer!”
Member-Owner Capital Credit Retirements on Page 3...
–excerpt from Paul Harvey’s address to the
1978 FFA convention (Author Unknown)
Turn to pages 6-7 for this month’s Featured Farm Family:
The Josvanger/Aspenson Farm in rural Decorah
2
Straight talk about...
Cooperation Among Cooperatives…
O
ctober is National Co-op
Month. The time of year when
the 29,000 plus co-ops in the
U.S. take a few moments to ensure their
employees, members and the general
public truly understand the value of the
cooperative business they own.
All cooperative businesses have
at their foundation these seven
cooperative principles to follow:
1.Voluntary and Open
Membership
2.Democratic Member Control
3.Members’ Economic
Participation
4.Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training and
Information
6. Cooperation Among
Cooperatives
7.Concern for Community
One of the ways co-ops demonstrate that
they are different from investor-owned
businesses is by actually living the
principles. This month I’m highlighting
Principle 6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives. There are many examples that
demonstrate how co-ops do this every
day. In theory this sounds so simple, answering the question, “Can’t we all just
get along?” As it turns out, it’s easier to
get along when we focus on what our
personal or organizational self-interest
is - and find others who have a similar
self-interest.
This is how Hawkeye REC was established. Ordinary folks realized they
would be better off working together
if they wanted to bring electricity to
their rural homes, farms and businesses. Once the co-op was established,
we soon realized that if we work with
our sister co-ops we could gain control of our power supply, so electric
cooperatives formed over 60 generation
and transmission cooperatives such
as Dairyland Power Cooperative in
La Crosse, Wisc.
This pattern kept repeating and soon
electric co-ops formed new co-ops that
offer a variety of services,
such as financing through
the creation of the Cooperative Finance Corporation
(CFC), insurance through
Federated Rural Electric Insurance, billing through the
National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)
and more to ensure that they
had ownership and control
over these core products.
This was done to help serve
you, our member-owners, by
making sure there would be
no interruption in these vital
services that help us bring
electricity to you.
This past month the Board
of Directors of Hawkeye
REC, Cresco, Iowa, and
Tri-County Electric
Cooperative, Rushford, Minn., met
and reviewed the joint cooperative
strategic planning goals, one of which
is attaining greater economies of
scale. The two cooperatives currently
share a CEO, marketing director,
arborist, utility forester, and a safety
& compliance coordinator. We use
similar programs for mapping, outage
management, billing, vehicle tracking
and engineering. We are also able to
jointly bid services for independent
auditing, pole testing and vegetation
management for better pricing.
The discussion on what additional ways
our cooperatives can work together to
manage operations efficiently while
continuing to increase value to members has led us to ask if the two electric
cooperatives should consolidate. Both
cooperative boards determined it worthy of further investigation, study and
discussion, which will be undertaken
over the course of the next year.
So as we celebrate cooperative month
and Cooperation Among Cooperatives,
the vital cooperative principle that
started our organization over 75 years
ago continues to be used today to look
at the future of our cooperative.
As always, I welcome your calls,
emails and personal visits.
Brian Krambeer, CEO
(563) 547-3801 or (800) 658-2243
[email protected]
Looking out for you...
BOARDReport
Hawkeye’s Board of Directors conducted the
monthly board meeting on September 26th
Highlights of the meeting:
w
w
Reviewed and approved monthly Safety &
Compliance Reports
Accepted monthly financial report
w
Approved a 1.0 mill EAC for September
w
w
September Outage
Report
Approved new memberships and write-offs
w
w
3
Reviewed and approved Asplundh Tree Service
contract
Discussed and approved Patronage Capital
Distribution
Approved 2014 Load Forecast Report
Y
ou are a member-owner of your not-for-profit electric
cooperative. Abiding by one of the cooperative’s seven
principles – Member Economic Participation – the
board of directors determines the retirement of capital credits
to its members, based on the cooperative’s financial stability.
Capital credits are just one of the many differences that set
cooperatives apart from other business models. Thank you for
your patronage.
NOTE: If you have moved out of Hawkeye REC’s service territory, we will mail you a Capital Credit check so it is extremely
important that we have a current mailing address on file.
Capital Credit Definitions:
Member: At Hawkeye REC, you are more than a customer,
you are a member-owner.
Operating Costs: The cost to maintain, repair, and construct the electric system (poles, wires, substations, etc.).
Margin: At the end of the fiscal year, Hawkeye REC subtracts
operating expenses from the amount of money collected and
the balance is called the margin.
Allocate: An approved method used to assign the margins
to be applied to a member-owner’s electric bill.
Patronage: At the cooperative, your patronage is the amount
of money you paid on your electric bill each year.
Retire: The payout amount your board of directors approves
to pay.
Hawkeye REC paid
out $419,537 in
patronage dividends
this year!
4
Fire Prevention Month...
“Smart” Fire Extinguisher Training
I
n honor of October Fire Prevention Month, all
employees of Hawkeye REC received state-ofthe-art “hands-on” digital fire extinguisher training. The multi-level fire simulator was used to teach
everyone the correct method to properly extinguish a
fire. The employees were taught to use the P. A. S. S.
(Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep)
method. A timer on the equipment keeps track of the time
lapsed after the “fire” is started
until extinguished. A LED-driven laser beam emitted from the
training fire extinguisher makes
sure the trainee is using the correct method of staying low on
the fire to sweep back and forth
to extinguish the flames. A big
thank you to the Decorah Fire Department for
loaning the fire simulator equipment to our organization for the day.
Not only can employees be ready for any
possible emergencies at
the office and out in the
field, but also at home!
Safety First!
TOAST
your bread...
___________________
Did you know that a damaged appliance could destroy your home?
Help protect your home from electrical fires:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Keep appliances in good working order.
Do not use appliances with cords that are frayed, cracked, or damaged.
Do not use electronics that are damaged or have been wet.
Do not use extension cords permanently.
Do not plug too many appliances into one outlet.
Register new appliances so you will be notified of a recall, and periodically
check Recalls.gov.
Do your best to prevent fires, but always be prepared. Have a smoke alarm with working
batteries and a fire extinguisher rated for electrical fires.
For more information on electrical safety, visit:
Who will hear
your fire alarm when you’re not home?
Heartland Security!
Protect your home and family with a
Heartland Security system and we’ll call
the fire department before it’s too late.
The Power to Protect™
1-888-264-6380
HEARTLANDSS.COM
Farm Efficiency And More...
5
Farm Efficiency Tips:
Trim Energy Waste from Crop Farms
G
rowing grains feeds the nation, but farmers
have to keep a careful eye on energy use.
Delivering water to crops costs $2.6 billion
energy dollars every year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The National Sustainable
Agriculture Information Service reports 25 percent
of that energy was wasted due to poor irrigation
pump and motor efficiency.
Here are a few ways to start saving today:
1.MAINTAIN: Maintain equipment and facilities
following manufacturers’ recommendations for
proper use and maintenance.
2.TURN OFF WASTE: Turn off equipment
when not in use or needed. Educate employees
on the importance of not running all equipment
at the same time.
3.MOTOR SAVINGS: Use National Electrical
Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Premium
Efficient electric motors. These highly efficient
products meet the needs and applications of the farmer
and manufacturers based on a consensus definition
of “premium efficiency.” Learn more at www.
motorsmatter.org.
4.WATCH RATINGS: Always consider energy
consumption ratings when replacing or installing new
equipment, typically the lowest cost equipment is the
least energy efficient
Want more ways to save on the farm? Use the animal
housing, irrigation, nitrogen, tillage, and grain drying
energy calculators at EnergyTools.sc.egov.usda.gov.
Source: Ensave.com, National Sustainable
Agriculture Information Service, USDA
Source: Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
Question or complaint?
There may be times when you have a
question regarding your electric service
or the bill you receive from Hawkeye
REC. Or maybe you have a complaint;
if so, we would like to know.
You can contact us:
Visit our office: 24049 State
Highway 9, Cresco, Iowa
Mail: PO Box 90, Cresco, Iowa
Call: (800) 658-2243 or
(563) 547-3801
Email: [email protected]
If your compliant is related to Hawkeye’s service rather than its rates, and Hawkeye does
not solve your complaint, you may request
assistance from the Iowa Utilities Board:
Mail: 1375 E. Court Avenue, Room 69,
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0069
Call: (877) 565-4450 or
(515) 725-7321
Email: [email protected]
6
Tribute to the Iowa Farmer Series...
—By: Meagan Moellers
Norwegian Centennial Heirlooms
Generations from the Josvanger/Aspenson Century
Farm near Decorah are proud of their Norske background
M
any of us celebrate our ancestry, our cherished origins and
beloved traditions. And for
many residents in the Decorah area that
ancestry is Norwegian. Therefore, this
centennial family story begins with Hans
O. Josvanger who was born in 1861 in
Sogn, Norway. He completed the teacher
seminary and then imigrated to America
(Winneshiek County Iowa) in 1884 and
married Isabell Gustine Bakken on October 31, 1886.
the electricians when it came time to
wire the home for electricity. Their
four children (Corolla, Harriet, Donald, and Oscar Jr.) acquired ownership
of the house and farm in 1943. Harriet,
and her husband Marvin (Norland),
resided in the distinctive farmhouse
until 1965 when their daughter Marcia
and husband Bruce (MacLaren) moved
there. Four generations were proud
to live in that original Norwegian
farmhouse.
Hans worked many years as a teacher in
the local Norwegian school. In the later
years he offered himself completely to his
farm work. He was a rare, educated man
with many interests – teacher, musician
and composer. Hans and Isabell had nine
children. In 1890 they purchased land in
Madison Township. Isabell’s father, Ole
Bakken, and crew built an impressive,
11-room farmhouse for them in 1905
nestled along State Highway 9, just a few
miles west of Decorah. The Josvangers
lived on that farm all their married life.
One of their daughters, Clara and her
husband Oscar J. Aspenson, moved back
to the farm in 1936. Fun REA Fact: The
$3,000 farmhouse that Ole constructed
was built very strongly. Family members
recollect that it was quite a challenge for
But that’s not the whole story of this
Norske farmstead. There was also a
detached “summer kitchen” that dated
back to the early 1900’s. Oscar Jr. and
his wife Margaret added a basement,
attic and three bedrooms to this structure and lived there for many years.
And how about this circle of life?
One of their three sons, Tom, who was
actually born in that house, is making
plans to move back to the family farm
from his current home in Wisconsin.
He will be busy over the next few years
restoring the farmhouse(s), outbuildings, and the landscaping back to its
original grand luster. Our admiration
goes to Tom for honoring his heritage
and his efforts to restore this Century
farmstead!
The Josvanger
House in 1905
with Hans
and Isabell
Josvanger
and family
including
Ole Bakken.
Clara and Oscar
Aspenson Family.
Oscar, Harriet
and Marcia.
Oscar and Margaret Aspenson - Century Farm
Award in 1990.
Memories from Harriet (Aspenson) Norland
“Our family has been very blessed in so
many ways on this farm” Harriet proudly
says, “and if only these walls could
talk……there would be lots of good things
to smile about”. She has vivid memories
of her parents hosting and entertaining many Luther League gatherings in
their large yard. Croquet was a favorite
pastime of these social events. In 1942,
Harriet’s husband was
serving in World War
II and was gone when
their first child was
born in her parent’s
farmhouse. So it’s
not surprising that
little baby Marcia was also baptized in
this beloved house. “It’s just a happy
place to be!” Could that be the reason
why Harriet is so excited to have her
nephew Tom so interested in restoring the farmstead? She is also anxious
about giving him a few cherished home
furnishings from her mother, Clara, including a dining room table and chairs,
china hutch and a glass light fixture that
gracefully adorned the home in the early
1900s. After Clara’s young husband died,
she opened her beautifully set home
to visitors and groups as a means of
financially supporting herself. And she
was very knowledgeable of her various
collections. People came from all over
the United States to her “antique” farm.
Clara even converted the old creamery
building for her extensive doll collection
and a chicken house became the “Hobby
House” for treasured Norwegian family
heirlooms.
The family’s Norwegian traditions and
behaviors were luckily passed along in
strong faith. Harriet can remember her
parents talking to each other in Norse
when they didn’t want their children to
understand. And at age 95, Harriet (who
is 100% Norwegian) still absolutely
loves the many treats and dishes of her
ancestors. Lefse tops her list, but she can
Recipes and more...
Recipes...
Crunchy Ham
Casserole
2 c. elbow macaroni
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Celebrate Pork Month
this year with these
recipes using meat
from local farms.
1½ c. cubed ham
½ c. sour cream
1 pkg. frozen broccoli
Cook pasta. Combine with ham and place
in a 9x13 pan. Blend soup, sour cream,
milk and pour ½ over ham and macaroni.
Arrange broccoli on top and pour remaining
sauce over broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake uncovered @ 350° for 20 min. Top with French fried
onions. Bake 5 min. more.
Nita Hackman • Cresco
Slow Cooker
Pulled Pork
2-3 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 (12 oz. can) root beer
1 (18 oz. bottle) of favorite BBQ sauce
Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root
beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well
cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Drain well.
Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve on your favorite bun.
Diana Ness • Waukon
Our Century Farm
still quickly rattle off the
recipe for Rømmegrøt
and Kumla. Her family
would all help make lefse
together using her mother’s
delicate white towels placed in between each of the rounds that were
kept in a copper boiler. “We never
had to worry about all that hard
work spoiling though, because it
was eaten rather quickly!” Harriet
beams with a reminiscent smile!
Not only does this family have
strong Norwegian ties in the community, they have also made an
impressive impact on
music and education.
Both Hans and Isabell
taught Norwegian, three
generations graduated
from Luther College in Decorah,
(plus that was where Harriet was
one of the first women to join the
all-boys band in 1936) and she
later became a life-long teacher
in various locations in Northeast
Iowa. Thanks to this family for
providing our Norwegian-American heritage lesson for today!
Mange Takk!
7
Send or e-mail your favorite recipe. If we print
your recipe in our newsletter you’ll receive $5
off your next electric bill. Please include your
REC Account Number.
E-mail to: [email protected]
All recipes can be found on our website.
Nov -Homemade Pies (Need by Oct. 15)
Dec - Holiday Traditional Recipes from
Grandma’s Kitchen (Need by Nov. 15)
Jan - National Oatmeal Month
(Need by Dec. 15)
Kumla
“Big, hearty round potato dumplings with a piece
of bacon inside simmer slowly in a rich ham broth. Serve
the dumplings with the broth and pieces of ham for a
Scandinavian soul food supper that’s perfect on a wintry day.”
1 (5 pound) unsmoked bone-in ham
5 pounds russet potatoes
(peeled and shredded)
4 c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. stone ground whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
3 slices bacon (cut into 1-inch square pieces)
salt and black pepper to taste (optional)
Place the ham in a large soup pot (at least 10 quart size), and
pour in 16 to 20 cups of water to cover. Bring the water to a boil,
reduce heat, and simmer the ham to make a rich stock, about 2
hours. Remove the ham, and skim any foam off the broth. Stir in
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) to broth, if necessary.
1.Place the potatoes in a large bowl, and use very wet hands to
mix in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder,
and 1 teaspoon salt to make a sticky dough.
2.Bring the ham stock to a full, rolling boil. Place a bowl of water
near the stove. With very wet hands, pinch off about 2/3 cup
of dough, and press a piece of bacon into the center of the
dough. Roll the dough into a ball about 2 1/2 inches across,
and slip the Kumla into the boiling broth along the side of
the pot. Don’t drop them into the middle of the broth to avoid
splashing the hot broth. Repeat with the remaining dough,
using the bowl of water to keep your hands very wet, until all
the dumplings have been added to the broth.
3.Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes,
then use a slotted spoon or spatula to gently lift any stuck
dumplings from the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot again,
and simmer the dumplings for about 1 hour. They will float to
the top of the broth as they cook.
4.Gently lift the Kumla from the broth with a slotted
spoon, and stack them in a bowl for serving.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.
(Original recipe makes 25 Kumla)
Harriet Norland • Memories from the
Josvanger/Aspenson Farm
News
Hawkeye REC
PO Box 90
Cresco, Iowa 52136
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
24049 State Hwy 9 - P.O. Box 90
Cresco, Iowa 52136
1-800-658-2243 or 563-547-3801
OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday • 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
This institution is an equal opportunity
provider and employer
DPC
www.hawkeyerec.coop
Email: [email protected]
www.twitter.com/HawkeyeREC
www.facebook.com/HawkeyeREC
www.youtube.com/user/HawkeyeREC
PAYMENTS & ACCOUNT ACCESS 24-7
1-888-480-9735
https:hawkeyerec.smarthub.coop/
OUTAGES
1-800-927-5265
IOWA ONE CALL
1-800-292-8989 or 811
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dean Fisher, President - Lawler
Dean Nierling, Vice President - Burr Oak
Dennis Ptacek, Secretary/Treasurer - Elma
Charles Frana - Calmar
Dennis Young - Decorah
Darla Rance - Lime Springs
Carl Reicks - New Hampton
PERSONNEL
Brian Krambeer
Chief Executive Officer
Mike Walton
Operations Manager
Shelly Girolamo
Chief Financial Officer
Ted Kjos
Marketing & Communications Manager
EDITOR
Meagan Moellers
Dates to Remember
BILLING CYCLE DATES
Oct. 10 Hawkeye REC prints bills based on
Sept. meter reading.
Borlaug Inspire Day
O
ver 300 fifth grade students from
Northeast Iowa participated in the
Norman Borlaug Inspire Day on
Friday, Sept. 19 at the Borlaug boyhood
farm. Inspire Day is held in conjunction
with Harvest Fest and REC employees
Rick Hagen and Tom Hart were proud
to be a part of the rotating stations, not
only teaching the importance of electrical
safety on the farm but also the connection
that Hawkeye REC had with helping rural
farmers in the 1930s get electricity to their
farms! They taught the students about conductors and insulators and reinforced the
strong message “Direct Path to Ground.”
Kids….remember to tell your parents to
“Be Safe on the Farm” this harvest season.
Oct. 13 Bills are mailed to members.
Oct. 25 Please mail your bill today to make
sure it arrives to Hawkeye by the 1st
of November. If needed, member
reads meter and records on payment
voucher.
Oct. 28 Disconnect services for non-payment.
Oct. 28 Automated payments from checking/
savings accounts and credit/debit
cards are processed.
Oct. 31 AMR meters are read by the
cooperative.
Nov. 1 Bills become delinquent.
Nov. 5
November newsletter mailing date.
OTHER EVENTS
Oct. 29 Board Meeting
PAID
Lineman Tom Hart
shows the students
the safety equipment
that all power line
workers wear
every day!