320-864-5518 - Arlington Enterprise
Transcription
320-864-5518 - Arlington Enterprise
AG SCENE -2- FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Index 4 Square Builders ..................................38 A+ Insurance Agency, Inc. ..................43 ADM Edible Bean Specialities, Inc. ....16 After Burner Auto Body ........................10 Ag Specialists ..................................22, 35 Ag Venture Corn Capitol Innovations ..28 Alsleben Livestock Trucking ..................9 American Family Insurance Lonnie D. Kopel Agency, ................16 American Family Insurance David J. Maurice Agency ................16 Arnold’s Implement Inc.........................13 Auto Value Parts ......................................6 Bird Island-Hawk Creek Mutual Ins. Agency ..........................36 Bergmann Interiors ..............................13 Bird Island Soil Service ........................34 Brownton Co-op Ag Center ....................8 Brust Electric ..........................................8 Carly’s Shoes ........................................27 Community Electric ..............................30 Co-op Country Farmers Elevator ........12 Country Wide Lumber ..........................36 Creative Details ....................................19 Crop Production Services......................46 Crow River Glass ..................................46 Dahlberg Boat & Trailer Sales ................6 Dale’s Auto Sales ....................................8 Dale’s Plumbing and Heating..................4 Danube Lumber ....................................42 Danube Upholstery & Shoe Repair ........6 David Larson Fin. & Ins. Svcs., Inc. ....20 Dawson Co-op Credit Union ................41 Dobrava Bros., Inc...................................9 Duane Jindra Crop Ins. Agency ............47 Edward Jones - Kirk Miller ..................22 Enestvedt Seed Co ................................41 Ervin Well Company ..............................6 Exsted Realty ........................................38 F & M Bank Minnesota ........................30 F & M Insurance....................................41 Fahey Sales..............................................4 Farmers & Merchants Ins. Agency Steve Agre ..........................................6 Farmers & Merchants State Bank ........34 Farmers Co-op Oil Co ..........................43 Finish Line Seed Inc. ..............................6 First Minnesota Bank ..............................3 First Security Bank................................18 Flatworks Concrete Const., LLC ..........38 Flora Mutual Insurance Co. ....................6 Foamtastic Insulation, Inc. ....................25 Full Throttle Services ..............................2 Gerald Kucera PHI ................................46 Glencoe Co-op Assn..............................22 Glencoe Fleet Supply ............................37 Glencoe Law Office ..............................40 Glencoe Oil Co. ....................................46 Glencoe Veterinary Clinic ....................48 Goetsch Insurance Agency ....................37 Grizzly Buildings, Inc. ..........................11 H & L Motors Inc. ................................18 Harpel Bros. Inc. ..................................51 Harvest Land Cooperative ....................39 Hearing Care Specialists, Kurt Pfaff ....17 Heller Group Realty ..............................25 Henslin Auctions, Inc. ..........................44 Home Solutions ....................................52 Home Town Bank ..................................12 Hughes Auction Service, LLC ..............36 Hutchinson Co-op..................................10 Hutchinson Medical Center ..................49 J & R Electric Inc. ................................18 J & R Insurance Agency ..........................8 Jerry Scharpe Ltd., ................................48 Jungclaus Carquest ................................40 Jungclaus Implement ................14, 15, 45 K & S Electric ......................................31 Kahnke Brothers Tree Farm ....................7 Keith L. Scott Agency ..........................42 Ken Franke Conklin Service ................10 Klein Bank ............................................10 Kranz Lawn & Power ............................49 Lake Region Insurance Agency ............12 Larkin Tree Care & Lndsg Inc. ............31 Latham Hi-Tech Seeds ..........................50 Lester Buildings ....................................40 Linder Farm Network ............................23 Mallak Trucking Inc. ............................36 Mathews Drainage & Excavating, Inc...27 McLeod County Solid Waste ................17 McLeod Publishing, Inc. ....24, 34, 46, 47 Mid Country Bank ................................47 Mid County Co-op Agron. ......................4 Mid-State Painting ................................36 Minn West Bank ....................................26 SECTION 1 Sam’s Tire understands farmers’ needs ............................................................................p. 3 Organic but not necessarily certified is new trend........................................................p. 5 Will there be a recharge? ....................................................................................................p. 7 Fifteen trillion dollar debt casts huge shadows ..............................................................p. 9 Understanding crop rotation ............................................................................................p. 10 Weather Forecast:Anybody’s guess ..........................................................................p. 11, 12 Garbers’ Meats, more than meat market ......................................................................p. 13 Let’s talk water ....................................................................................................................p. 17 It takes big culverts to freeze a beet pile ................................................................p. 18, 19 Farm Outlook Seminar ......................................................................................................p. 21 Lynn Ketelson columns................................................................................................p. 22, 47 Ear tags tells sows how much to eat ........................................................................p. 25, 26 SECTION 2 Minnesota’s oldest continuously-operating elevators........................p. 29, 30, 31, 33, 34 Local growers honor own at annual banquet ..............................................................p. 35 Local meat shops sprouting in Minnesota ........................................................p. 41, 42, 43 Agricultural career opportunities abound ....................................................................p. 45 Entitlement society is getting impatient........................................................................p. 48 Thank you to all of our advertisers for contributing to the 2012 Ag Scene supplement. Thank you to the writers and interviewees, for the editorial content. Published by McLeod Publishing, Inc., 716 E. 10th St., Glencoe, MN 55336 • 320-864-5518. Renco Publishing, Inc., 110 NW Dupont Ave., Renville, MN 56284 Printed by House of Print, 322 Benzel Ave. SW, Madelia, MN 56062 • 888-741-4467 Midwest Machinery ..............................24 Morris Builders......................................39 Mycogen Seeds - Brad Pietig ................42 Northern Plumbing & Heating, Inc. ......16 Northland Buildings ..............................22 NuTech Seeds, Jay P. Nelson ................27 OEM Services........................................10 Olivia Chrysler Center ..........................26 Olivia Machine Shop Inc.......................29 Olivia Pet Clinic ....................................42 Otto Farms Operation Inc. ....................21 PHI Insurance - Chad Schmalz ............49 Precision Planting - Chad Schmalz ........2 Precision Soya of Minnesota ..................6 ProAg Celebration ................................30 Pro Equipment Sales ............................33 Professional Ins - Ron Molstad ............10 Professional Ins - Terry Jones................46 Quality Septic Services ........................19 RAM Builders ........................................8 Renville Sales, Inc. ................................26 Sam’s Tire Service ................................45 Saunders Mertens Schmitz, PA ............19 Schad, Lindstrand & Schuth, LTD ........40 Schauer Construction Inc. of Glencoe ..51 Schauer & Sons Construction..................9 Schiroo Electrical & Rebuilding, Inc. ....7 Schmeling Oil........................................48 Schmitz Custom Bagging........................3 Schweiss Hydraulic Doors ....................32 Security Bank & Trust Co. ....................40 Seneca Foods Corp. ..............................21 Simonson Lumber ................................37 State Bank of Bird Island ......................32 State Farm Insurance ............................31 Tall Tires................................................36 Tauber Construction ..............................33 Terry’s Body Shop ..................................6 Thalmann Seeds ....................................46 Triad Construction ................................33 Two Way Communications....................20 United FCS ............................................11 United Farmers Coop..3, 20, 35, 45, 47, 51 Upper Midwest Management ................43 Valley Electric of Olivia Inc. ................42 Valley View Electric, Inc. ......................37 Waconia Farm Supply ..........................27 Weis Oil Co ..........................................31 Willmar Aerial Spraying Inc. ................16 Wood’s Edge............................................9 Young America Mutual Ins. Co...............7 Full Throttle Services • Your one-stop-shop for dependable, fast, friendly service. • Auto, truck & farm repairs. • We do on-the-farm service calls. • Complete computer diagnostics. • Oil changes, auto & light truck tires. Located across from Poly Foam 135C Pine St S, Lester Prairie, MN 55354 (320) 395-2831 Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., Saturday, on call Stop planting errors. Start reaping rewards. Tools for sensing & control It pays to plant with Precision Skips and doubles. Wrong population. Too much down force. Planting errors cost you money. If you could avoid such errors, you’d realize your highest yield potential. The 20/20® tools from Precision Planting report errors as they happen, so you can act fast, fix whatever’s wrong, and get the yield and return you’re looking for. 20/20 SeedSense® shows you complete, real-time, row-by-row information. 20/20 AirForce® adds automatic down force control to maintain depth while avoiding compaction. 20/20 RowFlow™ simplifies variable rate and swath control. Come on in and see how you can stop planting errors and start boosting your yield. Sales/Service Contact: Chad Schmalz 54362 805th Ave, Buffalo Lake, MN 55314 320-296-5422 Call today for free DVD! YIELD IS IN THE DETAILS. FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 -3- AG SCENE Sam’s Tire understands farmers’ needs By Lori Copler Staff Writer f there is one thing that the folks at Sam’s Tire Service in Glencoe understand, it’s the needs of farmers, particularly in the busy planting and harvesting seasons. “My father-in-law is a farmer himself,” said Jeremy Geib, who has been Sam’s Tires’ manager for about three years. He also is a part-owner of the business, along with his father-in-law, Tom Hueser. Because Hueser is a farmer, he understands how frustrated farmers can be when equipment breaks down during fieldwork. That’s why Sam’s Tire Service has three things important to farmers — an extensive inventory of tires, extended hours in the spring and fall, and on-thefarm service. “We want to make sure these guys (farmers) can keep going,” said Geib. The Sam’s Tires warehouse is packed full of tires of all sizes for all types of vehicles — from passenger cars and pickups to semis and tractors, combines and sprayers, as well as heavy equipment, such as payloaders. “We’ve had people call all over looking for a particular tire, then call us and we have it, right here in their neighborhood,” said Geib. “We have a big inventory, and we keep the warehouse full.” I And in the rare instance that Sam’s Tire may not have a particular tire, “we can usually get it within a day,” Geib said. The local company has eight employees, and provides on-the-farm service with a truck with a hoist. If a particular piece of equipment can’t be serviced in the field, “we’ll haul it in here and get it done,” said Geib. “I’m pretty confident we can tackle just about anything,” Geib added. “We have some pretty good equipment and great technicians.” And people know they can count on Sam’s Tire. Geib said the company has gone to farms as far away as Litchfield, Henderson, Mankato and Hector. Geib said Sam’s Tire is always looking for ways to improve its service and has bought equipment to accommodate the large tires and tracks that adorn modern farm machinery. Sam’s Tire also can handle semitrucks, from tires to full alignments, Geib said, and provides Department of Transportation inspections, also important to farmers who haul grain, as well as the general trucking industry. But Sam’s Tire is not just about farming. It also provides auto repair, mufflers, alignments, brakes and tires for cars and pickups, and tries to accommodate its Photo by Lori Copler Jeremy Geib, manager at Sam’s Tire, Glencoe. customers’ particular needs. For example, Geib said, the company recently bought a piece of equipment to service tires mounted on specialty rims to avoid scratching those expensive rims. Sam’s Tire Service is located at 719 Chandler Ave. in Glencoe; and can be reached by phone at 320-864-3615. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Its website is www. samstire.net. The e-mail address is [email protected]. Schmitz Custom Bagging Scott @ 612-710-4861 IF YOU CAN Harvest it, Store it, Feed it or Sell it I CAN BAG IT • 12 AG BAG MACHINES FOR YOUR HAYLAGE AND CORN SILAGE NEEDS. • 6 MILLS FOR YOUR HIGHMOISTURE CORN NEEDS. “One tractor runs the mill and bagger at the same time.” 2 loftness grain baggers and unloaders. First Minnesota Bank is Proud to Work with Local Farmers TERMS: Revolving Credit, Line of Credit, Contact RON MOLSTAD Intermediate Term, Long Term VP Ag LOANS: Crop Inputs, Livestock, Equipment, Lending Improvements, Real Estate 864-3161 606 E 11th St INSURANCE: Crop Insurance, Glencoe Life Insurance NOW OPEN Hwy 19 West, Gaylord 507-237-4203 Mac hiner y • m r a Ski d F St e e n i a L r e G gs & rs • G r a i n D r ye r s A n y For Your G r a i n F ar m Eq u i p n t me Ha n dl ing Ne eds FSA CERTIFIED LENDER, RFA APPROVED LENDER, FARMER MAC APPROVED LENDER COME SEE US FOR ALL YOUR FARMING NEEDS! AG SCENE -4- FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Dale’s Since 1947 LIVE - ONLINE - SIMULCAST Plumbing & Heating, Inc. 2110 9th St. E. Glencoe, MN 55336 YOUR SITE OR OURS 320-864-6353 We have the options that best fit your needs. www.glencoephinc.com Lic.#062054-PM Specializing in: • Central Air Conditioning • Air Duct Cleaning • Service Work Development and Agricultural Land Commercial and Residential Real Estate 50% OFF Farm and Construction Equipment Commercial Turf Equipment Government & Fleet the Air Duct Cleaning with NACE! R Purchase of a NEW FU Landscape Equipment Industrial Equipment Antique Farm Equipment HURRY! OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 27, 2012! Business Liquidations Estates SM www.faheysales.com Belle Plaine, MN - 952.873.2555 - Hutchinson, MN - 320.234.3510 - New Prague, MN - 952.873.6562 Turning your assets to cash in a global market. FUELS • PROPANE • LUBRICANTS Delivering our Area’s Energy & Heating Homes Since 1935 Hobby Farm Equipment to Heavy Trucks BIG to small We Repair It All! ne & Propa Heat Home Bulk Fuel ts brican Lu ry We do DOT Inspections Cologne Church St. neryy Ave. M Market St. Lake St. S. He SEED SALES P ayhouse Market Pl St. d A Meuwissen Lake Ed Ave. Park St. Dr. Villa Adams Ave. Miller St. STINE 36 Auto • Truck • Tire Center 710 West Lake Street (952) 466-3710 212 W. Louis St. Conrad Ave. 212 284 E. Louis Pleasant Adams Cir. A e. Adams Av • Crop Protection • Nutrient Management • Crop Consulting • Plant Food, Anhydrous, Lime, & VRT • Turfs & Pasture Management • Producers, Croplan, Asgrow, Dekalb • Grid Sampling & NK Hybrids • Custom Anhydrous Application • Yield Mapping Delive • Auto, Light Truck, and Heavy Truck Repair • Skid Loader Light Repair and Service with Pickup and Delivery • On Site Farm Tire Repair and Replacement • Great Selection of New and Recapped Truck and Trailer Tires • Motor Home, RV, Camper and Trailer Repair and Service • DOT Inspections • New Innovative Synthetic Oils J n Ave. Joh Paul Scott Nelson Jacob Av e. Joe Forner S.. Jacob Ave. Doug Kraska At Mid-County Auto Truck and Tire Center our team of TXDOL¿HGDQG$6(&HUWL¿HGUHSDLUWHFKQLFLDQVDUHUHDG\ WRWDFNOHDOO\RXUKREE\IDUPHTXLSPHQWOLJKWWUXFNPRWRUKRPHFRPPHUFLDOWUXFNVHUYLFHDQGUHSDLUQHHGV 53 FUELS • PROPANE • LUBRICANTS Serving You With Honesty, Integrity & Value since 1935 (952) 466-3720 • (507) 964-5500 (952) 466-3730 www.midcountycoop.com (952) 466-3720 www.midcountycoop.com FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 -5- AG SCENE Organic but not necessarily certified is new trend By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Glencoe Advertiser Significant attention getter at the 2012 Minnesota Organic Conference, St. Cloud, was a breakout session titled, “The Future and Sustainability of CSAS.” For those of us still learning the language of the organic farming culture, CSAS refers to Community Supported Agriculture Systems. Note, however, that CSA producers are not necessarily certified organic farmers. But they do steer clear of genetically modified seed stocks in their production of vegetables, fruits and berries, even certain grains that can be conveniently marketed as locally grown foods, a rapidly growing niche market across America. And usage of certain pesticides and commercial fertilizers is also a no-no. Susan Koppendrayer, a full-time teacher who, with her husband, also operates The Long Siding Farm in Sherburne County near Princeton is a five-acre, five-year certified organic producer. “We mostly concentrate on vegetable in our CSA marketing but are adding some fruits as customer demand suggests we broaden our offerings,” said Koppendrayer. Because of their location in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, she indicated they can not keep up with marketing requests. CSA marketing essentially entails the weekly delivery of garden produce to a customer list that prepaid for this convenient service directly to their front door, or setting up shop at specific farmer’s market locations where customers make their pickups right there on the scene. “There’s really high demand. We are known for our certified organic lettuce, but I love growing anything related to the squash plant, particularly the heirloom squash,” said Koppendrayer. She said there is a beauty of this squash growing in the field. Plus the squash has some longevity bonuses. “Once harvested and hardened, if kept in cool storage you can use them all winter. We’re eating squash throughout the winter season in our house. It’s nutritionally rich and definitely adds color to any plate.” Her farm now also has a high tunnel obtained through a special state grant. “The tunnel lets us grow tomatoes quicker, and in our Minnesota climate that’s always a plus. Also the high tunnel lets us grow more variety, like hot peppers, green peppers and lots of different heirloom tomatoes.” Their 30 foot x 90 foot high tunnel has now produced for two seasons. “I think it’s the wave of the future for Minnesota growers. The tunnel pretty much eliminates bad weather as a hazard in your special gardening,” said Koppendrayer. Time constraints, plus lack of available ground, will likely keep The Long Siding Farm at its present size. “But I’d love to link people in the suburbs to actual farmers in the country so these folks would better understand what it would be like to eat with the seasons from locally produced foods. And because I’m an educator during the school year, this is a great way to link children and their families to healthy food, and where is comes from is something I firmly believe in,” summed up Koppendrayer. Contact her at [email protected] Sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, this year’s show had a record 80 exhibitors. Besides a hefty number of Minnesota firms, exhibitors also came from N.D., Pa., Ill., Wis., S.D., Idaho, Ohio, Iowa, Neb., Ore., Vt. Delicious organic foods and beverages were provided at each meal plus snack centers conveniently located around the large exhibitors arena. Donated menu items came from Hoch Orchard & Gardens, La Crescent; Hope Creamery, Hope; Horizon Organic, Broomfield, Colo.; Minnesota Farmers Union, St. Paul; Peace Coffee, Minneapolis; Pride of Main Street, Sauk Centre; Rishi Tea, Susan Koppendrayer Milwaukee; Sno Pack Foods, Caledonia; Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby, Wis., and Wedge Co-op Partners, Minneapolis and Farmington. In addition purchased menu items and ingredients were sourced at several organic farmers and food companies in Minnesota and neighboring states. Meg Monihan, MDA organic foods ‘guru’ and the Department of Agriculture agreed to take over the coordination of this event in 2003. Previously the show was done by private individuals doing a combined Organic and Grazing Conference. But as organics gained in favor, this dual function was confusing to potential attendees. “The Saint Cloud location is favored simply because it eliminates the traffic and lodging issues of the big city. We had over 500 people registered this year, that is the biggest ever. The trade show was completely sold out in its new space. And we are still finding new and interesting speakers, said Monihan. “You’d think after 10 years we’d be doing reruns on topics and speakers. But no so. Topics ranged from Organic Under Glass to The Right Side of the Law, said Monihan. One of the keynote speakers was Wisconsin dairy farmer and author Jim Goodman. He discussed the current theory of the Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit) and how organic farming fit—or does not fit—in. Does organic always mean better for the environment? Is organic becoming a parallel production system to conventional agriculture using organic inputs? What about File photo Photo by Dick Hagen ethics and the profit motive? Do organic farmers have a responsibility to be watchdogs of the system? Trends in the organic industry these days? Monihan said that at the 2012 event new technologies extending the growing season (hoop houses, unheated green houses) were high interest. Also the consumer market for fresh Minnesota grown fruit is very hungry. Combine local and organic and you have significant consumer interest. Also vegetable farming seemed high interest this year. “For beginning farmers who don’t have much land, veggies are a way to get their foot in the market,” she suggested. For certain the growth of CSA is a real thing in Minnesota though numbers are an unknown quantity. Some perhaps are 100 percent organic certified; many are not and that does not seem to be important to their customers. Monihan said, “Their customers already know them. There is a high trust in how they produce their foods. Customers know they can visit the farm anytime. CSA producers are very transparent so an extra layer of inspection and certification really isn’t relevant to these customers. “That’s not necessarily so when someone goes to the grocery store and the label reads organic production. Today, often this housewife asks the question ‘Can I really believe the label? That is not an issue for CSA producers.” According to 2008 USDA data (latest available on organic farming), there were 14,540 organic farms across America with 2,229,558 acres of harvested organic production. Leading the list was California with 2,714 farms and 470,903 acres of harvested organic production. Minnesota in 2008 had 550 registered organic farms and 92,702 acres of harvested production. AG SCENE -6- FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Terry’s Steve Agre, Agent Sacred Heart, MN 320-765-2261 [email protected] Auto • Home • Health • Life • Commercial Body Shop • Free Computerized • Glass Replacement Estimates • Quality Paint Jobs • Collision Specialist DEPENDABLE, RELIABLE AND EXPERIENCED Terry Hemingsen 320-523-2561 1502 W. DePue Ave. • Olivia Norwegian Mutual, Bird IslandHawk Creek, Auto Owners, North Star Mutual, Progressive, Blue Cross-Blue Shield Classic Car & Check Our Prices Before You Buy! Street Rod Interiors Danube Upholstery & Shoe Repair Low Pro Torque Tube • Cars • Boats • Trucks • Farm Seats • Convertible Tops 320-826-2150 Danube, MN GN Tandem Dual Flatbed Trailers 25’, 28’,30’, 32’, 34’, 35’ & 36’ in Stock Stock, Horse, Dump, Cargo, Flatbed, Boots, Western Wear Hrs: M-F: 8am-5:30pm Saturday: 8am-noon DAHLBERG BOOT & TRAILER SALES E. Hwy. 12 Willmar • 320-235-4180 Flora Mutual Ins. Co. PO Box 368 Danube, MN 56230 888-826-2670 or 320-826-2374 Precision Soya of Minnesota 105 First Street North • Olivia, MN 56277 “Where Technology Grows”™ Tel: 320-523-5965 Fax: 320-523-5964 Brent Knoke, General Manager Bruce Knoke, Director of Northern Production www.precisionsoya.com Check with us for all your agricultural parts and supplies! Automotive Agricultural Industrial Auto Value Parts 620 Highway Ave. • Bird Island, MN 320-365-3781 Call for an agency near you! • We provide you with all your farm & home insurance needs • Serving 13 counties for 119 years • 20 agencies in a 50 mile radius Judy Schroeder (Manager) • Matt Larson (Assistant Manager) Norma Monson (Office Assistant) • Drill New Wells • Geothermal Drilling • Pumps - Sales & Service • Waterline Installation • Old Water System Updates • Water Sampling • Pressure Tank Sales & Installation • Well Sealing • Irrigation Wells 7 Day Service Serving Customers Since 1956 ERVIN WELL COMPANY 1312 West DePue Ave. • Olivia, MN 320-523-1621 1-800-582-6133 (toll free) FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 -7- AG SCENE Will there be a recharge? By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Glencoe Advertiser Dr. Dennis Todey, South Dakota State University climatologist, speaking at each of the recent Linder Farm Radio Ag Outlook meetings said, “I’m not yet raising the flag on major drought concerns for our Upper Midwest. But significant moisture has to start accumulating or we’ll definitely be at risk.” However, even if we do escape this season with minimal drought conditions, Todey said we are very likely going to see an extended dry period shortly. He noted that overall precipitation since the 1930s has been increasing with 2011 being the highest precipitation in recent history. However, 2010 was one of the top 10 driest years. “So needless to say, weather continues to be very irregular, year by year. Right now we are seeing cooler high temps and warmer low temps. Also we see a one day to two day advance in first freezing date each fall along with a corresponding trend to earlier springs,” noted Todey. Like many weather scientists, he is concerned about the future of world water and the growing dependence of a rapidly expanding world population. “Already about 70 percent of all the fresh water in the world is used for irrigation, not just in America but around the globe. Certainly we are at a point where the limitation on worldwide crop production is water. So as the need for more food continues to grow, there will be increasing interest in how to bring irrigation into the farming programs of more countries.” Todey said there is considerable opportunity for improvements on how to become more efficient in the use of water, especially in irrigated crop production. And even though corn is a heavy user of water, he does not see water Dr. Dennis Todey shortages resulting in fewer acres of corn production worldwide. But it could mean more high value crops being irrigated. “I visited Israel a few years ago. It’s a country big on irrigation but their irrigation, is mostly devoted to high-value food crops, rather than grain crops such as wheat, corn and soybeans.” So how much moisture is needed to recharge soils to field capacity status? Todey said that varies with areas but four inches to seven inches are needed to cover Annual Spring TREE AUCTION Saturday, May 5, 2012 the soil moisture deficiency across much of Minnesota and the Dakotas. However, he noted that you do not need fully recharged soils to have a good crop year, but getting recharged ahead of planting is an “in the bank” comfort feeling that farmers truly understand. He acknowledged that worldwide there has been more weather phenomenon in recent years, 2011 especially. Because of growing markets for U.S. corn and soybeans and the strong markets for these commodities, bigger shifts in weather are creating bigger shifts in dollars. Plus flooding issues last spring and now the growing dryness over much of the upper Midwest and southwestern US is making everyone much more aware of the importance of the weather business in projecting probabilities of certain weather patterns. He indicated the climate service business will get bigger and more important around the world. His take on cloud seeding, fact or farce? “It’s not a farce, but it’s not a savior either. The most effective use of cloud seeding is to increase snow pack in the mountains. North Dakota State University did some studies on cloud seeding as a hail suppression tool but no significant findings as I recall.” Todey indicated the reality of weather patterns is that they cycle so the movement into a dryer cycle is inevitable. Because of limited snow pack in the Rocky Mountains this winter, he said Missouri River flooding will not be an issue this spring. “We’re into the second year of LaNina influence in the Pacific. And that projects into a hotter and drier weather into midsummer.” Summed up Todey said, “I’m not trying to paint a gloomy picture for this season. Certainly we have risks going into this crop year simply because of how dry our sub soils have become. However, if we don’t get at least some average rain falls this spring, we’re going to have some serious problems.” For much of Minnesota that means four to seven inches of moisture between now and planting time. For info go: http://climate.sdstate.edu. Or reach Dr. Todey at dennis.todey@ sdstate.edu. YES WE DO! Testing and troubleshooting on your equipment. We have over 400 starters & alternators in stock or we provide next day delivery. We can keep you going through harvest! Kahnke Brothers Tree Farm 10603 Boone Road, Plato, MN 55370 (along U.S. Hwy 212, east of Glencoe) Auction starts at 9:30 a.m. 500 trees and 100+ shrubs to be sold. Nursery Sales and Minnesota-made market: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. WE INSTALL Everyone is welcome • No reserves, no minimums Starters, generators, alternators & interstate batteries. See us for solutions to your starting and charging problems. With over 30 years experience specializing in electrical systems, we have the knowledge and equipment to find the problems and get you moving again, quickly. Serving You for 143 Years! Property Insurance for Farm • Business • Home Young America Mutual Insurance Co. 615 West 13th St., Glencoe, MN 55336-1000 320-864-3069 - Connie Jaskowiak, Manager Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fri. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Site On- ice v Ser lable i a Av Call hou after r serv s for ice 1215 Hennepin Ave. 320-864-6200 Glencoe, MN toll free 1-877-237-3306 Quality Electrical Products Since 1981 AG SCENE -8- YES, WE TRADE! • Cars • Pickups • Vans • SUVs • ATVs • Trailers • Cycles • Boats • Guns Dale’s Auto Sales 20641 Hwy 7 W., Hutchinson 320-587-2663 (1 mile west of Super America) Open 9am-8pm, Sat. 9am-5pm www.DalesAutoSalesMN.com Brust Electric • Farm • Residential • • Commercial • Trenching • • New Home & Remodel • • Service Upgrades • • 12 Years in Glencoe • John Brust, Owner • Glencoe FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Brownton Co-op Ag Center Full Service Cooperative for over 95 Years 320-864-1974 Agronomy (320) 328-5211 Cell: 320-296-3742 FREE ESTIMATES • Bonded & Insured Grain Division (320) 328-5502 toll-free (877) 328-5211 • www.browntoncoop.com ~ Locally owned & controlled with NO outside investors ~ • Over 20 Years in Business • A Rated Company • Minnesota Based MPCI • Hail Insurance • Replant, Buy-up Options Available Deadline is March 15 Call Judy or Troy (507) 237-2722 or 1-800-300-2722 6DYH1RZRQ6SULQJ&RQVWUXFWLRQ 5$0&DQ X RU<R 'R,W$OO) RQFUHWH J& ([FDYDWLQ OXPELQJ +9$&3 UYLFHV H (OHFWULFDO6 SLQJ /DQGVFD ([SHULHQFHWKH 5$0$GYDQWDJH • Fertilizers – Dry & Liquid • Crop Protection Products • Custom Spreading – 4 Floaters • NK & Croplan Seeds • Custom Spraying – Pre & Post • Two-Certified Crop Advisors • Grain Marketing – Call for Details • Storage & Drying of Corn and Soybeans • Full-Length Scale for Semis • Trucking Available 5$0'D\V0DUFKVWUG 7KXUVGD\)ULGD\DPSP6DWXUGD\DPSP 6SHFLDO3ULFLQJ²5HIUHVKPHQWV$YDLODEOH ZZZUDPEXLOGLQJVFRP 6SHFLDOL]LQJLQ3RVW)UDPHDQG6WHHO)UDPH%XLOGLQJV $JULFXOWXUDO(TXHVWULDQ6WRUDJH&RPPHUFLDO+DQJDUV Of p o T n O y a t S ... s t e k r a M e h T ite to r webs Sign up on ou cash bids receive daily /or text. d via e-mail an p.com ncoo www.brownto Please stop in or call to start planning the upcoming spring planting season. From Seed in Spring to Harvest in Fall One Stop will Take Care of it All FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 -9- AG SCENE Fifteen trillion dollar debt casts huge shadows the Dow reaching 17,000 within the next By Dick Hagen year. But if it drops below 10,500, then sigContributing Reporter nificant problems are inevitable. Glencoe Advertiser “However, if the U.S. and world econoSpeaking at recent Linder Farm Radio my continues to march even a little bit Ag Outlook events, Mark Schultz, North stronger, the demand for your farm prodStar Commodity, said the European debt ucts gets stronger. A growing economy is crisis lessens financial confidence around the catalyst that builds this demand-driven the world and he predicts it will be around market that feeds the world,” said Schultz. “a long time.” The $15 trillion U.S. debt On crop outlook, he mentioned the only adds to the financial gloom. South American By 2020 US debt corn crop got into a could be roughly $23 December and Janutrillion. But he said “Even if budget cuts are ary dry pattern, that according to doubled, we face an incredible which he thinks hurt White House ‘insiders’ obstacle that likely will take years their crop enough to if we do 5 percent antake 400 million nual growth of GDP to resolve. Instead we apparently bushels off the total we will have more are attempting to spend our way South American growth than we will out of debt and history tells us crop. And that’s a have debt. that is very difficult to achieve.” positive for U.S. corn “That’s all great in producers. theory,” said Schultz But he thinks even but the reality more minor “weather scares” could take the likely is the 3% growth which has been corn market up sharply higher, like $7 or America’s pace the past 3 years. His charts projected additional new debt more. He noted that Chinese farmers have ineach year of about $1.65 trillion. “Even if creased their corn production three conbudget cuts are doubled, we face an insecutive years, and if weather cooperates, credible obstacle that likely will take years China could see a 300 million bushel into resolve. Instead, we apparently are attempting to spend our way out of debt and crease for 2012. “The other obstacle for grain producers history tells us that is very difficult to is that everyone who uses your product has achieve,” noted Schultz. flattened out their demand. There is no None the less he is fairly bullish on inexpansion in livestock; no new ethanol vestments in the U.S. stock market. His plants being built so the only real bright next target on the Dow Jones is 14,500! In spot is continuing growth in corn exports. fact he mentioned an outside possibility of But that, too, depends heavily on the economy of China and a few other Asian countries,” said Schultz. Reflecting on the four “golden years” of ag prosperity, he indicated it could continue but at a slower pace. Depleted soil moisture in much of the Upper Midwest is the risk factor for 2012 crop year. He’s hoping that the worst of weather challenges are behind us. “If weather stabilizes, then I think markets stabilize, maybe even turn up some. The opportunity is still there for another good year,” he said. But he cautions about pricing the 2012 crop, like no more than 40 percent on the corn, 30 percent on the beans. Schultz said the fundamentals look weak currently, but not so when you look at the charts. The world’s growing population keeps agriculture in the driver’s seat regardless. He doubts the dry trend will move acres out of corn and into soybeans. His logic being that if farmers are planting early this year which likely will happen based on weather patterns, then corn acres will stay corn acres simply because early planting should mean the corn crop is that much farther advanced when the late July-August hotter, dryer weather will likely happen. In fact, under this scenario, he suggested there could be even more corn acres at the expense of soybeans. Ethanol margins are getting dicey according to Schultz, and could get tougher since gas consumption is down in America and current ethanol/gasoline blending is only to meet the mandated 10 percent level in most markets. Approval of E85 could be a significant boost for ethanol usage, however, the issue now seems to be hung up in further EPA regulations. The ongoing increase in gas prices perhaps is mostly because four major Gulf Coast refineries are slowed due to construction upgrades. But this amazing impact: Each 5 cents per gallon increase in gasoline prices costs US consumers $9 billion! “Perhaps this reversal of fortunes is great for a few folks. With 3-1/2 percent to 4 percent interest on 30-year loans, it’s now often cheaper to buy housing than rent,” mentioned Schultz. He noted to his audience that the popularity of the U.S. Congress is now at only 9 percent. “That’s barely above the ranking of Fidel Castro,” quipped Schultz. Schauer & Sons Construction • Cement Work • Pole Barns • Reclads • New Constructions • Houses • Remodeling SILVER LAKE, MN 320-327-3170 Alsleben Livestock Tr ucking Adam and Wanda Alsleben, owners — Over 28 years experience • Easy-loading livestock trailer — No loading chute • • Runs made daily to Haas Livestock & O & S Cattle • Contract prices available on cattle of 20 head or more “I have buyers for steers and cows.” Guaranteed price on farm with no commissions! Phone 320-864-4509 Cell 320-510-1392 DOBRAVA BROTHERS, INC. COAL PELLET Wood’s Edge Alternative Heating, LLC ing Financ le a Avail b WoodMaster, Heat Master SS Wood Boilers, Bixby, LDJ A-Maize-Ing Heat, WoodMaster Plus, St. Croix & Cumberland Pellet/Bio-Mass/Corn Stoves. In-floor heat supplies & installation. Corn and wood pellets available! www.woodsedge.us 320-864-6435 HUGE WoodMaster incentives available now! Don’t delay! Rent-It-Center Plumbing & Heating Business Hours Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Plumbing, heating, cooling, and sheet metal experts since 1985! Stop in today for all your rental needs! Call or stop in to ask about our new line of geo-thermal products! LIC# 067203-PM • Bonded, Insured 1303 Union Ave N, Glencoe, MN 55336 320-864-6335 AG SCENE - 10 - Understanding crop rotation Though it is easy for suburbanites or city dwellers to go months, if not years, without seeing a farm, the most recent agriculture census for which information is available notes that in 2007 there were 2.1 million farms in the United States. Those farms spanned 922 million acres, shedding light on the fact that while many Americans might not see farms on a daily basis, that does not mean the country is not still a great home to farmland. While farming might once have been a part of most Americans’ daily lives, today the principles of farming are much more foreign to the average American. One such principle is crop rotation, a valuable agricultural practice that can even pay • 24 Hour Towing • • Collision Repair & Restoration • • Windshield Repair & Replacement • 118 West Main Street Arlington, MN • 507-964-2809 Wade Schneider, Owner After Hours Emergency • 507-217-9070 dividends for suburban homeowners who enjoy gardening. The benefits of crop rotation are not only applicable to large farms, as they can help keep personal gardens healthy as well. What Is Crop Rotation? Crop rotation is a practice farmers employ to help their crops fight disease. By growing a variety of crops in a sequential system throughout their field, farmers are hoping to avoid the buildup of disease and pests that is common with monocropping, which is the practice of growing the same crop on the same land year after year after year. When rotating crops, each succeeding crop must belong to a family different from the previous crop. FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Partnering with local farmers for success! ned Over 55 years of combimunity. com experience serving our Bruce Mathwig and Mona Bruers Nature is Unpredictable... Your Crop Insurance Coverage Shouldn’t Be. Our commitment to you is truly a partnership. Our Ag Business Professionals work alongside you to offer you the best opportunities. Stop in or call us at 952-467-5243. Norwood Young America rcis.com 952-467-2313 • 800 Faxon Road www.kleinbank.com rcis.com Give us a call today— • Welding stainless steel & aluminum • General Fabrication • Auger flighting replacement • 10 ft. shear & 10 ft. brake capabilities Professional Insurance Providers We carry: • PRAXAIR Welding Supplies and Cylinder Exchange • Large Inventory of Steel, also some Aluminum & Stainless Steel •Fish House Frames & Supplies 606 E 11th Street Glencoe, MN 55336 URQP#¿UVWPQEDQNFRP Ed Magee 410 5th Street, Green Isle 507-326-5553 Contact Ronald Molstad— 320-864-1603 320-864-3161 +87&+,1621 $5/,1*721 /(67(535$,5,( $'$067 +:< %$%&2&.$9( This entity is an equal opportunity provider. © 2007 Rural Community Insurance Agency, Inc. All rights reserved. CONKLIN® AGROVANTAGE® PRODUCTS Fertilizer for High Yields “Systems approach moving growers out of the yield rut!” • Liquid fertilizers for in row and foliar feeding • Rainfast surfactants • Drift control • Nitrogen slow release additives • Grain bin and silage bag repair products • Manure pit treatments • Chelated liquid micronutrients stop yellow flash from Roundup • Seed treatments • Forage preservatives • Natural animal products • Long distance lubricants and fuel additives • Plus many more products for farmers that lower inputs and increase yields! NEEDED NOW: Conklin Ag Centers, Retail Stores, Sales Reps and Field Managers. Buy wholesale direct from farmer-owned 40-year-old company based in MN For more information call: KEN FRANKE’S CONKLIN SERVICE .25(<:(5..$5/1(66(75(173$/0 +XWFKLQVRQ&RRSDJURQRPLVWVDUHKHUHWR KHOS\RXZLWKDOO\RXUDJQHHGV 320-238-2370 :HRIIHU www.frankemarketing.com &RPSUHKHQVLYH3UHFLVLRQ$J3URJUDP&URSLQSXW¿QDQFLQJ 9DULDEOH5DWH6SUHDGLQJ6RLO6DPSOLQJ*ULG6DPSOLQJ 6LWH6SHFL¿F)HUWLOL]HU$SSOLFDWLRQ $QK\GURXVDPPRQLDDSSOLFDWLRQZLWKRUUZLWKRXWWLOODJH FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 11 - AG SCENE Weather forecast:Anybody’s guess By Susan Williams Editor Speaking to the producers gathered at the Winter Crop and Soils Day in Lamb b erton Feb. 1, Dr. Mark Seeley, climatologist from the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus, saii d “Minnesotans appreciate the vast resilience to what Mother Nature sends our way.” Seeley reviewed last year’s weather, current conditions, trends and outlooks. Last year: July to December, 2011 was the third warmest in Minnesota history since 1996. And Mark Seeley five of the first six months of 2011 were colder than normal. The month of July set a record high heat index and May now holds the record high dew points. July to December became the driest six months in recorded histt ory. Only 1936, 1939, 1967 and 2003 were comparable. And Donaldson set the wind speed record for the state last year with straight-line winds clocked a 120 mph with a sonic anemometer. Any other dev v ice would have just been blown apart, said Seeley. Current conditions: According to the Illinois State Water Survey, southwestern and northeastern Minnesota set the record by being the driest coming up anywhere from eight to 10 inches short of the norm and are in a sev ere drought. The current moisture in the soil is estimated to be 2.5 to 3 inches in Renville Countt y, three in Lamberton. The disturbing factor is the moisture is down in the fourth and fifth foo o t. Trends: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate norms which are set every 30 yearss based on historical data have been changing. The new normals show the east and west coast are gett ting warmer by a few degrees, while the southern plains through Minnesota are neutral or getting cooler, but almost everywhere the minimum night time temperatures for January went up, some by whole degrees, said Seeley. Since the drought of 1988, the climate trend has been an increase in the numbe er of intense thunderstorm rains, an increase in the number of flash floods, fewer 90 degree Fahren n heit days, and more heat advisories. Until the modern era, 80 percent dew points were unheard of, Seeley said. Specific humidity is increasing as a shift of water vapor into the air is occurring. This increases the overnight temperature in Minnesota as well as the dew point. In fact, there have been more heat advisories since the 1930s because the dew points are creating an inflated index. “Mo o st of the precipitation is coming Weather Turn to page 12 AG SCENE - 12 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Weather Continued from page 11 from thunderstorms,” Seeley said. “It used to be 60 percent, now it’s 70 to 75 percent. Once upon a time the greatest fall from a thunderstorm was May, June or July, but now they’re occurring in August.” Most disturbing, since 2004 there have been three 1,000 year rainfall storms across southern Minnesota. August 7, 2007 there were 24 counties in Minnesota declared drought disasters and on August 2, 2007 eight southeastern counties were declared flood disasters. And Moorhead set the heat index record for the continent last summer at 134 when the dew point was 88. Outlook: “Be careful of outlooks,” warned Seeley. While in 1974, 1976 and 1988 the weather pattern worsened, Mother Nature has come to the rescue in drought situations in just as many years following a drought. “This year (2011) is a real aberration,” Seeley said. “The correlations aren’t playing out. I hope everyone has given crop insurance some real consideration. It has been at least a dozen years since we’ve seen these precipitation deficiencies.” Seeley said precipitation February through April is anyone’s guess, a real “crapshoot.” March through May is generally when higher precipitation rates are seen, but he said it was impossible to predict what was going to happen in the near future and La Nina was having absolutely no impact on the weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere this year. While Minnesota has been gaining “generally longer growing seasons,” the unanswered question is why the landscapes, including the Great Lakes, are emitting more water and creating the higher dew points, said Seeley. “Water vapor is the ultimate green house gas.” File photo Storm coming over far western Renville County. 805 E.Lincoln A v e . Olivia 320-523-1114 T risha www.lakeregion.com/insagents.htm Your Hometown Insurance Agency Diane FA R M LOA N S B U S I N E S S L OA N S Jeremy Frank ✪ Lines of Credit ✪ Working Capital Joe Schulte Don Orth ✪ Machinery and Equipment ✪ Real Estate 1115 West Lincoln Ave., Olivia, MN 320-523-2040 • www.htbmn.com FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 13 - Garbers’ Meats, more than meat market of the chilled deli, one can find barbeque By Alyssa Schauer ribs, a variety of roasts, several different Staff Writer Garbers’ Meats is more than just a mar- deli meats and cheeses, as well as stuffed ket where meat is processed and sold. The meats and even bacon-wrapped goods. “We also make gristwurst, which is a business, owned and operated by Mark Garbers, also caters to to those who enjoy type of breakfast sausage,” Garbers said. Garbers added that his market carries a a good ol’ fashioned barbeque with homebakery line. “We bake all of our own made buns and special seasonings. Garbers’ Meats, located in Lester bread and buns. Hamburger buns, hot Prairie, has been in business for seven dog buns, dinner rolls,” he said. He also said the market carries a line of years, and continues to serve many farmseasonings for the meat. “Our steak seaers and hunters in the area. “My grandfather had a meat market soning, which is like a Montreal seasoning, years ago. It was always something I was is very popular,” he said. “We also do a lot of shredded meats for interested in, and I reached a point in my life where I thought, ‘If I don’t do this graduation parties and other get-togethnow, I would never do it,’” Mark Garbers ers,” he said. Garbers’ Meats, located on Juniper said about opening his own store. Previously, Garbers was employed as a Street in Lester Prairie, and is open six manager in the meat department at Sam’s days a week. Those interested in processClub and worked at the grocery store in ing and slaughtering can call Garbers at Lester Prairie for 10 years before that. He 320-395-8495 to make an appointment. went to school in Pipestone for meat processing classes. Garbers said his business processes beef, pork, sheep, and wild game. “We do all custom processing, and we do on-the-far m slaughtering, yearround,” Garbers said. Those interested can make appointments, “and we are open six days a week,” Garbers said. He added that the market has a full line of retail, including a variety of meats such as summer sausage, beef sticks, bratwursts, and much more. Looking through Photo by Alyssa Schauer the glass windows Mark Garbers owner of Garbers’ Meats, Lester Prairie. AG SCENE BERGMANN’S CELEBRATING 34 YEARS OF SERVICE! Environmentally Smart Carpet Up to 20% OFF FREE Buffalo Creek Seasoning Pack ($25 value) w/In-Home or Design Studio appointment. 6 Months Same as Cash! Valid to March 24, 2012 UÊiÌÌiÀÊÃÌ>Ê«ÀÌiVÌ UÊiÌÌiÀÊ`ÕÀ>LÌÞÊ UÊiÌÌiÀÊÃvÌiÃÃ UÊiÌÌiÀÊÃÌ>Ê«ÀÌiVÌ UÊiÌÌiÀÊvÀÊÌ iÊiÛÀiÌ° UÊiÌÌiÀÊ`ÕÀ>LÌÞÊ “The Decorating Store At YOUR Door!” UÊiÌÌiÀÊÃvÌiÃÃ UÊiÌÌiÀÊvÀÊÌ iÊiÛÀiÌ° INTERIORS • Floor Coverings • Window Treatments Visit BergmannInteriors.com Call 320-864-6754 for your FREE IN-HOME appointment. EFFICIENCY WITHOUT SACRIFICES. 2.5% /Eh^dZz>/E'&dhZ^͘ŶũŽLJƚŚĞƐŵŽŽƚŚƌŝĚĞĂŶĚĐŽŵĨŽƌƚǁŝƚŚƚŚĞŶĞǁŽƉƟŽŶĂůƐƵƐƉĞŶĚĞĚĐĂďĨĞĂƚƵƌĞĂŶĚƚŚĞ ĮŶŐĞƌƟƉĐŽŶƚƌŽůǁŝƚŚƚŚĞEĞǁDƵůƟŽŶƚƌŽůƌŵƌĞƐƚĐŽŶƐŽůĞ͘dŚĞŶĞǁŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶŽĨDĂŐŶƵŵƚƌĂĐƚŽƌƐǁŝůůŬĞĞƉLJŽƵ FINANCING FOR 36 MONTHS ON ĐŽŵĨŽƌƚĂďůĞ͕ŵŽǀŝŶŐĂŶĚŵŽƌĞĞĸĐŝĞŶƚ͘tŚŽĐŽƵůĚĂƐŬĨŽƌŵŽƌĞ͍zŽƵĚŝĚĂŶĚǁĞĚĞůŝǀĞƌĞĚ͊^ƚŽƉŝŶĂŶĚƐĞĞƵƐƚŽĚĂLJ͘ ™ CASE IH MAGNUM SERIES TRACTORS INDUSTRY LEADING FEATURES. Enjoy the smooth ride and comfort with the new optional suspended cab feature and the fingertip control with the New MultiControl Armrest console. The new generation of Magnum tractors will keep you comfortable, moving and more efficient. Who could ask for more? You did and we delivered! Stop in and see us today. Kimball 320-398-3800 Willmar 320-235-4898 Glencoe 320-864-5531 St. Martin 320-548-3285 No. Mankato 507-387-5515 Alden 507-874-3400 ĂƐĞ/,ĂŶĚE,ĂƉŝƚĂůĂƌĞƌĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚƚƌĂĚĞŵĂƌŬƐŽĨE,ŵĞƌŝĐĂ>>͘ AG SCENE - 14 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 www DELIVERS AN EXCEPTION SMOOTH, CLOSE SH NO SHAVING CREAM R MacDon’s FD70 FlexDraper® for Combines Versatile and Cummins are using a DPF/EGR emission control system to achieve interim Tier 4 emissions standards. The single fluid solution requires no additional fuels or additives reducing maintenance and fuelling time. The 350, 375 and 400 use a Cummins QSX 11.9 L while the 450, 500 and 550 use a Cummins QSX 15L engine. The large displacement engines achieve a 13% power bulge at 2100 RPM and an impressive 60% torque rise to provide the power required to pull large implements with ease. ©2012 Buhler Versatile Inc. » 888.524.1003 » [email protected] » www.versatile-ag.com 520 Chandler Ave. • 320-864-5118 WWW .J UNGCL AUS I MPLEMENT. COM Trademarks of products are the marks of their respective manufacturers and/or distributors. MF13300 Experience SALFORD DURABILITY Landoll’s 6230 Tandem Disc will handle today‘s high yielding, tough Bt corn stalks, wheat stubble, or other types of heavy residue, and will do an excellent job of finish discing. Clad in an all-new color powder coat paint, it is equipped with the most up-to-date features in the industry. MOLDBOARD PLOWS • Anchor Residue • Mixes More Soil • Better Weed Kill • Levels Small Ruts *OEVTUSZ-FBEJOH$MFBSBODFGPS/P t wYwNBJOCFBNTQVMMVQUPCPUUPNT t Unmatched Mechanical Control of Insect Call your SALFORD Dealer today, or visit Vertical Tillage, Plus a Whole Lot More! www.salfordmachine.com 0TDFPMB*PXBt0OUBSJP$ 520 Chandler Ave. • 320-864-5118 WWW .J UNGCL AUS I MPLEMENT. COM 520 C WWW FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 w.ma cd o n.co m Significantly more productive foot-for-foot than auger flex headers, MacDon’s FD70 cuts exceptionally low to the ground thanks to MacDon’s patented C-shaped cutterbar and its unique three-section frame that hugs ground contours like no flex header before it. The FD70 is available in 30', 35', 40' and 45' widths. NALLY HAVE. REQUIRED. - 15 - AG SCENE The 8600 Series Be prepared. The rst time you experience our Massey Ferguson® 8600 Series tractors, it’ll take your breath away. These are our most advanced row crop tractors, offering unequalled engine and transmission technology that virtually reads your mind. More space, more comfort, more quiet than you could ever imagine. And e3™ clean air technology that offers compliance without compromise. The 8600 Series. Not just a new tractor. A new day. Visit your local dealer soon and feel the future at masseyferguson.com today. 520 Chandler Ave. 320-864-5118 WWW .J UNGCLAUS I MPLEMENT. COM t $IBOEMFS"WFt(MFODPF./ LOW RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE! PO4UPQ1MPXJOH Whatever the Need... We Have a TRACTOR for That. From 83 to 213 HP, our full range of McCormick brand farming and utility tractors represent exceptional productivity and value. Whether you are a dairy or row-crop farmer, raise livestock, or just need a powerful general-use tractor around the farm, we’ve got a tractor that is right for you. ts, Weeds and Disease $BOBEBt Chandler Ave. • 320-864-5118 520 Chandler Ave. • 320-864-5118 W .J UNGCL AUS I MPLEMENT. COM WWW .J UNGCL AUS I MPLEMENT. COM AG SCENE - 16 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Residential & Commercial Plumbing • Heating • Cooling • Installation, Replacement or Repair • Geothermal Experts • Radiant in the Floor Heating • Rotobrush® Air Duct Cleaning And More NORTHERN PLUMBING & HEATING, INC. 320-523-5862 • 808 East DePue Ave. • Olivia www.northernplumbingheating.com CALL GREGG HELIN FOR A QUOTE TODAY! Willmar Aerial Spraying, Inc. Professional Crop Care Done by Air Richard Sigurdson Office: 320-523-2186 Cell: 320-979-8326 P.O. Box 169 Olivia, MN 56277 Diversify your Farm with Navy Beans Contact our Olivia Plant for Navy Bean Seed & Contract Information. Robb Zenk 320-523-1637 Lonnie D. Kopel Agency 306 W Lincoln Ave Olivia, MN 56277 [email protected] (320)523-5673 David J. Maurice Agency 404 N Main St. Renville, MN 56284 [email protected] (320)329-3841 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 17 - AG SCENE Let’s talk water By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Glencoe Advertiser Tile drainage continues high on the agenda of many farmers. The reason is obvious: better drainage generally means better yields. Plus farm income keeps increasing, both gross income and for most producers, net income also. So with money in the bank, so to speak, farmers are notoriously good at putting that new cash to work. Tile drainage strikes the fancy of many. Kevin Hewitt, LeSueur, producer and custom farming specialist also handles the Stealth Golddigger Tile Plow and Intellaslope Guidance equipment. Interviewed at a recent Linder Farm Network Ag Outlook meeting, he said, “We had a fantastic year last year. And so far into 2012 our sales are ahead of last year’s pace. It’s looking like another strong year for drainage.” His firm sells virtually all the equipment needed to successfully install tile drainage systems. He handles both smaller tile plows for three-point hitch hookups plus bigger tile plows for 4WD power and/or track tractors or behind dozers. His units can plow in from three-inch to 10-inch plastic tile, at depths down to 6-1/2 inches. Perhaps not surprisingly these days, about three quarters of his drainage equipment is sold directly to farmers who have the necessary horse power to do their own installations. But small contractors looking to diversify are also seeing drainage work as an additional business opportunity. And no surprise, pattern tiling is rapidly becoming the standard, especially with farmers now owning their own plows. He describes the 2011 season as “the perfect storm” for being in the drainage business. “The incredibly wet spring set the stage. Then last fall with dry fields and harvest wrapping up early, we, in the drainage business couldn’t have asked for a better situation.” His drainage plows are made in Brazil, Ind., near Terra Haute. The big pull-type plow equipped with the electronics is about a mid $30,000 package. He sells across Minnesota, much of Wisconsin and into northern Iowa. However, thanks to the Internet, he is now pricing his equipment to inquiries from the entire Midwest. “Going west into the Dakotas, drainage is just starting in much of that territory,” said Hewitt. He does not lease or finance equipment indicating cash on delivery is how his business operates. His firm delivers the equipment, does the necessary setup work, plus the training for proper use of the equipment. “Showing them how the Intellaslope Guidance system operates and then going to the field with them is how we get our customers going.” Over 90 percent of his plow buyers now also buy the guidance system. Hewitt indicated the Intellaslope package makes tile drainage much easier and more accurate because it works with a GPS system that also does the mapping of your drainage program. Because he is also a crop farmer, Hewitt is very tuned to the growing concerns about getting soil moistures recharged ahead of the upcoming planting season. PESTICIDE & AG CHEMICAL DISPOSAL 'DWHV 7XHVGD\-)ULGD\ 7LPH DPWRSP :KHUH++:)DFLOLW\WKHZHVWVLGH RIWKH6ROLG:DVWHEXLOGLQJDW WK$YHQXH6(LQ+XWFKLQVRQ 5HF\FOH6HHG %DJVIRU)5(( Ŷ Ŷ Ŷ )LUVWOEVDUH)5(( 0XVWEHODEHOHG /HDNLQJFRQWDLQHUVZLOO127EH DFFHSWHG Questions?? Phone: 320-484-4323 or 4322 Questions?? Phone: 320-484-4323 or 4322 Free: 1320-484-4323 800-335-0575 or 4322 TollToll Free: 1 800-335-0575 Questions?? Phone: Toll Free: 1 800-335-0575 $J'LVSRVDO )XQGHGE\ Trust Your Hearing to a “Doctor of Audiology!” Dr. Pfaff provides the most complete hearing care available. Dr. Pfaff has been the hearing healthcare provider of choice in the Glencoe/Hutchinson area for the past 20 years and always welcomes new patients. • Experience • Wide Selection • Professional Care • 60 Day Trial Period Dr. Pfaff is an expert with “difficult to fit” cases. Hearing Care Specialists Kurt T. Pfaff, Try any aid “risk free” for 2 weeks. Call for details Au.D. DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY • MINNESOTA LICENSED AUDIOLOGIST Glencoe/Watertown • www.hcshearing.com Call Today 320-864-5262 or Toll Free 1-888-931-9144 AG SCENE - 18 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 It takes big culverts to freeze a beet pile By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Renville County Register Harvesting over 2 million tons from approximately 120,000 acres of sugar beets is an annual process for the approximately 550 shareholders of Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC), Renville. The unusually warm and very dry late summer shrunk 2011 harvestable tonnage to about 19 tons per acre factory average, approximately three tons per acre less than the huge 2010 crop. But it also provided one of the cleanest harvests on record. Tare (soil particles adhering to beets) was barely an issue. However, harvesting this huge beet crop each season requires multiple piling sites simply because space, time and logistics don’t permit hauling all beets directly Refrigeration Turn to page 19 J&R Electric, Inc. Electrical Contractors • RESIDENTIAL Photo by Dick Hagen • COMMERCIAL The frozen beet pile near Bird Island with the refrigeration unit fans standing guard on the outer rim. Refrigeration (outdoors) is used to prevent or slow sugar loss during storage. • FARM “Specializing in satisÀed customers” Renville - 320-329-4214 Olivia - 320-523-1979 Hi! Im Ben Hillesheim at First Security Bank. Ive been helping farmers with their finances for over 28 years. I understand the farmers needs and would be happy to discuss the needs of your farming operation with you. Whether it is for operating, equipment, or real estate loans, First Security Bank has the experience and the competitive rates to help you. Big Town Savings with Small Town Service Renville County Register now on Facebook 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe 2012 Chevrolet 1500 Crew 2012 Chevrolet Equinox 2012 Chevrolet 2500 HD Crew www.handlmotors.com Ben Hillesheim FIRST SECURITY BANK Renville • 320-329-8373 www.firstsecuritybanks.com Member FDIC * We Warranty ALL GM Products * We Service ALL Makes and Models H & L MOTORS INC. HWY 212 & Co. Rd. 6 • Renville, MN 56284 Equal Housing Lender 320-329-8328 • 800-890-8328 D14602 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 19 - AG SCENE Refrigeration Continued from page 18 harvestable tonnage to about 19 tons per acre factory average, approximately three tons per acre less than the huge 2010 crop. But it also provided one of the cleanest harvests on record. Tare (soil particles adhering to beets) was barely an issue. However, harvesting this huge beet crop each season requires multiple piling sites simply because space, time and logistics don’t permit hauling all beets directly to the huge factory located one mile east of Renville, just off U. S. Highway 212. SMBSC has 11 piling sites throughout the 17-county area of its 550 beet growers. But the challenge of beet storage piles is how do you maintain quality once beets are lifted out of the ground and piled 14 to 16 feet deep? Get them hauled to the plant and processed as quickly as doable seems the obvious answer. And for most of the beet crop that is exactly the process. Once ‘the lift’ gets underway, a fleet of beet trucks, each hauling 25 tons of beets, is hauling beets 24 hours per day, seven days per week directly to the plant. Also those growers with fields in close proximity to the plant truck directly to the plant. But all other growers dump at the ‘country piling’ sites. 145 S. Main Street • Bird Island, MN 55310 Phone: (320) 365-4620 Website: www.smscpafirm.com Recognized as the most modern beet processing plant in America, SMBSC’s huge processing factory goes through about 600 tons of beets per hour, or about 14,400 tons per day. Ten of the piling sites get cleaned up as rapidly as the factory can process the beets. But not so the big Bird Island site and the factory itself. We’re talking 281,898 tons piled at Bird Island, 694,898 at the factory this season. And these beets are the last to be process so extended storage could generate some quality issues. Refrigeration to the rescue! No, we’re not talking huge mechanical refrigeration units. That simply wouldn’t work when beets are stored outdoors. But harnessing the ‘cooler temps’ of Mother Nature through an extensive ventilation system considerably extends the ‘shelf life’ of beets at these two locations. Ken Dahl, SMBSC Agricultural Superintendent, explained, “We get Mother Nature working by placing 30-inch diameter steel ‘culverts’ crosswise every 11 feet across the bottom of each beet pile at both locations. Then we position 24-inch fans powered with 7.5-hp electric motors at the end of each culvert. When air temperatures drop even if only to 40 degree F, we turn on the fans and very quickly beets start cooling down.” Each of the two major beet piles at Bird Island had piles about 1350 feet long which meant 123 culverts per run. Renville/Sibley REA installed special capacitors at the Bird Island site to buffer the electrical load on the power grid should all 246 fans be running simultaneously. Dahl said temperature probes are also positioned in the beet piles. Temperatures are then automatically transmitted via radio to SMSBC agronomists alerting them to special action that might need to be taken. Also piles are walked each week to further detect aroma or heating issues. “If we’re reading 50 degree temps in the pile and we get a night of 40 degree temps, we turn the fans on. Sugar loss doesn’t stop until beet temperature gets down to 18 degrees because at that temperature respiration stops. We’re cooling beets in these subfreezing temperatures because beets frozen in the pile virtually have zero deterioration.” If you don’t know why, this pipeline ductwork system looks like a giant tinkertoy gone lazy. Because of the shorter tonnage for the 2011 crop, the processing campaign is scheduled to wrap up late February, considerably earlier than past campaigns. Say “Thank You, Gracie” to our advertisers. Serving the counties of: Renville • Meeker • McLeod • Kandiyohi • Wright • Sibley AG SCENE - 20 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Make It United Farmers Coop. For All Your Grain Handling Needs Sales, Service & Parts For• GSI & Brock Grain Bins • Sudenga & Westfield Augers • Farm Fans, GSI & Kansun Grain Dryers • Sudenga, GSI, Sukup & Schlagel Grain Handling Equipment Stay Connected While in the Field Hutchinson, Dmc Grain Equipment, Friesen, Lowry, NECO, Spread-All & AP Bulk Bins Give Us A Call Today! Ag Service Center: 840 Pioneer Ave. Lafayette, MN 800-642-4104 507-228-8224 426 1st Ave. SE, Hutchinson 320-587-9656 35473 US Hwy. 212, Olivia 320-523-5682 Gaylord • Green Isle • Lafayette • Klossner • Norseland • LeSueur • Gibbon • Winthrop CROP INSURANCE SEMINAR February 29th, 2012 • 9:00 a.m. Hutchinson Event Center Free lunch and door prizes will be provided after seminar A variety of topics will be discussed including the new YIELD TREND ADJUSTMENT. We will talk about enterprise units, mapping, and the Climate Corporations Total Weather Insurance RSVP by FEBRUARY 22nd, 2012. PHONE: 320-587-2245 Total Weather Insurance (TWI) is the only full-season insurance that protects against the key weather risks you face during the crop year, even when you fully utilize federal crop insurance. Tina Olson, Matt Melberg, David Larson, Jane Shepersky, Andy Rostberg FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 21 - AG SCENE Farm Outlook Seminar March 7 at SMSU MARSHALL — Three new presenters will be a part of the 28th annual Farm Outlook Seminar on Wednesday, March 9 at the Southwest Minnesota State University Conference Center. The Farm Outlook Seminar raises scholarship dollars for SMSU’s agriculture programs and features agricultural experts talking about topics such as weather, crop outlook, livestock strategies and prices as they relate to the upcoming spring farm season. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., and will be followed by the speakers. Lunch is provided, and the day concludes at 4 p.m. New speakers this year include Jamey Holland, John Melius and Gary Hachfeld. They will join John Johnson and Ed Case, who presented a year ago. The presenters include: • Jamey Holland: He has been with INTL FCStone since 2007 as a risk management consultant specializing in energy products. He works with fuel wholesalers, retailers and end-users of refined fuels to help them manage price risks in today’s volatile energy markets. • John Melius: He enjoys aligning marketing strategies with each individual farmer’s need in order to increase his or her bottom line. Melius grew up on a family farm near Chelsea, S.D., and graduated from SDSU with degrees in agricultural economics and agricultural business. He has participated in The Executive Program for Ag Producers and the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership program. He works for Hurley & Associates. • Gary Hachfeld: He is a University of Minnesota Extension educator with 40 years of experience in agricultural business management. Hachfeld specializes in working with farm transitions and estate planning, and has experience in the areas of pre- and post-harvest grain marketing, federal crop insurance, AGR-Lite Revenue insurance and general farm business management topics. • Ed Case: He is a marketing consultant with Hurley & Associates with a broad background in agriculture, including management at a co-op grain and feed elevator, a truck-in and truck-out grain handling facility and several other grain operations. • John Johnson: An Arkansas native and a Hurley & Associates livestock market expert, he has been engaged in all facets of crop and livestock production. The past 10 THE SCHEDULE: 8-9 a.m.: Registration 9-9:10 a.m.: Welcome and introductions, Brian Brandt 9:10-10 a.m.: John A. Johnson, Hurley & Associates, livestock market overview 10-11 a.m.: Shane Johnson, Hurley & Associates, hog market overview 11-11:10 a.m.: Break 11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m.: John Melius, Hurley & Associates, grain market overview 12:10-1:10 p.m.: Lunch, Conference Center, lower level 1:10-2:20 p.m.: Ed Case, Hurley & Associates, Make Volatile Markets Work for You 2:20-2:30 p.m.: Break 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Gary Hachfeld, University of Minnesota Extension, estate planning and asset transfer 3:30-4 p.m.: Ed Case, wrap-up, Q&A UPV 2SHUDWLRQV ,QF D ) R W W 2 &RPELQLQJ Z6WDON&KRSSLQJ+HDGV %DOLQJ[[ 'LVN5LSSLQJ *UDLQ6ZDWKLQJ *UDLQ+DXOLQJ 6SULQJ7LOODJH 3ODQWLQJ %ULOOLRQ3DFNHU5HQWDO &KRSSLQJ)LOOLQJ %DJV%XQNHUV6LORV )URQW5HDU8QORDG 7UXFNV$YDLODEOH 3DFNLQJ$YDLODEOH years he has been involved in producer risk management with an emphasis on livestock, especially cattle. His real-world experience gives him unique insight into the problems faced by producers. Tickets to the event are $100 per person, or $150 per couple. The pre-registration deadline is March 2. The preferred method of registration is online at: www.smsufoundation.org/farm seminar2012. Registration can also be mailed to the SMSU Foundation, 1501 State St., Marshall, MN, 56258. Make checks payable to the SMSU Foundation. For more information, call 1-800-2600970 or 507-537-6266. Farm Outlook sponsors include Bremer Bank; CHS Inc.; Granite Falls Bank & F&M Bank Minnesota in Clarkfield, Renville and Olivia; Minnesota Corn Growers Assn.; Minnwest Bank Group; Ralco Nutrition, Inc.; United FCS; and Wells Fargo Bank-Marshall. *UHJ+HLGL2WWR &HOO &RXQW\5G /HVWHU3UDLULH01 ® A World Leader in Agribusiness Producing Top Quality Canned & Frozen Peas & Sweet Corn A Community Leader & Supporter in the Glencoe Area for over 55 years! Seneca Foods, started in 1949, has been dedicated to providing quality food products and service excellence to our customers. We began by concentrating on one product, concord grape juice, and carved out a successful niche in a growing market. Today, the breadth of our operations encompasses a vast array of fruit and vegetable products. We are involved in multiple aspects of agribusiness, from growing crops to manufacturing and marketing the packaged goods. And we remain committed to delivering high quality products that our customers can trust and depend on. Seneca Foods Corporation 101 8th Street West, Glencoe, MN 55336 320.864.3151 Main Human Resource 320.864.2316 Toll Free Human Resource 800.252.4875 AG SCENE - 22 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Agriculture is not dead! WANTED If you walk down the street and ask people if they are excited about their job, excited about going to work every day and look forward to the future, many will say, no. They work because they have to. If you ask a farmer that same question, you will find that people in agriculture are there, because they enjoy it! I do not know what it is, love of the outdoors, love of new opportunity, something new everyday, and always looking ahead instead of back ... but there is something about farming, and something about being tied into agriculture through a farm or agribusiness that is in our blood. We like what we do. That is why I am a farm broadcaster. I report on an industry that is growing, and growing in many different ways. And that is what is so exciting about covering agriculture, it the most important industry in the world, yes the most important, and it becoming more so all the time. A few years ago the Minnesota State Fair Society asked me to come speak to their country fair convention. They said that fair people were pretty down in the dumps about surveys that showed a lack of importance for agriculture from those who go to the Minnesota State fair. I studied their research, and it showed that while 20 percent go the fair to see livestock and ag related exhibits, 70 percent went to eat food and snacks. They felt this showed agriculture was becoming irrelevant at the fair. When I got up to speak, my first sentence was 90 percent of those who attend the Minnesota State fair come because of agriculture. Those in the room seemed stunned until I pointed out that what is agriculture all about? The production of food and fiber. And that instead of feeling bad, we needed to use that to our advantage. I literally received a standing ovation for something that seemed obvious, but was not. And I heard from people all over the state later thanking me for pointing out what they should have known. What’s interesting is that since that time, the Minnesota State Fair and partners built the Miracle of Birth Center, where people attending can see live births of farm animals. It is the number one attraction at the fair. And the Dairy Building, which had been changed to Century Commons is now back to being called the Dairy Building, and is a top attraction. Agriculture dead? Not by a long shot. Lynn Ketelsen Lynn Ketelson is the Farm Director for Linder Farm Network. CONGRATULATIONS TO BUY: ON YOUR BOUNTIFUL HARVEST. You have worked hard, and now could be the right time to keep your crop working for you, even after the harvest, by investing the proceeds into your retirement. OATS 320-238-2188 Ag Specialists Edward Jones can help you create and implement a saving and investing strategy designed to help you achieve your financial goals. Plato Call today to schedule a complimentary portfolio and retirement planning review. Kirk A Miller Financial Advisor . 1215 Greeley Avenue Glencoe, MN 55336 320-864-4397 From a small shop to a large machine shed, we can custom build to your exact needs! www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC With the investment I have in equipment, why would I buy a cheap fuel? AG SERVICE COOPERATIVE 330 E. 10th St., Glencoe 1-800-848-6753 • 320-864-5561 Tire Station - Glencoe 320-864-6292 • • • • Dairy Equipment Petroleum & Tires Cenex/LOL Feeds American Standard Heating & Cooling • LP Gas Commercial & Residential Annual Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 13th at PlaMor Ballroom Success in farming depends on how efficiently you can operate. A better bottom line begins with talking to your authorized Cenex Premium Diesel Fuel distributor about Ruby Fieldmaster Premium Diesel Fuel or visiting cenex.com/rubyfieldmaster. &HQH[ 3UHPLXP'LHVHO)XHO 7KHSURGXFWRIUHILQHGWKLQNLQJ Glencoe Co-op Assn.Co-op Assn. Glencoe 330 E 10th 330 Street E 10th Street Glencoe, MN 55336 MN 55336 Glencoe, – NOW OPEN – Fueling of Gas and Diesel at our new Brownton Station 418 Division St., Brownton, MN FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 23 - AG SCENE HEAR LYNN KETELSEN & LINDA BREKKE EVERY WEEKDAY ON KOLV Olivia KTWN Glencoe TALKING TO AGRICULTURE’S MOVERS & SHAKERS www.LinderFarmNetwork.com AG SCENE - 24 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 5(/,$%/(3$57675867('6(59,&( *($583)25635,1*6$9( ,W¶VWLPHIRURXUDQQXDO6SULQJ3DUWV6DOH6WRSLQWRGD\DQGZH¶OOVKRZ\RXKRZWRJHWWKHPRVWRXWRI \RXUHTXLSPHQWZLWKJHQXLQH-RKQ'HHUHSDUWV-RKQ'HHUH6SULQJ6DOH&DWDORJSULFHVHIIHFWLYH0RQGD\)HE6DWXUGD\0DUFK 2)) %$77(5,(6 $OO<HDU5RXQG $VNXVDERXW 2)) 3UR0$;)ODW'LVNZLWK FRUQGRXEOHHOLPLQDWRU &2513/$17(5 6(('',6.23(1(5 $$$$ 2)) ´6:((36 11 2)) 7,//$*(6:((36 6+29(/6 2)) $//),/7(56 7KH0RQWKRI0DUFK21/< 5HEDWHVXSWRRQWKHIROORZLQJLWHPV -RKQ'HHUH3UHVVXUH:DVKHUV$LU&RPSUHVVRUV &RPSUHVVHUDWRUV*HQHUDWRUV 2))$17,)5((=( *DOORQ%DUUHOV 5HEDWHVXSWRRQ+DQG7RROV 2))2,/ *DOORQ%DUUHOV -2+1'((5()8(/&21',7,21(5 'RQ¶WOHWSUREOHPDWLFIXHOFDXVHGDPDJH RUGRZQWLPHWR\RXUPDFKLQH)XHO3URWHFW &RQGLWLRQHUVKHOS\RXNHHSJRLQJDOOVHDVRQ 2)) -2+1'((5(*5($6( SDFNTXDQWLW\ 2IIHUHQGV0DUFK3ULFHVDQGPRGHODYDLODELOLW\PD\YDU\E\GHDOHU$YDLODEOHDWSDUWLFLSDWLQJGHDOHUV 6RPHUHVWULFWLRQVDSSO\RWKHUVSHFLDOUDWHVDQGWHUPVPD\EHDYDLODEOHVRVHH\RXUGHDOHUIRUGHWDLOVDQGRWKHU¿QDQFLQJRSWLRQV $/(;$1'5,$ */(1&2( */(1:22' +2:$5'/$.( 3$<1(69,//( 35,1&(721 PHOTO plus CLASSIFIED The McLeod County Chronicle • The Glencoe Advertiser • The Galaxy Silver Lake Leader • The Sibley Shopper • Arlington Enterprise Renville County Shopper • Renville County Register Western Peach • GlencoeNews.com • ArlingtonMNnews.com ($50 is for 15 words, 50¢ each additional word. $45 without a photo.) 11 PUBLICATIONSfor5 WEEKS o Loo kt For $50 your ad will run for 5 weeks in these 11 publications: u 6$8.&(175( 6$8.5$3,'6 67(:$57 ZZZPPFMGFRP e r ! o m r o f s We Offer: Local News Advertising Commercial Printing Guide Books Ad Creation Web Site Design/Software Web Advertising Promotional Materials Statewide Advertising Ad Placement Chronicle/ Advertiser 716 E. 10th St., P.O. Box 188, Glencoe, MN 55336 • 320-864-5518 [email protected] 320-864-5518 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 25 - AG SCENE Ear tags tells sows how much to eat By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Renville County Register It looks elementary….electronic ear tags that precisely determine how much feed a given gestation animal gets to eat during any 24-hour period. This isn’t new technology and its very common in milking parlors and robotic milking operations. However, the display of NEDAP at recent Minnesota Pork Expo certainly generated questions. Why? Because it’s relatively new to the swine world. Gary Wyse, representing NEDAP (Nedap Agri North America) at the Expo explained his electronic sow feeding technology this way. “With the ear tag in place each animal walks into a feed station which automatically locks behind the animal providing total security as it munches through its daily ration. The antenna reads the ear tag identifying the animal and then dispenses the exact amount of feed for that particular animal.” Indeed! If it’s a five-pound. allotment for that particular sow, feed gets dropped in 3.5 to 4 ounce increments. Plus the system simultaneously dozes some water into the ‘feeding bowl’ so she’s enjoying a mush meal so to speak. “Sort of like getting milk with your crackers,” said Wyse. It’s not enough water to drink but it certainly makes dry feed more palatable. Feeding time is adjustable. If the producer prefers his sows and gilts eating only during an 8 a.m. till 10 a.m. period so be it. However, ‘chow time’ can be anytime within a 24-hour time frame. Typically gestating sows eat only once per day. But if a particular animal prefers eating two or three times per day, she can be ear tagged with information that triggers the feeding stalls accordingly. How many stalls are needed? Obviously it depends on herd size but also the cost efficiencies a particular producer is looking for. He explained, “With fewer sows and more space per sow the higher the production on a piglet-per-sow-year basis up to about 24 square feet per sow and 45 sows per station. In this scenario you can see upwards of 30 piglets per sow per year. More sows per feeding station and arithmetically you see a downward trend in piglets per sow/year.” He indicated NEDAP doesn’t have substantiated research to verify anticipated production declines if sows per feeding station get increased above that suggested 45-sow figure. “But you will see a decline in a sow’s piglet production as you increase up to 65 animals per feeding station.” Cost per feeding station as compared to a typical stall barn is about $200 to $210 per sow space in the system. Electronics of this sophisticated system are guaranteed for 30 months from date of manufacture. The systems are manufactured in Holland, long a leader in animal handling equipment. Ear tags are warranted for five years. “If they get dumped into the manure pit, and you can find them send us the damaged tag and we’ll send you a new one,” said Wyse. Tags Turn to page 26 May We Help YOU with your FARM Real Estate Needs? Whether it be - Roger Heller, AFLB • A Land Auction • A Traditional Private Sale • 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange Kristine Fladeboe Duininck, • Buyer Representation 2010 Int’l Auctioneer Champion /REALTOR ® THE HELLER GROUP CAN HELP YOU! Photo by Dick Hagen Gary Wyse presented a measured feeding system for sows and gilts for the gestation period at the recent Minnesota Pork Expo. Pat Bryan Keltgen, REALTOR ® Gary Hotovec, REALTOR ® Auctioneer Dale Fladeboe, Auctioneer/REALTOR ® Glen Fladeboe, Auctioneer/REALTOR ® Call or E-mail “The Experienced Farmland Professionals” 320-523-1050 1302 W. DePue Ave • Olivia, MN 56277 320-523-1050 • www.1stop-realty.com Ron Sander, REALTOR ® [email protected] • [email protected] [email protected] • kristine@fladeboeauctions.com AG SCENE - 26 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Tags Continued from page 25 Farm costs are about $10 per ear tag. Wyse admits that these tags are expensive but with a five-year warranty they can be reused multiple times, meaning if the ‘older sows’ get marketed and the fiveyear span hasn’t expired, detach the tags of those older sows before they depart the premises and retag into younger gilts. Labor savings with this automated system are difficult to predict. “It depends so much on how a particular producer sets up his overall housing and handling for his gilts and sows. However, with a dynamic group it can be substantial. We have a 1,000-sow producer in Manitoba that has only three guys to run the entire operation,” noted Wyse. The system can do several automated jobs. For example, when you need to administer shots, if they are spray marked with a different color, it can sort out and direct these individuals into a specific pen. And it can adjust to handle DDG’s in the ration, even up to a 40 percent level. “As long as it’s still a dry feed the system will handle such a ration. But you can adjust each sow’s feed strategy by the parity of that sow. Also you can adjust by body condition scores of each animal. You have the opportunity to use up to 999 feed strategies with this system.” Note that this system is designed only for sows/gilts during their gestation period. It is not a lactation feeding system. This technology dates back to 1982 according to Wyse. However, the current electronic system has been available since 1996. “Today it’s just an easier system to work with. It’s very common in the western European nations. We have some installations in China, and some in Eastern Europe,” said Wyse. And it’s now slowly working into the American swine industry. Somewhat speeding its acceptance in Western Europe is the fact that by 2013 ‘open pen’ gestation becomes mandatory. So as sow stalls disappear, the NEDAP system will become much more common. For more info: www.nedap.com or go: [email protected] Olivia Chrysler Center Your one stop dealer for the BEST DEALS on any NEW Vehicle GREAT SELECTION 2012 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 5.7 Hemi, V8, Bucket Leather Seats, Remote Start, Navigation, Chrome Extras LOADED! OVER $8,000 OFF!! Stop in and see Mike or Keith TODAY!! DL# 21991 Mon. thru Fri.: 8:00 am-6:00 pm • Sat.: 8:00 am-12:00 noon Parts & Service: Mon.-Fri.: 8:00 am-5:30 pm • Closed Saturday www.oliviachryslercenter.com FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 27 - Mathews Drainage & Excavating, Inc. Waconia & Hamburg Agronomy Divisions www.waconiafarm.com Bob Mathews, Owner Estimates/Bidding Gravel Rocks Sand Dirt (regular or pulverized) 40 + years in business Belly Dump Dozer Excavator AG SCENE Waconia Division 952-442-7312 Hamburg Division 952-467-3111 Ask for Kent Ask for Don Gravel Trucks Payloaders Backhoe *PRODUCTS* Fertilizer Anhydrous Ammonia Liquid Starters Call (320) 864-6060 *SEED CROPLAN* COUPON NK & Dekalb Mycogen & Dahlmans Stine & Asgrows Kussmaul 13% OFF Storewide On Any Footwear Purchase *SOIL SAMPLING* ON ANY REG. PRICED FOOTWEAR Not valid with other offers. Expires 6/1/12 Conventional Grid • Powerstep Insoles • SAS • Hush Puppies • Rockport • Naturalizer • Florsheim • New Balance • Wolverine *PARTS/SERVICE* Full Parts Dept. Full Service Dept. *CUSTOM APPLICATION* Spraying Anhydrous Ammonia Fertilizer Variable Rate Technology (VRT) *CLOTHING* Arctic Cat & Castle Fox & Oakley Shift & Drift Work Boots & Carhartt *SALES* Massey Ferguson & Gehl ExMark & Cub Cadet Suzuki & Arctic Cat Stihl & Toro *Input Financing Now Available* Locally Owned & Operated Since 1959 Downtown Hutchinson Call 952-442-7312 for more details *Propane & Fuel Services Available* 320-587-8356 ™ www.yieldleader.com 800.942.6748 DON’T TAKE MY WORD, LOOK AT THE INDEPENDENT TRIALS 501™ SERIES: GREAT GOSS’S RESISTANCE • A consistent performer for 3 years straight in the F.I.R.S.T. trials 696™ SERIES: COMPETITIVE ON GOSS’S WILT • A leader since its release 2 years ago in the F.I.R.S.T. trials genetics G2® brand seed is distributed by NuTech Seed, LLC. ® G2 is a registered trademark of Pioneer Hi-Bred. Let NuTech Be Your Solution! If you farm in the Hwy 212 Corridor and have not planted any of these you have left money in the field! 797™ Series • 501™ Series • 502™ Series For more information on how to capture more dollars from your seed investment contact your local NuTech Dealer or Contact JAY P. NELSON (DSM) at 320.905.6517 or [email protected] AG SCENE - 28 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 FOR MORE OF THE LATEST INFORMATION on how to raise yields to new levels and learn about those changes you need to make in your crop production system next year: CONTACT OUR TEAM AT 320-523-2252 Or you can check out their website at www.corncapitalinnovations.com - 29 - AG SCENE Section 2 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Minnesota’s oldest continuouslyoperating elevators Renville County elevator history in pictures and words By Susan Williams Editor of $25,000. The original silo was built to hold 15,000 bushels of corn. Some of the names on the documents of incorporation will sound slightly familiar to locals including Haaken Agre, Karenus Agre, Simon Johnson and Hendrick Skoberg. “The first two carloads handled by the company were purchased by Henry A. Paulson and Ole T. Ramsland from Ole Enestvedt” according to The History. The second elevator was called Farmers’ Produce Company and the next in town was built by Ed O’Connor and known as the Crown Elevator. The village of Sacred Heart incorporated in1883, but by 1882 “(t)he business of the village is transacted by three general stores, one millinery, one drug and fancy grocery store, two blacksmiths, one shoe shop, a harness shop, tailor shop, meat market, two hardware, two hotels, two saloons; there is one physician; there are two The three oldest, continuously-operating grain elevators in Minnesota are in Renville County and part of the Co-op Country Farmer’s Elevator (CCFE) system. The oldest is Sacred Heart which started in 1886 and is today 126 years old. Next, just six miles east is the 122-year-old Renville elevator begun in 1890. That’s followed by Danube started in 1906 and in continuous operation for 106 years. Sacred Heart: Submitted photo The earliest picture of the Sacred Heart Elevator, 1936. Before elevators were built in Sacred Heart, farmers normally drove to Redwood Falls or Willmar to trade their grain according to Sacred Heart, Town and Country published in 2008 by the Sacred Heart Historical Society. The first elevator in Sacred Heart was erected in 1879 by Pratt & Robinson according to The History of Renville County published in 1916, but not incorporated as a business until Sept. 30, 1886. It had 25 stockholders and a capital stock Elevator Turn to page 30 OLIVIA MACHINE SHOP, INC South on Hwy 71 Olivia, MN Ph: (320) 523-1681 area Farmers & MerchantsYour State Bank businesses appreciate it! •Steel •Bearings •PTO Components •Torches & Tanks •Pipe Fittings •Cable •Hydraulic Hoses & Adapters sered Chainsaws & Trimmer/Brush Cutters •Bolts - By the Pound •Jon- * Service •Roller Chain & Sprockets •Welding Supplies •Hydraulic Adapters •PVC Plastic Pipe & Fittings •Log Chain, Hooks & Binders •Welding & Repair -Steel -Stainless Steel -Aluminum -Portable Welding Since 1956 * AG SCENE - 30 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Elevators Continued from page 29 elevators, the combined capacity of which is about 50,000 bushels.” Cooperatives caught on and in 1916 when the charter for the Farmers Elevator expired, the stockholders voted to reorganize as a coop. The coop survived the depression of the late 1920s and early 30s and a new 35,000 bushel, 90-foot tall elevator was erected for $8,000 including a 20-ton scale, 26-foot weighing platform. At one time there were six elevators lining the railroad on the north side of town. Renville: In 1878 the Griffin & Stevens elevator was erected. Later called the Columbia elevator, it stood on the west side of Main Street south of the railroad tracks. While the City of Renville didn’t incorporate until 1906, according to The History, the Farmer’s Elevator Company “was organized 25 years ago” (1891) and “started in a small way with one horse for power in elevating the grain.” By publication date of the History, “(i)t is now well equipped, built of concrete and capable of housing the capacity of 45,000 bushels of grain. It has as its stockholders some of the best farmers in the country tributary to Renville.” By 1890 land was going for $15 an acre and higher and by publication of The History, there were “four line elevators doing business.” Danube: 222 N. Main St. P.O. Box 424 Renville, MN 56284 320.329.8317 Fax: 320.329.3487 communityelectric@ centurytel.net The third oldest, continuously operating elevator in the state originated in Danube in 1906. Written up as a “pleasant little village” in The History, Danube’s beginning was contentious in that neither neighboring Renville or Olivia wanted to see a rival railway station built between them, but “(i)n their anxiety to secure a station, a number of farmers had organized a company and had built a co-operative elevator, the first building on the present site of the village.” No side-track was built, so the building was sold, eventually to Crown Elevator. When the station for Danube went in and the side track was built in 1898, the village grew and by 1916 had three general stores, a furniture store, bank, newspa- Submitted photo The inside view of a bin in Renville just after completion. per, hotel, livery, drug store, hardware, blacksmith, creamery, restaurant, lumbar yard, cement tile factory, produce station, millinery, harness shop, one doctor, two pool halls and four grain elevators – Danube Farmers’ Elevator Company, Empire Elevator, Pacific Elevator and Crown. The newest addition to CCFE’s elevator business was completed in 2011 with the addition of four elevators and a grain drier in Danube. A large agronomy center is planned for the site in the next year or two. Olivia: The authors of The History smiled brightly on the village of Olivia in 1916, writing “(n)ature has done much for Olivia, and to nature’s gift has been Elevator Turn to page 33 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 31 - Elevators Continued from page 30 AG SCENE K&S Electric of Olivia Larkin T r e e C a r e & L a n d s c a p i n g, Inc. For all your electrical needs!! •Tree & Shrub Trimming & Removal •Stump Grinding •Landscape •Design/Installation •Pavers, Retain n ing Walls Good Old Fashion Service! Home • Farm • Industrial and Commercial Dan Smith Greg Seidl (320) 583-3412 (320) 492-6274 CALL: 320-523-1458 Photos courtesy CCFE The newest elevators in the Coop Country Farmer’s Elevator system are located in Danube along the railroad tracks east of town. Left, The new dryer in Danube during construction 2011. Mobil Delvac Days Delvac Days • Februar y 15 - April13 $1.00 off per gallon Delvac 1300 15W40 and 70c off per gallon Mobilfluid 424 (55 & 30 gallon drums Only) DISTRIBUTER OF BULK FUELS AND LUBRICANTS Bird Island 320-365-4525 888-540-4525 Fairfax 507-426-7218 800-645-3159 Insured - Licensed Doug Larkin Arborist Christa Larkin Designer Home: (320) 329-3855 Renville, Mn AG SCENE - 32 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 33 - AG SCENE Elevators Continued from page 30 A view of the elevators in Olivia next to the railroad station. No date available. added man’s industry.” By publication date, Olivia had “a farmers’ elevator and four other elevators,” not to mention a canning factory, co-operative creamery, bottling works, “a new automobile supply store,” and the list goes on for half a page. Sometime after 1878, Isaac Lincoln and his brother built the first “flathouse” or elevator for storing grain. The History does not give an exact date and while CCFE believes it to be the same date as Danube –1906, the 2007 Centennial Edition of the Mill & Elevator News of the Minnesota Grain & Feed Association does not list Olivia as one of the first, continuously operating elevators in Minnesota. The first post office in the village was housed in Lincoln’s elevator office. In discussing the canning factory in Olivia, The History states “Minnesota is ranking high in corn production and many farmers coming from the southern Photos courtesy Renville County Historical Society The Danube elevators and Main Street sometime after 1908. states are greatly surprised to see the fine corn crops grown in Renville County… yielding from 40 to 75 bushels per acre are grown every year and seem to be more popular than wheat in this section.” Olivia also had a Crown elevator in 1916, along with Columbia Elevator, Empire Elevator, Olivia Farmers’ Elevator Company and “Wm. Windhorst, grain elevator, lumber, sash and door, coal, etc.” TauberConstruction Jeff Tauber 78858 US Highway 71 Olivia, MN (320) 523-5301 Metal Buildings Are Our Speciality In 1882, the population of Olivia was only around 80, but reached 970 by 1900. CCFE: In the early history of grain elevators, a lot of them burnt to the ground. Undaunted, the farmers rebuilt, usually on the same spot. In 1986 the elevators in Sacred Heart, Renville and Danube decided to talk merger. “All we can do is ask our people and see what they say,” was the sentiment around the discussions, recalled Michael Johnson, Sacred Heart, one of the original CCFE board members and chairman of the Sacred Heart co-op elevator. By July the co-ops had merged and in 1990, the Olivia elevator was folded into the group. “We brought our towns together,” said Johnson. “Why fight each other?” Today CCFE is a very successful company with 2011 balance sheet assets and liabilities at more than $72 million through grain, storage, feed and agronomy sales. As of 2011, CCFE had storage capacity of over 8 million bushels, annual grains sales of $103.8 million and a grain handling capacity of 18.1 million bushels. John Halliday, Owner General Contractor Since 1978 • Lic 4729 1302 West. DePue Ave. Olivia, MN 56277 320-522-0332 800-334-4715 46’ wide x 17’6” Schweiss Bi-Fold Pro Equipment Sales West Highway 212 & 71 • Olivia, MN 56277 320-523-5050 AG SCENE - 34 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Elevators Continued from page 33 Photo courtesy Michael Johnson The original Co-op Country Farmer’s Elevator Board of Directors, July 1986, (l-r), front row: John Nordby, Michael Johnson and Harold Groen. Middle row: Dick Bakker, Miloyd Wertish and Delmar Mulder. Back row: Ardell Tollefson,Woody Schemmel and Duane Standfuss. For your last minute soybean seed needs... Photo Renville County Historical Society Renville’s concrete Farmers’ Elevator circa 1915. Bird Island Soil Service 320-365-3655 OLIVIA MACHINE SHOP, INC Need Business Cards? South on Hwy 71 Olivia, MN A Commitment To Agriculture When you need financing for your farming operation, come see us. We’ve been making ag loans to area farmers since the day we first opened our doors. We can provide the money you need for operating expenses, livestock, real estate, or equipment. Whatever your financial needs, we’re here to help. 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Svoboda also gave an update of the group’s 2011 activities, while Don Baloun, state conservationist, outlined the push on the state level toward “wetland banking” to address the need for wetland mitigation throughout the state. Svoboda said the Minnesota Soybean Growers began in Sleepy Eye in 1962 and now there are 41 county organizations in the state as far north at Roseau County. The associations are important to growers dealing with policy issues that affect producers, Svoboda said. “The association is working on your behalf,” he added. Tom Meium, a representative for 7th District U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, DMinn., said the congressman “is up to his elbows” in the next Farm Bill, which he predicted “would be leaner than in the past.” The goal of Peterson, however, is to “reserve a strong safety net for the farm program,” Meium said. Emcee Nathan Winter, regional Extension educator with the University of Minnesota, said the association is doing a lot of positive things for agriculture, which remains important to the region, state and nation. He said the Corn & Soybean Growers continue to “highlight the positive things” about agriculture. In his annual report, Svoboda highlighted a number of the association’s activities in 2011, from the annual cor n and soybean plots, to participation in four area parades, to disseminating information to various groups and organizations. One of the highlights was the unveiling of the ethanol blender pumps at Glencoe Co-op in 2011. Also, the association renewed contracts with local radio stations to broadcast the group’s ads and commentaries, and it was learned board Don Baloun member Myron Of- Francis Svoboda tedahl was selected for a nesota is unique in that it “has teeth and trip to China. Svoboda surprised Winter by naming can shut an operation down.” He called the mitigation option a good him the winner of the 2011 Friend of one, especially with prices for commodiAgriculture award winner. The group also was reminded by Win- ties at a high point. “Now is a time to ter that the 2012 Farm Family of the Year make money in agriculture,” Baloun said. Baloun stressed the need for “wetland nominations are being sought. The farm family will be honored at the McLeod banks” in each county to allow those short of mitigation credits to buy them. County Fair in August. He recommended farmers doing their Baloun was the main speaker of the night and spoke on a hot-button issue of annual budgeting include a budget line for wetland mitigation. He stressed that any- conservation work. Wetlands act as “Mother Nature’s kidone out of compliance with the Wetland Conservation Act jeopardizes benefits neys” that clean runoff from fields. from other farm programs. He said Min- Baloun said. Chronicle photo by Rich Glennie Francis Svoboda, left, president of the McLeod County Corn & Soybean Growers Association, surprised emcee Nathan Winter with the 2011 Friend of Agriculture Award Saturday night at the Pla-Mor Ballroom. Winter is a University of Minnesota Extension educator and has emceed the last several association banquets. Ag Specialists Can Handle All Your Ag Production Needs Big Gain Feed Rolling, Mixing, Feed Delivery TMR Balancing & Formulating Full-Service Grain Facility Direct Ship Grain Dekalb Seed/Asgrow Seed Direct Seeding Alfalfa Custom Application & Spraying Liquid Fertilizer & Chemical Needs is your area dealer for Wishek Ag Specialists 320-238-2188 Plato Lafayette, MN • 800-642-4104 • www.ufcmn.com AG SCENE - 36 - Any project ~ large or small Country Wide Lumber does them all! Mallak Trucking Inc. 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FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 41 - AG SCENE Local meat shops sprouting in Minnesota By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Renville County Register Smaller, specialized meat shops are sprouting across Minnesota, perhaps nurtured by the states ‘Local Grown Food’ promotions but also because consumers are getting more particular about the food they buy, especially when it comes to meat products. “Yes, we’re seeing more of these local meat markets and they’re all ‘state of the art’ when it comes to the technologies of processing, preparing and displaying their products,” said Conrad Kvamme, dairy beef quality assurance, Minnesota Beef Council in an interview at recent Minnesota Beef Cattlemen’s annual convention and trade show, Jackpot Junction. As Kvamme travels the state putting on ‘meat tasting’ displays at various food stores, consumers remind him that when it comes to meat they want not only to see the meat, they want to meet the meat cut- Local meats Turn to page 42 Enestvedt Seed Company Take the road to Enestvedts, The way to better yields Established in 1900 Producers and Processors of Certified Hybrid Seed Corn Photo by Dick Hagen Doug Steffel of Danube Meat Locker said his customers appreciate knowing their beef is locally raised. Rely on the “People You Know” at Dawson Co-op Credit Union to help you achieve your financial goals. Auto Loans Starting At 4% (Conventional, VT3, RR, CRW, CB and Stacked Varieties) Enestvedt’s RR Soybean Seed And North Star Genetics M.P.S. Seeds QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR A REASONABLE PRICE Contact Enestvedt Seed Company 75802 Co. Rd 12, Sacred Heart, MN 56285 320-765-2728 or one of our dealers www.enestvedtseeds.com Eric, Pam, Cari • Local Decision Making • Experienced Loan Officers • No Additional Hidden Fees AG SCENE - 42 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Local meats Continued from page 41 -ter. “They very much want to see the meat guys on the job. Cutting meat is a lot of work. But it seems that when the consumer has interaction with the meat cutter, the meat product is simply better received.” Commented Doug Steffel, Danube Lockers, ”My customers seem to appreciate that they know their meat is locally grown when they buy from me. And MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTION... Call us for all your electric needs! COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL A N D FA R M W I R I N G Electrical Work No job to big or small!! Valley Electric Of Olivia, Inc. 320-523-1599 After hours call: 320-523-1937 they’ll sometimes even ask me specifically who was the farmer that produced these rib eyes, or T-bones, or pork chops. “Yes, this local connection is important in the meat business. And that of course often means my customers tell me how thick to cut their steaks, how much trim to take off, even how thin they want their bacon sliced. This interaction with the local meat man is a vital part of what makes our local shops work.” So with the growing number of ‘local meat markets’ will the COOL (country of origin label) fever lessen? Kvamme indicated it logically would because in these smaller markets consumers not only get to know the meat cutter, they may even know the livestock producer who provides animals to that particular shop. At recent Midwest Dairy Expo, Saint Cloud, Kvamme provided ‘taste’ samples freshly cooked right at his booth. Unbeknown to the tasters (often lined up for their toothpick offering), the meat was from a four-and-a-half year old cull dairy cow that had gone through three lactations. This critter however had been ‘grain fed’ about three-and-a-half months prior to slaughter. Taste bites from the chuck eye, rib eye and New York strip were “seasoned nicely while I was frying and they were tender, and very, very tasty. Older animals have a great beef flavor but they need that finishing grain ration period,” said Kvamme. He concluded, “Local meat plants will do well if they have the right people working with them, and if they continually pay attention to their customers.” Terrific example of such a meat shop is McDonald’s Meats, Hwy 24, Clear Lake, MN. Known as ‘The Jerky Stop’, this third generation meat business dates back to 1914 when J.L. McDonald started processing and selling locally produced livestock meats. His son Richard ran the business from 1953 to 1989. Richard’s son David, age 55, took over in 1989, capably assisted by his two sons and daughter-inlaw. Evidence of the quality reputation of McDonald’s Meats was the recent recognition by the Minnesota Meats Council designating McDonald’s Meats as the 2011 award winner. “When I took over in ‘89, I could see the large food stores were going to eat us so I decided to make our store a special meat shop. We’re making sausage, brats and jerky plus doing special work on hams and bacons. The beef jerky was our starting point. Once you got a sample into the shoppers, the meat business really started to take off,” reflected David McDonald. Yes, he attended a few short courses, even University classes that would teach the meat cutting and the meat retailing business. But as you might expect in the meat business, OTJ (On the Job) training predominated. “My step daughter is studying meat science and we’re finding out there are a lot of things we can do even better,” volunteered McDonald. Besides their own retail operation in Clear Lake, McDonald’s Meats also dis--- Local meats Turn to page 43 Your Building Supply Headquarters! Keith L. Scott Agency Keith Scott P.O. Box 340 • Bird Island, MN 55310 Residential • Commercial • Poultry • Swine • Dairy • Post Frame Structures We are here to help you... Mark Ruplinger, Adam Ruplinger & Mike Pfarr 320-365-3400 • 1-800-815-6367 Danube, MN - 320-826-2341 • 888-550-2341 - [email protected] WE’VE GOT NUMBERS OTHER CORN COMPANIES HOPE YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT. LIKE 2T386 95 Day SmartStax 2D503 100 Day Triple Stack Brad Pietig • Account Manager 320-579-0934 Mycogen is a brand name. Numbers identify hybrids ®, TM Trademarks, registered or applied for by Mycogen Corporation. FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 QUALITY DIESEL FUEL Farmers Co-op Oil in Renville & Olivia carries Premium Diesel Fuel and Bulk Lube Oils On Sale Sept. 1 - Sept.30 As near to you as your phone! Call Now! Farmers Co-op Oil Company Renville Office P.O. Box 250 Renville, MN 56284 (320) 329-8351 212-1-Stop P.O. Box 308 R101 East Hwy 212 Danube, MN 56230 (320) 826-2660 Olivia Cenex 1208 West Lincoln Olivia, MN 56277 (320) 523-1241 Cenex C-Store P.O. Box 14 Redwood Falls, MN 56283 (507) 644-3383 - 43 - AG SCENE Local meats Continued from page 41 -tributes their products to about 20 other locations, mostly convenience stores that like to handle jerky, sticks and other such meat snacks. A Maple Lake market is doing more with McDonald’s sausages and prepared meats. Jerky leads the retail sales for McDonald Meats but change is occurring. “Consumers keep asking for specialized preparations so we’ve gotten into marinating steaks, pork chops, stuffing chicken breasts and special brats. We’re now up to 36 different flavors of bratwurst. It’s just endless what you can do and it’s fun to create the different flavors that people are looking for.” However, protein continues to be the prime driver as to why people buy meats. “The protein factor in our red meats is a wonderful nutritional value and something we all need,” said McDonald. They slaughter weekly 12 to 15 beef/dairy animals and about a dozen hogs. His business is a member of Minnesota Association of Meat Processors. His family sees a growing future for these small, locally owned and operated meat businesses. “It’s a niche market that keeps growing partly because the big food stores don’t have any control in the making of their meat products. We smaller shops are totally in control. We’re not competing against the major box stores. Instead we’re filling a void for the smart consumer that wants to know about her meat dollars,” concluded McDonald. Photo by Dick Hagen Conrad Kvamme, dairy beef quality assurance, Minnesota Beef Council. AG SCENE - 44 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 45 - AG SCENE Agricultural career opportunities abound A career in agriculture can prove richly rewarding. While it’s common to envision overalls and tractors when imagining careers in agriculture, the opportunities to work in the agriculture industry stretch beyond the farm and into the corporate world. The following are a few of the paths men and women with a passion for agriculture can pursue. Business: Agriculture is big business, and the industry has many opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in business. Farmers and producers of agricultural products need someone to draft contracts for their agreements with the large corporations who distribute those products. In addition, purchasing agents and agricultural financiers are just two of the many career opportunities that enable men and women to work on the business side of agriculture. Social service: The agricultural indus- is your area dealer for Krause try also has positions of social service. In addition to food inspector, who ensures agricultural products are safe for human consumption, social service positions within the agricultural industry include environmental consultant and conservation officer. Men and women can also work to develop programs that encourage youngsters to pursue careers in the agricultural industry. Production: Of course, the agricultural industry has a host of careers for those who want to get their hands dirty. Farms need to be plowed, seeds must be planted and fertilized and farms need to be well- maintained to continue operating efficiently and effectively. Though technology has taken the place of many agricultural production positions, there are still many opportunities out there for those who want to work under the sun. Education: Those who want to share their love of agriculture with others can put their skills to work in the classroom. Agricultural instructors can train the next generation of agriculture professionals at the university or high school level, ensuring today’s farms are left in good hands tomorrow. Get Ready for Spring SALE! We Repair ALL Brands! Lafayette, MN • 800-642-4104 • www.ufcmn.com Pre-Season Special DOT INSPECTION $ 50 PER VEHICLE Sam’s offers the best selection of tr uck and farm tires in the area! Quality meets you at the door when you step into a Massey Ferguson® dealership. Stop in and you’ll find OEM quality AGCO® Parts for your equipment, accessories to help you work in comfort and style, and the best in service, so that your equipment gets up and running like never before. Our shelves are stocked with everything from overhaul kits to filters, specially formulated lubricants, to your spot-on paint color match. Choose quality AGCO® Parts to extend your equipment’s service life and to maximize the performance of your Massey Ferguson machinery. Expect nothing less than the best, with AGCO® Parts. See us for quality AGCO Parts® WE DO MORE THAN TIRES! • Full-Service Auto Repair • Oil Changes • A/C Service • Brake Service (Auto-Pickup-Truck-Trailer) • Exhaust/Mufflers • Free Estimates • On-Farm Tire Repair • Laser Alignments (Auto-Pickup-Truck) % up to SAVE 15 on parts & labor on repairs of $500 or more NOW through March 30, 2012 520 Chandler Ave. Glencoe, MN 320-864-5118 800-778-9854 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-7; Sat. 8-3 SAM’S TIRE SERVICE 719 Chandler • Glencoe (320) 864-3615 Visit our website at www.samstire.net www.jungclausimplement.com AG SCENE - 46 - QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE THAT YOU CAN TRUST Kruger ~ LG MPS ~ Mycogen ~ Stine Corn ~ Soybeans ~ Oats ~ Wheat ~ Barley Alfalfa ~ Forage/Pasture Mixes ~ Lawn Seed Thalmann Seeds Inc. Plato, MN (320) 238-2185 Grow With Us! FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Let us help you make a Profit At Crop Production Services our goal is to help you maximize your yields - and profits - on all your acres. Call on Crop Production Services for sound agronomic advice, dependable field services and fertilizer, NH3, chemicals and seed for your farming operating. Crop Production Services 507-647-5329 rcis.com Crow River Glass, Inc. DO YOU WANT A WEBSITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS ? Contact Terry Jones— 125 Michigan St. NE PO Box 325 Hutchinson, MN 55350 320-587-2868 www.crowriverglass.com [email protected] plus a one-time, affordable setup fee. Call for details or to set up a free consultation. Chronicle/Advertiser 716 E 10th St., Glencoe 320-864-5518 See www.mcpubdesigns.com for examples and Web Package Information. IPS320-864-5581 Insurance Agency 613 E 10th Street 888-888-8888 Glencoe, MN 55336 Your Address, City, State, Zip WHUU\MRQHV#SUR¿QVSURYLGHUVFRP yourwebsite.com This entity is an equal opportunity provider. © 2012 Rural Community Insurance Agency, Inc. All rights reserved. Get ready to roll! We’ve got the fuel. We can set up a website for your business for as low as $ 15/month, Professional Insurance Providers GIVE US A CALL TODAY! Glencoe Oil Co. John & Chuck Shamla 320-864-5506 Downtown Glencoe, Across from the Courthouse Protect Your Earning Power With crop insurance through PHI Insurance Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., you’ll have the power to protect your yield potential – and your income – against the elements of nature you can’t control. Call today for a FREE estimate of our risk-management policies that meet your needs! GERALD KUCERA PHI Sales Representative 22829 Jet Avenue, Silver Lake, MN 55381 Ph 320-327-2441 • Fax 320-327-8424 • Cell 320-894-0456 INSURANCE SERVICES Agent affiliated with PHI Insurance Services, Inc.®, sm Trademarks and servicemarks, registered or applied for, of Pioneer He-Bred International, Inc.© 1991, PHII ® sm Equal Opportunity Provider FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 47 - Change, keep moving ahead When I began, weather reports were basically here at home. Global agriculture was not thought of then. But we began talking with other farm broadcasters about weather in other states, and that was of interest to farmers, and we found meteorologist who tracked weather in other countries, and that became part of what we do. And it has grown from there. One day when cell phones were a relatively new phenom, I was on the air and it was a slow news day. I gave our studio phone number and asked any farmer in the field who might have a cell phone to call. I did not expect results, but sure enough I got that first call. And it was the first crop report in history from a farmer with a cell phone live on the radio. And it did not stop with one call. We have been doing those call ins ever since, and have taken hundreds of calls from farmers. We have gone from local elevator prices to futures trade. From one county weather to world weather. Our analysis was talking with a county agent in the coffee shop to hearing a regular market expert talking markets Instead of waiting for outdated USDA crop reports, we can have a pretty good idea of the crop live in the field from farmers, and it is a lot more fun to listen to. And the list goes on. Just as farming has changed, so has farm broadcasting. And with anything, you either get better and grow, or you do not change and get left behind. I chose long ago to keep moving ahead. The world is changing very quickly. Just look at the equipment we have available to help us farm better. Just a few years ago, tractors did not have cabs and radios were a new thing. We had a radio on only one tractor, and my brother and I fought over who would get to plow or cultivate with that one. And the crops and weed and insect control has improved dramatically. The new hybrids that are stacked with traits have revolutionized farming. And farmers are making the change to better varieties. And being creative. AG SCENE MidCountry Bank AG SERVICES Call any of our locations and let our licensed agents assist you with your ag credit and insurance needs. Lynn Ketelsen Lynn Ketelson is the Farm Director for Linder Farm Network. is your area dealer for Wil-Rich • Operating, Equipment, Real Estate, Livestock Loans • Checking & Savings • Crop, Property & Life Insurance • Estate Planning Ag Services 905 Hwy. 15 S, Hutchinson 320.234.4553 122 E. 2nd, Winthrop 507.647.5356 1002 Greeley Ave., Glencoe 320.864.5541 THE BEST DEAL IN THE FIELD Get 2 Months Free when you subscribe to The McLeod County Chronicle McLeod County Chronicle Rates: McLeod County & New Auburn Addresses $34 Other Minnesota Addresses $40 Addresses outside Minnesota $46 Lafayette, MN • 800-642-4104 • www.ufcmn.com Farmers Do you want Trusted, Reliable Service? Duane Jindra Crop Insurance Agency has been committed to serving you with honest, reliable, and trusted service for over 30 years. If you want a company you can count on to be there at claim time with excellent service, let Duane Jindra Crop Insurance Agency help you choose the right policy that gives you the protection and peace-of-mind that you deserve. Ag Scene 1-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION FORM Name Address City/State/Zip Please Indicate: NEW We accept Visa and Mastercard Amount Enclosed RENEWAL $ 1-Year Subscription The McLeod County Chronicle 716 E. 10th St. • Glencoe, MN 55336 Not good with any other offers. Good through March 16, 2012. Now Available for your use, a new easy-to-use, online, target price management tool. Call Duane Today! DEADLINE TO PURCHASE IS MARCH 15! Call Duane Today! DEADLINE TO PURCHASE IS MARCH 15! DUANE JINDRA CROP INS. AGENCY 720 Century Ave. SW, Suite 109 • Hutchinson, MN 55350 Hutchinson Lic.#676751 #676751 Lic. (320) 587-2612 • Hector (320) 359-9100 We are an equal opportunity provider McLeod Publishing, Inc. 716 East 10th St., Glencoe, MN 55336 (320) 864-5518 • Fax: 320-864-5510 E-mail: [email protected] • www.glencoenews.com AG SCENE - 48 - FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Entitlement society is getting impatient By Dick Hagen Contributing Reporter Glencoe Advertiser When you ask John Baize to reflect on what has happened since 2008 when change was the buzz word, you expect a few comments. Baize, a long-time international traveler and renowned spokesman for the America Soybean Association, was on the weeklong Agricultural Outlook series of meetings hosted recently by the Linder Farm Radio network. Here are excerpts from a private Q & A session with Baize, who is never bashful regardless the issues. Q. Is America well on its way to becoming a socialistic society because voters keep on voting for the source of their entitlements? Baize: America is on a troubling trend. Coming through this current recession means lots of people are hurting. That means people are open to anybody who offers a lifeline. But the flip side is that millions of younger people, who got fired up about Candidate Obama in 2008, are now disenchanted with what they’ve seen. So this could mean a significant vote switch, or simply no voting among this sector. The thing that troubles me the most is this ongoing conversation that we’ve become a country of two nations; a nation of wealth and the nation of people without money. I appreciate that too much income disparity is a problem. But 47 percent of our population now pays zero income tax, which means, obviously, richer people are paying a huge portion of our total taxes. Our society has been living beyond its means a long time. We’ve pushed up wage rates beyond our ability to compete in a global market place. We have income benefits today that extend out to 99 weeks of unemployment compensation. And let me assure you 99 weeks is a pretty strong disincentive to go looking for a job. And this keeps wage rates artificially high, which keeps us from being internationally competitive. I don’t know how we come out of this mess. But unless some miracle happens, we are definitely lowering the average standard of living in America! We can’t continue down the road we are currently traveling. JERRY SCHARPE, LTD Income Tax Preparation Business, Farm & Personal, Estate & Gift Returns Monthly Accounting & Payroll Financial Statements Compilation, Review & Audited Q. So what might the miracle be? Baize: I don’t think there is a miracle other than a huge breakthrough in energy technology or some such area that would involve tremendous resources and will power. But even that takes years. The miracle is simply going to become a rude awakening that America is going broke. And when incomes no longer are sustainable, then you have the possibilities of riots and total indifference to law and order. Q. Isn’t Europe now recognizing that their socialistic governments are unsustainable? Baize: Very definitely. Greece is a prime example. People retiring at age 50; eight weeks of paid vacations; free education for their kids and total health coverage. They became a government promising too much for too many. They’re now broke and none of their neighbors care to fund them. They are such a financial liability. They will likely be going through a period of near-anarchy before there’s some settlement. Italy is in much the same situation. France is hurting. Ireland has already gone through the wringer, so too Iceland. Spain and Portugal are heading that way too. The U.S. recently raised its debt to GDP ratio to 100 and it’s going to go higher. We are really no different than Western Europe except that our government benefits are not as high, at least not yet. But with 47 percent of the people not paying income taxes you know their vote will go to whomever makes the bigger promises. Q. America’s “Golden Age of Agriculture” has continued since 2008. Is the glimmer lessening? Baize: Well, yes. This remarkable period of commodity markets expanding even beyond the expanding costs of production agriculture has generated tremendous “new money” in the country. It’s very visible in bigger and better equipment, new technologies, better living, and of course inflated land prices. But 2012 will be a tighter scenario. And by 2013, penciling in a profit might be impossible. Q. What’s the impact if China’s econo- File Photo my slows down? Baize: Already there are indications of some tough times ahead for China. If their current 8 to 9 percent economic growth slows to 2 to 3 percent, their standard of living declines. They then can’t afford as much meat, milk and eggs in their diets. That means less soybean meal, less imported soybeans, less imported corn, less imported pork and it starts backing up all the way to America I don’t think you can stress enough that our world today because of transportation, telecommunications, more liberal trade and of course the Internet, is a world much more intertwined than ever before. So what happens in one part of the world can very rapidly have ramifications spreading across the world. We, the United States, are not immune to these happenings. We’re only 3 percent of the world’s population, but we’re subject to whatever happens elsewhere in the world. Q. So can American agriculture continue to provide the economic foundation for America and much of the world? Baize: American farmers will always be a player simply because of the continually rising world population. Agriculture is the most basic industry in the world because it provides the daily food requirements for SCHMELING Glencoe Veterinary Clinic We have complete large and small animal veterinary service & supplies. Jerry Scharpe, CPA Jeffrey Scharpe, RAP 712 E. 13th St., Glencoe • Medical •Surgical • Dental • X-ray •Preventive Care Services • Ultrasound • Online Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 7:30 a.m.-Noon Tel: 320-864-5380 Fax: 320-864-6434 Serving clients since 1971 605 13th St. W., Glencoe 320-864-3414 www.glencoevet.com the world. So it will continue a bedrock industry, but that doesn’t mean we won’t go through tough periods. Farmers have amassed huge increases in net worth the past three and four years, but that doesn’t mean they will keep them. I think land prices will fall back. Prices for used equipment will start backing off. Land cash rents will have to be corrected. Ag is doing about $100 billion in profits, but we’ll wring $30 billion to $40 billion out of that at some point. Q. Last year you suggested that with rapidly expanding world populations, the world eventually might indeed run out of food. Your thoughts today? Baize: I think we can keep up because we must. Most of the world today is still not using high-level production technology. Most of the world is still not using biotechnology. So there is still ample opportunity to increase food, especially on a per-acre basis. But a bigger challenge may be water. We can’t increase world water. Yes, we can get plants to use water more efficiently. And we can be more conservation minded. But with rising world populations, especially in urban areas, water demand is skyrocketing. So lack of water is already becoming a limiting factor in many parts of the world. Oil Co., Inc. Serving area farmers with quality products since 1965 - Products for farm, home, industry and construction equipment. - Delivering quality gasolines, diesel fuels and fuel oils. - Offering a complete line of Chevron lubricants, with most other major brands of lubricants available on a weekly delivery basis. - We welcome your lubricant and fuel questions. “GIVE US A TRY.” Phone: (320) 587-3361 or (800) 578-5636 35 Adams Street SE • Hutchinson, MN 55350 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 49 - AG SCENE 8 Crop Insurance today offers.. Lots of Choices If you want a crop insurance agent that can help you make choices from a farmer’s perspective call... Chad Schmalz 54362 805th Ave, Buffalo Lake, MN 55314 320-296-5422 [email protected] Independent Agent This agency is an equal opportunity employer. Cloud photos: www.sxc.hu ©SXC or its Image providers. ®, TM, SM Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer Hi-Bred. © 2010 PHII. 10-3170 GAYLORD Kranz Lawn & ATV 19 Sixth Street 507-237-5313 0RQ7KXUVDPSP )ULDPSP 6DWDPSP 61” / 72” deck width 31-hp Vanguard/ 30-hp Yanmar/ 28-hp Kawasaki Part#5101744 8UJHQW&DUH$SSRLQWPHQWV HUTCHINSON Kranz Lawn & Power 15893 Hwy. 7 East 320-587-2102 8UJHQW & $ 5 ( 5HJXODU$SSRLQWPHQWV 0RQ)ULDPSP 6HUYLFHV 6SHFLDOLVWV,Q )DPLO\0HGLFLQH ,QWHUQDO0HGLFLQH 2%*<1 1XUVH3UDFWLWLRQHUV 3HGLDWULFV 3RGLDWU\ 6XUJHU\ 8UJHQW&DUH $OOHUJ\ $XGLRORJ\ &DUGLRORJ\ (DU1RVH7KURDW 1HSKURORJ\ 1HXURORJ\ 2QFRORJ\ 2UWKRSHGLFV 5KHXPDWRORJ\ 8URORJ\ +XWFKLQVRQ 0HGLFDO&HQWHU 7ROOIUHH ZZZ+XWFKLQVRQ0HGLFDO&HQWHUFRP KHDOWKFDUHZKHQ\RXQHHGLW AG SCENE - 50 - Independent. Options.™ 1.877.G0.LATHAM FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 Contact a dealer near you or visit www.lathamseeds.com for more information. John Dallenbach, Morgan, MN – (507) 430-2148 Dale Filzen, Renville, MN – (320) 894-7480 Larry Litzau, Glencoe, MN – (320) 864-5482 Tom Maiers, Stewart, MN – (320) 583-4564 Robin Doering, New Auburn, MN – (320) 864-4938 Gerald Henke, Gaylord, MN – (507) 237-5236 Greg Brandt RSM, New Ulm, MN – (507) 354-7220 Bill Kessler, Henderson, MN – (612) 756-2664 Bird Island Soil Service, Bird Island, MN – (320) 522-1659 FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2012 - 51 - Your New & Pre-Owned Truck HEADQUARTERS AAAAA AAAAA 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 & 2500HDs Most Dependable, Longest Lasting Trucks on the Road! AG SCENE Call Schauer Construction Inc. of Glencoe TODAY, we specialize in quality new homes, light agricultural, remodeling & roofing at an affordable price! Receive a GAF $300 Rebate to ALL VETERANS, past & present, when reroofing using GAF Certified contractors and products. Great Selection In Stock! 40+ Pre-Owned 4x4s in Stock! Pickups • SUVs • Crossovers VALUE PRICED! GREAT FINANCING as low as 2.9% APR*! HOURS GLENCOE, MN 320-864-5181 Toll-Free 800-950-5180 Sales: M/Th 8-8, Tue/W/F 8-5:30, Sat 8:30-4 Service: M-F 7:30-5 Parts: Saturday until Noon www.harpelbrothers.com www.schauerconstructioninc.com Virgil: 320-864-4453 or 612-280-6870 Lic. # BC331123 * 2.9% on select GM CUVs to qualified buyers, OAC. We are on site for each project working on our jobs. YOUR ONE-STOP FOR YOUR PRECISION AG NEEDS! www.agleader.com The Complete Precision Package Measure up – Backed By A Network of Experts If you really want meters that count, come in and take a look at our Precision Planting line. There are vacs like the brand-new vSet™ and widely praised eSet®. There’s the finger meter leader, Precision Meters. And there’s the MeterMax® Ultra test stand for annual calibration that brings out the best in any meter. Stop settling for less than the best singulation and maximum yield. The next time you plant, go for unbeatable performance. NEW! 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