Reaping What You Sow Sell It or Store It? Trebelhorn Joins UFC
Transcription
Reaping What You Sow Sell It or Store It? Trebelhorn Joins UFC
Fieldviews FALL 2015 EDITION Reaping What You Sow Page 2 Sell It or Store It? Trebelhorn Joins UFC Page 10 Page 14 Making a Wish Come True Page 21 P E O P L E • P R I D E • P U R P O S E 100th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 21, 2015 at Winthrop! REAPING WHAT YOU SOW: THE BEAUTY OF WORKING THE PLAN To view our commemorative “Celebrating 100 Years” video, check out: www.ufcmn.com/youtube As you read this issue of Fieldviews, we’re eagerly anticipating what may be the best crop many of us can remember. A t United Farmers Cooperative, we’re planning to assist you in reaping the fruits of your labor, just as we have done for generations in Central Minnesota. Before speaking of harvest preparations, I want to personally thank everyone who attended UFC’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Picnic on Aug. 21. Besides being a wonderful night of fun, fellowship, and music, this event offered all of us the opportunity to reflect on what has been built by many generations of dedicated members, employees, and communities. A special thanks to the UFC board and employee team for their year-long efforts preparing this gala festivity. Thank you, as well, to our friends, neighbors, and business partners who assisted in staging this extraordinary event. Most importantly, I thank you, our member-owners, for making this historic celebration possible. UFC is a cooperative and nothing in a cooperative happens without the commitment of its members. Congratulations, Jeff Nielsen General Manager/CEO IN OUR SEARCH FOR WAYS TO PUSH EVERY ACRE TO ITS LIMITS, THE ONLY THING WE HAVEN’T FOUND ARE THE LIMITS. With pinpoint data from our revolutionary R7® Tool and worlds of expertise, we can help your yields and operation soar. By combining Answer Plot® data from over 200 sites with the latest satellite technology, we can help match the perfect CROPLAN® seed to every acre. The results are 360 degrees of smart, personalized solutions with big returns. To find a WinField retailer, go to winfield.com ©2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC. Be Greater is a trademark and Answer Plot, CROPLAN, R7 and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. UFC DIRECTORY AgQuest Finance—507-647-6606 Ext. 6749 Bird Island Elevator—320-365-4012 Brownton Shuttle—320-328-4002 Cologne Feed Mill—952-466-5518 Corporate Office—507-647-6600 Gaylord Ag Center—507-237-4203 Gaylord C-Store—507-237-2281 Gibbon C-Store—507-834-6615 Grain Marketing—507-647-6601 Green Isle C-Store—507-326-5866 Hamburg Ag Center—952-467-3111 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Hector Ag Center—320-848-2296 The 2015 Corn and Soybean Harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Klossner Elevator—507-359-4519 Our New VP of Consumer Goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 Klossner Livestock Service Center—507-359-2970 Revolving Profits To Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 Klossner Station—507-359-4503 Lafayette Ag Center—507-228-8224 Your Fall Tasks Roundup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Lafayette C-Store—507-228-8364 Improvements at Cologne Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9 Lafayette Elevator—507-228-8221 Sell It or Store It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Lafayette Seed Shed—507-228-8669 Spotlight: Norseland Ag Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 New Germany C-Store—952-353-2601 Providing the Value You Expect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Norseland Ag Center—507-246-5300 Trebelhorn & Associates Joins UFC. . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 UFC Farm Supply-Burnsville—952-890-5296 Help Us Help You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18 UFC Farm Supply-LeSueur—507-665-6421 UFC Farm Supply-Maple Plain—763-479-2123 Replace the P&K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19 UFC Farm Supply-Waconia—952-442-2126 Order Early for Best Price. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19 Waconia Energy Office—952-442-2126 Questions Answered on Co-op Cash Card . . . . . . . . Page 20 Winthrop C-Store—507-647-5931 Making a Wish Come True. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Winthrop Chemical Warehouse—507-647-6615 2015 Scholarship Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Winthrop Elevator—507-647-5311 Harvest Grain Policies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23 Winthrop Energy Office—507-647-6602 ©2015 United Farmers Cooperative. All Rights Reserved. Published in partnership with VistaComm ® (www.VistaComm.com). 3 The 2015 Corn and Soybean Harvest...and Beyond By Jeff Nielsen, General Manager/CEO I ’m thankful for the investment UFC has made in a grain-handling system. We’ve believed for years that technology, hard work, and cooperation would combine to produce a crop like this. Now, with our facilities and people in place, we’re ready to take your grain. There will be challenges, however. A combination of market dynamics and local demand has us going into harvest with a larger amount of old-crop corn. In the past decade, UFC has added storage capable of holding in excess of 17 million bushels. We anticipate needing every inch of that space this fall. Our grain team has been working diligently with local, national, and global markets to ensure our elevator lanes are kept open. Still, unfavorable weather conditions, freight delays, and unknown obstacles may present themselves. You can help by communicating your needs early and often so we can schedule more trains, plan more piles, and do everything in our power to make room for your grain. We also anticipate some drying demand, and UFC is ready for that as well. Our onsite dryer capacity exceeds 25,000 bushels per hour, and our experienced dryer service team is geared up to serve you. We’re ready to go and looking forward to assisting you in reaping a bountiful harvest. Start planning for next year’s crop Fall also brings the opportunity to purchase seed and lay the foundation for next year’s crop with fertilizer and precision technology systems to give you the best chance for another bumper crop. As your planting speed increases, our need to collaborate accelerates as well. We’ve worked hard to understand what can be done in the fall to take pressure off you—and your agronomy team—in the spring. Schedule a meeting with your UFC sales agronomist to begin planning for next year’s crop. Ideally, your planning process should begin before the 2015 crop comes off. Taking consumer goods to a new level I want to announce some exciting news about changes being made in our consumer goods business, with stores at Burnsville, Maple Plain, and Waconia. Thanks to the hardworking teams at these UFC farm supply locations and to the support of our retail customers, the consumer goods division continues to grow. This growth and opportunities before us led to the decision to acquire additional talent capable of taking consumer goods to the next level. On page 3, you will meet Steve Spears, who began his career with UFC on Sept.1, 2015, as our new vice president of consumer goods. Steve brings over 20 years of leadership experience to this UFC division and is already making a difference. Successful year completed On Aug. 31, 2015, UFC closed its 100th year of business. While it was not a record year overall, it was still a profitable one. Many of our individual business units experienced record volumes, sales, and profits despite last year’s crop being down nearly 40%, which resulted in decreased opportunities in grain and energy. We look forward to sharing the results at our annual stockholders meeting Monday night, Jan. 11, 2016. Right now, the most important thing is focusing on the task before us. Get the rest you need and stay safe, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor this harvest season. ● Delivering grain to the Winthrop Elevator. 4 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN BUSINESS Our New Vice President of Consumer Goods M operational efficiency, and positioning y name is Steve Spears, my team to deliver a memorable shopand I am passionate about retail! With more ping experience. than 20 years of leaderHowever, I have also spent the last five years developing my strategic ship experience on the planning side. I created programs and selling floor, I know what success looks made decisions that impacted the like—a clean and inviting showroom, organization in a leadership role at unique products that provide extraordinary value, and an engaged team of knowledgeable associates creating relationships with our customers. I plan to bring this same customer experience to UFC Farm Supply as your new vice president of consumer goods. I have spent the last 22 years of my career working for Northern Tool + Equipment Company, a niche retailer based in Burnsville, MN. Most of my time with Northern Tool has been in a store leadership role: selecting and developing talent, Left to right: Andrew, Christine, Sara, and Steve Spears. maintaining high levels of Northern Tool’s world headquarters. This blend of high performance field leadership and strategic vision is what I will bring to my role with the UFC Farm Supply retail stores. I have been married to my beautiful wife, Christine, for 18 years, and we currently live in Hugo, MN. Together we have two great kids: Andrew (14) and Sara (12). They keep us very busy with sports, music, and school activities. Some of the things we enjoy doing together is travel, spending time at the lake, and supporting our favorite team—the Vikings! The UFC story is a great one—a 100-year-old company with hardworking employees dedicated to service and assisting the community. I am proud to be part of the next chapter. ● Revolving Profits to Change By Jeff Franta, UFC Board Chairman Wow! Celebrating 100 years of cooperative business is quite a pleasing accomplishment. It is the collective hard work and discipline of many through the years who have brought us to this point in our history, along with the continued loyalty of our members and patrons. T he cooperative mergers of our most recent past, individually, do not have roots that go as deep as 100 years. However, the roots of those businesses, no matter when they started, are definitely feeding the collective success UFC is today. I consider each one of them a surviving cooperative business. Their equity and service to their members have been preserved and protected. The competitive landscape in which all farm supply cooperatives operate continues to change and evolve at an accelerated rate. We live in one of the few remaining areas where we can still choose to do business with a variety of cooperatives. Whether we like it or not, this will adjust with the changing rules of our economic playing field. Many local cooperatives aggressively compete against each other on thin margins, while private companies use economies of scale to gain market share on a regional level. The regional level is where the real competition has moved. In order to remain profitable and protect our members’ investments, we must be a player on this level. UFC is focused on this trend and is committed to being here for another 100 years! Volatility in agriculture has become the new norm, increasing the need for access to more capital. During this centennial year, your board of directors has wrestled with what we need to do to be here 100 years from now. We have decided to move from a traditional way of revolving profits back to you, the members. In the future, we will take a more balanced approach that reflects capital needs and long-term sustainability. Expect to see adjustments. As always, the board encourages your questions and input on all matters concerning UFC. ● EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN THE BOARDROOM - 5 IN OUR SEARCH FOR WAYS TO PUSH EVERY ACRE TO ITS LIMITS, THE ONLY THING WE HAVEN’T FOUND ARE THE LIMITS. On today’s farm, knowledge is vital. WinField offers retailers a wealth of insights to help farmers make the right decisions at every step. By combining Answer Plot data from nearly 200 sites with local expertise and the latest satellite technology, we can help ® match the perfect CROPLAN seed to every acre. The results are 360 degrees of smart, personalized answers farmers can count on for big returns. Learn how you can help farmers push every acre to new heights at winfield.com ® Answer Plot, Be Greater, CROPLAN and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. © 2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN THE BOARDROOM - 7 Your Fall Tasks Roundup By Vince Sloot, AgQuest Business Relationship Manager/Crop Insurance Specialist 1. Holding any old crop into harvest? Regardless if you have claims this fall, do not commingle old and new without getting the old crop measured. 2. Any potential for crop insurance claims? If you have any doubt, turn it in. 3. While you currently work on finalizing breakevens on your 2015 crop and choosing marketing targets, the 2016 crop is already staring at us. Get started sooner versus later on your operating loan renewal to ensure that any obstacles—perceived or real—are addressed. Negative cash flows will put the squeeze on some balance sheets and may hinder your ability to prepay. Don’t wait to address this. Tighter margins need sharper pencils and having to say “no” to some things. If restructure is needed or you simply are looking for the best way to manage tax liability, get the ball rolling by evaluating your options. Cash preservation is vital for the foreseeable future. 4. Crop insurance continues to be one of the most utilized risk management tools and is very cost effective, especially when it directly correlates to your marketing and finance needs. Stop by for a no-obligation review. 5. 2016 rent: Both sides want to “win” and that may differ with each landlord. If you both strive for a long-term relationship, it will require an investment in time and education. Has your landlord ever toured the fields in your combine or grain cart? Seek to understand and then to be understood. Be bold and help them see the value in working with you. Without that, it may simply be a bidding contest. 6. After an accident is not the time to find out your liability or property coverage was not up to par. Schedule a quick preharvest review. 7. Ag economics roll on, even while you are knee deep in harvest. Take advantage of a text or phone call and lean on your trusted advisors in finance, insurance, agronomy, grain, feed, farm equipment, energy, etc. to keep you rolling. AgQuest and UFC have you covered. 8. Lastly, exercise SAFETY this fall and give thanks! ● For more information on the risk management tools available to you, contact UFC’s AgQuest team: Vince Sloot at 507-995-9029, Tim Lewis at 612-758-2903, or Dawn Wickenhauser at 507-647-6606 x 6749. You may also email us at [email protected], tlewis@ agquest.net, and [email protected], or visit us online at www.agquest.net. Supporting Your Equipment During Harvest By Tyler Zollner, Farm Equipment Product Sales Manager H arvest season is upon us, and we know how important it is for you to be up and running full force. Thanks to you, our business is growing, and we’re staffing our facilities with skilled team members to help meet your expanding needs. Equipment: We have rental machinery available such as grain carts, and tillage equipment at our Gaylord, Lafayette, and Waconia locations to help you get the job done. Service: To help accommodate your needs, we have in-house and on-farm service technicians to help keep your machinery and systems running. Our leg crew and dryer technicians are on hand to help with any repairs or breakdowns to your grain handling systems. Our tire department dispatches two on-farm tire service trucks out of our Lafayette Ag Center to all corners of UFC’s trade territory. We have additional technicians in our shops for in-season repairs as well. 8 www.ufcmn.com Parts: We have a fully stocked parts department that includes tillage and grain handling parts. We do our best to make UFC a one stop shop for all your fall needs. Have a happy and safe harvest. ● Our tire technician John Hamilton installs new tires on Dale Messerli’s combine on-site. Demco grain carts, available at our Lafayette Ag Center, have some of the industry’s best auger visibility. We had great local attendance at our open house at the Cologne Mill held Aug. 13. Patrons and community members were able to view the Phase I improvements. Public Views Improvements at Cologne Mill By Steve LeBrun, Vice President of Feed I n August, United Farmers Cooperative held an open house at our Cologne Feed Mill to introduce the newly remodeled site. Phase I: During the summer of 2014, UFC purchased two properties along Highway 284, directly in front of the Cologne Feed Mill. Tearing down the buildings on these properties allowed us space to install a new truck scale to replace the mill’s old scale, which was not long enough to weigh semi-trailers and large farm wagons. It also created access to the new scale and to the entire site directly from a major highway rather than from a side street. This has improved traffic flow for incoming and outgoing vehicles. Commenting on the improved view of the mill from the highway, one local said, “I didn’t even know you were here!” We also built a 32’ x 50’ addition onto the existing mill office to provide more working space, and we updated the older section of the building to meet current building codes. The addition gives our customers better access to the mill’s office area and includes a parking lot and a small retail space for display of various products we offer for sale. Phase I: Mill manager Ron Kelzer in front of new scale and office addition at Cologne. Phase II: Digging foundations for a new leg and dump pit at the mill. Still to be done Starting August 2015, Phase II of the Cologne Mill project got underway. This construction includes a new and faster dump pit for grain and ingredients coming into the mill along with overhead bins and spouts to facilitate quicker loadout of corn and beans. The new arrangement will allow us to dump grain at the same time we’re loading feed trucks with finished feed in the existing driveway. A new double roller mill will be installed, replacing the old hammer mill currently in use. The new mill will process corn at a much more consistent particle size while saving energy costs and tripling the grinding capacity of the facility. Construction activity may affect receiving at harvest, but you should still be able to dump grain at the mill. We anticipate Phase II to be complete in early 2016. All of these improvements are being made to advance services for our patrons and the surrounding community. We encourage you to visit the Cologne Mill if you are in the area. Mill manager Ron Kelzer and his employees will be glad to show you around. ● 9 CORN & SOYBEANS Sell It or Store It? By Marc Peterson, Director of UFC’s Risk Management Department When it comes to the management of storage bins, the market will tell you what to do. L As you can see, the market is paying a Let me start by saying this statement does not mean higher price for both corn and soybeans into you don’t own any given amount of this year’s producthe summer. However, when comparing the tion. What it does mean is that you could own as least amounts the market is offering, it is substansome of the crop on paper, instead of in the bin. Ok, I can just hear the outcry now. “That darn broker and tially more for corn than soybeans. Keep in those options and futures; you’ll never catch me doing that!” mind these values can, and probably will, As always, my response is “whether you own it in the bin change by harvest time. or on paper, the risk is the same.” If there is a decision to be As I write this article mid-August, made whether to store corn or the future’s market is making it very soybeans, the market is suggestclear as to what it thinks you should ing you fill your bins with corn. November: 8.79 December: 3.75 do. This discussion revolves around Please understand that this January: 8.83 March: 3.86 the marketing fundamental of does mean you don’t own soy March: 8.85 May: 3.93 understanding and using the “carry beans. It just says it could be a May: 8.88 July: 3.97 in the market” to help make storage good marketing decision to use July: 8.91 decisions. one of the many ownership alter As of August, 2015 The Chicago Board of Trade is natives available through various not called the “futures market” for elevator sales contracts, futures, nothing. At any given time, you can see what the market is and/or options to benefit from a higher market. willing to pay for corn, beans, or wheat as much as three years The UFC grain department is continually offering educain the future. For the sake of this discussion, we are only looktional marketing meetings and seminars for you to learn how to use this and many other fundamentals of grain marketing. ing out to next summer. We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities When it comes to stored grain, you want to see a grain when they are offered at a location in your area. market that has a “carry.” In other words, the market is willing As always there can be lots of ways to “skin a cat.” Stop in to pay you a higher price in the future if you fill the bin at haror call the UFC office in your area to discuss this or any other vest and sell later in the marketing year. aspects of your marketing program. ● Above is how the futures markets for corn and soybeans are aligned as of the close of trade on Aug. 27. SOYBEANS CORN DISCLAIMER 10 This material has been prepared by a sales or trading employee or agent of MPT Brokerage Services and is, or is in the nature of, a solicitation. This material is not a research report prepared by MPT Brokerage Services. By accepting this communication, you agree that you are an experienced user of the futures markets, capable of making independent trading decisions, and agree that you are not, and will not, rely solely on this communication in making trading decisions. POSSESSION OF THIS COMMUNICATION INDIRECTLY SHOULD INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND OBSERVE ANY SUCH PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION INDIRECTLY AND SOLICITATIONS ARE PROHIBITED IN YOUR JURISDICTION WITHOUT REGISTRATION. THE MARKET COMMENTARY IN THIS COMMUNICATION SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION. DISTRIBUTION IN SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY BE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. PERSONS IN The risk of loss in trading futures and/or options is substantial and each investor and/or trader must consider whether this is a suitable investment. Past performance, whether actual or indicated by simulated historical tests of strategies, is not indicative of future results. Trading advice is based on information taken from trades and statistical services and other sources that MPT Brokerage Services believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgement at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN GRAIN MARKETING Farming is not a Job, it is a Way of Life.... With AgQuest, UFC can go beyond seed, fertility and crop protection products and help secure financing, crop insurance and farm insurance. It’s just another way that UFC can offer you the freedom to prosper, the confidence to grow. Let us help you customize your finance and insurance plans to fit your farm operation. Vince Sloot, Finance / Crop Ins. cell 507-995-9029 [email protected] www.agquest.net www.ufcmn.com 705 E. 4th St., Winthrop Together... We Find The Way! Tim Lewis, Property & Casualty Ins. cell 612-756-2903 [email protected] www.agquest.net AgQuest Insurance Agency is an Equal Opportunity Provider. The perfect match for your field Finding a perfectly matched seed for your field is a big task. One that CROPLAN® takes seriously. Selected from the widest array of traits and genetics available and grown under a diverse range of variables, CROPLAN® seed corn allows farmers to make decisions based on real, local results rather than big promises. It’s how we outgrow the competition, year after year, bushel after bushel. Visit croplan.com for more information. CROPLAN and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. © 2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC MAXIMIZE FRESH COW PERFORMANCE WITH HYDRO-LAC® The post-calving state in a cow’s life is critical. Hydro-Lac is a year-around tool to help fresh cows: • Replenish lost fluids • Heal tissues damaged in the calving event • Return to positive energy balance Fresh cows fed Hydro-Lac 14-30 days post-calving showed a 900+ lb. Fresh ME improvement on average, a potential 5:1 Return on Investment*! *Kohls, et. al. 2015 17-Herd Fresh Cow Field Demonstration Summary “Intakes are improved after calving from what we were doing in our previous program. Fresh pen milk production is up and Hydro-Lac is the only thing that we are doing different.” - John Warren, Dairy Producer Contact your UFC representative for more information about adding Form-A-Feed’s Hydro-Lac to your feeding program! 740 Bowman Street • Stewart, MN 55385 800.422.3649 • www.formafeed.com LOCATION SPOTLIGHT—NORSELAND AG CENTER Small Town - Big Convenience By Andy Berdan, Norseland Location Manager F “We don’t keep huge rom the humble begininventories in Norseland, nings as a creamery, the but can bring in just Norseland Ag Center has about anything you evolved into an agronomy, need for your convenience,” says locafeed, and equipment location for United Farmers Cooperative. tion manager Andy Berdan, adding that The business was part of Tri Ag sales agronomist Bob Wilkinson offices Co-op which was purchased by UFC at Norseland, but all custom spraying in the late `80s. UFC built a new ag and spreading is dispatched out of center in 1993. Today, it serves as Winthrop. a one-stop shop for agriculture proDespite the fact much of what they order comes from other UFC locations, ducers in Nicollet County to pick up the yard of the Ag Center is often busbagged feed or place an equipment order—to be delivered to Norseland tling with customers, even in the middle Customer Steve Havemeier picks up from UFC’s Gaylord, Hector, or of the afternoon. “People around here wood chips for bedding. Lafayette Ag Centers. Norseland also like the convenience factor,” says Andy. offers a well-equipped repair shop for “They like that they don’t have to drive farmers and non-farm residents to have vehicles and lawn 30 to 40 miles to get to a tire shop. mowers worked on. “We’re obviously not one of UFC’s bigger locations,” Anhydrous is the big fertilizer mover at Norseland Ag he continues, emphasizing the connectedness between Center, which also handles liquid starter fertilizers and a small Norseland and the rest of the cooperative. “But we’re able inventory of chemicals. to get our customers everything they need.” ● Providing the Value You Expect UFC master agronomy advisor Ryan Ponwith and DEKALB® Asgrow® representative Beth Schabert address customers at a plot day south of Winthrop. By Greg Peton, Executive Vice President of Sales T hroughout the harvest and fall fieldwork season, our sales team will work with you in the field, on the farm, and at the co-op to provide the value you expect from this customer-owned company. While UFC remains open to strategic acquisitions, like the one announced on pages 14-15, our primary emphasis is organic growth. To accomplish this, we’re adopting tools to help our sales people become more efficient, prioritize their time, and follow up with you on information you requested. For instance, we’ve recently acquired customer relationship management software called FOCUS. Developed by our agronomic partner WinField Solutions, FOCUS will enable our sales people to become more efficient and effective by providing timely communication. FOCUS will insure your needs are not overlooked due to a lost message or the press of business. It will capture pertinent contact information and replicate that information throughout our system—ensuring that the correct UFC representative is able to provide a solution for your needs. We continue to work with each individual member of our sales team in product training, program development, and basic skills. UFC is actively involved in identifying individual skill sets necessary for our sales team to improve their communication, presentation, and professionalism in the marketplace. We expect you, our customers, to provide us with additional insights or ideas for products and services important to your operation. It may be something we offer you are not receiving, or it may be a business we should consider developing. As I said earlier, we want to provide the value you expect. Our abilities to anticipate needs and produce solutions will contribute to your success and the success of your cooperative as we begin our next 100 years. ● EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SALES - 13 Trebelhorn & Associates Joins UFC On Sept. 14, United Farmers Cooperative acquired Winthrop-based Trebelhorn & Associates, a third-generation bulk petroleum business with retail ag and heating customers within UFC’s market area. Trebelhorn also has wholesale customers in the Twin Cities metro as well as around southern Minnesota in areas such as Albert Lea and Red Wing. O n that first day, Trebelhorn’s office staff immediately moved to UFC’s Energy Division on the east side of town along State Highway 19. If you were a customer of Trebelhorn & Associates, you’ll see little change in the early stages of this union. You’ll call the same phone numbers, place orders with the same people, and see the same staff deliver your orders. It should be seamless. The biggest difference will be your billing, which will come from UFC. This acquisition is a result of discussions between Trebelhorn & Associates and UFC on how the two companies might collaborate to more efficiently use their transports in the rapidly changing energy business. In the course of these discussions, Trebelhorn and UFC realized their values and responses to challenges were very similar. “It became clear there was a good potential fit here,” says company spokesperson Scott Trebelhorn. “UFC employs the same kind of people with the same desire to do things that create energy and value for the customer that has driven me in the past,” adds Scott, who will take charge of the cooperative’s wholesale and transportation operations and sales. “Things are changing rapidly in the energy business and those companies with the most tools in their toolbox are going to be the survivors,” Scott continues. “They will be the ones able to deliver service, products, and value to their customers.” The people, fleets, and experience of 100-year-old UFC and 78-year-old Trebelhorn & Associates will move the combined organization to the next level, according to Darv Turbes, vice president of energy for UFC. “Consolidating our employees, equipment, and purchasing power gives us the opportunity to expand our wholesale business beyond what each company brought to this union,” states Darv. History of the company Trebelhorn & Associates began in 1938 when Scott’s grandfather, Otto Trebelhorn, went to work as a commissioned agent and employee of Standard Oil. “My grandfather started this company unloading kerosene from railcars in five-gallon cans,” says Scott. “His work ethic, generosity to his colleagues, and caring service to his customers is his legacy to our company today.” Scott’s father, Bob, an electrical engineer in the Twin Cities, took over the company in the early 1970s when Otto decided to embark on a second career as a preacher. A short time after, Bob moved back to Winthrop and Standard Oil changed its name to Amoco and sold their trucks and tanks to employees who became independent businessmen referred to as jobbers. The third generation assumed a leadership role in the business in 1993, when Scott moved back to Winthrop from Rochester, where he had been leasing an Amoco service station. 14 Company founder Otto Trebelhorn, on the job in 1942. “Winthrop had been my home practically all of my life,” Scott states. “I got to know just about everybody in town from delivering newspapers and pumping gas in my early years.” Trebelhorn & Associates owned and operated a service station in Winthrop until the early 1990s and a convenience store in New Ulm until 2004 when the family decided to focus more on the wholesale side of their business. Today, the company operates as a wholesale supplier to service stations and c-stores primarily in the Twin Cities area. “We’ve continued to grow this business and work more with bigger companies and industrial-type users, while continuing to support the local farm trade that has been our bread and butter,” says Scott. This family-owned company has progressed from the early days of a couple-hundred-gallon trucks selling petroleum in five-gallon buckets to its present-day tank wagons and transports hauling hundreds and thousands of gallons. Some of the same farmers and local businesses who purchased petroleum products from Otto Trebelhorn nearly 80 years ago purchase from Bob and Scott Trebelhorn today. “Many of our customers are third generation, too,” Scott points out. “Some farms that took five-gallon buckets back then are taking transport loads today.” www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN ENERGY Company values the right thing by your customer and your colleagues,” says Scott, explaining the Trebelhorns’ decision to join UFC. “The opportunities on the horizon look endless,” he says of the path ahead for the newly unified petroleum business. Throughout its 78-year history, Trebelhorn & Associates has measured its success on relationships. “It’s all about creating quality of life for your family and for the people you work with and about being part of the community,” says Scott. In fact, the company’s employees are family. They The future include Scott’s dad, Bob, who continues to work with the “As Scott indicated, transportation was one of the things company today and Tony Kammerlander, a confidant who that started this discussion,” remarks Darv. “The experience has served as a sounding board to Scott for the last 30 years. that Trebelhorn & Associates brings to the table will help Del Leske, a sounding board and colleague for more than 40 UFC’s transportation business grow. years, who recently passed away, was with “As we continued to talk, we realized we Scott’s grandfather from the very beginning. were more alike than different,” Darv continues. Bob Rogotzke has also been an important “We thought this would be a great opportunipart of Trebelhorn & Associates since its ty to create efficiencies and deliver more of a merger with Rogotzke Oil of Fairfax in the value for both customer bases. early 1980s. “More than anything else, it’s the experiOther employees include Steve Elmer, ence Scott and his team have in the wholesale who, along with Bob, operates the combusiness and the understanding of the process pany’s tank wagons, and Paul Clobes, who he has gone through to get his business to this mans the transport. Cindy Kuehn-Gleason point that appealed to us,” says UFC’s vice and Connie Portner make up the office staff president of energy. “There will be trials, but if of Trebelhorn & Associates. we have the right people, we can work through “I’m pretty sure if you added up our those trials. employees’ years of service they would “We are combining a 100-year-old coopera~ Darv Turbes, Vice average a quarter of a century,” says Scott. tive with an 78-year-old family business,” Darv President of Energy, UFC Much of the impetus behind the concludes. “We’re going to build on this family Trebelhorn’s decision to sell their company business for the next 100 years.” to UFC comes from their desire to provide a For the third generation of Trebelhorn, future for those employees who have served it is a matter of trust. Someone in UFC told so well and faithfully in the past. him, “Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of your “The older and hopefully more mature you get, the dollars business.” and sense side of things become less important than doing “I believe that,” says Scott. ● “ We’re going to build on this family business for the next 100 years.” Trebelhorn & Associates employees, pictured left to right in 2012: Scott Trebelhorn, Bob Rogotzke, Del Leske, Steve Elmer, Cindy Kuehn Gleason, Connie Portner, Tony Kammerlander, Bob Trebelhorn, and Paul Clobes. 15 STRONGER ROOTS. HEALTHIER CROPS. BETTER YIELDS. XLR-rate® liquid starter and foliar fertilizers promote early green-up in colder, wet soils and stronger root development and plant recovery. They’re a proven way to overcome challenges for a great harvest. Ask your local agronomist about how XLR-rate can improve yields and profitability. 800-642-4104 © 2015 CHS Inc. In the last issue of Fieldviews, we told you how UFC Agronomy is preparing to take care of you through the expansion of our blending capacity at Winthrop, the construction of a new ag center at Hamburg, and the development of a unique program known as United Insight, which will offer multiple precision ag tools in one integrated solution. UFC sales agronomist LaRay Sandquist (right) makes plans with customer Pat W. Help Us Help You Prepare for the 2016 Crop By Dave Eckhoff, Vice President of Agronomy A s we approach fall application season and think ahead to our 2016 crop, your input is crucial. Knowing your fertilizer, chemical, and seed needs early on is a benefit for you as a customer as well as UFC. Even if you do not plan to prepay these inputs, we ask you convey to your UFC sales agronomist what you think you might be ordering this fall and even next spring. Knowing your needs helps us to prepare in the following ways to ensure you have access to supply, quality product, timely service, resulting in a smooth cropping season. • Purchasing inputs at competitive prices – We’re buying inputs all year long. Enhanced storage capacity allows us to make smarter purchases with crop nutrient manufacturers. In turn, we can pass those savings onto our patrons. • Managing inventory – Loading every bin and filling every bulk tank with every different kind of fertilizer and chemical product isn’t a viable option due to carrying costs and price swings. Besides being expensive, over-inventorying product hinders us from bringing in new products with even better technology, such as ESN – a specialty urea we’re offering UFC customers for the coming season. available when our customers need it. If we’re going to buy fertilizer barges, we need to start well in advance. • Lining up people and equipment – For instance, knowing how much NH3 will be applied tells us how many tractors we’ll need to custom apply it and how much nitrogen stabilizer to have on hand. Knowing the demand for services like soil sampling and data analysis helps us line up people to take those samples and process the information collected by your yield monitors after harvest. Since the co-op is owned by you, the customers, we would love to know our owners’ intentions. You have two options under which you can signal your intentions. One is to prepay and the other is to enter into an order contract. Planning is important to the success of your farming operations. UFC strives to stay ahead of you in order to respond to your changing needs. Please help us plan to support your success! Your UFC sales agronomist looks forward to hearing from you to start planning your successful growing season. ● • Logistic preparations – Particularly with fertilizer, hearing from our patrons now gives us time to line up trains and trucks to move it within our trade territory so it is readily 18 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN AGRONOMY MORE SAVINGS Look for special UFC seed promotions through the Co-op Cash card. See “Questions Answered” on page 20. Sound Agronomics: Replace the P&K By Jesse Wiant, Sales Agronomist W e’re going to harvest a heck of a corn crop and will remove a lot of P&K from the ground. Growers on a twoyear fertilizer rotation going to beans next year should consider supplemental P&K this fall. Even growers harvesting beans will be pulling 42 lbs/A of phosphorous and 65 lbs/A of potassium out of the field. If you’re harvesting 200-bushel corn this year, you’ll remove 75 lbs/A of P and 54 lbs/A of K. When you’re pulling that much out, you need to replace it. It’s easier to deplete the soil than it is to bring levels back up, so if you can continue to build (rather than take a break this year) it’ll be better for you in the long run. The nitrogen scene Nitrogen was undermanaged this year. Already in August, a portion of the corn crop was showing severe nitrogen deficiency. Remember this for next year. Besides grid-sampling your soils this fall, order a stalk nitrate test to give yourself a report card on what you did this year. For fall applications of urea or anhydrous ammonia, protect your nitrogen with a stabilizer. Next year, consider layering your nitrogen. More growers every year are making split-applications of N with 28% urea and NH3. We have a variety of options for in-season N management. Take tissue tests in the early growth stages to learn where your levels are and give you time to respond if additional N is necessary. Talk with your UFC sales agronomist and plan your goals for next year. Consider UFC’s United Insight program, which ties all of this together. ● Order Seed Early for Best Price and to Assure Supply By Craig Wilson, Seed Sales Manager W ith harvest just beginning on your existing crop, it can be hard to shift your thinking into next year’s crop, but it is valuable to think ahead and start planning your seed needs. Harvest is actually a great time to be thinking about hybrids for next year. As you are out in the combine, keep track of which hybrids you really like and which areas of your farm you see the greatest potential for them. Communicate those thoughts with your UFC sales agronomist. As always, there are allocations of certain hybrids. Seed production is never guaranteed but the earlier we know your seed needs and wants, the better opportunity we have to arrange a great seed portfolio for your farm. Early ordering also helps us optimize seed size preferences for our customers, we do our best to meet your seed sizing needs. With new traited soybeans on the verge of approval, we may have limited trial quantities available. Let us know if you have interest in planting some this spring. Your UFC sales agronomist looks forward to discussing your seed needs and outlining the UFC Seed Program, which includes discounts on your preferred seed brands, hybrids, and varieties. Let’s get a plan together and maximize those early discounts! More bulk seed facilities As you know, we’re building a new Ag Service Center at our Hamburg location, which includes an inventory of bulk soybean seed, a state-of-the-art seed treater, conveyors, and full automation. The three new 3,000-bushel bulk soybean tanks at Hamburg will combine with the six 3,000-bushel tanks at Lafayette to give UFC 27,000 bushels of bulk soybean storage, two automated seed treaters, and five seed tenders to deliver treated beans to your field in 2016! UFC treats seed for its entire customer base at its Lafayette and Hamburg Ag Centers. As you head for the field Our seed team is equipped with weigh wagons to help calibrate your yield monitors and check yields. Give your UFC sales agronomist a call to help you out! ● EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN AGRONOMY - 19 Winthrop United Xpress manager Dale Jutz helps a customer with his new Co-op Cash card. Questions Answered on Co-op Cash Card By Dan Braun, Sales and Marketing Analyst T his summer, we notified users of the Cenex® Cardtrol card by mail that their cards are being replaced. In that mailing, each customer received a Co-op Cash card they can use to purchase fuel or merchandise at our six United Xpress c-stores. Since then, we’ve fielded several calls about the new Co-op Cash card. Below are three of the most frequently asked questions and the answers: 1.How do I activate my card? • We have a dedicated line for the Co-op Cash card. That number is 507-647-6605. Someone on the other end will assist you in activating your new card. If you prefer to activate it after hours, go to www.ufcmn.com/co-op-cash. Either way, we’ll walk you through the activation process. • Your new Co-op Cash card replaces any existing Cardtrol cards and this fall the Cardtrol cards will all be deactivated. 20 2.Why was there a change? • In order to continue providing our customers with quick, convenient options for buying fuel and groceries at United Xpress and UFC fueling locations, UFC was required to update from Cardtrol. The change meets new data protection standards being adopted across the U.S. We’re committed to securing your information. • We also wanted to reward our customers who shop UFC year in and year out. We could not do that with the old Cardtrol card. The Co-op Cash card offers a means to recognize these customers for their loyalty. 3.Can I use the new card everywhere? • Current uses for the Co-op Cash card include purchases of fuel and groceries at all United Xpress locations. We plan to develop Co-op Cash for use within UFC as a rewards program for our customers in agronomy, bulk energy, feed, farm supply, and throughout the entire UFC organization. At present, however, it is not available for purchases at other locations. www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY VALUE VALUE IN IN SERVICE AGRONOMY If you have other questions about the replacement of your Cenex Cardtrol card with the Co-op Cash card, visit our website, call the dedicated phone number, or ask any United Xpress employee. If you do not have a Cardtrol card, but are interested in a Co-op Cash card, talk to your UFC sales agronomist, and continue to look for updates and additional promotions this fall involving Co-op Cash. ● Making a Wish Come True P The morning Patrick was granted his wish, he knew his famatrick M. of St. Cloud, MN, was your typical 12-year-old boy who was very active and loved ily was up to something but he didn’t know what. Right when sports and the Patrick pulled into the UFC Farm outdoors. In Supply parking lot, he realized March of 2011, he was being gifted a new 2016 that all changed when Prowler. The excitement in his Patrick was diagnosed with eyes said it all, while everyone a brain tumor. His condition around him fought back tears of left him with limited speech joy. and mobility, but Patrick Patrick was thrilled to get wished he could enjoy the his new Prowler. He couldn’t outdoors like he used to. wait to take it home and ride Four years later, his wish with his dad and uncle. Thank came true. Earlier this sumyou so much to everyone who helped make that day possible, mer, UFC Farm Supply had and congratulations, Patrick, on the honor of being part of your new ride! Patrick’s special day. On behalf of Make-A-Wish and Patrick and his new 2016 Arctic Cat Prowler About Make-A-Wish® Arctic Cat, we were overwith his mom, dad, and sister. Minnesota joyed to present him with a Make-A-Wish Minnesota new 2016 Arctic Cat Prowler. grants the wishes of Minnesota children with life-threatening We spent the afternoon with Patrick and his family getting medical conditions to enrich the human experience with them fully equipped with helmets, gloves, and hope, strength, and joy. Visit Make-A-Wish Minnesota at goggles, while enjoying a few of Patrick’s favorite things: www.mn.wish.org to learn more. ● pizza and root beer floats. EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SERVICE - 21 2015 Scholarship Awards United Farmers Cooperative has established a scholarship program to recognize and reward the academic achievement, co-curricular participation, and community involvement of the children of patrons and employees. We at UFC encourage each student to remember their heritage as they pursue their studies. It’s our hope that these awards assist in developing careers that enhance the future of rural Minnesota. Alanna Dean Daniel Roker Buffalo Lake – Hector - Stewart High School Daughter of Larry and Kathy Dean Future: Music Education at St. Mary’s University – Winona, MN Bird Island – Olivia – Lake Lillian – Danube High School Son of Jon and Karen Roker Future: Animal Science at South Dakota State University – Brookings, SD Alex Broderius Buffalo Lake – Hector – Stewart High School Son of Brian and Shelly Broderius Future: Agricultural Industries at University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, MN Caroline Watson Waconia High School Daughter of Todd and Kathy Watson Future: Food Science at University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, AL Cassidy Rettmann Gibbon - Fairfax - Winthrop High School Daughter of Mike and Jennie Rettmann Future: Accounting at Southwest Minnesota State University – Marshall MN Collin Helget Cathedral High School – New Ulm Son of Douglas and Jacalyn Helget Future: Athletic Training at Dakota Wesleyan University – Mitchell, SD Hayden Meyer Waconia High School Son of Dean and Ali Meyer Future: Education at Gustavus Adolphus College – St. Peter, MN Jack Broderius Buffalo Lake – Hector – Stewart High School Son of David and Anne Broderius Future: Marketing at University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, MN Scott Buboltz Buffalo Lake – Hector – Stewart High School Son of Jeff and Dawn Buboltz Future: Ag Business Management at University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, MN Desmond Wills* Nicollet High School Son of Douglas and Tammy Wills Future: Agribusiness at South Central College – North Mankato, MN *2015 Arnie Berdan Scholarship Recipient 22 www.ufcmn.com Go to www.ufcmn.com. When you bring up our homepage, put your cursor over GRAIN (in the upper right corner) and select GRAIN POLICIES from the dropdown menu. United Farmers Cooperative’s Harvest Policies By UFC Grain Origination Team A s you prepare for harvest don’t forget to review UFC’s current discount schedules and storage rates. You’ll find them on our website at www. ufcmn.com. When you bring up our homepage, put your cursor over GRAIN (in the upper right corner) and select GRAIN POLICIES from the dropdown menu. If you have any questions or would like a copy, you can stop by the corporate office or any of our elevator locations. This upcoming harvest is looking to be very plentiful. Even though we expect the demand for storage space to be substantial this fall, our rates for delayed pricing and open storage will remain the same as past years. Ready to take your grain As we close out the 2014-15 crop year we are busy shipping out the rush of grain that accompanied the mid-summer rally in prices. Brownton and Bird Island are busy loading railcars, and our feed mills are grinding inventories down. Although we had expected to be scraping bin bottoms to satisfy local demand, the extra bushels have been welcome and we are moving them to market quickly. We are also looking forward to providing a speedy, stress-free dump this fall. The Brownton terminal elevator is capable of dumping more than 300 trucks in a single day, with plenty of space to bin and pile grain. Take the pressure off at harvest Don’t forget about these time-saving options that UFC offers! • Access your UFC account online to see all your grain transactions immediately following delivery. • ACH options for depositing grain checks directly into your bank account. • Eliminate mail/postage by confirming your grain contracts online with an electronic signature. We are here to help you with any of these time-saving options. For more information, call Brett, Darrell, Matt, or Nate at 507-647-6601. We wish you a safe and bountiful harvest! ● UFC GRAIN FACILITIES Bird Island: 320-365-4012 Brownton:320-328-4002 Cologne:952-466-5518 Klossner:507-359-4519 Lafayette:507-228-8221 LeSueur:507-665-6421 Winthrop:507-647-5311 Grain Marketing Office (Winthrop): 507-647-6601 EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SALES - 23 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID VISTACOMM 705 East 4th Street PO Box 461 Winthrop, MN 55396 www.ufcmn.com PLAN YOUR FALL APPLICATION Please line up your fall spreading or NH3 application with your UFC Sales Agronomist today! PERFORMING OUT HERE TAKES STURDY SHOULDERS. And the right seeds.