Building a Legacy in Agriculture By Mike Kinley, general manager

If you’ve stopped by the Casey’s General Store in Albion, the Gingersnap in Union or other morning gathering places around the area, there’s a good chance we’ve met. In my first month, I have been fortunate to meet over 30 member-producers. I’ve learned something new with

each conversation. I’ve truly enjoyed getting acquainted with more of you, along with Mid-Iowa’s skilled employees.

I’m so impressed with how committed our employees are to making great things happen. Just like the farmers they serve, our team wants to build a legacy in agriculture that will benefit generations to come.

While Mid-Iowa has been very grain focused in years past and will continue to build on our grain assets, I’m excited to help Mid-Iowa look into new value-added opportunities. Maybe that means becoming more of an end user of our own grain at Mid-Iowa, rather than trucking it all to other destinations. Since Mid-Iowa is financially solid,

now’s the time to look for more ways to improve efficiencies, cut costs and add value.

I’ve been asked a number of times what resources are available to our members as they make plans to build upon their legacy in agriculture through their farming operation. Mid-Iowa is also looking into new ways to help you build a legacy in agriculture through your farming operation. Whether that means more farm transition and estate planning insights or other opportunities, we’re exploring new ways to help you succeed.

It’s a fun process. I’m glad to have a great team of employees, a strong board of directors and dedicated co-op members who have a healthy level of confidence in Mid-Iowa. When we continue to work on the right things, make smart decisions and lean on knowledgeable people who offer trusted advice, Mid-Iowa’s future is bright. Thanks for joining us on the journey to build a great legacy in agriculture.

SUMMER 2017

JOIN THE CLUB: Tri-County Ag Marketing Club Boosts Members’ Profit Potential

Would you like to net an extra $10 profit on every acre? It’s possible when you boost your grain marketing skills through the Tri-County Ag Marketing Club, which is hosted by Mid-Iowa Cooperative.

“Evaluations from club members indicate that participants are netting about $10 more per acre because of crop risk management strategies shared through the club,” said Steve Johnson, a farm management specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension who has worked with the club since Mid-Iowa Cooperative started it 14 years ago.

The club usually attracts 20 to 40 participants at the meetings, which are held at Mid-Iowa’s marketing office in Conrad. The club meets once a month in November, December, February and March. During the two-hour meetings, which cost $15 per person or $25 per couple, guest speakers from ISU Extension to the Iowa Farm Bureau share their best grain-marketing strategies. The February 2017 meeting, which featured the theme “Selling Grain Based on a Plan: Not Emotions,” included Independence-area farmer Chris Barron, who spoke about the importance of a breakeven analysis.

“Farmers get good at raising crops, but we aren’t always as good at selling them,” said Jim Schneider, who raises corn, soybeans and cattle near Lincoln and has participated in the Tri-County Ag Marketing Club since it started. “The club helps you develop the discipline to not let emotion get in the way of your grain marketing.”

5 steps to a better marketing plan

Procrastination and fear of being wrong are among the primary reasons a farmer doesn’t want to develop a written crop marketing plan, Johnson said. The Tri-County Ag Marketing

Club helps build farmers’ knowledge regarding a variety of crop production and marketing topics.

“The most important thing to know is your cost of production, as well as the cost of grain ownership once the bushels are stored,” said Linda Kuhl, commodity marketing manager at Mid-Iowa. “Without this information, you’ll likely struggle to identify a good price at which to sell your crops.”

The Tri-County Ag Marketing Club stresses the importance of a written grain marketing plan to create the accountability to help you market your grain in a timely fashion. Johnson recommends these five steps to develop your plan for old-crop and new-crop bushels:1. Cost of production, cost of grain

ownership and/or desired profit margin

2. Price objectives (both futures and cash prices)

3. Time objectives4. Marketing tools5. Reason for action

“Noting the reason for a particular marketing strategy hopefully reduces the second-guessing that comes with marketing crops,” Kuhl said. “Your written crop marketing plan can remain flexible, however, if major changes occur to global or local supply and demand components.”

Mid-Iowa’s follow-through benefits farmers

This type of information is invaluable for Jeff and Cheryl Bruene, who farm near Gladbrook and have been part of the Tri-County Ag Marketing Club for about 10 years. “I learn something useful at every meeting,” Jeff said.

Johnson has seen the improvement in risk management skills in the

Bruenes’ operation. “They have been able to incorporate the use of crop revenue insurance to be more aggressive in pre-harvest marketing and in timing futures price rallies to make sales,” Johnson said.

Each spring, the Bruenes sell a portion of their new-crop bushels. With the uncertainty of production comes higher futures prices in April, May and June, so the Bruenes then sell a portion of their guaranteed insurance bushels using revenue protection crop insurance. These pre-harvest sales provide needed cash flow during the fall and winter months at what are typically higher cash levels than waiting until harvest.

Johnson appreciates the enthusiastic learners who participate in the Tri-County Ag Marketing Club. He also appreciates Mid-Iowa Cooperative’s grain team.

“Their follow-through after club meetings is invaluable,” Johnson said. “Mid-Iowa’s grain merchandisers and crop insurance agents are willing to help participants develop written crop marketing plans that make risk management much easier.”

Schneider agrees. “I’m thankful Mid-Iowa and everyone involved with the marketing club offers this opportunity. The club gives you a good return on your investment.”

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Elwynn Taylor, ISU Extension climatologist, speaks to the Tri-County Ag Marketing Club.

Don’t Let Emotions Get in the Way

There’s no getting away from the emotional ties that come with grain marketing, but there are ways to avoid the emotional rollercoaster that can derail your grain marketing strategies.

I recommend the Tri-County Ag Marketing Club. (Read more about it on page 2.) For 14 years, Mid-Iowa has been working with local banks and Iowa State University Extension to offer this unique opportunity close to home. It’s open to anyone who wants to learn more about risk management and grain marketing in a non-threatening environment.

We host good speakers who offer good value, including

Elwynn Taylor, a well-respected Iowa State University Extension climatologist. Much of the learning occurs during the breaks, when club members can network with the speakers, other farmers and Mid-Iowa grain team members.

We can also help you put together a marketing plan, including crop insurance, that works for your operation. All of us at Mid-Iowa appreciate the trust you place in us to be a partner in your business. New leadership at Mid-Iowa, combined with the cooperative’s financial strength, will allow us to continue to add more value for you. Contact us at 800-950-2740 to start developing your grain marketing plan today.

By Linda Kuhl, commodity marketing manager

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Adjuvants Make Dicamba Products More Effective

New dicamba products are taking weed control in soybeans to the next level. Mid-Iowa is pleased to offer adjuvants that can be tank-mixed with the new dicamba products to maximize the benefits.

• Drift-reducing agent (DRA). WinField® United’s AG16098 is an approved DRA adjuvant that opens the door for several herbicides and other adjuvants that would not be allowed in an XtendiMax

application alone. DRA not only helps reduce driftable fines, but it helps improve droplet spreading for improved herbicide efficacy.

• Water conditioners, including Iconic® and Class Act® Ridion®. Now that we can put glyphosate with dicamba, we need to use a water softener to make everything work properly. Iconic provides water conditioning technology, along with a surfactant that

increases herbicide activation. Class Act Ridion is a double-chelation water conditioner (meaning its components are broken down into a form that can be readily used), plus it increases droplet coverage and herbicide uptake.

Since dicamba products are continually evolving, contact your Mid-Iowa agronomist before you head to the field to get the latest updates.

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See What’s New on Mid-Iowa’s Facebook Page

Think Facebook is just for fun? It has also become a marketing tool for businesses like Mid-Iowa Cooperative.

Just search for our name (Mid-Iowa Cooperative) next time you log into Facebook, and click the “like” button on our page. You’ll be able to see news updates, photos and other happenings around the co-op.

While we have one person from each Mid-Iowa department who is helping update our page, you can join in, too. If you have a photo from your farm that you’d like to share, email the picture to Christine Harms at charms@midiowacoop.com.

Also, watch for fun contests on our Facebook page. We recently offered the chance to win a Mid-Iowa hat if you liked and shared a Facebook post.

Tony Swires Delivers the Feed You Need

Mid-Iowa is pleased to welcome Tony Swires as our new feed delivery driver. Swires joined Mid-Iowa in March and brings 22 years of truck driving experience to his new role.

Swires also has feed industry experience, since he drove a feed truck for Innovative Ag for four years. “I enjoy working with Mid-Iowa’s farmers,” said Swires, who is based in Beaman and helps make feed when he’s not on the delivery route.

In his free time, Swires enjoys fishing, camping, motorcycling and spending time with his 11-year-old daughter, Samantha.

Intern Eric Stoakes Gains Agronomy Experience A friend recommended a Mid-Iowa agronomy

internship to Eric Stoakes of Gladbrook, and this ag business major from Ellsworth Community College is glad he followed through.

“I like working with my hands and am learning a lot here,” said Stoakes, a 2016 graduate of Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School, who would like to pursue an ag career in Iowa.

Stoakes joined Mid-Iowa in early April and will work at various locations throughout the

company all summer. He has been delivering seed and learning how to fly the drone. He’s also earning his commercial driver’s license (CDL) and will be crop scouting this summer.

In addition to working with Perry Anderson, Mid-Iowa’s seed department manager, and Susie Kerns-Petersen, sales/marketing manager, Stoakes will travel to Ames for a training session with WinField United to expand his agronomy knowledge.

Mid-Iowa Donates $1,000 for Wildfire Relief

After devastating wildfires scorched thousands of acres in early March from Colorado to Kansas and beyond, some farmers and ranchers lost nearly everything. Mid-Iowa Cooperative donated $1,000 to the Wildfire Relief Fundraiser Banquet, which local cattle producers helped coordinate and host in Grundy Center on April 15.

Mid-Iowa also donated items for the auction held in conjunction with the banquet. The fundraiser helped provide fencing supplies, hay and monetary donations to those in need.

“These wildfires were devastating to producers’ cattle herds, pastures, homes and ranches,” said Hank Miller, a Beaman-area cattle producer and Mid-Iowa board member. “We’re glad to support the Wildfire Relief Fundraiser and hope the money will help those producers get back on their feet.”

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6 Reasons to Treat Every Seed

Want an easy way to help your crop reach its genetic potential? Here are six big reasons to take advantage of seed treatments:

1. Proven protection against soybean cyst nematode (SCN). SCN is the leading cause of soybean yield loss. ILeVO® seed treatment offers protection in the seed zone against nematodes, as well as sudden death syndrome, throughout the critical growing period.

2. Control of sudden death syndrome (SDS). SDS has become more of an issue in our area. Once the soil-borne fungus causing SDS is present in a field, it does not go away. Did you know SDS infects plants within 72 hours of planting? SDS reduces yield by rotting root systems all season and defoliating plants late in the season. A seed treatment offers the ideal way to provide protection against SDS infection right from the start. ILeVO protects against both SDS and SCN and makes a good SDS-tolerant bean better.

3. Broad-spectrum protection and early plant vigor. Warden® RTA® helps control an array of soybean seedling diseases, including Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia,

Fusarium, Pythium, Phomopsis and seed-borne Sclerotinia. This powerful seed treatment also allows you to plant into cool, wet soil and promotes improved germination, early-season vigor, earlier canopy and defense against replanting costs.

4. Insect protection. Warden® CX seed treatment helps optimize yield potential by helping reduce disease and insect damage. It incorporates the active ingredient from Cruiser® seed treatment for exceptional protection against seed and foliar-feed insects, from aphids and bean leaf beetles to seed corn maggots and wireworms.

5. Convenience. Mid-Iowa’s on-demand seed treater means you can mix and match the products you want, with only a few hours of lead time required. In 2017, we’re also offering E007 in our Platinum and Gold seed treatment packages. This powdered polymer improves flowability. I encourage you to visit with your

Mid-Iowa agronomist about how seed treatments can help you reach your yield goals. We appreciate your business and look forward to working with you.

By Perry Anderson, seed department manager

PICK YOUR SEEDTREATMENT PACKAGE

Mid-Iowa is pleased to offer four seed treatment levels, including:

1. Platinum (includes Warden® CX, ILeVO® and E007)

2. Gold (includes Warden® RTA®, ILeVO® and E007)

3. Silver (includes Warden® CX)

4. Bronze (includes Warden® RTA®)

New for this year, the E007 offered in the Platinum and Gold packages is a powdered polymer that improves flowability. It gives beans a pearlized appearance. Most other seed treaters in our area do not offer E007. Contact your Mid-Iowa agronomist for more details.

Perry Anderson, seed department manager, runs the seed treater at Mid-Iowa’s Whitten location.

Treated soybean seed with E007 added.Treated soybean seed only.

P.O. Box 80Beaman, Iowa 50609

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDVISTACOMM

Mid-Iowa Recognizes Seven Employees for Years of Service

Mid-Iowa is pleased to honor a number of our dedicated employees who are celebrating work anniversaries this year, including:

TIM HAREMGreen Mountain Grain

Administrator, 30 years

RICK PFANTZLiscomb Coordinator & Asst. Operations Mgr., 20 years

SARA DEBERG Midway Office

Administrator, 15 years

BILL BACONLP Sales and

Delivery, 5 years

DOUG BETTSMidway Location

Coordinator, 5 years

RUSTY FERRISSemi Driver, 5 years

SCOTT HODGESSemi Driver, 5 years