©2013 cri n-04513-13 central livestock...

Meeting SeasonBy Jeff Reed, Vice President, Central Livestock Association

February 20131

MARKETINGSAs the books close on 2012, I want to thank you for your continued support of our auction markets. All four Central Livestock markets had strong volumes again this past year. Particularly the Central Livestock Rock Creek market, which continued to show significant growth over prior years. An additional auction day each week was added at Rock Creek to provide better service to customers. We truly are here to serve you and assist with all your livestock marketing and price protection needs.

We have entered the midwinter months that we in agriculture business often refer to as meeting season. As farmers and ranchers, you have the chance to take in a wide variety of meetings, events and conventions that provide great opportunities to refresh some skills, hear about new products and learn the latest research results. It’s also a time to renew old friendships and pick up new ideas to take back home.

With feed costs high, and livestock prices at close to record levels, finding ways to increase feed efficiency, reduce waste and keep everything healthy and growing is more important now than ever before. Learning about, researching and evaluating new

products is worth the time. We encourage you to ask our staff about what they see other producers successfully using in operations similar to yours. More than ever, the one size method or product won’t work in all situations, so don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Our staff visits a lot of farms and ranches so you never know what ideas they might have come across.

In this issue of Marketings, you’ll find a feature article encouraging you to become an advocate for agriculture. Please take the time to read the article, and discuss it with your family and management team. You can make a difference. Over the past few years, we have all witnessed instances when well informed agvocates may have been able to halt the efforts of media frenzy, if only the right words, in the correct tone, at the opportune time had been offered. As Brenda states in her article, we all need to step forward and be prepared to tell our story.

Once again, thank you for choosing Central Livestock!

In this Issue2 The Face and Voice

of Agriculture

3 Agvocating

4 Photo Contest

5 Auction Schedules

6 Zumbrota Stockman’s Supply

6 Get Connected

7 Tenure Service Awards

Editor: Brenda SisungContributing Writers: Jeff Reed, Brenda Sisung

Send comments or suggestions to: [email protected]

MISSION STATEMENTProvide products and services as effectively as possible to maximize the profitability of members and customers worldwide while maintaining a strong cooperative.

Central LivestockAssociation

A Company of Genex Cooperative, Inc. 2013

©2013 CRI N-04513-13

Central Livestock Association PO Box 419 South St. Paul, MN 55075

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

PRSRT. STD.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSHAWANO, WI

54166PERMIT NO. 72

West Fargo

Albany

Rock Creek

Zumbrota


A Company of Genex Cooperative, Inc.

convenient locations

to serve you 4Visit www.centrallivestock.com

for weekly sales schedules, early consignments & market reports

For far too many years the agricultural community has remained quiet and allowed animal and food activists to tell our story. While we have worked hard to produce the safest and most affordable food in the world, individuals and groups have questioned our ethics and legitimacy shedding an undesirable light on the agriculture industry. We cannot change what has been said, but we can raise our voices to reeducate and accurately inform.

We live in a society where only 2% of the population is involved in production agriculture. That means there are far more people who know nothing about raising food, than those who do. It is up to farmers and ranchers to be the faces and voices of agriculture by educating others and advocating for it. Advocating for agriculture or “agvocating”, is a newly coined word used to describe agricultural advocates who are proactively telling their story.

Being an agvocate can be as simple as answering someone’s question at the grocery store when they ask the difference between grass fed and grain fed beef. Or it can be more complex such as starting your own blog or creating a YouTube video. Through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and personal blogs there are thousands of pages, accounts, channels and profiles devoted specifically to promoting agriculture. I encourage you to investigate these as you will come across many tips, ideas and resources pertaining to agriculture and agvocating.

In today’s day and age the number of people who are liking, sharing, tweeting, hash tagging or blogging might make your head spin. While these words associated with social media have brought agvocating to a new level, sometimes a good ol’ conversation with a stranger can be just as beneficial. We’ve all experienced that moment when you’re sitting next to someone you don’t know and they start talking to you. In your head you’re thinking, “we havenothing in common, I wish they would stop talking.” But what you should be thinking is, “this is the perfect opportunity to be the voice of agriculture.” If they ask you what you do, give them your “elevator speech,” a 30 second commercial that tells your agriculture story. This is bound to either raise questions that you can provide answers to, making them more informed, or discover a common interest and maybe you will learn something.

However, it’s not just what you say but also what you do that can affect consumer confidence. Right or wrong people judge, and the image you portray can greatly affect ones perception. For example, if you’re driving down the freeway hauling stock and there is straw and bedding flying out of your trailer a bystander might think your arepolluting the environment and therefore consider farming bad. That one image can change their perspective of agriculture as a whole. So we must be self-conscious of our actions and remember even though we are one person we represent an industry and can change the minds of many.

Make every conversation count. Information is power. So have your elevator speech ready, you never know when the opportunity to promote your operation and agriculture might arise.

MY ELEVATOR SPEECH

I am an animal science graduate, f rom the f irst land-grant

college, Michigan State University.I was born and raised an

agriculturalist on Sisung Farms, a cash crop, hog and beef

operation in rural Michigan.This is where I was instilled with my

values, learned li fe lessons and gained a passion for the industry.

My family and I work hard to develop a safe desirable product for

consumers.We are one of two million farms and ranches in the

United States and 97% of these are family owned.Sisung Farms is

no exception, this isn’t just a hobby for us it’s a way of li fe and

we truly exemplify what family farming is all about.

Central Livestock would like to thank all employees for their dedication. We would also like to congratulate those who received a tenure service award in 2012.

5-Year Award WinnersLona Rae BaierPaul HartkeMichael KoopKeith LynnesJudy OlandNealy Machtemes PlumleyKenneth Roske

10-Year Award WinnersMichael HildeLonnie Ritter 25-Year Award WinnerRobert Reichel

40-Year Award WinnerThomas Ostlie

On behalf of Central Livestock we would like to thank all of our customers for utilizing our markets in 2012. We look forward to this year and the opportunity to continue working with you.

Albany (800) 733-6828 • Zumbrota (877) 732-7305 • Rock Creek (320) 629-1122 • West Fargo (800) 733-4620CENTRAL LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION • www.centrallivestock.com • South St. Paul (800) 733-1844

2 7

The Face and Voice of Agriculture By Brenda Sisung, Public Relations Specialist, CRI

Tenure Service Awards

Thank You!



Get Connected www.centrallivestock.com

- Company and industry news- Upcoming sales and early consignments

Follow us on Twitter:

@clateam


6 3

Store HoursMonday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.Tuesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Saturday 8 a.m.-Noon

CHECK OUT OUR STORE INVENTORYGates

Ear TagsGloves

Bale FeedersTwine

Forks & Shovels

Feed BunksSawdust

Fencing Supplies

Creep FeedersMineral Feeders

Cattle Oilers

Hog & Cattle PanelsScrapers & Brooms

Insect Sprays, Bait & Tapes

Water TanksMilk Replacer

“Hot Shot” “Smidley” “Real-Tuff” “Applegate” “Trail Hand” “Rol-Oyl”

COMMON SENSE CALF SHELTER REAL-TUFF 1/4 CIRCLE MATERNITY PEN EASY WAY MINERAL FEEDER

CALVING SEASON NECESSITIES

Zumbrota Stockman’s Supply

www.centrallivestock.com

Conveniently located at the Central Livestock Zumbrota Market

Call (507) 732-7860

Tips for Agvocating1 Be proactive instead of waiting to react.

2 Be an active listener.Listening to what people say instead of just hearing what they say is an ef fective way to gain respect of others.

3 Utilize social media both to share your story and gain insight on other peoples stories.

4 Take advantage of informational resources that are already available.

5 Host farm tours.There is no better way to tell your story than to invite others to your operation and show them f irsthand.

6 Become involved.Whether it is in your community, a state or national organization or in online discussions, each avenue gives you an opportunity to share your voice.

7 Set your emotions aside.Being passionate is one thing but ridiculing someone else’s views is another.Everyone is entitled to a view and an opinion, which you must respect.

8 Engage your listener.Personal stories go much farther than statistics.

9 Be open-minded.Don’t assume people understand what you are talking about.

10 Compose an elevator speech.The next time someone asks what you do, you’ll be prepared to tell your agriculture story.

educateyourself

The first step to being the face and voice of agriculture

is making sure you are educated. Participating

in online discussions and webinars really can raise your

awareness of the industry even if you are just listening or reading and not actively responding. Here are some

links to key groups that have formed to help farmers and

ranchers communicate, connect and educate.

AgChat Foundationwww.agchat.org

Animal Agriculture Alliancewww.animalagalliance.org

Masters of Beef Advocacywww.beef.org/MBA

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliancewww.fooddialogues.com

We Care; National Pork Producers Council www.porkcares.org

Listen to

our daily

radio market

reports.

Sign up to receive Central Livestock E-NEWS

Central Livestock Association Auction Schedules


4 5

9th Annual Central Livestock

PHOTO CONTEST

Open to all customers and their immediate family members.

Limit three entries per person.

Include the following information with each photo:

Title of Photo • Photographer’s Name and Address • Email Address

All photos must be in color and either be printed on photo paper or at least a two mega pixel image.

Email entries to [email protected] or mail to Brenda Sisung, P.O. Box 469, Shawano, WI 54166

Entry Deadline August 12, 2013

Albany Market800-733-6828

Monday & Wednesday: 7 a.m. to noon - Hogs and Sheep

Tuesday & Thursday: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Hogs10:30 a.m. – Fed Cattle, Slaughter Cows & Bulls along with Baby & Started Calves on Thursday

Special Dairy Sales: First Wednesday & third Friday of the month, 10:30 a.m.Special Feeder Sales: Second Wednesday of the month, 10:30 a.m.

Rock Creek Market

320-629-1122

Monday: 8 a.m. – Market Cows, Fed Cattle, Feeder Cattle, Hogs, Sheep & GoatsWednesday: 10 a.m. – Market Cows, Fed Cattle, Feeder Cattle, Hogs, Sheep & Goats

Special Feeder Sales: 10 a.m. February 6, February 20, March 6, March 20, April 3, May 15,

June 19, July 17 (Customer Appreciation Anniversary Sale), August 21

Zumbrota Market877-732-7305

Monday: 8 a.m. – Overnight Market Cows/Bulls10 a.m. – Fed Cattle, Stock Cows & Breeding Bulls

1 p.m. – Feeder Cattle, Day Delivered Market Cows/Bulls4 p.m. – Baby Calves

Tuesday: 8 a.m. – Sheep, Goats & Feeder PigsWednesday: 10 a.m. – Market Cows/Bulls & Fed CattleSpecial Dairy Sales: Second & fourth Tuesdays, noon

Special Feeder Sales: 10 a.m. February 7, February 21, February 28 (Bred Beef Cow Sale),

March 7, March 21, April 4, May 16

West Fargo Market800-733-4620

Wednesday: 10 a.m. – Feeder & Slaughter CattleSheep Sales: Designated Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.

Get Connected www.centrallivestock.com

- Company and industry news- Upcoming sales and early consignments

Follow us on Twitter:

@clateam


6 3

Store HoursMonday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.Tuesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Saturday 8 a.m.-Noon

CHECK OUT OUR STORE INVENTORYGates

Ear TagsGloves

Bale FeedersTwine

Forks & Shovels

Feed BunksSawdust

Fencing Supplies

Creep FeedersMineral Feeders

Cattle Oilers

Hog & Cattle PanelsScrapers & Brooms

Insect Sprays, Bait & Tapes

Water TanksMilk Replacer

“Hot Shot” “Smidley” “Real-Tuff” “Applegate” “Trail Hand” “Rol-Oyl”

COMMON SENSE CALF SHELTER REAL-TUFF 1/4 CIRCLE MATERNITY PEN EASY WAY MINERAL FEEDER

CALVING SEASON NECESSITIES

Zumbrota Stockman’s Supply

www.centrallivestock.com

Conveniently located at the Central Livestock Zumbrota Market

Call (507) 732-7860

Tips for Agvocating1 Be proactive instead of waiting to react.

2 Be an active listener.Listening to what people say instead of just hearing what they say is an ef fective way to gain respect of others.

3 Utilize social media both to share your story and gain insight on other peoples stories.

4 Take advantage of informational resources that are already available.

5 Host farm tours.There is no better way to tell your story than to invite others to your operation and show them f irsthand.

6 Become involved.Whether it is in your community, a state or national organization or in online discussions, each avenue gives you an opportunity to share your voice.

7 Set your emotions aside.Being passionate is one thing but ridiculing someone else’s views is another.Everyone is entitled to a view and an opinion, which you must respect.

8 Engage your listener.Personal stories go much farther than statistics.

9 Be open-minded.Don’t assume people understand what you are talking about.

10 Compose an elevator speech.The next time someone asks what you do, you’ll be prepared to tell your agriculture story.

educateyourself

The first step to being the face and voice of agriculture

is making sure you are educated. Participating

in online discussions and webinars really can raise your

awareness of the industry even if you are just listening or reading and not actively responding. Here are some

links to key groups that have formed to help farmers and

ranchers communicate, connect and educate.

AgChat Foundationwww.agchat.org

Animal Agriculture Alliancewww.animalagalliance.org

Masters of Beef Advocacywww.beef.org/MBA

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliancewww.fooddialogues.com

We Care; National Pork Producers Council www.porkcares.org

Listen to

our daily

radio market

reports.

Sign up to receive Central Livestock E-NEWS

For far too many years the agricultural community has remained quiet and allowed animal and food activists to tell our story. While we have worked hard to produce the safest and most affordable food in the world, individuals and groups have questioned our ethics and legitimacy shedding an undesirable light on the agriculture industry. We cannot change what has been said, but we can raise our voices to reeducate and accurately inform.

We live in a society where only 2% of the population is involved in production agriculture. That means there are far more people who know nothing about raising food, than those who do. It is up to farmers and ranchers to be the faces and voices of agriculture by educating others and advocating for it. Advocating for agriculture or “agvocating”, is a newly coined word used to describe agricultural advocates who are proactively telling their story.

Being an agvocate can be as simple as answering someone’s question at the grocery store when they ask the difference between grass fed and grain fed beef. Or it can be more complex such as starting your own blog or creating a YouTube video. Through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and personal blogs there are thousands of pages, accounts, channels and profiles devoted specifically to promoting agriculture. I encourage you to investigate these as you will come across many tips, ideas and resources pertaining to agriculture and agvocating.

In today’s day and age the number of people who are liking, sharing, tweeting, hash tagging or blogging might make your head spin. While these words associated with social media have brought agvocating to a new level, sometimes a good ol’ conversation with a stranger can be just as beneficial. We’ve all experienced that moment when you’re sitting next to someone you don’t know and they start talking to you. In your head you’re thinking, “we havenothing in common, I wish they would stop talking.” But what you should be thinking is, “this is the perfect opportunity to be the voice of agriculture.” If they ask you what you do, give them your “elevator speech,” a 30 second commercial that tells your agriculture story. This is bound to either raise questions that you can provide answers to, making them more informed, or discover a common interest and maybe you will learn something.

However, it’s not just what you say but also what you do that can affect consumer confidence. Right or wrong people judge, and the image you portray can greatly affect ones perception. For example, if you’re driving down the freeway hauling stock and there is straw and bedding flying out of your trailer a bystander might think your arepolluting the environment and therefore consider farming bad. That one image can change their perspective of agriculture as a whole. So we must be self-conscious of our actions and remember even though we are one person we represent an industry and can change the minds of many.

Make every conversation count. Information is power. So have your elevator speech ready, you never know when the opportunity to promote your operation and agriculture might arise.

MY ELEVATOR SPEECH

I am an animal science graduate, f rom the f irst land-grant

college, Michigan State University.I was born and raised an

agriculturalist on Sisung Farms, a cash crop, hog and beef

operation in rural Michigan.This is where I was instilled with my

values, learned li fe lessons and gained a passion for the industry.

My family and I work hard to develop a safe desirable product for

consumers.We are one of two million farms and ranches in the

United States and 97% of these are family owned.Sisung Farms is

no exception, this isn’t just a hobby for us it’s a way of li fe and

we truly exemplify what family farming is all about.

Central Livestock would like to thank all employees for their dedication. We would also like to congratulate those who received a tenure service award in 2012.

5-Year Award WinnersLona Rae BaierPaul HartkeMichael KoopKeith LynnesJudy OlandNealy Machtemes PlumleyKenneth Roske

10-Year Award WinnersMichael HildeLonnie Ritter 25-Year Award WinnerRobert Reichel

40-Year Award WinnerThomas Ostlie

On behalf of Central Livestock we would like to thank all of our customers for utilizing our markets in 2012. We look forward to this year and the opportunity to continue working with you.


2 7

The Face and Voice of Agriculture By Brenda Sisung, Public Relations Specialist, CRI

Tenure Service Awards

Thank You!



Meeting Season By Jeff Reed, Vice President, Central Livestock Association

February 20131

MARKETINGSAs the books close on 2012, I want to thank you for your continued support of our auction markets. All four Central Livestock markets had strong volumes again this past year. Particularly the Central Livestock Rock Creek market, which continued to show significant growth over prior years. An additional auction day each week was added at Rock Creek to provide better service to customers. We truly are here to serve you and assist with all your livestock marketing and price protection needs.

We have entered the midwinter months that we in agriculture business often refer to as meeting season. As farmers and ranchers, you have the chance to take in a wide variety of meetings, events and conventions that provide great opportunities to refresh some skills, hear about new products and learn the latest research results. It’s also a time to renew old friendships and pick up new ideas to take back home.

With feed costs high, and livestock prices at close to record levels, finding ways to increase feed efficiency, reduce waste and keep everything healthy and growing is more important now than ever before. Learning about, researching and evaluating new

products is worth the time. We encourage you to ask our staff about what they see other producers successfully using in operations similar to yours. More than ever, the one size method or product won’t work in all situations, so don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Our staff visits a lot of farms and ranches so you never know what ideas they might have come across.

In this issue of Marketings, you’ll find a feature article encouraging you to become an advocate for agriculture. Please take the time to read the article, and discuss it with your family and management team. You can make a difference. Over the past few years, we have all witnessed instances when well informed agvocates may have been able to halt the efforts of media frenzy, if only the right words, in the correct tone, at the opportune time had been offered. As Brenda states in her article, we all need to step forward and be prepared to tell our story.

Once again, thank you for choosing Central Livestock!

In this Issue2 The Face and Voice

of Agriculture

3 Agvocating

4 Photo Contest

5 Auction Schedules

6 Zumbrota Stockman’s Supply

6 Get Connected

7 Tenure Service Awards

Editor: Brenda SisungContributing Writers: Jeff Reed, Brenda Sisung

Send comments or suggestions to: [email protected]

MISSION STATEMENTProvide products and services as effectively as possible to maximize the profitability of members and customers worldwide while maintaining a strong cooperative.



2013

©2013 CRI N-04513-13

Central Livestock Association PO Box 419 South St. Paul, MN 55075

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

PRSRT. STD.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSHAWANO, WI

54166PERMIT NO. 72

West Fargo

Albany

Rock Creek

Zumbrota



convenient locations

to serve you 4Visit www.centrallivestock.com

for weekly sales schedules, early consignments & market reports

©2013 cri n-04513-13 central livestock...

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