cq perspectives sep 2008
TRANSCRIPT
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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CROP QUEST AGRONOMIC SERVICES, INC
®
Volume 18 • Issue 5 • September 2008
By Saturday afternoon most people around the country had seen the photos
nd aerial video of what had been a thriving farm community in south central
Kansas just 12 hours earlier. As the sun rose over Greensburg, KS, on themorning of May 5, 2007, there wasn’t a shadow to be cast anywhere. That’s
ecause a massive EF5 tornado ripped through the town Friday evening, liter-
lly vaporizing a two-mile swatch of anything – trees, buildings, homes, poles,
igns – that might have blocked the rays. What the nation saw wasn’t the
ubble of collapsed buildings but total annihilation.
After the 24/7 coverage of Katrina and the routine reporting of natural
isasters, Americans can seem blasé about the footage they see on television.
his time, however, the devastation was unspeakable and reporters at times
ppeared speechless. Generally, hurricanes, oods, res and lesser tornadoes
eave some vestige of the structures so residents can at least have a reference
oint to measure the destruction or to determine their location.
“But the damage here was so complete there were no familiar landmarks,”
ays Farrell Allison, a Crop Quest agronomist and Greensburg resident. The
own was evacuated Friday night after the tornado, and folks were not allowedack in until Monday morning. “Upon their return, the rst thing people said
was where is everything?” Allison who has lived in Greensburg for 31 years
ecalls his family asking each other, “Where do we live?”
Nature had pulled off the perfect identify theft. Like just about everyone else
n Greensburg, Allison and his family lost everything. When the sky ominously
arkened and the wind whipped up that evening, Allison felt a knot form in his
tomach. Like many who make their living from the land, he considered himself
storm watcher and would have gone out to take a look. But something told him
his was different. Then with 20 minutes to spare, the National Weather Service
onrmed an impending disaster and warned citizens to take cover.
“Still, as we headed to the basement,” says Allison, noting this was the rst
me he and his family had ever retreated to the cellar, “I thought this really
ooks dire; we could lose a tree.”
That would have been getting off easy. Instead, he lost his two story housend his ‘dream’ shop where he stored an antique tractor and a vintage 1936
GMC ton-and-a-half farm truck he had restored. Sadly, the elderly gentleman
rom whom he bought the truck and who had been sentimentally attached to it
ven after the sale died in the tornado. “I guess it was tting and appropriate
hat the truck went with him,” Allison rationalizes.
Amazingly, only 11 people were killed and, thankfully, Allison’s family was
afe. “My parents had come up that day from Texas for a visit,” Allison says,
and afterwards my step-father, no stranger to danger who experienced front
ne combat in Korea, said he had never been so scared.”
FAST FORWARDAlthough getting back to normal might take some time, the people of Greens-
urg have gotten back into something of a routine. When the rst anniversary
of the tornado rolled around, farmers in the area had already replanted so
this season’s crops. While it wouldn’t be difcult – and would be comple
justied – to dwell on last year’s tragedy, Greensburg is moving on. Alli
who has been with Crop Quest since it was formed 16 years ago, focuse
the current weather that has battered the area with hail, rain and strong w
Despite the trauma caused by the tornado and the added burden of tryi
to forge ahead while still in a recovery mode, Greensburg farmers plante
their corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and wheat crops on schedule. “We h
a pretty good start this season,” Allison mentions until the weather took
bad turn. “Half our annual rainfall came in May alone, and pounding hai
been a major destructive force.” Now after an early August heat wave w
temperatures topped 100 degrees, he is concerned with the strong winds
have been kicking up this season. “It’ll whip the plants around and set th
back,” he says. But it is all part of the scheme of nature, and it is his job
agronomist to anticipate and gure into the plans he provides for Crop Q
clients in his territory.
REBUILDINGThe inconvenience and cost of replanting much of this year’s crops pal
comparison to the overall expense and effort facing the Greensburg com
nity as it rebuilds its town. Greenburg is an agricultural area, Allison str
and rolling with nature’s punches is simply part of the process of rural li
“This is what it’s all about,” he concludes. “Farmers realize that weatherisn’t necessarily their friend, but they have this attitude that it can’t get th
down.”
Greensburg farmers, however, are confronting their two-pronged challe
with true grit and gumption. Rebuilding, according to Allison, has been a
nancial struggle. The high cost of building materials has either prohibit
number of rebuilding starts or cut them off before completion. Many hou
holds, farms and business were underinsured. The catastrophic absence o
administration infrastructure and services has been an impediment, as w
Despite these shortcomings, the community did manage to erect a new
water tower that is up and running – a feat by most municipal standards
generally takes more than two years. About 700 of the 1,400 families liv
Greensburg before the tornado are back in town. Additionally, with the h
Continued on Pag
GREENSBURGCreating ANew Future
Greensburg native, Farrell Allison stands in front of a new rebuilding proj
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Not Just Rebuilding ... Continued from Page 1
the USDA a business incubator facility is being constructed which
will allow 50 different companies to provide services and products to
the community.
John Deere is rebuilding its sales and service center, and a biodiesel plant
is slated for development and construction. Not to be overshadowed by
the town’s agricultural and business roots, the arts will be served by the
rebuilding of the Twilight Theatre which will be used as the high schools
auditorium, too.
GREENING OF GREENSBURGIf there are prevailing sentiments binding the community together, it has to
do with opportunity and adventure – and a little glamour and celebrity. “Actu-ally, it is exciting to be part of something new,” Allison offers, “espe-
cially in rural America.”
At the moment it could be argued that Greensburg’s notoriety is
being fed not so by the tragic visitation of nature’s most powerful
climatologic force and the morbid fascination with the destruction
it left behind, but by the appearance of President Bush for the
high school’s commencement, by celebrities, the media and by
environmentalists who view the little town as a petri dish for
creating sustainable living experiments.
When the dust had settled in the aftermath of the tor-
nado, Kansas governor Kathleen Sebe-
lius issued a challenge to the town on
one of her visits. Why not put some
green into Greensburg, she suggestedas the recovery got underway. The
high school kids embraced the idea,
as did a young city administrator who
asked what else the town could do to
draw people.
The tornado initially took care of
that, as the major networks and cable news descended on the town to re
on the situation. But as the news value of the event itself diminished, ot
media outlets followed up on the recovery efforts. Hollywood actor Leon
DiCaprio got wind of Greensburg’s intentions to “go green” and jumped
opportunity to produce a 13-week documentary for the Discovery Chann
July, Planet Green, part of the Discovery network, decided to create six m
episodes.
As one of Hollywood’s leading advocates for sustainable living, DiCapr
ated more publicity for the town, not only highlighting its spot on the map
also ensuring it a place in the galaxy of rising environmental stars. Capita
on its green fame, the Greensburg City Council recently approved a resol
that all city building projects will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy
Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™) Platinum level s
dards. LEED encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable g
building and development practices through the creation and implementat
universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
“This makes us the rst city in the U.S. to do this, and it shows the worl
green we are,” boasts a Greensburg’s city council member.
For his part Crop Quest’s Farrell Allison is keeping pace with the city fa
“I was going green anyway,” he says. He doesn’t like paying utilities bills
constructing his new home with insulated concrete and using only elect
– no gas. Not long ago, a Discovery Planet Green video team happened
property and was intrigued by the sustainable design. As a result, Alliso
family and their home have had a part in the series. Over the last year, A
says he has met numerous people from New York, Hollywood and plac
never would have expected. “There have been so many truly nice, conc
people that I might never have met,” he adds. “ Folks are bringing in tre
desperately needed, and people are always coming in and feeding the w
town.”
Farrell Allison explains that this entire hubbub doesn’t mean Greens
farmers are environmental extremists. “We love plants; as farmers we
all conservationists.”
The 2008 corn crop looks like a big one—USDA estimates 12.3 billion
bushels, the second highest yield on record and up 600 million bushels from
early estimates.
Likewise prices have stabilized from early season highs of $7-8.00 per bushel
to around $5 per bushel.
All looks good for the 2008 crop, but what comes next? How can growers in-
sure a second top production year to take advantage of high grain prices and help
offset the astronomically high cost of crop inputs?
SPRING VERSUS FALL BURNDOWNRod Summerville, a Crop Quest agronomist in Hutchinson, KS, says fall
burndown in his area is more common than split spring and fall or spring burn-
down because it’s a lot easier to get the herbicide on in the fall. “On corn, if vol-
unteer wheat or cheat grass is a problem, we’d use atrazine and 2,4-D or atrazine
plus a sulfonylurea herbicide,” he says.
“If the grower
knows what will
be planted in the
spring, and he is
going to have to
put a burndown
herbicide on, it’s usually better to go with the full rate in the fall.
Usually, growers have more time in the fall and winter annuals are
a lot easier to kill in the fall than
in the spring,” Summerville contends.
TO CHOP OR NOT TO CHOPIf growers are ridge tilling, they have to chop corn-
stalks. If they are on at land, Summerville says
he usually advises farmers not to chop cornstalks.
Chopping and/or shredding, he says, leaves debris on
the ground that can be a problem when it’s moved around by the wind
Less than a hundred miles away, in the sandy soils around Pratt, KS
Quest Agronomist Vernon Flowers says many of his growers leave the
to help catch the snow in the winter time to help capture moisture. “In
spring, probably a third or so of our growers will go in and chop the st
he adds.
WINTER COVER CROPSFlowers says many growers in his area drill 40 lbs. to 50 lbs. of whe
cover crop or for grazing. Planting wheat at low rates in the fall gives
Continued on Pag
op Quest agronomist Farrell Allison.
Rod Summ
After CORN Is Combined,
What Comes Next?
Crop Quest agronomists conclude that growers should address
several post harvest issues to get ready for next year:
• Whether to burn down corn stalks … and if so, when and how?
• Chop cornstalks or not?• Plant a cover crop or not?• Consider rotation changes?• Evaluate hybrid performance in 2008 and decide which to keep
for 2009.
• Buy seed, chemicals and fertilizer now or wait to see if price drops?• Evaluate herbicide program to determine whether to make crop or
herbicide changes.
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Member, National Alliance
of Independent CropConsultants, CPCC-I
Certied
By: Ron O’HanlonPresident
Crop Quest Recognized
On August 26, 2008, Crop Quest
was recognized as the 2009 ESOPCompany of the Year during the
annual fall conference for the Heart of America (HOA) Chapter of the ESOP Asso-
ation. This comes after receiving the 2008 Semi-nalist honoror the same recognition a year ago. In addition, Crop Quest willow be representing the HOA Chapter at the national level forational ESOP Company of the Year which will be determined
his coming May in Washington, DC.For those who don’t already know, an ESOP company is one
n which employees of the company have some degree of owner-hip within the company. Shortly after Crop Quest was founded6 years ago, it was converted to a 100 percent employee ownedompany within an “Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)”
ecognized by FIFRA and the IRS. Unlike ownership of stock inther companies, the ESOP plan is treated as a dened benetsetirement plan with ownership of stock in the company in whichperson works. It was determined early-on that ownership in
he company would improve an employee’s desire and dedicationo serve the clients and customers of the company.
Our motto is “Employee Owned and Customer Driven” and
as long as we are fullling the needs of our customers to their
satisfaction or above, most of us have never really felt the needfor further accolades. But, as a company that must compete inthe marketplace for new employees to continue the growth of oservice territory and to further meet the needs of our clients, itis important to these new recruits that the company they are comitting a portion of their lives be recognized as a leader in theindustry. It is also important to our customers that the compathey have chosen for providing their professional agronomicservices be recognized as an outstanding company in which theemployee/owners have a stake in the success of their company.
In addition to the above recognition, a group of Crop Questowners will be attending the 2008 Winning Workplaces Conferencin Chicago during October as one of the top 35 nalists in the Winning Workplaces & Wall Street Journal best small companies acro
America to work for. The award recognition will be given duringa dinner ceremony at which time the nalist for this award will beannounced.
This recognition is only possible with the dedicated employee/owers who have chosen to commit their lives to serving the needs of tgreatest group of people in America. For this, we thank you all.
TopAs Company
Our producers in far western Kansas, along with much of theklahoma and Texas Panhandle, are grateful to have the 2008heat crop behind them. Producers east of these locations reapede benet of a very solid wheat crop, complimented by higher
ommodity prices. As many of our producers in Central Kansasere hoping for drier conditions just to get crops in and out thisast spring, producers in the western High Plains would haveettled for at least a little humidity to ease the burden of incrediblyry conditions. All producers are now anticipating what the 2009op will bring.Farmers are known to be eternal optimists, so with great hope,e will begin to sow the 2009 wheat crop. In this environmentf good commodity prices and high input costs, many questionsome to mind as we make decisions relating to spending money
n high-priced fertilizer, fuel, seed and pesticides. One thing tomember is that just because fertilizer prices are quite high, itoesn’t mean that we can meet our yield goals without applyinge proper nutrients. Just because seed costs are high, it doesn’tean that we can expect good stands and plant health from poor
uality seed or seed too far out of certication. Just because it isore expensive to treat weeds, it doesn’t mean that weeds won’t
row in your elds this year.What all this amounts to is nothing has really changed. Weust constantly make good decisions as to whether we can justify
pending a dollar to make more than a dollar return. I encourageou to use your expense budget wisely. This starts with a solidoil testing and fertilizer program. This will help you pinpointhat nutrients need to be supplemented, and which ones do not.
One area to concentrate on is phos-phorus. If you have a limited fertilizerbudget, I encourage you to considerthose elds that need phosphorus andapply an adequate amount. Even if you need to substitute a few nitrogendollars to get your phosphorus amountwhere it needs to be, it may be worthdoing. Phosphorus is very expensivenow, but at today’s commodity prices,fertilizer is still one input that has a solid return on investment.This past year, even in the toughest weather conditions, wheatelds with adequate phosphorus levels out-performed elds withlow phosphorus levels. Plants had healthier crowns, generated
more tillers, and withstood the drought much better than eldswith low phosphorus levels, and it paid off in yield. It is impor-tant that you give your crop the best chance to reward you with aprot.
Many of the same areas that were stricken with drought lastyear remain in a critically dry state. Other areas are blessed withadequate soil moisture and can anticipate getting the 2009 cropoff to a good start. Regardless of your situation, I encourage youto work with your Crop Quest agronomist to help make the bestinput decisions possible. Good decisions are required when condi-tions are ideal and are even more critical when conditions are verytough. Farmers don’t like to give up, and we all know that condi-tions can turn on a dime. We need to constantly be prepared totake advantage of whatever hand is dealt, and make the best of it.
Ulysses, Kan.
By: Dwight KoopsRegional Vice President
Wheat Product ion in 2009
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Mission StatementCrop Quest is an employee-owned company dedicated to providing the highest quality agricultural services for each customer. The quest of our network
professionals is to practice integrity and innovation to ensure our services are economically and environmentally sound.
PRSRT STD
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DODGE CITY K
PERMIT NO. 43
“Employee-Owned & Customer Driven” Crop Quest Agronomic Services, Inc.
Main Ofce: Phone 620.225.2233
Fax 620.225.3199
Internet: www.cropquest.com
Crop Quest Board of Directors President: Ron O’Hanlon
Director: Jim Gleason
Director: Dwight Koops
Director: Cort Minor
Director: Chris McInteer
Director: Rob Benyshek
After Corn Is Combined ... Continued from Page 2
grower some options. If wheat prices are good, they can go to grain
with the crop.
Summerville says cover crops have not been an option for his
growers. “Some are considering the benets, but no one has
gured out quite how they can incorporate it into their opera-
tion and make it work,” he says. It’s a combination of cost,
labor, and something that most farmers just don’t want to
do, he adds.
CHANGING ROTATIONSDeciding whether to change crop rotations is a tricky
question that has been made even more difcult becauseof radical changes, both up and down, of grain prices.
Summerville says some of his growers will make a
late decision on changing crops, based primarily on
commodity prices. However, most will stay close to a
50-50 corn and soybean rotation to help keep nitrogen
prices down.
With corn and soybeans both selling for good
prices, either a 50-50 corn/soybean or two-year corn
and one-year soybean is a good option. Flowers says,
“We are seeing corn yields gradually coming down
in elds that have been planted to corn year after
year, and it’s clear these elds need a break.
“Weed pressure also is a big factor in changing
crop rotations. Going to double crop or full-season
soybeans is a good option because it allows a grower
to come in with a different herbicide to clean up
problem areas,” Flowers adds.
Fertilizer prices being so high – over $1,000 per
ton for anhydrous in western Kansas – is a factor in
crop rotations. Corn requires more N and some grow-
ers are looking at beans as a way to reduce fertilizer
costs, both Crop Quest agronomists agree.
Double crop corn and beans behind wheat has
drawn more interest recently because of the high
price of wheat. It is something that more growers are
interested in, but timing and other factors make it a
decision that should be looked at closely, according to
Summerville.
HYBRID SELECTIONChoosing the right variety is the rst step in making a
good crop. Fortunately, corn growers have a multitude of
good hybrid varieties that come with various genetically transferred trai
giving growers an opportunity to custom t a variety to their particul
production conditions.
“I like to look at the consistency of a variety, not just its one-year
yield,” Summerville states. “I think some growers get too carried aw
with how many bushels per acre a variety produces under one set of
criteria. I would rather look at varieties over a few years
and at multiple locations and try to t the best variet-
ies—not necessarily the top-yielding varieties – with my
growers.
“With the high cost of fuel for drying and for trans-portation, we are looking closely at hybrids that
mature well in the eld and hold up under a va-
riety of weather conditions. I want my growers
to have varieties that are drought tolerant and
stress tolerant. Those issues are tied into yield
but are more important than sporadic high
yields,” Summerville stresses.
Flowers says, “I look at variety testing, but I take those results wit
a grain of salt. Most farmers are not going to try something new that
hasn’t proven to be successful in on-farm situations. Mostly, I’m goi
to go with my experience and what I’ve seen on the farm and try to
help the grower pick the ones best suited for their conditions.”
CLEANING UP TROUBLE SPOTSTaking time after the crop is harvested to identify areas in particul
elds that did not efciently use fertilizer is important to overall yiel
efciency. “We can identify those areas and come back the next year
with a plan that will usually make those spotty areas go away,” Sum-
merville adds.
AVOID HERBICIDE RESISTENCEHerbicide resistant weeds are a concern worldwide these days and
both Crop Quest agronomists stress the importance of rotating mode
of action. With so many acres in the Midwest planted to Roundup®
Ready corn and soybeans, it is particularly important to keep close ta
on glyphosate use. Breaking the monoculture of glyphosate with 2,4-
atrazine and other modes of action are critical to maintaining both ef
cient and economic weed control.
Planning is a major strategy for Crop Quest agronomists and determining what to do after the crop is sometimes as critical as addressin
problems that come up during the crop year. Staying on top of produ
tion and marketing issues is a good way to insure both productivity a
protability in the next cropping season.
Vernon Flow