grain contracts featured employees fertilizer review ... (final).pdf · a publication from maple...

A publication from Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLCSpring 2015

Grain Contracts

Featured Employees

Fertilizer Review

Agronomy Matters

Credit Report

MUCH MORE...

Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLCBoard of Directors

Doug Brown, PresidentJon Baumler, Vice PresidentBrent Rust, Secretary

Laurie KroneMike NelsonJim UelandMark BelterDon WoodburnBrian McDonald

Published quarterly by:Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC.1630 1st Ave S, Casselton, ND 58012.

This publication is provided free of charge to all local crop and livestock producers. If you are not receiving this publication and would like to be added to our mailing list please provide us with your address by calling our Casselton office at 1-800-568-5402.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC,1630 1st Ave S, Casselton, ND 58012.

All rights reserved.Printed in the U.S.A.Layout & Design by:Candace Brekke

3Staff Listing Dollars for Scholars

4-5Grain ContractsAdvertisements

6-7Wellness at MRGASafety ArticleMyFarmRecords.com

8-9Employee FocusMaple River Communications

10-11Credit ReportFertilizer Focus

12-13Seed UpdateGrain Manager’s Minute

14-15The Basis ApproachPRE Emergence Herbicides

16-17Agronomy MattersSpring Planning

18-19Advertisements

CASSELTON

LEONARD

CHAFFEE

LYNCHBURG

PROSPER

PEAK

GRANDIN

Casselton Location(800) 568-5402(701) 347-4465

Lynchburg Location (701) 347-5487

Prosper Location(701) 282-4094

Leonard Location(701) 645-2334

Peak Location(701) 845-3975

Grandin Location(701) 484-5293

Maple River Communications(701) 347-0089

www.maplerivergrain.com

In This Issue:

BOTTOM LINE : SPRING 2015

2

Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC Full-Time Staff

CEO – Terry Johnson

Management TeamKim NehringMike FlatenAlex Richard

Casselton OfficeJeremy RolfBraeden NelsonJon EllingsonThomas PaulsonMike WeedNancy HagenKim KoetzEmily NeelsMarilyn ProchnowJamie KieckerBrian Nelson

Casselton ElevatorMark StevensJamie Mann

Casselton FertilizerMac JohnsonBob Breiland

Peak LocationTim DeanDaniel Ryan

Grandin LocationCory AasenJared Pokrzywinski

Prosper LocationMike KoetzBen Drogen

Leonard LocationJeff BoisjolieChad Johnson

Lynchburg LocationGrant PhippsTim Rose

Casselton WarehouseChristian OwenChris WilkeAdam Fyre

Casselton TruckingJoe EberhardtAndy BoyerKevin EricksonTravis FordererMerle MyersChet GarrisonJohn SpiekermeierSteven Horst

Maple River CommunicationsSteven SchneiderCindy JensenJon RohlikAdam Freeman

Central Cass Dollars for Scholars

Pictured- Left- Jon Watt, Right- Terry Johnson

In support of students who show effort and interests in a variety of educational paths, Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC recently endowed a scholarship through the Central Cass Dollars for Scholars program. This program benefits local students with a variety of interests. In our case, we were interested in sponsoring a scholarship to students interested in the agricultural industry. Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC contributed the $5,000.00

scholarship to Jon Watt, who accepted with much gratitude and appreciation, on behalf of the Dollars for Scholars program in December 2014. We believe that the promotion of education is crucial in the development process of students becoming future leaders in the work force and their personal lives. We appreciate the opportunity to help contribute to such a great cause.

FOCUS ON COMMUNITY

spring 2015


3

Regardless of which type of contracting is done, there are some policies in effect that I would like to remind you of. Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC does not issue payments for grain if the contract is not signed. North Dakota Public Service Commission requires all contracts be signed by both the buyer and seller. North Dakota Public Service Commission also requires the elevator to settle priced grain within 45 days of delivery. We can do this by writing a check or a deferred contract.

Any loads coming in without a contract in place prior to delivery will be sold the day of delivery at the closing price for the day. We do our best to contact producers when we see loads come in without a contract, but the responsibility does lie with the farmer when delivering the grain. Please give me or Jeremy a call if you have any questions or would like to talk about establishing some contracts for either grain you have on the farm or new crop bushels.

*First Notice Day is the last business day of the month preceding the delivery month. If a Hedge to Arrive contract is based on the May futures, for example, the basis must be set 10 days prior to the last business day in April, or around April 20th.

Basis Fixed: A basis fixed contract locks the basis with a set underlying futures month. It allows the producer to take advantage of market rallies, as the futures can be locked in prior to 10 days before first notice day of the underlying futures month. But, as with hedge to arrive contracts, the contract must be priced 10 days before the first notice day of the underlying futures month. If the producer has not found a favorable futures price, the contract can be rolled to the next futures month, but is subject to market spreads and fees. Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC will allow advances on up to 70% of the value of the grain.

Price Later: The price later contract allows the producer to deliver grain without establishing a price. The grain must be sold on the cash market or can be rolled to a basis fixed contract. Fees can apply to priced later contracts, which is generally the case at harvest time. Priced Later contracts allow the producer to haul when it is convenient for them, or when there is limited storage available on the farm. However, the producer also holds the risk of changing market conditions, while incurring the priced later fees, if applicable. The elevator assumes the ownership of the grain at the time it is delivered.

From time to time we get questions about what options are available at Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC in forms of grain contracting. Currently, we offer four basic contracts: Priced, Hedge to Arrive, Basis Fixed, and Price Later.

Priced: A priced contract locks in a futures price and the basis at the same time, establishing a flat price. The amount of bushels and the delivery period are also established at the time the contract is made. Ownership of the grain transfers at the time of delivery and is subject to the grading scales that are in effect at that time.

Hedge to Arrive: The hedge to arrive contract locks the futures price. The basis can be established at any time, but must be set before delivery or ten days before first notice day of the underlying futures month.* Hedge to Arrive contracts are subject to fees for deferred delivery periods. Although the futures price is established, the producer is still open to basis risk. The basis is automatically locked when the first delivery is made.

Kim Koetz - Grain OriginatorGrain Contracts


4

THERE’S A COMBINATION TO HELPING GROWERS GET THE MOST FROM THEIR FIELDS.

BUT IT’S NOT 10-34-0.

® 2014 West Central. Redline is a trademark of West Central, Inc.

It’s important to add a starter ferti l izer when planting. But it’s even more important to add the one that actually lives up to the hype. Redline® holds a perfect balance of soluble macro and micronutrients. Plus, the chelate within Redline is so strong and pure, it even makes other nutrients in the soil soluble for uptake. Get Redline by contacting your account manager or visit www.WestCentralinc.com to learn more.

Asgrow and the A Design®, Asgrow®, Genuity Design®, Genuity Icons, Genuity®, and Roundup Ready 2 Yield® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Always read and follow grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. ©2014 Monsanto Company. 39704 020315

WWW.ASGROW.COM

Grain Contracts

Hedge-to-Arrive Feesas of 2/11/2015

Corn Soybean Wheat

Dec ‘15 0.03 Nov ‘15 0.05 Sep ‘15 0.05

Mar ‘16 0.04 Jan ‘16 0.05 Dec ‘15 0.05

May ‘16 0.04 Mar ‘16 0.05 Mar ‘16 0.08

July ‘16 0.05 May ‘16 0.08 May ‘16 0.08

Dec ‘16 0.05 July ‘16 0.08 July ‘16 0.08

Nov ‘16 0.10 Sep ‘16 0.10

© 2010 Loveland Products Inc. Always read and follow label directions.

GGGGGGeeeeeetttttt GGGrrroooooowwwwwwiiiiiinnnnnngggggggggwww.lovelandproducts .com

Crop Protection - Herbicides

PRODUCT FEATURES• Unique formulation – 3 in 1• Three diff erent active ingredients Metolachlor Metribuzin Imazethapyr• Burndown activity and long lasting residual• Controls over 20 grasses and 50 broadleaves• No tank mixes needed for residual control

“Mess with the Bull…Get the Horns”

6698

_J11

10

MATADOR™ is a new soybean pre-emerge chemistry that contains three diff erent active ingredients to help control grass and broadleaf weeds. This unique formulation was designed to be a weed resistant management tool to combat glyphosate and ALS resistant weeds.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Metolachlor + Metribuzin + Imazethapyr

ADJUVANT RECOMMENDATION:Mixed with glyphosate for a burndown application:

If not mixed with a glyphosate:

or

MATADOR Metolachlor (Dual® 8E) Metribuzin Imazethapyr (Pursuit® 2AS) 1 qt 1 pt 3 oz 2 oz 2 qts 2 pts 6 oz 4 oz

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS FOR PRE-EMERGENCE RATES:

22 Days After Treatment

Rocky Mount, NC. 2010UNTREATEDMATADOR 2/qts/A

* Loveland has applied for EPA Registration in 2010 which, if approved, will allow the use of this product for these specifi c uses.

Continued from page 4


5

In 2015, Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC adopted a new wellness program as a benefit to every employee. Seven employees were chosen to sit on a committee that represents all areas of the company (office, grain, agronomy, outside locations and safety). Members of the committee are: Kim Koetz, Bob Breiland, Nancy Hagen, Todd Affield, Cindy Jensen, Ben Drogen, and Braeden Nelson.

Immediate focus was placed on the top three health concerns specific to employees of our company. Monthly “Lunch and Learn” seminars are being offered over the lunch hour for employees. Professional speakers have come in to give different lessons on specific topics, like spine health and the benefits of a walking program. An added benefit for employees is the healthy lunch that is served during these seminars.

Over half of the employees, and some spouses, have been participating in a six week step challenge. We had enough participants to form four teams. The individual with the most steps each week has won the weekly prize, and the team with the most steps at the end of the six weeks will win the team prize. Weekly winners so far have been: Bob Breiland, Emily Neels, Jeff Nehring, and Todd Affield.

Some comments that have been made about the challenge are: “I think it’s been good to see so many coworkers participate in the challenge and come together as a team. It has been fun to get to know some of the other employees better.” “I think it’s been good for team building and the overall morale of the company.”

Looking forward to the busy spring season ahead of us, the wellness team plans to provide healthy snack alternatives that will be convenient to take in the field. Here at Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC we are striving to help make the healthy choice, the easy choice.

Dr. Zimmerman (HealthSource Chiropractic) presented a spine health seminar

JoVal Wettlaufer (BCBS of ND) presented a seminar on the benefits of a walking program.

FOCUS ON WELLNESS

Map

le R

iver

Gra

in a

nd A

gron

omy,

LLC

car

es a

bout

its

empl

oyee

s!

“I think it’s been good to see so many coworkers participate in the challenge and come together as a team. It has been fun to get to know some of the other employees better.”


6

Another spring is on the horizon and at the time of writing this, another record breaking lottery jackpot has us wondering “what if”? At times like this, I think of retiring to my own private island somewhere warm and full of cold beverages! When we get to daydreaming about chance, most of us do not believe we will win; but we buy our tickets and take our chances anyway. There is roughly a 1 in 175 million chance to be the sole winner of that jackpot.

With any situation, luck and chance can greatly affect outcomes. In regards to safety, this couldn’t be more true. Most statistics say that you have a 1 in 1 million chance of a given accident happening to you. What most people do not realize is that statistics have an evil twin brother called chance, which does not rely on memory. A particular

accident on the farm may only have a 1 in 100 million chance of occurring, but chance does not remember what attempt you are on, and might decide that you are on your last chance.

We all know or have read about someone that chance has caught up with. This person might even have said to themselves, “that won’t happen to me.” Yes, we safety folks are full of clichés and well, it’s because we have heard them all. Most of these clichés are attitude driven, and we need to consider our attitudes and realize that when it comes to accidents, it’s not really a question of if but when.

As producers, you take enough chances in many different parts of your operation. Don’t take chances when it comes to your health and safety, as I can bet you wouldn’t want anyone else doing that for you. With the busy spring season ahead, take a few extra minutes to think about what you are doing. Watching out for others and planning ahead can go a long way. Safety- don’t chance it!

Jamie Kiecker - Safety DirectorSafety. Don’t Chance It!

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS WORK

SAFE, SMART, AND HARD

Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC customers can stay up-to-date on their account information, invoices, and grain information with a simple click of the mouse. If you are not signed up already, contact our office today to get registered as a user on MyFarmRecords.net. This website tool offers different functions and features that make it easy for our customers to utilize and have access to live data. If you are interested, please contact Kim Koetz at 701-347-4465 to get registered for log in information or to find out more information about this tool. Once you become registered, there is a video tutorial on the different functions and features that can be helpful in learning the basic navigation techniques for the website.

MYFARMRECORDS.COM


7

Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC would like to introduce one of our newest employees, Jamie Kiecker. Jamie started with us in November 2014 and was recently promoted to Safety Director. Jamie is currently located at our Casselton facility and will be overseeing all safety aspects for our locations. His main duties will be overseeing the safety committee, establishing safe procedures and practices for all locations, ordering safety equipment/supplies, handling employee work-related injuries/incidents, and OSHA compliance. We appreciate Jamie’s willingness to jump right in with such an extensive and crucial role for our company. We know Jamie will be kept plenty busy and are pleased to have him on board.

Jamie graduated from NDSU in 2011 with a degree in Natural Resource. He has previously worked for Southwest Ag (Bowman, ND), North Central Farmers Elevator (Ipswich, SD), Poet Bio-Refining (Groton, SD), Cargill Inc., and Stride Well Service in southwest ND.

Jamie grew up in a military family and has resided all over the northern U.S. He has called North Dakota home several times and would claim Bowman, ND as his home town. He has also resided in northern and southern coastal Oregon, both Michigan peninsulas, and southern Maine. He even attended three different high schools in three different states! He comes from a large family with two older sisters, an older brother, and two younger brothers. Jamie and his wife currently live in south Fargo. His wife is a Nurse Practitioner and works at the Sanford Pain Clinic. They have a 1 ½ year old daughter and another girl on the way, due mid-April. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys bird hunting, spending time with family and friends, kayaking, training his dogs, and golfing.

Jeremy Rolf was hired in January of 2015 as a Grain Originator at our Casselton, ND office. He will be primarily responsible for buying grain. He is currently finishing his BS degree in Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota TC, with an expected completion date this summer. He first started out as a grain division summer intern for Harvest Land Coop in southwest MN. He then went on to work part-time as a Market Analyst/Merchandiser intern for Columbia Grain at their Minneapolis branch. He applied for a full-time Merchandiser position at CHS, Inc. and worked out of their Edgeley, ND location for two and a half years. Jeremy started with Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC in January 2015.

Jeremy grew up in Cambridge, MN; which is about 50 miles north of the Twin Cities. Most of his family lives around the Cambridge area. Jeremy and his wife are currently in the process of moving from Edgeley, ND to Fargo. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with his family in Butte, MT and camping in the boundary waters in northern MN. His other interests and hobbies include golf, watching football and baseball games, and spending time with family and friends.

We welcome Jeremy to the Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC team. If you haven’t had the chance to meet Jeremy yet, stop into our Casselton office to say hello and introduce yourself.

Introducing this issue’s featured staff membersEmployee Focus

Jeremy & Jamie!

Jeremy Rolf

Grain Originator

Jamie Kiecker

Safety Director

THANK YOU


8

Maple River Communications (MRC) works hard to provide you with dependable internet service. If you need help with your internet service, have a billing question, or want to know how to pay your invoice- there are several ways to contact us.

If you are having internet problems, please use one of the following ways to contact us.

• Call our office at (701)347-0089 and a ticket will be opened and sent to the technician that is assigned to your account. If you call after hours or on the weekend, our after-hour support team can assist you with troubleshooting. If the problem is not resolved, a ticket will be opened, assigned to a technician, and will be addressed the next business day.

• Send an email to [email protected]. You will receive an auto email reply confirming that a ticket has been opened. Email updates will be sent to you as we work on finding a solution to your problem.

• If you experience an internet outage, call MRC at (701)347-0089 or if you have internet access through another source, email us at [email protected]. A ticket will be opened with a “No Connection” status and sent to our technicians.

If you would like to know how you can pay your bill or get a copy of an invoice, use one of the below options.

• Pay online using the MRC portal at https://mrcportal.com. If you don’t know your portal username and password, please call our office at (701)347-0089 or email us at [email protected]. Once you have logged into the MRC portal, you can pay your bill online, view current and previous invoices, and check data usage.

• Call (701)347-0089 with billing questions, to get copies of current or a past invoices, or to make a payment using a credit card or an e-check.

• Auto Pay is available if you would like to have your monthly payment automatically debited to a credit card or bank account. Please call (701)347-0089 or email [email protected] and we will mail you a Recurring Payment Authorization form to get you started.

• Mail a check to Maple River Communications, 1630 1st Avenue South, Casselton, ND 58012.

You’ve Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.


9

Credit ReportBraeden Nelson - Credit Manager

Well, winter has finally decided to show up and it only took until the second week in February to see our first significant snowfall of the year. Spring planting is not too far away and that means that most of you are probably busy with tax appointments and getting your finances in order for 2015. With lower commodity prices and stressed profitability in the Ag economy, credit will be tightening up within the Ag industry. Part of my job as Credit Manager is to look for ways to be a financial resource for your operations.

I want to provide all of you with some detail on a new financing option that we will have available for our customers in 2015. Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC has partnered with ProPartners Financial to utilize their “Agrispan” program for crop input financing. I encourage anyone who will be carrying a balance on their account or would like the flexibility to pay for their inputs after harvest to look into this program. This program allows a qualified borrower to request up to $250,000 in unsecured credit for the purchase of our products and services with a single one page application. For those borrowers who do not qualify for unsecured credit or would like a little better interest rate, a secured option is available for very little additional paperwork. This is a convenient financing option for our customers as it requires minimal information and allows for greater payback flexibility. All loans under this program carry a February 10th maturity date, meaning any inputs purchased this spring could be carried until February 2016 with this program. Interest rates are based off of the prime index and will be much more favorable than the 18% that you will be paying if you carry a balance on your account.

The streamlined application process works pretty well for loans $250,000 and under. Larger loans would require more traditional underwriting and more financial information, but they are available. For more information on this program or if you are interested in getting signed up, give me a call or stop by my office and we can get the process going.

By now, our agronomy customers should have received a letter regarding the implementation of a new credit policy at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC. As we continue to grow into new territories and take on new customers, this is a process that needs to be started to protect what has been built at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC. Many of you have significant equity within our cooperative and we want to make sure we are protecting your assets from credit risk as we continue to grow. If you have any questions regarding the credit policy, please give me a call or stop by the Casselton office and I would be happy to answer them for you.

The last item I would like to talk about is accounts receivable at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC. I would like to thank all our customers for taking care of their accounts and making our collections run smoothly this year. If you have not cleaned up your account from this summer, please arrange to get these balances paid as quickly as you can. It is important to remember that Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC has an 18% finance charge on all accounts with a past-due balance. If you find yourself short on capital and are paying this 18%, please take a look at the financing option I talked about before. It will save you on interest expense significantly.

I would like to wish you all a safe spring planting season. We appreciate your continued support of Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC.


10

Throughout the winter months, in just about every conversation about fertilizer, the comment that seems to be a popular theme is “fertilizer prices need to come down, that is what the corn market has done.” So I took the opportunity to look back at when the last time corn prices were similar to current levels to try to determine what fertilizer prices were during that time period. Futures pricing charts indicated that Q1 of 2010 appeared to be the most recent time period. Then, in a google search I came across a document from the University of Illinois that indicated pricing for January 21, 2010 with the following numbers: Anhydrous Ammonia - $517 per ton; Urea - $421 per ton; Liquid Nitrogen (28%) - $245 per ton; DAP - $447 per ton, and Potash- $495 per ton. I realize that we are not in Illinois, but one can assume that our prices would be slightly higher than these because of our relative distance from the gulf market. Now the question to answer is, “How are current market dynamics different or similar to Q1 2010?” That would most likely add another five pages to this article, so for the sake of space, we won’t go there. Yes, it appears that NH3 and 28% are higher now versus then, but urea is quite similar. Fall urea applications and fall prepay pricing were at the $420-$425 per ton level. MAP pricing is most often about $20-$25 higher than DAP, so phosphate was slightly less expensive in 2010. At $450 per ton for prepay, potash would have been slightly more expensive in 2010. Comparing the costs over these two time periods showcases that pricing is not as extremely different as one might be led to believe. Just be aware that fertilizer markets can sometimes be as volatile as the commodity markets. So are you still sure fertilizer prices need to come down?

We understand that farm profitability is greatly reduced in the current commodity price situation. To attempt to make your growing plan as efficient as possible, we would like to list some helpful tips to help maximize your profitability per

bushel. Many growers have indicated lately that corn is looking as good as soybeans (though neither fantastic). It may be worth a look at the NDSU Extension Bulletin SF722 (Revised) from Dr. David Franzen. The revised bulletin shows recommendations based on soil types and yield situations, as well as recommended side-dress applications. If you want to protect your nitrogen investment when applying urea, apply Instinct to the dry fertilizer. This product will keep your nitrogen in the ammonium form longer, so it is not as susceptible to leaching issues (mainly sandier soils with high water movement through the soil profile) and denitrification issues (more so in heavier clay soils with saturated conditions for 2-3 days or more). Your N will still be remaining in the root zone when peak N uptake begins. With Urea-N at about $0.50/#N, you may be tempted to just add an additional 20# of N, but in a leaching or denitrification situation, you will lose more than just 20#. Side-dressing is becoming more of a common practice in the area as well. The addition of 10-15 gallons of 28% around the 5 leaf stage can make N available during peak N uptake, as well as potentially put some added dollars back in the grower’s pocket as well.

Remember, we talked about this last spring also. If you think urea is too high, a $90 increase in urea cost can be wiped away with less than a 10 cent swing in the price of corn. The $90 per ton extra in the price of urea will cost you $0.045 per pound. Assuming you are applying 300 lbs. per acre of urea, the increase will cost you $13.50 per acre. 150 bushel per acre corn at an increase of $0.10 per bushel equals $15.00 per acre. How do you answer now? Are fertilizer prices too high or commodity prices too low?

High Fertilizer Prices. Are You Sure?Credit ReportJon Ellingson - Sales Agronomist


11

A big thanks to all that have booked seed, chemical, and fertilizer with Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC. As always, it is very much appreciated. It has been quite the challenge these last few months trying to figure out what to plant. If you have open acres yet, please give us a call and get seed covered for those acres soon.

We have a good selection of seed yet to work with. A few of the big seed hitters are AG1135, AG0934, Croplan 0842, and Croplan 0900. These four soybeans are all cyst beans with a proven record to be leaders of the pack. The 0900 is a blend of two soybeans that has proven to be a good one; especially on ground that is a little variable.

It seems that cyst continues to be an issue everywhere. Chances are that you probably have cyst, even if you think you don’t! Using a cyst soybean

may not be enough, depending on cyst numbers on a particular field and hot spots. Using Acceleron Poncho – Votivo is still money well spent, with the added insecticide and nematicide to help keep the roots healthy.

Please note that if you are wanting Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC to custom treat any seed, we will be doing so on an appointment basis only. If you are wanting wheat or barley treated, this can be done in advance of when you will plant. Please try to plan accordingly and give yourselves and our agronomy team enough notice so we can avoid a cluster at the seed treater this season.

We hope you have a great spring planting season. Be safe!

Mike Weed - Sales AgronomistMarch Seed News


12

As many of you know, we have had some staffing changes in the Casselton office on the grain side. The first introduction I would like to make is in regards to Kim Koetz. Kim recently transitioned into the Grain Origination position this January from her role as Grain Accountant. Also joining our team as a Grain Originator is Jeremy Rolf. Jeremy started with us mid-January. Please check out his profile in the Employee Focus section of this newsletter. With two grain originators, we have all your marketing needs covered. Please stop by the office or give Kim or Jeremy a call for your grain sales and contracting needs.

On a separate note, I do want to convey to our patrons the changes that have come about in the export market with the Viptera (MIR 162) corn

trait. China finally approved the import of the Viptera trait by Syngenta in corn and DDG’s. Last spring we sent out a mailer about how we were not going to accept Viptera corn due to the limited export destinations it could go to. I just wanted to update our producers that we will now accept it for delivery. There is one other trait that has not been approved by China and that is the Duracade (eCry3.1Ab) trait from Syngenta. We will not accept delivery of corn with this trait. I am being told that this particular trait is not being widely sold in the upper Midwest, but more in the Corn Belt. This is something to keep in mind and maybe have a conversation with your seed supplier about.

As always, we appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you now and in the future.

Alex Richard - Grain Division ManagerGrain Manager’s Minute


13

The Basis ApproachJeremy Rolf - Grain Originator

In this issue, we will focus on basis and what we can expect moving forward into spring/summer. As we went into the holiday season, basis took a step back for the most part on corn, soybeans, and wheat; which is normal for that time of year. Moving into January, February, and probably March, we’ve seen basis appreciate for a few reasons. First, it is a slow time of year with the lack of farmer movement. And second, freight values have continued to come down from their highs during harvest ($5,000/car to Tariff/$0 per car). Finally, the supply pipeline has worked through the gut slot of harvest. Now and moving forward, grain will have to come out of storage to fulfill demand. Let’s focus a minute on the fundamentals going forward. In respect to corn as of this writing, USDA has estimated ending stocks at 1.827bb vs. 13/14 estimate of 1.232bb and 12/13 821mb. So expectations of a large carryout are there and have been factored into the futures market, but not necessarily in the local basis market. If there is 60-70 percent of 2014/2015 corn crop left in the bin, we are running against the clock to get those bushels into the market and then marketed. A few unknowns are what will our exports be with a surging dollar? Corn exports could be hard to come by with the dollar trading higher, making U.S. commodities more expensive worldwide. And what kind of domestic feed/ethanol demand is there going to be? The bigger question is what is going to be planted and what is weather going to do? Depending on how the oil market shakes out and what kind of ethanol exports can be generated with a strong dollar, it may be difficult for processors to continue to grind at the pace they are. Domestic feed usage has been healthy, so that is a plus. How does this relate to basis going into spring and summer? In this scenario, it looks like there will be heavy volumes of corn trying to move

through the market during the June/July time frame. If there is large portion of old crop yet to be marketed and with spring planting just around the corner, this will most likely pressure basis as we get into spring and early summer. The key is to plan ahead and take advantage of basis appreciation.

Touching on soybeans, the PNW export season is winding down and going to switch over to South America. Since there is no local soybean crusher, it will be difficult to move soybeans south and/or to the river as there really is no region that has a shortage of soybeans like the last few years. Basis will be under pressure for the next several months as we see what kind of yields come out of South America and planting intentions. In regards to wheat, the market is still dealing with quality issues. The U.S. and world supply is ample, so the biggest thing going forward is to see if millers will ease up on discounts and what kind of condition the winter wheat is in and how much spring wheat gets planted.

To conclude, the take away here is to be proactive in marketing. With the large corn stocks yet to be moved through the market, there will be times of widening of basis. But there will also be opportunities to take advantage of a narrowing basis like what we are experiencing now. Is this the only basis opportunity to take advantage of? No, there will be other times; but as mentioned above, time to market is getting shorter and can go by quickly so take advantage of seasonality’s, basis, and futures appreciation. In closing, I look forward to working and getting to know all of you. The team at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC is here to help so feel free to stop in or give us a call.


14

If you have been to any crop production meetings this winter, what’s the one thing that keeps coming up at every meeting? Herbicide resistant weeds, and for good reason. Weeds are one of the biggest yield robbing problems that farmers face. Combine that with herbicide resistant weeds, and we have a big problem on our hands. The scary part is, it’s not just Glyphosate (Roundup) resistance we are dealing with. It’s many other herbicides with many different modes of action. An example of a problem weed here in the valley is common ragweed. Common ragweed has shown resistance to group 2 (ALS Inhibitor), group 5 (Photosystem II inhibitor), group 9 (EPSP Synthase Inhibitor), and group 14 (PPO Inhibitor) herbicides. Another scary weed we are battling here is common waterhemp, which has shown resistance to herbicide groups 2, 4, 5, 9, 14, and 27. So what does this mean? We have to be proactive and preventative rather than curative. Once these weeds have established in our fields, especially soybean fields, it’s too late to expect any level of in-season control. The best way to control these weeds is before they emerge. What can we do? The best and most effective option is PRE emergent herbicides. No matter what university meeting I have been to this winter; whether its NDSU or UMN, they all preach the same thing. PREs, PREs, PREs. We are past the point of throwing the seed in the ground in the spring, spraying once with Glyphosate in the summer, and harvesting in the fall. I don’t want to sound doom and gloom, but that is the truth. If we are

not putting some sort of PRE emergence herbicide system down before or shortly after we plant, we are in trouble. Waterhemp alone can produce over one million seeds per plant. If we don’t prevent it from emerging, and it grows to seed, and if it’s herbicide resistant- it’s game over! The only thing at that point that will kill waterhemp is cold hard steel, and nobody has time for that. One last point the other agronomists and I want to make is about PRE emerge herbicide application timing. We all know that our springs are short. Really short. So come spring, most of us are planting as fast as we can, day and night, to make sure our acres get planted. Remember, most of these PRE emerge herbicides have a labeled three day application window after planting. What I am trying to say is, if you see rain coming, and you don’t think we can get in your field to spray your PRE emerge- STOP. The PREs are that important! If you just have to keep planting into the rain and there is likely no chance of us getting in your field with the ground sprayer, most of the PREs can be applied by airplane. Make sure to give your agronomist a call as soon as you are done planting so we can get those PREs applied. If you have any questions on rates of application or pricing of these ultra-important herbicides, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Let’s have a great, safe spring, and keep those fields weed free!

The Basis Approach PRE Emergence HerbicidesJared Pokrzywinski - Sales Agronomist


15

PRODUCE

Mike Flaten - Agronomy ManagerAgronomy Matters

With such a mild winter to date, it seems like spring is just around the corner! We hope anyway! The agronomy team at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC has kept busy these past winter months preparing for the spring season ahead. One of those preparations has been the process of hiring new employees to meet the demands of our growing company and customer base. I would like to introduce Cory Aasen. He will be working mainly at our Grandin, ND location. Cory’s primary focus will be sales and handling the operation duties for the spring season. Corey previously worked for Wischer Aviation before coming on board with us. We have also hired Adam Frye to run our seed plant treater in Casselton this spring. He will then turn his attention to the sales side next fall. Stop into the Grandin, ND location when you get a chance to meet Cory and introduce yourself to Adam this spring/fall.

In preparation for a new planting season, we are filling the fertilizer plant as full as we can get it. We have railcars on order and have inventory on-hand to fill our fertilizer bookings. We have also serviced our equipment to prepare for the fertilizer application season ahead. We have nine dry fertilizer spreaders ready to go. Along with operating our

dry machines, we will also have two liquid applicators and both our sprayers applying pre-plant & pre-emerge chemicals when you are busy in the field getting the seed planted. Give us a call today for all your delivery needs of chemical, seed, and

fertilizer. We have a total of thirteen semi-tenders along with four 16-ton tender units to deliver the product to you in a timely manner. We have made many improvements in our application equipment and support fleet to be able to proudly service our customer needs today and will continue to grow to meet the needs of tomorrow.

We wish you a plentiful spring planting season!

PREPARE. PLAN. PLANT.


16

PRODUCE

Thomas Paulson - Sales Agronomist

It seems as though there is a fair amount of indecision spread across the marketplace involving what to put in the ground for 2015. Given the current market situation, topped off with input prices holding firm, I can understand the indecisiveness. Unfortunately, the scope of indecision doesn’t make it any easier to plan ahead to meet our customers’ needs as we head into another spring season. With most of the winter being mild and with very little snow to date, we could potentially see spring approach sooner rather than later. If this is the case, it leaves us with an even shorter timeframe in which to plan.

As far as infrastructure is concerned, Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC is able to handle large volumes of product. We have the product, services, and equipment ready to meet our customer’s needs. However, if we have a limited plan, it hinders our ability to operate efficiently. This is where we need your help. The sooner we can arrange plans with our customers, the more efficient and timely our operations go. These benefits ultimately get passed

to our end users- the producers! These planning processes extend from seed treatment and delivery to fertilizer and chemical applications. For example; sending us your delivery orders and application maps a couple days in advance would drastically increase our ability to meet the demands for those products and services more efficiently. If Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC were able to make even two more deliveries per day in the spring season, how many more acres could get planted that much sooner? In our serviceable area, in a 35 day (give or take) seeding season, at a 20 acre per hour planting efficiency, we could easily have thousands of acres seeded in less time. When it comes to corn production and planting dates, I think we all know the importance of what this could mean. So all in all, just keep us in mind when it comes to making decisions. We are here to help in any way we can. We strive to be able to serve our customers as best we can, but we know we can’t accomplish that without your help. We wish you a safe, efficient, and productive spring planting season!

Spring Planning

DISCOUNT REMINDER

As a reminder, Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC gives a 2% discount to patrons who pay their bills by the 10th of the following month. This discount was established to give our customers a break if they pay their bill by the 10th and also allows Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC better cash flow management. NO discounts will be allowed after the 10th and the balance will remain on the account if paid after that date. Please take the time to review your invoices carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our office at (701) 347-4465 to speak to our sales and accounting staff. As always, we appreciate your business and thank you for your timely payments.


17

The strength of dicamba is well-established, as is the need for a reliable crop safener. That’s why corn growers will appreciate the introduction of DiFlexx™ herbicide, which brings together dicamba and a highly effective CSI Safener from Bayer CropScience.

NEW DIFLEXX BRINGS CORN GROWERS:

• Fast and effective control of broadleaf weeds, with residual

• A superior safener for improved crop safety compared to other dicamba-containing products

• Offers the convenience of a liquid formulation for ease of handling when compared to Status®, which offers a dry formulation. Additionally, 2 fl oz of DiFlexx is equal to 1 oz of Status

• A fit in both pre- and postemergence programs, ensuring complete broadleaf weed control

• Control of tough weeds like Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, ragweed and lambsquarters, plus over 100 more annual and perennial weeds, including those resistant to glyphosate-, PPO- and ALS-based herbicides

• A great tankmix partner for nearly all corn pre- and post products, improving weed control and crop safety

• A wide window of application timing—from burndown to V10—for exceptional flexibility

• The ability to safely combine dicamba with MSO or COC for additional weed control

• Tankmix with Corvus® or Balance® Flexx from burndown to early post (V2), or apply post with Laudis® or Capreno® for an additional mode of action on broadleaf weeds

NEW DIFLEXX™ FOR BROADLEAF WEED CONTROL, APPLICATION FLEXIBILITY AND CROP SAFETY IN CORNDiFlexx provides corn growers an ideal combination: dicamba and CSI™ Safener technology in a liquid formulation

©2015 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer (reg’d), the Bayer Cross (reg’d), Balance®, Capreno®, Corvus®, CSI™, DiFlexx™ and Laudis® are trademarks of Bayer. Balance Flexx and Corvus are Restricted Use Pesticides. Balance Flexx, Capreno, Corvus, DiFlexx and Laudis are not registered in all states. Status is a trademark of BASF Corporation. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.usCR1114DFLEXXA046V00R0

IMPORTANT: This bulletin is not intended to provide adequate information for use of these products. Read the label before using these products. Observe all label directions and precautions while using these products.


18

Roots

You know the importance of deep, healthy roots. For years, maybe even

generations, your operation has supported your family and community.

Ours are strong, too. For more than 110 years, we’ve worked hand in hand

with producers to grow crops, farms and profitability in rural North Dakota

Because we value what you value. Let’s keep our way of life going strong.


19

1630 1st Avenue South Casselton, ND 58012

grain contracts featured employees fertilizer review ... (final).pdf · a publication from maple...

Documents