Glenn Lutteke, General Manager [email protected] (507) 533-4222 Annual Meeting Highlights The Annual Shareholder Meeting was held on Thursday, November 20th at the Stewartville Civic Center. There were 56 shareholders present to hear financial reports from Jim Schuetzle, auditor at Carlson Highland & Co LLP. The group also heard Progressive Ag Center, LLC financial reports and General Managers comments given by Glenn Lutteke, General Manager of All American Co-op & Progressive Ag Center, LLC. Highlights from the financial report for All American Co-op for fiscal year ending June 30th, 2014 are as follows. All American Co-op year end company sales were $60,507,279. Net Margin for the year was at $3,376,477. Checks totaling $643,157 were distributed, representing the 40% cash portion for the past fiscal year. Grain marketed during the 2013- 14 fiscal year was at 6,253,100 bushels, which was down 4,806,400 bushels from the 2012-13 fiscal year end. Feed volumes were down 1,588 tons from the last year. Service revenue was at $2,768,155, up $262,948 from the 2012-13 fiscal year end. Progressive Ag Center, LLC showed a net margin of $2,666,502 on $35,971,502 in sales. Agronomy tons, not including lime, were up 5,301 tons from last year. Last year also included the prevent acres in our area. Service revenue for Progressive Ag Center, LLC was $2,158,588, up $685,859 from last year. Happy Holidays Merry Christmas from all of us at All American Co-op and Progressive Ag Center, LLC. We thank you for your business throughout the past year and look forward to earning your business in the future. I would personally like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s not take our blessings for granted or feel we are owed; be thankful for what we have and not worry about our wants. Life is meant to be lived. Have a safe and happy holiday season. Lutteke Manager’s Notes Cooperative Link “ Working with you” “ Working with you” Stewartville, Eyota, Elgin, Chatfield, Kellogg, Plainview, St. Charles and Viola Progressive Ag Center, L.L.C. COOPERATIVE ALL AMERICAN CO-OP ALL AMERICAN CO-OP November / December 2014 www.allamericancoop.com Issue 439 All American Co-op Acquires Sole Ownership of Progressive Ag Center, LLC ......................................................................2 Grain News ................................................................................................3 Defer Payment Grain Checks ....................................................................3 Planning For Next Year ..............................................................................3 It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Or is it? ....................................4 “A Good Plan Today is Better Than a Perfect Plan Tomorrow” ..................4 The Power of Partnership ..........................................................................5 Doing What We Do Today So That There is Something There Tomorrow......5 From the Seed Shed ..................................................................................6 The Power of Teamwork ............................................................................6 Service and Selection are Key ..................................................................7 Feed Department News ............................................................................8 Welcome Callie Courtney ..........................................................................8 Cook’s Corner ............................................................................................8 Why you should know the Quantity & Quality of your forages right NOW!......9 There’s a New Whey ................................................................................10 I Am Thankful ............................................................................................11 College Scholarships Available ................................................................12 What’s Inside
12
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Center. There were 56 shareholders present to hear
financial reports from Jim Schuetzle, auditor at
Carlson Highland & Co LLP. The group also
heard Progressive Ag Center, LLC financial
reports and General Managers comments given by
Glenn Lutteke, General Manager of All American
Co-op & Progressive Ag
Center, LLC.
Highlights from the
financial report for All
American Co-op for fiscal
year ending June 30th,
2014 are as follows. All
American Co-op year end
company sales were
$60,507,279. Net Margin
for the year was at
$3,376,477. Checks totaling $643,157
were distributed, representing the 40%
cash portion for the past fiscal year.
Grain marketed during the 2013-
14 fiscal year was at 6,253,100 bushels,
which was down 4,806,400 bushels
from the 2012-13 fiscal year end. Feed
volumes were down 1,588 tons from
the last year. Service revenue was at
$2,768,155, up $262,948 from the
2012-13 fiscal year end.
Progressive Ag
Center, LLC showed a net
margin of $2,666,502 on
$35,971,502 in sales.
Agronomy tons, not
including lime, were up
5,301 tons from last year.
Last year also included
the prevent acres in our
area. Service revenue for
Progressive Ag Center,
LLC was $2,158,588, up
$685,859 from last year.
Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas from all of us at All American Co-op and
Progressive Ag Center, LLC. We thank you for your business
throughout the past year and look forward to earning your business
in the future. I would personally like to wish everyone a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s not take our blessings for
granted or feel we are owed; be thankful for what we have and not
worry about our wants. Life is meant to be lived. Have a safe and
happy holiday season.
Lutteke
Manager’s Notes
Cooperative Link“ Wo r k i n g w i t h y o u ”“ Wo r k i n g w i t h y o u ”Stewartville, Eyota, Elgin, Chatfield, Kellogg, Plainview, St. Charles and Viola
Progressive AgCenter, L.L.C.COOPERATIVE
ALL AMERICANCO-OP
ALL AMERICANCO-OP
November / December 2014 www.allamericancoop.com Issue 439
All American Co-op Acquires Sole Ownership of Progressive Ag Center, LLC ......................................................................2Grain News ................................................................................................3Defer Payment Grain Checks ....................................................................3Planning For Next Year ..............................................................................3It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Or is it? ....................................4“A Good Plan Today is Better Than a Perfect Plan Tomorrow”..................4The Power of Partnership ..........................................................................5Doing What We Do Today So That There is Something There Tomorrow......5
From the Seed Shed ..................................................................................6The Power of Teamwork ............................................................................6Service and Selection are Key ..................................................................7Feed Department News ............................................................................8Welcome Callie Courtney ..........................................................................8Cook’s Corner ............................................................................................8Why you should know the Quantity & Quality of your forages right NOW!......9There’s a New Whey ................................................................................10I Am Thankful............................................................................................11College Scholarships Available ................................................................12
Today is November 25th and the corn isstill coming in. We have over 1,000,000 bushelsof soybeans in storage and have shipped or trans-ferred over 175,000 bushels since harvest began.We currently have 5,227,000 bushels of cornin bins and have transferred or shipped over1,350,000 bushels so far. Today alone, we haveloaded out 60,000 bushels of corn and 5,300
bushels of soybeans. We hope that from today forward we canship as fast as it comes in. I thought we had reached that point aweek ago, but then on Thursday and Friday last week we unloadedover 200,000 each day spread between the 5 grain sights. There arenever enough trucks available toward the end of the season, butdelays, because we went full, were minimal.
I have been watching the markets for about 35 years and stillthink my advice is close to useless. I thought when soybean cashprice declined almost $4.00 from August to October and cash corndeclined $2.00 from May to October that most people would store.Then, in mid harvest, we had a 60 cent rally in corn and a 1 dollarrally in soybeans. I didn’t expect that at all and actually feared thedeclines could be worse. It now looks like we will buy 4 bushelsout of every 10 bushels received. This has allowed us to ship grainthroughout the entire long harvest and allowed us to keep from goingfull until the last few days of aggressive harvest activity. We haven’thad to cut storage off to anyone that wanted it and also providedcustom drying services for over 300,000 bushels of patron grain.
It has been a very long season. Our first 7 AM to 7 PM daysbegan on October 6th. Since then, we have operated 51 days with only2 Sundays off. I know all of our patrons pushed hard and had minimaldays off until the weather problems at the very end of the season.
I want to thank all the full and part time employees for theirdedication to make this harvest successful. There were a lot of verylong days and some very creative thinking to keep us operatingcontinuously for that long of a stretch. Thank you all and convey mythanks to your families for supporting your efforts to offer theselfless level of customer service we provided our patrons. I alsowant to thank all of our customers for your continued business youbring to All American Co-op. We appreciate your hard work andcontinued dedication to the growth and success of your locally ownedcooperative.
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a successfulNew Year.
Grain News
Stockdale
Defer Payment Grain Checks
If you have sold grain and asked that we Defer the Payment
until 2015, those checks will be available to pick up no earlier
than 2 pm on Friday, January 2nd. If you haven’t picked up
your Defer Payment check by 10:00 am Monday, January 5th we
will mail your check. If you are a Direct Deposit customer, those
transactions should appear in your bank accounts the following
business day. If you have questions or concerns about Defer
Payments please contact Teresa Baker at our Stewartville office at
It’s hard to believe that the fall harvest andThanksgiving are already over and Christmas is onits way. That means the New Year is approachingfast and we need to be thinking about the 2015crop year and what improvements we need tomake for the coming year to be as profitable aspossible. With the crop prices not being as highas we would like, we need to make sure the highyields are still there to compensate. Obviously
we cannot control nature, but we can control the inputs we put intoour crop. Cutting or eliminating essential crop inputs may seem likea good idea for cutting cost right now, but next fall, there may be aneven bigger loss on profit.
One of the biggest factors in having a profitable crop is fertility.The crop needs the correct amount of macronutrients (N, P, K),secondary nutrients (S, Mg, Ca), and micronutrients (Zn, B, Cu, Mn)throughout the growing season to yield to its fullest potential. Makesure your soil samples are up-to-date to ensure the correct amount offertilizer is applied for the upcoming crop. Having your farm gridsampled is one way to save on the fertilizer bill and get higher yields.Instead of applying a flat rate of fertilizer across the entire field, a gridsampled field can be variable rate spread. The variable rate applicationwill put more fertilizer where it is needed and less or no fertilizer in
places it is not needed. It is also a good idea to protect your nitrogeninvestment with a nitrogen stabilizer to prolong the availability ofnitrogen in the soil.
Seed is another important factor in producing a profitable crop.The R7 Placement Strategy put together by Croplan is a great rule tofollow when buying seed from any brand. The R7 Placement Strategywill help you place seed on your farm by using these factors:
- the Right genetics for- the Right soil types at- the Right plant population in- the Right cropping system with- the Right traits fed- the Right plant nutrition defended with - the Right crop protectionThe last step on the R7 Placement Strategy is a very significant
step in having a profitable year as well. Appling the right herbicides,insecticides, and fungicides will keep the crop from competing withnoxious weeds and healthy throughout the growing season to get thefull yield potential.
Even cutting out one of these very important steps in producingyour crop this year may be detrimental to the end result in the fallof 2015. If you have any questions, please consult with your localProgressive Ag Center, LLC agronomist. I hope you have a blessedChristmas and a happy and safe New Year.
Christmas time has always been one of mymost favorite times of the year. One of my mostmemorable ones as a child was the year I receivedmy first 1/16th scale IH1586 and a tandem discwith folding wings. I also got a bailer and a coupleof gravity boxes. That winter and the followingyear I farmed every square inch of our house that Icould. If my calculations are correct I farmed theequivalent of 1/2 acre but in my mind I was the
largest land baron in Minnesota. I had hit the big time. Of course,back then I had no clue about the inputs it took to farm that 1/2acre. Seed, fertilizer, crop protection, fuel, machinery costs, landrent, and everything else involved in farming were all free. It trulywas a carefree world.
That was about 35 years ago. Fast forward to today and it’sa much different picture. The real world isn’t quite so rosy andcertainly nothing comes for free. And every year around this time weare reminded of that, not because it’s Christmas, but because it’s thedreaded year-end tax prep time and everyone is taking stock of whatthey need for next year. Seriously! Who decided that tax prep seasonshould be at the end of the year? Especially around Christmas. This issupposed to be a time to slow down, relax, enjoy friends and family,take stock of everything we have to be thankful for, and reflect onwhat is to come. Prepare the way for a Savior, not prepare for nextyear’s crop season. Tell me again…Who said this is the mostwonderful time of the year?
Unfortunately, these are the cards we are dealt. I’m quite certainMr. C. isn’t going to change the date of Christmas and I’m also certainthere will be no legislation or executive order any time soon to bantaxes. So, like Christmas seasons past, we will work through the taxprep and planning for next year. We’ll crunch the numbers, sharpenthe pencil, deduct what we can, and ultimately “Render unto Caesarthe things that are Caesar’s”.
Although next year does not look to be as lucrative as the last fewyears have been, All American Co-op and Progressive Ag Center LLCwill do our part in helping you to be the most profitable as you can be.We will give you our best professional advice and I trust we will do itwith honesty and integrity. We sincerely appreciate your business andlook forward to working with you next year as well. Even thoughprofit forecasts do not look as good as we would like, we have muchto be thankful for. Throughout this busy time of year, take some timeto slow down and reflect on that and the true meaning of Christmas.
Back to my 1/16 scale tractors. If I had been smart I should havedown scaled to the 1/64th scale and that 1/2 acre I farmed would havequadrupled into 2 acres. How cool is that? Too bad it doesn’t workthat way in the real world and try explaining that one to a child.
Seeing the excitement of Christmas in my own children continuesto bring back the nostalgia of my childhood Christmas’s, but as I growolder that nostalgia has changed from the anticipation of farming theback 40 of the living room to a real sense of awe and wonder and theanticipation of the Birth of Christ. “For unto you is born this day inthe city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Ahhhh………Christmas………it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.May you all have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and aHappy New Year!
As we come to the end of another croppingseason, the entire agronomy staff and I want tothank you not only for your purchases throughoutthe year, but also for allowing us to be a part ofyour business and for your contributions to thesuccess of our daily operations. The time youallow our staff to spend with you to make plansand recommendations is a very large part of our
success because we can go into the season having some idea of yourthoughts, goals, and expectations. The time put towards planningallows us to make our appropriate plans and organize as much aspossible. It is our sincere hope that you feel the same way.
As I sat down and prepared to write this article, I knew thetopic I wanted to touch on…Planning; so I began by searching thedefinition of “Plan”. Plan - a set of actions that have been thoughtof as a way to do or achieve something. My search also took me toa couple of quotes from some great historic figures… “The time torepair the roof is when the sun is shining” (John F. Kennedy, State ofthe Union Address January 11, 1962). Given what was going on in theworld at the time, Kennedy was probably not applying these words topreparing for the next year’s cropping season. Nor was George Pattonthinking of soil fertility and weed control when he said “a good plantoday is better than a perfect plan tomorrow”.
Although it may not have been their intention, these quotes dofit well to describe Progressive Ag Center’s philosophy during themonths leading up to a new growing season. The winter months are agreat time to focus on your operation’s individual needs to come upwith solutions and a set of actions to best prepare for success for thecoming year. The slumber of the winter months is time to analyze,study, gather information and share our questions and makeobservations. Questions such as; What worked, what didn’t work?Which farms or fields need closer attention? How do resources need tobe allocated or redistributed to maximize return on investment? Whatproblems can be anticipated, how can they be solved? Which productshave a fit that are likely to lower per-unit cost of production? Historyhas shown us that we cannot plan for everything; any well-laid planwill likely need to be changed to some degree before or as plantersroll, due to weather, markets, or other unknown and unpredictablecircumstances. But, we can use what we do know to put together aplan, a starting point to work from, so to speak. It is much easier andsmoother to change a plan already in place during the spring rush, thanto wait for the spring rush to start making the plan. Why not takeadvantage of the less hectic January, February and March instead ofthe chaotic April and May to get this job done? Please be prepared toget some thoughts organized and filed so when spring comes around,after what will likely be a long winter, we can hit the ground running.
Again, thank you for the opportunity you give us to be a part ofyour operation. Merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us atAll American Co-op and Progressive Ag Center.
Thoreson
“A Good Plan Today is Better Than a Perfect Plan Tomorrow”
Congratulations to our 2014 ProgressiveAg Center, LLC Corn Yield Contest Winners asmeasured by NCGA judges. We wish them goodluck at the state NCGA corn yield contest as well!1. Clements Brothers, LLC, West Salem, WI
with Croplan 4099SS at 275.5 bpa2. Sunshine Acres, Elgin, MN with Dekalb
DKC54-38SS at 258.1 bpa3. Chad Liebenow, Millville, MN with Dekalb
DKC57-75SS at 243.0 bpaAs 2014 winds down into the holidays, it is always worth taking
a few minutes to recap and reflect on the previous growing season.Once again, our growers were blessed with solid yields at harvest
time, particularly with soybeans. We have much to be thankful for thisyear with many full grain bins despite some major challenges:
• Record breaking cold winter with some tile lines still frozenwell into May
• Wet April/early May that left most of planting to squeeze intolate May
• Record wet June that left corn roots hungry for nitrogen andoxygen
• Cool summer that was shy on growing degree unit accumulation• Bone dry July and early August that fried some crops on
lighter soils• Widespread frost on September 13 that trimmed corn test
weight and yield• Late harvest season with some corn still in the field as I write this
Obviously, Mother Nature pitched us nearly every curveballpossible this year, and we managed through it with patience andcooperation. Or as I also like to mention, “You wouldn’t do thatwith Grandpa’s seed corn or soybeans!”
Please be aware of our next seed prepay deadline of January 15th,2015. The sooner we can discuss seed needs for next spring, the betterour chances are that we can get you the hybrids, varieties, traits, andseed sizes that fit your operation. We also still have attractive seedorder growth programs available for those early seed orders.
Most importantly, please take the extra time this holiday seasonwith those you care about to thank them for all of their help andto let them know how much they really mean to you. From all ofus at Progressive Ag Center, LLC, we are truly blessed for thewonderful farmers that we have had the opportunity to work withthroughout 2014!
The goal for every business is to be success-ful. The definition of success varies widely butin the end, being successful can only be achievedwhen all the members of your team work togetherto meet your end goal. In a cattle feeding operationthat is compounded by the fact that we are dealingwith living animals and crops that have a mind oftheir own. The grace and fury of Mother Nature
can inevitably end their existence on this earth with very little warning,and that is something we cannot plan for, but we must always beprepared for.
Goals are only successful if all members of the team understandwhat their role is in reaching these goals. Team members are not justfamily members that are involved in the farming business, they alsoinclude part-time or weekend help, machinery operators, maintenanceworkers, cattle consultants, crop specialists and veterinarians. Thereare so many individuals that play a vital role in the success of the“team” and the goals that we set. We rely on each person being ableto bring their skill to the table and be able to complete the task athand and be flexible to adjust their plan around the other members’goals and deadlines.
Let’s take a moment to think of this team as a piece of machinery.The Members of the team are the interworking’s of the piece ofmachinery: the engine, transmission, and wheels on the ground everyday. The Goals, those are the fuel that run the machine. Now we needthe lubrication; Communication is what makes a well-oiled “TeamMachine” a success. Communicating with each other is imperativeto the fine tuning of the machine”. If the members on a team don’tcommunicate changes that are being made to address issues that
affect the team’s ability to do their job such as weather, illness,and breakdowns; then the Goals start to fade, and pretty soon themachine starts to spit and sputter until it seizes up and eventuallycomes to a screeching halt.
If you run your operation by yourself, utilize the access youhave to team members such as veterinarians, implement dealers,animal nutritionists, agronomists, and financial lenders to help youmake crucial decisions and complete the priorities that need to beaddressed. For example: Should I fix that leaky hydraulic pump onthe TMR mixer apron so I don’t have to scramble to find on oneSunday afternoon, or wait till next Monday and hope it makes theweekend? What type of corn should I plant next year? What shouldI feed this new group of calves? What vaccinations should I use onthis incoming group of cattle? What can I do to help myself havea more successful calving season? To understand all the optionsavailable to you will consume countless hours of your time. Let aspecialist from your team of professionals help break down the bigpicture to a few viable options and make an educated decision.
The management aspects of a business, no matter how big orsmall, will determine your overall success. Looking at the big picturemay be the viewpoint you are seeing, but if the issue that is effectingyour business’ overall success is too small to be seen with that wideangle lens, maybe it is time to focus on a view that will address thatissue and help your team achieve its goal. These concepts can beutilized in any business. Communication with your team is key to stayon top of any changing factors that can and will affect your bottomline. The staff at All American Co-op & Progressive Ag Center, LLCare here, ready and waiting, to help support your goals and help youwith the unexpected turns that Mother Nature can throw at those of usthat are raising livestock and crops. Thank you for your continued trustin our staff and the services that we bring to you and your farmingbusiness. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We have had colder temperatures and whiterscenery much earlier than normal already thisseason. Maybe it is just me, but as I age, I becomeless and less fond of winter. I am sure that ourlivestock farmers share this sentiment on winter –no matter what the weather brings, you are outthere, day in and day out. I want to say THANKYOU for all you do to feed our nation. There aremany outsiders that are quick to tell those of us
in the agriculture industry how to do our job – both with livestockor crops. However, appreciation is not given like it should be. So againTHANK YOU – thank you for the long days, sleepless nights,worrying, labor, sweat and sheer dedication you have for what you do.
This year has brought record high livestock prices, new challengesand an early winter. The early sight of snow is often dreaded, myselfincluded. However, my children welcomed the phenomena with aweand excitement. At what point do we lose that child-like enthusiasmfor the little things? The sledding, the icicles, the snowman. Much likeeverything in life, there is good to be found in winter. Thanksgivinghas past and Christmas will be here before we know it. The hustleand bustle seems to get more hectic every year. Many of you havetraditions and different aspects of this time of year that you like best.Be it the gift giving or receiving, the radio stations changing theirtune, the lights, the time with children or grandchildren or perhapsa candlelit service on Christmas Eve. We all have a different ideaof Christmas. Although we celebrate differently, the basis of thisupcoming holiday is the same for us all. One that we often are toobusy to truly stop and take a moment to reflect upon. If you closeyour eyes (after you are done reading this of course), can you picturethat barn? There were livestock there, quietly chewing their cuds. Thesky above is dark but for a star that shines brighter than ever before.In this barn, a mother holds her newborn baby and watches his tinyeyelids fall. This little innocent child came for you and for me, to takeour sins away. So as we get caught up in the busyness the next fewweeks bring, remember the little things. Remember our child-likeinnocence in finding joy in the little things. If you have young kidsmy final thought might cause you to start singing but here it goes, Doyou want to build a snowman?Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Preheat oven to 250°. In a large bowl, combine first seven ingre-
dients. Combine oil and dressing mix; pour over cracker mixture
and toss to coat. Transfer to three greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Cool on
wire racks. Store in an airtight container. (Yield: 6 quarts. Nutritional Facts: 1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 217 calories, 13 g fat(3 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 437 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber,4 g protein. Recipe from Taste of Home)
ALL AMERICANCO-OP
COOK’S CORNER
Callie Courtney was hired in October 2014 asa Dairy Nutrition Specialist for All AmericanCo-op and Purina Animal Nutrition. Callieattended NICC in Calmar, IA and continued onto complete her degree in Dairy Science atIowa State University. Callie is originally fromWaterville, IA where she grew up on a Jerseyfarm. Callie has worked on many dairies ofvarying sizes from 45 head up to 2000 head.She studied abroad in New Zealand focusing onpasture grazing systems and worked on a dairy
farm in Australia. Please be sure to introduce yourself and welcomeCallie to All American Co-op & Progressive Ag Center, LLC.