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>“Since 1976, Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Attention Iowa readers: It is now safe toturn your phone ringers back on. Thepoliticians have left the building.
I am writing this on the morning of Jan.4. With all of the caucus precinct tallies in,Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum finishedin the deadest of statistical dead heats, amere eight votes separating the pair ofRepublican presidential hopefuls. RonPaul came in a reasonably close third.
By the time this issue hits your mailbox,the flag-festooned campaign buses will betootling down roads far removed fromcorn and hogs, and the remaining candi-dates will be talking about how thegreat state they’re in at the moment, notIowa, is most important to them.
That said, it’s still interesting to look at the numbers.Across The Land’s Iowa coverage area — the northernthird of the state; 30 of its 99 counties — Santorumwon 18 counties, Paul seven and Romney five. By con-trast, Michele Bachmann finished among the top fourcandidates in only two counties, Emmet and Howard,both of which happen to border Minnesota.
The Iowa Caucus killed her campaign (and was ahard punch in the gut to Rick Perry’s) but at least shecan say she didn’t waste too much money on it.According to one online analyst, Bachmann only spent$8 for every vote she received in the Hawkeye State,compared to Romney’s $113, Newt Gingrich’s $139,
Paul’s $227 and Perry’s whopping $817.(Santorum managed to spend a thrifty$1.65 per vote. He must have used Casey’sGeneral Store coupons to fuel up his bus.)
A Western Iowa trucker/beef producerfriend shared his local caucus results. Thefollowing are the raw vote totals from histwo rural townships: Santorum 52, Rom-ney 29, Paul 29, Perry 20, Gingrich 12,Jon Huntsman 1, Bachmann 0.
Not to pick on the gentlelady from Min-nesota, but it’s not a good sign when you
get even fewer votes than the guy whowent out of his way to avoid Iowaentirely, while proclaiming its caucus to
be completely irrelevant.Speaking of irrelevant, if the economy starts to turn
around in 2012, the point of this entire GOP primaryprocess may quickly become moot. In a fake storyheadlined “600-Pound Butter Cow Sculpture WinsIowa Caucus,” the humor newspaper The Onionquotes a caucus-goer: “Looking at the rest of the field,I think at this point the butter cow is the Republicanparty’s best shot at beating Obama in November.”
That’s probably close to the truth. But the questionremains: where does the butter cow stand on gaymarriage?
Tom Royer is assistant editor of The Land. He canbe reached at [email protected]. ❖
Bye bye Bachmann
LAND MINDS
By Tom Royer
OPINION
9A — Gerald Tumbleson on farming:“You can’t make a profit without risk”
10A — Experts analyze the 2012
soybean seed situation
12A — Economist Michael Swanson:Exports, energy key economic drivers
1C-8C — The Land’s Minnesota PorkCongress preview
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
My home farm in west central Minnesota is waterchallenged, and has been for as long I can remember.
When I was a kid on the farm, my dad originallytried to raise livestock. But due to a quirk in the geol-ogy of the earth beneath us, we couldn’t pumpenough water from our aquifer to support a livestockoperation. Our well provided enough water for thefamily, was of good taste and quality, but was not suf-ficient for a herd of always-thirsty livestock. Myfather had numerous wells drilled, but all to no avail.
So we adapted, switching from livestock to smallgrain, corn and soybean production. The transition hasbeen a success. Usually, we receive enough rain to raisea good crop, although my father always commented thatwe lived too close to “then dry” South Dakota. Someyears, we receive too much rain, but we have managedto adapt to that with good land management practices.
I guess you could say water was always a definingissue for me, even as I walked to and from my country
school. My father even purchased that country schoolproperty upon its closure for the well that was on theproperty. I became fascinated by the physics of soiland water, pursued its study in college, and served asa Twin City-area physical and earth science publicschool educator until moving back to the family farmafter my father had a heart attack. I could not imag-ine farming without continuous interest in and studyof water, soil and plant interactions. To survive andprosper, farmers must continually study, learn andadapt to what is occurring on their farms.
Of course a lot of people besides farmers are inter-ested and concerned about preserving our state’sland and water resources for future generations.That’s a good thing, because ultimately we alldepend on the land and clean water for our survivaland livelihoods. Farming, like everything elsehumans do, has an impact on the environment.
Commentary: What protecting theland and water means to me
See CRAIGMILE, pg. 5A
It’s hard to see Iowa State University’skey role in a plan by one of its top officialsto develop an 800,000-acre farm in Tanza-nia as anything other than institutionalpolish to a massive African land deal forpolitically-connected financial titans.
And, yet, there sits ISU, smack in themiddle of a geopolitical web that stretchesfrom its corn-and-soybean encircled cam-pus in Ames to Wichita, Kan., home toKoch Industries, to Dubai, United ArabEmirates, one of two offices of PharosFinancial Group, and then back to Alden,Iowa, the base of AgriSol Energy LLC, aclosely-held ag enterprise that’s part-nered with Pharos to use its “expertiseto create agricultural businesses in underdevelopedglobal locations.”
The link between all is Bruce Rastetter, a one-timeIowa farmboy who now, according to the AssociatedPress, serves as Iowa’s political “kingmaker.”
Rastetter is CEO of Summit Group, an “umbrellaorganization” that includes Summit Farms, his Iowafarming operation, and AgriSol, the Pharos-part-nered company on the prowl for “global locationsthat have attractive natural resources.” He was CEOof Hawkeye Energy Holdings, a 450-million-gallonethanol maker that, after a bankruptcy, was sold to asubsidiary of Koch Industries in 2011.
He also serves as president pro tem of the Iowa’sBoard of Regents, the governing body for three publicuniversities in Iowa, including Iowa State. And, too,in 2007, Rastetter endowed the Bruce RastetterChair of Agricultural Entrepreneurship at ISU for areported $2 million.
Rastetter was named regent (along with CraigLang, Iowa Farm Bureau’s long-time president whonow serves as regent president) in July 2011 by Gov.Terry Branstad. At the time, many at ISU saw theappointment as payback for Rastetter’s recruitmentof the former five-term governor to, again, seek theoffice in 2010.
Rastetter did little to dispel the notion. Accordingto the AP, he “poured more than $160,000” into theBranstad campaign while his brother, Brent, con-tributed “an additional $31,000.”
(Branstad appointed Brent Rastetter to the IowaEnvironmental Protection Commission in 2011. Itwas a controversial choice given Brent’s expertise:owner of “a company that constructs hog confine-ment facilities.”)
Rastetter’s African venture took wing last yearwhen AgriSol announced its intention to bring“state-of-the-art farming practices, modern seeds andother inputs” to nearly 34,000 acres in Tanzania.
The goal, according to AgriSol’s website (links to itand other sources are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com), was to “develop a new private/public/aca-demic partnership model that combines large-scale,commercial farming with local outreach and out-grower programs for small landowners.”
The “academic” part of the formula included ISU.According to a Jan. 1 story in The Guardian, a
national newspaper in the United King-dom, the university’s ties to the landdeal were deeper. They included two
trips to Tanzania in 2010 by ISU associate ag deanDavid Acker “to do preliminary research” on theland, and a memorandum between AgriSol and theTanzanian government that noted “AgriSol would be‘working closely with Iowa State University.’”
The Guardian story went on to explain that thedeal, estimated now to involve about 803,000 acres,will pay less than $1-per-acre rent on its 99-yearland leases.
Also, according to the Oakland Institute, a think-tank that investigated the deal in 2011, the AgriSoldevelopment “will ... displace over 160,000Africans.”
Why is one of the premier Land Grant universitiespartnering with a politically-potent Iowa ag princein a $100 million African land deal that resemblessomething moldy out of 18th century than some-thing new for the 21st century?
Beats me, but ISU has spent the first week of Jan-uary downplaying its links to Rastetter, AgriSol andTanzania, claiming its participation now is mostly“advisory.”
Adviser or partner, ISU, through Gov. Branstad,still has a regent who views less than $1-per-acrerent for a 99-year lease on 800,000 acres of Africanfarmland that will displace tens of thousands as aworthy enterprise to “create new markets and bringprosperity to Tanzania.”
What’s next for ISU’s ag school, Colonialism 101?Alan Guebert’s “Farm and Food File” is published
weekly in more than 70 newspapers in North America.Contact him at [email protected]. ❖
Land grant university’s ‘colonial’ land deal a bit moldy
Will Pay Cash for New & UsedTrailers, Campers & Motorhomes
The link between all isBruce Rastetter, a one-timeIowa farmboy who now,according to the Associ-ated Press, serves asIowa’s political ‘king-maker.’FARM & FOOD FILE
By Alan Guebert
OPINION
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National No-Tillage Conference: Two Decadesof No-Till Know-HowThrough Jan. 14St. Louis, Mo.Info: $279/person,$252/additional farm or fam-ily members; log on towww.NoTillConference.com
National Western StockShowThrough Jan. 22Denver, Colo.Info: Log on to www.NationalWestern.com
Minnesota Organic ConferenceJan. 13-14River’s Edge ConventionCenter, St. Cloud, Minn.Info: Checkwww.mda.state.mn.us/organicfor up-to-date program info
Impaired Waters PublicMeetingJan. 18, 1-3 p.m.Minnesota Pollution ControlAgency Office, Baxter, Minn.Info: MPCA will hold aseries of public meetings todiscuss the more than 500impairments that are pro-posed to be added to thedraft list of the state’simpaired lakes and stream
segments; log on towww.pca.state.mn.us or sub-mit questions, comments orrequests to Howard Markusat MPCA, 520 Lafayette RoadN, St. Paul, MN 55155, (651)757-2551 [email protected]
Minnesota Pork CongressJan. 18-19Convention Center, Min-neapolisInfo: www.mnpork.com/porkcongress or turn to Page 1C-8C in today’s issue
Upper Midwest RegionalFruit & Vegetable Growers Conference &Trade ShowJan. 19-20River’s Edge Convention Cen-ter, St. Cloud, Minn.Info: Beginning GrowerWorkshops on Jan. 18; log onto www.mfvga.org, [email protected] or call (763)434-0400
Minnesota Ag Expo
Jan. 22-24Verizon Wireless Civic Cen-ter, Mankato, Minn.Info: Annual gathering ofMinnesota corn and soybeanfarmers; log on towww.mnsoybean.org orwww.mncorn.org
Impaired Waters PublicMeetingJan. 24, 2-4 p.m.McKinneys on Southside,Benson, Minn.Info: See Jan. 18 event
Impaired Waters PublicMeetingJan. 25, 1-3 p.m.Blue Earth County Library,Mankato, Minn.Info: See Jan. 18 event
Ag SeminarJan. 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.Best Western Victorian Inn,Hutchinson, Minn.Info: Sponsored by theHutchinson Area Chamber ofCommerce, Convention & Visi-tors Bureau Agribusiness Com-mittee; $20/person in advance,$25 at the door; contact theHACCCVB, (320) 234-0786 [email protected];a brochure can be found at www.extension.umn.edu/county/McLeod/news/2012.Hutchinson.
Ag.Seminar.Brochure.pdf
Beyond the Fence — FarmBureau’s Promotion &Education ConferenceJan. 27-28Kahler Grand Hotel,Rochester, Minn.Info: Log on to www.fbmn.orgfor a conference brochure, orcall (651) 768-2115 or [email protected] for moreinformation
Linder Farm NetworkAgricultural OutlookMeetingJan. 30, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.Broadway Ballroom, Alexan-dria, Minn.Info: $30/person, $50/farmcouple; hosted by the LinderFarm Network
National FarmersNational ConventionJan. 30-Feb. 2Sheraton Hotel, West DesMoines, IowaInfo: To register, contactFrances Arellano, (515) 598-4649 or (800) 247-2110; $75with banquet lunches on Jan.31 and Feb. 2 when regis-tered by Jan. 17; log on towww.nfo.org/About_Us/Events_NationalConvention2012i.aspx
Linder Farm NetworkAgricultural OutlookMeetingJan. 31, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.Holiday Inn Conference Cen-ter, Willmar, Minn.Info: See Jan. 30 event
Linder Farm NetworkAgricultural OutlookMeetingFeb. 2, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.Best Western Hotel and Con-ference Center, NorthMankato, Minn.Info: See Jan. 30 event
Linder Farm NetworkAgricultural OutlookMeetingFeb. 3, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.Holiday Inn Conference Cen-ter, Owatonna, Minn.Info: See Jan. 30 event
Info: $50/person, $25/addi-tional person from samefarm; sponsored by the Min-nesota Department of Agri-culture, Ridgewater Collegeand the Minnesota Fruit andVegetable Growers Associa-tion; brochure available atwww.ridgewater.edu/programs/FarmBusinessManagementor by calling Steve Zenk,(507) 430-9202
Beef Cow-Calf DayFeb. 6, 5:30-9 p.m.County Meeting Room, Mora,Minn.Info: $20/person, register oneweek in advance by calling(320) 732-4435; for moreinformation, contact AllenBridges, [email protected] (218) 327-4615, or log on towww.extension.umn.edu/beef
Beef Cow-Calf DayFeb. 7, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.Minnewaska House, Glen-wood, Minn.Info: $20/person, register oneweek in advance by calling(218) 694-6151; for moreinformation, contact AllenBridges, [email protected] (218) 327-4615, or log on towww.extension.umn.edu/beef
BEST PRICES OF THE YEAR
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ANDERSON SEEDSof St. Peter, MN37825 Cty. Rd. 63 • (507) 246-5032
Log on to http://bit.ly/theland-calendarfor our full events calendar
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CRAIGMILE, from pg. 2AEvery time someone grades a road, con-structs a bridge or builds a house, itchanges the way water, land and plantlife interact. Farmers, like everyone,must always balance the tradeoffsbetween providing goods and services,all the while protecting our naturalresources.
For a farmer like me, conservation is apractical issue. I believe the practices Iemploy ensure that the land will remain productiveand a great place to live for generations to come. I’dlike to point out that I’m not the only conservation-minded corn farmer. The majority of corn growers inMinnesota are employing some form of soil conserva-tion, whether it’s reduced tillage, strip tillage orgrassy buffer zones between fields and feederstreams. Farmers have learned to “farm the best andbuffer the rest.” This philosophy is supported by gov-ernment conservation initiatives like the Conserva-tion Reserve Program. In 2011 there were 1.63 mil-lion acres of land protected under CRP in Minnesota.
For the Minnesota corn grower, efficiency and con-servation are good for profits as well as the environ-ment. Consider that our two biggest expenses in cornproduction are land and fertilizer. We can’t afford towaste either. The numbers speak for themselves.Farmers now grow five times as much corn as they didin the 1930s on 20 percent less land, with each farmerfeeding about 125 people. By being land-efficient in ourfood, fiber and fuel production, more land is availablefor wildlife habitat, recreation and homes for people.
We continually adopt new practices and technologyto help keep fertilizer where it belongs. Minnesotafarmers now grow 70 percent more corn per pound offertilizer than they did just 35 years ago. That didn’thappen by wasting fertilizer or letting it all run off
into streams. Farmers are constantlyadvancing by adopting new conservation practicesand technologies. According to a Conservation Tech-nology Information Center survey, Minnesota corngrowers planted about 3 million acres with conserva-tion tillage last year.
Of all the farming technologies with the potentialto protect the environment and improve efficiency, Ibelieve genetically modified crops have made thebiggest impact in recent years and will continue todo so in the future. My farm transitioned from theold moldboard plowing system to a chisel-disc con-servation tillage system years ago. Conservationtillage protects the soil from wind and water erosionby leaving crop residue on the surface. And like mostcorn farmers, we no longer have to cultivate severaltimes a year to control weeds. We plant geneticallymodified crops that tolerate broad-spectrum EPA-approved herbicides for weed control. Fewer tillagetrips across the field reduces soil disturbance,improves water infiltration and saves fuel, which isgood for both profits and the environment.
The various CRP strips on my farm are a tiny frac-tion of the state’s CRP. The native grasses and forbs,inhabited by numerous fauna, additionally buffer acounty drainage ditch that helps prevent soil andnutrients from running into the watershed. I regu-
larly monitor the drainage water toensure that what I’m doing on the fieldis working to protect my fertilizerinvestment, as well as the regionalwatershed. I also recycle the tiledrainage outflow by using it in all myfield spraying operations. An occa-sional fall pheasant, duck and deer
hunt in the native flora is also enjoyable,and reveals that the local wildlife enjoysdining on some of our corn and soybeans.
We have also restored a wetland area that wasoften too wet to grow a good corn crop. The wetlandserves as a water, nutrient and sediment storagesink, all the while providing wildlife habitat forsome fairly rare fauna such as the Burnsi leopardfrog, plains toad and prairie skink.
Looking at the bigger picture, it appears thatbuffer strips, restored wetlands, high-yielding cropsand conservation tillage are helping achieve thedesired outcome of protecting water resources. Inthe Minnesota River watershed, the U.S. GeologicalSurvey Centennial Stream Gage at Mankato,Minn., shows that landscape water storage andevapotranspiration have been increasing over thelast decade which helps decrease net runoff into ourstreams. This happened despite National WeatherService data that shows precipitation increasedduring that decade on into 2010.
My farm is not the largest, nor the most high-tech,farm in the area. But it is nice to know I am part ofmaking the environment a better place. Farmers,city planners, transportation engineers and home-owners all impact the land, and all can contribute toachieve improvement. If we all do our part, togetherwe can make a difference.
This commentary was submitted by David Craig-mile, a farmer from Boyd, Minn. ❖
Efficiency, conservation good for profits, environmentOf all the farming technologies with the potential toprotect the environment and improve efficiency, Ibelieve genetically modified crops have made thebiggest impact in recent years and will continue to doso in the future.
— David CraigmileOPINION
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By DICK HAGENThe Land Staff Writer
Progress is being made in thebattle pitting rancher against wolfand coyote predators.
“The USDA Fish & Wildlife Ser-vice program that I work with isthe primary tool of livestock pro-ducers to deal with wolf damage,”said John Hart explaining that hisoffice has worked with many producers over theyears.
Hart is district supervisor/wildlife biologist withthe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal &Plant Health Inspection Service, working out of theGrand Rapids, Minn., Wildlife Services office,smack dab in the center of Minnesota’s predomi-nant wolf territory. He deals with the predator issueof farmers and ranchers on a regular basis.
“So yes, we’re making some strides on the wolfdamage issue but it’s an ever-increasing problembecause wolf numbers in Minnesota are increasingand their range is expanding.”
Wolves are primarily a northern half of Minnesotaculprit but they could show up virtually in anycounty. The Minnesota Department of NaturalResources estimates there are roughly 3,000 wolvesin the northern Minnesota breeding area; aboutwhat the numbers were 10 years ago. “So we’re rel-atively stable now but numbers took a big leap inthe 1990s increasing about a thousand head. Right
now theyinhabitabout 34,000square mileswhich is allor parts ofabout 23counties inthe northernsector.”
So why thestabilizing of
wolf numbers? There is no hard science here, butHart speculates that they have saturated all theavailable, suitable habitat. He also suggests thatfuture expansion, if it were to happen, would likelybe into more agricultural areas of west central Min-nesota. “Heavy cover, timbered, swamp areas withless human population is their preferred habitat,”Hart said.
Predator issues used to be almost exclusively agri-cultural, meaning loss of livestock primarily beefcattle but occasionally sheep, even poultry. Recentyears predation losses have been about 75 percentcattle, 5 to 10 percent sheep, 5 to 10 percent poultrywith the balance other animals, mostly dogs. “... aswolves expand their territories, they’re having moreencounters with people and their pets,” Hart said.
Currently the USDA program can only respond toactual damage, meaning dead or severely damagedlivestock and other animals. If a Minnesota producerreports a killed calf, for example, the DNR is first to
investigate. If wolf damage is suspected, the DNRthen calls the USDA Wildlife Services office atGrand Rapids.
“Once we verify that this is indeed a wolf kill, theproducer is eligible for compensation from the Min-nesota Department of Agriculture. We (Wildlife Ser-vices) then work with that producer to lessen anyfurther likelihood of wolf damage,” Hart said.
“Usually that means removal of the wolf packhanging out around that farm. This means trappingor killing those wolves responsible for the damage.This is all done by federal employees of the USDAFish & Wildlife service. We do not hire locals to assistwith this depopulation effort. There are about 10 ofus in the state at any given time to get this worktaken care of.
“Our investigative efforts are very site-specific,limited to within a half mile of where the depreda-tion occurred and usually for only a two-week periodafter the loss. Our goal is not to trap in revenge forthe wolf damage but only to remove those wolves sothere is not future depredation losses to that pro-ducer or his neighbors.”
Wildlife Services is a national program of theUSDA. Hart said Wisconsin has a similar program toMinnesota regarding depredation issues.
In late-December, after this interview took place,the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced thatgray wolves in the Western Great Lakes region haverecovered and no longer require protection under theEndangered Species Act. The removal of federal pro-tection will impact wolves in Michigan, Minnesota,Wisconsin, and parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa andOhio.
Might wolves in Minnesota become an endangeredspecies? Hart only speculates by venturing, “for theforeseeable future wolves have a very secure futurein Minnesota. The DNR’s wolf management plancalls for maintaining a minimum population of 1,600wolves in Minnesota, which is above the federalrecovery levels. Our wolf population has recovered toa point where they’ll be here indefinitely, especiallywhen assisted with the state’s management pro-gram.”
Does severe weather impact wolf populations?Hart said surprisingly it’s opposite of what youwould think. “White tail deer are the main prey ofwolves in Minnesota. So when we have a severe win-ter, it’s hard on the deer and the wolves feed off theiranemic conditions and higher death loss. The offsetis that wolves feeding off dead and anemic deer in atough winter usually mean less predation amonglivestock that following season.”
Hart said wolves impact deer numbers but winterseverity and hunter harvest are the two bigger fac-tors.
But if I’m a cattle producer in Roseau County, whyshould I be concerned about maintaining a wolf pop-ulation in Minnesota?
Hart recognizes for an individual cattle producerwith annual losses to wolves, there is little justifica-tion. Where you live obviously keys your thoughts
Cover story: Predator losses still an issue on farmsTH
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Ranchers vs. predatorsJohn Hart
See PREDATOR, pg. 7A
PREDATOR, from pg. 6A
about the importance of wolves. Ifyou are in the agricultural area ofRoseau County wolves are a genuineissue. In the heavier timbered partof the county, wolves can live withlittle damage.
Conrad Kvamme, veteran observerof the Minnesota beef cattle indus-try is matter-of-fact about the predator issue in Min-nesota.
“Both wolves and coyotes are a serious issue. I rec-ognize that it’s important to protect species such asthe wolf and coyote. They’re part of the predatorychain that’s natural with all wildlife. However, theirnumbers today are getting to be a real problem withcow-calf operators in northern Minnesota.”
He talks specifically of calving-time issues. “If a wolfpack is in the area, you’re going to lose some calves.We’ve got more wolves than 10 years ago, nearly athousand more I’m told. And if there isn’t enoughother wildlife for them to take, they get into cattleherds, especially if spring calving in wooded areas.
“Much the same has happened to jackrabbits inSouth Dakota. They used to scatter across the state.But because of exploding coyote populations, jackrab-bits are getting to be scarce. South Dakota now has acoyote bounty. Three counties in western Minnesotaalso recently established $10 bounties for coyotes.”
What if a wolf bounty were initiated? “We’d sub-stantially control it down but that wouldn’t obliteratethe wolf,” Kvamme said. Unlikely perhaps, but hesaid a producer told him that he would only shoot thewolf if it was eating the calf as the cow was deliver-ing. This particular producer told Kvamme that herespects the wolf as part of a natural species.
Kvamme said a pack of three or more is the usualgathering of wolves. One cow against three wolves does-n’t work. But three cows, especially if they are blackAngus cows, will get a wolf pack running in a hurry.Some beef cow operations put a donkey in with thecows. “I tell you, that wolf respects a kicking donkey.”
Kvamme said a bounty on wolves should only beconsidered if numbers become such that if you go outat night to check your cows, you have reason to beconcerned about your own safety. “The wolf is a beau-tiful animal. They need their space but only withproper management.”
Don Schiefelbein, Minnesota State Cattlemen’sAssociation president, likely speaks for all cattle pro-ducers when he said, “if the wolves are in your back-yard, then it’s an issue. Nothing gets the dander ofcattle producers up quicker in wolf areas than some-one saying wolves are not a problem.”
The Schiefelbein operation currently involvesnearly 850 cow-calf pairs plus the feeding of nearly3,000 head at their Kimball, Minn., headquartersfarm. They also have about 300 cow-calf pairs locatedin the Northome, Minn., area. “Up in wolf country,” hechuckled, suggesting the wolf issue depends uponwhere you live. ❖
There’s strengthin numbers
Don Schiefelbein
Look for yoursubscription renewal
card in the Jan. 27 issue
“Since 1976, Where Farm and Family Meet”7A
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By DICK HAGENThe Land Staff Writer
There are different ways of protectingrisk, but where do we arrive at a risk num-ber that is fair and equitable for farmers?
Sherburn, Minn.,-area farmer GeraldTumbleson cautioned that too much riskprotection is likely self-defeating.
Tumbleson, the past president of theNational Corn Growers Association andoccasional traveler to Washington, D.C., to provideinput on proposed farm bill policy, was interviewedat the recent Minnesota Agri-Growth Councilannual meeting.
Reflecting on European traditions where too muchprotection was offered, Tumbleson said the “over-protection” element lessened individual incentives.He cautioned the same thing could happen if cropinsurance becomes the key element in protectingfarm income.Risk and profit
“You can’t make a profit without risk. In capitalismyou need risk to generate profit. But you need pro-tection against risks beyond your control, and that’sweather,” Tumbleson said. However, if you limit thisrisk so that profit is limited also, then some otherusage of capital has to occur to generate profit.
“It’s the balancing of these issues that is so contro-versial, and varies widely from commodity to com-modity and sector to sector,” he said. Direct paymentsare being challenged for the upcoming farm bill.Thanks to strong commodity prices, DPs have been asmall issue in most of the Corn Belt but still are a bigitem in southern states with sugar cane and cotton aschief commodities. Both have faced stiff market com-petition from other parts of the globe.
“Biofuels have now become the big player in com-modity markets. But more importantly they havebecome vital in the security of our country,” Tumble-son said. He noted that markets, various commoditiesincluding gold, even many policies, occur in wavesand right now agriculture is riding a strong wave.Biofuels
Taking a 10-year look on biofuels, he doesn’t predictany significant change in feedstocks, saying corn willstill be the basic provider. But Tumbleson thinks cornwill be considered as a co-product of the biofuelsindustry because more new co-products are being dis-covered. And when 300-bushel corn becomes a morecommon reality, world food issues will revolve evenmore around protein sources rather than energy.
“These 300-bushel yields on a per-acre basis mayhave total protein production comparable with soy-beans and other high protein crops,” he said.
“Where we’re really challenged is how to better usephotosynthesis to capture even more of all the freeenergy of our sun. Soon a multitude of new products,new uses from various plants, will become main-stream. And corn with good technology will still bethe key player in feeding the world. This is a direc-tion our researchers at our various land grant col-leges need to go,” Tumbleson said.Cropping strategies
So how does continuous corn work in his cropping
strategies? “Corn is an interesting crop. Soybeansare an interesting crop,” he said. “Corn technologies,especially in the area of traits, have come alongmuch faster. But soybeans are so good for our soils.They take nitrogen out of the air and replenish oursoils. And soybeans also get rid of some soil-bornediseases that would trouble corn.
“My biggest fear has been getting too far into amono-crop syndrome. However researchers aroundthe world tell me that should be my least worry. Withthe genomic mapping of the corn plant and under-standing of the DNA of grasses, mono-cropping is notgoing to be a problem. So it appears the biggest issueof corn-on-corn is simply doing it environmentallycorrect.”
Tumbleson talks about the philosophy of cropmovement, in essence the processing of corn so thatthe maximum amounts of protein and energy aregenerated from each acre. “This is the environmentalmove we have to take with a crop like corn that is sovaluable. We haven’t yet touched all the things wecan do with corn. If we’re going to concentrate ongrowing corn to export to China to feed a pig thenwe’ve lost a big part of what we need to do in ourindustry,” he said.
ExportsHe’s not minimizing the value of exports. “If we elim-
inate trade we’re done as a country,” Tumbleson said.“It’s going to take even more research, more creativity,to make corn a champion protein and energy providercombined, but it’s possible and it will be done.”
Private or public research? “The primary respon-sibility is with our universities because of the sin-gular importance of generating unbiased research,”he said. “This means more creative ways to gener-ate funding for university research, and more open-minded, unbiased efforts by our scientists.”
Tumbleson admitted to a personal opinion thatnot enough university research is generated by“thinking and digging” outside the box. ❖
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Tumbleson: Without risk, there is no profitIn capitalism you need risk togenerate profit. But you needprotection against risksbeyond your control, andthat’s weather.
Gerald Tumbleson
By DICK HAGENThe Land Staff Writer
Yes, some lower germ seed. Yes, smallerseed, too. But despite these two realities, notto worry about the overall quality of soybeanseed for the 2012 crop year. That in essence isthe collective opinion of several seed mencontacted by The Land.
“Because of the fast dry-down in the field,lots of soybeans got harvested in the 8 to 9percent moisture range last fall and lots of smaller-sized beans too, but in germ and vigor scores we’reseeing overall quality is good,” said Jeff Ziller of Fin-ish Line Seeds, Bird Island, Minn., a grower/condi-tioning operation. He indicated germination testingso far on their beans have been 90 percent or better.
“Supply should not be an issue on soybeans,” saidSteve O’Neill, CEO of Corn Capital Innovations, anOlivia, Minn.,-based company providing total cropmanagement services on both soybean and hybridcorn seed products. “Yes, our wet spring delayedplantings, and planting conditions impacted yields.There are a few quality issues within the industryon the soybean seed crop but because soybeansaren’t grabbing the headlines this year, I don’t seequality as a factor,” O’Neill said.
He noted that at current prices, soybeans aren’tcompeting against corn, and several others crops.“They’re just not a ‘highlight’ crop, instead rightnow soybeans are the back-burner crop. They needa market charge to make soybeans ‘price friendly’ in
this competitive crop outlook for 2012.”Respectable crop
Bruce Knoke, Precision Soya operations officer,said warehouses at their Olivia, Minn., location arefilling with a respectable soybean crop despite plant-ing delays and early frost. This means 85 percentgerm is more the norm on much of Minnesota andwestern Iowa soybean seed production. He alsoacknowledged seed size is smaller but that’s not avigor issue with soybeans.
Lower germ scores may be a “bargaining chip” onsoybean seed prices at the farmer-dealer level.Knoke, a veteran observer of the U.S. soybean indus-try, said farmers traditionally just kick up theirplanting rates to compensate. “Farmers tend to over-plant on soybean seeds. If you’re putting 150,000soybean seeds into the ground, you’re not worryingabout stands. It’s when you get into the 100,000plants per acre that soybean stands and subsequentyields might be a factor.”
He said, however, that there are so many newgenetics getting into soybean varieties that seedprices down the road are likely to be more of anissue. Precision Soya operates 11 soybean seed con-ditioning plants across five Midwest states.Good shape
“We’re a little short on our earlier products but ingood shape on both quality and quantity,” said Tom
Carlson, agronomist with Gold Country Genet-ics, Hutchinson, Minn. “Corn seems to be driv-ing the market these days. It may be takingacres from soybeans but lots of factors, espe-cially soil moisture, will impact final decisionscome planting time. We sold out early on our 85-to 90-day corn products because it appears agood chunk of ‘prevent-planting’ acres from lastspring are going corn next spring.”
The Gold Country soybean package continuesto expand various disease tolerance characteristics.“About 90 percent of our soybeans are now soybeancyst resistant. The sudden death syndrome flares upmore frequently so SDS scores are important. Alsowe’re broadening the genetic base of our phytoph-thora races for more resistance across different envi-ronments.” Carlson contends that even though cornyields get more attention, soybeans are doing well,suggesting even a half-bushel soybean yield increasewith $11 beans is significant. “Our biggest manage-ment challenge continues to be how to coax out thosehigher yields.”Seed size varies
Quality will be good to excellent on Hefty brandsoybeans, said Jeff Keltgen, seed specialist at theirOlivia location. He said most of their soybeans will betagged 90 percent germination with a good portion at95 percent germ score. He, too, noted seed size willvary among seed lots depending upon maturity andlocation of where the crop was grown. “Smaller seedsmay take an extra day to pop out of the ground butsize per se isn’t a factor of overall vigor,” Keltgen said.
He’s noting that Liberty Link soybeans are gettinggrower attention primarily due to some resistanceproblems with Roundup. Some suggest a lesser yielddrag with Liberty Link soybeans also. Ignite is thenew marketing “name” for these soybeans. Keltgenthinks the Liberty Link chemistry might be present-ing a stronger disease package across the board.Quality not an issue
Bill Luepke, operations manager for RemingtonSeeds’ Olivia plant, said overall quality of soybeanseed going into planters this spring won’t be anissue. Virtually everything through their 10 soybeanconditioning plants across the Midwest is beingtagged 90 percent germ. Also if the economics keepfavoring corn, corn acres will expand and soybeanacres backsliding.
“This is very likely here in this part of Minnesotawhere other crop choices such as sugar beets, sweetcorn, canning peas and edible beans, especially Navybeans, are capturing some pretty hefty contractoptions,” Luepke said.
Keltgen said, “because of growing conditions thisseason, a cold and wet spring followed with anexceedingly dry fall and very hard soil conditions,seed inoculates should be considered for 2012 soy-beans. We’ve starved soil bacteria this fall so addingnew bacteria via inoculation is most prudent.”
“What I’m hearing from many seed companies,”said Ziller, “is that soybean sales are slow, mostlybecause corn is where the excitement is these days.Everybody is saying, ‘wait ’til after the first of theyear, then we’ll talk soybeans. So come April andMay it will be the usual dash to the finish line.” ❖
Experts analyze the 2012 soybean seed situation
Call The Experts - 1-800-722-0543 MNIn Gibbon: 1-507-834-6519
The simple logistics of being next-door neighbors is a primary reasonCanada and Mexico are the biggesttrading partners of the United States.“But it’s the strength of the Canadiandollar and the Mexican peso thatfuels this trade,” said Michael Swan-son, Wells Fargo chief agriculturaleconomist.
Today the relatively weak U.S. dol-lar is a key factor in the strength ofU.S. ag exports, which totaled an all-time record $19 billion in 2010, and
could be even greater for fiscal 2011.Swanson is less encouraged about
future agricultural trade with theEuropean Union. He suggested growthof the Euro Zone at best will be only 1
to 1 1/2 percent of Gross DomesticProduct.
“Population growth is zero in the 27countries of the European Union,” hesaid. “They have 500 million people inthe EU — 330 million is the U.S. popu-lation — but they are not a newdemand factor for U.S. goods and itlooks like the euro will continue toweaken over time simply because ofthe current financial crises in so manyEU countries.”
He also questioned China’s contin-ued dominance of world trade. “There’sa fundamental assumption thatChina’s economic power will continue,but there is also a growing uncer-tainty,” Swanson said. “Today there isa murky relationship between the Chi-nese Yuan and the U.S. dollar. And 80percent of Chinese imports of U.S.agricultural products are in just twocategories: soybeans and cotton.”
In 2010, the United States enjoyed a$14 billion surplus in net agriculturaltrade to China, with a likely 30 per-cent increase for 2011, Swanson said.He questioned the sustainable compet-itive advantage of China, listing laborand environmental issues as new chal-lenges for a government that also facesan increasingly “restless” population.
So how do these changing globalissues impact the new U.S. farm bill?“A farm program needs a differentemphasis going forward,” said Swan-son, who noted that if global demand isthe new source of growth of the U.S.farm economy, then farm policy needsto be geared toward more stable, con-sistent and fair exchange rates ratherthan direct payments.
He suggested the World Trade Orga-nization as being a key player in thedevelopment of agricultural trade, andperhaps this puts even more emphasison the vital role of U.S. trade teams,especially those involving U.S. farm-ers.
“In theory you can say that negotia-tions deal in black and white,” Swan-son said, “but so often personal rela-tionships, especially at the farm level,make a difference in trade dealings.European nations are good at this,
having spent decades getting their keyproducers in chairmanship posi-tions of trade matters. We need abigger effort in developing thatcore of U.S. producers in diplo-matic relationships. At the Chi-nese buyers to U.S. farmer level,these relationships matter.”
He suggested that today it’stheir buyers meeting and seeing
our farmers as real people, and viceversa. “Trust so often is the final deter-miner and face-to-face is how you buildtrust.”$90 crude for $6 corn
On energy, Swanson indicated that ifcrude oil continues in the $90 rangeand the U.S. energy policy stays inplace, then $6 corn will stay in place.“Suffice to say that without ournational ethanol policy we would nothave commodities priced as they aretoday. Right or wrong, I don’t care. Butscary is the reality that the U.S.ethanol program is vulnerable in theeyes of many politicians.”
The volatility of the U.S. GDP is thebig issue in the U.S. economy, Swansonsaid. He pointed out there are aboutthe same number of people employedin the United States today as in 2001,thus the 9.5 percent unemployment.
“Capital invested in automation is abetter chip than capital invested intolabor thus labor will stay stagnant,both in the United States and wher-ever automation occurs. The runawaytrain of government spending is beingspiked by Medicare and Social Secu-rity.
“So it’s logical to expect tax hikes atboth the personal and corporate levels.Economic volatility will get worse,”Swanson said, adding that pricevolatility will be greater and so willworking capital per unit of productiv-ity.
China, the No. 1 debt holder in theUnited States, and Japan, the No. 2U.S. debt holder, will continue to keepmoney in America. Swanson said theU.S. treasury views this as sort of afree loan.
So with 7 billion people today is feed-ing a projected world population of 9billion by 2050 doable? “Absolutely,”Swanson said, pointing out that com-pared to world production figures, theU.S. farmer is about eight times moreproductive than average, on a per-acrebasis. He said Canadian farmers, someEuropean farmers and also Brazilianand Argentina producers are aboutequal to a U.S. farmer’s productivity.
Economist: Exports and energy are key driversTH
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Suffice to say that without our national ethanolpolicy we would not have commodities priced asthey are today. Right or wrong, I don’t care. Butscary is the reality that the U.S. ethanol programis vulnerable in the eyes of many politicians.
— Michael Swanson
See SWANSON, pg. 13A
SWANSON, from pg. 12A“But there are so many areas of this world still
using old seeds, old fertilizer and equipment,” he said.“If they could upgrade even to our 1990 standardsthey would see a doubling of their production. Andthese areas represent a much bigger land base thanthe farm belt of America.”
Using Africa as an example, Swanson said that vastcontinent could readily become sustainable in foodproduction. Citing the tremendous resources of thevarious countries of Africa, including agriculturallands that could be much more productive with theright inputs, he said, “if Africans want to feed them-selves they need to learn how to manage a corn cropplanted at 37,000 plants per acre utilizing the bestseeds and fertilizers. Making this transition wouldlikely mean they could even shrink the total landdevoted to agriculture, free up labor to go into themanufacture of goods and services for the people,improve their medical training and provide more andbetter quality food in the process.”Trade years of yield when determining land value
Relating to the prosperity and booming land valuesof U.S. agriculture, Swanson suggested that U.S.farmers take a new look at determining what theycan pay for additional farmland.
His formula: Years of yield that you are willing totrade to buy one acre of land. Relating to the 1920s,Swanson said during that era farmers were willing totrade four years of yield. So today if your expectationis $6 corn and 200-bushel corn, on that same four-year swap you’re talking $1,200 gross per year or$4,800 per acre value.
“But that won’t work across southern Minnesotathese days. Instead you’re talking seven and eightyears of yield value to buy that acre of land and that,”as Swanson labeled it, “is stepping way out.” He sug-gested it’s better to talk in terms of “years of yield”traded rather than dollars and interest rates.
“Farmers can run the spreadsheet any way theywant on corn prices and make it work,” he said, “but itwon’t work by using 500-bushel corn yields.” Swansoncontends that when you’re trading more than fouryears worth of yield you’re putting on some real risk.
On the issue of declining farm numbers, Swansonsaid that it’s an ongoing reality of more capital, bigmachinery, better technology and significant com-modity competition. He contends that if you look atthe total support industry that services agriculturetoday, even though there are fewer farmers the totalsupport industry is significantly larger, and keepsgrowing.
“We simply need to remember agriculture is a teamsport,” he said.
Swanson spoke at the Nov. 16 annual meeting of theMinnesota Agri-Growth Council. ❖
‘We need toremember that agis a team sport’
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It’s been almost two months now, butthe guest speaker’s question duringthe Sunday morning church service isstill replaying in my mind.
“We meet with 800 kids in west cen-tral Minnesota each week and do youknow what the common dominator isfor these teens?”
My mind made a quick list: poverty,drugs, alcohol, bullying?
“It’s that there are no fathers in theirhomes,” he said. According to the KidsCount Data Center made availablethrough The Annie E. Casey Founda-tion, 34 percent of children in theUnited States live in single-parent
families; the statistic in Min-nesota is 28 percent (year2010).
The scenarios are slightlydifferent: some kids experi-enced the death of a parent,others come from divorcedhomes, a few moms nevermarried, and several have noname or face to put withtheir biological father. Whatunites them is the same:children long for someone tocall dad.
“Children whose fathers are not intheir daily lives start looking for theirfathers as soon as it becomes clear tothem that kids have moms and dads,even though their dad may not beimmediately obvious,” wrote clinicianand researcher Kyle D. Pruett.
“I’ve seen the search countless times:Children who can’t find their fathersmake one up or appropriate one totheir liking. In a young child who hasnot felt some form of masculine nur-ture, the hunger for a paternal pres-ence can be insatiable.”
We experienced that firsthand in ourfoster parenting years. Without anyencouragement on our part, when chil-dren stayed with us for an extendedperiod of time they would call Mike,“Dad” especially when they heard ourgirls call him dad or were around otherchildren their age who were calling outfor their fathers.
It broke our hearts then. Theheartache multiplies when you think ofall the children, through no choice oftheir own, who hunger for the signifi-cance of men in their developing years.Not having a united front in parentingand a male role model to lead andguide is having a negative impact onkids that will carry over from this gen-eration to the next.
One of the negative effects is bully-ing. Corey Roskamp, a Campus LifeDirector for Crow River Youth forChrist, said, “Bullying has been aroundas long as we have been people, but itreally seems like it is a big issue rightnow.”
He thought it through: Why is it soprevalent? What has changed? Heasked the teens that he works with anda well-grounded young man who’s beenblessed to have a two-parent homesaid, “I think some kids are bullied athome so they take that with them. Iftheir home life is rocky and not peace-ful that gets played out in otherplaces.”
So much of what is takingplace in our schools and onthe streets is directly con-nected to what’s happeningwithin the family and thehome. This kid understoodit.
Our communities will be abetter place when we notonly understand it, but alsomake effort to strengthenour families and befriendthe children around us.
That was the pointedchallenge the guest speaker gave to themen in the congregation: No. 1: Ifyou’re a father, go love your kids and bethe best dad you can be. No. 2: If youknow children who are without afather, go love those kids and be thebest mentor you can be.
If a poll were taken, there probablyisn’t a one of us who can honestly saythat we don’t know a child who is hun-gering for a father figure or more love,encouragement and guidance than theyare currently receiving in the placethey call home. Those kids are every-where from Florida, where one-third ofthe homeless in the United States live,to the prairies of Minnesota that wecall home.
The choice is ours. Will we step intomessy situations and broken lives tooffer hope and healing? Will webefriend in simple ways that can bepacked with meaning: tossing a soft-ball, sharing a laugh, or playing agame?
Ann Landers once wrote, “An attor-ney I very much admired once saidthat the greatest gift he ever receivedin his life was a note his dad gave himon Christmas.
It read, ‘Son, this year I will give you365 hours: An hour every day after din-ner. We’ll talk about whatever youwant to talk about. We’ll go whereveryou want to go, play whatever youwant to play. It will be your hour.’ Thatdad kept his promise and renewed itevery year.”
During a month when credit cardbills are coming due for all the thingsthat children wanted for Christmas,let’s give them what they need most:our time. For the stuff of life means sovery little if there’s no one with whomwe can share it.
Lenae Bulthuis is a wife, mom andfriend who muses from her back porchon a Minnesota grain and livestockfarm. ❖
Gift of time is more precious to those who long for care
THE BACK PORCH
By Lenae Bulthuis
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Federal government figures show U.S.soy continues to be in strong demandamong international customers.
Buyers outside of the United Statespurchased 1.5 billion bushels of wholeU.S. soybeans in the latest marketingyear, according to the U.S. CensusBureau. That makes U.S. soy one of thelargest agricultural exports. And U.S.agriculture continues to lead all economicsectors with a positive balance of trade.
“Increasing demand for U.S. soyabroad has been the cornerstone of thesoybean-checkoff-funded marketingefforts for the past 20 years,” said JimCall, a soybean farmer from Madison,Minn. Call also chairs the United Soy-bean Board International Marketingprogram. “We focus not just on China,but on increasing sales in other inter-national markets, as well.
“The soybean checkoff helps fundmarket-building activities like hostinginternational buying teams and con-ducting poultry and livestock feedingdemonstrations abroad that prove theadvantages of using U.S. soy,” Call said.
Additional key soybean export fig-ures for the 2010-11 marketing year:
• U.S. soybean farmers helped exportover 1.5 billion bushels of whole soybeans.
• Soybean meal from over 332 mil-lion bushels of soybeans was exported.
• Oil from approximately 290 millionbushels of soybeans went to foreigncustomers.
Soy users in China weighed in as thetop international customers of wholeU.S. soybeans buying 895 millionbushels, up from 825 million bushelsduring the 2010-11 marketing year.Other top importing markets for wholeU.S. soybeans in the last marketingyear include the following.
• Mexico: 124.3 million bushels• Japan: 75.2 million bushels• Indonesia: 71.03 million bushels• Taiwan: 55.9 million bushels• Germany: 36.3 million bushels• Spain: 28.6 million bushels• Egypt: 27.8 million bushels• South Korea: 26.3 million bushels• Thailand: 18.6 million bushelsThe soybean checkoff funds interna-
tional marketing efforts in more than80 countries worldwide. These includemarket development, communicationsand education. ❖
Checkoff: Demand strongfor U.S. soy abroad The Minnesota Soybean Research &
Promotion Council is offering high schooland college scholarships to students whoplan to continue education in college orvocational school programs focused onagriculture.College eligibility requirements
• A resident of Minnesota• From a family who is active in agri-
culture• A junior or senior in college• Pursuing an education in soybean
agronomy, soil science, soybean genetics,large animal vet or animal nutrition
• Active in ag-related, campus and/orcommunity activitiesHigh school eligibility requirements
• A resident of Minnesota• From a family who is active in agri-
culture• Graduating from high school in the
spring of 2012• Must be active in both agriculture
and community• Must be pursuing an education in
agriculture, agribusiness, agriculturalanimal nutrition, large animal vet orfood science related program
For 2012-13, four, $1,000 scholarshipswill be awarded to high school studentsand up to four, $2,000 scholarships willbe granted to college juniors and sen-iors.
Guidelines and applications are avail-able at www.mnsoybean.org.
Questions may be directed to the Min-nesota Soybean office at (888) 896-9678.Completed applications must be post-marked on or before March 1. MinnesotaSoybean leaders will then interviewfinalists. Successful scholarship recipi-ents will be notified by May 1. ❖
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Local Corn and Soybean Price IndexCash Grain Markets
Grain prices are effective cash close on Jan. 10. The price index chart compares an average of most recently reported local cash prices with the same average for a year ago.*Cash grain price change represents a two-week period.
Grain AnglesFacing a year of uncertainty
In closing the pages on 2011 and opening the bookon 2012, we face a year of uncertainty. Will 2011 havemarked the peak of the commodities markets? Willthe world economy stabilize and recover? Where willthe next mass protest occur? How will a politicallydivided nation find leadership that can bring all sidestogether to solve our nationaldebt challenge? The questions cango on for several pages, if we askthem. Uncertainty is clearly atheme for 2012 and beyond.
Webster’s Dictionary definesuncertainty as a noun: the qual-ity or state of being uncertain —doubt. Closely related are wordssuch as distrust, dubiety, misgiv-ing, mistrust, reservation, skepti-cism and suspicion. Do thesewords describe how many of usfeel about our political leaders,banking institutions, religiousleaders, the U.S. Department of Agriculture or eventhe markets? How do we make sense and order out ofthe world that we live in today?
A year ago in this column I wrote about “BlackSwans” and the book written by Nassim NicholasTaleb. In his book Taleb writes about his black swantheory or black swan events as being a metaphor thatdescribes the concept that “the event is a surprise (tothe observer) and has a major impact. After the fact,the event is rationalized by hindsight.” We certainlysaw some Black Swans this last year in the form ofthe “Arab Spring,” in which oppressed peoplechanged the political landscape.
I was visiting with a friend of mine the other nightabout these issues and our national and global
Grain OutlookGetting through
a weather marketThe following market analysis is for the week end-
ing Jan. 6.CORN — Corn welcomed 2012 on a positive note
by gapping higher, only to see country selling andsome risk premium associated with South Americanweather evaporate by week’send. The risk of forecast changesfor South America promptedsome traders to take profit andlighten up on positions beforeheading home for the weekend.
Until we get through theweather market, we could expectto see that pattern to continue.Speaking of weather, marketchatter has begun about drynessin the U.S. Plains and in otherareas of the country.
Index rebalancing will hit themarket for the week beginningJan. 9. At this time, it’s been estimated that fundswill need to sell 4,000 to 5,000 corn contracts perday and buy a like amount of wheat during thatperiod. What we need to extend the rally in corn,besides a supportive crop report, is demand.
Margins for ethanol and livestock are leaning intothe red. Export interest is tepid. If the crop reportfavors the bulls, end-user interest may return tolock-in supplies. China has hinted they will berebuilding state-owned reserves of corn, beans, cot-ton, rice and refined fuels. There may not be muchout of China until the conclusion of their New Yearwhich starts Jan. 22. Ethanol, on the other hand, didpost a new weekly production record at 963,000 bar-rels per day as of Dec. 30.
Livestock Angles2011’s volatility
to continueThe year in livestock was definitely an interesting
one right from the beginning.New all-time high prices were paid for both hogs
and cattle during 2011, with cattle still near thoseall-time highs. As we look forward into 2012, it wouldappear that the extreme volatil-ity experienced during the pastyear will continue into the next.
The past couple of weeks in thecattle market seem to be arepeat of the previous two weeks.The number of cattle availableversus the packer having hismargins squeezed creating astandoff between the two untilone gives in, which lately hasbeen the packer. This has keptthe price being paid for finishedcattle at near record levels.
The problem has become thatthe packer is forcing the beef cutouts higher to try tocut some of the loss he is paying for the live inven-tory. Because of the increased cutouts, the volume inboxed beef trade has decreased substantially overthe past month.
With available cattle numbers expected to increaseand decreased demand for beef, the prospects areturning toward a retreat in prices as we head into thefirst month of the new year due to the increasingsupplies and decreasing demand. Producers shoulduse the recent strength to protect inventories in thefirst quarter of the new year.
The hog market slipped through December on ade-quate supplies and declining demand for pork prod-uct. The good news continues to be the export mar-
JOE TEALEBroker
Great Plains CommodityAfton
Information in the above columns is the writer’s opinion. It is no way guaranteed and should not be interpreted as buy/sell advice. Futures trading always involves a certain degree of risk.
PHYLLIS NYSTROMCountry Hedging
St. Paul
See NYSTROM, pg. 17A See TEALE, pg. 17A See NEHER, pg. 17A
TOM NEHERAgStar VP Agribusiness
& Grain SpecialistRochester
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NYSTROM, from pg. 16AA sharply lower wheat market lent
pressure to the grain complex as well.Technical selling and a severe lack ofdemand were cited as factors. U.S.wheat is not competitive as reflected inEgypt buying wheat from Russia,Ukraine and France in a recent tender.Weekly export sales for both wheatand corn were disappointing. Wheatsales were a marketing year low at adismal 5.1 million bushels. Corn saleswere less than expected at 11.8 millionbushels, keeping sales at 6 percentbehind last year (not that bad whenthe last U.S. Department of Agricul-ture figures were forecasting exportsto be down 12.8 percent this year).
Informa Economics released theirupdated 2011-12 production estimateson Jan. 6. Their refreshed number forcorn production is 12.34 billionbushels with a yield of 147.0 bushelsper acre. They also reduced their
expectation for Argen-tine corn production to24 million metric tonsand Brazil was cut to 61 mmt, both arein line with trade estimates.
In the “other” column, the U.S. eco-nomic outlook got a shot in the armwhen the December unemploymentrate dipped to 8.5 percent and non-farm payrolls jumped 212,000.
OUTLOOK: It’s weather versusdemand. March corn mostly held itsown in a holiday-shortened week, clos-ing down 3 cents at $6.43 1/2 perbushel. The new crop December con-tract dropped 11 cents for the week toclose at $5.75 1/4 per bushel. Thisreflects the outlook that corn this yearwill be tighter than next year whenacres are expected to show a decentjump.
Price history for the January finalcrop production report shows that inthe last five years, March corn has at
least touched limit afterthe report’s release.
Last year March closed24 cents higher, the two years previousto that it closed down limit (which was30 cents at the time) and the two yearsbefore that it closed up the limit (20cents at the time). This year is the firstyear we’ll be using the 40-cent limit.The average trade estimate from theReuters survey is production of 12.265billion bushels, using 146.16 bu./acre.The USDA is carrying 12.31 billionbushels with 146.7 bu./acre.
SOYBEANS — Further consolida-tion followed soybeans into 2012, butahead of the USDA Jan. 12 crop pro-duction and quarterly grain stocksreport the setback wasn’t drastic. Soy-beans still have time to recover if theweather pattern changes to one withmore moisture in the next month.Weather markets are a year-roundforce in price direction and need to bemonitored. I know I should have takenmore meteorology courses in college.
Informa Economics is forecastingArgentina’s soybean crop at 51 mmtand Brazil’s at 72 mmt. The USDA ispresently forecasting 52 mmt and 75mmt respectively, but these will beupdated on Jan. 9. The dollar andother outside influences have beentaking a back seat to supply threats.
Weekly export sales of only 10.3 mil-lion bushels were under trade expecta-tions. Sales continue to run 32 percentbehind last year. December’s USDA
report projected exports would be down13.4 percent this year versus last year.
The Reuters poll of analysts for theJan. 12 USDA report came up with anaverage bean crop estimate of 3.05billion bushels using a 41.36 bu./acreyield. USDA is at 3.046 billion and41.3 bu./acre.
OUTLOOK: It’s a weather market.Only not our weather, but SouthAmerica’s. Soybeans have a biggerwindow than corn to bounce backfrom the dryness they are experienc-ing now, but it’s all about perceptionand “what if.”
Continue to stay glued to yourfavorite source of weather informa-tion once we have the USDA Januaryreport behind us. March soybeansended the first week of 2012 down 111/4 cents at $11.96 1/2 while new cropNovember was down 13 cents at$11.91 1/4 per bushel.
Nystrom’s notes: Contract changesfor the week ending Jan. 6: Minneapo-lis wheat crashed lower to settle down48 1/2 cents for the week, Kansas Citywheat plummeted 37 cents andChicago fell 28 cents. February crudeoil gained $2.73 to close at $101.56 perbarrel, heating oil roared 15.6 centshigher, gasoline gained 9.42 cents, andeven natural gas managed a 7.3 centincrease. As of mid-afternoon Jan. 6,the Dow was up 161 points for theweek, February gold was $51.10higher, and the U.S. dollar index rose0.88 points for the week. ❖
Beans can recover if weather patterns changeMARKETING
TEALE, from pg. 16Aket, which has been the consistent allyear. With the recent release of theU.S. Department of Agriculture Hogsand Pigs report, the traders’ responsewas neutral to slightly negative. It isobvious that the contraction of theindustry is still not evident in theresults of this report.
Supply does not appear to be themain catalyst in price direction in themonths ahead, but rather the demand.The comparison between the pork andbeef cutouts suggest that this dispar-ity will increase the demand for pork
since the price is less than half thatthe price of choice beef.
With the economic situation chang-ing little, the demand for protein, andthe cost disparity, look for the demandfor pork to remain constant and evenincrease. This should give hogs someunderlying support and at minimumstart to slow the recent decline inprices. Producers should be cognizantof the current market conditions andprotect inventories as these marketconditions warrant.
I would like to wish everyone a pros-perous and safe new year. ❖
Demand the main catalyst
NEHER, from pg. 16Aeconomies. After a long conversationabout all that was going badly in theworld, he said something that caused meto ponder. He said, “The only way that Iknow how to handle the uncertainty is tothink globally and to act locally.” After along pause, I told him that he may havejust struck on the way that we need tolook at farm management.
We need to think about the globalnature of our interconnectedeconomies. We need to remember thatwhat happens in another country willhave “ripple effects” on our localeconomies. Let us be cognizant thatthe Black Swans that others witnesswill also have an impact on us, half-way around the world. Yet our actions
need to be “local” — on our farms, inour communities and local markets.We can have more impact on whathappens on our farms than we can ourneighbor’s or the economy in China.
We need to remember to think aboutthe impact of the global economy andevents around the world; but ouraction (work) is most productive iffocused locally (our farms). We canwork on risk and margin managementon our farms. We can focus on the bestproduction practices for our own land.We can invest our energy into the rela-tionships that mean the most to us. Aswe look toward the year ahead, theseare the things that may help us tomake sense and order out of the worldthat we live in today. ❖
Think global, act local
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Beginning with the 2012 crop year,producers purchasing Federal CropInsurance for corn and soybeans willhave the option to use the Trend-Adjusted Actual Production HistoryYield Endorsement on their crop insur-ance policies, rather than the standardActual Production History.
The TA-APH option is available on acounty basis in 14 states including Min-nesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakotaand South Dakota, including mostmajor corn and soybean producingcounties in the region.
In total, approximately 820counties are eligible for the TA-APH endorsement for corn, and 880 counties are eli-gible for the option with soybeans. The TA-APH willlikely be quite attractive to many Midwest corn andsoybean producers. The decision regarding the TA-APH endorsement must be made by the 2012 cropinsurance enrollment deadline for corn and soy-beans in the Upper Midwest, which is March 15.Background on the TA-APH Endorsement
The APH yields have been used for many years todetermine crop insurance guarantees for both YieldProtection and Revenue Protection policies. TheAPH yield is determined by a minimum of fouryears, and up to a maximum of 10 years, of actualyield history on a crop insurance “unit.” If there aremore than 10 years of yield history, the most recent10 years are used to determine the APH. If thereare less than four years of APH yields, then pre-setT-yields are used until there is a four-year history.
For many years, corn and soybean producers inhigh production areas have felt that the 10-yearaverage APH yields used for crop insurance guaran-tees were not reflective of current yield potentialthat exists due to enhanced seed genetics andimproved production practices.
Producers also felt there was sometimes a “yield
penalty” on farm units with a longer yield history,due to more recent yield increases. The TA-APHbeing introduced by the Federal Crop InsuranceCorp., which is part of the U.S. Department of Agri-culture Risk Management Agency, should helpimprove these issues on corn and soybean crop insur-ance policies for the coming crop year.TA-APH yield adjustments
The TA-APH yield adjustment factors are made ona county basis, based on historical annual increasesin county-average corn and soybean yields, as calcu-lated by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.Most counties in south central and southwesternMinnesota have a TA-APH yield adjustment factor of2.2 to 2.5 bushels per acre for corn, and 0.35 to 0.50bu./acre for soybeans. Producers should check withtheir crop insurance agent for the TA-APH yieldadjustment factors in their county.
A producer’s actual APH yields (four to 10 years)for each year are then used with the county TA-APHadjustment factors to arrive at a final TA-APH yield.
The TA-APH yield adjustment factor is added foreach year of production history, up to a maximum of10 years. For example, if the yield adjustment factorfor corn is 2.5 bu./acre, then 2.5 bu./acre is added forthe most recent year (2011), 5.0 bu./acre is added forthe preceding year (2010), and 7.5 bu./acre for theyear before that (2009), etc.
The maximum yield adjustment for year 10 (2002)would be 25 bu./acre (2.5 bu./acre x 10 years). SeeTable 1 for a TA-APH example for corn, and Table 2for a TA-APH example for soybeans.
The TA-APH yield does have a yearly maximum or“cap” for any given year during the four to 10 yearsthat are used to calculate the final TA-APH. Theyield “cap” for any year is the highest reported yearlyyield during the four to 10 years plus the yieldadjustment factor.
For example, if the highest reported corn yield on afarm unit was 190 bu./acre, and the yield adjustmentfactor was 2.5 bu./acre, the “cap” yield for any year, afteradjustments, would be 192.5 bu./acre. In the TA-APHexample for corn in Table 1, the highest yield was 194bu./acre in 2010, so the “cap” yield is 196.5 bu./acre.
Based on the TA-APH formula, the yield adjustmentfor 2010 would be 5.0 bu./acre; however, since thatwould exceed the “cap” yield, an adjustment of 2.5bu./acre was used to arrive at a final maximum yield of196.5 bu./acre. This situation will likely affect 2012 TA-APH calculations for many corn and soybean produc-ers in southern and western Minnesota, due to 2011yields being lower than 2010 yields in many areas.Other details on the TA-APH yield endorsement
• The TA-APH yield endorsement is available forboth Yield Protection and Revenue Protection poli-cies for corn and soybeans in 2012 at all coveragelevels, except the catastrophic level of 50 percent.Group crop insurance policies, such as GRIP or GRP,already utilize TA-APH yields for policy guarantees.
• The decision on whether to use the TA-APH yieldendorsement for the coming year must be made bythe crop insurance sales closing date, which is March15, for corn and soybeans in Midwestern states.
• To be eligible for the TA-APH yield endorsement forcorn and soybeans in 2012, the farm unit must be in acounty that is eligible for the TA-APH endorsement.
• The decision to utilize the TA-APH yield endorse-ment is crop specific, and is on a county basis. So, aproducer could choose to use TA-APH for corn andnot for soybeans, or they could use TA-APH in onecounty, but not in another county.
• The TA-APH yield endorsement is a continuousinsurance policy, and will continue in effect unlessthe producer chooses to drop the endorsement, or
TA-APH yield option for 2012 crop insurance planning
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FARM PROGRAMS
By Kent Thiesse
Table 1: Trend-Adjusted Actual ProductionHistoryYield example for corn Year Reported yield Yield Adjusted yield
adjustmentBushels per acre
2002 152 25.0 177.02003 157 22.5 179.52004 175 20.0 195.02005 176 17.5 193.52006 173 15.0 188.02007 157 12.5 169.52008 183 10.0 193.02009 188 7.5 195.52010 194 2.5 (5.0) 196.52011 180 2.5 182.5Average 173.5 APH +13.5 trend adj.187.0 TA-APHAssumptions:• Producer had reported yields for all 10 years (2002-11).• Yield adjustment factor is 2.5 bushels per acre per year(each county is different).• Yield cap for a year is the highest yield plus the yieldadjustment factor.(Max. yield = 194 bu./acre + 2.5 bu./acre = 196.5bu./acre)
Table 2: Trend-Adjusted Actual ProductionHistoryYield example for soybeansYear Reported yield Yield Adjusted yield
adjustmentBushels per acre
2002 45 4.0 49.02003 35 3.6 38.62004 41 3.2 44.22005 50 2.8 52.82006 51 2.4 53.42007 48 2.0 50.02008 45 1.6 46.62009 44 1.2 45.22010 53 0.4 (0.8) 53.42011 48 0.4 48.4Average 46.0 APH +2.2 trend adj. 48.2 TA-APHAssumptions:• Producer had reported yields for all 10 years (2002-11).• Yield adjustment factor is 0.4 bushels per acre per year(each county is different).• Yield cap for a year is the highest yield plus the yieldadjustment factor.(Max. yield = 53 bu./acre + 0.4 bu./acre = 53.4 bu./acre)
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PROGRAMS, from pg. 18Aunless RMA ends the TA-APHendorsement. If a producerswitches crop insurance companies, theywill need to re-select the TA-APHendorsement to have it continue.
• A producer must have at least oneactual reported yield for a crop from afarm unit in the past four years forthat crop and farm unit to be eligiblefor the TA-APH endorsement, whichmust be an actual yield, and not a T-yield that was used.
• There must be a minimum of fourreported annual yields in past 12 yearsfor a crop insurance farm unit to be eli-gible for the full TA-APH yield adjust-ment; otherwise the yield adjustmentfactors will be reduced as follows.
•• 100 percent adjustment forfour or more years of reported yields inthe past 12 years.
•• 75 percent adjustment forthree years of reported yields.
•• 50 percent adjustment fortwo years of reported yields.
•• 25 percent for one year witha reported yield.
• The use of the TA-APH yieldendorsement will not directly affect crop
insurance premi-ums, as the premi-
ums are based onthe level of coverage and dollar guaran-tee. However, there could be some reduc-tion in premiums for the same dollarguarantee with TA-APH, if the coveragelevel is lowered (Example: from 85 per-cent to 80 percent coverage), due tohigher federal subsidies for crop insur-ance premiums at lower coverage levels.
• 2012 crop insurance premiums formost coverage levels of corn and soy-beans in the Midwest will be lower thancomparable 2011 premium levels, dueto RMA premium adjustments that arebased on updated crop insurance actu-arial data for several years. Minnesotacrop insurance premiums for 2012 areexpected to drop by an average of 12percent for corn and 8 percent for soy-beans, as compared to 2011 premiums,for comparable insurance coverage.
Actual crop insurance premiumadjustments will vary by county andwill depend on the insurance coveragelevel selected.Impacts of selecting the TA-APHendorsement
For producers with four or moreyears of actual production history forcorn and soybeans on a farm unit,
which has shown increasing yields overthat period, there should be a notice-able yield increase with the TA-APHyield endorsement.
The yield improvement will varydepending on the actual yield historyon the farm unit, the number of yearsof production history, and the countyyield adjustment factor. Based on theTA-APH example for corn shown inTable 1, there was a yield improvementof 13.5 bu./acre, from 173.5 bu./acrewith the standard APH to 187.0bu./acre with TA-APH.
The TA-APH example for soybeans inTable 2 showed an increase of 2.2bu./acre, from an APH yield of 46.0bu./acre to 48.2 bu./acre with TA-APH.Insurance coverage example fromTable 1 for an 80 percent RP policy
Corn: 173.5 bu./acre APH yield x
$6/bushel = $1,041 x 0.80 =$832.80/acre guarantee
187.0 bu./acre TA-APH yield x $6/bu. =$1,122 x 0.80 = $897.60/acre guarantee
Increased guarantee with the TA-APH endorsement = $ 64.80/acreBottom line on the TA-APH yieldendorsement
The TA-APH yield endorsement looksto be an attractive option for many pro-ducers on their 2012 crop insurancepolicies. The combination of the TA-APHendorsement, along with the reductionsin crop insurance premiums at compa-rable coverage levels for most producers,will allow many producers to enhancetheir crop insurance revenue guaran-tees for corn and soybeans in 2012.
This will allow crop producers to bemore aggressive in forward pricing a
TA-APH available on a county, specific crop basis
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This column was written for the mar-keting week ending Jan. 6.
With “Auld Lang Syne” playing in thebackground, the Dec. 29 Chicago Mercan-tile Exchange Daily Dairy Report said 2011saw record-high milk production, recordhigh exports and record prices. Milk pro-duction is expected to come in around 196.1billion pounds, up 1.7 percent from 2010,with most of the growth in the west.
Butter production was up 17 percent inthe first 10 months of the year, while non-fat dry milk and skim milk powder wasup 7 percent. Cheese production wasup just 1.6 percent, a smaller increasethan in recent years, according to theDDR, but still on pace for a new all-time high.
In the first 10 months of 2011, U.S. dairy exportstotaled $3.96 billion worth, up 29 percent from2010. Overall export volumes were about 9 percentahead of 2010, led by gains in shipments ofNDM/SMP, up 15 percent; cheese, up 31 percent;and butterfat, up 17 percent from a year ago.
■
Switching to “Happy Days Are Here Again,” theall-milk price average exceeded $20 for the entireyear for the first time ever. The 2011 average willbe about $20.10 per hundredweight, up 24 percentfrom 2010. The Class III milk price averaged$18.36, up 27 percent from 2010; and the Class IV
price averaged $19.06, up 26 percent.Exports, dairy policy and legal battles
dominated dairy news in 2011 but, likethe rest of the country, the economy hadthe biggest impact on farmers, accordingto Dairy Profit Weekly’s Dave Natzke. It’salso the biggest question mark for farm-ers in 2012, Natzke said in Friday’s Dairy-Line. He said that, “Like the rest of theUnited States and global economy, thenews was mixed for dairy, with farmersreceiving higher prices, but seeing higher
costs to produce that milk, too.”Natzke echoed the positive milk
price news but said higher feed costsoffset some of that. The USDA’s
monthly index, the milk-feed price ratio, which com-pares the milk price relative to average feed costs,showed that, with December’s preliminary report,last year’s index will average just 1.89 for all of 2011,the second lowest ratio in about 25 years and rivalsthe record low set in 2009.
A second USDA report detailing average costs to
produce milk indicates 2011 will surpass the previ-ous annual high set in 2008. Costs to produce home-grown feed or purchase feed are the primary factors,with total feed and operating costs estimated toaverage about $1.50/cwt. more than 2010, Natzkesaid.
“The bottom line,” he said, “is that U.S. dairy farm-ers saw vastly improved milk prices in 2011, buthigher feed prices ate into their profit potential,” andhe warned that the trend “looks to continue in 2012.”
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Speaking of milk prices, California’s December 4bcheese milk price is $15.14/cwt., down $2.05 fromNovember 2011, $2.92 above December 2010, but$3.63 below the comparable federal order Class IIIprice; the largest gap in nine years. That put the2011 4b average at $16.37, up from $13.17 in 2010.
The December 4a butter powder price is $16.59,down $1.11 from November, but $1.92 above Decem-ber 2010. The 2011 4a average is $18.82, up from$14.81 in 2010. The Golden State’s February Class I
2011 saw record-high production, exports and prices
PROGRAMS, from pg. 19Ahigher percentage of their anticipated 2012 corn andsoybean production during these times of highlyvolatile market prices.
Producers are encouraged to contact their cropinsurance agent well ahead of the March 15 deadlinefor 2012 crop insurance enrollment to find out moredetails about the TA-APH yield endorsement. There
is a lot of variation with the TA-APH endorsementfrom county-to-county, farm unit-to-farm unit andbetween corn and soybeans. Crop insurance agentscan help producers analyze the various scenarioswith the TA-APH endorsement, and look at the bestcrop insurance strategies for 2012.
Kent Thiesse is a government farm programs ana-lyst and a vice president at MinnStar Bank in LakeCrystal, Minn. He may be reached at (507) 726-2137or [email protected]. ❖
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MIELKE, from pg. 22Aprice will be announcedJan. 10, with the federalorder Class I base announced Jan. 20. The CaliforniaDepartment of Food and Agriculture also announcedthat no new quota will be allotted to the state’s dairyproducers on Jan. 1.
■
Looking “back to the futures,” the federal orderClass III milk price average for the first six monthsof 2012 stood at $16.63 on Nov. 4, $16.72 on Nov. 11,$16.78 on Nov. 18, $17.16 on Dec. 2, $16.84 on Dec. 9,$17.07 on Dec. 16, $17.04 on Dec. 23 and was around$17.53 on Jan. 7.
Checking the cash dairy markets, there were noNew Year hangovers as 2012 started on an up notefor cheese and butter. The 40-pound blocks closed thefirst Friday of 2012 at $1.61 per pound, up 4.75 centson the week and 24.5 cents above a year ago. The500-pound barrels finished at $1.59, up a penny onthe week and 24.75 cents above a year ago. Twenty-one cars of block traded hands on the week, 14 onFriday; only one car of barrel was traded. Demandappears to remain good as Super Bowl entertainingapproaches. The lagging National Agricultural Sta-tistics Service-surveyed U.S. average block priceslipped to $1.6380, down 6 cents, while the barrelsaveraged $1.6094, down 2.5 cents.
Cash butter closed at $1.6050, also up a penny onthe week, but a whopping 49.5 cents below a yearago when butter jumped 43 cents that week. Threecars were sold the first week of 2012. NASS butteraveraged $1.5873, down 0.3 cent. NASS nonfat drymilk averaged $1.4006, up 2.4 cents, and dry wheycontinued to strengthen, averaging 67.1 cents, up 1.1cent on the week.
The USDA’s weekly butter stocks data this weekshowed inventory levels rose 22.5 percent from the pre-vious week but are still 55.5 percent below a year ago,according to FC Stone’s Jan. 5 Insider Opening Bell. FCStone dairy economist Bill Brooks said, “the rise instock levels was only about 300,000 pounds so while thepercentage change looks big, it was not a lot of butter.”
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Meanwhile, feed costs were lower in December butso were milk prices, leaving farm profitability downslightly from November. The all-milk price was esti-mated at $19.80/cwt., down 60 cents from November,while feed costs decreased about 3.5 percent, accord-ing to the USDA’s latest Ag Prices report.
The corn price declined 40 cents, to $5.44 perbushel, and soybeans dropped 60 cents, to $11.10,while alfalfa hay increased $1 per ton, to $199.00.
Feed costs compute out to $10.53/cwt., leaving“income over feed costs” of $9.27/cwt., according tothe DDR, down from $9.49 in November. This isslightly above the 10-year average IOFC of$9.09/cwt, the DDR said.
■
Checking supplies, milk continues to flow into but-ter and powder production as November butter andmilk powder output moved higher but cheese produc-tion was fairly steady, according to the USDA’s latest
Dairy Products report. Butter productiontotaled 153 million pounds, up 4.4 percent fromOctober and 14.2 percent above November 2010.
Nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder was estimated at159.7 million pounds, up 17.5 percent.
Total cheese output slipped to 886.5 million pounds,down 1.2 percent from October but 0.3 percent morethan November 2010. Italian-type cheese totaled 383
million pounds, up 0.1 percent from October but 0.6percent less than a year ago. American-type cheese pro-duction totaled 348 million, down 1.3 percent fromNovember but 0.7 percent more than a year ago.
Lee Mielke is a syndicated columnist who residesin Everson, Wash. His weekly column is featured innewspapers across the country and he may bereached at [email protected]. ❖
Mages Land Co. & Auction Service507-276-7002magesland.com
They want how much to sell your Farm??We have sold thousands of acres using proven methods throughout
MN at commissions that are often half that of other companiesWonderful 10 Acre rural Residence, Perfect for horses orlivestock w/3 bedroom home, pole shed, nice yard and 5 acrealfalfa, $149,900 • 57821 300th St, Winthrop, MNGrain Storage & Elevator Facility, bins, dryer & leg system,office & feed mill, scale room, etc., excellent location withplenty of lot space, $109,900 • 102 W. Main, Arlington, MNBeautiful 3 Acre Updated Rural Residence, well maintainedbuildings including lovely spacious 2 bedroom, 11⁄2 bath ramblerw/attached garage, 40x80 machine shed, barn w/shop, severalother sheds on roomy site bordering wooded ravine, $224,900• 12404 St. Hwy. 68, New Ulm, MNGreat 5 Acre Rural Residence, 3 bedroom, 11⁄2 bath spacioushome in quiet setting w/attached garage, new septic, nice grove& landscaping, 42x64 pole shed & 26x36 shop, $179,900 •15252 120th Ave., Hanska, MNBeautiful Wooded Country Lot, $24,900 • Section 34,Courtland E. Twp., Nicollet County100 Acres Hunting Land, $1,350/Acre, Section 14, HawkCreek Twp.Excellent Hunting Land, 80 Acres in Renville Cty., $890/Acre,near Cty. Rds. 11 & 54
160 ACRES MURRAY CO.100 AC. TILLABLE, PLUS PLUM CREEK HUNTING ~ THIS JUST MIGHT BE PARADISE!
www.magesland.com
REAL ESTATE AUCTIONWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18TH, 2012 - 10:00 AM
BLIZZARD DATE: JANUARY 19TH AT 10:00 AM
Auction Held at the Red Rooster Restaurant - 1160 Craig Ave. - Tracy, MN
Directions to Land: From Tracy go 4 mi. S on Lyon Co. Rd. #11 (4th St. in Tracy),then go 3 mi. E on 231st St., then go 11⁄4 mi. S on 250th Ave. The land will be on the
E side of road for the next 1⁄2 mile
Acres: 160 Tillable Acres: 100.38 Plus excellent hunting landwith Plum Creek running through it. This is a farm most people can
only dream of, the best of both worlds!To View Farm & For Complete Information Packet Call
Auctioneer: Larry Mages • 507-240-0030Lafayette, MN - #72-004
In Case of Severe Weather Listen to 860 AM KNUJ at 8:30 the morning of the Auctionfor Postponement Information
OWNERS: TRIPLE D INVESTMENT LLPAuctioneers: Matt Mages-New Ulm • Joe Maidl-Lafayette • John Goelz-Franklin • Joe Wersal-Winthrop
Broker: Mages Land Co. & Auction Service LLC Not Responsible for Accidents
Employment 015
Be An Auctioneer & Personal Property
Appraiser Continental Auction Schools
Mankato, MN & Ames, IA507-625-5595
www.auctioneerschool.com
Earn $75,000/yr Part Timein the livestock or equip-ment appraisal business.Agricultural backgroundrequired. Classroom orhome study coursesavailable.
800-488-7570www.amagappraisers.com
Farm Help Wanted on Grain& Hog Finishing Farm,year around work, experi-ence & reference needed.
507-920-8217
Real Estate 020
MN Turkey Farm, WrightCounty: brooder barn & 2grower barns at less than40% of new cost can pro-duce 2.5 million lbs. annual-ly. Permitted for 600 units,can expand to 3.6 millionlbs. annually. Excellentcondition. Located on 40acres land and some woods.
Other opportunities.Call Carl, Agent
952-944-8737 or 612-240-5770
Announcements 010
ADVERTISING NOTICE:Please check your ad the
first week it runs. We makeevery effort to avoid errorsby checking all copy, butsometimes errors aremissed. Therefore, we askthat you review your ad forcorrectness. If you find amistake, please call (507)345-4523 immediately sothat the error can be cor-rected. We regret that wecannot be responsible formore than one week's in-sertion if the error is notcalled to our attention. Wecannot be liable for anamount greater than thecost of the ad. THE LANDhas the right to edit, rejector properly classify any ad.Each classified line ad isseparately copyrighted toTHE LAND. Reporductionwithout permission isstrictly prohibited.
'47 H Farmall, very goodcond, same family for 63yrs. IHC 943 cornhead, lowacres, exc. Wil-Rich 30'field cultivator w/ 3 barharrow, old but very good.Madison MN 507-438-9553
1000 gal S/S tank on JD 963running gear, $1,250; JD1075 running gear, 10x20tires, $1,450; Loftness 8' 2auger snowblower, $2,450;1000 gal fuel tank w/ pump,$875; Polaris 500 6x6 w/dump box, $1,900.
320-769-2756
2 or 3 pt blades 6', 7', 8' & 9',$100 to $1250. Tractors &other equip. avail. 712-299-6608
(2) 24' plank floors, newstyle; (2) 35,000 bu bins;(2) 12,000 bu bins; 10” un-load for a 48' bin; new floorsupports, $2/ea; 11,000 bubin w/ floor & 8” unload.
507-697-6133
BRENT #876 GRAIN CART(Corner Auger) w/ Scale &Tarp Shedded Very Good.Mandako 30 Ft Land Roller(3 Section) (Heavy DutySeries) Like New 319-347-6676 Can Deliver
FOR SALE Seed cleaningequip.: Delta 114, 4 screencleaner; Forsberg 12Mgravity sewing machinebagger & conveyor. 320-855-2527 or 320-226-3405
FOR SALE: '01 DMC 1700 5”Air System, new 40hp 3phase motor in '09, newblower in '10, 6 hole distrib-utor, lots of pipe, elbows,deadhead, & connectors.
507-380-1947
FOR SALE: JD Model 500Grain Cart. Exc. condition.
715-896-1050.
FOR SALE: Parker 4500grain cart, 24.5x32 diamondtires, extension, 500 bu,new top & bottom augers,new gear box, all last sum-mer. $8,000. 507-227-0605
FOR SALE: Used Sukuptower dryer, new fall of '07,very good cond, soft start,wired for 3 phase 230 voltor 480 volt. Call Steve at
320-760-0634
FOR SALE:Used grain bins,floors unload systems, sti-rators, fans & heaters, aer-ation fans, buying or sell-ing, try me first and alsocall for very competitivecontract rates! Officehours 8am-5pm Monday –Friday Saturday 9am -12noon 507-430-4866 or call507-697-6133 Ask for Gary
REM 2700 Grain Vac Brand New $19,450 Mike 507-848-6268
Real Estate 020
Sell your land or real estatein 30 days for 0% commis-sion. Call Ray 507-339-1272
We have extensive lists ofLand Investors & farm buy-ers throughout MN. We al-ways have interested buy-ers. For top prices, go withour proven methods over
thousands of acres. Serving Minnesota
Mages Land Co & Auc Servwww.magesland.com
800-803-8761
Real Estate Wanted 021
WANTED: Land & farms. Ihave clients looking fordairy, & cash grain opera-tions, as well as bare landparcels from 40-1000 acres.Both for relocation & in-vestments. If you haveeven thought about sellingcontact: Paul Krueger,Farm & Land Specialist,Edina Realty, SW SuburbanOffice, 14198 CommerceAve NE, Prior Lake, MN55372. [email protected]
(952)447-4700
Antiques & Collectibles 026
'79 Pontiac Trans Am. 403V8, automatic, power win-dows, AC. 86,000 miles.
FOR SALE: JD plows, mod-el 4D, 214 on steel, re-stored, very nice; model 44214 hyd lift plow, recond;F145H 416, semi mountplow, good cond; 2500 518hyd reset in very goodcond. 320-732-3370
Pull type Road Grader(Road Patrol), $500.
712-297-7951
Pull type Road Grader(Road Patrol), $400. 712-297-7951
WANTED: Old gas pump.608-884-6855 or leave message
Hay & Forage Equip 031
FOR SALE: JD 5400-5830and 6000 series forage har-vesters. Used kernel pro-cessors, also, used JD 40knife Dura-Drums, anddrum conversions for 5400and 5460. Call (507)427-3520www.ok-enterprises.com
NH 60 forage blower same asCase IH 600 in very goodcondition. (608)487-6121.
Leave a message.
Bins & Buildings 033
2-12'Hx15'W Morton AlumaSteel sliding doors, exccond, $700 ea. Can deliver.641-425-5478
Stormer Bins & EZ-Drys.100% financing w/no liensor red tape, call Steve atFairfax Ag for an appoint-ment. 888-830-7757
If you’re having a Farm Auction, letother Farmers know it!
Southern MN-Northern IA
Jan 20Feb 3
Feb 17March 2
March 16March 30
Northern MNJan 27Feb 10Feb 24March 9
March 23April 6
Ask YourAsk YourAuctioneer toAuctioneer to
Place Your AuctionPlace Your Auctionin in The Land!The Land!PO Box 3169
Deadlines are 1 week prior to publication with Holiday deadlines 1 day earlier
** Indicates Early Deadline
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
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★★WEEKLY
AUCTIONEvery Wednesday
HOTOVECAUCTION CENTER
N Hwy 15Hutchinson, MN320-587-3347
www.hotovecauctions.com
10:30 AM - Farm Misc.11:00 AM - Hay & Straw12:00 Noon - LivestockSheep & Goats 2nd Wed.
Every Month!
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EDMUND H. WENDINGER CONSERVATORSHIP
SIGEL TOWNSHIP FARMLAND FOR SALE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012 The sale to be held at Berens, Rodenberg and O'Connor, Chartered, 519 Center Street,
New Ulm, Minnesota, at 1:30 p.m.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Parcel 1: NW¼ of NW¼ of Section 8, Township 109 North, Range 31 West, Brown County, Minnesota. (Parcel 1 Contains 40 acres, more or less.)
Parcel 2: West 20 acres of N½ of NE¼ of SE¼, known as Lot 13, and of SE¼ of NE¼,
Section 8, Township 109 North, Range 31 West, Brown County, Minnesota. (Parcel 2 contains 20 acres, more or less.)
BIDDING PROCEDURE
• Bids will be received at 519 Center Street, New Ulm, Minnesota. Each bid must be in writing and state the parcel(s) on which a bid is made. Bids should be submitted on a per acre price with a minimum bid of $6,000.00 per acre. All bids shall be accompanied by a cashier's check made payable to the Berens Law Office Trust Account in the amount of $10,000.00. Submitting one cashier’s check allows bidding on both parcels. Only persons submitting bids are entitled to be present and they will have an opportunity to increase their bids. The seller reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive any formalities or irregularities in the sale process, and to control all rules and procedures of the sale.
TERMS
• The successful bidders must enter into an earnest money contract at the conclusion of the bidding on January 20, 2012. At that time, 20% of the purchase price will be due as earnest money with the $10,000.00 applied to this earnest money requirement. The balance of the price will be due and payable by certified check no later than February 22, 2012, the date of closing.
• Seller shall pay all real estate taxes payable in 2011 and prior years; Purchasers shall pay all real estate taxes payable in 2012 and thereafter.
• Property is being sold in an "AS IS" condition. The property will not be surveyed and will be sold using the boundary lines established by practical location.
• Conservator’s Deed delivered by seller shall be subject to easements, agreements, and restrictions of record, if any.
• The sale of this farmland is subject to court approval. • Farmland is being submitted to offers received through this process by Lutheran Social
Service of Minnesota as conservator of Edmund H. Wendinger. Announcements made the day of sale take precedence over written material.
For further information, contact Mary Schreiner at Berens, Rodenberg & O'Connor,
Chartered in New Ulm at (507) 233-3900.
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We are pleased to offer, due to retirement,
Benton and Morrison County, Minnesota Real Estate 1376 Acres
Call for more details or to request an information packet!
Robert Hohmann17012 5th Ave NWRice, MN 56367(320) 393-2880(320) 310-6382
Ron Woltjer, EA, CSAAccountant, Auctioneer,Auctioneer No. 7305047113 East BroadwayLittle Falls, MN 56345(320) [email protected]
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.Location: Gray, Pant, Mooty, Law Office, 1010 West St Germain, St Cloud, MN 56301
Parcel 1: 429 acres (approx.) Farm Land, 405 irrigated,24 other, West Side of Benton County Rd 56.
Parcel 1A: House and Buildings with 35 acres ( approx.)at 17243 5th Ave. NW, Rice MN west side of Benton CountyRd. 56. Includes 20 acres (approx.) oak trees.
Parcel 2: 37 acres (approx.) Hunting Land, east side ofMorrison County Rd. 56 with easement access.
Parcel 3: 77 acres (approx.) Hunting Land, meadow andscrub oaks , west side of Benton County Rd. 56.
Parcel 4: 770 acres (approx.), 672 irrigated, 98 other withcomplete grain drying and storage facility, east side ofBenton County Rd 56.
Parcel 5: House and Buildings including 60x624 Gold’nPlump chicken barn on 40 acres (approx.), east side ofBenton County Rd 56.
ComingFarmlandAuctions-
2 Southern Minnesota Farms
For Information Booklets including terms,soil maps, FSA info, drainage
& other info contactAuctioneer Alley-Auction America
Land Services Unlimitedoffice # 507-238-4318or www.auctioneeralley.com
Monday Eve. Jan. 30th, 2012@ 6:30pm
79 AcresChoice Bare Farmland
located 2 miles South of Ormsby, MN onState Highway 4 in the SW 1⁄4 of Sec 8
Galena Twp, Martin Cty, MN, T104N R32W.Level all tillable Farm Land with
Productivity Index of 91.7%.Sale to be held at Ormsby MN. Firehall.
Luella Wolff, Owner
Monday Eve. February 6th 2012@ 6:30pm
80 AcresChoice Bare Farmland
located 3 mi South of Dunnell, MN on Hwy4 & 3⁄4 Mi West, 1⁄4 Mi South or 1⁄2 Mi West
from Hwy 4 on Iowa/MN State Line & 1⁄2 MiNorth in NE 1⁄4 Sec 33, Lake Fremont Twp,
Martin Cty, MN, T101N R33W.Level gently sloping all tillable parcel with
productivity index of 94.2%.Access to excellent country ditch
drainage.Sale to be held at Dunnell Community Hall,
Dunnell, MN. Bill, Bob & Patricia Johnson, Owners
Wednesday, January 18 @ 11 AM: SecuredParty Farm Auction, Blackduck, MN,Rescheduled from November 22. SellingTractors, Trackhoe, Excavators, Attachments,Harvest Equipment, Trucks, & Much More!
Opening February 1 & Closing February 9:IQBID Tri-State February Consignment Event.Advertise Now To Sell Your Excess Equipment.Advertising Deadline: January 15th
Opening February 7 & Closing February 21:IQBID Kibble Equipment Inc., Montevideo, MN,Late Model Farm Equipment
Thursday, February 16 @ 10 AM: RichlandCounty Farmland Auction, Mooreton, ND, SW1/4Section 2 in Danton Twp.
Wednesday, February 22 @ 10 AM: CS DuboisConstruction Inc., West Fargo, ND, BusinessRealignment
Wednesday, March 14 @ 10 AM: AgIron 60Consignment Event, Red River ValleyFairgrounds, West Fargo, ND. AdvertisingDeadline: February 17
Wednesday, March 28 @ 10 AM: Don Seltvedt,Harvey, ND, Farm Retirement Auction. MostEquipment Has Been Stored Inside WithExcellent Maintenance
Tuesday, April 10 @ 10 AM: Ken & TedWeshnevski, Tower City, ND, Farm Auction
Thursday, April 12 @ 11 AM: Cedar BendFarms, Warroad, MN, Farm Auction
Steffes Auction Calendar 2012For More info Call 1-800-726-8609
or visit our website:www.steffesauctioneers.com
Farm Implements 035
'98 CIH 2388, 4x4, 3500 enghrs $46,000. (608)987-2373
1086 IH Red Power Series6514 hrs, duals , rock box;986 IH, 6967 hrs, duals, rockbox; 340 IH utility, WF, hydldr, 12 volt. All sharp trac-tors. 320-855-2588 or 320-226-1455
CIH 7140, 4 post, duals, wgts,5500 hrs, $19,900. JD 7700, 2post, w/pwr shift, $19,900.JD 4050, 4 post, w/loader,pwr shift, $18,000. JD 4050,cab, heat, air, '88, QR,$19,000. Call 608-987-2373
FOR SALE: '07 JD 8130,MFWD, PS, auto trackready, 380R50 Duals,380R34 fronts, 4 remotes, 60GPM pump, 1930 hrs,$132,000 exc shape.
507-863-2253
FOR SALE: '80 IHC 1586,18.4x42 rear tires & duals,rock box, fully hydro TA in-stalled w/ lifetime warran-ty, very good shape, 7400hrs. Call 507-530-4166
FOR SALE: '82 JD 4640, PS,18.4x42 85% rubber, castduals, rock box, 5200 hrs.,new pump & injectors, exc.cond., $28,500 OBO. 507-995-1062
FOR SALE: '97 JD 8400,rears 480/80/46-70%, fronts420/90/30-60%, all Michelins,power beyond, 3 hyds, in-teg, auto-trac, 30 gal pump,(2) 450 lb wgts per side,front fenders, rock box,4,486 hrs, $98,500. WalnutGrove MN 507-829-7212
days in past 2 yrs.• Grasshopper 723 w/52” deck, “Demo”
• Early Order Discounts Now In Effecton New GT Dryers, Grasshoppers &
Zero Turn Mowers• Woods 6’ 3 pt. snowblower w/orbit motor spout• Gehl #312 Scavenger II spreader, 260 bu., VG• Brady 5600 15’ stalk shredder & windrower• Steer Stuffer & Hog Feeders• 20’ JD BWF disk w/duals, Very Good• Special Prices on new Augers & Gravity Boxes
In Stock
~ USED EQUIPMENT ~
Tractors 036
IH 766 G, good cond, goodTA, w/GB hyd loader goodcond, $7,600/OBO.
641-847-1992
JD 4520 dsl., 5200 hrs., rockbox, 18.4x38 rubber @ 75%,side console, 3 pt. Thistractor is very nice & verywell taken care of, $11,500or OBO. (507)247-5172
Minneapolis Moline TractorParts for sale. River DaleFarms, (920) 295-3278.
NEW AND USED TRACTORPARTS JD 10, 20, 30, 40, 50,55, 50 Series & newer trac-tors, AC-all models, LargeInventory, We ship! MarkHeitman Tractor Salvage715-673-4829
Specializing in most ACused tractor parts forsale. Now parting outWD, 190XT, #200 & D-17tractors. RosenbergTractor Salvage
507-848-1701 or 507-236-8726
WANTED: Rear wheel wgtsfor 16-9-24 IH 574 tractor.
ALSO WANTED: Drag,Disk, 2-Bottom Plow, & oth-er implements.
(715)597-2762.
WE HAVE PARTS! Partsfor Tractors, Combines,Machinery, Hay Equip-ment, and more... Allmakes & Models. Used,new, rebuilt, aftermarket.
All States Ag PartsCall: 877-530-4430 to reach
the store nearest you!Www.tractorpartsasap.com
Harvesting Equip 037
'82 & '77 Bidwell edible beancombines, $5,500 & $3,000;8-30 Speedy bean cutterw/new $1,100 Ubly beanknives, $900 for all; 8R or6R Heath bean cutter, $500;White 6 belt dummy head,like new, $600; JD 220 flexhead, black reel w/whitedrives, $1,200; Bish headadapter, JD head to White,$500; hyd reel drive kit forWhite 9700 combine, $500;Versatile 400, 12' swather,works good, $1,000; '71 IHtruck w/300 bu wood box,$1,500; '74 IH w/newer 300bu. box, 3 pc endgate,$2,500; Melroe 30' multi-weeder w/new sweeps,$500; JD 4239T eng., $1,900;have pictures, open to of-fers. 320-693-7196
750 bu Frontier (J&M) graincart, 18” auger, hyd spout,nice, $19,750/Offers.
641-561-2739
Brent #672 Grain Cart/CornerAuger w/ Scale Real Good.H&S 12 Wheel Pull V-RakeHydraulic Pull. Glencoe 9Shank Disk Chisel w/Buster Bar Good Cond. 319-347-6138 Can Deliver
FOR SALE: '92 JD 9400, 4820eng hrs/3150 sep hrs, Ser-viced at local JD dealershipon regular basis, hopperext, new front tires. Asking$35,000/OBO. 320-963-5183
FOR SALE: '96 JD 893 8R30cornhead, exc cond,$18,500/OBO. 320-848-2453
IH 1420 combine, 2300 hrs,very good cond, $6,500; 844cornhead, $750. 763-682-1926
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CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDDSS
800-657-4665PLACE YOURAD TODAY!
Woodford Ag507-430-5144
37666 300th St. • Redwood Falls, MNWWW.WOODFORDAG.COM
NEW EQUIPMENT
USED EQUIPMENT
E-TRAIL GRAIN CARTS710 Bu. - On Hand......................$18,795510 Bu. - On Hand ..Starting at $10,995
GRAVITY WAGONS600 Agrimaster, On Hand ..........$13,500500 E-Z Trail, On Hand ....$7,995-$9,020400 E-Z Trail......................$6,895-$7,250HARVEST INTERNATIONAL/AUGERST10-32 PTO Truck Auger ..............$3,500T10-42 Truck Auger ......................$4,250T10-52 Truck Auger ......................$4,950H10-62 Swing Hopper ..................$8,500H10-72 Swing Hopper ..................$9,300H10-82 Swing Hopper ..................$9,750H13-62 Swing Hopper ................$13,500H13-72 Swing Hopper ................$14,500H13-82 Swing Hopper ................$15,500H13-92 Swing Hopper ................$18,50018-44 Belt Conveyor, 7.5 hp ........$9,95012 Volt Auger Mover ....................$1,995Hyd. Auger Mover ........................$1,350
HITCH DOC SEED TENDERS2 Box Tandem, On Hand ..............$9,8504 Box Tandem, On Hand ............$15,9506 Box Gooseneck ......................$25,000
NEW KOYKER LOADERSCall For Other Sizes
510 Loader, On Hand....................$5,750COMBINE HEAD MOVERS
Bag Unloaders ........................In StockNEW ROUND BALE RACKS
10’x23’, On Hand ..........................$1,995NEW WHEEL RAKES
10 Wheel, V Rake, On Hand ........$3,7505 Wheel, 3 pt. Rake, On Hand......$1,125Land Levelers, 10’ & 12’ ........On HandWalco Ground Pounder, 45’ ..$31,500
CIH 3950 disc w/mulcher, cushion gang, 24’ $24,000CIH 496 w/mulcher, 24’, cushion gang ..........$14,500CIH 496 w/mulcher, 18’, cushion gang ..........$11,500DMI 527B disc ripper ....................................$15,500DMI 500, 5-shank, 3 pt. mount ripper w/discleveler............................................................$7,500
Kent 12’ Discovator ........................................$6,500Demco 550 grain cart, 3 yrs. old, Like New ..$14,900Demco 650 gravity box ................................$12,900(6) Demco 365 boxes ..............From $5,500-$6,500Demco used gravity boxes, all sizes available......CallGehl 125 mixers ..............................Choice $12,500NH 355 mixer ................................................$11,500New Mandako Land Rollers in stock ..................CallH&S 12-wheel rake, 1 yr. old ..........................$4,800Used Tonutti 10-wheel high capacity rake......$4,000
New Sitrex Rakes Available
Many New & Used Rakes Available
ONHAND
Agro-TrendSnowblowers
SKIDLOADER TIRES -HD 10-16.5 & HD 12-16.5
Tillage Equip 039
Case-DMI 50' crumbler, red,used only one year. LikeNew. $14,900.
Olivia 320-523-1099
FOR SALE: '06 JD 2410, 17'chisel plow, true depthstandards, walkingtandems, floating hitch,new points, can make into15' or 19'. $15,000.
507-380-7863
FOR SALE: '99 DMI Tiger-mate II 28 ½' field cultiva-tor, 3 bar harrow, walkingtandems on main flashwings, shedded, can easilybe converted to 26 ½' or 24½', near Mankato, $16,500.
507-380-7863
FOR SALE: Case IH 720late model 6-18 plow. Onland hitch, coulters, &buster bar. $5,000.
(715)821-5301.
FOR SALE: JD 980 24 ½'field cult, 3 bar harrow,walking tandems on mainflash wings, always shed-ded, very nice, nearMankato, $16,000.
507-380-7863
Planting Equip 038
'09 White 8202 12/30 planter,SM4000 monitor, 2 bu box-es, row cleaners, rock kick-ers, 6 smart boxes, exccond. 507-380-2234
YETTER New residue man-agers. Also, full line of Yet-ter Equipment available.
507-236-1934 C 507-235-9593 H
8:00am to 5:00pm.
Tillage Equip 039
'06 JD 2700, 7 shk. ripper,$25,000; JD 2400, 24' chiselplow, Tru Depth shanks,$24,500; '11 JD 635 flexhead, used 1 season, lowacres. All equipment isvery nice. (507)530-4228
48 Ft Kent/Great Plains Dis-covator/Finisher (1998) w/ 5Bar Harrow, New Blades,Good Cond. 45 Ft MandakoLand Roller (5/8” Wall)Self Leveling Like New.319-347-2349 Can Deliver
Case IH 4300 Vibra shank 28'field cultivator w/ harrow,always shedded, Nice Con-dition! $12,500 320-238-2269
Planting Equip 038
'06 JD Max Emergent XP12R30”, proshaft drive pre-cision planting units, 3 buboxes, planted less than5,000 acres, always shed-ded, truly field ready, exccond. $39,500. 320-238-2269
JD 1760 12R30”, 3 bu boxes,liq fert, (2) 200 gal tanks,row cleaners, 1000 acres onnew disk openers, seedtubes & scrapers, monitor;JD 7200 16R30”, 3 bu boxes,liq fert, 500 gal tank &pump, new in '11 monitor.320-855-2588 or 320-226-1455
White 8100 corn planter.12R30", forward fold, liquidfert, piston pump, markers,Yetter no till, extra spikeclosing wheels, row shut-offs. 3 yrs old. 3,500 acrestotal. $45,000/OBO.
FOR SALE: L&D Land Pro3pt sprayer, 90', hyd fold,triple nozzle bodies, excshape, $9,500. 507-863-2253
FOR SALE: Wetherall 400gal sprayer, 40' boom &pumps, $400. 712-786-3341
Wanted 042
WANTED: Belarus tractor,50-100hp running, in need ofrepair or parts. 515-835-7673
Tillage Equip 039
DMI 730C, 7 shank, disk rip-per, lead shanks, very goodcond, $32,500/Offers
641-561-2739JD 3710 plow. 6 bottom by
18. Cover boards. Variablewidth. $15,000.
(507)867-4253.Salford 22 RTS w/Chisel
shanks, grease bank, 3 barharrow & rolling basket.New Demo'd. Priced tosell. Gregs Farm Machinery
Blue Earth MN 507-526-5521or 507-525-0642.
Machinery Wanted 040
Aeration fan single or 3phase. 507-697-6133
All kinds of New & Usedfarm equipment – disc chis-els, field cults, planters,soil finishers, cornheads,feed mills, discs, balers,haybines, etc. 507-438-9782
A family business since 1946 with the Lanos: Jack, Paul, Bob and Andy
NorwoodYoung America
952-467-2181
Cattle 056
FOR SALE OR LEASEREGISTERED BLACKANGUS Bulls, 2 year old &yearlings; bred heifers,calving ease, club calves &balance performance. Alsired. In herd improvementprogram. J.W. RiverviewAngus Farm Glencoe, MN55336 Conklin Dealer 320-864-4625
FOR SALE: 35 yearling openRed Angus heifers out ofregistered cows & bulls,some AI, all to go. $1,000/eaor $1.25 per lb. 320-732-3370
FOR SALE: Purebred Gal-loway Bull. 3 yrs. old.
715-821-1975.
FOR SALE: Reg. Black An-gus bulls w/ great growth &disposition, breeding out ofSchiefelbein Genetics.,
320-597-2747
Great selection of polledHereford bulls. Choose nowfor spring pick up. www.larsonherefordfarms.com
715-772-4680Registered Texas Longhorn
breeding stock, cows,heifers or roping stock, topblood lines. 507-235-3467
WANT TO BUY: Butchercows, bulls, fats & walkablecripples; also horses,sheep & goats. 320-235-2664
True breed-type Dorset ewelambs, same breeding thathas won 11 championships& 4 reserves in the carcassshows at the MN StateFair. Data to prove it. Bredwith a purpose: Cutability.Home of the carcass cham-pions. (320) 587-6668
Goats 062
FOR SALE: Nubian DairyGoats. Most are registered& have been to shows.Some does freshening soon.Call Steve before 2:00 pm.
CIH 1063, clean tin ....................$8,250‘09 Harvestec 4312C, 12R30
..........................................COMING IN
Geringhoff 8R30 roto disc ........$45,500Geringhoff 6R30, PC ....................CALLGeringhoff 6R30, PC ..................$7,950NH 974 8R22 ................................CALLHarvestec Gen. III, 8R30 ........$29,000Harvestec Gen. III, 8R30 ........$26,500CIH 1083, shedded ..................$10,500‘98 CIH 1083 ............................$13,900CIH 1083, Clean........................$10,500JD 643, 6R30..............................$5,500‘04 MF 8R30 hugger head ........$25,500
1-Season................................$42,900JD 512 ......................................$31,500DMI 730B, lead shanks, gates,
harrow, Clean ........................$25,500DMI 730, standard shanks........$14,000Kent 9-shank, S/A, newer
blades ......................................$2,750DMI Coulter Champ II ................$2,995Krause 4850-18, 200 acres ......$52,000Case 730B, lead shanks, new
& tarp ..............................................$26,500
Miscellaneous 090
500 gal S/S tank on 6 Tontrailer, $975. 1000 gal S/Stank on 8 Ton trailer,$1,875; Olivia 320-523-1099
PARMA DRAINAGEPUMPS New pumps &parts on hand. Call Min-nesota's largest distributorHJ Olson & Company 320-974-3202 Cell – 320-894-6276
RANGER PUMP CO. is a Custom Manufacturer of
Water Lift Pumps for fielddrainage & lagoon agitation
pumps. Sales & Service
507-984-2025 or 406-314-0334www.rangerpumpco.com
THE BEST FLOOR HEATWATER TUBING. FREEESTIMATES. Compare &Save! GUARANTEEDLOWEST PRICES.www.mikesheating.com
1-800-446-4043
WANT MORE READERSTO SEE YOUR AD??
Expand your coverage area!The Land has teamed upwith Farm News, and TheCountry Today so you cando just that! Place a classi-fied ad in The Land andhave the option of placing itin these papers as well.More readers = better re-sults! Call The Land formore information. 507-345-4523 • 800-657-4665
Winpower Sales & ServiceReliable Power SolutionsSince 1925 PTO & automat-ic Emergency ElectricGenerators. New & UsedRich Opsata-Distributor800-343-9376
Trucks & Trailers 084
48' Van, new tires, excshape, $3,500. 507-697-6133
FOR SALE: '02 Chevrolet2500 reg cab w/ utility box.154K miles, no rust, every-thing works. 320-905-7829
FOR SALE: '74 700 Fordtruck, 14' steel box & hoistw/ roll tarp. 507-276-2655
FOR SALE: '93 Ford F150XLT ext cab. Short box,4X4, runs good. Also, '94Ford F150 XLT ext. cabshort box, 4X4 parts truck.$3,000/OBO. (715)563-8409
Miscellaneous 090
FOR SALE: Snow Cretesnow blowers, sizes tomatch HP, on hand 6,8,9,&10' long. Dave SchwartzSlayton MN 507-920-8181
GENERATORS: 15kW-500kW PTO & automaticgen sets, new & used. Lowtime hospital take-outs.Standby Power-WindomServing farmers since 1975800-419-9806 9-5 Mon-Sat
ONAN ENGINES 25 hp re-built engine for skid loader;rebuilt Onan engines 16 to20 hp for JD garden trac-tors and others. Pricesstart at $1095.00 exchange.BCM, Inc 763-755-0034
One call does it all!With one phone call, you can
place your classified ad inThe Land, Farm News,AND The Country Today.Call The Land for moreinfo @ 507-345-4523 • 800-657-4665 or place your ad online@ www.thelandonoline.com
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CNH Capital’s Commercial Revolving Account provides financial assistance for parts and service when you need it, keeping yourequipment running as its best with the quality parts and service you’ve come to expect from Case IH. Contact your local dealeror visit www.cnhcapital.com today for details.
USED COMBINESInterest Waiver or Low Rate Financing Available ••• Call For Details
‘11 CIH Steiger 500Q, scraper tractor, 30” tracks, big pump, Lux. cab, HID lights, 92 hrs. ......$325,000‘11 CIH Steiger 550Q, scraper tractor, Lux. cab, big pump, HID lights, 732 hrs. ......................$335,000‘11 CIH Steiger 535Q, Lux. cab, HID lights, full auto guide steering, 1306 hrs...........................$289,000‘09 CIH Steiger 535Q, Lux. cab, big hyd. pump, drawbar, full PRO 600 steering, 1980 hrs.,
Farm Use Only ................................................................................................................................$242,500‘11 CIH Steiger 535Q, scraper tractor, Lux. cab, HID lights, 2061 hrs. ......................................$235,000‘10 CIH Steiger 535Q, scraper tractor, Lux. cab, HID lights, full PRO 600 steering, 2355 hrs. ..$235,000‘05 CIH STX450Q, scraper trade in, 30” tracks, front blade, 1737 hrs. ........................................$189,900‘11 CIH Steiger 435, Lux. cab, HID lights, 1000 PTO, 620/70R42 tires, 500 hrs. ....................COMING IN‘07 CIH Steiger 480, Lux. cab, HD darwbar, HD hyd. pump, HID lights, 710/70R42 tires,
2425 hrs. ..........................................................................................................................................$189,000‘07 CIH Steiger 480, 710/70R42 tires, 2185 hrs. ..........................................................................$184,500‘05 JD 9620T, Track Unit, Ag use only, New Camo AG tracks, 2170 hrs. ....................................$189,900‘02 CIH STS375Q, Quad Trac, big pump, HID lights, diff. lock, 5700 hrs.....................................$124,000‘00 JD 9400, PS, 425 hp., 710/70R38 95%, 5100 hrs. ..................................................................$119,000‘99 CIH 9380Q, easy steer, 6500 hrs. ................................................................................................$69,900‘90 JD 8960, 24.5x32 duals 90%, 4 rem., 3 pt., 24-spd., 4890 hrs. ................................................$79,500‘84 Steiger CP1400, New Mich. duals, 7314 hrs. ............................................................................$55,000
STX and STEIGER PTO, TOW CABLE & 3 PT. KITS ON HAND!!!
USED 4WD TRACTORSUp To One Year Interest Free ••• Call For Details •••
USED 2WD TRACTORSUp To One Year Interest Free ••• Call For Details •••
‘10 CIH Magnum 335, 1419 hrs., Lux. cab, 360 HID lights, dual PTO..........................................$189,000‘11 CIH Magnum 275, 500 hrs., Lux. cab, 360 HID lights, 5 remotes, auto guide ready ............$159,900‘11 CIH Magnum 275, 567 hrs., Lux. cab, 360 HID lights, susp. axle, 380/54 tires,
full auto guide ..................................................................................................................................$179,900‘07 CIH Magnum 275, 1035 hrs., Lux. cab, 360 HID lights, susp. axle ........................................$137,000‘11 CIH Magnum 215, 223 hrs., Lux. cab, HID lights, auto guide ready......................................$138,900‘08 CIH Magnum 215, 835 hrs, 320R54 tires & duals, Lux. cab, 360 HID lights..........................$122,900‘08 CIH Magnum 215, 1278 hrs., 320R54 tires & duals, Lux. cab, 360 HID lights ......................$119,900‘06 CIH MX285, 2086 hrs., HD drawbar, HID lights, auto guide ready..........................................$124,900‘03 CIH MX285, 3005 hrs., front & rear duals ..................................................................................$98,800‘02 CIH MX240, 3154 hrs., 1000 PTO, 3 hyd. remotes, 480/80R46 ................................................$84,800‘92 CIH 7120, 5870 hrs.......................................................................................................................$45,000‘06 CIH DX45, w/LX116 loader................................................................................................................CALL
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By SARAH JOHNSONThe Land Correspondent
What better way to memo-rialize a lifetime of gather-ing with friends, family andgood food than to produce ajumbo cookbook filled withall those recipes and memo-ries. LeAnn (Prescher)Amundson of Waldorf,Minn., (now living inMankato) did just that with“LeAnn’s TreasuredRecipes,” now on sale.
Amundson has filled herlife with family and cooking,just the ingredients youneed for a great homespuncookbook. She started outcooking for her farm familyand threshing crews, took cookingclasses, threw big German-style din-ner parties, and raised her three chil-dren and a husband on homemadegoodies. Finally reaching a stage of herlife where she could concentrate on acookbook, Amundson took the plungeand got it done, with the artful assis-tance of daughter Shalaine.
“Treasured Recipes” may have beenwritten by Amundson, but the wisdomin it comes from a multitude of mentorswho passed down their knowledge overthe years: “This cookbook will serve asa link in the long line of cooks who havesweat before a hot oven, or hunted tobring home the meat for the table,”Amundson writes in the preface. “I hadgood input!” she adds. And now shepasses on the knowledge once again.Here is a selection of her recipes.
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Homemade carrot bars with creamcheese frosting sound so wonderful theymust be complicated, but they really arequite easy and quick, especially whenyou use baby food carrots. “I like to makethese, as you don’t need to grate carrots,”Amundson writes. Make sure you softenyour cream cheese well before you start.I made a batch of these scrumptious,not-too-heavy bars and was well pleasedwith the results. So was my family: four
out of four “yums” and a “You can makethese anytime, Mom!”Carrot Bars
4 eggs, well beaten2 cups sugar3/4 cup salad oil2 cups flour2 (7.5-ounce) “junior” carrots baby
food2 teaspoons baking soda2 teaspoons cinnamon1 teaspoon saltCream the eggs and sugar. Add the
remaining ingredients and put in ajelly roll pan. Bake in a 350 F. oven for30 minutes.
Frosting:4 tablespoons margarine, soft1/2 teaspoon vanilla2 (3-ounce packages) cream cheese3 1/2 cups powdered sugarMix the above ingredients well and
frost the bars.■
“Pioneer Scandinavian loggers cre-ated this recipe over a century ago usingfreshly caught Lake Michigan fish,”Amundson writes. “Improvise using atwo-part steaming pot or any kettle plusa colander that will fit inside.”Wisconsin Fish Boil
18 small red potatoes
4-6 quarts water12 small white onions1 tablespoon salt3-4 pounds fish steaks, cut
1 inch thick (use large fresh-water fish such as laketrout, whitefish or salmon)
Chopped parsleyMelted butterLemon wedgesScrub potatoes, but do not
peel. Cut a thin slice off twoopposite ends of each potato.Place potatoes and water tocover by two inches (amountwill depend on size of pot) inthe bottom part of a two-partsteamer, large pot or kettle.Cover and bring to a boilover high heat. Boil potatoes
10 minutes over medium-low heat.Peel onions. Add onions and salt to
potatoes; continue to cook 5 minutes.Place fish steaks in the upper part ofthe steamer or colander. Place fishover potatoes. Continue to cook untilpotatoes are fork-tender and fishflakes easily, about 10 minutes. Drainfish and vegetables.
Arrange on a platter; sprinkle withparsley and drizzle with melted butter.Garnish with lemon wedges.
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If you want to make Praline AcornSquash but don’t have any of the spicecalled mace, just use nutmeg. Theycome from the same tree — nutmeg isthe seed, and mace is the lacy coveringover the seed — and have a similar fla-vor. Or if you prefer, use allspice, cinna-mon, ginger or pumpkin pie spice.Praline Acorn Squash
2 medium acorn squash, halvedlengthwise, remove seeds
1/2 cup water1/4 cup butter, softened1/3 cup chopped pecans1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar1/4 teaspoon mace2 teaspoons vanillaHeat oven to 400 F. In ungreased
12x8-inch baking dish, place squashcut side up. Pour water into dish; setaside. In small bowl, stir togetherremaining ingredients. Divide mix-ture evenly among squash halves.Cover; bake for 35-45 minutes or untiltender. Yield: 4 servings.
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One of the joys of cooking with chil-dren is making their special recipes,such as this one for a granddaughterwho loved to pick raspberries.
Jam: Take some raspberries, frozenor fresh. Put in a bowl; take a masherand mash. Then take a spoon and stir.All you do is put jam on toast. BrookeAmundson, 1988
Amundson suggests using the beau-tiful stained-glass crimson of cran-berry sauce as part of a winter salador as a dramatic garnish.
Cranberry Cut-Outs: Cut jelliedcranberry sauce into 1/2-inch-thickslices. Use cookie cutters to cut outstars, hearts or desired shapes. Serveon shredded lettuce as a salad. Or cutjellied cranberry sauce into 1/4-inch-thick slices and cut into shapes withcanapé cutters. Use to garnishcanapés, desserts, etc.
To order “LeAnn’s TreasuredRecipes”, send $17.95 plus $5 ship-ping and handling to: Shalaine Olson,14649 330th Ave., Winnebago, MN56098. Or visit The Enchanted Forestgift shop in the Old Town neighbor-hood of Mankato, Minn. ❖
‘Treasured Recipes’ from a lifetime of home cookingCookbook Corner
2007 IH 9200i, Cummins, 450 Hp, 10 spd ................................Call1999 Volvo VNM64T, Cummins M11, 4000K mi ......................Call1991 INTL 8100, Cummins L10, 409K mi, 9 spd......................Call18’ - 24’ New & Used Grain Bodies ..............................Will Install1994 Ford LT9000, CAT 3306, 112K mi, 10 spd. ......................Call
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HELP US GROW THE LAND’S COOKBOOK LIBRARY
Submit your church or organization’s cookbook for review in
The Cookbook CornerSend cookbooks to: “The Cookbook Corner,” The Land magazine,
P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002
*Submission does not guarantee published review*
This week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Correspondents Tim King (story) and Jan King (photo)
Do you have a Back Roads story suggestion? E-mail [email protected] or write to Editor, The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002.
Community spirit
By Christmas-time the beautiful stone shelterat Mini-Wakan State Park likely had its new
roof. The roof was a fine Christmas gift for thepeople in the neighborhood of the north shore ofBig Spirit Lake and the town of Spirit Lake,Iowa. In a sense the shelter’s renovation is a giftto the community from the community.
In 1933, the community purchased the 12-acrepark and donated it to the Iowa ConservationCommission, now the Department of NaturalResources.
“In 1933 and 1934 young men from towns innorthwest Iowa were recruited to form Company778 of the CCC,” according to the Spirit LakeProtective Association’s website. The CivilianConservation Corps was the 1930s response tohigh unemployment. At Mini-Wakan State Park,the government hired men to build a large stoneshelter on a high bluff with a grand view of thelake. With stones from area fields, the men builtthe shelter, a set of grand stairs down to thelake, a stone portal at the park’s entrance andother structures.
It was a government-community partnershipwith the community providing the land, menand building materials and the government pro-viding financing and administration. Building
maintenance was overlooked, however.Stone buildings are made to last a long time.
Wooden roofs have shorter life spans. For 70years people enjoyed using the shelter at Mini-Wakan for gatherings. But early in this centurythe roof was in disrepair. There was talk of tear-ing it down. But many people in the Spirit Lakearea found that unacceptable. Once again a com-munity-government partnership formed.
The Spirit Lake Protective Association, with itshundreds of volunteers, and the Iowa DNR joinedtogether to create a plan to not only preserve theshelter but to establish an endowment for ongoingmaintenance. The Spirit Lake Protective Associa-tion obtained grants, held art auctions, home toursand numerous other fundraising events.
“The DNR did the design, coordinated with theHistorical Society, did the bidding and hiring for theproject and provides an inspection engineer for theproject,” said Frank Rickerl of the Iowa DNR. “Theestimated completion date is May 25, 2012.”
Nearly a million dollars has been raised to ren-ovate the building and to care for it in the future.The shelter, a gift from past generations, will bepassed on to the next generation by the goodwilland hard work of the present-day Spirit Lakecommunity.
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Mini-Wakan State Park,Spirit Lake, Iowa
S E C T I O N C
Over the past 35years, Charles andWanda Patsche fromWelcome, Minn., haveseen many changes inthe swine industry;changes they haveembraced, which hasallowed CW Pork Inc. tobecome a progressiveand prosperous swine operation.
The Patsches’ passion for the swine indus-try, forethought, involvement in their com-munity and strong values are among the rea-sons for their selection as the MinnesotaPork Industry’s 2012 Family of the Year.
The Patsches farm near Welcome, on the siteCharles and Wanda purchased from DanielSkow in 1979. At that time, the farm consistedof a 96-sow farrow-to-wean operation. The sowswere housed in outside lots along with boarsthat were purchased from Farmers Hybrid.
There have been many changes at CW PorkInc. since those first years of operation. A fewyears after purchasing the farm, Charles andWanda built their first gestation barn thatallowed better breeding and farrowing manage-ment. After renting a finishing barn for a time,the Patsches built their first finishing barn in 1983 inorder to further integrate their farm.
All of these changes led to the construction of a far-rowing and nursery barn and the utilization of artificialinsemination, providing them access to better genetics.
Later, the Patsches converted the farm to strictlyfinishing barns, allowing for better herd health andmanagement. They were able to make the conver-sion to strictly finishing as a result of becoming par-tial owners in Center Creek Pork, a local sow unit.
Center Creek Pork helped the Patsches’ operationby providing access to locally raised weaner pigs,greater herd health history transparency, bettergenetics, and equity in a hog farm.
Today, CW Pork Inc. finishes 4,400 hogs per year, inaddition to farming approximately 1,000 acres of cornand soybeans. Charles takes care of the day-to-day man-agement responsibilities of the hog operation, as well asall aspects of raising the corn and soybeans.
Wanda is responsible for all office and accountingfunctions and assists with the crops.The Patsches share
the responsibilities of business strategy and planningfunctions of the farm. The Patsches’ three daughters,Teresa, Alisa and Kristeena, along with their families,all help with farm operations when needed.
The Patsches are grateful for those who have assistedthem through the years in transforming and growingtheir farm,especially the Fairmont Veterinary Clinic con-sultants, Preferred Capital Management and fellow localhog producers. Charles and Wanda also credit a peer-mentoring group that met regularly with the purpose ofhelping each other,and contributed to many of their earlystrides toward becoming a successful family farm.
Charles and Wanda’s priorities are faith, family andfarming, which is evidenced by their involvement intheir local community as active members of the MartinCounty Pork Producers Association, local school andtheir church. Wanda has served as a cheerleadingcoach and is active in raising funds to support a localscholarship that honors their late granddaughter.
Charles was honored with an “Outstanding Citi-zen Award” by the Martin County Sheriff ’s Depart-ment for saving the life of a young girl involved in acar accident. Both Wanda and Charles have servedas members of the Martin County Pork ProducersAssociation, helping with promotions and educa-tional activities at the local and state levels.
Barry Hillgendorf of Preferred Capital Manage-ment, who has worked with the Patsches since1979, said it best: “They (The Patsches) are and willalways be valued members of not only the MartinCounty and Minnesota Pork Producers, but agricul-ture at its most basic level: The Family Farm.”
AgStar Financial Services sponsor the Family ofthe Year award.
Buckey’s Sales & Service45394 20th Street • Frost, MN 56033
800-788-6484 507-878-3302 Fax: 507-878-3125
Pork CongressBooths 604-606
See You There!
Balzer 4200 manurevacuum, new tankBetter Built 2100
vacuum w/new tankBalzer 6350 slurry
More In Stock!- Give Us A Call
THE LAND January 6/13, 2012
Family of the Year: Charles and Wanda Patsche family
All events at the Minneapolis ConventionCenter unless otherwise noted.Jan. 17Tradeshow Set-up8 a.m.-7 p.m. Convention CenterExhibit Hall A
Taste of Elegance Culinary Judging(Judging closed to the public)Noon-5 p.m. Minneapolis Hilton
Mobile Ventilation Lab Workshop1-4 p.m. Convention CenterClassroom Session L100 IHands-on Training Exhibit Hall ANo cost. Preregistration Required.Registration: (800) 537-7675 [email protected]
Taste of Elegance(Invitation-only event)6:30-8:30 p.m. Minneapolis HiltonBallrooms D-G
Jan. 18Pork Congress registration9 a.m.-5 p.m. Convention CenterMezzanine Level
Pork Congress Tradeshow9 a.m.-5 p.m. Convention CenterExhibit Hall A
TQA Certification (Transport QualityAssurance)9-11:30 a.m. L100 I
Energy Savings in Nurseries with ReducedNocturnal Temperature10-11 a.m. L100 H
What to Expect in the 2012 State LegislativeSession10-11 a.m. L100 F-G
Leading Across Multiple GenerationsKeynote Speaker Haydn ShawNoon-1:30 p.m. L100 F-G
Manure Applicators WorkshopNoon-5 p.m. M100 D-G• Nutrient Management and Water Quality• Manure Pumping Safety and Pit FoamingUpdate• Economics of Manure Application• Adapting Manure Management Strategies inResponse to Climate Change
Minnesota Pork Congress schedule
Submitted
The Patsche Family — front row Jadyn Montgomery andCadence Montgomery; seated (left to right) Teresa Mont-gomery, Charles and Wanda Patsche and Alisa Eytcheson andback row (left to right) Dion Montgomery, Kristeena Patscheand Marcus Eytcheson.
See SCHEDULE, pg. 6C
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Looking to future generations,Laura and Wayne Dahl strive to leaveas small of an environmental foot-print as possible as they manage their4,400 head nursery-to-finish swineoperation in rural Lac qui ParleCounty near Dawson, Minn.
The willingness to seek the advice ofindustry experts, the forethought to trynew technologies and the commitmentto continuous improvement of the envi-ronment are among the reasons for theselection of Laura and Wayne Dahl asthe 2012 Minnesota Pork Industry’sEnvironmental Stewards of the Year.
Raising pigs on their home site since1979, the Dahls saw the most significantchange in their operation in 2003. Withthe help and encouragement of WayneKing of Cottonwood, Minn., the Dahlswere able to build three 1,100 head fin-ishing barns. In 2005, the desire to main-tain their involvement in the nurseryphase of production led them to enterinto a partnership with Greg Boerboomand Mill Farm as a source of pigs.
In 2007, the Dahls expanded theiroperation by constructing an addi-tional 1,100 head finisher and a 4,400head nursery barn.
Laura and Wayne share the responsi-
bilities of the hog barns working side-by-side with each other and Tanner Winge, atrusted and respected employee, andhave hopes of passing on the farm totheir son Jordan in the future.
The Dahls work closely with Anez Con-sulting and follow the state recommen-dations outlined in the ConservationStewardship Program to ensure nutri-ents are maximized and that environ-mental well-being remains a top priority.
Manure is tested two times a year, onceduring late-summer and once during agi-tation and loading. The manure is thenprofessionally and consistently applied to
soil tested fields by a cus-tom applicator who uti-lizes covering disks, flowmeters and GPS toensure each acre receivesthe appropriate amountof nutrients.The nitrogen
is split applied to ensure proper rates.The Dahls take pride in maintaining
strong neighbor relations. They annu-ally work with an organic farmer wholives down the road. The farmer uti-lizes nutrients from the Dahls to fertil-ize his organic crop ground, allowinghim to achieve maximum yields.
The utilization of new technologiesallows the Dahls to improve their effi-ciency and the environment that theylive and work in. The Dahls installed aparticle ionization system that helpscontrol dust in their barns. This tech-nology leads to a reduction of dust par-ticles in the barns, which creates a bet-ter work environment and increasedefficiency in the growth of the pigs.
Each day the Dahls cross over thelargest drainage ditch in Lac qui ParleCounty which intersects their drive-way. Living next to this man-madedrainage system emphasizes theimportance of water quality.
Filter strips, including 16 acres ofConservation Reserve Program, are inplace to ensure high-quality water isentering into the drainage system.Each of their barns is surrounded bygranite in order to reduce erosion dur-ing heavy rain events and springmelts. Setbacks from drainage intakesare taken seriously as the Dahls knowwater from their farm will eventuallydrain into the Minnesota River.
The filter strips and CRP on theirfarm provide high-quality wildlifehabitat. Management of these habitatsis done with the wildlife in mind. Thegrass is clipped from the middle to theoutside after nesting, ensuring thewildlife has adequate time to moveduring the maintenance.
When asked what their ultimate goalis with respect to environmental stew-ardship the Dahls said, “Our goal is toconduct the business of raising pigswhile leaving the environment in asgood or better condition than when webegan.”
Balzer Inc. sponsors the 2012 Min-nesota Pork Industry EnvironmentalSteward of the Year award.
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Environmental Stewards of the Year: Wayne and Laura Dahl4C
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Wayne and Laura are pictured with their children (left toright) Jordan Dahl, Laura Dahl, Tera Dahl, Terese (Dahl)Viessman and Jarrett Dahl.
A month rarely passes that MikeMurphy doesn’t promote pork to radiolisteners across southern Minnesotaand northern Iowa. Murphy’s tirelessand passionate promotions of pork areamong the reasons for his selection asthe 2012 Minnesota Pork IndustryPromoter of the Year.
Mike Murphy has been the farmdirector for Woodward Broadcastingfor 28 years, routinely providing dailymarket reports, news stories and inter-views with livestock economists andindustry representatives, in additionto assisting in the organization andpromotion of local pork events.
Murphy serves as the “go-to man” forarea pork producers seeking currentmarket and news information.
“Mike keeps area pork producers up-to-date with daily market reports;including to-the-minute cash hogquotes and reporting what the expertsare saying about any current supplyand demand issues that may be affect-ing the markets,” said Ann Kurt, aMartin County Pork Producer.
In addition to his day-to-day report-ing, Murphy spearheads numerouspromotions and events forKSUM/KFMC radio in Fairmont,
Minn., that promote pork and bringawareness to current events withinthe swine industry. Murphy annuallytravels to the Minnesota Pork Con-gress and World Pork Expo to broad-cast the latest happenings in the porkindustry.
At each event Murphy records eightthree- to five-minute interviews withpork industry leaders, award winnersand others involved in the Minnesotapork industry. The interviews are thenbroadcast on KSUM radio in Fairmont,allowing producers who are unable toattend these industry events to stayup-to-date on industry trends.
Consumer promotions are a high-light for Murphy who works closelywith the Martin County Pork Produc-ers Association to ensure each event isa success. “Having Mike and theKSUM agriculture broadcasting team
help with pork promotion has a greatdeal to do with the success of the Mar-tin County Pork Producers Associa-tion,” Kurt said.
“We let Mike know there is an eventinvolving the pork industry and Mikeis eager to cover the event on location,rain or shine, and run coverage overthe radio.”
One of Murphy’s favorite events tohelp promote is the “Pork Pig outParty.” The Martin County Pork Pro-ducers Association, along with localgrocery stores and KSUM radio, do atwo-week promotion encouraging localconsumers to register at the store’smeat department to win the pork pigout party.
The winner is chosen on air andreceives a pork party for themselvesand 24 of their friends.
Murphy also helps orchestrate theBlue Ribbon Pork Cookoff, interviewsand events from the Martin County
Fair, pork gift certificate giveawaysduring October pork month and“Hams for the Holidays” where radiolisteners can submit a joke for achance to win a holiday ham.
Murphy finds great satisfaction inpromoting pork on behalf of Min-nesota and Martin County pork pro-ducers. Murphy believes it is truly thepeople involved in the industry thatbring satisfaction to the work he doeson pork promotions January throughDecember.
“Working with pork producers andsponsors is definitely a highlight ofwhat I do. I get a lot of satisfactionpromoting a high-quality product pro-duced right here in Martin County.”
Elanco Animal Health is sponsor ofthe Pork Promoter of the Year award.
We’re atBooths 328-429
2012Pork Congress
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Promoter of the Year: Mike Murphy
Mike Murphy
“I pride myself in focusing as mucheffort in the development of people, aspig production,” said Mark Uilk, farmmanager with Pipestone System andthe 2012 Minnesota Pork IndustrySwine Manager of the Year.
Uilk has been with Pipestone Sys-tem for the past 12 years; seven ofthose years have been spent manag-ing a farrow-to-wean unit. Currently,Uilk manages a 5,000 sow breed-to-wean farm.
Over the years, Uilk has been essen-tial in implementing farm improve-ments, including the expansion from3,000 to 5,000 sows, the constructionand use of a composting facility, thecompletion of a filtering project andthe extensive training in bio-securityneeded to manage a filtered facility.This training eventually led to thefarm becoming a PRRS negative facil-ity.
Uilk and his team continue to look
toward the future seekingcontinuous improvementin production numbersand efficiency. Uilk is akey part of improvementsplanned for the farm,including a goal of 30 pigsper sow per year, Gilt DevelopmentUnit closure and filtering to improveand maintain the farm health status, afocus on animal welfare to maintainPipestone System standards, andfinancial review and analysis for plan-ning and cost control.
Uilk humbly acknowledges he hasn’treached the top of his production goalsyet. His farm has been in the 27 to 28pigs per sow per year for extendedperiods of time, however filtering andthe transition to a PRRS negative sta-tus has raised his expectations.
Although Uilk focuses a great deal ofhis energy and talents on pig produc-tion and farm improvements, he reallyprides himself in the development ofpeople. Uilk is one of the key managersto assist with the on-farm portion ofthe manager-in-training program.Many of Pipestone System’s top man-agers have passed through Uilk’s facil-ity during their training.
Troy Woelber, director of SwineOperations for Pipestone System, said,“Mark is one of the most stable andloyal managers we have in the system.I often measure the success of a man-ager on how many people in the Pipe-stone System farm leadership canattach their name to a manager’sdevelopment tree. We can safely saythat a large percentage of individualscan.”
Uilk leads by example. He focuses oncontinuous improvement, taking anannual manager test that measures
knowledge in pig production, bio-secu-rity, safety, animal welfare, financeand human resources. He also attendsnumerous seminars that focus on man-agement skills and is PQA Plus andTQA certified.
Uilk manages the farm with an evendemeanor and consistent expectationswhich has resulted in a low turnoverrate among farm employees. Uilkencourages members of his team toalways do their best and work in amanner that follows best managementpractices and the animal welfare stan-dards required by Pipestone System.
When asked about Uilk’s focus onpeople development, Woelber said, “Itshows his commitment to not onlyPipestone System but to the personaldevelopment of employees that live inour community.”
Uilk is a proud member of his com-munity, enjoys spending time withfamily, being a member of CTK church,camping, recreational snowmobilingand helping on the family farm.
Land O’Lakes Purina Feeds Inc.sponsors the Swine Manager of theYear award.
507-359-4230For Current Pricing Call: - Chris or Mark
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