Emerge Ag - The Sprout Newsletter

Page 1

what’s emerging in our community

issue 7 spring 2015 what’s in this issue • get your seed ready for spring • emerging markets • we want to make your job easier

You Are Your Own Researcher By Pat Toner

O

ne late

sunny

afternoon

December,

one

in

affiliations may be best abbreviated as

of

“B.Sc.”

my most “conversational”

that day was typical agronomy chat. While everyone faced challenges (and

Next, the conversation quickly diverted

some very frustrating), the success stories

him Bob) came into the office and

into

performance,

relentlessly come to the fore as well. We

introduced me to his son who was home

achievements, and challenges. 2014

talked about the encouraging responses

for the holidays. The introduction went

proved to be a challenge in marketing,

consistently found by applying the right

something like, “Bachelor of Science,

driven primarily by the fact it was also a

fungicide to lentils, the performance of

Professional Agrologist, and Certified

challenge in disease mitigation, resistant

relatively new chemistry for weed control

Crop

immediately

weed management, and plant nutrition

and crop safety in field peas, the late-

by a humbling debate that professional

and health. All in all, the conversation

season outbreak we saw of Sclerotinia

customers

Advisor,”

followed

(let’s

call

on-farm

crop


in

not

When I think about the skill set I offer to

measure your fungicide performance,

devastating due to crop advancement at

canola

(which,

luckily,

was

the farmer customer, I admit there are

with or without a foliar nutrition partner?

the time of infection), and of course some

three main sources of information. One

Field trials can be difficult, but they can

recently adapted practices that will soon

is an educational background, which

also be easy. Some companies insist on

become standard in both canaryseed and

endorses professionalism; the second is

trials according to their own specifications

durum.

the annual ritual of seminars, chemistry

complete with replications and scaled

education, and product introductions

yields and separately graded samples. But

Through the months of October to

that give us an “awareness,” if nothing

if your trying something “just for yourself”

December, amidst a busy schedule of

else, about the newest technology; and

it doesn’t have to be that complicated.

soil sampling and nutrition planning, we

the third, and most important, is the

relentlessly talk to growers like Bob about

testimonials, good or bad, from our

“Pat,

a year in review and lessons learned. The

growers reviewing their own on-farm

on________?” Chances are, 80 percent

months of January to March, I would

experiences.

of the answers you hear will be from

personally regard as a time for bits and

what

does

research

show

the experiences of your own friends and

pieces of educational leave. We travel to

The Farm Trial…What would you like to

neighbours, 18 percernt will be from

seminars, we formulate our own business

try? Maybe try topping up the sprayer

educational seminars and manufacturer

plans, and we gather information from

tank with Manipulator PGR and a foliar

endorsements, and only 2 percent may

our numerous representatives as to the

treatment? Maybe try a comparison of two

come

newest and most effective chemistries

or three different ways to mitigate nitrogen

Whose data would you trust more than

and cropping practices.

volatolization? Maybe try a check strip to

your own?

from

professional

affiliations.

Emerging News

W

e are excited to announce

somebody wants to stop in and chat. We

merely tastes better…It is just that simple!

that we have moved into

will be having a grand opening BBQ at

With a Traeger, your imagination is your

our new head office in

some point this spring. A date hasn’t been

only limitation. We have a variety of grills

Eston. During the last

set yet, but once we get that firmed up we

and accessories to meet everyone’s back

weekend in February we started moving

will inform everyone when they can stop

yard grilling preferences, so please feel

our belongings across the yard into our

by for a BBQ lunch on us.

free to stop by one of our offices to take

new office space, and transition has gone

a look and see for yourself how a Traeger

well. Many customers have dropped in

Speaking of BBQ, we are pleased to

will transform your grilling

already to say hello, have a coffee and

announce we are the newest authorized

experience.

take a tour. Having the extra space has

dealer of Traeger Wood Pellet Grills in

been great already; all of us here finally

West Central and South

have space and offices to accommodate

West

meetings with our valued clients.

Traeger grills are built to

Saskatchewan.

give you the ultimate allThis space will allow us to conduct

in-one outdoor cooking

business much more efficiently. In the

experience. Use it as a

short time we have been in the new

grill, BBQ, smoker, or a

location we have already had a couple

wood-fired

of grower meetings in the boardroom,

Steak,

something we were unable to facilitate in

hamburgers,

our previous office. We invite everyone to

veggie kabobs, pizza, even

come by for a visit; the coffee is always on,

cookies and biscuits are so

and we always enjoy the company when

simple! Food coming off a Traeger grill

convection

brisket,

oven.

prime

pork

rib,

loin,

emerge.ag


Emerging Business Positivity can lead to a happier and possibly more successful life - By Matt Owens

W

hen dealing with all

habits all we need to change are our

people in our lives that not only see the

the

of

thoughts. Positive attitudes are a habit.

glass half empty, but they make it their

farming, we tend to get

Unfortunately, bad attitudes can be a

mission in life to remind everyone within

stressed out and forget

habit as well.

earshot. Bad attitudes are contagious. In

uncertainties

to focus on the big picture. Farming is one

the same way we catch the flu, we can

of the most magnificent ways of life that a

The first hour of your day is the most

catch a bad attitude and allow it to plant

family could possibly enjoy. On the farm,

important for setting the tone of your

seeds in our minds.

we bring our kids to work; we create so

daily

many memories of “picnics” in the field;

first fifteen minutes guide your daily

Try to experiment by only hanging

we teach our kids how to work and

attitude - good or bad. The problem we

around people who are happy and

contribute; they get to enjoy a wide-open

encounter is that we do not protect that

see how happy you end up being.

playground and learn to drive when they

time. Instead, we let others set our tone

Hang around people with a positive

can see over the wheel; we go through

or daily temperature through a variety

attitude and see how you start to see

our trials and successes together with our

of mediums such as: e-mails, social

the positive spin on things. Think about

loved ones; we witness first-hand how

media, television, phone calls, and the

who has had the greatest impact in

amazing and extreme nature really is;

Internet.

your business and your life; ask yourself

attitude.

Even

more

so,

the

we see the most beautiful sunrises and

what they did to create that influence.

sunsets; the solitude, glory, peace, and

It has also been said that “You are the

Now ask yourself what your intent is as

privacy and being alone on the farm. It

average of the five people you spend

you approach your business and your life.

is a shame to get caught up in negativity

the most time with.” What does this

and miss out on such a marvelous gift!

mean? Your salary is within 10 percent

If you have never heard of these

of your five closest friends. Your sales/

ideologies, you might think of it as hokey!

In farming and in life, we all have a

business/personal beliefs are deeply

Nevertheless, I challenge you to give it a

powerful force behind what we do

rooted within the circle of your five

try. Hang around people who are happy

daily. This force can be good or bad,

closest friends. More importantly, your

and have a positive attitude and see how

but it all starts the same way. That force

attitude is often in line with the attitudes

happy you end up being and how you

is familiarity. We take comfort in what

of your five closest friends.

start to see the positive spin on things.

a good thing. The key to changing

You need to choose your friends wisely.

I also urge you to write out your first

bad familiarity is to understand its

If you want to be a happy, successful

fifteen, so you get to decide how you are

source and eliminate the issue before

person (in life, family, and business) you

going to start your day. Then write what

it plants roots. This means we have to

need to align yourself with people who

you will do next and so forth. The more

understand the road map that leads to

are successful in those areas. They think

detail you can include the better, and don’t

our habits and ultimately our destiny.

differently and see the world differently.

be afraid to experiment until you find what

The good news is that it can rub off on

works best with your daily routine. Execute

you if you give it a chance.

this plan as close to waking up as possible

we are familiar with, which isn’t always

Thoughts

turn

into...Actions,

which

create...Habits, that if unchecked will

to avoid external distractions creeping in,

become our...Destiny! This means

We also need to eliminate (or at least

(before checking emails, reading news, or

that what we think about (or

lessen) the time spent around those who

listening to any possible negativity at all).

expose ourselves to) each day

are not contributing to our future success.

the

Or, do one better and try to influence

Give it a try. All you have to lose

steps we take, good or bad.

them to be positive, happy people and

is negativity and downfalls in your

So, if we truly want to change

see their own lives change! We all have

business and life!

will

ultimately

emerge.ag

affect


We’re for above and b e y o n d At Emerge Ag Solutions we’re dedicated to going the extra mile for your success.

We’re for you

growing. confident. solutions. ©Copyright Emerge Ag Solutions 2014.

emerge ag so l u t i o ns emerge.ag

emerge.ag


Get Your Seed Ready For Spring

W

hen preparing for the

The

Saskatchewan

testing is only an advisory test as it is not

spring planting season

Agriculture recommends testing seed

recognized as an accredited test by the

it’s important to ensure

lots for germination in the spring

Canadian Food Inspection Agency even

Government

of

that your seed will have

because seed quality can decrease in

though labs make an effort to follow

the best possible chance of becoming

the bin over the winter due to many

standardized procedures for isolating

established and growing into a thriving

factors

and identifying Fusarium species.

crop. A couple of ways to work towards

sprouted seeds, and seeds damaged

a great crop is to start with clean seed

during harvest.

including

immature

seeds,

Seed treatments are a tool that can help protect seed viability by providing

that has been tested for germination. Some labs provide vigour testing, which

improved germination, better stress

What does “clean seed” mean? This

is a measure of germination of the seed

tolerance, and increased vigour, but

term refers to a seed lot that has been

in less than ideal growing conditions.

seed treatments will not fix a poor seed

run through a seed cleaning plant to

Labs germinate seed samples at low

lot. Some seed treatments are designed

sieve out the damaged and shrunken

temperatures

to protect a seedling from root infection

seeds, small seeds, and other dirt and

spring

the

and early leaf diseases and some

debris. This type of process will remove a

Prairies. The results of these vigour tests

treatments are designed to be effective

large proportion of the dirt, undesirable

are very valuable in providing insight

before the seedling emerges.

seeds, and particles from the seed lot.

into expected seed performance in field

Some seed cleaning facilities also have

conditions.

that

growing

simulate

conditions

typical in

If spring growing conditions are less than ideal, which they usually are, the

equipment that will colour sort the seed removing another level of undesirable

Understanding if a seed lot has seed-

benefits of using a seed treatment will

seeds, off-colour, and green seeds.

borne disease present will help you

be evident in its positive effects on plant

Seed cleaners and colour sorters can be

determine if you should be using a

emergence, stand and yield.

used to remove diseased seed, which

fungicide seed treatment or not. Seed

is often discoloured and shrunken or

labs can assess the levels of seed-borne

Talk to you Emerge Ag Solutions

shriveled.

pathogens including Fusarium and true

representative

loose smut. According to Government

treating and cleaning services and

of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Fusarium

our state-of-the-art colour sorter.

Testing

a

seed

lot

for

disease,

germination, and vigour will serve as an indicator for the quality of the seed in the lot. It is best to do these tests after the seed lot has been cleaned. Testing “dirty” seed samples will not give a true indication of seed viability and quality.

emerge.ag

about

our

seed


Emerging Markets Risk

Management

By Lacey Gerbrandt

buyer lined up? You could be left hanging

prevent heating. Last year I witnessed

on these costs. Some businesses will be

durum heating and downgrading to

able to weather that storm. Others will

feed. The growers had been checking

here are so many methods and

suffer from having already spent the

the bins regularly, went away for a

calculations to measure risk

money to produce the shirts, packing and

couple days and the next time they

in any business or investment.

storing the shirts, operating their business

looked was too late. I also learned

Naturally, there are so many

on credit moving forward, and having little

of some peas heating last summer.

ways to evaluate risk on a farm. The

to no opportunity to invest their proceeds

Barley loses quality over time. Lentils

principle remains that potential return

in higher returning investments.

lose colour and downgrade if left in

FarmLink Marketing Advisor

T

rises as risk increases.

the bin. We all know the possibility of This is a comparable situation to growing

oilseeds heating.

One of the first risks we are faced with

and selling a crop. If you are growing a

is growing a crop and not being able

crop and have the opportunity to lock it in

sell at a profit and invest those funds

to sell it for a profit. I was recently in a

at a guaranteed profit, there is still a risk

into something else if you don’t need

conversation debating the risk of forward-

to that. What if you get hail, disease, frost,

them for income or cash-flow.

selling grain. Clearly all farms have

etc., and you’re left with down-graded

different views of risk, different financial/

product or nothing left to sell? The buyer

Therefore, (in my opinion) it is wise to

storage situations, and various techniques

has already sold your product, so you are

follow market signals, sell in the top

to conduct their sales.

faced with discounts and/or contract buy-

range of prices, and turn your crop over

outs. In 2014, these penalties were quite

frequently.

•

You may be missing an opportunity to

Here is an example of how I view it:

severe for some farms.

Let us say that you are a manufacturer of

On the other hand, if you don’t take

other risks, please visit our website:

t-shirts. You have an order for 250,000

the opportunities to lock in product at a

www.emerge.ag.

shirts that you can sell for a guaranteed

guaranteed profit, there may be severe

profit. You sign a contract to produce the

consequences, as well:

Global Ag Risk Solutions empowers

250,000 t-shirts before they are actually

•

you to be a risk-taker!

For the full version of my article, exploring

You may end up having to move

made. What happens if your shop burns

product at a loss just to get the cash-

down or your material supplier raises your

flow.

“To get profit without risk, experience

You may have to wait a long time to

without danger, and reward without work,

just be able to move the product –

is as impossible as it is to live without

period.

being born.”

costs or goes out of business or all your

•

staff quit and you can’t produce that many t-shirts to fulfill your contract objectives? Now what? What if the buyer of those

•

You may have to operate your

shirts has already used them to fill orders

business on credit while waiting for

Go ahead and take all kinds of risks and

in their own shops? Now they will have

sales to happen.

reap all kinds of rewards!

to buy other shirts to fill their orders and

•

they may have to pay more money and,

The price of your commodity may not reach your target for a long time.

I wish you all the very best in the

If you carry grain over, you are at

upcoming Crop Season! Enjoy all

a huge risk for downgrading and

the amazing benefits of farm life!

On the other hand, what if you are

spoilage. You need to pay the price to

Be profitable! And, of course,

to spend the time/money to produce

have extra storage room and monitor

remember to be safe!

250,000 t-shirts to sell and you have no

bins and/or have air circulation to

therefore, charge you a penalty.

•

emerge.ag


We Want to Make Your Job Easier

A

s crop production becomes more complex and technically challenging, partnering with an agronomic specialist can

be a valuable relationship for a farmer. Having a trusted partner available to offer suggestions and solutions to ongoing issues and challenges to improve crop production and profitability as well as the overall health of the land is valuable. Agronomy

is

more

than

advice

on

pesticide; it can encompass crop choices, rotation choices, variety selection, soil management, crop nutrition, as well as total farm management. When farmers share their crop production plan

with

agronomy

specialists

they

will receive advice on the best ways to

may be used in the area to receive advice

Consultative Agronomy Services

that is relevant to the region.

Our knowledgable, experienced staff is

plant, harvest, and cultivate the planned

here to help your every step of the way.

crops to receive the highest return on

At Emerge Ag Solutions our goal is to

From agronomic advice to our tailored

investment possible. Agronomists stay

make your job easier. We are dedicated

crop nutrition plans specific to your crop

current with new developments in crop

to being a support system for our growers

and farming operation and frequent crop

production and incorporate them into

in any way that we can, and providing

inspections and recommendations, we

the recommendations they make to the

the trusted partnership that can be so

will ensure you are equipped with all of

farmer.

valuable.

the information you need to produce the

These

recommendations

can

improve economic returns, as well as help

best crop.

protect environmental sustainability of the

Here are some of the services we provide

cropland.

to help you get the maximum potential

Product and Custom Services

out of your land this season:

A big part of making your job easier is

Farmers who are considering partnering with

an

agronomy

specialist

should

having the technology and equipment Farm Planning Solution

available that you will need for cleaning

understand all the services the company

Our Farm Planning Solution software is a

and treating seed, treating seed on-farm,

can provide and the level of knowledge

fully detailed, fully integrated electronic

custom applications, fertilizer blending,

farm

etc.

of the agronomist before selecting a

business

management

tool

service provider. It is important to

ensuring sustained, elevated success on

ensure the service provider has the

each and every one of your fields. Your

Contact your Emerge representative

expertise working with the soils

fields have a lot of information to store,

to learn more about how we can serve

and climate, the crops grown,

and FPS can help manage and organize

you this season.

and the production systems that

emerge.ag

your data.


We’re for free trips! If you buy 64 bags of DEKALB® canola seed this season you will earn a FREE trip to St. Louis. Talk to you Emerge sales representative for details.

We’re for you

emerge ag so l u t i o ns emerge.ag

DEKALB ® is a registered trademark of Monsanto.

©Copyright Emerge Ag Solutions 2014.


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