Bottom Line Newsletter: Spring 2018

A publication from Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC

bottom line

spring 2018

WHAT’S NEW AT MRGA FERTILIZER FOCUS AGRONOMY ARTICLES SEED NEWS & GRAIN UPDATES DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

IN THIS ISSUE Casselton Location (800) 568-5402 (701) 347-4465

4

Manager’s Update

5

Special Recipe/Advertisements

6-9

MRGA Happenings

10

Grain Manager’s Minute

11

Grain Update

Leonard Location (701) 645-2334

12

Seed News

Lynchburg Location (701) 347-5487

13

Advertisements

14

Credit Corner

15

Farm Safety Tips

16

Fertilizer Focus

17

Data Driven Agriculture

18

Agronomy Matters

19

Advertisement

Grandin Location (701) 484-5293

Peak Location (701) 845-3975 Prosper Location (701) 282-4094

TERRY JOHNSON- CEO

MRGA WELCOMES NEW HIRES

MANAGEMENT TEAM MIKE FLATEN- AGRONOMY MANAGER KIM NEHRING- CFO ALEX RICHARD- GRAIN MANAGER

Kendal Green was hired in January 2018- Elevator

LOCATION MANAGERS TODD AFFIELD- SHOP MANAGER JEFF BOISJOLIE- LEONARD ELEVATOR TIM DEAN- PEAK ELEVATOR

Austin Skjefte was hired in February 2018- Warehouse

JOE EBERHARDT- DISPATCH MANAGER MAC JOHNSON- CASSELTON FERTILIZER JAMIE MANN- CASSELTON ELEVATOR BRIAN NELSON- OPERATIONS MANAGER CHRISTIAN OWEN- WAREHOUSE MANAGER TIM ROSE- LYNCHBURG ELEVATOR JOHN SPIEKERMEIER- PROSPER ELEVATOR

Terry Goeser was hired in March 2018- Warehouse

GRANDIN

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PEAK

PROSPER

LYNCHBURG

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

www.maplerivergrain.com

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pg

FEATURED STORY

Spring Planting Season

Fertilizer Focus

SALES AGRONOMISTS CHAD PRIEWE- CREDIT MANAGER CORY AASEN- GRANDIN KARL BERG- CASSELTON JON ELLINGSON- CASSELTON MIKE WEED- CASSELTON TRANSPORTATION/TRUCKING DONALD ANDERSON ANDY BOYER KEVIN ERICKSON TRAVIS FORDERER ETHAN HOUSE MERLE MYERS

ELEVATOR JOHN DUFF- PROSPER STEVEN HORST- CASSELTON CHAD JOHNSON- LEONARD MIKE KOETZ- CASSELTON RICHARD PETERMAN- PEAK AARON SUYDAM - CASSELTON KENDAL GREEN - CASSELTON AGRONOMY & SHOP BOB BREILAND- CASSELTON FERTILIZER MARK PUEPPKE- SHOP/WAREHOUSE AUSTIN SKJEFTE- WAREHOUSE TERRY GOESER-WAREHOUSE

MERCHANDISERS KIM KOETZ- CASSELTON JEREMY ROLF- CASSELTON

CHAFFEE

LEONARD

ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING NANCY HAGEN- ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE CINDY JENSEN- GRAIN ACCOUNTING EMILY NEELS- ACCOUNTS PAYABLE/PATRONAGE MARILYN PROCHNOW- GRAIN ACCOUNTING/ RECEPTIONIST BOARD OF DIRECTORS LAURIE KRONE - PRESIDENT MARK BELTER- VICE PRESIDENT BRENT RUST- SECRETARY JON WATT- DIRECTOR RUSSELL RULIFFSON- DIRECTOR MIKE NELSON- DIRECTOR BRIAN MCDONALD- DIRECTOR SHANE BOCK- DIRECTOR DAVID CHRISTENSEN- DIRECTOR

CASSELTON

This publication is provided free of charge to all local crop and livestock producers. If you are not receiving this publication and would like to be added to our mailing list please provide us with your address by calling our Casselton office at 1-800-568-5402. All rights reserved. © 2017 Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A. Layout and design by Candace Brekke.

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A TO TA L O F

$2.8 MILLION WAS DISTRIBUTED

BACK TO OUR PATRONS

FROM THE DESK OF OUR GENERAL MANAGER 2017 was a successful year for Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC. Our company continues to showcase strong balance sheet performance and efficiency across all aspects of the business. We have completed the circle pile project and the liquid plant project in Casselton, all while maintaining a reduced debt structure over the past few years. The investments the Board of Directors and management staff have made are paying off and the business plan in place is working. During our year-end board meeting in February, earnings were reported at $4.5 million prior to parent company distributions. As a result, the Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC board voted for a 40% cash distribution, or $1.8 million, to the two local parent companies: Chaffee Lynchburg Farmers Elevator and Prosper Farmers Coop Elevator. In addition, AGP, Inc. also received their portion as an LLC owner. In addition, a $1 million special distribution was also made, for a total of a $2.8 million distribution back to the patrons.

Chaffee-Lynchburg Farmers Elevator approved a 45% cash distribution for patrons, with the balance revolving for the 2017 business year. In addition, the board approved to retire capital credits for the years 2004-2005. Prosper Farmers Coop Elevator approved a 45% cash distribution, with the balance revolving for 2017. In addition, the board approved to retire capital credits for the years 2003-2005. If you have any questions regarding the patronage process, please call our office.

Spring planting season will soon be here. Please work with our sales staff to get your service and input needs scheduled in advance so we have the opportunity to service you in the most efficient and timely manner. We wish our growers a successful and productive growing season.

- Terry Johnson, CEO

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PROVEN PERFORMANCE No other brand can match the genetics and trait innovations that go into every Asgrow® bag. It’s a value that stands apart from the rest and offers you the best yield potential across your whole farm.

DELIVERED A

3.9

BU/A

AVERAGE

ADVANTAGE NATIONALLY

Source: Data as of November 10, 2016. Includes all 2016 market development trial data in US. All head-to-head comparisons are within +/- 0.2 day maturity. Data represents the Top volume Asgrow® Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® products in region indicated. This is a one year average.

76%

WIN RATE

AGAINST LIBERTYLINK® SOYBEANS

When ensuring the future of your operation, yield makes all the difference. Experience the yield advantage of Asgrow® soybeans with the additional yield security of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®. Find your seed at ASGROW.COM/RR2X

INDUSTRY-LEADING BREEDING The Asgrow® brand is committed to 100% exclusive genetics that cannot be obtained by any other brands. Cutting-edge breeding techniques help Asgrow deliver innovative products to the market first.

LATEST INNOVATION Built on higher-yielding Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® technology, Asgrow® Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans offer the same strong yield potential provided from Asgrow. In addition, these soybean products offer exceptional disease resistance packages to protect their high yield potential.

Capreno® postemergence corn herbicide • Has a residual that outlasts any in its class

ROBUST PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

• Defeats even glyphosate-resistant weeds

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans have the first biotech trait in soybeans that combines glyphosate and dicamba herbicide tolerance.

With advanced dicamba- and glyphosate-tolerant traits, combined with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans, the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System provides growers with the most effective system today.

• Delivers an amazing end-of-season clean In the ongoing battle against the weed, now you have the next powerful advancement in control.

NOW EPA APPROVED FOR IN-CROP USE

For more information, contact your Retailer or Bayer CropScience Representative.

* Pending State Approvals

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROUNDUP READY 2 XTEND SOYBEANS VISIT ASGROW.COM/RR2X ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. NOT ALL formulations of dicamba or glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. May not yet be approved in your state. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans.

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.

Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.

Always read and follow grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Roundup Ready technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Asgrow and the A Design®, Asgrow®, Genuity®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready® and Roundup® and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. LibertyLink® is a registered trademark of Bayer. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 Monsanto Company. 42687 ED 12/9/16 Illinois

Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross and Capreno are registered trademarks of Bayer. Capreno is not registered in all states. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992- 2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.us CR0913CAPRENA081V00R0 B-26339-1

“

”

THE PERFECT STEAK WITH CHOP HOUSE RUB RECIPE

GRILLING

SEASON IS ALMOST HERE

Ingredients 1 (1¼” thick) rib eye steaks per 1-2 people Louisiana Grills Chop House Rub or make your own rub (see recipe below) Chop House Rub Ingredients 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tbsp cracked black pepper 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp onion powder 1 (1¼”) steak feeds 1-2 people Tips – Avoid using a fork to flip the steaks or cutting into the meat until serving. Any cuts or punctures in the meat will cause juices to escape and dry out the meat.

– To achieve perfect doneness of your steaks, use a meat probe and cook until meat reaches the desired internal temperature. Steak at 125°F will be rare, 145°F will be medium, and 165°F will be well done. Adjust as necessary.

Directions 1. Let the steaks come to room temperature no longer than an hour before grilling. Preheat your grill to 400°F. 2. Generously sprinkle on Chop House Rub to both sides of each steak, allowing time for the rub to melt into the meat. Store extra chop house rub in a sealed container in a dry, cool place.

3. Place steaks directly on the grill.

If possible, place the steaks over the flame*. Sear each side for 5-7 minutes (for medium doneness), flipping the steaks with tongs only once. Adjust time to your preference. *works great over the Louisiana Grills flame broiler.

4. Remove steaks from grill, cover with tin foil, and let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol will reduce your risk of heart disease. Here are some tips to protect your heart:

REDUCE your risk

•

Follow your doctor’s instructions and stay on your medications.

•

Eat a healthy diet that is low in salt; low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol; and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.

•

Take a brisk 10 minute walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.

•

Participate in recommended health screenings.

Kim Koetz - Wellness Coordinator

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MRGA

MRGA WELLNESS

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The MRGA “Suck it up Buttercup” winter trek challenge has begun and the competition, though down in numbers, is proving to be tough. Several participants are on their second time around the map, giving them extra chances in the drawing for the grand prize, a $500 gift card to Scheels. Prizes for participation include- sport socks, $25 Scheels cards and $50 Scheels cards. The trek challenge started on February 1st and concludes on March 30th.

The grand prize drawing will take place on April 2, 2018.

Because we value the health of our employees, the wellness committee also sponsored funding for heart and vascular screenings for all employees and their spouses. MRGA paid all costs for the screenings. We had a very good response to participation with this benefit.

Fertilizer season is coming soon and we will be resuming our portable snack program for the fertilizer department. We will be offering fresh fruit, juice, and other portable snacks for drivers and applicator operators to take with them to the field. We appreciate the hours and hard work that are put in over the busiest times of the year by all staff at MRGA.

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COBANK REGIONAL CUSTOMER MEETING Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC attended the CoBank Regional Customer Meeting on March 27th & 28th, 2018. The meeting was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fargo, ND and is specifically designed for management staff and board of directors. Attendees were welcomed with presentations from leading experts on the economy, mid-term elections and political environment conditions, business leadership, and other important topics and industry trends. Not only is the information presented to encourage and promote insight and information in business, but all presentations gave attendees take-away insight for their personal lives.

This year’s featured speakers included:

DISCOUNT REMINDER As a reminder, Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC gives a 2% discount to patrons who pay their bills by the 10th of the following month.

This discount was established to give our customers a break if they pay their bill by the 10th and also allows Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC better cash flow management.

NO discounts will be allowed after the 10th and the balance will remain on the account if paid after that date. Please take the time to review your invoices carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our office at (701) 347-4465 to speak to our sales and accounting staff. As always, we appreciate your business and thank you for your timely payments.

Tom Halvorson CoBank President & CEO Marci Rossell Economist Charlie Cook Editor & Publisher, The Cook Political Report Archie Manning NFL Legend Susan O’Malley Former President, Washington Sports & Entertainment Source: http://www.cobank.com/Events-Meetings/CustomerMeetings/2018-North-Dakota-Customer-Meeting.aspx

Oh! What

FUN!

The 2017 holiday season was filled with great cheer as the staff at MRGA celebrated during the annual Christmas party and also participated in an office Ugly Sweater Contest!

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COBANK SHARING SUCCESS 2017 PROGRAM

Celebrates the

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MRGA

Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC partnered with CoBank in their “Sharing Success” charitable matching grant program in 2017. CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across the country with whom Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC is a customer of. The “Sharing Success” program made possible by CoBank is designed to “celebrate the vital role that CoBank customers play in individual communities across the country.

Partnering with our customers to support worthy causes they care about is a great way for CoBank to make a positive difference and fulfill its mission of service to rural America.”

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CoBank invited its customers to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and committed funds to match eligible customer donations to a non-profit organization in their communities. After our application was submitted and approved, CoBank contributed $5,000.00 and Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC matched $5,000.00 to present checks to the following non-profits in Cass County:

KEVIN KOETZ

Memorial Scholarship Recipients of the $500.00 scholarship must meet the following criteria: • • •

Graduating senior who has played basketball their senior year Must be going to college Must meet the statistics for highest number of career assists

In the case of a tie, the head coach shall have the discretion to award the scholarship to the player who represents as the best team player.

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vital role that CoBank customers play in individual communities across the country.

Cass County Rural Community Emergency Food Pantry in Casselton $1,500.00. CCRCE Food Pantry is a non-profit organization serving those in need by providing grocery, personal, and household items. They are located in Casselton, ND. Central Cass Dollars for Scholars $2,500.00. Central Cass Dollars for Scholars is a non-profit scholarship organization that promotes all types of post-secondary education opportunities for students in the Central Cass School District in Casselton, ND. Sinner Bresnahan Healthy Kids Initiative for $1,000.00. Sinner Bresnahan Healthy Kids Initiative partners with Dakota Medical Foundation to focus on health issues that affect children in the Casselton, ND area.

Members from each organization were present to accept the check donations from the Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC staff and Eric Carlson with CoBank on December 21st, 2017 at the Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC Casselton office.

Kevin Koetz was a huge supporter of team sports, especially basketball. He loved to cheer on his kids and their teammates on the Central Cass teams. In May, the community felt a huge loss with Kevin’s unexpected passing. To honor Kevin’s love of basketball, the Central Cass Boys Basketball team hosted their first home game in his honor on December 14th, 2017. A memorial scholarship was set up in Kevin’s name by his family to reward one boy basketball senior and one girl basketball senior with the highest career assists. The scholarship will continue each year until all funds have been awarded. The school and team wanted to honor Kevin’s love of basketball and his beliefs of being a strong team player, so to help raise money for the scholarship fund, guests and players were able to purchase specially designed t-shirts and pins to honor a wonderful member of the Central Cass Basketball family. All proceeds helped build the memorial scholarship started by the Koetz family.

Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC donated $1,000.00 to help cover the costs of the t-shirts sold at the home game. Overall, the game was a wonderful night honoring Kevin and evidence of a community and team that showcases true “team spirit.”

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Alex Richard - Grain Manager

GRAIN MANAGER’S MINUTE The past couple months we have seen some interesting changes in grain markets globally.

With the dryness in Argentina other importing countries have been looking for places to source grain since farmers have drastically slowed down selling in South America. This has given the US a good opening to get a bunch of business on. Hence export demand has been very good. Generally when futures rally it puts basis on the defensive.

With a demand led market, like this rally has been, it is keeping basis values steady to better.

The question is how long does it last. The big risk is that Argentina finds bigger yields than they were expecting. Time will tell if that happens. For now we are happy to have homes for grain. With all the grain that wants to move to the PNW we are seeing freight premiums increasing. Turn times have not been as good as expected, thus causing less supply of freight. Looking forward to summer and even to new crop, exports are expected to be robust out of the US and in particular from the PNW ports. Hopefully this will keep basis values friendly. Have a safe and productive planting season.

Jeremy Rolf - Grain Originator

As of this writing, Ag futures have finally given us a meaningful rally especially in corn and soybeans.

Wheat has had a more difficult time, but it is starting to trend upward. Corn and soybeans are getting a boost from dry weather in Argentina and markets are looking ahead at record demand globally.

Economies around the world are performing well boosting demand. We are seeing managed money turn from a short futures position to a long futures position. All of this is a positive sign of a demand led market. The chart to the right shows a year-todate futures performance chart, which I believe sums up the story that has been developing over the past couple of months. Soybeans, soybean meal, ethanol, and corn are some of the best performing markets since the start of the year with the U.S. dollar in negative performance. The wheat performance in the chart is Chicago wheat; which has had a good run, but Minneapolis HRS has been slow and not participated in the recent rallies. Minneapolis wheat has traded more volatile and mostly sideways since the first of the year. There is enough wheat around the world to stem demand, which keeps HRS lagging behind corn and soybeans. Minneapolis wheat will catch a rally, it will just take a while for the fundamentals to take shape.

There are a few things to consider moving forward. Managed money will slow down on their buying until realization of continued demand and production in South America. USDA will issue their thoughts on planting intentions. Overall the underlying thoughts in the market is that demand is set to outpace current supply projections, which will keep futures prices supported. This will take time for all of this to take shape, so stay proactive and take the rallies as they come. As always, we are here to help. Let us know if you have questions.

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GRAIN UPDATE

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Mike Weed - Sales Agronomist

SEED UPDATE Thank you to all those who have placed orders with us! As always, your business is greatly appreciated. As spring nears, hopefully most of you have your spring planting plans in place. One thing I would like to stress is that if you are planting Dicamba soybeans, make sure you know what your neighbors have planted downwind! This is very important if we are to keep the Dicamba chemistry around. As you all know, Dicamba works very well on the tough weeds we struggle with, so let’s all use it wisely to ensure that it will be around when it is needed. If you have open acres yet, we have a very good line of Extend soybeans, Liberty soybeans, and RR soybeans and corn varieties available to work with. Please call us for any input needs you may have- we can help!

Another item of importance would be to get your pre-emerge chemical on those soybeans. This should be a crucial part of your spring plans. There are a number of pre-emerge chemicals that will make a big difference on the weed pressure in your field. If you have any questions on any of these chemicals, please let us know.

We appreciate your business and have a safe spring!

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itle 32 pt

ext 28 pt

UAN

www.landmark.com.au

7

The BLUE Nitrogen

www.landmark.com.au Delphi, IN 2015 Derek Leahy Crop Consultant

vs. UAN in Top-Dress Application

Pre-plant Application Yield

Wheat – Brownsville, TN

ROI

Bu/Acre

(at 15% moisture)

230

$450.00 207

210

$350.00 $340.00

190

$300.00 add side bar photo $200.00 Format or Create Sidebar 6.02” $150.00 high x 1.75” wide This is an $100.00 instruction box and not visible $50.00 on slide

160

150

110

Yield (Bushels) 80

76

75.8

$250.00 Click on box to

170

130

broadcast applied vs. UAN solution

$400.00

$158.00

117 GSP

•ROI assumes $3.95/bu corn •Field had a total of 38” rain throughout the year

72

68 66.3 64

The BLUE Nitrogen Instinct II 37 oz/a

NexBlu + Instinct II 17 oz/a

$-

60

Control

www.landmark.com.au

www.landmark.com.au Advertisement

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Chad Priewe, Credit Manager

CREDIT CORNER Anyone else ready to be done with the frigidly cold temps and hurricane winds we’ve been “blessed” with this winter? I can definitely tell as I get older my tolerance for both is dropping…..QUICKLY! Fortunately, spring is on its way. As you are finalizing crop plans for this year, keep in mind you can still take advantage of some early season price savings and keep or maximize those savings with some of the financing programs still available.

Winfield Secure We have had a good number of patrons take advantage of this program in the past few months. We have been given an allotment of funds to utilize under this program and still have limited funds available for use. If you are considering this program, now would be the time to start the process as funds are limited. It is a simple one sheet application for an unsecured loan up to $250,000- at 0% or 2% interest, and has a maturity date of Feb 1, 2019.

You can lock in early season discounted seed and chemical prices with advances from this loan and save on interest costs as well. In this time of tight margins, cheaper input costs and interest savings will flow right down to the bottom line. This is an unsecured loan, and a crop lien will not be filed, unless the loan becomes past due.

Be sure to talk to your sales agronomist about remaining discounts and programs available or stop by my office if you are interested in getting an application for this program.

Rabo Agrifinance, JD Financial (Farmplan), TruChoice There are some programs, rebates, and discounts out there that are specific to these various options and we have access to all of the ones listed above. If you are looking at seed or chemical options this year that reference rebates from any of these sources, talk to your salesperson and we can help make use of these programs on your behalf.

In-house charge/Accounts Receivable As always, you can make use of the charge/accounts receivable option as you make purchases with MRGA. With this, I want to re-emphasize that we will follow the credit policy that has been in place to protect the equity of ALL patrons in Maple River Grain and Agronomy, LLC. If your charge account goes 60 days past due, we will file a Supplier’s Lien on crop, which does take priority over a bank’s crop mortgage UCC filing. We will try to keep contact with you prior to the 60 day threshold on making payment, but the policy will need to be followed after the 60 days.

It has been an enjoyable first few months for me at MRGA, being able to work with many familiar faces already. Always feel free to give me a call, or stop by my office, with any questions you may have. I look forward to a good year ahead and am hopeful the weather cooperates for those wheels to start turning in the fields.

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FARM SAFETY TIPS from your friends at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, llc.

The United Soybean Board and University of Illinois offer six quick tips for staying safe this planting season.

1

2

3

Be aware of your transportation risks and make sure your farm vehicles are visible. Some tractors have flashing lights, extremity markings or slow-moving vehicle signs. If yours doesn’t, be sure to pick up a highvisibility sticker or sign to let drivers know you’re there.

Read herbicide, pesticide, fungicide and seed labels.

Following precautions about wearing long sleeves, using a dust mask or protecting your eyes can save you from injury.

Keep extra labels handy or snap a picture with your phone for quick reference

Keep your equipment in good shape. Mid-planting mechanical work could open you up to risks from the heavy machinery. Double-check equipment before you get into the field.

4

5

6

Don’t forget about eating and sleeping. You will likely be spending long hours in the field, and skipping meals and sleep can decrease your reaction time and awareness. The CDC says the average person needs between 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.

Watch out for children on or around equipment. If a child is with you in the cab, make sure he or she is wearing a seat belt.

Teach children to stay a safe distance from moving tractors and other farm equipment.

Store fuel properly. Keep it away from the shed to reduce the chance of fire and explosion.

By Sonja Begemann Farm Journal Seeds and Crop Production Editor https://www.agweb.com/article/6-tips-for-staying-safe-during-planting-season-naa-sonja-begemann/

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#plant18

Jon Ellingson - Sales Agronomist

FERTILIZER FOCUS Every spring there seems to be a reoccurring theme of upward price movement. This season will be no different and the potential to trend even higher exists. Price increases in natural gas, ammonia, production, and acid costs can all be attributed to increases in certain fertilizer products. Product shortages as well, whether real or manmade, are contributing in some way towards pushing pricing upwards. According to some suppliers, there is a shortfall of approximately 1 million tons of U.S. urea for spring planting.

Some U.S. facilities went into maintenance shutdowns and aren’t back online yet. Also, import vessels that attributed to 1.3 million tons of imported urea last season were not sent here as U.S. pricing was lower than other global regions. As a result, product went elsewhere.

Ammonia supplies are tight and driving prices upward. Even locally, Dakota Gas is working on bringing their urea production facility online, which is using more ammonia to produce urea.

Taking those tons away from our local supplies is pushing ammonia pricing higher in our region as well. Suppliers consider UAN supplies to be quite snug as well so that could mean that all

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nitrogen products could be in for considerable upward pressure as spring demand continues to increase. Mosaic’s plant shutdown in Florida has resulted in the reduced production of domestic phosphate and lower U.S. values vs global pricing; resulting in less imports coming to supply U.S. needs. Potash exports from Canada have kept pricing firm, but will also have potential to increase as demand picks up in the northern areas.

All I am hearing right now is, “boy, this guy is just a plethora of good news.” Yes, I can hear you!

You may not have the opportunity to see nitrogen pricing move lower before spring applications start, so you may have to look for other opportunities to help improve your profitability in 2018.

What we would like to make sure you realize is that the $90 per ton that urea has increased since last fall ($275 vs. $365) can be wiped away with only a 10 cent swing in the price of corn.

The $90 per ton extra in the price of urea will cost you $0.045 per pound.

Assuming you are applying 300 lbs. per acre of urea, the increase will cost you $13.50 per acre.

150 bushels per acre corn at an increase of $0.10 per bushel equals $15.00 per acre.

It will work the same for wheat as well, except 75 bushels per acre wheat needs to see an increase of $0.20 per bushel to equal $15.00 per acre.

If you can catch a rally in the corn or wheat market, take advantage of the situation and cover some costs. Don’t wait to try to hit the home run, just try to win the game covering one base at a time.

For some good news, we know there will be fertilizer applied and Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC has put together one of the best teams to get the job done for you this spring. With facilities, equipment, applicators, and staff that have been through some of the toughest spring conditions, we have continuously been able to meet the needs of our patrons when it comes time to getting the planting season finished in a timely manner. Plan your needs with us and you can be assured that we will do our best to help you succeed this spring. #plant18

Karl Berg - Sales Agronomist

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY DATA DRIVEN AGRICULTURE

As planting quickly approaches, we are reminded of all the digital tools we have moving into the growing season for planning and monitoring our decisions for the 2018 season. There are features inside the Climate Fieldview Platform that allow you to review data of last year’s practices; and looking forward to 2018 planting- to modify or repeat the improvements that increased profitability. Using the Fieldview platform, you can produce variable rate map solutions for 2018.

Another platform we’ve covered and use frequently in planning for the upcoming growing season is the R7® Tool by WinField United. It provides valuable insight with features like historical field data and maps, product placement tools, field monitoring tools, profitability and ROI mapping tools. R7 is our MANY VALUABLE TOOLS ARE preferred platform for variable rate fertilizer and seeding map solutions.

AVAILABLE TO ANALYZE LAST It uses the historical field data and maps to generate accurate solutions for future infield operations. We mapped some grower fields in 2017 and YEAR’S PRODUCTION DATA monitored them with the field monitoring tool to see, in season, what AND AID IN PLANNING FOR A fields may have a agronomic issue affecting field health. As a result, we SUCCESSFUL 2018. were able to give attention to those fields. We use a couple tools for product placement through the year when talking seed placement. We look at various data points to select the best solution for your fields whether it be by soil type, management practice, fertility level, etc.

Another exciting and cutting edge tool uses Ag modeling in season- the Profitability Mapper. We have the ability to look at the current situation in field, sample a plant for diagnosis and solution, and consult the model to decide if that might be a profitable solution to the problem. Everyone has access to these powerful decision making tools through MRGA. Please, if you have any questions on these technology platforms, come visit our agronomy staff at our Casselton location.

You can also learn more by visiting www.answertech.com or www.climate.com.

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Mike Flaten - Agronomy Manager

AGRONOMY It’s hard to believe that spring is just around the corner. With that being said, the Agronomy team here at Maple River Grain & Agronomy, LLC is preparing for the upcoming planting season.

Our facilities, like our fertilizer plant in Casselton, are being filled to capacity. If you have booked your fertilizer, the product is available! The liquid plant in Casselton, to the north of the chemical warehouse building, is now completed and the tanks are full. The Casselton location will be the only site to offer liquid fertilizer products for the spring and fall seasons.

With our inventories at capacity, we have also been servicing our equipment in preparation for fertilizer applications. We have added two new larger air flow machines to our fleet; which allows us the option of doing 2-bin variable rate or single rate along with our other six machines. We also have two liquid applicators and both our sprayers available to apply pre-plant & pre-emerge chemicals when you are busy in the field getting the seed planted. We have also added another trailer with a belt conveyor to our fleet of tender units to make a total of 14 semi-tenders and 4 - 16-ton tender units available to deliver the product to your farm and fields. We have made many improvements in our application equipment and support fleet to be able to service our customer needs in the timeliest fashion. Please call our Agronomy department with any questions relating to products, applications, or other input needs. We wish you a successful planting season!

Our liquid plant, located to the north of the chemical warehouse at our Casselton location, will be the only site to offer liquid fertilizer products for both spring and fall seasons.

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BO T TO M LI NE

Connections

Our ag loan officers have connected with producers on farms, at kitchen tables and across desks for 110 years. Now, we’re extending those connections with advanced tools like our mobile app and online banking. From the tractor cab, tailgate or back porch, you can bank whenever and wherever it’s best for you.

Because we value what you value.

Let’s make managing your farm finances easier.

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1630 1st Avenue South Casselton, ND 58012