2009 Farm Progress Show

The 2009 Farm Progress Show held in Decatur, Ill. saw record crowds and beautiful weather. Once again, FS member cooperatives were well represented with a display at the corner of Central Progress and 11th street. The exhibit featured a remote control racetrack, an anhydrous ammonia safety display, and entertainment by comedian Tim Cavanaugh.

The GROWMARK board of directors and executive staff took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Monsanto exhibit, where they saw new technologies in corn and soybeans.

Besides staffing the exhibit during the three-day show, FS cooperative personnel also provided fuel for all show equipment - both biodiesel and an ethanol blend - and assisted with agronomic recommendations on official show corn and soybean plots.

Economy on the rebound?

Whether the economy is, in fact, rebounding is yet to be seen, according to Vince Malenga, LaSalle Economics.

Speaking at the MID-CO summer meeting in Fontana, Wisc., Malenga said the next three to four months will see a significant improvement in the GDP. "People are underestimating the boost in the GDP in the third quarter," he said. The jump in the GDP is fueled, in part, by the Cash for Clunkers program, which sold 250,000 cars in July alone. "This trickles through the economy," he said. "With the auto industry under-inventoried, the boost in demand will lead to increased (auto) production in the second half of the year."

Although Malenga focused on the near-term third quarter, he said the question remains: what happens in the fourth quarter and beyond? The answer to that question is still unfolding.

Mid-year update

The 2009 MID-CO summer meeting, held August 1-4 in Fontana, Wisc., offered attendees a high-level look at crop production, politics and legislative issues, and the economy.

Steve Freed, ADM Investor Services, told participants although some areas of the U.S. did not get a crop planted, "Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Minnesota, have had near perfect crop conditions." He said that lends support to those who are calling for a near-record corn crop.

Freed said China will continue to be a factor in world markets, due to internal constraints. "They're running out of water," needed to produce a good crop, he said.

In an overview of issues and politics, Jim Wiesemeyer, Informa Economics (www.insidewashingtontoday.com) said, "the power structure is changing. This is the most White House-centric administration since Reagan." That means all cabinet level positions will take their cues from the White House.

In USDA, Wiesemeyer warned participants to watch USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsak. "He is a very different personality. Production agriculture is not a top issue," with him. Rather, he's focused on farmers markets, sustainability, and organic agriculture.

Wiesemeyer also issued a warning about the Attorney General's office, and Christine Varney, the assistant attorney general in particular. Wiesemeyer said the AG's office will have an increased focus on mergers, including agriculture, railroad and seed companies, which will put many companies on their radar screen.

Top issues in the Obama administration include health care reform, climate change, food safety reform, financial regulation reform, and immigration reform.

Farm Progress Show 2009

The 2009 Farm Progress Show will be held in the Decatur, Ill. permanent site on September 1 – 3.

The FS brand will be strongly-represented at this well-attended ag showcase. If you plan to attend, you are certain to see the rows of FS Flags greeting visitors upon entering Progress City. Throughout the grounds, FS is acknowledged as the official on-site Fuel Sponsor, as well as the official Agronomic Supplier of the highly visible field demonstration plots.

On August 31, three familiar voices will be heard on the 10 a.m. radio show, AgriTalk, hosted by Mike Adams. This pre-show special will feature interviews from Randy Holthaus on FS Grain Systems; Matt Hynes on FS Seed; Mark Dehner on Liquid Fuels including Dieselex Gold and biofuels. For a list of AgriTalk station affiliates, go to http://www.agritalk.com/stations.php

The FS Exhibit lot is at the corner of 11th and Central Progress, in Progress City, where members greet their customers and interact with other ag community leaders. Activities there reflect the casual and engaging atmosphere of the Farm Progress Show, including entertainment by family-friendly comedian Tim Cavanaugh, remote control car races, and NH3 safety education conducted by Jenny Poole, from GROWMARK Safety & Insurance Services. Displays for FS Grain Systems, Fuels, Propane, Agronomy & FS Seed demonstrate to visitors why FS is The Local Answer to Your World of Needs.

For other information about the show, go to http://www.farmprogressshow.com/

Wabash Valley Service Co. Wins National Award

Tom Stahl submitted this article he wrote for the Wabash Valley newsletter.

Wabash Valley’s Browns, Ill. location is the 2009 Environmental Respect Award National Winner. Wabash Valley beat out four other semi-finalists and received the award in Washington, D.C. in July. This is the second win for Wabash Valley; the Hamilton County location was chosen as a regional winner in 2006.

Mike McCurdy, Browns plant manager, said, “We are very pleased to receive this award. All of our employees try to protect the environment with every job we do, but the groundwork for this award was laid by Kent Ochs, as he designed this plant from the ground up to be both productive and environmentally safe.”

Regulatory and Safety Coordinator Kent Ochs, who designed the plant, commented, “I am very proud of each and every WVSC employee for winning the prestigious award. My task was simple: to design, permit, and oversee the construction of the Browns facility. It was a great personal honor to have that opportunity. But in all honesty, even the best design, technology, and equipment, are in fact useless without the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our employees.”

Finalists were selected by a panel of industry experts who looked at excellence in site design, in-plant storage and handling procedures, proper application and leadership in safety and stewardship among customers and employees.

The Environmental Respect Awards, sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection, CropLife magazine, and Farm Chemicals International magazine, are the agricultural industry's highest recognition for environmental stewardship among U.S. agricultural retailers, those who serve farmers and ranchers with the nutrients, pest control, and agronomic information critical to effective crop production. For information on the Environmental Respect Awards, visit www.environmentalrespect.com.

Wabash Valley Service Company employees pose outside the Browns, Ill. facility, named the national winner of the 2009 Environmental Respect Award.

SIGMA Scholarships Awarded

The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) recently awarded 9 scholarships in varying amounts to assist in the education of marketers’ employees, their children, and dependents of employees. Three of the winners are from the GROWMARK System.

Receiving $2,000 are Amanda Carls, a student at the University of Northern Iowa and daughter of Mary Carls, GROWMARK processor I, and Emily Parks, an Illinois State University student, daughter of Sid Parks, GROWMARK manager, precision farming. Nicole Wright, a student at St. Louis School of Pharmacy and daughter of David Wright, Evergreen FS energy specialist, received a $1,000 award.

The scholarship recognizes individuals who volunteer in their schools and communities and maintain a 2.5/4.0 grade point average. There were 113 total applications this year.

Foundations for Success

The Foundations for Success workshop was held June 22-26 and June 29-July 2 at the Monsanto Training Center in Monmouth, Ill. The event was attended by 60 crop specialists and agronomy advisors, representing 18 member cooperatives and subsidiaries. Participants came from Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, as well as Ontario and GROWMARK FS.

During the week-long training, attendees learned about corn and soybean growth and development, insects, plant diseases, soil fertility, weed identification, herbicides, new technology, and sales techniques. Many sessions were hands-on in the test plots at the training center. Foundations for Success has been held in this format since 2002.

(Left to Right): Blake Wilken, Fred Wilker, and Cory Bebensee, all of AGRILAND FS, INC., examine soybeans to determine what caused their poor growth.

Damon Anderson, AGRILAND FS, INC. (left) and Tony Tennant, FS PARTNERS (right) learn how to use a portable GPS unit from Sid Parks, GROWMARK manager, precision farming (in white hat), John Grandin, Western Region seed agronomist (second from right), and Sandy Boyles, precision farming project coordinator (in green shirt).

Kate Graves, GROWMARK FS, LLC, examines soybean cyst nematodes under a microscope.

Bill Emmert (right) and Richard Halsne (left), both of AgVantage FS, Inc., use a portable GPS unit to mark the location of a soil sample in a field.

Darwin Engelkes, AgVantage FS, Inc. (left) and Bob Konert, FS PARTNERS (right) diagnose possible herbicide damage in a young corn plant.

(Left to right): Jordan Klosterman, Tiffany Ochs, and Andrew Spray, all of Wabash Valley Service Company, assess the growth stage of a stalk of corn and prepare to wash the roots to check for rootworm damage.