I hope your summer is going well. We have really been blessed with very good moisture so far this year but need a few more timely rains to finish off what has the potential of producing some very good fall crops. The subsoil profile is very good at this time. It is still summer so we will continue to experience some days of extreme heat and wind but will still need to catch some needed moisture.
I just returned from spending three days in Washington DC. I was there
representing the Kansas Coop Council with staff and other Kansas Managers. The Big Beautiful Bill has recently passed, and it was a big win for Agriculture and Cooperatives. Section 199A, which is a passthrough tax deduction, is now permanently set. It would take a new bill to have it removed, so that is great for cooperatives. The farm bill was also part of the bill that passed. There is only a few previsions that need to be cleaned up with the Farm Bill regarding money allocations etc. at this time. The Farm Bill needed reworked due to all the changes in our Agriculture economy since the last 2018 Farm Bill was just written and then extended. Higher interest rates and input cost with lower export business, as you all know, have been a
strain on agriculture.
We just finished the 2025 Wheat crop, and it turned out to be above average yields across our trade territory. I appreciate your business and the hard work the employees did receiving the bushels, especially with all the rain delays we had. The test weights were up through some rain showers, but the protein seems to be a little lower than average for our area this year. The sad part is the low price per bushel due to no export wheat market and low demand. But in most cases, producers will take bigger yields than prices and we did see some impressive yields in certain fields this year.
Thanks to all of our area youth who participated in the county fairs. You know summer is starting to wind down when it becomes county fair time.
Congratulations to all the youth
that participated in 4-H and FFA with their fair projects this year. Pride Ag Resources is proud to be involved with supporting 4-H and FFA in all the counties that we serve. It was exciting to see the accomplishments by our youth from all the hard work they put into their projects this year.
I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your summer with your family before school starts up again. We do appreciate your 2025 wheat harvest bushels and are looking forward to helping you with your upcoming fall harvest. With the amount of moisture and the potential of good fall crops, the employees have already started getting facilities ready for this fall. Thanks for your business, it is never taken for granted. It is always a pleasure from the team of employees, to help you succeed in production agriculture.
Safety Division
Corey Ratzlaff Safety Director
FARM GRAIN BIN SAFETY
ANHYDROUS AMMONIA SAFETY ON TODAYS FARM
Although there have been articles on anhydrous ammonia safety written in this newsletter in the past, a review of this widely used fertilizer is in order. Anhydrous ammonia (referred to as ammonia for the rest of this article) is the cheapest form of nitrogen fertilizer available to the farmer, and, because of that economy, our customers use a great deal of ammonia. By using the cheapest form of nitrogen fertilizer, farmers will realize more profit in their operations. Ammonia has some disadvantages, though, and among the disadvantages are its difficulty and expense to the distributors and sellers to handle and its danger to humans and the environment. Because of the dangers, ammonia is a highly regulated chemical by several government agencies. Among them are the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Department of Transportation, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. Heavy government regulation adds to the costs to your Coop to store, handle and transport this product. Ammonia has several chemical and physical properties that must be taken into consideration when storing and handling it. Ammonia has a boiling point of -28 degrees F, which means that in Kansas any anhydrous ammonia tank will have some pressure since the product will always be above -28 degrees.
The pressure inside a tank of ammonia on a hot day can easily reach 200 psi or more. The term anhydrous means without water, and because anhydrous ammonia is without water, it is attracted to water. That is a good thing when the producer is injecting the ammonia into the ground, and it is attracted to the moisture in the soil, as it helps to keep the ammonia from escaping into the atmosphere. That same attraction to water is a bad thing when people get ammonia on their skin, in their eyes or in their lungs. Ammonia is a strong alkali with a pH of between 10.6 and 11.6. Alkalis tend to turn human flesh into sticky goo that keeps eating away at the flesh until it is washed off by water. Ammonia will burn, but only in concentrations in the air of between 16% and 25% and with an ignition source of 1560 degrees F. Ammonia is not a poison, but a corrosive. It is not only corrosive to human flesh, but also to many metals such as copper, zinc and silver and their alloys. Most people can smell ammonia at concentrations of just 5 ppm. At that concentration you will not be harmed by ammonia, but you will know it’s around. At 400 ppm one will experience throat irritation.
The best way to avoid injury to your skin or eyes by ammonia is with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The two most important pieces of PPE are non-vented or indirectly-vented goggles and PVC gloves. Never work with anhydrous ammonia without wearing these two types of PPE. Safety glasses are not recommended, as they will not protect your eyes as well as goggles will if you get a blast of ammonia in the face. Also,
leather gloves are not recommended when handling ammonia. If you need guidance on where to obtain this PPE, contact any manager of a Pride Ag location that handles ammonia, and he will assist you. Remember that as little as one drop of ammonia in one’s eye can seriously injure the eye. People have been blinded permanently by ammonia. Because very few farmers have access to respiratory protection, remember to run upwind from an ammonia spill or leak. It is important to know some basic first aid in case you are exposed to ammonia. As ammonia is released into the atmosphere, it becomes extremely cold and can cause frostbite to the skin and eyes. For exposure to the eyes or skin water is the only first aid. If you get ammonia in your eyes, hold the eyes open and flush with clean water for at least fifteen minutes. If your skin is burned by ammonia, flush the burned area with clean water for at least fifteen minutes. If ammonia is inhaled, remove the victim to fresh air and give artificial respiration or oxygen if needed. With any exposure to ammonia, first aid must be start immediately. The more time before treatment begins, the more damage will be done. As time passes the ammonia keeps going deeper into the eyes, skin or lung tissue seeking out water and doing more damage. After first aid has been administered, seek medical help immediately. As beneficial as first aid is, it is much better to not need it in the first place. People have been blinded by ammonia even though water was used to flush the eyes soon after exposure. That is why it is so important to wear the proper PPE. Once the ammonia is inside the eyeball, it is almost impossible to get it out
by flushing. Also, remember that contact lenses should never be worn when working with ammonia. There is a five gallon carboy of emergency water mounted on the top of each of our ammonia nurse tanks. Remember that this water maybe frozen during the colder part of the year, so if you are applying ammonia during cold weather you should keep a supply of at least five gallons of clean water in the cab of your tractor.
Once again if you have any questions pertaining to the safety and handling of ammonia. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our Pride Ag Managers or company representatives
ACE Hardware
Dave McCollum, ACE Manager
Summer has arrived! We had some great rains this summer with more hopefully to come.
BBQ season is in full swing! We have an excellent line of Traeger grills for sale as well as pellets, sauces, and other needed BBQ supplies. Check out the Blackstone griddles when you stop in, they are starting to move. New this year are Halo
grills, griddles and even a pizza oven. They would be an excellent gift for the grill master in your family! Almost all grills have been priced down for summer sale savings.
Come see our Ben Moore, Clark Kensington, Royal and more paints. It’s not too late to be thinking about those exterior paint projects!
Milwaukee pack outs, power tools and hand tools are big sellers. These high quality, professional quality tools are strong sellers for a reason. Milwaukee tools are made very well and come backed with a terrific warranty. Don’t miss our Milwaukee day promo event on August 15! Rock bottom deals on many items!
For those of you who still need to get some fencing donewe have creosote posts in popular sizes of 4 ½ to 8 inches. Also in stock are t posts in common lengths, and Red Brand 2 point wire for those fencing projects.
We have a few push mowers left. We carry STIHL, Milwaukee and EGO as well as Toro and Craftsman mowers. We can special order riders as well. Also- please see our lineup of ZTR mowers by STIHL. We are the only ones in the city with these really nice mowers. Check out the shocks on the bigger mowers. A great feature not found on all other brands.
We have a great selection of weed eaters. Try out our new battery operated STIHL trimmers. Quiet and powerful.
Don’t forget the bug spray and weed killer!
Beat the heat with window air conditioners! Please check these out as well as box fans and oscillating fans and evaporative coolers.
As always, thanks for making Ace the place to get your warm summer season buying done!
Grain Division
Mike Schmidt Grain Division/ Operations Manager
What a difference moisture makes!!!! We have finished wheat harvest and it was a very good one. With all the moisture we received and Mother Nature keeping the hail away for the most part, we had some recordbreaking yields and bushel receipts at some of our locations.
First, thanks to you the producers for choosing Pride Ag Resources to handle your wheat crop. Your coop is in high gear trying to get the big wheat crop moved and make room for the next very big fall crop that is nipping at our heels. Again, with the wonderful moisture we
have received the fall crop looks to be another record breaker. Just wishing with the big crops coming, just wish we could have the grain prices go up as well. Since the last newsletter, the wheat price has dropped .32 cents. Corn has dropped .85 cents, milo has dropped .95 cents, and soybeans has dropped .15 cents.
With better crops and the supply is a lot higher and the demand is not any better makes for lower prices. This fall crop really worries me with large yields and very good crops, basis will struggle to keep up, we are already seeing this with the new crop basis being about .25 to .30 cents below normal now, and we are still a month away from harvest.
With the fall harvest coming right around the corner, the employees at Pride Ag Resources would like to say thank you for your past business at wheat harvest and would like to help take all the fall crops that we can. Again thank you for making Pride Ag Resources your business of choice!!!!
Agronomy Division Manager
I remember a Kansas State agronomy professor once said, “In spite of all mankind’s ingenuity, hard work and persistence, our lives all depend on six inches of top soil and the fact that it rains.” We have most certainly enjoyed the great looking crops this summer with the blessings of moisture falling on our productive High Plains soils here in Pride Ag country!
Planning for Success in 2025
Your Pride Ag agronomy team would like to say a heartfelt “Thank You!” for everyone who gave us the opportunity to help you successfully grow this summer 2025 crop. Thanks to you Pride Ag agronomy experienced strong volume increases in fertilizer, crop protection, seed and application. We appreciate your support!
Behind the scenes during the busy season we have also been up to a lot lately. We have secured dry phosphate and nitrogen fertilizer supplies, navigated the ever changing tariff charged crop protection landscape, and somehow managed to supply you with liquid nitrogen fertilizers when normal supply changes were shut off. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to create an atmosphere of success moving into the fall wheat seeding season!
Pride Ag Can Limit Your Risk
We are offering fall ammonia and dry fertilizer
Agronomy Division
Jeffery Jensby
contracts at this time to minimize your risk. One supplier said, “With the stroke of a pen in Washington, DC, urea could jump $50 to $70 a ton over night. Why not contract your crop nutrient needs with Pride Ag today to minimize that risk? We have secured product and pricing to do just that . . . all why you have been busy in the field this summer. Planning for the next success is what we do. See your Pride Ag agronomist to minimize your risk today!
Overall the crop nutrient markets remain solidly firm going in to 2026. We believe now is a great time to lock in supply and pricing for your operation to be profitable next year.
Answer Plot Field Day September 3rd
It is our goal to offer you tested, science-based solutions for your farm. A huge resource we offer is the insights from localized Answer Plots and this year our Pride Ag Answer Plot north of Cimarron looks outstanding. From these research plots we gain millions and millions of data points to analyze what works and doesn’t work for your farm. Talk without facts is just an opinion. Our Winfield Answer Plot system gives you real, tested and honest answers about what inputs can contribute solid returns on your investment in inputs for your farm. Look for an invitation in the mail for your September 3rd field tour experience! You will be glad you attended!
Wheat and Triticale Seeding Season will Arrive Soon!
It is our goal to offer you the best new wheat and triticale varieties for your farm. We will soon be rolling out our recommendations for this coming fall season along with fertility and crop protection solutions to help make your 2026 a successful harvest!
Nitrogen Stabilization
We are beginning our late summer and fall ammonia application season. Stabilizing your nitrogen investment is just good business. We can sit down with you to discuss several options you have to protect your dry urea or ammonia investment through these hot days and high rainfall storms.
Please Welcome Tom Naasz to Our Agronomy Team!
I am thrilled to announce that Tom Naasz will be leading our Pride Ag Agronomy Team! He comes with outstanding agronomy team leadership experience in both the cooperative and independent Ag retailer world. Please welcome Tom when you meet him! His great approach and expertise will help keep Pride Ag agronomy moving forward with awesome momentum! I will also be helping behind the scenes in the transition and helping Pride Ag continue to help producers have success going forward into 2026! I appreciate the opportunity to serve each and every one of you in my 17 months here in Pride Ag Country!
Serving the best,
Feed Division
John O’Leary Dodge City Feed Division Manager
Thanks to an unusually wet year, pastures across Southwest Kansas are greener and more abundant than normal for this time of year. While this creates the appearance of ideal conditions, looks can be deceiving. As grasses mature, they naturally lose protein and digestibility. Even more concerning, excess rainfall can leach vital nutrients like phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium from both the soil and the plants themselves. That means your forage can appear lush while still falling short on the nutrients cattle need for optimal performance. At Pride Ag Resources, we help you look beyond the grass and develop a proactive supplementation plan to protect condition, support gain, and maintain reproductive performance through the fall transition.
Nutrition Support from a Team You Can Trust
When you work with Pride Ag Resources, you don’t just get quality products you get the support of a knowledgeable, local team. We have two on-
staff Purina® Livestock
Production Specialists (LPS) and work closely with a contracted third-party ruminant nutritionist. Together, we help you evaluate your forage base, identify nutritional gaps, and recommend the most costeffective supplement solutions for your operation. We also offer bulk or bagged product options, delivery, and on-site support to fit your program and your schedule.
Choosing the Right Minerals and Tubs for Fall Conditions
Our full lineup of Purina® Wind and Rain® minerals is designed to meet the diverse needs of Southwest Kansas cattle herds. This includes HiMag minerals for preventing grass tetany on lush fall regrowth, Fly Control options with IGR to suppress horn fly populations through the tail end of the season, and for herds that need a higher level of support, we also offer formulations with Availa® 4, a premium organic trace mineral package for enhanced reproductive and immune performance.
If you’re preparing to graze fall-planted wheat, we strongly recommend Rangeland Pro® Wheat Pasture Mineral. This specialized formula addresses the low fiber and high potassium content common in young wheat forage, helping to prevent metabolic issues like urinary calculi and acidosis. It’s an excellent choice for stocker calves, replacement heifers, and any cattle turned out on wheat pasture.
To complement fall forage and reduce the labor of daily feeding, Purina® Rangeland® protein tubs are a smart investment. Even in a wet year, fall grasses become more
fibrous and less digestible as they mature and grow dormant. Crude Protein levels often drop below what is required for a cow’s maintenance. Purina protein tubs supply the protein supplementation needed to stimulate rumen microbial activity, which in turn improves digestion of lower quality forage, helps cattle maintain and improve body condition, supports reproductive efficiency, and prepares calves for better weaning and backgrounding. Pride Ag resources offers a full lineup of Purina Rangeland Protein tubs to fit your needs. These tubs are weather-resistant, self-fed, and highly effective in extending forage and maintaining condition during unpredictable fall weather.
Purina® Rangeland® 24-12 Tub
- Best for: Dry, mature forage; fall-calving cows; moderate energy needs
The Rangeland® 24-12 tub is an excellent all-around choice for cattle grazing mature native grass or low-quality forage that still offers some bulk and intake. It provides 24% crude protein, much of it through nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), which supports microbial activity in the rumen and helps cattle digest forage more efficiently. What sets this tub apart is the inclusion of Propel® high-fat nugget technology, which adds digestible energy in the form of fat without increasing intake dramatically. This makes it especially valuable for fallcalving cows, cows in early lactation, or herds that need to maintain body condition through the transition into cooler weather. It’s also ideal
when forage isn’t poor enough to justify a high-fat tub, but still lacks the protein and energy to support reproduction or lactation on its own.
Purina® Rangeland® 30-13 Tub
- Best for: Thin cows; late gestation; poor or weathered forage
The 30-13 tub offers a step up in nutritional support, with 30% crude protein and 13% NPN, making it ideal for use when forage quality has significantly deteriorated such as in overgrazed pastures, drought conditions, or winter weathering. This tub supports the nutritional needs of thin cows trying to recover condition, as well as females in the last trimester of gestation, when protein and energy demands begin to climb. It’s a good choice when cattle are grazing forage that looks plentiful but is actually low in digestible nutrients, such as weathered CRP, native range, or stalks. The added protein helps the rumen microbes break down fibrous material and extract more nutrition from what’s available.
Purina® Rangeland® 38-20 High E Tub
- Best for: Lactating cows; growing calves; high-stress or coldweather situations
The 38-20 High E tub delivers the highest nutritional density in the Purina® Rangeland® lineup, with 38% protein and 20% fat most of it from natural protein sources with minimal NPN. This product is ideal for highdemand scenarios where cattle need a significant energy and
protein boost to maintain performance. That includes lactating cows nursing calves, fall- or early-winter calves, replacement heifers being pushed to grow, or young calves backgrounded on poor-quality forage. It’s also a great fit for cold weather when cattle require extra calories just to maintain body temperature. The high fat level makes this tub especially valuable when forage intake is limited, either due to quality or palatability. It’s the premium choice when performance and condition are at risk due to environmental or physiological stress.
More Than a Feed Store
Your Nutrition Partner
Pride Ag Resources is proud to offer more than just a feed product—we provide fullservice support to help you get results. We offer forage testing, cow condition scoring, cost-perhead supplement planning, intake tracking, and breeding season support. Whether your goals are weaning weights, breed-back, or stretching your grass, our team is ready to help you find the right nutrition program to fit your operation.
AV Energy
Chris Klein AV Energy Manager
I hope everyone is having a great summer! With the recent
rains we are looking forward to a great fall harvest.
Propane
Propane contracts were sent out in the mail the last week of June. If you did not receive a contract, or would like to contract propane for the heating season contact our office at 620225-4994.
AV Energy has a good stock of new 500 and 1000 gallon propane tanks available. If you would like to learn more about our tank rental programs give Jordan (620-338-6652) a call and he will help you with whatever you need.
Fuel Contracting
It’s never too early to start thinking of your fuel supply for next summer. AV Energy offers several different types of fuel contracts that we can structure to fit your needs. We also have winter contracts available. Winter contracts start November 1st and go through February. The contracts have the price of the winter blend built into the contract, so you do not have to worry about having any extra cost added to your diesel fuel delivery during the winter.
United Lubricants
AV Energy is excited to announce our partnership with United Lubricants. United Lubricants™ are manufactured at the GROWMARK® Lubricants Manufacturing facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa, using the highest-quality base oils and state-of-the-art additives. United Lubricants consistently produces high-
quality products and proudly stands behind them offering peace-of-mind and support for your over-the-road or infield needs.
AV Energy offers a full line of United Lubricants products in bulk and packaged and would love to talk to you about the benefits of using United Lubricants. Also, the United Lubricants product line is much more cost effective than most of the major lubricant brands.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tony Bleumer Chairman
Toby Whipple………..... Vice-Chairman
Levi Salmans Secretary-Treasurer
Butch Irsik ....................................... Director
