Pride Ag Resources 4th quart newsletter

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MANAGER’S DESK

Jerald Kemmerer-CEO/GM Fall harvest is starting to wind down as corn and soybeans are almost complete.

The milo harvest is slowing down to almost finished. Yields for all the fall commodities were all over the board. The lack of rain during parts of July and August hurt some of the dryland yields. If you were able to receive an additional spotty rain that fell, it was very noticeable on the production side.

It seemed all the commodities were trying to come in at the same time once we caught the frost. There will be some late planted acres that will take a while.

FOURTH QUARTER 2019

October was proclaimed as Co-op Month in Kansas by Governor Kelly.

As the chairman of the Kansas Coop Council, I was asked to participate in the signing of the proclamation ceremonial at the Governor’s office in Topeka. In Recognition of Coop Month, Pride Ag Resources hosted appreciation lunches at several scattered locations among our trade territory for customers and employees. I hope you were able to attend one of the lunches.

Another new service we are excited about offering this year is our “New Pride Ag Resources app” powered by Bushel. It allows you to not only look at our posted cash bids but has real time scale tickets, contracts, and more. If

you have not down loaded it yet and have interest, please call in to the main office for help in doing so. It is very user friendly and is very helpful in running your farming operations for both grain and agronomy.

In conjunction with the CHS Annual Meeting coming up on December 4th through the 6th, several young producer couples will participate in the CHS New Leader Institute.

Over the course of three days, participants will examine challenges facing cooperatives in agriculture and rural America. They will also work on building their leadership skills to benefit their cooperatives and communities.

Besides networking with other young producers across the Midwest, they will also be

Inside This Issue 2 Safety – Ace Hardware 3 Grain 4 Agronomy 5 Feed 6 Tur -AV Energy 7 Employee Spot Light–Board of Directors

attending the CHS Annual Meeting. If you have interest in attending, please contact me.

As we finish up with harvest and if weather allows, we can help you with fertilizer application.

The agronomy team can help you with decision making for your crop inputs for next year. Markets are still uncertain on the China negations and other market influences. Pride Ag Resources has several different kinds of contracts to help you with your marketing plan. Contact the grain team to help with any questions you may have.

Thanks for your business during fall harvest and we look forward to helping you with your input needs.

We appreciate your relationship with Pride Ag Resources.

Safety Division Roger Maple Safety Director According to the National Highway Safety Administration, driving distractions fit into 3 different categories: Visual, Manual, and Cognitive Tasks.

Visual Tasks are described as things such as looking down at your navigation system or your instruments panel on your dash.

Manual Tasks consists of anything that requires you to take one or both hands away from the steering wheel.

Cognitive Tasks are considered as allowing your mind to wander off to anything other than being focused on driving.

While 5% of car crash fatalities are caused by a driver’s attention being on passengers within the vehicle and 7% of fatal car crashes caused by a driver’s attention being focused on events or objects outside the vehicle, 80% of crashes are attributed to drivers being mentally distracted and not paying attention to the road. In 2018 there was an average of more than 1,000 injury accidents per day due to distracted driving with 9 per day reported as fatal to an occupant involved in the accident. According to the NHSA, each of those accidents were considered to be completely preventable.

exciting or interesting event may be happening that you can be a part of by checking your social media or by texting.

The second largest cause of fatal accidents is reported to be caused by the use of cell phones while driving. Although cell phone related accidents have declined slightly since 2015, the National Safety Council reports cell phone usage leads to 1.6 million accidents per year.

Nearly 390,000 injuries each year are caused by texting and driving. This means 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the U.S. is caused by texting and driving.

It’s estimated that 660,000 drivers use their cell phones during daylight hours as they travel, and as of now, texting and driving is 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving under the influence.

ACE HARDWARE

The most popular reason given for texting and driving is said to be attributed to an actual condition called “FOMO” (Fear Of Missing Out). This condition is described as an anxiety surrounding the idea that an

The NSC, NHTSA, FHA, TSA, and FMCSA have joined forces with a goal to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2050. We as a farming community don’t have to wait and be governed to death. We can make a choice to be safe and commit to being focused as we drive. What will your next choice be as you get behind the wheel? I hope you choose to keep yourself, your loved ones, and everyone else you share the road with as safe as humanly possible. it’s your choice. Be safe!

Jack Lane, ACE Manager Your Ace Hardware stores have a strong inventory of farm and ranch supplies. For the producers that are turning cattle out on wheat pasture or stalks, Ace has stock tanks all sizes and shapes. This includes poly tanks along with a selection of tank heaters to go with them.

Propane or electric heaters are available.

Ace also has tee post in all sizes from 4 ft. To 6 1/2 ft. If you need round bale feeders with or without skirts or horse feeders, we got you covered.

Mineral feeders, gates, cattle panels and creosote posts are all in stock and readily available at your Ace stores. We also carry a wide inventory of fence chargers including Gallagher and several others brands.

Automatic waters are also available. From Ritchie to 2

Miraco we have several in stock and can special ordered depending on your wants and needs. Stop and shop your Ace store for your livestock needs.

We appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you.

GRAIN DIVISION This year’s growing season could be characterized as a season of extremes. From too cool and wet this spring, to too hot and dry this summer. Even as summer turned to fall it appeared that above average temperatures would persist. It didn’t take long though for fall to bring an end to the growing season with an earlier than normal killing frost making me search for a jacket in the back of the closet. It was nice to finally get some moisture the first part of October getting next year’s wheat crop off to a good start. It has since become more Indian summerlike. Hopefully weather will remain good as fall harvest continues.

We started fall harvest August 23, with the first loads of corn delivered to the Montezuma elevator. We have continued to stay busy since then taking corn, milo and soybeans as well as getting wheat shipped to make space.

Based on last year’s receipts, I estimate that corn harvest is nearly 80% complete with milo harvest close to 50% done and soybean harvest over 80% done at this time. Because of hot temperatures and dry conditions through the growing season this year I expected yields to decrease compared to last year.

While yields may be lower than

last year it appears that receipts will be good for the year.

Quality has been good with good test weights and moisture levels have been dry for all commodities.

December wheat futures have moved steadily lower since last summer, mostly because of lack of demand. The December Kansas City Wheat Contract reached a high of $5.27¼ on June 4, 2019 and then went on a steady decline, eventually reaching contract lows of $3.81/bu. on Sep 3, 2019. The wheat market has rallied recently moving over 50 cents higher to a high of $4.37 ¼ on Oct. 21, 2019. Most of the recent up move in the wheat market has been concerns of deterioration of the northern spring wheat crop as well as dry weather concerns in Australia and parts of South America.

While wheat exports have been better lately and are ahead of last year’s numbers, we still continue to be behind USDA’s estimates.

The July 2020 Kansas City Wheat contract closed at $4.53/bu. on 10/22/2019 with our cash bid for delivery next wheat harvest at $4.03/bu.

The December Chicago corn futures contract has been a complete mystery for months.

December Corn prices rallied over a dollar from May 13 to June 17 going from $3.63 ¼ to $4.73.

Concerns about wet conditions in the eastern Corn Belt and the resulting late planting of this year’s corn crop fueled this rally. It was easy to begin thinking about $5.00 corn as the rally took place.

However, since late last spring, USDA has consistently published production numbers

that leave traders scratching their heads. There is no doubt that weather in the eastern Corn Belt has been exceptionally good this growing season since the corn crop was planted. The majority of the crop has not reached maturity. and harvest progress continues to lag behind last year. I believe USDA’s production number for this year will need to be lowered. It appears though that any revisions USDA makes to production will come at the end of this year or even after the first of the year. Even if we see lower production numbers in this year’s corn crop, a fundamental lack of demand for U.S corn continues to weigh heavily on corn prices. The use of this year’s low protein wheat crop as a feed grain has lessened demand for corn and kept a lid on local corn basis.

The December 2019 Chicago Corn contract closed at $3.88/bu. on 10/22/2019.

Date Wheat 7/5/19 3.95 8/6/19 3.73 8/21/19 3.41 9/18/19 3.55 Last Year –Aug. 2018 AVG. 5.26

Corn 4.24 3.89 3.48 3.61

Milo 3.69 3.34 2.93 3.06

Soybean 7.31 7.18 7.38 7.64

3.46 3.09 7.64

Since early September, soybeans have rallied 94 cents from a low of $8.51 on Sept 9 to a high of $9.45 on Oct. 14, almost reaching the early summer high of $9.48 set on June 18th. The soybean market has traded the same concerns as the corn market including delayed planting of this year’s crop and the prospect of reduced yields.

Export numbers for U. S. soybeans are better than last year although exports to China have fallen dramatically.

Tariffs have 3

priced U.S soybeans out of the market and made South American soybeans much cheaper for Chinese processors.

Recently there are rumors that China may be looking for soybeans from the U.S. Let’s hope so. Smaller production and stronger demand could take carry outs below 400 million bushels in the year ahead lending support to soybeans.

November 2019 Soybean futures closed at $9.34/bu. on 10/22/2019.

The milo market continues to deal with a lack of export demand with the only recent export business coming from Commodity Credit Corporation tenders.

There have been rumors of interest in milo by the Australians and we continue to hold out hope that China will be in the market.

Domestic demand by ethanol plants and hog feeders has been nearly all of the demand for milo over the past 12 months.

business from your smart phone.

This application provides you with delayed futures price quotes as well as our cash grain bids right on your phone. The application will also allow you see your scale tickets, in real time, on your phone as your grain is delivered to the elevator. From this app you will be able to track your grain as it is delivered to the elevator and to see your open storage balances.

It will also allow you to track any grain contracts that you have. From your phone you can see what delivery commitments you have and if open stored bushels are available for application to those contracts.

It will allow you to track any fertilizer contracts that you have with our agronomy department.

The app is currently available on both Google Play and the Apple App store at no cost to you. For more information about this extremely useful tool stop by or give us a call.

Word from Washington D.C is that trade talks with China are going well and that substantial progress has been made in reaching a resolution to the trade disagreement.

It is reported that as part of a Phase 1 agreement, China will purchase up to $50 billion in U. S. agricultural products. While there continue to be significant trade issues to be negotiated it sounds as though this is finally a step in the right direction. It is certainly the best news we have heard since the US/China trade war began over a year ago.

Let’s hope real progress can be made and trade relations become normal.

We are excited about our new app which will let you track your Pride Ag grain

We look forward to helping as you complete harvest and we want to thank you for the opportunity to again be of service to you. As always, our facilities are ready to handle your grain quickly and efficiently. We can also assist you in your grain marketing to help capture your best cash grain marketing opportunities.

We have grain contracts to help you lock in pricing opportunities before, during and after harvest. We can place open futures orders for both your in store and delivered bushels giving you the opportunity to get orders filled however and whenever the market moves. Our line of Compass contracts can provide opportunities to price your grain

daily above current market prices. For more information about using any of these products, please contact your Pride Ag Grain Department.

Here’s hoping your fall harvest results are greater than your expectations and that your harvest is completed successfully and safely.

Gary Friesen Grain Merchandizer

AGRONOMY Tim Spector Agronomy Manager

Fertilizer – We are in the arena of uncertainty as it applies to forecasting Spring 2020 nutrient pricing. Nh3 appears to remain stable at this juncture, the industry is awaiting more clarity on tonnage consumed this fall following corn harvest throughout the mid-west.

International markets are awaiting to see if China reenters the export market on a large scale. If that happens then we could see a downward pressure on the market.

However, there is no certain direction from China. Factors we do know are for starters there will be less tons consumed this fall vs last year through the corn belt. Weather and delayed harvest coupled with a Spring like the last few years could impede NH3 use. Suppliers are looking to upgrade Nh3 to Urea and UAN in anticipation of increased demand.

Internationally Urea has been trading up and if China stays on the sidelines or minimal output look for that to hold. Today the prediction on Nitrogen would be up – supply and logistics will 4

be a factor on the strength of the market and as we get closer to spring hopefully clarity will emerge. Phosphates will be an overall imported product; domestic production cost are much higher than international values delivered to New Orleans.

In a nutshell, with the low values on Phos now is the time to apply this fall. In addition, with imported materials color of the product could be various shades of Tan, White, brown etc. Lastly, we have a product produced by Mosaic called Aspire.

Aspire is a homogeneous Potash plus Boron granular fertilizer (0-058-0.5B). This past July multiple tissue test from western Kansas revealed a shortage of Boron in the corn crop. Talk with Pride Ag Resources Agronomist in regards to incorporating Aspire into your nutrient portfolio.

Crop Protection – Tariff war between the US and China have technical cost up on generic and some branded products anywhere from 5% to 25% depending the key active ingredient (AI). Is generic chemistry the same as branded chemistry? No, we are all guilty in focusing on the Active Ingredient and ignore the most important part of the formula called Inert Ingredients. Depending on the source point, Inert Ingredients can cause crop injury and difficulty in mixing. We offer a full offering of Branded Chemistry and we do source

some generic products that have a reputable production source. Keep in mind that when utilizing a branded strategy, you receive support after the sale from each of the producers. (BASF, Bayer, Corteva and Syngenta).

period.

This technology is research proven not only at Purina Research Farm but also with many Feed Proof Trials.

Seed- The sales team is out

Respond Appropriately: Immune system elicits response to eliminate pathogens.

with pricing and early order specials for NK and Croplan seed. The genetic offerings through these two suppliers have multiple Hybrid and Variety offerings to maximize your potential in Corn, Milo and Soybean production.

Finance – Your Pride Ag Resources Agronomist have information available to discuss input financing options for your seed, chemical and fertilizer needs for the 2020 crop year.

FEED DIVISION Here we are again in midst of fall season. I love the vibrant colors and the hustle and bustle of gathering this year’s bounty of fall crops.

The newly weaned calves missing mama and settling in to their new surroundings.

Pride Ag Resources and Purina are introducing a new calf starter program that incorporates new technology to support and aid the calves in fighting against respiratory challenges.

RX3™ Immune Support Technology is a precise combination of prebiotics, probiotics and plant extracts.

RX3™ Immune Support Technology primes the immune system to support overall calf health for the entire feeding

The three R’s stand for: Recognize Disease Sooner: Immune system is primed and recognize pathogens.

Return to Optimal Health: Supports a faster recovery and calves look healthier quicker.

This Immune Support Technology has shown that calves fed this program are more uniform, with less variation in average daily gain.

Calves gained, on average, 6 pounds more than the control group in 30 days. The calves on the program had fewer pulls for treatment and less morbidity than the control group.

This program is designed to be fed at weaning for 21 days.

There are several products that include the RX3™ Technology to provide an easy delivery method to fit your management program.

Please visit with John, Mark, or any of the Pride Ag Location managers on what product will best fit your program.

As a reminder our fall Wheat Pasture/Range mineral booking program is in going on.

Please contact John, Mark, Kim, or Adam at the feed mill as well as any of our location managers to complete a booking form to capture savings on your cattle input needs.

Be safe through fall harvest and enjoy the season.

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Pride Ag Resources“Pride Turf” “Turf Talk” Nathan Ratzlaff nratzlaff@prideag.com It is hard to believe the year is coming to an end and the Holiday Season is fast approaching. I hope everyone has had a great fall from harvest to planting to maintaining your yards. We have had our first frost of the year, so if you have not put your winterizer fertilizer down yet you should get that done. This late fall application is one of the most beneficial applications you can do as it will promote good root growth which is needed for a healthy plant. This fall application will also provide a quicker green up next spring.

The Ensign Turf plant is running smoothly, Hunter and Willie do a great job and are always trying to improve our efficiency. We continue to try to pick up more business and produce high quality products for homeowners, school districts, golf courses and lawn care professionals. As always, our goal is to get our products into more hands of people across the region. If you have not purchased our products from one of our Ace Hardware stores or local branches, I encourage you to give us a shot!

Our ability to customize our blends to fit your lawn needs is something special. If you ever have any questions or comments, please send them to me as I am here to help in any way.

As we move from Winterizer to Ice Melts, be sure to get stocked up and ready for the winter months. We will have the same two blends as we have had in years past. The “GREEN MELTER” is a combo product with 97% Sodium Chloride and 3% Calcium Carbonate, it is dyed a light green for easy indication, this product is great for large applications and has an anti-slip material added in. This product has melting capabilities from 20 degrees to -15 degrees. The “ROYAL BLUE MELTER” is a true 3-way product.

It contains 84% Sodium Chloride, 8% Magnesium Chloride and 8% Calcium Chloride and has a Non-staining light blue color added for easy indication when applying. It is perfect for fast effective melting as the products work well together. I can be used for high traffic surfaces, driveways, sidewalks and steps.

It has melting capabilities from 20 degrees to 20 degrees.

I recently read an article on using Gypsum along areas of high applications of ice melt such as sidewalks and driveways. Gypsum helps flush the salts from the soil. So if next spring you notice these areas of your yard are struggling and you had been putting ice melt down all winter, maybe try applying some Gypsum to these areas. We carry Gypsum in all of our locations.

As always if you have questions, don’t hesitate so send me an email as I would be happy to help where I can. I

hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday season and I look forward to 2018!

AV Energy Chris Klein AV Energy Manager I hope this letter finds you well and that your fall harvest and wheat drilling was a successful one.

It’s hard to believe that this time last year we were finalizing the purchase of High Plain Energy a propane dealer out of Garden City.

The purchase came with a very long list of challenges, but with the hard work of the AV Energy employees we were able to weather the initial storm. We are looking forward to our second year of propane delivery in the Garden City area.

Winter Oil Promotion Earn a $50 Visa® gift card for every 125 gallons of highquality Cenex® oils, hydraulic fluids, gear lubes and greases you buy between November 1, 2019 and February 28, 2020.

See us for details, and ask about the Cenex Total Protection Plan® for up to 10 years/10,000 hours of coverage.

Thanks, and have a wonderful holiday season!

AV Energy With the purchase of High Plains Energy, AV Energy has moved into a larger office as of the first of November. Stop by to see our office and discuss any energy need you might have.

AV Energy, LLC 108 North 14th Ave Suite B Dodge City, Ks 67801 6

Pride Ag Employee Spot Light

Name: Alex Stenberg Resides: Cimarron, Kansas Location: I-South Branch Position: General Labor Alex has been employed with Pride Ag for over 2 years, taking care of customers’ needs with Anhydrous, Fertilizer and Chemicals.

Alex’s hobbies are reading, gaming and working on home projects

Name: Owen Clemens Resides: Ashland, Kansas Location: Ensign Chemical Position: Agronomy Sales Owen has been with Pride Ag for just over 1 year.

Owen grew up in Stafford Virginia, and his hobbies are waterfowl hunting and firearms.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Scott Mac Nair ........................ Chairman Tony Bleumer………..... . Vice-Chairman Clint Hamilton ......... Secretary-Treasurer Butch Irsik ................................. Director Toby Whipple ............................ Director Jacob Tarman ........................... Director Weston Vogel ............................ Director Brian Pinkney.…........Associate Director Phillip Woods …..…..Associate Director Jerald Kemmerer………………CEO/GM Debby Kennedy….......Newsletter Editor

Name: Colby Wasson Resides: Wichita, Ks Location: Maize Ace Store Position: Plumbing and Electrical department as well as Stihl repairman. Colby has been employed with Pride Ag Ace for over 6 months.

Colby grew up in Maize Ks, and his hobbies are, hunting and fishing

Name: Tyler Peterson Resides: Dodge City, KS Location: Main Office Position: Grain Merchandiser Tyler has been with Pride Ag over 5 years.

Tyler grew up in Cimarron and during the summers helped his grandparents on their farm. He enjoys people watching, hiking, biking, traveling, occasionally working out and spending time with his nieces, nephew, family and friends.

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4th Quarter 2019

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