FallHarvestfor2024willgo down as one of the most interesting harvests. The corn intakefortheeasternterritoryis almost complete,butwentvery fast with higher than normal temperatures and little to no precipitation. Someofthemilo harveststartedtocomeinearly withthecornbutwecontinuein segments, as there are somany stages we have out there to be harvested yet. First, thanks for your harvest bushels that have beenharvesteduptothispoint. The employees have worked hard to keep things running as smoothly as possible and will
continue to work with you, as harvest will be extended for several more weeks. Communicationwillbethe key whetherifyouarecuttingornot so, they can stay caught up on rest to keep them safe. So please stay in touch on the status of cutting with the locations.Thanks.
With decent to better than average yields this year, the market reflects it with lower prices. It has been a tough marketing year with very few bushelssoldpriortoharvestand declinemarketing prices during it. Please contact our grain team to work on a marketing strategythatworksforyoufrom the several different contracts we offer. Our goal is to help youmaximizeyourprofitswith what opportunity the market willallow.
October is always nationally known as Cooperative month. The
governorsalsorecognizeitinall the states that we operate in. This year theme was: “The Future is Cooperative”. We participated in Coop Month by hosting appreciation lunches scattered throughout all of our locations. Ihopeyouwereable to attend one of them but with harvestgoingonwehadtosend severalmealstothefields.Itis always a good time for me to interact with all of our customers plus the team of employees at Pride Ag Resources. Themostimportant thingisitallowsustothankyou for your daily business and our employee’s long hours during harvest.
There is still a lot of activity this fall to take place, politicallyspeakingaswefinish the year with a Presidential election. The outcome will have a major impact on trade, regulationissues,andafarmbill yettopassorextend. Thenthe
question of not only who is in the oval office but also who controlsthesenateorthehouse as they try to pass a new farm bill and other policies going forward. At the point of this writing, there may be an extension on the previous farm bill during the lame duck session, or we could see a last chanceopportunitytorunanew farm bill through. There is still communication going on through the Ag Committees in both chambers at this time, whichisagoodthing.
One of the most important rightsasanAmericanCitizenis therightanddutytovote. With everything that is going on currently in America but also around the globe, now may be oneofthemostimportanttimes toexecutethatright.
I hope your fall harvest yields were better than you expected. Weneedanincrease in fall moisture to enhance the planted wheat acres from its current potential. Pride Ag Resources appreciates the opportunitytohelpyouwithall your production agricultural needs and we appreciate your business!
JeraldKemmererCEO PrideAgResources
SafetyDivision
CoreyRatzlaff SafetyDirector
Fatigue is more than feeling tired. It is a decline in mental and/or physical performance generally due to insufficient sleep. This reduces your ability to carry out your farm work safelyandeffectively. It can be caused by sleep loss, extended wakefulness, high workload or disruption of your internal body clock. Your internal body clock acts like your own built-in schedule that helpsyourbodyknowwhenit’s time to sleep and time to wake up. When this is disrupted because of night work or poor sleep, it can significantly affect you.
SignsofFatigueinclude:
• Losing focus and forgetting things
•Increasedrisktaking
•Slowerreactions
•Feelingirritable
•Tirednessevenaftersleep
Noticing the signs and symptomsoffatigueinyourself is an important first step to enable you to do something aboutit.Youmaynoticefatigue because you make more mistakes, make poor judgements and take greater risks. Performance impairment caused by fatigue can be compared to performance impairment due to alcohol intoxication.
QualitySleepMatters
We now know more about the importance of sleep for health. Timespentasleepisnot wasted. While sleepingweare repairing our body and mind.
Sleepisvitalfor:
• Thinking clearly and responding quickly, organizing our thoughts and making sense
of new information, allimportantforproblemsolving.
•Ourphysicalhealthincluding our heart health and immune systemfunction.Ithasarolein the body’s ability to remove toxins reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
• Our emotional health enhancing decision-making, resilience and emotional wellbeing.
Growing evidence shows that short sleep duration and poorsleepquality,canleadtoa range of poor health outcomes, such as increased risk of heart diseases, cancers, mental health conditions, neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, and obesity, type 2 diabetes and chronicpainconditions.
One recent study showed that shortsleepduration(lessthan6 hours) in midlife is associated with a 30% increased risk of late-onset dementia. In another study,peoplesleepinglessthan 6 hours a night had a 20% higherchanceofaheartattack.
Askyourself:
1.HowalertamI?
An alert mind will see risks and help you to react quickly, for example, to recognize signs of livestock aggression and to isolate the animal in time or make better decisions when operatingmachinery.
Try to notice your fatigue and takeaction:
• Talk with your partner/peers/farm advisor. It might be affecting you in ways you are unaware of, and/or affectingothersaroundyou.
• Take frequent breaks to manage fatigue (5 to 15 mins every 1 to 2 hours). This can improveproductivityandreduce the risk of errors and injuries, especially when farm work is demandingormonotonous.
• Consider getting a health check. Seeking medical advice onnewphysicalcomplaints(for example, ongoing or increasing fatigue,shortnessofbreath)and the impact of medication on known health conditions is important for your sleep, alertness,andsafety.
2.AmIgettinggoodsleep?
Getting a good night’s sleep duringcalvingseasonorharvest can be particularly difficult for farmers. Sleep is important for all ages. Most adults need between7and9hoursofsleep per night. Problems with sleep canbehelpedby:
• Investing in technology? For example, the use of calving camerasmayaidsleep
• Time out for napping: short periods of sleep of around 20 minuteshavebeenadvocatedby some, as a way of coping with fatigue, especially during long workingdays.
• Recording sleep patterns and problems using a diary/smartwatch/App can give you insight into your own fatigueandinformchangesyou couldmake(forexample,goto bed an hour earlier). • Improvingsleepqualitymaybe helpedbybetter sleephabits or beingdiagnosedandtreatedfor any sleep disorder you may have.
• A healthy diet, increased levelsofphysicalactivity,stress management and restricted alcohol intake are all-important parts of a lifestyle that support bettersleepandreducedfatigue.
3.Risks
Therelativeriskofaccidents ishighestatnightbetween2am and 6am, the period of maximum sleepiness, or towards the end of a long workingday.Thisiswhenyour alertness and performance is lowest,andyouaremorelikely
to make mistakes. A 2022 analysis of farm fatalities (in Northern Ireland) showed that fatalityratesinfarmingincrease throughout the working week peaking on Fridays and on Saturdays. Consider the following:
•Changethetimeofdayorthe day you complete demanding tasks to ensure you are more alert.
•Allowyourselfsufficienttime tocompletetaskssafely. Itmay not be your preference to ‘take your time’ but choosing to purposefully work slower on a taskbecauseyouareawareyou are fatigued can prove to be a safertemporarymeasure.
4. Workload
Investing in farm labor can be an investment in your own health and safety. Resisting the support farm labor can bring, because of cost or financial pressures, may be a false economy. Upfront cost may increasebutthisisaninsurance against the financial impacts of incidents, serious injuries and fatalities.Thinkahead:
• Plan for times of peak workload, for example, hiring labor to take on the morning, evening milking, or extra help forthecalvingseason.Thiscan reduce your risk of fatigued related errors at a time when you are more vulnerable to these.
• Consider steps to overcome any challenges in getting farm labor, for example, good forwardplanningorbyensuring goodrostering,goodhourlyrate andworkingconditionsforfarm workers.
5. FamilyandCoworkers
Consider the working hours and demands placed on others working on your farm. Prioritizing output over worker safety has been shown, on numerous occasions, to lead to
injury and death. Ensure good communication between you andotherfarmworkersabout:
• Health and safety being a priority,
• adopting working hours to ensure the health and safety of allpersonsonthefarm,
•Theimportanceofrecognizing signs of fatigue, • the risk of fatigue-related problems being higher towards the end of the workingdayandduringworkat night,
• The importance of getting enoughsleepandtakingbreaks, particularly if feeling fatigued, and
• The importance of stopping work completely given fatigue relatedconcerns.
Provide good welfare facilities forfarmworkers. Workerscan also use such facilities as a change of environment during monotonous tasks and act as a place to facilitate good communicationabouthealthand safety.
Benefitsyoucannotoverlook Taking action to manage fatigue, acknowledging that sleep is important for performance for all ages and addressing these needs, can bring numerous benefits for you,yourfamilyandyourfarm:
1. Improved life-long healthandwellbeingfor you and your farm workers.
2. Reduced risk from fatigue related errors and the financial impacts of injury, ill health,andfatalities.
3. Improved health and productivity of livestock.
4. A positive health and safety culture on your farm fostering trust and commitment between youandothersworking onyourfarm.
ACE Hardware
DaveMcCollum, ACEManager
Well old man winter is just around the bend! Some cool morningshaveeveryoneasking: Isthistheyearforsomeserious snow? Well Ace has the shovels,snowblowers,icemelt and winter Milwaukee gear to makeyourtransitionfromfallto winterasmoothone.
Come see our Milwaukee heated jacket display. Chances are good we can line you up with a style of vest, hoodie, or jacket that will keep you warm andstylish.
DonotforgetyourlocalAce is the place for fencing, Gallagher and Parmak fence energizers, and stock tanks to get those cows out on winter grazing.
Thebigresetiscoming! Act now to get some bargains on a hugevarietyofproductspriorto the event (tentative start date Nov. 20). Please come see us aftertheresetaswell. Wewill be sporting the latest, greatest productsthatAceoffers.
As always, thanks for makingAcetheplaceforwinter shoppingneeds.
PS Milwaukeetoolsareagreat stockingstuffer!
Grain Division
MikeSchmidt GrainDivision/Operations Manager
Hereweareinthemiddleof fall harvest and the weather is excessivelyhotanddefiantlyto dry.Itisprettygoodweatherfor harvestinganditismovingright along.YourCoopisabout70% completed with corn and soybeans,androughly25to 30 % completed on milo. Yields areallovertheplacewithareas that received the right rains at the right times, the yields are very good and there are areas that missed a rain or two or it wasalittletoolate,thenyields areonthelowersideofaverage.
Forthemostpart,thequality hasbeenverygood.Itdoeslook like some of the milo that missedarainortwowillhavea little test weight problems, just hopeitwillnotbetoobad! Inthelastcouple of weeks,we haveseena goodrun up in the grain prices. Since September 1, wheat has increased around .30 cents, corn has increased around .27 cents, milo has increased around .12 cents and soybeans has lost around .20 cents. Not sure, what the next few weeks or months have in storeforthegrainprices,butfor the crops that needs to be exported like wheat, milo, and
soybeans, I am sure there will notbemuchhappeninguntilthe electionisover.
Astheharvestfinishesupin the next month, everyone here at Pride Ag Resources would like to say thank you for your business. Hopefully everyone hadasafeandbountifulharvest and if there is anything we can do to help you get your grain marketed,pleasecalloneofour merchandisers at Elkhart or Dodge City and they can give youtheinformationyouneedto marketatthehigh.
AgronomyDivision
JefferyJensby AgronomyDivision Manager
WeTakePrideinWhatWeDo!
Here in Pride Ag, country latefallandwinterontheHigh Plains gives us a great time to reflect on results of the just harvested 2024 crop and planning for both 2025 wheat and spring planted crops. I supposeitisuniquethatweget to experience the results of our decisions, both good and bad, and use our management skills to yet improve on the approximately40to50cropsus as producers will each grow in
our lifetime! We take pride in whatwedo!
CropNutritionUpdate
Your Pride Ag Resources agronomy team has been very active securing supply for the fallwheatandupcomingspring cropneeds. Weappreciateyour cooperative support as you purchaseincreasingvolumes... many substantially larger than years past. Your cooperative’s infrastructure helps us stay ahead of your business growth anddeliverproductinatimely, cost-effective manner. One growth area is our semi load “direct-to-farm”options. Many haveenjoyedtheirexperienceof Pride Ag’s direct to farm and terminal pick up options at our Ensign Southwest Crop Nutrients facility. If you have notyet,pleasegiveitatry!
We have seen some recent volatility in the fertilizer marketswithnitrogenbeingthe main focal point. Lost production due to plant stoppages and low water slowing barge traffic are contributing factors. Nitrogen atourexportterminalsispriced ataworldwidelowprice,which encourages exports elsewhere. Nitrogen pricing seems firm in this regard and locking in your needswithcontractsseems like a great business decision for 2025 crop needs. See your agronomy business manager todaytogetproductcontracted!
CountervailingDuties
Several US and Canadian companies have filed for protectionfromimportedUAN, dry phosphates and 2,4-Ds and unfortunately for us in
agriculturehavewontheircase. Thismeansweasproducerswill be paying more for UAN, dry phosphates and 2,4-D products nowandgoingforward. Thisis artificialbutitisreal. Wehave taken positions in all of these productstohelpyoubufferthis somewhat. This phenomenon also causes delay in the supply chain, ascustomers are slow to make purchases with the high cost of borrowing money. Again, we at Pride Ag hope to alleviate part of this with our physical infrastructure to store UAN, dry fertilizer and chemistryproducts.
ManagingInterestCosts
This expense line represents a much bigger part of crop budgeting than in times past. TohelpyounavigatethisPride Ag offers you a variety of low interestseed,fertilizerandcrop protectionoptions...Winfield Secure, John Deere Financial (JDF),andCooperativeFinance (CFA)amongothers. Wehave a great finance specialist on staffthatsupportsyourighthere locally and not in some skyscraperonthecoast. Thisis a big difference compared to other suppliers. Please consider Pride Ag financing options for the 2025 year! We believe you will be glad you did!
Seed
Variety selection is extremely important for the different soil and weed situations on your farm. Our agronomy business managers are bringing you the newest traits to your farm for a successful 2025 season.
Whether it is CoAxium wheat varieties or Double Team sorghums consider working with our Pride Agteam for the best placement on your farm. Theytakeprideinwhattheydo and the experiences from 2024 over a wide area take their productplacementonyourfarm to the highest level! Early bookingsaregoingonnow.
ThankYou!
Again, we would like to thankeachandeveryoneofyou foryoursupportofourPrideAg agronomy division this year. Your cooperatively owned agronomy assets and business has seen excellent growth this year and looks forward to listening to your needs and helpingyouprepareandplanta profitable2025crop!
We take Pride in what wehelp youdo!
Servingthebest,
Jeff Jensby, Interim Agronomy DivisionManager–
FeedDivision
JohnO’Leary DodgeCityFeedDivision
Fall has arrived and cold weather is right around the corner. As the weather gets colder and
pastures grow dormant, it becomes more and more difficult for growing calves to get the nutrition they need to achieve their full growth potential. As calves grow, milk from the mother cow can only provide around 50% of the necessary energy for maximum growth, and the calf must get the remaining 50% from forage. Often times, the forage available is not adequate forthatcalf to achieve its maximum growth weight, and therefore is not as heavy as it could be at weaning time. Supplementing calf nutrition with creep feed can be an excellent option for producers to close that gap in the calf’s nutritional requirements, as well as providing several other benefits.
Consider these factors when deciding if and when to start creepfeeding:
Market conditions:Creep feeding is most profitable when calf prices are high and feed prices are low due to the need to invest less money for more valuable calves. During high calf prices, the potential profits can help cover the additional cost to creep feed and makeitalowerrisk.
Weaning time:Creep feeding can start 80 to 120 days before weaning, resulting in an additional 50 to 80 pounds of gain.[1] This gives calves enough time to get used to dry feed when nutrient needs are low, and primes them to start eating right away postweaning when their growth accelerates and they require more energy.
Calving window:The tighter your calving window, the better creep feeding works. Additionally, fall calving systems can benefit more from creep feeding. These calves receive creep feed during winter when fresh forage is not readily available. During this time, calves take advantage of the additional energy and become accustomed to the creep feeder. As the weather warms up and forage becomes
readily available, the calves return to the creep feeder since they are comfortable with it. This will make it easier for them to make up the energy needs required for their growthpotential.
Setting calves up for success after weaning: One of the primary reasons for creep feeding calves is to help ease their transition from a milk-basedtoagrain-baseddiet.
For the first few months after calves are born, their digestive systems do not contain the bacteria necessarytodigestgrainsorforage. Even as grains are introduced into their diets, calves will require at least 2 to 3 weeks for the bacterial population in their digestive tract to grow large enough to efficiently digestthegrain.
Adding small amounts of grain to a calf’s diet helps to lower the stomach’s pH levels, which allows digestive bacteria tobegingrowing. Additionally, it stimulates the growth of the rumen papillae, small projections in the rumen that increase its surface area and help withnutrientabsorption.
In addition,creep-feedingcalves can help to reduce their stress levels when they transition to the feedlot. Calves that are familiar with eating froma creepfeeder will usually adjust better to eating from a feed bunk and may see a better immediate performance in weight gainsfromthefeedingprogram. Overall, creep-feeding calves while they still have access to their dams can make them more efficient at digesting grain feeds and help them maximize weight gains immediatelyafterweaning.
Focus on cost-effective feeding strategies
For creep feeding to be costeffective, calves should consume no more than 1% of their body weight in feed pre-weaning. This low-level feed introduction helps fuel the rumen microbes – which, in part, makes calves consume more, forage and become more feedefficient–withoutoverfeeding
nutrients,calvesdon’tneedyet.
Start by
feedingPurina® RangeLand® Calf Creepat 3-4 months old to support development of rumen microbes, develop calves’ appetite and get them usedto the creep feeder.Once your calves regularly consume the creep feed, add inPurina® Accuration® Range supplementswith Intake Modifying Technology® to set and control theirintake.
Feeding both a creep feed and an intake modifier will ensure calves do not under-consume, hurting their growth potential, or over-consume, impacting your bottom line. However, remember that introducing Intake Modifying Technology® too early can createa feed diversion, as it is not as palatable as Purina® RangeLand® Calf Creep.
As we are just about to put the wraps on another farming season,Iwouldliketothankall theloyalcustomersofPrideAg ResourcesandAVEnergy. We take great pride in delivering excellent service to our customersandweknowwithout youwecouldn’tdowhatwedo.
The cold season is upon us and I would like to give you some tips on keeping your fuel system upandrunningevenon thecoldestofdays.
Before cold weather strikes, take steps to ensure problemfree engine performance and protect your valuable diesel equipment. With proper tank maintenance and fuel handling, you can avoid most common cold-weatherproblems.
In cold winters, ice formations in fuels containing watercreateseverefuellineand filter plugging problems. It’s
important to regularly remove water from storage tanks and filterbowls,andtofollowthese guidelines:
Tilt tanks to direct water and debris away fromtheoutlet
Drain and remove all contaminants every threemonths
Install proper filtration systemsonbulktanks
Replace fuel filters according to manufacturer recommendations; if filters have a drain valve,periodicallydrain water that may accumulate from condensation
Clean pump screens regularly
Request periodic fuel sampling for quality assurancepurposes
Cleantanksannually Proper use of cold flow improvers can extend the operability of fuels without the useof#1fuel. Theyservetwo functions: 1) changing the wax structureofdieselfuelsoitcan pass through filters more readily, and 2) keeping wax crystals dispersed longer when fuels are stored below the “cloud point” (temperature at whichparaffininfuelbeginsto form cloudy wax crystals and reduce flow). When blending fuels,biofuelsandadditives,the componentsmustallbeatleast 10 degrees above their cloud point – otherwise the additives will not blend in and therefore mayclogfilters.(Cenex–Best Practices for Handling Winter Fuels)
All diesel fuel sold through Pride Ag and AV Energy locations from Mid-November through February is blended with #1 diesel. Blending #2 dieselwith#1diesellowersthe cloud point of the fuel making the fuel less likely to freeze in colder temperatures. Most of the#2dieselwepurchasecomes from terminals with a cloud point around 14º. When we blendthe#2dieselwithatleast 30% #1 diesel and add our winteradditivepackagewecan getthecloudpointtoaround10º below zero. With the high amount of customers using our diesel fuel we find it necessary totakeafewextrastepstohelp protectthemandtheirbusiness.
Thank you and I hope everyone has a safe and happy holidayseason!
ChrisKlein
FormoreinformationaboutAV Energy check out our web site www.avenergy.com, or call our officeat620-225-4994.
