Pride Ag Resources 3rd Quarter News Letter

MANAGER’S DESK

Jerald KemmererCEO/GM

Pride Ag Resources

I hope your summer is going well. We have been really blessed with very good moisture so far this year but need a few more timely rains to finish off what has the potential of some very good fall crops. The subsoil profile is looking good at this time. We just finished the 2023 wheat crop. We will refer to it as a wheat crop that was better than we expected in total bushels and test weights. It was still a poor crop but we did receive some rain throughout the harvest to keep the fall harvest bushels going. But it did cause some weed issues and low test weight issues.

The 2023 crop was about 50 percent of a normal average crop intake for Pride Ag Resources. This did surprise us

as we anticipated a third of a normal crop before harvest. The wheat futures are in a political market with the Russian -Ukraine war and what impact it has to wheat coming out of the ports in the Black Sea Market. The pricing opportunity for hard winter wheat has been a fortunate opportunity to our customers and even some are looking at the 2024 wheat crop prices. Call the office and talk to our grain marketing team to help you with your grain marketing opportunities and different contracts. We offer both wheat and fall crops.

Thanks to those members who were able to attend and celebrate your coop’s 107th Annual Meeting. I also appreciated Nelson Neal; who is the leader of Global Research for CHS, for providing a good market outlook presentation that evening. Pride Ag Resources Foundation gave out ten $1,000

scholarships to our area high school seniors whose parents are members of Pride Ag Resources. Congratulations to this year’s scholarship winners and we are proud of their accomplishments. Pride Ag Resources has given over $100,000 in scholarships since its short existence with the help of CoBank.

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 the eight counties that we serve. It was exciting to see the accomplishments by our youth especially the ones that our team of employees were able to help provide service for.

I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your summer

with your family before school starts up again. I hope that we will see you around during Dodge City Days and the RoundUp Rodeo. We do appreciate your 2023 wheat harvest bushels and are looking forward to helping you with your upcoming fall harvest. 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

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. 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 co-op 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 may be 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

we 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.

Dave McCollum, ACE Manager

Summer has arrived! It has been a very interesting year, with extreme dry giving way to welcome rains and now to summer heat.

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!

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 tools are strong sellers for a reason. Milwaukee tools are made very well and come backed with a terrific warranty.

For those of you who still need to get some fencing done-

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!

Mike Schmidt Grain Division/ Operations Manager

Here it is the middle of July and we are still harvesting wheat! I know, and I am not

complaining about the rain but this is one of the longest harvests in history. At the last newsletter it was pretty much doom and gloom, with the drought and the wheat crop looking so terrible, and now how much better everything is with the great amounts of rain we have received in the last 2 months!!

For the wheat crop the rains came just at the right time. The wheat plant was making grain and filling the head while cool temps and wet conditions made for a lot better crop than we all expected. Not only are the yields a lot better than expected, but the quality is a whole lot better as well.

The grain prices have had a lot of volatility since the last newsletter. Wheat price is actually higher by about 60 cents, but corn is down about 1.20, milo is down as well around 1.20, and beans are up about 30 cents. With the recent rains and all the planting of fall crops, it sure seems like we will have a big fall harvest!

With this in mind, your coop will be working hard to make sure we have the space and ability to handle your fall harvest needs.

The grain team can help you out in any way possible to put in pricing orders and make contracts to get your wheat crop marketed and your fall crops marketed as well. Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer and will see everyone this fall.

Agronomy Division

wheat needs (Aug- Sept 30th) and if you need to contract fall product the ship windows are Oct – Dec 2023.

Phosphates – very bullish, we seen wholesale values increase $40 plus in the past 5 days (July 21-25th ) , supply is tight . The Midwest is panic buying to beat the river close in mid-October.

Tim Spector Agronomy Division Manager

With good 2024 wheat values if you want to contract your wheat input needs work with you ABM to secure a position. I anticipate the inputs for the 2024 inputs will be a wild ride, no different than the past 2 years.

Fertilizer Markets

In the past few weeks we’ve seen the grain markets increasing (2023 & 2024) , in addition India announced a new tender for 1 million metric tons of Urea. Furthermore, the Midwest is scrambling to position Urea, Phosphates and Potash for the spring of 2024 to beat the Mississippi River closure in Mid-October. In addition, U.S. New Orleans value of Urea has been trading at $100/Ton discount to international values. The last factor effecting the market is low inventories at domestic production points CF, Koch and Agrium etc. The Bull is running for the Wheat run, anticipate strength across the board on all Nitrogen products (Nh3, Urea and UAN). Work with your local ABM to contract your

Pre Herbicides – in meetings with each of the basic suppliers ( Syngenta, Bayer etc) the common thread they do not foresee any price decreases on their line ( Fultime NXT, Lexar, Lumax , Acuron, Degree Extra, Resicore etc.) Post HerbicidesIn the last half of July we witnessed dramatic price reductions in RT3 to matchup with generic glyphosates of which appears to be a market share game by Bayer. In addition, we saw Syngenta decrease the value of Gramoxone 3.0 to matchup with generic offerings. However, in my opinion based on gleaned information this was not a

Crop Protection – 2024 Crystal Ball

market share concern move but more so a strategic move to start process of exiting the market of paraquat. One of the big issues is they are reducing bulk shipments and focusing on shuttles of which we are in discussions to resolve an issue by the change. Distribution will gladly ship Paraquat/Gramoxone in shuttles however, they will not take the shuttles back due to the nature of the product. Thus, we are struggling on how to handle shuttles at the farm gate so we don’t have mountains piled up at out facility. Generic suppliers as a norm do not have the specific tanker lease /contracts to meet the demand. Now the other dark cloud for paraquat will occur in Eastern St Louis in mid- October with the first court case( personal injury). There are cases lined up each month following throughout the U.S. according to the CEO of Helm. As a cooperative and as farmers we have to take extra precaution to follow label guidelines to make certain we are stewarding crop protection chemicals properly. If we lose access to Paraquat we will be forced to look at additional investment to conquer Pigweed, Kochia etc. Note: Use caution when choosing a generic platform for HIF needs. In my experience, there are 4 levels of generics and even though a product might have the same percentage AI, what the label does not show is the inert ingredients and that is where the topline separates from the bottoms line. Mixing issues, stability in the tank, crop damage and layers of sludge in the shuttle or jugs. Pride Ag Resources offers top Brand

products along with topline generics that are formulate with quality inert ingredients.

Seed – Wheat seed is tight given the numerous acres that were insurance claims due-to the drought prior to April. We have had orders in with suppliers since the first of July awaiting confirmation the seed has good germ as well as available bushels. Price wise with a strong Wheat price it appears the average will run between $25-30.00 per unit. That is not concrete but from a planning point use that value for calculating your crop plan. Contact your ABM if you are ready to secure seed.

FEED DIVISION

Time is your ally when transitioning diets. Don’t push it. Because ultimately, what you’re really transitioning are the rumen microbes. Give cattle time to move from one diet to the next so their rumen microbes can adjust to avoid digestive problems like runny manure (see pages 1-3), bloat and acidosis. The more significant the change, such as from a high-roughage to a highgrain diet, the longer the transition should take.

No matter what type of diet you’re transitioning cattle to, including some roughage is necessary to ensure optimal rumen performance. The term “scratch factor” is sometimes used to describe what the highfiber forages, like dry hay, do in the rumen. Roughage helps keep rumen motility up to reduce acid buildup as the rumen microbes adjust to digesting more energy.

Help keep cattle performing through diet changes with these tips for each stage of life:

Cows

Manager Seasons change. Forage quality improves and declines. Cattle move through different growth stages and reproductive statuses. All these factors can be a trigger for you to transition cattle to a new diet. But remember, feed changes can cause digestive challenges and reduced feed efficiency if not done right.

Transitioning diets are often an afterthought with mature cows because they primarily eat forage, so their rumen microbes are accustomed to digesting a high-fiber diet. Times like drought or low forage availability are when you might be forced to suddenly transition from a high-fiber diet to a highenergy diet. Cows can go off feed in this situation, causing a drop in feed efficiency as their rumen adjusts to their new ration. It is necessary to provide adequate time to adjust to the new ration and continually provide roughage to keep their rumen healthy. Giving cows 7 to 10 days to transition from a high-fiber diet to a high-energy diet while slowly increasing the

Zach Brewer Dodge City Feed Division

energy consumed throughout that time is the best route. the

In winter or early spring, runny manure from a lack of dry matter intake is something to watch for when grazing lush green forage, such as ryegrass or wheat. This is because there is more moisture in the forage than dry matter. Supplying some dry forage, like hay, when first turned into those pastures will provide additional dry matter and help slow the passage rate down as those rumen microbes adjust to the higher quality forage. This same tactic works well for stocker cattle being introduced to similar types of lush forage.

Calves on cows

The transition from a milkbased diet to a forage-based diet is an important one to get right. A smooth transition will set the calf’s gut microbiome up right from the beginning to help improve feed efficiency throughout their life.

A calf on pasture still nursing a cow has a developing rumen and can’t break down feed until they’re at least two months of age. As calves mature, they’ll start gradually grazing forage and eating any supplemental nutrition the cow herd receives. Implementing a creep feeding program at 3-4 months of age can help reduce the stress of weaning and prime the rumen for a forage-based diet.

A high-energy creep feed with too much grain may cause rumen upset. Start by introducing a creep feed with highly digestible fiber, like Purina® RangeLand® calf creep, that allows the rumen to transition slowly for approximately 30 days. After calves have acclimated to

RangeLand® calf creep, they can be transitioned to the Purina® Accuration® creep feeding program.

Weaned calves

Weaning can be a very stressful event for calves as they are removed from their mothers and new feeds are introduced. Weaning feeds should be palatable so calves want to consume them, but importantly, formulated with the proper levels of protein, energy, fiber ingredients, vitamins and minerals to support gut health and help with immunity and overall performance.

Introducing calves to supplemental nutrition in addition to forages requires that the feed be palatable to drive intake, but you don’t want calves to overeat. To maintain rumen health, Purina® Stress Care® 5 Supplement is designed so calves can be hand-fed while still eating forage. Purina® Precon® Comple te is another hand-fed option designed to meet the needs of a weaned calf that contains roughage to optimize rumen health. If you want a self-fed starter that doesn’t require additional forage, Purina® Accuration® Sta rter is a good option. Accuration® Starter is built with Intake Modifying Technology®, allowing calves to snack eat and help reduce digestive challenges.

Feeder cattle

Moving from one diet to another is common in feedlots, where cattle move from a starter ration to a growing ration to a finishing ration. As the cattle are transitioning to the finisher diet, you are providing less forage and higher levels of energy from grain. During this transition, you are changing the rumen microbe population, and

that takes time.

It takes 21 to 28 days for newly arrived cattle to transition to the higher energy ration and for the rumen microbes to adjust. A step-up from one ration to the next can happen typically in three steps with week-long periods between when the percentage of forage decreases and the percentage of grain increases.1 By slowly ramping up the amount of energy, you’re ensuring digestive issues will be limited, and performance can be optimized.

Final thoughts

As you move cattle from high-fiber/low-energy diets to low-fiber/high-energy diets, the rumen microbes digesting those feeds must change, and that change does not occur in a day or two. Time is your ally. Taking your time to move cattle onto a new ration helps maintain the stability of their rumen microbes, which impacts overall performance. No matter what, you should provide a complete mineral to your cattle, regardless of their life stage. A mineral balanced for vitamins and trace minerals will help safeguard the rumen microbes to assist in the adjustment from one diet to the next.

Chris Klein AV Energy Manager

AV Energy

I hope everyone is having a great summer! We have a few customers finishing up wheat harvest, but all in all most of them have finished and are now concentrating on their fall crops. Recent rains have definitely helped out and we pray the rains keep coming. The area farmers and ranchers have had a couple of really bad years, so hopefully we can get through this fall in decent shape.

Propane contracts were sent out in the mail the 1st of July. If you did not receive a contract in the mail, or would like to contract propane for the heating season, contact the office for more information.

AV Energy now 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.

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. These contracts already have the extra cost for the winter blend fuel in the contract. So, you do not have to worry about any cost added on the in the winter months.

At Cenex, we know the backbone of every community is made up of dedicated people, businesses and organizations helping foster genuine connection. Whether it be a non-profit organization, initiative, community service or tradition, Cenex is funding philanthropic community efforts to build brighter futures with $25,000 grants.

Winning submissions will include:

A non-profit organization, initiative, community service or tradition with a philanthropic focus

Opportunities to create community connection

Clear potential for long-term impact

I would love to help anyone out if you would like more information or if you have a project in mind that I could submit on your behalf.

Pride Ag Employee Spot Light

On July 11 during the KARA / KSU Annual Summer Field Days the Certified Crop Advisors celebrated its 30-year Anniversary. In attendance for the banquet were 5 of 6 Kansas 30-year recipients. Pictured from left to right are Gregory Sohm, Matt Ehrhart, Jeffrey Williams, Lawrence Baxa, and Ronald Reneberg.

Name: Miranda De La Cruz

Resides: Dodge City, KS Location: Dodge City, Main Office

Position: Administrative Spec How long with Company: Since July 2023 Miranda is married to Braulio and they have a 1 ½ year old son Gael.

Hobbies: I love to spend time with my family, crafting and décor, reading a good book and Off-Roading in our RZR.

The Certified Crop Advisor program of the American Society of Agronomy is the benchmark of professionalism. The CCA certification was established in 1992 to provide a benchmark for practicing agronomy professionals in the United States and Canada. In recent years, the CCA Program has expanded to Mexico, as well as outside North America.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tony Bleumer Chairman

Toby Whipple………... Vice-Chairman

Clint Hamilton Secretary-Treasurer

Butch Irsik Director

Brian Pinkney Director

Jacob Tarman Director

Weston Vogel Director

Levi Salmans.…........Associate Director

Jerald Kemmerer………………CEO/GM

Kirstie Harrington….....Newsletter Editor

Pride Ag Resources

Third Quarter 2023

Published quarterly by the Pride Ag Resources 908 W. Frontview, Dodge City, KS 67801 (620) 225-4193