The Sunflower Magazine-December 2012

Publisher — National Sunflower Association Editor — John Sandbakken NSA Communications Director — Sonia Mullally Contributing Writer/Editor — Don Lilleboe Advertising Manager — Lerrene Kroh The Sunflower is published six times per year by the National Sunflower Association, a farmer and industry organization working to improve the profitability of sunflower for all sectors. Farmer checkoff commissions/ councils in N.D., S.D., Minn., Kan., and Colo., make up NSA’s basic funding and governing structure. Assessments on volume in the oilseed and confection processing industries and the hybrid seed sector are key funding components, with other funding from grants, including USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

Offices for The Sunflower are located at NSA headquarters, 2401 46th Ave. S.E., Ste. 206, Mandan, ND 58554. NSA & magazine phone number is (701) 328-5100; toll free (888) 718-7033.

U.S. farmers raising 10 or more acres of sunflower, extension agents, and public researchers can receive The Sunflower at no charge. Others may subscribe at these rates: North American residents, US $15.00 for one year or US $40.00 for three years; overseas air mail, US $50.00 per year.

Information in The Sunflower does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the National Sunflower Association. Nor does advertising in The Sunflower imply endorsement by the publisher. NSA is an equal opportunity provider and employer without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability.

Current NSA officers and directors are: Chairman Don Schommer, Munich, N.D. President Tom Young, Onida, S.D. First Vice President Kevin Capistran, Crookston, Minn.

Second Vice President Art Ridl, Dickinson, N.D. Secretary/Treasurer John Swanson, Mentor, Minn Directors Steve Arnhalt, Breckenridge, Minn.

Brad Bonhorst, Fort Pierre, S.D. Guy Christensen, Enderlin, N.D. Clark Coleman, Bismarck, N.D. Karl Esping, Lindsborg, Kan. Todd Lasher, McClusky, N.D. Kent McKay, Carpio, N.D. Jeff Oberholtzer, Mohall, N.D. Tyler Schultz, West Fargo, N.D. Ron Seidel, Meadow, S.D. Dean Sonnenberg, Fleming, Colo.

Ben Vig, Sharon, N.D. Arnold Woodbury, Wyndmere, N.D. Leon Zimbelman, Keenesburg, Colo.

Executive Director John Sandbakken, Mandan, N.D.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

Vol. 38 No. 6

IN THIS ISSUE

Page 8

December 2012

Page 12

— FEATURES — Review of the Numbers: Bearish Soybean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Soybean futures down nearly $4.00 from August all-time high

Seeing Double — And Liking It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Twin-row sunflower production looks good to N.D., Kan. growers

How Sunflower Can Fit on CRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Plant’s deep taproot benefits succeeding crops as well

South Dakotans Like Coated Seed Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Yackley Ranches sold on its benefits

New Hybrids for 2013 Planting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Seed companies list their new offerings

U.S. Sun Oil Helps Canadian Snack Food Manufacturers Grow Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Second in series on NSA foreign market development

A Bite of Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Minnesota company’s sandwiches feature SunButter

Sunflower Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 30 Years Ago in The Sunflower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 COVER — Photo: Don Lilleboe 3

Sunflower Briefs SunGold Opens New Plant in Lubbock, Texas

SunGold Foods, a business unit of Red River Commodities, Inc., of Fargo, N.D., began production at its new sunflower roasting facility in Lubbock, Texas, in November. The facility will produce roasted, salted and seasoned in-shell sunflower seeds for snack foods. The Lubbock plant opened with 40 full-time employees. It has room to more than double capacity as demand for inshell products continue to increase.

The new state-of-the-art facility is a positive for the U.S. confection sunflower business. “With access to acres of high-quality in-shell grown in the south, and proximity to highly populated snack food markets, it makes sense to offer roasting capabilities in the southern part of the U.S.,” stated Red River Commodities President & CEO Bob Majkrzak. “This new plant diversifies our inshell roasting operations and provides more options for serving our customers throughout U.S. and international markets.”

Along with Lubbock, SunGold Foods has plant operations in Fargo and Horace, N.D. Red River Commodities has plant operations in Fargo, Lubbock, Colby, Kan., and in The Netherlands.

New Bird Seed Facility in South Dakota

Seattle-based bird seed company Global Harvest is in the process of renovating an old elevator in Roscoe, S.D., that will buy sunflower seeds from area farmers. The storage/production facility, located in the north central part of the state, began receiving deliveries from farmers in October.

During the next 15 months, crews will remodel the existing facility and add equipment to store, clean and package sunflower seeds for wild bird and small animal food. The first phase involves upgrading the elevator and installing hulling and grain-cleaning

equipment. That work is expected to be completed by mid-December. Once that phase is complete, the facility will be able to ship clean sunflower seeds by truck and rail to other Global Harvest facilities for packaging. The second phase is building a manufacturing area that will be able to package seeds for retail sale.

That facility is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.

2013 Sunflower Research Forum on Jan. 9-10

The 35th annual National Sunflower Association Research Forum will be held at the Ramada Plaza Suites & Convention Center, Fargo, N.D., on January 9 and 10. This meeting brings together public and private researchers, as well as growers and industry representatives for updates on research advances and challenges.

The combination of grower and industry checkoff dollars, the Sclerotinia Research Initiative, universities and a strong commitment from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service have all placed sunflower research as a high priority.

The Forum is open to all who are interested in sunflower production. It is not restricted to researchers only. Certified crop advisors are offered a reduced rate and can obtain education credits.

Research reports at the NSA Forum can be either oral or poster presentations. To schedule a presentation and/or register to attend the meeting, go to the NSA website at www.sunflowernsa.com under the Calendar of Events tab.

NSA 2013 Research Priorities Formulated

The National Sunflower Association Research Committee has formulated 2013 research priorities. Production research is a significant part of the NSA strategy for long-term competitiveness. A strong emphasis, once again, will be placed on such key areas as production issues, weeds, insects and diseases.

The project funding process includes completing an application (which can be found online at www.sunflowernsa.com under the “Research” tab).

Applications are due by December 14, 2012. They are then reviewed and rated by the committee in early January. The NSA Research Committee is made up of public and private researchers, farmers and industry company representatives. The committee’s ratings will be presented to the NSA Board of Directors at its February meeting for final funding decisions.

California GMO Labeling Does Not Pass

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A California ballot initiative proposing the labeling of genetically modified ingredients in food products was rejected by the state’s voters by a fairly narrow margin. Proposition 37 would have required that foods sold in California containing genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled as such. The contentious measure would have required GM labels on food sold in supermarkets, and was seen as a “test case” for the U.S. as a whole creating increased awareness on the issue.

Supporters had argued consumers have the “right to know” if GM products are in their food, but corporate opponents said the labels would lead to price rises. The proposition had potential for a significant impact on non-GMO crops like sunflower if food companies would have had to seek out non-GMO

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

substitutes. Supporters of Proposition 37 have vowed to continue to pursue labeling requirements for genetically engineered foods at the state and also the federal level of government.

Sun Oil Exports Finish Lower in 2011/12 Year

Exports of U.S. sunflower oil finished the 2011/12 marketing year at 19,208 metric tons — a 49% decrease from the previous marketing year. Canada remains the number one destination for exports of U.S. sunflower oil, accounting for 72% of the total.

U.S. sunflower seed crush was down considerably in the past 12 months as wet spring conditions hampered planting in the Northern Plains and drought affected High Plains production during the 2011 crop year. Much improved crop prospects for the 2012 sunflower crop are expected to lead to an increase in crush and export volumes in the 2012/13 market year.

Mexico. In-shell sunflower seed exports were down 23% from last year’s level, to 51,673 MT. The largest importers of in-shell seeds were Spain, Turkey, Romania, Jordan and Mexico.

As with the 2011 oil-type crop, confection sunflower production was also lower, which led to diminished availability. Difficult economic conditions in Spain also contributed to the decline in 2011/12 exports. Increased 2012 confection production will allow ■ exports to rebound during the 2012/13 marketing year.

Exports of Confection Sunflower Also Down

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Exports of U.S. sunflower kernel for the 2011/12 marketing year were down 50% from the prior year’s level, to 16,765 MT. Major importers include Canada, Spain, United Kingdom and

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THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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5

arkets Numbers Review: Bearish Soybean

U

By Mike Krueger

SDA’s November crop production estimate was bearish soybean. The yield projection was increased another 1.5 bu/ac from the October report. The yield increases in October and November have now increased U.S. 2012 soybean production by more than 300 million bushels since the September report.

It is apparent that August and September weather across much of the Corn Belt improved enough with some rain and cooler temperatures to give soybeans a very good finish to an otherwise poor Corn Belt season. The good news in the USDA numbers came in the demand estimates included in the supply and demand revisions. USDA has increased the export and crush forecasts for soybeans in each of the past two monthly reports. The net result is that even though soybean production has increased

more than 300 million bushels, the ending supply estimate has only increased 10 million bushels and is still very tight. The difference is that the rationing process may not be as difficult as expected. Soybean export sales and monthly crush numbers, however, are still exceeding even the most recent USDA forecasts and that should mean the demand numbers will have to go up again.

There will be no changes to the production estimates in December. The “final” soybean estimates will not be released until January. There are still questions about soybean planted and harvested acreage. The USDA made no changes to the harvested acreage number in the November report.

They won’t include changes until January, if at all. Some analysts still believe the harvested acreage number should be reduced by at least two million acres because of

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6

some very poor double-cropped soybeans across parts of the Corn Belt and Southern Plains. We have clients in south central Illinois who have told us they harvested none of their double-cropped soybeans.

It had been a very wet start to the soybean planting season in Argentina and southern Brazil, while it was too hot and dry in central and northern Brazil. This had delayed planting in both countries. Weather did improve during the first half of November; however, there are still some concerns about extended weather forecasts that continue to look too wet for the southern region and too dry for central and northern Brazil.

The trade is counting on record soybean acreage and yields in both Argentina and Brazil. The latest USDA production forecast for Brazil and Argentina is for a crop more than 30% larger than last year’s drought-reduced production. A 30% increase is a very aggressive number, but the USDA is not alone. Other analysts are expecting similar numbers.

Soybean futures prices are now down nearly $4.00/bu from the all-time high (almost $18.00) set the day of the August USDA reports. The collapse was triggered by the increased crop production estimates plus the slightly better weather pattern in South America. Fund liquidation then created very negative technical patterns, and that, in turn, triggered even more selling. It will take continued strong demand plus some adverse weather in South America to rally prices back to the August high. The demand should be there. If we were not rationing demand with soybeans above $17, there is no way we are rationing demand at $14.

Vegetable oil prices have been similarly weak with big palm oil supplies pushing prices sharply lower. U.S. soybean oil export sales, however, are running well ahead of forecasts. That should eventually be positive for sunflower prices. But, often as soybeans go, the other oilseeds follow.

The sunflower harvest is basically finished — and it was a big one. Like North Dakota’s corn and soybean yields, the sunflower yields were much better than expected. It is likely USDA will increase the yield and production estimates in their final January report. The big crops created storage problems, and it will take time to get the excess that is piled outside or in temporary storage handled. That will keep at least a temporary lid on the market.

■ Mike Krueger is owner of The Money Farm, a Casselton, N.D.-based grain marketing consulting firm. While the information in this article is believed to be reliable, marketing involves risk, and the author and The Sunflower assume no responsibility for its use.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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Photo: Don Lilleboe

Seeing Double — And Liking It — S

North Dakota & Kansas Growers Discuss Their Experience With Twin-Row ’Flowers

ometimes, seeing double while having a vision can be a good thing. Just ask Chad Vander Vorst and Karl Esping.

The two sunflower growers farm several hundred miles apart — Vander Vorst in south central North Dakota and Esping in east central Kansas. What unites them is an enthusiasm for twin-row production of sunflower and other row crops. It’s a system that is catching on with an expanding number of Great Plains corn and soybean producers — and now sunflower as well.

The twin-row concept of crop production takes the population of a single row — in a field of standard 30-inch rows — and “splits” it into two staggered rows that are 7.5 to 8 inches apart. That leaves about 22

8

inches between each set of the offset twin rows.

Great Plains Manufacturing, headquartered in Salina, Kan., has been a leader in the development of twin-row planters and promotion of twin-row crop production.

Among the advantages of the twin-row

‘It gives each plant more area for root mass to build a bigger, healthier plant.

Also, light is captured more efficiently and uniformly.’

system, says Great Plains, are the following: • It utilizes a higher percentage of each acre. At a plant population of 38,000, the company says the area of an acre of corn used for root growth and moisture gathering is increased from 14.4% on single 30inch rows to 44.5% with twin rows.

• Twin rows allow for more root mass.

The more-equidistant spacing between plants, compared to single rows, encourages increased root development. Larger root systems, in turn, maximize nutrient retrieval and moisture absorption.

• The twin-row configuration optimizes utilization of sunlight and helps reduce evapotranspiration. More lower-level leaf surface is exposed to the sun, and more of the field surface is shaded, compared to single rows.

• Twin rows allow for increased populations. While this is more of an issue in corn compared to sunflower, the same “equidistance principle” applies. Great Plains points to twin rows as “the most effective way to maximize the distance between corn plants.”

• Twin rows enhance standability.

“Larger stalks and increased root mass result in a plant that is stronger and better prepared to withstand high winds and storm damage,” Great Plains notes.

• Twin rows can be harvested with a conventional row-crop head — or, in the case of sunflower, with pans.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

Great Plains Manufacturing currently markets twin-row planters ranging from four rows all the way up to 24-row units.

It’s not the only company in the twin-row business, however. John Deere offers its 1700 twin-row planter series as well as the 1720 CCS twin row, and Kinze Manufacturing has a 16-row twin-row unit on the market for 2013. Also, Case IH has introduced a twin-row line for 2013, with row options ranging from eight to 16. (The Case planters are built by Great Plains.)

While corn and soybeans constitute the biggest acreage base for twin rows, the system’s agronomic advantages carry over into other crops — like sunflower, says Tom Evans, vice president-sales for Great Plains Manufacturing. “The precise depth control insures uniform emergence. Couple that with twice as much distance between seeds in the rows with twins over single 30s, and [it] gives each plant more area for root mass to build a bigger, healthier plant,” Evans observes. “Also, with more distance between plants, light is captured more efficiently and uniformly.”

O

f course, for the producer, it all comes down to yield and net revenue. Chad Vander Vorst, who farms near Strasburg, N.D., planted 100% of his corn acreage to twin rows in 2012, along with about 80% of his sunflower and 60% of his soybeans.

The remainder of his sunflower acreage was solid seeded. While Vander Vorst

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

Chad Vander Vorst

hasn’t been dissatisfied with solid-seeded ’flowers, he says he’ll likely be completely twin row in 2013.

“Solid-seeded ’flowers look really nice once they’re all canopied; but you still have your clusters — and I think that’s where you see the real advantage of twin rows: the more-precise singulation and seed placement,” Vander Vorst remarks.

“And I think the twin rows have even more of an advantage in dry years like this one (2012), because you’re getting more root

mass per plant.”

The Emmons County producer has bumped up his corn populations significantly with the twin rows. His twin-row sunflower count was about 23,000 last spring, compared to 26,000 on the solidseeded. “You don’t see the yield response on ’flowers when you increase your population like you do with corn. Sunflower is more ‘forgiving’ when it comes to population,” he affirms. “With sunflower, I’m just going for a healthier plant.”

Vander Vorst has been using a 16-row Great Plains unit equipped with “AirPro” seed metering to plant his twin-row crops.

Due to the number of acres he needs to cover, he’s planning on either adding another 16-row unit or going to a 24-row for 2013. “Since the AirPro came out, we’ve been totally impressed with [seed placement] accuracy,” he says.

All of Vander Vorst’s 2012 sunflower and soybeans went in on no-till ground, while the corn acreage was strip-tilled. He hopes to place at last part of his 2013 sunflower crop under a strip-till program “if we have time” for that spring tillage pass.

“I’m a big believer in strip till,” he explains. “That’s where you can cut fertilizer, because you’re placing it right in the row, six inches below the seeds. With ’flowers you utilize your nitrogen so much better because those plants don’t need it until they’re hitting that depth anyway.”

It’s working. In 2011, Vander Vorst’s

9

Photos: Don Lilleboe

Left: Lindsborg, Kan., producer Karl Esping is shown with the Great Plains Manufacturing unit he used to plant his 2012 twin-row sunflower acreage. View from the rear below.

average sunflower yield, across 1,200 acres, was 2,850 lbs. “And I think we put down 100 lbs of nitrogen.” His average yield during the dry 2012 season ended up at 2,400 lbs on his twin-row fields — which was approximately 200 lbs higher than the average for the solid-seeded sunflower acreage.

K

Photo: Chad Vander Vorst

arl Esping farms near Lindsborg, Kan., only about 20 miles from Salina. Esping, who serves on the National Sunflower Association Board of Directors, was asked by Great Plains Manufacturing to use a prototype twin-row

‘With the staggered plants in twin rows, those roots have access to more cubic inches of soil.’ unit in 2012 to plant sunflower specifically. Except for some irrigated ground, all of his fields are under no-till.

Esping likes both the concept and the results behind his twin-row tryout. “The whole theory is to get more sun exposure to the leaves,” he points out. “When

you’re in a straight line, the leaves are more compacted, and the sunlight doesn’t get well utilized by maybe more than a third or half of the plant.

“Also, it’s about root development.

When you have plants in a 30-inch row every nine inches, those roots are jammed; where are they going to go? With the staggered plants in twin rows, those roots have access to more cubic inches of soil.”

Esping also is attracted to the ability to spray postemergent herbicides and insecticides with a ground rig, given the 22-inch space between each pair of twin rows. “I feel the ’flowers canopy quicker, too, so I’m going to have less weed competition,” he says.

The main challenge to date with the twin-row experience for Esping has been with fertilizer application. “I’m a sidedresser,” he notes. “I like to put my nitrogen on when the ’flowers are up so that I can see what kind of stand I have, the crop’s potential. This year, I wasn’t able to drive between these rows, though, so my nitrogen had to be applied preplant.”

Esping hasn’t invested in his own twinrow planter yet. “But I am fired up about this twin-row approach,” he affirms. That enthusiasm was bolstered further by the time he finished harvesting his 2012 sunflower crop in early November. The twinrow portion — which constituted about 25% of Esping’s ’flower acreage this year — outyielded the standard-row portion by ■ about 220 lbs/ac. — Don Lilleboe Left: Harvest in a 2012 Vander Vorst twin-row sunflower field in south central North Dakota’s Emmons County.

10

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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How Sunflower Can Fit on CRP The Plant’s Deep Root System Spells Benefits for It — And for Succeeding Crops

Dakota combined in this same time period — plus more than 400,000 acres total in several other sunflower producing states, such as Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

With the right approach, CRP acres can produce a profit right off the bat. But to do that, farmers should focus more closely on what’s going on below ground. First and foremost, producers have to consider why the land was originally placed in CRP. Most was placed in the program because it was highly sensitive to environmental issues such as erosion and poor soil quality. Some of those issues will likely still be present.

Since soil quality will be unknown and variable, a soil test is necessary according to Dave Franzen, North Dakota State University extension soils specialist. “A soil test is really is a must for CRP land,” Franzen says. “You have no idea what the fertility levels are. On land coming out of CRP, we assume that perhaps the nitrogen is low and maybe the phosphate is low as well. But it may not be. A zone-directed soil test would especially give a grower a pretty good idea of what they are dealing with.”

Photo: Morton County Soil Conservation Dist.

Tillage

F

armers can be likened to chess players, in that they always have to be thinking a move or two ahead to win the game. With more than a million acres of CRP land coming back into production this coming year, growers have even more strategic moves to contemplate.

In North Dakota alone, almost 650,000 acres were taken out of CRP after the 2012 contracts expired in October. Some growers were able to work that land this fall, or are

12

Above: Sunflower is off to a good start on crested wheatgrass residue cover in this CRP conversion plot established by the Morton County (N.D.) Soil Conservation District.

making plans to do so next spring, to put it into production for the 2013 crop season.

Approximately 360,000 acres came out of the CRP program in Minnesota and South

With many acres now returning to production, can a conversion occur without breaking up the ground in a manner that voids all the conservation benefits established by the years the land sat idle?

There’s no question the land benefited from the CRP program, so producers are keenly aware of the conservation-minded tillage options.

To till or not to till, that is the question.

Tillage is appealing to many farmers in order to smooth out the land. “I would say to growers not to go any deeper than you absolutely have to when it comes to tillage, because even though there is reduced water during drier times like this past year, there is water down in the deeper levels,” Franzen says.

“If a person would till it deep and cover the residue, number one, you would negate any kind of progress of organic matter that had accumulated over the last 20 years or so while the land was in the CRP program.

And, number two, if there is any moisture — perhaps from the recent fall rain events that have occurred in the Plains states — that would be gone with deep tillage. If you want to preserve any moisture at all, utilize tillage as shallow as possible to level it out and get it ready for spring. That would be the goal.”

As for tillage options, it’s difficult to make recommendations across a broad area, because each piece of land is different and has variable moisture conditions and residue levels. A no-till approach is certainly an option. In fact, sunflower can be used as a

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

bio-till method. Why waste the fuel and time tilling a field? Let the sunflower root system do it for you.

South central North Dakota farmer Anthony Mock has broken up quite a few acres of CRP and looks at sunflower and corn as his two “go-to” crops in most situations.

“Some people think that when they convert over CRP they can’t grow anything worth much on that land for the first two years,” Mock says. “But that just isn’t true. You can get above-average crops off CRP right off the bat with the right management.”

He likes sunflower on CRP land because of the benefits of the deep root system.

“When I run out of time in the fall and can’t get into till that land — and then, when spring rolls around and I’m busy again — sunflower is, hands down, the best choice for that CRP ground,” Mock observes.

The key is the aggressive burndown of grasses and broadleaf weeds. He usually makes three passes to make sure he’s gotten rid of anything that might compete with the sunflower — fall, early spring and then right before planting. After killing all the weeds, he goes in with his row-crop planter with Clearfield or ExpressSun hybrids, with no prior tillage.

“I would easily say that our no-till planter is the most valuable piece of equipment on our farm,” says Mock, who farms with his brother Daniel in Emmons and Kidder counties. Taking the time to adjust the planter and paying attention to detail when planting sunflower, Mock says he gains 200-500 lbs/ac versus using an air seeder.

“That doesn’t just apply to CRP ground.

Making sure you have a good row planter with the right settings makes a world of difference in sunflower.”

Mock raises his plant population to about 28,000 to assure he gets the right stand in sometimes heavy residue situations.

He realizes some growers might be skeptical about going straight into CRP without tilling because of the rough ground and heavy residue; but instead of wasting time and money on tillage, he lets the sunflower roots break up that residue for him.

The series of paired plots compared various crop rotations, and one remained untouched for comparison.

Many interesting aspects were discovered. One was that the grass roots were no more than 8-10 inches deep, which was surprising to the observers. And further down in the soil, the researchers discovered two different layers of soil compaction. The grass had not penetrated those compaction layers over the course of 20-plus years.

One of the goals of the test plot demonstration was to find ways to penetrate those compaction layers and “kick start” the soil back into production. Cover crops were used to do just that. A cover crop cocktail mix of turnips, beets, soybeans, sunflower, peas and different types of clover was used to break up the soil compaction layers.

Other than the cover crops, plots were planted into sunflower, corn, soybeans and wheat.

(Continued)

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CRP Field Plot Trial

A team from central North Dakota’s Morton County Soil Conservation District witnessed the benefits of sunflower’s root systems in breaking up soil compaction while conducting a three-year field trial looking at CRP land coming back into production. The trial was located in Morton County on roughly three acres over the course of three years (2008-10). The objective was to have a demonstration of bringing CRP back into production under a no-till system.

The field was two decades or more under CRP cover and was entirely in grass.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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11/10/09 12:41:5813 PM

Photo: Morton County Soil Conservation Dist.

Left: This photo from the Morton County CRP plot shows how the sunflower taproot penetrated the soil compaction layer and kept going deeper. The plant and the soil separated naturally at the compaction layer.

and three times trying to get down into the depth of the soil, and they helped break up the compaction layers.”

Doyle says the soil on this piece of land was surprisingly devoid of organic matter, after 20 years of grass cover. To help preserve the delicate soil, a no-till system is a must. “Our goal is zero bare ground,” Doyle claims. “It may sound radical, but it just totally makes sense. The practice is critical for the carbon/nitrogen balance in your soils. You have to keep that carbon up in your organic matter, plus have the residue to provide surface armor to protect your soil. And, sunflower as an excellent bio-till plant fits nicely into the no-till plan.”

Soil compaction can hamper shallowrooted crops, but not sunflower. “We found sunflowers are an excellent bio-till plant with their tap root. We used the sunflower roots to help us find the compaction levels,”

notes Morton County soil conservationist Michele Doyle. “Those roots find any and every area to penetrate down in the soil, going after moisture and nutrients. We had sunflower roots with a 90-degree angle two

Soil Nutrients

Not only does the deep-rooted nature of sunflower help break up soil compaction, the plant is also able to root down farther in the soil profile to seek out available mois-

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ture and nutrients. Breaking up the soil compaction can jump start the soil organisms making nutrients available to the sunflower and subsequent crops.

The grasses that have been growing on the CRP land for up to two decades tend to be shallow-rooted and inefficient users of nutrients, so there could possibly be some nitrogen left in the soil deeper down. Even though most soil samples show low levels of key nutrients, this may be due to the fact that few samples go beyond the first two feet of soil.

According to NDSU’s Franzen, most soil samples from CRP come back showing very low levels of nitrogen. However, that quickly changes when the land is brought back into production — particularly the first year. Some of the residue will start to break down once the soil is disturbed while being seeded. The activity of planting will stir up that dormant organic matter and put it into close contact with the soil organisms, so it starts to break down a little more rapidly and the degradation process starts taking place. So nitrogen from that surface matter breaking down will continue to become available later in the season. That’s where sunflower has an advantage. It’s a laterplanted, long-season crop that will take up nitrogen and utilize it late in the season, Franzen explains.

Another depleted nutrient in CRP ground is phosphorous, Franzen points out.

Some of the soils were pretty depleted going into CRP, so that might be inherently low.

So with just a small amount of applied phosphorous, sunflower would do well — better than some small grains with a higher phosphorous requirement.

While the traditional markers that growers often use to gauge an estimate on soil nutrient needs (e.g., cropping history and historic yields) are not available on land that has sat idle for 20 or more years, there is benefit to starting with sunflower on a clean slate on CRP. The disease and pest baggage has all been erased during this time. Starting fresh with sunflower right out of the gate can be very beneficial to the land and profitable for the grower.

Though some growers might think that CRP land would be deprived of nutrients, Anthony Mock approaches CRP land with a plan of action similar to what he uses on all other acreage in his operation, drawing upon the regular recommended rates while shooting for ton ’flowers. He applies urea, phosphorus and ammonium sulfate at planting.

“That fertilizer gets things going in that ground, to get things started and let sunflower scavenge for the rest. Then, when the plants get going, they can get a boost ahead of the weeds. Once they get established, ’flowers can really handle that dense root mass of CRP,” Mock asserts. “That deep taproot grows through even some of

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

Sunflower is an excellent option not only for its profit potential, but also for the work the plant does down in the soil for subsequent crops’ benefit. the heavy grasses to get the nutrients it needs. Sunflower is also doing the work for the next crop by breaking up the soil mass deep in the profile.”

W

hile it’s logical and financially prudent to focus on yield potential, CRP land must be approached a little differently.

Some growers might think that land being brought back into production won’t produce to its potential for the first two years or so, but that’s simply not the case. Sunflower’s deep root system is an excellent option for the first crop on CRP land — not only for the profit potential it offers, but also for the work the plant does down in the soil for the subsequent crops’ benefit as farmers think ahead. — Sonia Mullally ■

Call Today to Discuss Your High Oleic Sunflower Seed Marketing Plans.

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15

11/13/08 4:15:38 PM

South Dakotans Like Coated Seed Results

Photo: Syngenta Seeds

Yackley Ranches of Onida

Above: The Unistand technology (left) produces sunflower seeds uniform in shape, for a consistent size 3, as compared with uncoated seeds (right). The polymer-based technology helps seeds flow through the planter easier and results in more-uniformly spaced plants.

N

ormally, you’re not going to need a coat while planting sunflower in June in central South Dakota. But father and son Todd and Blake Yackley believe their sunflower seeds can definitely benefit from wearing one.

Most of the sunflower acreage planted

by Yackley Ranches of Onida in 2012 was to Syngenta varieties that had been coated with the company’s patented Unistand™ technology seed coating product. Based on their experiences the past two seasons, the Yackleys intend to make that 100% in 2013.

Todd Yackley says improved singulation and consistency of seed placement were the primary objectives when they first experimented with coated seeds during the 2011 growing season. “In the past, we’ve had issues with achieving the singulation accuracy that we wanted,” says the Sully County producer. “We used some of these coated seeds last year (2011) and really liked them; so we pushed for more in 2012. Probably 95% of our sunflower this year was coated — and they planted as good as corn seed.”

The farm’s JD vacuum planters are equipped with the 20/20 SeedSense™ monitors and eSet™ vacuum kits from Precision Planting, Inc. Employee Curt Reich, who operates one of the planter tractors, reports seeing virtually no doubles while seeding the 2012 sunflower crop — and he attributes that improvement to the use of coated seed. “A lot of times, the singulation read 99.8, 99.9 — even 100%,” he recounts.

“We’d run through the corn planter monitor, and half the row units usually would be [registering] at 100%.”

“The sunflower stands were almost like ‘picket-fence’ stands, like corn,” Yackley observes. “Before, we used to think, ‘Well, we’re getting 22,000 plants out there — and that’s the main objective since sunflower is a compensating plant.’

But if we get 22,000 spaced every 10 inches, that’s better than having occasional skips or doubles,” he says.

“We haven’t seen any issues with germination or emergence — [e.g.] needing the ground to be wetter,” Yackley adds.

“It germinates just like uncoated seed.”

Photo: Don Lilleboe

G

rant Ozipko, Syngenta oilseeds portfolio head-North America, says the company’s objective in introducing Unistand to the sunflower market was to optimize uniformity of seed size and shape — which in turn would facilitate better singulation and more-consistent seed placement.

“Sunflower is often the last crop planted on the farm, and if we can capture any efficiencies there, that helps the grower — not only from a planting speed/accuracy/population perspective, but also [in terms of] agronomic monitoring throughout the season,” he says. “We’re finding that crops emerge evenly with Unistand and then re-

18

Left to Right: Blake Yackley, Todd Yackley, Brandon Bertsche and Curt Reich of Yackley Ranches, Onida, S.D.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

main even through the season. That really helps with scouting and the timing of fungicide and insecticide applications — even herbicides.

“Growers are telling us that when they use this product, it minimizes the amount of recalibration or calibrating from either lot to lot or brand to brand,” Ozipko adds, “and that helps speed along the process.

Many sunflower growers are fairly large acreage, so if you can minimize the amount of recalibration, that can help get the crop in the ground [more quickly].”

The Unistand-coated seed “looks like a sunflower seed, for the most part,” Ozipko relates. “It’s an oblong seed, not round; so you know it’s sunflower. But it does have a distinctive uniform shape.” The actual coating material is an organic, naturally occurring recipe — but not a clay base, he says. Seed treatment fungicide and insecticide products (e.g., CruiserMaxx® Sunflower) are applied to all the coated seeds (sometimes referred to as “pellets”).

Typically, the coated seeds — which in their raw condition would be size 4 — end

up as a size 3. The Unistand coating option adds approximately 8% to the price of a bag of sunflower seed, on average.

For Todd Yackley, it’s a sound investment. “We don’t want to plant any sunflower seed without it. It really works,” he states. — Don Lilleboe ■

Photo: Don Lilleboe

Right: This Yackley Ranches 2012 sunflower field west of Onida, S.D., went in on no-till corn ground and was planted with coated seeds.

‘Growers are telling us that when they use this product, it minimizes the amount of recalibration or calibration from lot to lot.’ © Archer Daniels Midland Company

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THE SUNFLOWER December 2012 adm001961_SunflowerAd_2011.indd 1

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10/5/10 11:43:58 AM

Photo: Don Lilleboe

New Hybrids for 2013 Planting

Editor’s Note: The following listings provide brief descriptions of sunflower hybrids that are available for planting in 2013 for the first time, or were available in

only limited quantities in 2012. Companies obviously have additional varieties for sale as well as those listed here. Also, some seed suppliers have indicated they will not be offering any new hybrids for 2013, so those firms are not represented in this article. For more details on any hybrid, visit the listed company website or contact your local sales representative.

Hybrid information was provided by the respective seed companies. The Sunflower has edited some listings for brevity and/or style.

CHS Sunflower

• RH1130-EX is a mid- to full-season, mid-height ExpressSun® confection hybrid that produces large seed for the in-shell market. RH1130 has good general plant health and standability. Limited quantities will be available for 2013. www.chssunflower.com

CROPLAN

20

• 432 E is CROPLAN’s earliest ExpressSun hybrid. This NuSun hybrid has fast drydown and excellent tolerance to root lodging. The short-statured hybrid delivers excellent yield potential with large seed. 432 E is very uniform and will be a great companion to 460 E,NS. This hybrid protects with the Pl 8 downy mildew trait and is CROPLAN’s first ExpressSun hy-

brid protecting from common downy mildew races. www.croplan.com

Mycogen Seeds

• 8C451CP is a hybrid featuring Clearfield® Plus technology for expanded weed control options. Widely adapted throughout all U.S. sunflower growing regions, this full-season hybrid is a top choice for confection processors with its large seed size and attractive seed color.

• 8D310CL is a conoil hybrid featuring Clearfield herbicide technology. This midseason hybrid offers exceptional yield and resistance to environmental stress.

8D310CL is bred primarily for the dehulling market.

• 8D417 is a superior medium full-season conoil hybrid with excellent dehulling properties. A shorter sunflower, 8D417 offers outstanding yield for its maturity and is suitable for the NuSun and dehulling markets. www.mycogen.com

Proseed

• E-34 CL is a conventional Clearfield hybrid for the hulling market, featuring a good disease package.

• E-362436, DMR is a good looking high-oleic hybrid that can be used as a huller. It possesses good stress tolerance. www.proseed.net

Seeds 2000

• Camaro II is a medium-maturing, single-cross Clearfield hybrid with stacked resistance to multiple races of downy mildew. It has shown improved Sclerotinia head rot tolerance and has good stalk and root strength. Camaro II fits both the northern and southern sunflower production regions and is suited to both the NuSun and bird food markets.

• Cobalt II is a very uniform, shorterstature, Clearfield high-oleic single-cross hybrid with resistance to multiple races of downy mildew. Its early maturity, short stature and improved disease resistance make it a perfect hybrid adapted to shorter growing season environments, late planting situations or as a double-crop option.

Cobalt II also exhibits improved tolerance to Phomopsis and Sclerotinia head rot.

www.seeds2000.net (Continued on Page 22)

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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SunOpta Seed

• D9592CL is a single-cross, midlength confection sunflower hybrid with Clearfield herbicide technology. It has improved seed size, length and color. Average days to bloom is 70 days, plant height 70 inches. D9592CL has excellent yield response and is available with Cruiser-

Maxx® and flow-aid seed technology.

• DO-4421SS is a short-stature, singlecross conoil variety that combines uniformity and yield across a wide range of environments. www.sunopta.com/foods

Syngenta Seeds

• 7111 HO/CL/DM consistently delivers oleic levels over 85% to enable growers to capitalize on premium high-oleic contracts. In addition, it provides excellent standability, strong tolerance to downy mildew and Clearfield technology. One of the earliest-maturing hybrids, it also allows growers to reap crop rotation benefits. www.farmassist.com/seeds/ sunflowersvarieties.html

Triumph Seed

• Triumph 662 is a traditional-height NuSun hybrid offering excellent yield potential with good oil content. It has shown excellent seedset as well as standability.

• Triumph 651CLD is a traditionalheight NuSun hybrid with reliable weed control of the Clearfield production system.

This hybrid has produced good oil yields with great NuSun values. It exhibits tolerance to downy mildew and rust.

• Triumph 849CLD is a traditionalheight high-oleic Clearfield hybrid. It offers excellent yield potential with great oleic values and is downy mildew-tolerant.

At 90 to 100 days, 849CLD is slightly earlier than Triumph 859CL. • Triumph 755C is a 100- to 110-day confection hybrid with a slightly longer seed type and dark, black hull. It offers excellent yield potential and test weight.

• Triumph 751C is an earlier confection hybrid at 98 to 108 days. It has great yield potential and uniform seed size. Its hull is dark with clean white margins. www.triumphseed.com

■

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U.S. Sun Oil Helps Canadian Snack Food Manufacturers Grow Sales Part of NSA Foreign Market Development Effort Editor’s Note: The National Sunflower Association (NSA) continues to work with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) as a matching-dollar cooperator for purposes of foreign market development.

NSA currently operates in five countries with an annual FAS allocation of about $1.5 million. Activities in Mexico, Spain, Turkey and Germany focus on confection sunflower in-shell seeds and kernel. The program in Canada is directed toward sunflower oil.

The following article is the second in a series discussing NSA foreign market development efforts. Canada is the largest export market for U.S. sunflower oil. NSA is working to improve awareness and educate food processors and foodservice personnel about the favorable characteristics of sunflower oil for use as food processing oil. This is being done through educational seminars, information kits, newsletters, mass media and trade shows. Sunflower oil is marketed as a “value solution for frying” in both of these food industries.

This article was written by Chris Gould, vice president at Harbinger Communications in Toronto and the director of the NSA promotions program in Canada.

A

ccording to “A Look into the Future of Eating” report by the NPD group, a leading market research organization, the frequency that North Americans snack at home will increase by 19% over the next 10 years. The growth is being driven by consumers eating on-the-go and a growing demand for “better-for-you” snacks and smaller portion sizes.

Members of Generation Y (born 1976 to 1989) are expected to be the primary drivers of growth in the salty snack category with a 44% projected growth rate. As well, shifting demographics and increased knowledge about ingredients have resulted in changing consumer tastes and increased demand for snack food products with zero trans fat, reduced fat and lower sodium.

At Harbinger Communications, the marketing agency for the National Sunflower Association in Canada, we liaise with Canadian food manufacturers about the latest food trends and any product formulation challenges or questions about sunflower oil that they may have. We provide information about U.S. sunflower oil not only to food manufacturers and industry leaders, but also to Canadian oil suppliers, who sell U.S. sun-

Below: Chris Gould at the NSA booth during a Canadian food trade show.

24

flower oil in Canada.

In order to keep U.S. sunflower oil top of mind and to continue to share new innovations and research, Harbinger creates trade advertisements, distributes quarterly enewsletters, participates in trade shows, and coordinates webinars. We are also able to share a few of the many success stories of Canadian-based snack food businesses utilizing U.S.-sourced sunflower oil in their popular products.

One of the hottest snack food trends right now is pita chips — a low-fat snack, made with sunflower oil. Several Canadian companies, including private label brands from key Canadian grocery stores, have introduced pita chip products, some of which are also shipped to the United States for sale in various markets.

Crispy Pitas are a delicious new snack that are made by Ozery’s Pita Break, a Canadian company that emerged from a small family owned sandwich shop into a commercial bakery that now ships its products across Canada and into the United States.

Starting with quality ingredients, Crispy Pitas are crafted with care in small batches.

Fruits, seeds, herbs and seasonings are added along with sunflower oil to the dough, which is rolled out into pita breads and slowly toasted until golden. They are then thick-cut to create a satisfying crunch and premium taste.

“We use sunflower oil in the preparation of Crispy Pitas, due to its neutral taste, which allows the flavors in the ingredients to come through,” says Alon Ozery, owner of Pita Break. “Sun oil is also non-GMO and has no trans fats, which is important since we are committed to creating wholesome and nutritious products for our customers.”

Crispy Pitas are available in four delicious flavors: Cranberry Pumpkin Seed, Rosemary Garlic, Organic Wheat and Organic Spelt with Flax.

Popcorn is another snack food that is growing in popularity. Researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania recently discovered that popcorn is packed with antioxidants, which prevent damage to cells and may have disease-fighting proper(Continued on Page 26) ties.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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“Crispy Pitas” from Pita Break (above) and Kernels Popcorn (below) are two successful Canadian food product lines using U.S. sunflower oil as a key ingredient.

To meet Canadians growing demand for popcorn, Kernels Popcorn provides extraordinary quality and taste at its 68 retail locations across the country. Popped in mid-oleic sunflower oil, Kernels popcorn is freshly made every day.

“We like using mid-oleic sunflower oil, since it is stable and can be heated to high temperatures in our poppers,” says Carolyn Macgregor, Kernels’ director of marketing.

“We also like the fact that sunflower oil is taste-neutral, so that the true flavor of the

2013

Sunflower Research Forum 26

popcorn and our seasonings comes through.”

Whether you prefer spicy or sweet, there is a wide range of sensational flavors to choose from including: Jalapeno Jack, Creamy Caramel, Whalin’ White Cheese, Asiago & Cracked Pepper and a variety of fruit flavors. Stores can also customize flavor combinations, making this product not only a joy to eat but also a fun gift for both personal and corporate giving.

With more and more Canadians looking for gluten-free and low-gluten products and a growing interest in ethnic foods, there has also been an emergence in snack food products made from non-traditional ingredients, such as beans and lentils and more diverse flavors for consumers to choose from.

A large line of private label products known as President’s Choice products are sold at Loblaw Company stores and their affiliate chains across the country. Within the selection, there is a wide variety of healthconscious products, including President’s Choice Blue Menu Baked Lentil Crisps – Spiced Hummus.

“This product is oven-baked for exceptional crispness,” says Jasna Turulja, product developer for Loblaw Brands Limited.

“These crisps have more fiber than many other snacks; and since they are made from lentil and bean flour, they are an alternative to other snack choices that are currently available. To ensure the flavor from the spiced hummus will come through, we use high-oleic sun oil and/or safflower and/or canola.”

Some studies indicate that with consumers “always-on” lifestyles and the desire to eat on-the-go and at all times of the day, snacking will continue to grow and Canadian consumers will eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day.

As evidenced by these success stories, demand for U.S. sunflower oil, with all of its positive health and functional attributes, will continue to be of interest to Canadian food manufacturers.

■

January 9 & 10

Ramada Plaza Suites Fargo, N.D.

Program & Registration Details At: www.sunflowernsa.com

Hosted by the National Sunflower Association THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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A Bite of Sun Demand Strong for Minnesota Company’s Sandwiches Featuring SunButter & Jelly

hen SunWise Foods president and part-owner Bill Daggett transitioned from active duty military and moved back to Minnesota about five years ago, he had no experience in the food industry. But when he heard about the idea from Red River Commodities for a SunButter sandwich, he decided to take the concept and run with it.

With food allergies on the rise, Daggett had a hunch the idea had some traction. A friend he knew while living in Colorado had a son with peanut allergies. Watching his friend’s small child practice injecting himself with epinephrine “just in case” he was accidentally exposed to peanuts really opened Daggett’s eyes to the reality of food allergies.

This awareness gave Daggett the confidence to take on the challenge of producing and marketing the SunButter and jelly sandwich. Living peanut-free or hearing of schools that have banned peanuts seems drastic to some, but many people who live in constant fear of dangerous allergic reactions to peanuts live that reality every day.

The SunButter and jelly sandwich produced

by SunWise Foods offers an alternative and safe choice for people with peanut allergies.

SunWise sandwiches have 10 grams of protein, no trans fats, one-third less saturated fat than peanut butter, and provide 20% of daily recommended fiber intake.

The company’s slogan is “Go Nuts for No Nuts” — and apparently people have heeded this advice. Daggett reports that demand is high. He characterizes it as “through the roof” and continuing to grow.

No question his instinct about this good idea was right on the mark. The partnership with Red River Commodities has produced a successful business venture for both entities.

Daggett recently provided some insight into the company’s popular sandwich. — Sonia Mullally

Photos: SunWise Foods

Where did the idea for SunWise Foods sandwiches come from?

28

About five years ago, I moved back to Minnesota from Colorado Springs. My wife is a preschool teacher and had students with peanut allergies. Also, I had some friends whose children were living with the allergies. These experiences had really opened my eyes to the peanut free world.

So when my father mentioned that someone in his Rotary Club was talking about a “peanut butter-less” sandwich, I told him I would be very interested in meeting that person. Dan Hofland and Bob Majkrzak at Red River Commodities, the makers of SunButter, had approached many

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

sandwich manufacturers trying to get someone to make a sandwich.

Most had decided the market wasn’t large enough. We didn’t know how big the market was, but we knew we could help simplify people’s lives by provided a product that was delicious and peanutfree. With that in mind, and with help from lots of people, we decided to take a crack at it.

Can you explain the production system (how/where are the sandwiches assembled and packaged)?

Everything is done at our peanut- and tree nut-free facility in Perham, Minn. Bread is shipped in about four times a week. We have an assembly line of about 10-12 people, working in two shifts daily to produce sandwiches. The sandwich is assembled on a conveyor belt and ran through a crimping machine which seals the ingredients and removes the crust. The sandwiches then are immediately packaged individually and frozen. We ship out pallets of finished product about twice a week.

Where do you source your ingredients — specifically, the sunflower seed butter?

The primary ingredient in our product is SunButter, the sunflower seed-based spread made in Fargo, N.D., at SunGold Foods (Red River Commodities). The bread is made locally by Pan-OGold in St. Cloud, Minn. The jelly comes from out of state.

Explain how you came up with a marketing strategy to approach schools with your product?

The first thing we did was identify a need for the product. With the growing prevalence of peanut allergies in children, more schools are looking for alternatives to traditional peanut butter, with many schools even banning peanut-based products altogether.

That’s where our product comes in. Schools need a product that children with peanut-allergies can eat, while the children without allergies will eat. Through extensive taste tasting and product design, we came up with something that works on both levels. The demand is through the roof right now.

How many schools is the product offered in and in what parts of the county?

We are in roughly 100 schools around the country in about 20 states. The largest interest is in California, Texas and Utah thus far, but we also ship our product to schools and distributors from Alaska to Georgia, including the Dakotas and Minnesota.

How do the peanut-free movement and allergen-free community continue to create demand?

Parents of kids with any type of allergy know how serious these issues are. The demand for a nut-free product that still tastes great and is nutritious is always in demand. Vigilant parents, along with schools, recognizing the seriousness of nut allergies only drives demand further. Plus, word-of-mouth via the Internet community helps, too. We have had many food bloggers and allergy groups write about us and recommending our product to their followers.

Right now, customers can order sandwiches delivered to their door.

Is your product also available in retail stores (i.e., supermarkets, big box stores)?

We are planning to go into retail soon. We have our retail packaging and distribution lined up already, and the demand is certainly there. Parents ask us all the time when we are going to be available in stores. It’s definitely on the horizon.

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

You currently offer sunflower seed butter and grape jelly. Any plans for other flavors in the future?

As of right now, the sky is the limit. We have found grape to be the most appealing to kids; but certainly different flavors are something we have always kept in the back of our minds as we continue to grow.

What’s on the horizon for your company?

We plan on going into retail soon, selling our product in stores around the country. We have other nut-free products we are researching that we would like to start producing when the time is right. Also, it’s rare to find a completely nut-free facility these days, so we have been approached by other food manufacturers to produce their nut-free products in our plant, which we are looking at as well.

For more information on SunWise Foods and their SunButter sandwiches go to their website at www.sunwisefoods.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SunWiseFoods.

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29

30 Years Ago

Excerpts from the December 1982 Issue of The Sunflower

Winter Seed Watch — “Whew! The season’s over. You finally got the sunflower crop off the field and into the bin (probably had to run it through a dryer first, though — especially if you’re in an area that had a wet fall). Now you can sit down, relax a bit and keep an eye on the market over winter, waiting for the most opportune time to get rid of those seeds — right?

“Well, not entirely. Because in addition to watching the markets, it’ll also pay to keep tabs on that sunflower sitting in the bin, making sure it stays in good condition until you’re ready to pull it out. The key, of course, is keeping that moisture content down at an acceptable level. And ‘acceptable’ usually translates into 10 percent for winter storage and eight percent for seed which will be stored into the spring or summer months. “ ‘I’ve heard of people putting sunflower into storage at moisture contents of 12, 13 and even 15 percent,’ says Ken Hellevang, extension agricultural engineer at North Dakota State University.

‘And they may get away with that over the winter, because with the cold temperatures in this region, and by running a fan once in a while, they’re essentially going to keep the seeds frozen.’ “ ‘[But in spring], there are going to be problems if it isn’t dried down, either by taking the sunflower out of the bin and running it through a dryer or by using an in-bin natural air drying system.’ ”

Putting the Wilds to Work / By Don Lilleboe — “For many centuries, wild sunflower plants have grown in the meadows, mountains, plains, deserts — and, yes, fields — of this continent, only to be often ignored, sometimes admired and occasionally

30

cursed. But we’re now learning that these species (or at least some of them) possess characteristics which could impart to commercial hybrids such beneficial traits as insect tolerance, disease resistance and increased drought tolerance.

“The trick is to identify these traits in the wilds, isolate them and then incorporate the traits back into commercial hybrids — without sacrificing any of the desirable characteristics (yield potential, oil content, existing disease resistance, etc.) already found in the current hybrids. And that’s not nearly as simple as it sounds.

“USDA scientists at the Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, Texas, along with colleagues in California and North Dakota, are now emphasizing the development of germplasm from the wilds for eventual release to commercial plant breeders. If they wish, breeders will then be able to utilize this germplasm in the development of parental lines and hybrids.”

Did the F.O.B. Doom the Futures? / By Don Lilleboe — “The sunflower futures slot on the electronic board at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange sits empty these days. There hasn’t been a futures contract traded there for several months. Some folks say the contract at the MGE is dead; it simply hasn’t been buried yet. A few say that if the crop can grow to six or seven million acres, we could see trading start up again.

“But everyone agrees on what caused the futures contract at Minneapolis to cease trading: lack of volume. There simply weren’t enough people trading, enough contracts being traded; thus those who were trading encountered minimal liquidity, making it very difficult to get in and out of market positions.

“Did the existence of a successful f.o.b. market at Duluth/Superior doom the Minneapolis futures contract from its start in mid1980? Not necessarily, say traders; but it certainly didn’t make things any easier. . . . “ ‘I used to think that the lack of margin requirements on the f.o.b. market was maybe the main advantage the f.o.b. market had over the futures market,’ says [an MGE] trader. ‘And I still think it’s a major advantage; thought not the major one.’ “ ‘Now I think the reason the f.o.b. market works and the futures market didn’t is that there’s a commercial need for the f.o.b. market, and there wasn’t a commercial need for the futures. Since the f.o.b. market was in existence first, the futures market was forced to be competitive with what already worked.’ ”

Connecting Ships with Their Cargo / By Don Lilleboe — “The large ‘saltie’ comes in off the Atlantic Ocean, moves up the St. Lawrence Seaway, navigates the locks at the Welland Canal, steams through the Great Lakes, and finally reaches its destination: Duluth/Superior, twin ports at the western tip of Lake Superior.

“The ship pulls into its berth at the terminal elevator, loads up on sunflower seeds, heads back through the Lakes, retraces its journey along the Seaway, and steams out into the Atlantic on its journey to Rotterdam — a two-week trip from Duluth.

“Simple enough? It’s not, of course. Putting ships and cargoes together — a key part of the marketing system for exported agricultural commodities such as sunflower — doesn’t just ‘happen.’ It can be a very complex business. Ask Sven Hubner.

“As president of Guthrie-Hubner, Inc., long-time vessel agents headquartered in Duluth, Minn., Hubner coordinates a myriad of logistics for ships coming into Duluth/Superior to take on cargoes — everything from arranging for ship inspections to lining up stevedores to getting food supplies on board to bailing seamen out of jail. . . .

“Vessel agents are retained by ship owners in each of the ports their ships visit. ‘Picture yourself with 20 ships, at an average cost today of around $10 million each,’ Hubner explains. ‘If you had all these ships, you’d naturally want to be with each one all the time, because time is money in this business. But you can’t, so you, as a ship owner, hire a guy to look after your interests.’ ” ■

THE SUNFLOWER December 2012

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