FALL/WINTER 2019
Premier Select Sires will award up to $20,000 to students within the Premier territory through the 2020 Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program. Students who have completed their first full year of college in an agricultural study are encouraged to apply. Scholarship forms will be available beginning November 11, 2019 under the “News” tab of www.premierselectsires.com, by calling (540) 483-5123, or by emailing Laura Williams at lwilliams@premierselect.com. Completed scholarship applications are due January 31, 2020. Two exemplary students will receive $2,500
IN THIS EDITION:
scholarships through either the Johnny Daniel Memorial Scholarship or the Wayne Dudley Scholarship. Several other students will receive scholarships of $750-$1,000 in value. The Premier Future Ag Leaders Scholarship Program provides financial support to eligible college undergraduates in agricultural majors. The program provides additional return to the cooperative’s member-owners by supporting the next generation of young people desiring to study and work in the agricultural industry. The Premier Select Sires, Inc. board of directors has made a commitment to providing money to support this scholarship program on an ongoing annual basis.
Message from the CEO................................................................... 2 Product Talk: Accel Ensile+ Forage Inoculants............................. 3 Dairy Discussion: Got Cowffee?...................................................... 4 Beef Briefs...................................................................................... 6 Cooperative News........................................................................... 7
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MESSAGE FROM THE CEO by Mark Carpenter
Hey, where is that patronage check? Also, when are elections? Happy fall everyone! I thought this title would grab your attention and hopefully it did. Lots continues to happen with your Premier Cooperative as we continue our efforts of completely bringing the membership of Southeast Select Sires (SESS) and Select Sire Power (SSP) together. I couldn’t be prouder of our talented employees who’ve continued to deliver value to our members without compromise; which is of the utmost importance. In the process of combining entities we had an opportunity to aggressively retire some legacy debts and liabilities on the balance sheets of both SESS and SSP to create a favorable starting point as the new organization came together. The combination resulted in adding over $8 million in high quality assets to put to work for our members. As a result, we delayed finalizing our 2018 tax returns until now while we worked through several items of the merger and opening balance sheet, the retirement of the frozen legacy defined pension plan, and some other items that were not able to be finalized until now. In short, the final results due to these one-time liability reductions left both organizations with negative book income for the 2018 fiscal years. This means that there was zero profit to be allocated to our members. By doing so however, it did remove nearly $1 million in expenses from our 2019 and 2020 budgets. This has served us very well so far in 2019 and creates a much better strategic position to serve our member owners going forward. In discussing options with our board it was decided to defer any retirements of old equity and instead give additional savings to our active members in June and July through the semen credit program. I hope you were able to take advantage
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of this. This was a conscious effort to return benefits through profit distribution in real time. I thank the board for their guidance and leadership on this because it was the best way to return immediate value. For June and July, more than a quarter million dollars was given back to members through this program. We are still operating under the direction of the “interim” board of directors, which is 22 members strong and is the combined former SSP and SESS directors. This interim board of 22 has worked hard this year to establish new districting that represents changes in our member areas and aligns representation based on key cooperative business indicators. I am pleased that we now have a mechanism in place that will continually adjust representation based on geographic changes in the member areas. As part of the transition plan, the 22-member board will be rebalanced down to 14 directors based on redistricting for the 2020 year. During 2020 we will go through the education process of introducing the revised districts and the governance that will go along with it. Our first “normal” election period will be in the fall of 2020. I’d like to thank our Board President James Cook for his tremendous efforts and time he has committed to leading this large board. He is highly committed to our cooperative principles and has worked hard to make sure we establish modern, sound member governance mechanisms for our future. We thank you for your trust and continued support of your cooperative. I hope you are satisfied with what Premier brings to you through our co-owned genetic brands, partner product suppliers, and internally developed programs and services to help you reach your operational goals.
FIND THE SEMEN STRAW
for a chance to WIN a special Premier Select Sires prize! 1. Find this semen straw hidden somewhere in the newsletter 2. Go to www.PremierSelectSires.com and click the“Newsletter Contest” button on the home page 3. Tell us where you found the straw to enter the drawing! You may also send your submission in the mail. Write us a note including the following information: your name, account number, address, and where you found the semen straw. Mail it to the following address for a chance to WIN! Premier Select Sires Newsletter Contest Attn. Laura Williams 1 Stony Mountain Road Tunkhannock, PA 18657
CONGRATS! Congratulations to Wayne Hoover of Pennsylvania, who was the winner of our summer edition semen straw contest! The semen straw was on page 5, in the bottom right corner next to a fencepost.
Product Talk
As the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder, many producers across the Premier territory reflect on another year, another harvest, and another job well done. However, farmers rarely rest for long. Already, those same producers who put in the long hours are planning for next season and thinking about how they can make next year’s harvest even better. One way to plan ahead is to consider your forage inoculant needs for next year, and to consider pre-purchasing your inoculant accordingly. Premier proudly offers a high quality forage inoculant called Accel Ensile+, and it is available for purchase from your local representative.
Why Use Inoculants?
Ensiled feedstuffs make up a large
portion of feed inventory for many operations. Whether it’s forages or high moisture grains, you must take measures to preserve the value of your investments once you put them into storage. Research has shown that using inoculants: • Improves dry matter recovery • Supports a more consistent dry matter intake • Improves overall animal performance • Extends face and bunk life • Reduces spoilage mechanisms
Why Use Accel Ensile+?
Accel Ensile+ is a research-proven microbe source that provides a fastacting combination of three strains of beneficial bacteria. This inoculant contains 150,000 colony forming units (CFU) of live, naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria per gram
of forage*. Industry standard is only 100,000 CFUs. Studies have shown that Accel Ensile+ helps to lower fermentation temperatures, produce lactic and acetic acids, and improve stability at the silo and feed bunk.1 Accel Ensile+ has been shown to improve fermentation, increase yeast inhibition, and extend bunk life.2 It contains a unique enzyme package that helps break down fiber bundles in the feed so the microbes in a cow’s rumen can better digest the forage during consumption. Easy to apply, Accel Ensile+ is available for dry or wet application, and Premier offers three package sizes. Most producers already use forage inoculants, but choosing to purchase a high-quality inoculant from your local cooperative will help you reap the benefits of a successful harvest AND help keep your cooperative strong.
*Accel Ensile+ Guaranteed Analysis: Bacteria Species: Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus Acidilactici, and Pediococcus pentosaceus total microbial activity not less than 136.5 billion CFU*/g which equates to 150,000 CFU*/g of forage.1Michigan State University 2University of Kentucky. Buyer assumes all responsibility for use, storage and handling of this product. All claims, representations and warranties, expressed or implied, are made only by the company responsible for manufacturing and not by Select Sires Inc., its member cooperatives, its agents or employees. Accel Ensile+ is manufactured for Select Sires Inc, 11740 US 42N, Plain City, OH 43064
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Doug Young of Spruce Haven Farm (center) shares a cup of Cowffee, a coffee/milk drink he and his team developed, with Premier representatives Scott Zehr (left) and Jeff VanPatten (right). Cowffee will be hitting the market soon, and its profits will be dedicated to several charitable and educational causes.
The Declaration of Independence lists life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness among our inalienable rights. For Doug Young of Spruce Haven Farm, the pursuit of happiness requires little more than some cows, some coffee, and a desire to serve his Creator with the resources he’s been granted.
Keeping these four pillars in mind, Young and his team of family and friends have created a cold brew coffee and milk drink called Cowffee. It will be marketed under the brand Pursue Happiness, and it is a product with a purpose far greater than merely quenching your thirst.
Young is a partner in Spruce Haven Farm, a 2,000-cow dairy operation nestled in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Spruce Haven ships its milk to Cayuga Marketing, which sells a lot of its milk to Cayuga Milk Ingredients, a plant that processes premium quality milk from about 30 other familyowned dairies in the surrounding area. Young is a proud member of Premier Select Sires and places great value in Premier’s strong genetics backed by proactive services.
Pursuing Human Health
As a graduate of Cornell University, Young constantly strives to learn more and do more with his knowledge. “Happiness has very little to do with how much money you have,” said Young. “It has to do with being healthy, caring for the environment, developing community, and pursuing the arts.”
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When it came time to take the concept of Cowffee to the kitchen, Young hired a food scientist to help develop the recipe. It took about ten tries to get it just right, but a highprotein, low-sugar beverage that will help fill nutritional gaps was formulated. As a dairy farmer, Young emphasizes the importance of producing high-quality milk that is a wholesome addition to the human diet. This includes incorporating findings from the latest studies to create better milk. Young spent some time working with Dr. Dale Bauman, a researcher from Cornell who has specialized in the study of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a fatty acid in milk that “is the only fatty acid shown unequivocally to inhibit carcinogenesis in experimental animals” according to the National Academy of Sciences. It is believed that CLA could also be beneficial to humans, and further studies are planned to measure the effect
of CLA on human cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Cows naturally produce CLA in their milk, so Young hopes that the funds from Cowffee will serve as the seed money to find if there are correlations between consuming CLA and increased human health. If findings are positive, he hopes to discover ways to increase CLA production in dairy cattle, whether through genetic selection, nutrition, etc., to promote higher human health and disease prevention through nutrition. Young says that the CLA levels in the milk Cowffee is made from are already elevated two to three times the levels of CLA in regular milk. “Together let’s figure CLA out because we can’t ignore it any longer,” said Young.
Pursuing Green Farming
In addition to human health, Young cares deeply for the wellbeing of the environment. “God created the world and gave it over to mankind to take care of it,” said Young. “He said to multiply and replenish. We have to manage our resources to do that.” Spruce Haven takes active strides to decrease its impact on the environment. The farm uses a methane digester, which not only produces energy, but also allows for higher
Dairy Discussion yields of crops while bringing in fewer loads of nitrogen and phosphorus from off the farm. Spruce Haven has a patent on their system.
producer of high quality coffee, but also the home of educational and social programs for the people of the surrounding area.
Spruce Haven also carefully calculates the ideal number of animals needed on the farm to balance production and environmental impact. Young works closely with Jeff VanPatten, Premier Area Sales Manager, and Scott Zehr, Premier Reproductive and Health Solutions Specialist.
Finca Dos Marias was in need of financial assistance at the time of Young’s visit. When Young returned to the United States, a plan was set in place and a local New York farmer provided the necessary financial aid to the coffee farm. Young and his family continued to support Finca Dos Marias financially and through volunteer work trips. Young later chose to partner with Finca Dos Marias for the Cowffee beverage.
“We breed strictly A2A2 and we focus on health traits. We use the Optimal Genetic Pathways (OGP) calculator for inventory management, which ties into Spruce Haven’s environmental consciousness,” said VanPatten. “We want just the right number of cows and heifers so we can avoid extra manure. This reduces costs and environmental impact.”
a person’s life. He hopes that the production and sale of Cowffee will help others use their talents and better their communities through their pursuit of the arts. A small committee that includes Young’s daughter leads the marketing efforts for Cowffee. However, Young also supports and works with New Vine Ministries, a Christian studio in Ithaca, NY that finds artists and musicians and helps them develop and use their talents. Young feels that the Pursue Happiness brand has a story to tell, and he hopes that the students of New Vine Ministries will be able to help with videos, commercials, and other mediums of communication.
Aiming High
Both Premier representatives work to help Spruce Haven achieve maximum efficiency and best utilization of genetics.
Young’s goals for Cowffee reflect and build upon the efforts many farmers and agriculturalists make to connect with consumers and share the positive story of agriculture.
“Doug is also enrolled in our RePRO ReVIEW program, and we strive to cultivate an individualized program for the farm,” said Zehr. “We currently rank the herd by NM$ and 305ME in an effort to only create replacements from the healthiest, most efficient cows.”
“We hope to build a deeper relationship of trust with consumers as they go down the four items: human health, green farming, community development, and the arts,” said Young. “It was my whole family and staff and colleagues who have brought us to this point.”
Pursuing Community Development
Spruce Haven Farm employs 37 individuals, and many of those employees are of Guatemalan descent. To gain a better perspective towards his staff, Young arranged a trip to fly to Western Guatemala with a local pastor so he could meet the families of some Spruce Haven employees. This trip would open the door to ongoing business and personal relationships, and kick-start the concept of Cowffee. The place that Young visited happened to be a 1,285 acre coffee farm called Finca Dos Marias. Finca Dos Marias is not only a
The goal of the Finca Dos Marias and Spruce Haven Farm partnership is to help foster a strong community in Guatemala so that Spruce Haven workers can have peace of mind knowing that their families are thriving, and that the Spruce Haven employees can have a place in a strong community if they choose to return home.
Pursuing the Arts
Young feels that caring for your health, caring for your environment, and building community are crucial to pursuing happiness. However, once these three are achieved, he feels that pursuing the arts can add much to
When asked the overarching purpose all of his efforts, Young answers clearly: “Honor the Creator. That is humbling and impossible in our own efforts, but given His grace, it’s a joy.”
Premier proudly supports our member customers who use their skills and entrepreneurial spirit to strengthen our cooperative and industry. Cowffee is slated to be available for purchase in Fall 2019. If you are interested in ordering Cowffee, or if you would like to learn more about the Pursue Happiness brand, visit
www.pursuehappiness.farm
Photos (left to right): 1. Young mixing up a batch of Cowffee for the Premier staff to sample; 2. Finca Dos Maria, the Guatemalan coffee farm with which Spruce Haven partners; 3. Spruce Haven Farm in Union Springs, NY; 4. Young showing Premier around Spruce Haven Farm.
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Beef Briefs
BEEF BUSINESS BULLS FROM SELECT SIRES
Genetics to make your business better
7AN388
NIAGARA
17287387 Hoover Dam x NEW DAY 454
7AN516
DARK FIRE 18746402
7AN418
PATRIOT
117577916 CAPITALIST x Upward
7AN544
MAIN STREET
7AN464
UNIQUE
7AN511
SPUR
One of the best proven performance bulls in the business CED: 5 BW: 1 WW: 70 YW: 137 $W: 71 $B: 159
Incredible spread genetics with fantastic daughters CED: 16 BW: -0.9 WW: 69 YW: 121 $W: 87 $B: 151
18429666 WEIGH UP x Onward
Big-middled, moderate-framed WEIGH UP son CED: 11 BW: 0.3 WW: 64 YW: 122 $W: 72 $B: 174
SURE FIRE x THUNDER
Combines 2 of the best for good, solid cattle CED: 14 BW: 1.1 WW: 69 YW: 123 $W: 86 $B: 142
18770757 Main Attraction x CAPITALIST
Balanced and sound with a moderate, full-bodied profile CED: 13 BW: 0.3 WW: 70 YW: 124 $W: 79 $B: 153
17841616 Spur x Franklin
Unique genetics for outcross growth with marbling CED: 12 BW: 0.6 WW: 74 YW: 123 $W: 98 $B: 169
7AN351
CAPITALIST
7AN460
PROTOCOL
7AN368
COMRADE
16752262 Final Answer x Bextor
Proven to generate power cows CED: 11 BW: 0.3 WW: 57 YW: 99 $W: 60 $B: 103
17570263 Merritt x Rimrock
Outcross genes to build a cowherd around CED: 6 BW: 1.3 WW: 59 YW: 122 $W: 56 $B: 167
117031465 Consensus 7229 x 5050
A legend in commercial heifer country CED: 17 BW: -3.5 WW: 46 YW: 90 $W: 70 $B: 128
Contact your local Premier Select Sires representative today! EPDs as of 10/18/19
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Cooperative News FOWLER RETIRES, BODENHAUSEN ASSUMES NEW ROLE Joe Fowler began working as an Area
With great pleasure and excitement, Premier Select Sires announces that Ryan Bodenhausen has assumed the role of Southwestern Regional Marketing Manager, effective November 1, 2019. This role change follows the recent retirement of former manager Joe Fowler.
Sales Manager for Southeast Select Sires (SESS) in 1982 and remained with the cooperative for 37 years, providing dedicated service to his coworkers and customers.
Ryan Bodenhausen previously has served
Premier Select Sires as an Area Sales Manager in Kansas for five years. He has been a driving force on the sales team— first for Southeast Select Sires (SESS), and then for Premier Select Sires following the SESS/SSP merger. He is a three-time recipient of the Select Sires Inc. Super Achiever sales award, and he has served his customers well throughout his time with Premier.
Fowler’s accomplishments with SESS included implementing the Select Mating Service® program and Program for Genetic AdvancementTM, overseeing the growth and development of the large herd markets, growing business in many areas by working with the general manager and board of directors, and more. When SESS merged with Select Sire Power to form Premier Select Sires, he took on his most recent role as Regional Marketing Manager. He has effectively led the Sales Representatives and Reproductive Service Specialists of the Premier Southwestern region as the sales market grew and customers were provided with high quality service.
As Regional Marketing Manager, Bodenhausen will directly supervise the Sales Representatives and Reproductive Service Specialists in the Southwestern Region. He will work with other employees to continue development of the sales market and ensure that the needs of customers are identified and met.
In his retirement, Fowler will continue working with Premier part time. He looks forward to traveling and spending more time with family.
“I look forward to serving Premier employees and customers in my new role,” said Bodenhausen. A graduate of Kansas State University, Bodenhausen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. He spent four years as a classifier with Holstein USA after graduation, and then two years as an Independent Beef Sales Representative for SESS before accepting the position of Area Sales Manager for SESS/Premier.
“This was a hard decision to make but I look forward to the next chapter,” said Fowler. “The people and memories made over the last 37 years will never be forgotten...Working for the number one A.I. company has been a pleasure and honor. Now that we are Premier Select Sires, the future is very exciting with the toolbox we have to work with...Premier will be the member organization that leads the federation to new heights.”
Please join Premier in congratulating Ryan and welcoming him into his new role!
Please join Premier in thanking Joe for all he’s done for our cooperative, and wishing him all the best in retirement!
“Ryan will make an outstanding Regional Marketing Manager for the Southwestern Region,” said Fowler. “He has proved his work ethic and attention to detail through his increases in sales as an ASM. Ryan is a unique individual with his knowledge and interest in both the dairy and beef industry. Having these interests will provide leadership for the entire marketing program.” ®Select Mating Service is a registered trademark of Select Sires Inc.
CHECK OUT OUR TOP SELLERS! HOLSTEIN 7HO14390 RAFAEL 7HO12928 DEANO 7HO12344 RAGER-RED 14HO14169 SOPRANO 7HO13302 MEGAMAN 7HO12421 MILLINGTON 14HO14193 WHINO 7HO13253 VERTEX 7HO12837 ZAMBONI 7HO12111 DRAGONHEART
Program for Genetic Advancement is a trademark of Select Sires Inc.
TM
Here are a few of Premier’s best selling bulls from this past quarter.
HIGH COMPONENTS BREEDS 5288 units 5272 units 4418 units 4332 units 3766 units 3758 units 3586 units 3256 units 3089 units 3076 units
7JE5004 CHROME 507JE5004 CHROME 7JE1219 OLIVER-P 14JE1751 RUGER 7JE1088 COLTON 14JE670 LEMONHEAD 7BS907 STANDOUT 7JE1657 MIAMI 7JE5011 MEGAPOWER 7JE1354 TEXAS
1950 units 1449 units 1168 units 980 units 810 units 724 units 688 units 680 units 602 units 573 units
BEEF 7HP115 DUE NORTH 7LM15 AFRICA 7AN449 ICE CAP 7AN471 KIOWA 7AN406 CHARTER 7LM18 DAVY CROCKET 7AN363 HORIZON 7LM16 ARGUS 14HP1044 ECLIPSE 7AN453 ROCKET
5496 units 4335 units 3370 units 3119 units 3072 units 2693 units 2482 units 2194 units 2103 units 2043 units
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PREMIER SELECT SIRES, INC. 1 Stony Mountain Road Tunkhannock, PA 18657
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