SFG Update
Max Smith SFG CEO
This year I began my 55th year of working for my parents, Lyman (deceased) and Jeanne Smith and working with my brother, John as a partner. August 31st, I completed my 35th year as President of Smith Fertilizer and Grain Company Incorporated. I have had many successes in my career. I served as President of the Twin Ceders school board, 20 years on the Marion County Farm Bureau board, President of the Iowa Corn Promotion board, 3 years on the EPC board, an officer on the National Corn Foundation, and most recently as the Chairman of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa.
My greatest accomplishment has been working side by side with my wife, Sharon, and our family. Sharon will continue to lead the executive staff. I have surrounded myself with good honest people to manage SFG. I have several 20 year employees. These men and women are by far our greatest asset. Our business has grown from scratch to being ranked in the top 100 in the United States.
However, it was time to pass the gavel to the next Smith generation. On September 1st, 2024, I resigned as company president. My son, Kyle, assumed the Presidency at the age of 36, the same as I was when I took over from my father. Kyle is well qualified to take my place and is learning his new role at a rapid pace. His wife, Kristin, has worked alongside him for 11 years. Kristin is the Senior Office Manager and is in charge of all the office staff for SFG. His brothers and cousins will work as a team as John and I will work less in management as the next generation assumes the management and direction for SFG. They are well qualified to continue our work at SFG and will remember that our customers always deserve the best today and the years to come.
Please welcome Kyle Smith in his new position at SFG!
Lyman & Jeanne
Max & Sharon
Kyle & Kristin
Central Region Update
Derrick Hoodjer, Agronomy Programs & Sales Manager
We are well on the tail end of the harvest and 2024 is going down as a high-yielding year. Weather conditions and management practices really helped us this year. Management practices that performed well this year are newer genetics on seed and side dress nitrogen applications. The newer genetics seemed to handle weather stresses better, and splitting nitrogen applications after the rain in May showed positive results. 2024 was a unique year but we can still take what we learned and plan for a successful 2025.
We are in full swing for planning 2025 fertilizer applications. Applying lime and dry fertilizer works very well in the fall as field conditions are usually well-suited. With warmer fall weather, we see nutrients working into the soil faster. Sulfur 90 (S90) has been a very popular add-on product, showing consistent positive results when added with a dry fertilizer application. S90 does take some time to become available, so the sooner you apply it to the field the better. Once you have plant-available sulfur in the soil profile, 10 to15 bushel increases are consistently seen. S90 generally costs less than $15 per acre, so this is a very good return on investment.
Other good options for 2025 are choosing the correct seed and getting your order in early. Not only are the best seed deals in November, but early orders ensure you get the hybrids that are the best for your ground. We have data showing the newest hybrids are trending toward higher yields than in years past. Be sure when you are making seed decisions that you’re asking questions about the newest genetics coming out from whichever brand you decide.
Smith Fertilizer & Grain is in full swing of preparing for 2025, so don’t be afraid to call and discuss your farm plan. Even if you’re not a customer yet, we’d be happy to give advice and see if there is a fit and opportunity to grow your business next year. Smith Fertilizer and Grain’s motto is “Service is our Specialty” and our goal is to help our customers grow year after year. We plan on making 2025 just as successful as 2024 so reach out to any of our sales team for your crop needs.
Grain Update
Mark White Grain Division Manager
The harvest is wrapping up and for most of our trade area it has been a record-setting harvest. Farm bins are overflowing, and our elevators will end the season on the full side. We have been able to move enough grain to keep from being totally full, though the Centerville location had to reduce hours for a short time. It seems we saw the normal mix of sell or store as the grain came across the scale. We do have some carry in the markets this fall which gives you hope for higher prices in the future. However, without poor weather somewhere in the world there could be a limit on how high prices may go. Export sales have been very good for corn and beans for the past 6 weeks. We currently are priced very competitively on the world market. Our reputation for supplying superior grain is also helping the sales. But the weather has improved in South America as they have received enough moisture for bean planting to resume. Their farmers are just like ours as they can plant a huge amount of ground in a short period of time. They will lose their crop 2 or 3 times just like always. This may give us some pricing opportunities, but we will need to be prepared to act. This could easily be a year when you cash in a 50-cent rally instead of waiting for a dollar rally that may not come. Selling increments can provide an average price which may be higher than selling it all at once, unless you are someone that has a knack for hitting the market tops. Give us a call and we can review some services SFG provides. We offer on farm pickup from storage bins and give a competitive price, especially for fast loads. A couple of things everyone with farm storage needs to watch. Most of the grain went into the bins super dry and it is easy to forget about it. However, we were filling bins when the outside temperatures were in
Operations Update
Charles Smith Agronomy Operations Manager
Harvest in the central area is mostly complete and fall fertilizer application is in full swing. We have been applying dry fertilizer and lime for the past couple of weeks. For the most part, we are keeping caught up on the application. The weather has been perfect for us to get plenty of work done.
We have tested our NH3 equipment and are ready to go when the ground dries up. We have several toolbars out hooked up ready to go. It looks like we will be applying fullbore as soon as we can get into the fields.
We have also been doing several acres of grid sampling and regular soil sampling. The ground was plenty hard before recent rains, so this should make that job a lot easier. We still have time to do more sampling if anyone has a need.
If you’d like to get your fall fertilizer or grid sampling booked, give us a call at 641-828-8500. We can get you in touch with your area’s salesman and have you taken care of!
the 80’s and higher. This grain still needs to be cooled to remove the excess heat. These bins should all be cored prior to winter weather so the bins can breathe. And as always, we advise everyone to check their bins twice a month. I like to remind people if they had a 10,000 bill in that bin, they would check it all the time. Most bins contain way more grain value than that, so it deserves to be checked timely. It is easy to fix a spoilage problem if it is caught right away. If it advances for a period of time, it can become costly.
Northwest Agronomy Update
Jason Jensen
Northwest District Agronomy Sales
The 2024 harvest is nearly completed on many farms in the Northwest trade territory. Corn and soybeans have yielded exceptionally well for the most part, with record yields being reported on many farms in the area. This shows that timely rains, and not just rain in general, are actually the “Million Dollar Rainfall.”
Looking at the corn which had exceptional yield, it appears the fields it came from all had the same distinct agronomy inputs that we have been talking about for a long time. Corn seed was placed in the correct soil type for the variety. Fields had two-pass chemical programs with residual effects and multiple modes of action. Fungicide was applied around tassel time. The fertilizer program included more than thirty pounds of sulfur, high nitrogen rates from more than one form of nitrogen, a good maintenance fertilizer program of P/K, and micro-nutrients such as Zinc and Boron.
Soybeans that yielded exceptionally well had remarkably similar practices followed. All the fields had a good nutrient management plan in place, including P/K/S, zinc, manganese, and boron. The correct treated seed was placed on the right acre. A multi-mode pre-emerge followed by a post-emerge with residual was applied. Fungicide, insecticide, and micronutrients were applied at around R1. All these steps combined resulted in outstanding yields.
These are agronomy practices that we know will add yield to a crop. Combined with timely rainfall, these practices will greatly increase your yield. With commodity prices like they are, we can’t afford to not work for every bushel we can get. Give me a call at 641-942-6223 today about planning for next year’s crop inputs.
Northeast Agronomy Update
Greg Willer Northeast District Agronomy Sales
Harvest is all but wrapped up for the 2024 season. There are still a few corn fields left standing out there, but mostly, everyone is done. The rain has settled in helping farmers pull the trigger on fall NH3 application. Once it dries up NH3 application will be in full swing.
When making your nh3 applications this fall remember to add the stabilizer. Nitrogen will be the most important input along with seed and it needs to be protected. N-Serve (or a generic equivalent) is a must with fall application with anhydrous. It is a cheap insurance plan when it comes to protecting your investment.
I also recommend using a Nutrisphere for those of you who are using SFG’s Supergrow for your nitrogen needs. Crop markets are down, and inputs are expensive, but you still need to protect next year’s crop.
While on the topic of nitrogen application, we have been seeing the benefits of variable rate anhydrous and dry fertilizer applications. We can use yield and/or soil maps to apply more nitrogen to areas that will raise more crops and lower the nitrogen rate for areas that seem to have lower yield potential. We have found that by doing this we are saving money on anhydrous by only putting it in areas it is needed.
While we are waiting for fields to dry after the rain, take some time to discuss the ways you can protect your nitrogen inputs and maximize your dollars on fertilizer application. Give me a call at our Pleasantville office at 515-848-5000 and I’ll be glad to discuss fall programs with you.
Southern Agronomy Update
Taylor Banks
Southern District Agronomy Sales
Harvest has started to slow down in my area over the past few weeks. Quite a few growers are getting finished up or close to it. Overall yields set some new records, and most for our area were very good at minimum. Given the commodity prices, that has been a pleasant surprise for growers this season.
We have received our first measurable rain in the last 40 days. This should give us time to get started on NH3 whenever things dry up again. Jason has our tractor and toolbar ready to start whenever conditions are fit.
As for the agronomy department, we have been busy taking soil samples, spreading fertilizer, and getting cover crops out. So far we have had a very good run getting all that done thanks to the nice weather. If there is something you would like to get done before winter, we can get to that yet this fall before winter sets in.
Soil testing provides a road map for where our soils are today and gives us a path to where we want to be in the future. At SFG we offer both conventional and GPS grid sampling services, and fall is an excellent time to get samples taken. Even if you don’t fertilize until spring, having the samples pulled now gives you time to review them and tailor your fertility plans to what your limiting factor may be before spring.
Call me at our Centerville office at 641-856-2828 if you’d like to discuss grid sampling and spring or fall fertilizer application!
Road Maintenance Update
SFG Road Maintenance has been serving the local area for more than 20-plus years with winter maintenance products. We offer two different types of products which would be our granular (salt) and liquids. Our most popular granular product we sell out of all SFG locations is our fifty-pound bag rock salt called Lightning. Lightning is pre-treated with magnesium chloride, an organic carbohydrate based additive and coated with a corrosion inhibitor. It provides premium sized salt crystals for ultimate performance. Lightning has a melting power to -20°F, with a quicker burn and a longer lasting residual effect. Lightning provides a safer option for pets, sidewalks, plants and equipment with lesser of an impact on those sensitive areas. Lightning is available for purchase in either individual bags or full pallets.
Another popular granular product we sell would be our Beet Salt. Beet Salt is common highway salt that is treated with our flagship product, Beet 55™. Beet Salt provides customers with another option for a safer alternative with its organic carbohydrate additive. Beet 55™ lowers the freezing point of highway salt by slowing down the refreeze of the water created by the melted snow and ice. This helps keep product use down, lowering the amount of corrosion and chloride load introduced in our environment. Beet Salt is available for purchase in 1-ton bags or in bulk.
Our road maintenance department also offers a variety of liquid products that can be used in a variety of applications. From sidewalks and driveways to streets and highways, our line of liquid products meets the needs of those who need to control snow and ice conditions. Locally our most popular products that are in use
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Feed Division Update
Brandon Blommers
Albia Location & SFG Feed Division Manager
At SFG in Albia we have a full line of commodity mixes. We offer bulk and bagged products, whether it’s one of our custom mixes or one of your own. We deliver both bulk and bagged feed. We also have creep feeders for rent. You can pick them up or we can deliver those as well. We have our resident experts Mark Jacobs (inside feed sales) and Mike King (outside feed sales) on site, to provide custom nutrition ration recommendations. Rations include cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses, deer and more.
Just a reminder that our order cut-off to receive feed the next day is 12pm. This allows us to schedule our runs and get production planned out. If you get in a pinch we can probably still fit you on the schedule though, so feel free to ask. Give us a call at 641-932-2100 and Mark, Mike, Mariah, or I will be glad to help you out!
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today are Beet 55™ plus, Beet 55™ RTU, and Cal Plus. All three products can be used to melt and prevent winter precipitation from bonding with the ground. Our Beet 55™ line of products shine in high traffic vehicle locations with their melting power and added residual effect. While our Cal Plus is great for any location with it’s clear, non-tracking, color. All our liquids are available for purchase in 250-gallon totes and in bulk.
We hope you’ll choose SFG Road Maintenance in the battle of ice and snow. If you have any questions about any of our products, please feel free to contact myself, Stephen Leeds, or Chad Lynch at 641-828-8508.
Feed Update
Mike King SFG Feed Sales
It s weaning time, and we have the feeds and supplements you need for optimal performance.
For weaning tubs, we carry both Hubbard’s Crystalyx Brigade and Kent’s Rumen Booster tubs. Both are excellent choices for your operation. Just put one tub per 40 head in your feed lot. Once the calves lick the tubs, their rumen is activated and they’re ready to eat.
For those already on feed rations, we carry a variety of limiters to mix in with your creep feeds. We also supply stress supplements. These are great ways to make sure your calves get what they need and not a pound more, while keeping them happy and healthy.
For those of you putting cows out on stalks, don’t forget your protein supplements. We have a variety of tubs that will fit your needs perfectly. We have both all-natural and urea-sourced tubs to fit your needs, from both Kent and Hubbard.
Finally, for the best performance, be sure to have your forages tested. This is a great way to make sure your rations and supplements are dialed-in for the best feed conversion and optimal return on your dollar.
Give our Albia location a call at 641-932-2100 today and let us know how we can help your livestock operation!
Construction Division Update
If you have any questions or problem areas on your farm that might need some attention whether that be tiling out those wet spots, putting in terraces, reshaping waterways, building ponds, cleaning out old fence rows, or even just clearing trees, feel free to reach out to see what we can do to help.
Give us a call at 641-891-5593 and schedule your construction work!
Kevin Smith Farm & Construction Manager
As we finish up harvest, a lot of you may already be thinking about some of the improvements that you may be wanting or needing to do on your farm. If you are like me, when you get out there in the field, you tend to find those areas in the field that might need some attention.
Fall normally can be one of the best times to get your fields fixed up. Our Wolverine Rotary Ditcher makes quick and easy work out of reshaping waterways and ditches. We also have a tiling machine to help with drainage, along with track hoes and bulldozers for heavy dirt and demolition work.
