SFG Update - Spring 2023

InThisIssue:

CharlesSmith,AgronomyManager

MarkWhite,GrainManager

DerrickHoodjer,ProgramsDirector

JasonJensen,AgronomySales

TaylorBanks,AgronomySales

MarkWhite,GrainManager

MikeKing,FeedSales

BrandonBlommers,AlbiaLocationManager

SFG Operations Update

Charles Smith Agronomy Operations Manager

Looks like we survived another winter, and spring is upon us. Things will start to green up before we know it. Equipment-wise, we are ready to go to the field as soon as the weather cooperates. Over the winter we completed several projects to make things better for this spring. We still have some more projects coming down the pipe to discuss.

One project was to remodel the Milo office building. This building needed several upgrades. We put in new windows, rebuilt the stairway entrance, enlarged the bathroom, put on new siding, and added two offices. We still have some work to do on the building, but we are getting close to completion. In addition to those improvements, we have made several other improvements around the facility. The grain elevator upgrade functioned very well this past fall and winter. We poured a concrete floor in the storage shed east of the office, allowing us to store more feed and seed on site. We should now have plenty of room for the greatly increased feed and seed business at this location.

The Pleasantville location will be next on the list. The windows are a little drafty and the current

siding is three different styles. Work will be done on new windows for the lower offices and new, uniform siding for the office building. This should really spruce the building up. We are also going to install new flooring inside the office building. This project will start next month.

Also, we’re happy to announce that we’ll be building a new office building and warehouse at our Centerville location. This will consolidate all our storage under one roof and greatly increase our storage capacity for feed, seed, and chemicals. We hope to get it done this year and to have the grain grading area done by harvest. It will be a huge improvement over the current workspace there. Weather has kept us from getting much application done over the past couple of months, but we are ready to go. All the NH3 toolbars and wagons are ready to go. We have several acres lined up for custom NH3 and several for customers to apply with our rental bars. In a perfect world it would be nice if all the ground dried up at once, but we know that’s not going to happen. We have a limited number of toolbars available, let us know as soon as you think your ground is ready so we can get you taken care of.

Finally, we’re busy making sure that fertilizer application equipment is ready for spring. The Super Grow and dry machines are ready to go. The pre-chemical sprayers will come out of the shed after the first of April. We got them ready to go last fall, so we should not have a lot to do on them. We now just need the ground conditions to dry up and temperatures to rise. I’m ready for it to warm up, and I know you are too.

Central Region Update

Derrick Hoodjer, Agronomy Programs Director

Spring agronomy work in our central trade area is just about ready to kick off. Overall it’s been a cool and wet March, which has kept a lot of field work from getting done. The good fall we had was certainly a blessing. We were able to get a good chunk of NH3 and Dry Fertilizer taken care of right after harvest. As of now, we have 2-3 weeks of hard running left to do, but we are still sitting in good shape going into Spring.

Overall, the weather this winter was mild but wet. Many were surprised with the soaking rains during the winter months. Our soil profile was getting charged up all the way through winter and tile lines have been flowing again. This was some good news coming out of the drought conditions we had in the fall. As we are approaching April, we hope to get warmer weather and sunshine to kick off the growing season right.

Going into Spring, we have focused on adding value to your farm. Once you have a good base of NPK and lime, you can add products to get into higher yield scenarios. Products like sulfur, stabilizer, and fungicides combined with services like variable rate technology can have a large impact on farms in our area. We talk about sulfur a lot, and it is probably

our most popular value-added product. We almost always see yield benefits in corn with sulfur, provided we have no underlying issues with other fertility. Using variable rate seeding and application is also becoming more popular, as we can see the benefits over multiple growing seasons. It’s not always the easiest to measure how much yield benefit we get, but I’m confident in saying if we push the better fields and better parts of the fields, we will get more yield. We don’t have many fields with very good soil profiles spread evenly across the entire field. If we can focus on the spots that are high-yielding and save inputs from being wasted on the lower-yielding spots, we will be better in the long run.

Another focus for us in the central region has been discussing seed plans with customers. The planters are getting ready, and we are getting close to being out in the fields. We’re working to make sure all the seed is ready to go and field plans are laid out. April weather often changes our plans, but having a predetermined general guide of what to plant where and when makes planting go much easier.

Also, we can’t stress this enough: Don’t plant the wrong hybrid in a field just because that’s what is in the planter. Waiting a few hours to get the right seed on the right acre is worth way more than lost time planting.

As always, all of us at SFG are here to help. If you have any questions or issues going into spring, reach out to us. We may not be able to fix every problem, but we will find the right people that can. Thank you for your business so far this year, and we hope everyone has a safe and successful planting season.

Northwest Agronomy Update

Jason Jensen

Northwest District

After a wet and unique weather pattern this winter, spring hopefully will hit soon. Currently, our soil seems to have reached full water holding capacity with many tile lines running strong. Some farmers held off on fertilizer applications to see if we received any rainfall this spring. Others waited to see if we were set up for another year of drought. If you were one of these customers, it is time to put a plan together to get your fertilizer applied when conditions are right.

We have started spreading urea on hay and pasture fields that are firm enough to get machines across. This will allow the early grass growth to take advantage of fertilizer. It will soon be time to apply what anhydrous is left to go on in the northern area. Many fields were taken care of last fall, so thankfully we don’t have as much to go on this spring.

In a few weeks, if the weather allows, it will also be time to start preplant spraying. This keeps our fields clean all season long. It can be a difficult task as spring rains do not allow a lot of time for this, but it is a critical step in keeping our fields

clean and optimizing yields.

With the frequent rain and snow events that we have been receiving, it appears that we may be set up for a wet spring. Adverse weather conditions make it more important than ever to have an agronomy plan in place. That way when go-time is here, we are ready to work in your fields. It is also a great time to sit down with your agronomist and go over seed placement before the rush of spring arrives. Placing seed on the correct acre is vital for optimum yield.

If you haven’t sat down with your agronomist and completed your agronomy plan for spring, call your local SFG agronomist and work through this plan before the “storm of the season” hits all of us. Have a great planting season and remember to stay safe this spring.

Agronomy Sales

Southern Agronomy Update

Taylor Banks Southern District Agronomy Sales

So far in my area, cool, wet weather has slowed down spring work. Aside from a few days when it was froze, not much of any fertilizer or lime has been applied this past month. It is starting to appear like a repeat of spring 2022 is in store for us and everything is going to go to the field at once. I have been working on finishing up agronomy plans with customers on final details for fertilizer, seed, and chemicals as well as working on getting maps updated and turned in for spring work. Last season we had concerns about supply shortages of some items but it appears that has worked itself out and shouldn’t be a concern this time. Also, last season due to high fertilizer costs, many growers cut back on fertilizing hay and pasture and it seems like the dry weather cost us some grazing/hay late last summer. As those prices have backed off I have been working with customers to get fertility plans back on track and get those acres on the list for this spring. Derrick and I have been working on getting early seed deliveries out. Derrick has been sorting orders as well so we should have all of your needs in our shed soon and ready for when planters start to get to the fields. We also have a full line of small seed and alfalfa in stock too for anyone looking to do a seeding this spring this would be a good time to get those plans together.

Tune in weekdays at noon to 96.7 KIIC for the latest market news, sponsored by Smith Fertilizer & Grain!

Grain Update

Mark White Grain Division Manager

The past 6 to 8 weeks the grain markets have given us indications that the price bubble may have broken, and we are headed lower. Old crop beans have been the leader in this as the front month contract has lost almost 1.50 from the winter high. Lower production from Argentina offered support for a while as the Brazilian harvest was slow to start due to wet weather. Now Brazil is pushing beans out of their ports fast and furious which is leaving the US in the dust as our beans have been overpriced. That has led to rumors that Brazilian beans are headed to our southeastern shores. That has stifled our bean market in the last 10 days. New crop beans have also lost over a dollar in the last month. For some time, we were pricing local new crop beans at 13.00 plus, now it is 12.00 plus and at times it is below 12.00. The USDA releases their planting intention report on March 31. Most of the talk has been on the amount of corn that will be planted, while most traders expect bean acres to remain mostly steady with last year. Once this report is behind us, we will start trading US weather. March has been wet and cold thru most of the corn belt. Very little field work has been done and it will be a full pressure event once we get started. The northern plains still have a lot of snow and that leads to talk of prevented planting for spring wheat and possibly some corn acres. Individual yield history will determine if producers

take the money, or switch crops. The high cost of inputs will enter into this decision as well. While the bean market as been on a sinking ship, corn has also struggled to hold value. Old crop did take a 50cent hit as the export market continued to disappoint everyone. Finally, about 2 weeks ago China did come calling and started buying US corn which put some money back into the market. It appears they will continue buying from the US as we have the cheapest corn available in the world at this time. The Black Sea market has been hit and miss while the first crop corn out of South America is about gone. Brazil’s second crop corn was planted late putting it in danger of losses to their hot and dry summer weather. If they do suffer losses on that crop, it will almost force the world buyers to us. Corn planting in the Ukraine is expected to be greatly reduced as the cost of their inputs are tremendously high. Therefore, many Ukrainian farmers are expected to plant more oil crops like sunflowers and canola, if they can plant at all while the war is taking place in the backyards of many producers in that country. The trade is expecting to see an increase in US corn acres when the acreage report comes out on the 31st. Raising corn still looks to be more profitable for many farmers compared to beans. However, current new crop prices for corn when pitted against the high cost of inputs may lead to more head scratching for those that don’t nave their nitrogen on. The cost of interest will take a much bigger bit out of the bottom line for those having to borrow operating money. Many of the decisions that are made in the upcoming season will help set the stage for the near future. We may not have the higher commodity prices going forward that we have seen for almost 3 years. The bubble may not completely burst, but there is little doubt that it will leak some air.

Feed Update

Mike King SFG Feed Sales

Calving, for the most part even with weather conditions, is going better than expected. As I visit producers in our trade area, I’m seeing lots of calves in the fields. The market is forecast for record highs this fall, so you want to make sure you’re keeping the calves happy and healthy this summer.

You want to have a good fly control program in place. Start with back-rubbers in your pasture. Around late April you want to start feeding a mineral with an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) like Altosid or garlic and keep them on it until the first hard freeze. Two good options we stock are Cow Calf 5 by Blueprint and Hubbard’s Stockmaster Cow Power 6. You can feed these minerals all year long.

As you move cows out on pasture, normally grass is lush at first. You should consider feeding a high mag mineral for at least 21 days. Fescue toxicity and grass tetany is a major concern here in Southern Iowa and Northern Missouri. Consider a good strong fescue mineral with Altech’s FEB-200. This product doesn’t just bring the cow’s temp down to mask symptoms –it binds to the fescue toxins and removes them from the cow.

You also want to get your cows wormed as soon as they’re on pasture. We stock a steady supply of

Safeguard Dewormer. This product gets mixed in with your existing feed or mineral, so it’s easy to administer and works quick.

If you’re looking to creep feed, now’s the time to lock in your pricing for the year. We all know how volatile the markets can be, so reserve your product today and know what you’re paying for it. We offer Hubbard Feeder financing at 0% interest – buy now and pay when your cows are sold. With today’s interest rates it’s a no-brainer to go this route. We also rent creep feeders on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you think you might need one, reserve yours now.

Planting season will be here soon, so call me today at 641-218-4232. You don’t want to be sitting in your planter and realize at 4:45 you’re out of feed. A quick call gets everything on the books and ready to go, leaving you able to focus on the spring field work.

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Introducing Brandon Blommers

Brandon Blommers Albia Location Manager

11 years as a grain buyer and merchandiser for Quad Co. Grain, which became DFS.

My name is Brandon Blommers, and I am the new location manager in Albia. I have been here since January 9. I grew up in Oskaloosa, where I currently reside with my wife of almost 20 years, Jessi. We have two daughters and a son, ages 18, 15 and 10. They keep me very busy!

I have been working in the ag industry since 2009, and have spent time at multiple facilities managing feed, grain, agronomy, bulk lube oil, fuel, and propane operations. I spent the first

I worked very closely with farmers, helping them put together grain marketing plans. We used many different contract options, from basis contracts to HTA’s and everything in between. It’s very satisfying when I can help the farmer accomplish their grain marketing goals! On the flip side, I worked closely with Cargill in Eddyville where we marketed half of all the grain we took in. I then transitioned into co-op management, overseeing the operations of multiple facilities for a couple of different coops before landing here at SFG.

I have enjoyed getting to know new customers and running into some old familiar faces that I have done business with in the past. I look forward to helping the SFG team build on its successes, while continuing to grow the feed and grain operations.