Topflight Grain Sept 2015 High Flyer Newsletter by Topflight Grain Cooperative

High

Flyer

Saddle up, pardner, it’s harvest time!

Laura’s grandsons, Cash & Henry

SEPTEMBER 2015

888-762-2163 | topflightgrain.com SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 1

SUMMER 2015 by Scott Docherty, General Manager

n my last High Flyer article, I listed all the projects we had planned for spring and summer. We are working feverously to finish all those projects before harvest. The operations staff is as busy as ever cleaning, sweeping, and performing regular maintenance at all our locations. The annual crop tour results were as expected, and we believe yields will be lower than the record 2014 crop by 10%. Topflight Grain Cooperative, Inc. will not have as much emergency corn piled with 3.0 million less corn bushels to handle and the additional 3.0 million bushels of permanent storage capacity added this summer. Heavy spring rains were limited to our Western territory, as you could see by our rain maps on our Topflight website. Our Atlanta location, in Logan County, has received 27.6 inches of rain this season versus our Atwood location, in Douglas County, which received 17.9 inches of rain. Overall, we have been blessed with a good growing season and have been spared from the flooding that many endured in the Eastern Corn Belt. Topflight Grain Cooperative, Inc. hosted a number

Annie, Denise & I encountered this bear during our trip to Alaska. of meetings this summer, starting with our golf outing, annual meeting, and our crop tour meetings. We really enjoy getting to visit with our customers and have conversations concerning our industry and what changes are taking place in agriculture. This has also provided an opportunity to discuss concerns you may have and address those questions. The Farm Progress Show is back in Decatur this year, so we dumped some corn early this year and expect harvest to start right after Labor Day weekend. We would consider the normal time frame for harvest beginning the 2nd week of September till the end of October. The NOAA 90 day weather forecast is predicting normal temperatures and normal precipitation for Illinois and the Eastern Corn Belt. My family had a busy summer, and we

Serge, Lindsey and Blaine

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sure enjoyed our vacation to Skagway, Alaska. Our son, Dillon, is working with a company called Alaska Excursions. Denise, Annie and I had the opportunity to visit in early June. Skagway was one of the mining towns established at the beginning of the Alaskan Gold Rush. Local residents of 400 grow during the vacation season to 18,000, with up to five cruise ships porting for the day. We did a lot of hiking, rafting, wildlife watching, camping and enjoyed every minute. Annie turned 21 this summer and is continuing her education at ISU in Normal, IL, this fall. Serge is managing a Hotel in Macomb, IL, as his wife, Lindsey, is finishing her degree in medical management; she is working toward making the Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list for the third time at WIU. Our grandson, Blaine, turned 3 years old and is very active and likes to talk and talk and talk. We really enjoy having a young one in the house now and then. Denise and I have enjoyed a couple of weekend trips this summer, and we are looking forward to the best season of the year, Fall!!! Have a safe and bountiful harvest.

Dillon, Annie, me & Denise in Alaska.

OFFERS by Sherryl Young, Merchandiser Assistant

art of my job is keeping track of offers. I would recommend this to everyone. Placing an offer is a way to get the price you want for your grain without having to watch the market every minute. As you know, the market changes so fast that you might miss the highs. Sometimes, the price may be at the high for only a short time. By placing an offer, someone else watches it for you. Placing an offer is a simple procedure. All you need to do is call your local Topflight elevator and give them the following information: your name, commodity, location of delivery, delivery period, and the price you want. Also if you want the offer to expire on a certain date, let them know that also. When the expiration date is reached, you will be contacted to see if you would like to extend the offer or go ahead and cancel. An Offer Confirmation will be mailed to you. Please sign one copy, and mail it back in, and keep the other copy for your records. If and when the price specified is reached, the offer will be activated and a Purchase Confirmation will be mailed to you. Please sign one copy and return promptly. If the offer was for a cash price (grain already delivered), then a check or ACH will be processed and sent to you also. Harvest is coming, and this busy time is a good opportunity to place offers. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 3

SETTLED IN SEYMOUR

GETTING READY FOR HARVEST

by Evan Brewbaker, Seymour Grain Originator & Branch Manager

y name is Evan Brewbaker, and I’ve been with Topflight Grain for about five months now. I live in Seymour with my two sons, Gannon and Jaydon. I graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in December of 2012 with a Technical Systems Management degree with a minor in Agricultural Health and Safety. A little background on where I came from… I grew up in Southern Illinois just outside of a little town called Du Bois on a farm where we had cattle, horses and, at times, a couple dozen chickens. I farmed for the Animal Sciences department at U of I for a year and a half, then for a half year at the Energy Biosciences Institute Research Farm. I am excited to be with Topflight Grain, as I am eager to learn more about this industry, as well as build relationships with the people that I encounter every day. My sons and I moved to Seymour in June from Mahomet. My son, Jaydon, is five and is starting kindergarten this year, which he is very excited for! Gannon is 9 months old. We have enjoyed getting to know our farmers as well as the involved individuals in the community. It is nice being back in a small town where everybody is kind and friendly towards each other, and it is a place where I look forward to living in, and raising, Gannon & I at the Trailblazers my sons. I look Rodeo. 4 SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER

by Dana Shull, Maroa Grain Originator

Gannon & Jaydon forward to continuing to build relationships with the people of the Seymour areas, as well as the individuals associated with Topflight Grain! On the business side, here at Seymour we are getting everything ready for yet another large harvest, even though it is not a record year like 2014! Our bunker for the outside pile is being assembled, as well as doing some maintenance on our equipment and facilities that will make harvest go even smoother. I am fortunate to have a great staff of outside guys that really care about the work they do and the quality of our grain. We are hoping that this will be a great year for the Seymour facility! Jaydon, proud of his awesome catch.

he outside operations men swept bins and got the elevator in order for harvest. Inside the office, Denny Hill, Amy Brammer, and myself prepared by making employee packets, hired harvest part-time help, stocked up on any needed supplies, and updated farm accounts. Speaking of farm accounts, remember to give us a call ahead of time if you have any changes or additions. If you would like farm code signs made, just give me a call. It makes it much easier to see a sign with the correct farm code in your window. Also, be sure to check your ticket to make sure all the information is correct before leaving. Think of it as going to a bank...you wouldn’t give them money in the drive thru; let them guess whose account to put it in, and then drive away without checking your receipt. Some other harvest time reminders: We probe both front & back hoppers, as well as all wagons pulled. After we probe the first, go ahead and pull up a little so we can get the back one. This will ensure a better sample. Another reminder is every Thursday you need to make a decision on what to do with your grain that is on hold. Even if you haul in on a Thursday, this grain will need to be sold or stored. If we do not hear from you by close on Thursday, the grain will then be automatically moved to Open Storage. Okay... now for some news from my family! With all the rain in June, Lucy dressed in I really thought harvest her finest attire! was going to be put

on the back burner for a while, but once the rains subsided, it wasn’t long before the corn started to turn. So, I started working on party decorations & crafts for my granddaughter’s 1st birthday right away. Lucy will be turning one in November, and since her granny will be very busy at the elevator up until her birthday…now was the time to get things done before her big day! My family and I enjoyed our summer, went on a couple of getaways. We recently rented a cabin in Santa Claus, Indiana. That was a lot of fun for everyone, and I would recommend it! My oldest son, Zane, started his new career in June and we couldn’t be more proud of him. Our oldest daughter, Ceara, continues to be a very busy mommy, and is still working in Bloomington. Her little one, Lucy, is doing well and growing so fast. My son, Holden, is back to school and this is his last year at Kaskaskia College. Any free time he has is spent at work, or working out at the gym. My youngest daughter, Paige, joined the Decatur park program B.O.S.S over the summer. They performed a musical at the Decatur Civic Center in August. I cannot say enough about the performance, it was truly awesome! Paige recently started her first year of junior high at Maroa-Forsyth. It doesn’t seem possible. My family and I would like to wish you a safe and Paige at her last grade school concert in May. bountiful harvest! SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 5

OPTIONS/SPREADS CONFUSION by Andy Lawhead, Bement Grain Originator

his title seemed fitting after attending a “Developing Professionals” event this summer in Chicago. We had a lot of topic options, it was spread out across the city and at times I felt a little confused!!! This two day event was packed full of information about various subjects such as, Global Economic Outlook, Energy and the “Energy Policy Game”, Economics of Arbitrage & Effects of CME Delivery System, Tour of Microsoft Tech Center, and Marketing with INTL FC Stone. As part of the FC Stone meeting, we also had the opportunity to tour the CBOT and see some pits in action…hence the confusion. The use of hand signals and shouting seemed chaotic to me. At times I wasn’t sure who was communicating with whom! This was my first time at the CBOT, and I understand it’s not the same today as it once was, but I couldn’t imagine how anyone could work/think in that type of environment. Overall it was a great trip that opened my

Heather & I enjoying the Cubs/Cards game in St. Lois.

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eyes to more moving parts of the grain industry: Options, Spreads, and how at times there can be some confusion. I look forward to better understanding and educating myself on these important parts of the grain process. Overall, it’s been a quiet summer at the Bement facility. No construction projects or major repairs to really speak of…which isn’t a bad thing. As I write, the last of our beans are being vacced out and shipped to ADM. The annual maintenance inspections are finished and grain will be coming in before we know it. Jim and all the maintenance/operations guys have done a great job getting Bement, as well as other locations, ready for another harvest. Please take a minute to welcome our newest operations employee, Jake Hatten, as you dump grain this fall. Family life…Hopefully you all enjoyed your summer as much as Heather and I did. Coaching my daughter’s T-ball team was a lot of fun, but wow, 10 of those little rug rats running around can be a

Wyatt & Emma having some summer fun.

handful! Emma and Wyatt loved spending time on the lake this summer. We did also manage to take an extended weekend trip to Wisconsin Dells. The kids enjoyed the waterpark, but their highlight was riding the famous “Wisconsin Ducks”. They were amazed that a school bus looking vehicle could travel on land or water!!! Emma is in kindergarten, enjoys her teacher, Mrs. Bruhn, and is having a blast making new friends. Wyatt just turned 3 and continues to be as ornery as ever. He is happy that Emma and others are off to school because that makes him the Top Dog at daycare. I hope everyone has a safe and abundant harvest!!! Emma & Wyatt at Wisconsin Dells.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN BEASON ... by Jim Sherwood, Beason Operations Superintendent

s September begins to roll in, I just can’t believe that harvest is already here. There have been many changes around here since last year’s harvest. In March, our long time grain originator, Jill Gabriel, retired. We sent her off with a beach BBQ celebration with lots of friends stopping by to wish her well. Jill loved the party so much, that she just can’t stay away, and she has been back to help out a few times since March, and she will likely be around here and there during harvest as we need her. We would also like to welcome Jacob “Jake” Quaid to the Beason crew. Jacob started back in June and has been a great addition to our team. Like many others, we have been working hard around here to get ready and prepped for the harvest rush to hit. We have tightened the conveyors, swept the bins and we are empty on corn and ready for harvest. The biggest change around Beason this year will be the flow of traffic due to our new scale. Work for the new scale began in August and is set to be finished in time for harvest. Progress is

moving right along and we are excited to see the finished product. We may need some traffic controllers to get everyone used to the new flow. We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy harvest!

The new traffic pattern at Beason. Let us know if you have any questions! SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 7

GETTING READY FOR HARVEST

SUMMER IS NEVER LONG ENOUGH

by Jeff Tibbs, Johnston Siding Operations Superintendent

by Larry Ackerman, Northern Region Operations Manager

s I am writing this, harvest is fast approaching. It always seems like we will never get everything emptied, cleaned and greased for the upcoming harvest. Whenever people ask me if I am ready for harvest, I always say “No, but it doesn’t matter if I’m ready, because harvest isn’t going to wait for me.” Deep down I know that my elevators will be ready because I have good employees that work for me and the fact that we have no other choice than to be ready for the first load of corn. We have had some changes here at Monticello in the last couple of weeks. Chris Frye has decided to accept an opportunity with The Anderson’s in Mansfield, and Kris Mills, who has been running Lodge, will now be running Monticello. I wish Chris the best of luck and he will be missed. With that

being said, I have all the confidence that Kris Mills will do an outstanding job for us in Monticello and provide our customers the best of service. The guys at Seymour have been getting the bunker ready for another good corn crop and shipping the last of the corn that they have on hand. On the home front, Camden will be turning 2 this October. She has started to talk and is just as bull headed as her mother. Heaven help me! Her favorite activity is to sit on the couch and have books read to her so that is what we do every night. Wendy and I took Camden to the Decatur celebration this year and she had a ball riding the rides and the ponies. She is growing up too dang fast. I hope everybody has a safe and productive harvest.

She LOVED the merry-go-round! Camden & I on the merry-go-round.

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s I write this in late August, we are about to complete one full year as Topflight and J.J.’s first full year at Johnston Siding. It has been a very good year, starting with a record harvest, which included putting corn on the ground. This kept J.J. and me busy as soon as harvest was over, picking up the pile and then right into shipping from the bins. It has been pretty slow going at times because of long lines at ADM, but we are getting empty. We’ve been getting the elevator, dryer, etc. ready for harvest as well as putting in a new probe this summer. Yes, it is on the wrong side of the scale according to all the comments we receive. We really do know our right from our left, and we didn’t have the plans upside down when it was installed. It works well this way by giving us better visibility from the office. No, I am not worried about someone driving into it. We also put in a new conveyor on top to help with taking corn away from the dryers. We also installed new software. We may need your help and patience at times to make sure we get the right farm, field, etc. Please check your tickets before you leave. With all the rain, we mowed a lot of grass. It seemed at times that’s all we did. Eventually, it quit raining, got hot and dry, and the grass started dying. Fortunately, the rain and heat haven’t prevented the Cardinals from having another great year! Go Cards! Yield checks and general observations unfortunately indicate all that rain has hurt this year’s yield some. How much? We don’t know yet. This year also saw two long-time employees retire. We wish Jill and Beth good luck. People keep asking me when I’m going to retire. I have no plans to yet, but another knee surgery this June makes me think my body may be making plans. I told somebody the

other day it seems like it’s easier to get the elevator ready for harvest than me! Honestly, I look forward to every harvest - this being my 20th at Johnston. J.J. and I will be ready and looking forward to seeing you all again this year. We hope everyone has a safe and productive harvest.

Our new probe at Johnston Siding. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 9

WILL IT RAIN TODAY???....

CHANGES AT EMERY

by Gerry Lolling, Western Regional Operations Manager

by Chelsey White, Emery Grain Manager

hope by the time you are reading this article that we are well into harvest and bringing in a decent crop! Every time it’s my turn to sit down and write an article for the High Flyer, I try and think of everything that has went on so I don’t miss anything. It was this time two years ago I was writing my first article introducing myself as the new Emery Manager, and now we’re going into our third harvest since I’ve been with Topflight, and there’s been some changes around here! First off, we have added a new corn bin that can store over 700,000 bu of corn! We’ve also had a personnel change here at the elevator- Dan Greer, originally from the Maroa location, came down here to be the superintendent, while Jay went to our Atwood facility. There’s also going to be a little change

with the traffic pattern this year with the empty trucks coming out of pits 3 & 4. Empty trucks will be able to go straight across around the shed to pull straight on the scale to weigh out. This should help with some congestion and be a lot safer than years’ past. Our family is doing well. Cooper started Kindergarten this year! Hard to believe he’s already at the age of full time school! We all had a great summer and were able to make it to quite a few Cardinal games this year! We’re trying to squeeze one more in before Labor Day, and the way it looks, that shouldn’t be a problem!! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe harvest, and as always, let us know if there’s going to be any changes with splits or farm codes.

LAWNDALE, READY FOR HARVEST

ILL IT RAIN TODAY?, was the million dollar question this spring, as all looked for the sun to come out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen 7 inches of rain in 2 hours! OH HOW THAT CAN CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE! There was water standing in fields for weeks, roads washing out and ammonia tanks floating through the fields. Trying to find a sump pump was next to impossible. It was a very long spring. In July, the ponds started to leave, but the damage was already done. There were a lot of bare spots in fields where the water sat so long; in some places it was almost whole fields. I’m at a lot lower yield average here in the West. Grain movement is coming along pretty good in getting ready for harvest. Two conveyors are in and Beason’s new scale should be in by the time you receive this newsletter. As for me, I’m waiting for my new grandson to come in early September. He will be number 7; the oldest started his last year of high school this year. Oh, how they grow so fast. Now, I’m starting to feel old. Hope you all have a safe harvest and remember to enjoy yourself. A laugh and a smile can work wonders for your health and mind. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Flooded fields this spring in the Lincoln area.

Ditches were running fulll this summer.

by Danny McCain, Lawndale Operations Superintendent

ell, harvest is approaching at the Lawndale facility, as we are in the last week of August. We are sweeping the last corn tank here at the elevator, but I still have 100,000 bushels of corn at the flat warehouse a quarter mile at the west end of town. I am happy to say I’m proud of my discount charges, being the lowest in the company, even though none of my top fans worked on my storage tanks last harvest. I hope everyone has a safe harvest!! Corn, stunted by too much water, in the Lincoln area.

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ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END by Laura Tomlinson, Kruger Grain Originator

o, the saying goes…..All good things must come to an end….and summer has definitely come to an end. Maybe not according to the calendar, but for all other purposes, it has. I am looking forward to a little slack time before the rigors of harvest begin. This summer has certainly been a busy one for me. I have 2 grandsons who rodeo and I have been lucky enough to attend all of their performances this year. Brodee’s Jr High series started last August and wrapped up this June. He and his partner were state team roping champions and he was Reserve all-around cowboy. He qualified in 3 events for the Jr High National Finals again. I was privileged to spend a week with them at the Iowa State fairgrounds in Des Moines where Brodee and his partner finished 23rd in points in team roping. Memorial Day weekend kicked off the Illinois Jr Rodeo series. Brodee and his brother Britt compete in this series. Again, I was able to attend all their rodeos with the State finals in August wrapping up

My son, Will, left, and grandson Brodee, third from left; Brodee winning Grand Champion commercial doe – Jr Division and Reserve Champion commercial doe over all. 12 SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER

Brodee and Bailey Mowen from Team Illinois at the Jr High National finals, volunteers at the Special Kids Rodeo. the season. Brodee won state champ team roper (heeler) and Reserve all-around cowboy. The last weekend of August kicks off his career in High School rodeo.

Brodee and his team roping partner, Lane Howard, finishing 23rd at the Jr High National Finals Rodeo in Des Moines in late June. Attending county fairs was also on the agenda this summer. Brodee shows Boer goats and had a very super season showing. He won several trophies and plaques to go with his purple ribbons, and wrapped up the show season with Grand champion commercial doe at the Illinois State Fair and Reserve all around commercial doe. It may sound like I only have a few grandkids, but I am a proud grandma of 5 boys with another addition due in February. The younger ones aren’t old enough to compete yet, but I do enjoy playing the spoiling game with them. If we aren’t on the circuit on weekends, I usually have the pleasure of at least one grandson visiting on the weekends and

getting some Grandma time in. I have future goat showers, car racers, and rough stock riders among them. I envision many busy summers ahead for this Grandma for a long time. I am thankful their interests are all family oriented – which gives Grandma lots and lots of family time with them. Wrapping up summer leads to thoughts of harBritt and his pony Merry Legs. vest and long days ahead. We are hearing talk of an early harvest perhaps. The sooner we start, the sooner we can wrap it up, which is okay by me. I will have missed plenty Grandma time by the end of harvest. This will be the Western Division’s first harvest on Agris. Our Agris learning curve will have come full circle. Patience please, as we work through the tickets/paperwork this harvest. A final note – let’s all enjoy harvest and be safe.

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah”. The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?” The little girl replied, “Then you ask him”. My grandson, Britt. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 13

FAIR CONVERSATIONS by Todd Steinberg, Western Region Division Manager

teele County Free Fair, Owatonna Minnesota. Never heard of it, right? Steele County Free Fair (SCFF) is the Fair that I grew up with. It’s where my whole family cut their teeth. We showed Ayrshire Cattle and other livestock for 4-H. Our family

Grandson Beau

Sister Judy at the Hospital Auxiliary booth.

Me, at the Steele County Free Fair, Owatonna Minnesota. (7 kids) was always very active in the largest county fair in Minnesota… and they still are. My sister and her husband help man the hospital auxiliary booth at the SCFF, (and make quilts!) and my brother, who is semi-retired, has metals “Steinberg Creations” booth… but the most prominent in my mind is that of my dad. For 13 years, he was the dairy/milk house superintendent at the fair, and was 4-H club leader for 25 years. Now given this is dairy country, this was a mighty important job. Since we moved to Illinois in 1985, we have tried to get back home for the fair. It’s something that means a lot to me. While seeing old friends and family, many who are involved in farming, what l notice is that we find ourselves talking about the same things we talk

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about here in Illinois of course, the weather, crops, the markets, financial strengths of the rural communities, etc. What else is there to talk about after all? In Minnesota, we add to that with discussions about some different crops (much more oats and hay), dairy cattle and the price of milk. At the SCFF there is a “Village of Yesteryear” that has later 1800’s-

Grandkids, Bradley & Zoey

early 1900’s buildings furnished with real old time items to remind us of how far we’ve come and never to forget our roots. We all have traditions that are important to us. The SCFF is one of those traditions I plan on continuing. When I walk into that dairy barn, I feel my dad’s presence. It’s a peaceful feeling. He was a pillar in that barn. He may shake his head and say “that’s not how we do it boys,” to some of the young people there today, but that was Emil Steinberg. Our family has a bench outside the dairy barn in honor of our mom and dad who gave so much of themselves at the fair. Now home from the fair, the Western Division of Topflight is prepping for harvest. We are looking forward to a smooth and productive harvest. Our team is skilled and strong and we are ready to serve our patrons. The bottom line is that for me, it doesn’t matter where you go in this world of Agriculture… we all share the same goals, celebrations and struggles. It’s all about family, friends and faith. Let’s work together to make this a safe and bountiful harvest.

Dad’s plaque

Emil & Lucille Steinberg’s bench, at the SCFF.

Brother Richard’s booth at the SCFF . SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 15

SUNRISE, SUNSET by Rodd Runyen, Accountant

Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play? I don’t remember growing older. When did they? When did she get to be a beauty? When did he get to be so tall? Wasn’t it yesterday when they were small?

est”! But it has been, and off to school she would go. The grade school years would come and fly by. She would be involved with soccer, dance, and tumbling, even placing third nationally at the AAU tumbling meet in Detroit, Michigan, when she was 5! She would start T-ball and move on to pitching softball. Also, with her being the youngest child, she hese lyrics from the song “Sunrise, Sunset” was always going to her older sister’s and brother’s from “Fiddler on the Roof” were the opening sports games. The grade school years were times of line to my newsletter articles 8 years ago and 3 going on field trips with her, school parties, holiyears ago. Eight years ago, my oldest daughter, Sara, days, and more. It seems as if this is that moment was entering her senior year of high school at Cerro when time seemed to accelerate in our lives. Gordo High School. Three years ago, my son, Bailey, Middle school had her playing basketball and entered his senior year at Cerro Gordo High School. softball, and she would cheer for the JFL football Now, my youngest daughter, Autumn, enters her se- team. These times do feel like they were just yesnior year at Cerro Gordo High School. I have no idea terday, not 5 years ago! Field trips to the Chicago where the time has gone. It flies by so quickly. Museum of Science and Industry, to Chicago to Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were rushing to watch the Cubs play at Wrigley Field (and win!), and Decatur’s St. Mary’s Hospital in the middle of the Six Flags in Missouri. Convincing her to ride the night? We were always thinking we were going to roller coasters and having a blast doing it! And has have a boy, and when the doctor was delivering it really been 3 ½ years since she graduated from Autumn, he kept saying, “Here he comes! Here he middle school, and I was hugging her and handing comes!” And when she was delivered he said, “You her the diploma? have a daughter!”. We were stunned because we Then she moved on to high school. Her softball really hadn’t thought hard on girl names. But since career would come to an early end with a torn it was October, we decided to name her Autumn. labrum. Driving, getting a job, hanging with her Has it really been 18 years ago that we brought her friends, and going to school have all come and home? Seeing the baby rocking in her baby swing gone so quickly. She now enters her senior year of and getting kisses from her big brother almost high school with only 9 short months until graduconstantly seems like yesterday. It is hard to believe ation. When did my little girl turn into a young it has been 18 years! woman? Yesterday, we were bringing her home Then Autumn went through preschool at the from the hospital. Yesterday, she was Little Miss Methodist Church, starting school early because Cerro Gordo. Yesterday, she was just starting kinderthey had an opening for her. She then finished Pregarten. Yesterday, she was pitching in the softball K at the Cerro Gordo schools, and then it was time tournaments. Yesterday, she was learning how to for kindergarten. It can’t be 13 years since we were drive a car. Yesterday, yesterday, yesterday.... But sitting in the kindergarten parent meeting, where all of these yesterdays have added up to equal 18 we looked around and realized we were now some years that have gone by so very quickly. I wish I of the “older” parents instead of some of the “young- could slow time down so that these times could be

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enjoyed even more, but as the saying goes, time stands still for no one. So I guess I better get myself ready to watch Autumn, as she joins Sara and Bailey as a CGHS alum in a few short months. When your children enter school, it feels like it will take forever for them to all graduate. But the time does flow swiftly by. It will seem strange not having a child in the Cerro Gordo school system next year. As our other children graduated, we always knew that we still had Autumn in school. But now it is her turn. These years have produced so many great memories, and our family has been through so many good, bad, happy and sad times. My wife Tera was diagnosed with brain cancer 12 years ago. One of the first things Tera said

to me was, “I am going to live to see Autumn graduate from high school.” Tera continues to be cancerfree today, and she will be watching Autumn graduate from high school this year. And as I look back on how fast the time has gone by with Autumn’s life, the refrain from Sunrise, Sunset tells me how fast these next 9 months of memories will go for us… Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset. Swiftly flow the days. Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, blossoming even as we gaze. Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset. Swiftly fly the years. One season following another, laden with happiness and tears.

Through the years with Autumn-----

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STRANGE MOVEMENT

WET BUSHELS vs DRY BUSHELS

by Derrick Bruhn, Grain Merchandiser

by Jeremy Welch, CFO/Controller

his coming marketing year is going to be interesting. There are areas of the US that have a record crop, and there are some areas that do not have a crop at all. End users in the areas without a crop will create some strange grain movements. We have already seen an increase in interest from the east coast and this will likely continue with the below average production in Indiana and Ohio. There will be Illinois corn moving to the east coast and Iowa corn movMylin, ready for her first day ing into Decatur, IL. The railroads will love of school. this type of movement, but it will come at the expense of the end user. I anticipate our Milmine elevator being a great asset this year to Topflight. Having the ability to ship grain into these areas will benefit the patrons of Topflight Grain. With a slightly smaller crop and the addition of 3.3 million bushels of upright storage, we Mabry, ready for first day of should be in good shape for the har5th grade.

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vest of 2015. Inventories coming into this fall will be larger than the past two years, but should not create any difficulties. Rail availability should not be as difficult as last year. With the slowdown of the fracking industry, it has lessened the demand for locomotives and railcars. This will hopefully be good for the movement of Ag products. On the home front, things have slowed down just in time to speed back up again. The Bruhn girls came home from their summer conference swim meet with 5 first place medals, 2 second place medals, and 1 fourth place medal. The softball season was fun as well this summer, with both of the girls learning and improving over the season. Winter swim will begin the middle of September, and Mabry’s travel softball team has already started practices for next year. Lynne has two classes left for her master’s degree and will be graduating in May. The whole family is excited for this! Mabry has started her last year as a grade school student in 5th grade, Mylin is in 2nd this year, and Lynne, well, she is still excited to be in kindergarten. Be careful each and every day as we work through another harvest!

DRYING CHARGES ....

ithin our local market we see drying charges based on wet bushels and dry bushels. Wet bushels are the actual bushels delivered, weight of the load divided by a standard 56 lbs. per bushel. The dry bushel method applies a shrink factor per point of moisture above 15%, the result would be a quantity less than wet. I do not know the full history about, or when, the dry bushel method became an alternate to wet, but most likely it was introduced to create an attractive policy that would lessen the drying cost to producers by reducing the bushels to be charged. Since it is still in use today within the majority of Topflight’s territory, we can assume it was well received and other cooperatives adopted the dry bushel method to remain competitive. When comparing the different methods, simply looking at the rate will not give a true and accurate picture. The first component to consider is the shrink factor. Topflight’s policy is 1.4% of shrink per point of moisture above 15%. If 1,000 bushels were delivered at 20% moisture, the shrink is calculated as follows: 1.4% x (20-15) = 7% shrink, or 70 bush-

els. The dry bushel result is 930 (1,000 – 70). Once we have the dry bushels, we must now calculate the rate to be applied to the 930 dry bushels. Our current policy as of this writing is $.035 per point of moisture above 15% (split on half points). Keeping with the example above, 20% - 15% equals 5 points of moisture multiplied by the rate of $.035, the result is $.1750 (5 x $.035). Now that we have our dry bushels and rate of drying we can calculate the total drying charge for that load, 930 bu x $.175 = $162.75. Let’s assume that the rate is applied to wet bushels of 1,000; the drying charge would be $175.00 (1000 x $.175). The patron saves $12.25 for the load or $.0122 per bushel using the dry bushel method. Another way to look at it, the patron is paying $.1628 per bushel if you are accustomed to the wet bushel method. Drying is a single factor of many to consider when choosing a delivery point; understanding the different rates and methods when looking at the big picture could be an opportunity to maximize your profits. Be safe out there.

MISSING YOUR FAVORITE EMPLOYEE’S ARTICLE??

Jon Carr, Jeremy Flener, Denny Hill, Gloria Litwiller, Andy Parsons, Jacob Quaid, Jim Rear, Vanessa Stinson, and Jack Warren, will be in the Winter issue of the High Flyer, as we rotate our writers to every-other newsletter. Lynne, Mabry, Mylin, & me, enjoying a Cards game this summer SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 19

ATWOOD NEWS

HARVEST PREPARATIONS AT CISCO!!

by Russel Wright, Atwood Branch Manager

by Andrew Hanes, Cisco Branch Manager/Safety Manager

reetings from Cisco! By the time you are reading this, we are either in the swing of Harvest or nearly there. With the record harvest last year, we have had a lot more grain to move over the course of the year. In my relatively short time with Topflight, we have more old crop grain than we have had either of the last two years. This doesn’t mean we are having issues moving the grain or any other issue within our system; it is just a matter of finding the right time to move the grain and how we want to move it. Also, while this is relatively new to me, it is not new to Topflight or the industry as a whole. With the grain we have here, and leading into a time where we know new grain will be coming in, it takes a little more planning to know where things will be going and how to prepare for things to be shipped out when that time comes. I am extremely pleased that I am part of a team here at Cisco with Rick Stone, Justin McCabe, and Jack Warren – along with the part-time staff we have on throughout harvest – that has the experience,

desire and knowledge to make sure the planning takes place. With them and the work they do leading up to and including Harvest, I know that I can focus on the tasks I have to do because they have taken care of everything operationally. The greater Topflight family is full of individuals that take his or her job seriously and provide opportunities for our customers to thrive. As you may recall, my wife and I welcomed a daughter into our family this spring. Our boys have been in love with her from the time they met her. It has been great to see them interact with her and her with them. As a father, I am glad to know she will have three big brothers to help keep an eye on her as they grow up. As we do continue into the Harvest season, some of you will be looking at this season as a first of many in your lifetime - others will be looking at it as a last of many in your lifetime. However you look at it, enjoy the time of being able to reap what you have sown and stay safe.

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, “Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.” “Yes”, the class said. “Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn’t run into my feet?’ A little fellow shouted, “Cause your feet ain’t empty”.

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t’s been a busy spring and summer here at Atwood. After the winter months passed with no difficulties, we progressed to spring. Lots of corn, beans and non-gmo beans went to the Decatur processors, not to mention a lot of corn and beans that came off the farm to replenish the bins again. We also welcomed Jay Blackburn to the Atwood operation staff to give Bill a hand. During the month of May, Paul’s Machine Shop from Villa Grove arrived to start taking down top conveyers and catwalks, in preparations for the new wet leg and new round grain dryer. Another company came in and pulled down the old Deluxe dryer, smashed it up and hauled it away: probably made into some one’s new pickup truck. Craig’s Concrete of Gilman, Il, dug a big hole where the old dryer sat and poured the pad that the new tower for the leg, catwalks, conveyors, and dryer will sit on. Paul’s has been busy putting the tower together while they waited for the crane to start lifting them in place. Best Builders from Litchfield, IL, arrived and started to assemble the new dryer. If all goes as planned they should have the new dryer done by late August-early September. The rest of the top equipment, catwalks, and bottom conveyors should be done in a few weeks, as well as the spouts back in place. Then all the motors will need to be wired and the gas line installed. Hopefully this project will be ready for harvest. Some more improvements that were made were to install a new conveyor in the small pit and then pour concrete in the driveway to even out the floor, no more driving

over a “speed bump” between the two pits. Bill and Jay continued to move grain out while all this was going on. We also continued to receive corn, a few beans and wheat, by using the west elevator. They also did the usual mowing, and spraying of weeds. Then, they started getting bins ready for harvest. It’s been a busy spring and summer for my wife, Debby, and me. In May, we went to Keystone, SD. The day before we got there, they had record snowfall for that date. It seemed funny to leave here in 80 degree weather and arrive there in 30 degree weather as well as 16 inches of SNOW! However, it melted quickly and our group enjoyed the Badlands and all the sights to see. Our two granddaughters, Tatum and Kady, graduated from eighth grade at the end of May. They both will be freshman at Bement High School. Our oldest grandson, Zac, will be a junior and was selected as drum major for the marching band, as well as working at JTA in Bement. Kendyl, Rylee, Kodee and Jaxon all played softball and baseball this past summer. Now, Jaxon is playing flag football this fall; the three girls are the cheerleaders for the Gibson City teams. As we progress into harvest, let me remind everyone, if you have a new farm account, please let us know in advance so we can set up a new farm code and how the splits will be. This will avoid a slow down at the scales, and the person next in line will appreciate this too. Everyone please have a good and safe harvest.

SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 21

HUNKERIN’ DOWN by Amy Brammer, Business Development Manager

he summer flew by! By the time you all read this we are possibly knee deep in corn harvest. As I type, we are in the thick of August. You’d think August is the calm before the storm, but it’s really a storm of its own. Lots of industry meetings before people hunker down for harvest. Lots of harvest preparation. Lots of last minute stuff to cram in! On the home front, you want to get in those last two weeks of fun before school starts; and then school starts and fall sports, etc. Then, it’s September and harvest. I’m pretty settled into my spot in the Maroa office and am enjoying getting to know the Maroa customers and working with the Maroa staff. Speaking of the Maroa staff, there is a new sheriff in town… Gary Liggett is the new Elevator Superintendent of Maroa! (Dan Greer is now at Emery.) Gary, John Boehm (Joining us from Cisco!), and John Leach have been working hard to get your Maroa elevator ready for harvest. We even have a new sign out front! One of the “extra-curricular” things I enjoy doing for my job is working with the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois. I chair the Education and Development Committee. Within the E&D lies a group called the Developing Professionals. It’s for new professionals to the Grain and Feed Industry. They travel the state learning and exploring the various aspects Illinois Agriculture has to offer and continue education on grain origination/marketing, accounting, communication, leadership, etc. all while building industry relationships that will last a lifetime. It truly is an exciting time to be a young professional in the Ag Industry! The Baby Boomer retirements are becoming more frequent, allowing a new generation of agriculturists to integrate into some great positions across the industry. Do you know someone interested in the Grain Industry? There are many opportunities for challenge and growth! Furthermore, do you know someone in college (2 year or

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4 year) studying Agriculture that may be interested in the Grain Industry? There are positions for all types of majors. Additionally, there are internships and scholarships available at the Junior College and University levels! As a reminder, if you need to change an account to an Estate, Trust, LLC, etc., we will be asking you for the supporting documentation before any changes are made, including payment to the new

The family is doing great! Brenden is in 2nd grade at LSA. He played baseball most of the summer and is back to soccer/ninjitsu this fall. The twins are 3 and continue to entertain us daily! Cooper had to get glasses and that ticked off Brody, so we spend a lot of time telling Cooper how great it is that he has to wear glasses and telling Brody how great it is that he doesn’t!?! We took them to their first Cardinals game at Busch Stadium this summer. What an adventure that was with 3 year olds! Elliott has traveled to some interesting places this year through his work as Manager of the ADM Corn Co-Products group. He has been to South Korea, Japan, China, and Mexico, and with more trips planned for the spring! Happy Harvest and be safe out there! Cooper & Brody

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE FOR HARVEST by Andrew Hanes, Safety Manager

hether we all have a formal plan for performing preventative maintenance or not, we are performing maintenance before we lead into Harvest. It may be as simple as checking belts and making sure everything is in running order to running through a checklist of every little piece on your equipment before even starting the equipment. Either way, it is important to make sure everything is in running order prior to harvest. The following list includes some things to think about: • Anticipate equipment problems before they arise and make sure a plan is in place to address them. • Check maintenance records to ensure that equipment is in proper working order and that critical maintenance activities are performed. • Stock critical parts if you are able to, in preparation for breakdowns. • Allow adequate time for preventive maintenance activities during busy periods. • Ensure that there is an adequate supply of safety equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE).

Brenden & Fredbird at a Cardinals game this summer. account name. Also, if you sell grain on someone else’s behalf, or need access to an account, you must be listed as an Agent on that account. Ask your local TFG office for more details!

Why is a Safety Manager reminding us about preventative maintenance? As Harvest wears on, we are all putting in long days. If we put in a relatively little amount of time in the beginning to ensure all of our equipment is functioning properly, we can greatly limit the amount of down time we have during harvest. If something does break down during a time that we are stressed, tired and in the heat of harvest, we are more likely to do something that could cause harm to ourselves or someone else. Preventive maintenance is a critical component of a safe harvest. Investing the time to make sure that your equipment and/or facility is ready can save a lot of headaches and strife during the heat of harvest. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 23

Lorraine Albert Wilbur Blacker Marie Bloch Bob Bodman Dorothy Brush Bob Clark William Coleman Robert O Daggett Ruby Danison Clara Dunn Roger Flach Bob Hargett

Charlie Heiple Shirley Henry Seth Hilton Rick Hoffman Alma Howland J.O. Johnson Frank Kershner Mert Kinert Edna Lamb Jeff Maden Wayne Noland Jean Parker

Betty Ploch Lulu Mae Rhoades JoAnn Shafer Kathryn Strohl Cooper Schwarze Ellen Thomas Mick Valentine Margaret Ann Von Behren Dwight Yockey

. . . . And all others who have lost loved ones.

GOD USES GRANDPAS IN MANY UNIQUE WAYS from Bill Lawless

received a call from my daughter whom I had visited the week before for Father’s Day. She told me that she had a story she just had to tell me.

Her oldest son was playing baseball, but was having trouble batting, largely because he was worried about being hit by the ball. We had gone to a baseball field the week when I was there so the kids could have some batting practice. We took turns pitching and fielding. At their next game, my oldest grandson kept stepping into the batter’s box, digging in, and really hitting the ball well. His father really congratulated him, and then asked him what he was doing differently. His son responded that it was all because Grandpa (me) had pitched to him at batting practice. He said, “Grandpa was so wild that I had to keep jumping out of the way of the pitch. As I kept doing that, I realized that if the pitcher threw the ball at me I could step out of the way of it. So I didn’t have to worry about the ball hitting me anymore.” It’s wonderful to be able to help your grandchildren, even when it’s not the way you planned.

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MAROA CO-OP ELEVATOR PROVIDES JULY 3 FIREWORKS - 1967 (Originally published in the Maroa Pairie Post, July 1967)

“T

he salvage job after a major elevator fire is an enormous one, and goes on for days after the fire-fighting emergency has

passed. At press time, cranes were still gouging damaged corn out of the smoking ruin of the central building at the Maroa Cooperative Grain Co, and loading it into trucks for the buyers who purchased it from the insurance company. 11,500 bushels of corn were in the old wooden building when the fire began early Monday morning, July 3rd. Another 29,000 bushels were stored in the north pair of steel tanks, of which the 3500 in the one closest to the flames were probably worst hurt. Water from the hoses began to ferment some of this grain with a day or two, and raised a smell of spoiled grain throughout the Maroa business district. Fire departments from Clinton, Decatur, Hickory Point, Warrensburg, Argenta-Oreana and Long Creek answered the call for help, plus water tankers from the Macon County Civil Defense and the Marquiss Fertilizer Co. Clinton’s aerial tower was useful in combatting the blaze. Elevator manager Jim Meece estimates that damage to the enterprise would reach $200,000. State Fire Marshals investigated the blaze and questioned employees of the Don Walter Construction Co. of Decatur, who had done welding work in relation to that building the preceding day. Meece was not present for this work, which was done over Sunday,

but had left them instructions to do no cutting for welding inside the building itself. Although the building was old, it had been modernized two years ago with a system of grain legs and conveyors which made it the tallest structure in town. Joe Longsdorff, only surviving member of the group which organized the cooperative, has urged members of the present board to rebuild bigger than before. “Without local ownership of grain facilities, farmers find themselves working for some big outfit from Chicago,” says Joe, who will be 83 on November 12.”

1967 fire at the Maroa elevator

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. “Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer, she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael, He’s a doctor.” A small voice at the back of the room rang out, “And there’s the teacher, she’s dead.” SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 25

Our Congratulations to ... Alice McClure, who celebrated her 90 birthday on March 12;

Our Congratulations to ...

Brock Casteel, former TFG employee, promoted to Network Operations Manager at Tate & Lyle;

Mark & Laura Meyer, welcoming Maggie Rose into the family on March 6; Proud grandmother is Fran Einhorn;

Jesse & Julie Wright, proud new parents of Jameson Morgan Wright; proud grandparents are Stan Wright and Pat Wright and John & Amy Fair; proud great-grandparents are Bob & Roseann Morgan;

Sierra Day, participating in the Farm Bureau Leadership Conference; The ALAH High School Bass Fishing Team, finishing 5 out of 65 teams in the IHSA State Bass Fishing Tournament; Melvin & Norma Fay, married 60 years on June 8; Fredonna Faulkner, 100 years young on June 8;

Kyle & Rhonda Lovin, proud parents of Kolten Elliott, born June 20; proud brother is Jack;

Callie Wildman, recipient of the FFA State Degree, on June 11;

Director of Agriculture Phillip Nelson, Morgan Quick, Richard Larimore, Susan Larimore, Gilbert Quick, Bob Quick, Andrew Quick, Julie Quick, Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Sadie Gassmann Gilbert Quick, recognized at the 2015 Illinois State Fair, for his Sesquicentennial (150 years!) Farm designation; his family was proud to receive the award with him;

Lillie Gregg, 90 years young on June 28; Gene Timmerman, celebrating his 80th birthday on July 9; Flora Wittig, 90 years young on July 10; Fendley Jo, daughter of Zach & Sarah Gallagher, born July 13; proud grandparents are Lynn & Vicki Larson and Bill & Julie Gallagher; proud greatgrandmothers are Joann Bentley & Georgia Larson; Will & Michelle Fombelle, married on August 15; Rob & Cindy Corman, married 25 years on August 4; John & Myrna Sebens, married 60 years on July 26; Megan & Devin Shelton, parents of River Morris; proud big sister is Carolina; proud grandparents are Dave & Connie Thompson and Ronnie & Joyce Shelton; proud great-grandmother is Dorothy Hausmann;

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Hillary & Nick Holdinghausen, married July 11th. Proud parents of the bride are Rob & Gloria Litwiller; it was a beautiful wedding, set at Von Jakob Vineyards in southern Illinois;

Wyatt Jeffery Herschberger, born in July; proud parents are Colby & Jordan Herschberger; proud grandparents are Larry & Sheryll Herschberger; proud great-grandparents are Sue and the late John Binder;

Pam Hissong, recipient of the 2015 Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education Perry Schneider Award, for contributions supporting, improving, and expanding Illinois Agricultural Education. Pam was recognized in a special ceremony at the Illinois State Fair on August 16, here with Andy Bolsen, Husband Larry, Pam, Kevin Daugherty, Paul Roney & Tyler Harvey.

Sid & Debi James, retiring from farming at the end of the 2015 harvest; here, with son Jeremy and daughter Andi; SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 27

Our Congratulations to ... Mr & Mrs Tyler Roth, parents of a new son, Logan Joseph, born in July; Eric & Lindsay Burton, proud parents of Evelyn Rose, born in August; proud grandparents are Roger & Karen Burton and Tom & Kathy Koppel; Chris Karr, winner of the Hog Calling contest at the 2015 Illinois State Fair. This is Chris’s 24th year in the competition and his 10th win! Josh & Katie Hendrix, parents of Eleanor Jo, born July 19; proud grandparents are Chuck & Joyce Hendrix and Ken & Dee Wright; proud great-grandparents are Joan Hendrix and Dick Warner.

Our local farmers, and Nashville performers, The Henningsens, who recorded “Why I Farm”, sponsored by Becks Hybrids. To view the video on Youtube: https://t.co/BQnG2TpjE0. Learn more about the Henningsens and their farm near Atwood Il at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6zvD-9tppI. Ivan Horsman, 94 years young on September 7.

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, “Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?” Her mother replied, “Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.” The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, “Mummy, how come ALL of grandma’s hairs are white?”

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NEW BUSINESS IN EMERY-TOWN by Eric Briggs

reetings from the United Prairie at Emery! We at United Prairie are both happy and excited about the new facility being erected at Emery. The dirt work started in May, and in the midst of all the rain, we have come a long way and are still under schedule. For those of you who have had the opportunity to drive by, the facility is starting to take shape and excitement is building to be operational very soon. First off, a little background on United Prairie: We are a full service retailer that offers fertilizer, seed, chemical, lime and technology solutions for all of our growers. Being as we are in a partnership with Topflight Grain Cooperative and Premier Cooperative, Inc., we are tied to your community, so the business you do with us goes back into the local community. There are currently 6 United Prairie facilities located at Tolono (Apex), Ivesdale, Pierson, Dewey, Jamaica, and White Heath with Emery becoming the 7th and westernmost facility. We know there are a lot of options out in the marketplace and that it can sometimes be incredibly confusing. That’s where our Innovation Farm, located east of Sadorus, and our-in house agronomist, allows us to perform many different replicated trials. We are currently looking at and gathering data on nitrogen rates and timing, foliar corn and soybean applications, and soybean seed treatments to name a few. This in turn, gives us the confidence in our recommendations that we make to you and in turn, make you the most return on investment! The Emery plant sits on 10 acres directly west of the Emery Topflight elevator and east of Route 51. It will be functional this fall for fertilizer and anhydrous applications and fully functional for chemical application in the spring of 2016. The chemical shed will house state of the art automated liquid mixing/loading capabilities. The facility, when fully functional, will have 6-8 full time employees, which will include a location manager, administrative assistant, 2 sales agronomists, and operations personal. The 2 sales agronomist positions have been

filled by myself, Eric Briggs, and Ella Herges. A little background on Ella and myself: Ella Herges has been a Sales Agronomist for United Prairie for 2 years. She is originally from Paxton, Illinois, and attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale studying Agribusiness Economics and Agronomy. Ella grew up working on her family’s row crop and beef cattle operation northeast of Paxton. She has worked in numerous roles such as marketing and sales. She is very passionate about agriculture and is excited about growing business in a new area. I grew up in the Argenta/Bement area on my family’s farm. From there, I graduated from Western Illinois University with my degree in Agronomy in 2002 and for the past 13 years have been involved in the Ag retail field and the seed industry. I have 2 passions in my life: my wife and 2 children (Renee, Ashton, Delaney) and the world of agriculture. I am incredibly happy and excited to be a part of United Prairie’s new facility in Emery and look forward to providing you with the service and products to make you all more successful in your farming operation! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call, email or text myself or Ella! Eric Briggs- Phone: 217-714-7523 Email- ebriggs@unitedprairie.com Ella Herges- Phone: 217-304-0205 Email- eherges@unitedprairie.com

Walls were formed in late August, for the new United Prairie at Emery. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 29

Remember With Us ....

The first company golf outing was in June 1988, at the Monticello Golf Course. Remember the fun with us. . . .

Jaki Hinton

Jerry Brown & Diana Hiser

Bill Hendrix and Pam ran the beverage cart Tim Morton & Rob Flavin

Louie Tieman Kyle Rogers & John Thomas

Dave Marker & Larry LeCrone

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Midge Mills & Jackie Fisher

Maretta Marker & Kay Stiedinger

Nancy Ard & Bill Hendrix

Bob Taylor

SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 31

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

This year, we watched as these young friends began their school years:

Madisyn Meece Whether it was 1949 or it is 2015, the first day of school is always a significant day. Adam Sleeth sent us the picture from the 1949 Macon County Farm Bureau magazine. The tall young man in the back is Adam’s grandpa, Don Betzer. The young man in the middle is Don’s brother, Gerald. We’re not sure who the first boy is. The school bus was stopped at the Betzer farm, south of Argenta.

Brenden Brammer

Emma Lawhead

Kaleb Hendrix, first day of kindergarten

Berkley, Roger & Topanga, Roger & Sherryl’s granddaughter Sherryl’s granddaughter

Gloria’s grandsons, Michael, as a sophomore, and Andrew, as a 5th grader

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Vanessa’s grandson, Brogan Shay, back to day-care

Morgan & Mackensie Albert, Mark’s granddaughters

Tatum Auth, freshman, & Kole Somers, first grade

Brittany Miller, last first-day-of-school as a senior at Monticello High School

Isaac Hanes, 1st grade

Vanessa’s granddaughter, Brynnan Jackson Hentz, first grade at Bement

Arnold & Marlene Schultz’s grandchildren, Emma Baker, Mara Baker & Aiden Baker

Paige Shull

SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 33

GRAIN PAGE In its bi-annual review, the CME/CBOT adjusted the price limits for most of its traded commodities on May 1. The daily corn limit is now 30 cents, with an expanded limit of 45 cents; the bean limit is now 70 cents, expanding to $1.05; the wheat limit is now 40 cents, expanding to 60 cents. As of August 1, Topflight Grain farmers had sold 93% of their 2014 corn at an average price of $3.63 and 98% of their 2014 beans at an average price of $10.14 Cooper White

Mylin & Mabry Bruhn

Drew Larimore

Adlee & Anden Berry (Anden’s first day of school)

Audrey & Blaine Burns

Cooper & JD Benson

Braden Robson

Ethan Robson

Approximately 27% of the 2015 corn had been sold at an average price of $3.89 and 23% of the beans had been sold at $9.73.

The Gobles – Piper & Presley in front; Cooper & Chloe in the back

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SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 35

TOPFLIGHT GOLF OUTING by Denny Hill

he Topflight Grain biennial golf outing was held on July 23rd at the Hickory Point golf course in Forsyth on a beautiful summer day. After all the rain we had received in the previous 2 months, we were blessed with a perfect day to play golf. This year’s outing attracted 102 golfers who teed off in a scramble format consisting of 4 people per team mixed between employees, patrons and vendors. The low score this year went to the team of Ralph Myers, Mitch Myers, Roger Lewis and John Hill. Bill Voorhees, Joe Klein, Colby Hoffman and Mark Schwarze took the second place honors and Chris Foran, Tim Foran, Evan Brewbaker and Jim Rear finished 3rd. At the conclusion of the round of golf, everyone was a served a nice lunch in the banquet room by the Decatur Park District before our prizes were given out. Winners of the proximity prizes were: Janice Timmons - longest drive on #2 for ladies, Tom Brown – longest putt on #18, Roger Lewis – closest to the pin on #4, Ralph Myers – closest to the pin on #8, Dustin Curran – longest putt on #9, Tim Foran – longest drive on #12, Norman

Bill Roberts, Aaron Hill, Marc Padrutt, Jurg Padrutt

Ross – closest to the pin on #13 and Evan Brewbaker had closest to the pin on #16. Thanks to our vendors and special guests, we had numerous prizes to give away in the drawing, along with the grand prize of 4 box tickets to the August 14th Cardinal ballgame donated by ADM. The winner this year of the tickets was Joe Klein. A special thanks to Mike Strader with Decatur Aeration who donates a sleeve of golf balls to everyone before they tee off. The help of other Topflight employees during the outing is much appreciated and is the reason it is always a success. Vanessa Stinson and Amy Brammer handled the registration table while several employees helped people with their golf bags and got them on their golf cart. Thanks to Barb Wood for donating her time that day and taking all the group pictures. We look forward to hosting the outing again in 2017.

Andy Lawhead, Kyle Meece, Jim Brown, Bryan Neibuhr

Jim Sherwood, Jeremy Flener, Sean Hamblen, Taylor Wibben

Mike Bateman, Rory Wright, Josh Ponder, Bill Blickhan

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SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 37

Friends & Family

The Harvest Community Church dropped off some coffee & donuts to the Maroa location. Farmers Dan Marsh, Don Dyson, David Boyer, and Richard Hanes enjoyed the refreshments and discussed the rains we had been having.

Kamilla Breunning, at the Old Glory Festival Pedal Pull

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Wilma Fendley and great-grandson, Mason

Friends & Family

Joe Klein, Colby Hoffman, Mark Schwarze, Billy Voorhees

Bill Schable & Scott Berry

Vanessa Stinson, Debi James, Pam Jarboe, Teresa Chenoweth

Roger Hendrix, Jim Bennett & Mike Bennett

Larry & Sue Albro

Janet Frye & Bob Ferrill

Daniel Morris, at the Old Glory Festival Pedal Pull

SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 39

Friends & Family

Amy Fair, Julie Fair Wright & Becki Durbin, “after jumping out of a perfectly good airplane”, as Becki described their skydiving adventure, but they really enjoyed the experience!

The crowd looked on, at Sid & Debi James’ sale this summer

Friends & Family

John Johnson, Todd Steinberg, Casey Jones, Jacob Quaid

Jim Murphy & granddaughter, Maddie

Tim Morton & Dennis Bork Michael Myerscough Ira & Dorothea Jacoby

Jeff Heinz, Ian Riggs , Tom Stoutenborough, Jim Stoutenborough

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Megan Myerscough

Pat Morgan Wright, Jamie Riggs, Roseann & Bob Morgan and Mid Riggs

Steve & Clayton Honn and Dan Gregory

Andy Hendrix, Kyle Lovin, Tyler Morganthaler SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 41

SUMMER OF CONSTRUCTION

IN MILMINE

IN PIERSON

It’s been a busy summer for construction at many Topflight Grain facilities. . . .

I N

A new scale was put in.

In mid-August, the roof was on its way up for the 135’ diameter corn tank.

B E A S O N

Asphalt was poured in the 1-million bushel ring.

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Legs, conveyors and support towers were constructed.

IN ATWOOD

IN EMERY

A new bin was built at Emery.

A new bin was constructed, here, about halfway up, with 15 rings.

A new bean drag conveyor was installed.

The foundation for the bean bin was poured in late July.

Towers and support structures going into place, as we added a new dryer and updated the wet & dry legs. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 43

AT THE TUCKER REUNION IN BEMENT --

SUMMER PARADES & FESTIVALS

Henry Woodyard, in the Bement 4th of July parade Bob Foran & Andy Foran

John Leach, in the TFG truck, in the Maroa Freedom Festival Stoy Bliss, Larry Larson, Bill Barnett and Roger Young, Maroa Freedom Festival

Dan & Emerson Larson, Bement 4th of July parade Ann Foran and granddaughter, Olivia

Bryan Simpson in the Bement 4th July parade

Martin & his granddaughter, in the Bement 4th of July parade

Andrew Hanes escorting the Maroa Boys Shetland Team in the Maroa Freedom Festival. Andrew helped coach the team of 5 & 6 year olds.

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Drew Larimore, learning to drive a team of 6, at the Fair this year.

The Foran girls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Summer, Hannah Leigh, Hailey, & Hannah Lynn

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AT THE TUCKER REUNION IN BEMENT --

Rick Beauchamp, coming into Bement, as the tractor drive concluded Bill Schable, lined up for the tractor show

Pauline Foran and Dan Foran Wayne Foran

David, Wendy & Evan Farmer. Our thanks to Wendy for the family pictures.

In Bement, Andy & Pam were involved with the Old Glory Festival on June 13. Andy organized the Tractor Drive, which was a 20 mile drive south and west of Bement. About mid-route, the parade stopped at Kyle Lovin’s Syngenta shed, for a break and refreshments, organized by Deb Beauchamp. They continued back to Bement, and lined up for the tractor show at the village park. Early afternoon, the youngest of “drivers” signed up for the Pedal Pull and competed for the farthest distance of pulling the weighted sled. We appreciated all of the help we had for all three events, from many people including Matt Muirheid, Aaron Holt, Scott Jennings, Deb Beauchamp, Chuck Hendrix, and many others, as this was our first tractor drive, through the tractor show and the pedal pull.

Tractors lined up at Topflight Grain-Bement, for the tractor drive.

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Michael Breunning, enjoyed the small tractors at the tractor show Benny Ayer and Larry Bartram park their tractors for the tractor show

Mat Muirheid, driving past the Milmine elevator Andy Lawhead, Aaron Holt and Simon Auth set up for the Pedal Pull

Winners in the 1st pedal pull class were Drew Larimore, Emma Lawhead & Kale Blickenstaff SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 47

ANNUAL MEETING

Winners in the 2nd pedal pull class were Elias Walsh, Cole Stoerger, & Thomas Rexroad

Winners in the 3rd pedal pull class were Zoe Durbin, Weslei Harper, and Drew Stoerger

Macon County Farm Bureau Foundation hosted their annual Emmett Sefton Memorial Drive, as a tractor drive through southern Macon County. Drivers contribute to the Emmett Sefton Scholarship Fund, aiding agricultural students in their education.

Steve Sefton, led the tractor drive, in memory of his father

Jim Stoutenborough

Joe Sefton, carried the flag for his grandfather’s tractor drive

Malcomb Head

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Mike Stacey

It was a change of venue for the Topflight Grain annual meeting, as the staff & board members welcomed guests to the Cisco Center on August 13. Chairman Greg Briggs welcomed the stockholders, Andrew Hanes provided the invocation and President Kyle Johnson called the meeting to order. Allen Sasse read the minutes from last year’s meeting, Jeremy Welch reviewed the financial statement (copies of the financial statement are available in your local TFG office, if you would like to have one), and Scott Docherty presented the manager’s report. Scott talked about the current building projects, stock redemption, and recognized employees who had reached special years of service. Denny Hill received his 40 year award, Pam Jarboe was presented with her 35 year award and Rick Stone accepted his 20 year award. Roger Burton and Bill Dirks were also recognized for their 40 year and 20 year awards respectively; their awards were presented at a later date. Bruce Stoddard announced election results, showing Cary Hinton, Greg Briggs, Jim Brown and Dan Larson as the 2015 elected board members, joining Kyle Johnson, Bill Schable, Richard Larimore, George Riley, Allen Sasse, Josh Ponder and Dave Zelhart as the 2015-16 Topflight Grain Board of Directors.

Scott gave the 40 year employee award to Denny Hill. Denny started with Cisco Coop Grain in 1975, later managing the Emery facility, now as location manager at Maroa.

Roger Burton received his 40 year employee award from Manager Scott Docherty. Roger started working for Bement Grain in 1975, he says with a “scoop shovel at Voorhies”. He is now on the maintenance staff.

Scott awarded Rick Stone the 20 Scott presented the 35 year employee award. Rick began year employee award to his grain career with Cisco Grain in Pam Jarboe at the annual 1995. He managed the hardware meeting. She was hired by Bement Grain Company in store, and is a member of the operations staff at Cisco. 1980, continuing to work in the Bement office in various capacities. Scott acknowledged Bill Dirks for 20 years of employment, beginning with Unity Grain & Supply in 1995, and now as elevator superintendent at Atwood. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 49

END OF SCHOOL

e concluded our year with our adopted Bement 2nd grade class with an “open outcry auction”, a quiz and lots of fun. On May 27, Scott and Pam joined the 2nd grade class for their last day of school. During the sack lunch, Scott described the open outcry method that used to be used, for trading commodities at the Board of Trade. He auctioned several items of food, bartering with the students for the items that were packed in their lunches. It was a fun exercise that the students carried on after Scott had traded all of his items. After lunch was cleaned up, the students were given a quiz on their adventures the past year. It was an open-book, anyone-can-answer test, but fun to remember all the places we had been and some of the lessons learned. Then we all headed to Coles Pasture, for fun and games. Tug-of-War is always a favorite game, including wheelbarrow races, potato sack races, clothespin drop, duck-duck-goose, and other challenging games! We had a great time with the 2nd grade class in 2014-15!

We said good-bye to this year’s 2nd grade class!

On May 18, the class came to the Bement office, to present us with this delicious corn cake! We certainly enjoyed it, and appreciated their thoughtfulness!

WHEAT HARVEST

While we were checking in with our wheat farmers and planning the logistics of the wheat crop, the local extension service was teaching their 4-H youth about wheat, from planting, to harvesting, to processing. We hosted part of their tour on June 30, at the Bement facility. The group began their tour with a visit to the farm to see the wheat field and the combines and trucks that are used to harvest the wheat. At the elevator, we showed them how the truckload of grain is weighed, tested and recorded, then dumped into the elevator pit, stored in the bin and monitored. After they left us, they watched a video of a wheat processing mill, grinding the wheat into our food. Tug of war brings out the “oomph” in everyone!

The three legged race requires teamwork and concentration.

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Scott bartered with the 2nd grade class to trade lunch items.

Our tour group was excited to learn about wheat, and even more excited to receive sacks of goodies made from wheat flour. We thank Dave DeVore and Carl Schwinke at Siemer Milling for donating the snack sacks for our group! SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 51

CROP TOUR

t was another well-attended crop tour meeting as everyone was interested to find out the effects of so much spring & summer rain throughout the Topflight Grain trade area. We met in Lincoln for a noon meal, and in Bement for an evening meal. Harry Wood of FC Stone opened the meeting with a market outlook, reviewing estimated supply and demand tables, discussing possible changes in production, and outlooks for demand. Jeremy Welch, TFG CFO/Controller, talked about the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial position covering volume, income projections and capital expenditures. Topflight Grain redeemed a little over $1 million in stock this summer. Total outstanding stock is $4.075 million. Stock redemption has been paid through the issue date of 2002. Scott Docherty, CEO/General Manager described facility and equipment upgrades throughout the company: Atwood has a new dryer, Emery added a new 700,000 bushel tank, Beason put in a new scale, Milmine is constructing a 500,000 bushel bin for beans and a 1.1 million bushel bin for corn, and Pierson has a new bin and outbound scale. In the future, storage & drying will be evaluated at Cisco and updates for Seymour. At the Bement meeting, Tim Hughes of United Prairie, talked about fertilizer supplies and input pricing. Then, came the crop tour results, presented by Derrick Bruhn, merchandiser. He mentioned that corn population counts were phenomenal; the Atlanta area had the most rain this season, recording 26.35 inches, compared to Atwood with 16.6 inches for the season; kernel depth seems more shallow this year; and, of course, yields will be reduced in areas hit hard with ponding due to excessive rains. Using an 80,000 kernel count per bushel, the tour produced a corn estimate of 207 bushel/acre, compared to 236 bu/acre in 2014. Bean pods per plant were counted at 44, compared to our 2014 count of 55 pods, indicating about a 15% reduction in bean yield from last year. From the merchandising standpoint, Topflight Grain had purchased about 24% of the 2015 corn crop at an average price of $3.89 and about 20% of the bean crop at an average price of $9.73. Looking ahead to harvest merchandising, Derrick anticipated selling some corn into the Eastern rail market to fill shortages in the East, and the Western Corn Belt may be filling more of the Decatur processorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. Rail transportation should be more available this year, than last year, due to the oil fracking business slower demand for rail transportation. YIELDS AS ESTIMATED BY TOUR GROUPS:

Virginia Clark & Martha Postlewait

Ron & Cindy Meece

Rob Wood, Trudy & Wally Cresap

A good group attended the crop tour at the Lincoln KC Hall.

On August 11, Jake, Laura & Pam were fortunate to ride with pilot Bob Cundiff, in an aerial tour of the Topflight Grain area. Laura & Jake were great guides in the new area to the West, as we circled most of the elevators and surrounding area, then we headed east over Macon, Dewitt, Champaign, Douglas & Moultrie counties. We found lots of ponding in Logan County and ponding in the Oreana area. Other areas looked fairly good from the air. It was a great day for our trip.

Barren areas were seen around the Mt Pulaski area

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Northeast of Kruger SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 53

AROUND TOPFLIGHT ...... We welcome ---

North of Oreana

West of LaPlace

Justin McCabe, full-time operations at Cisco

On July 31, Russel Wright toured the Atwood-Pierson area with pilot Jack Appleby. Here are a few of their observations:

Curt Harshbarger’s farm and surrounding area.

Seed corn plots north of Garret Jake Hatten, elevator operations in Bement

Jacob Quaid, grain originator at Beason

My name is Jacob Quaid. I grew up in the small town of LeRoy, Illinois, and I have been around farming my entire life. I’m the middle child of my family, with four sisters. This made going to the farm to work look that much better. Throughout school, I was involved in 4-H and FFA, and this is what sparked my interest in pursuing a degree in agriculture. However, I didn’t go to college for agriculture at first. I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist, but that didn’t fit quite right with who I am. Therefore, I transferred to Illinois State University and pursued a degree in Agribusiness. I graduated in May of 2015 with my bachelor’s degree, and I interviewed with Topflight shortly thereafter. I started working for Topflight in the middle of June, and the first couple months have flown by. I’m looking forward to my first harvest and I can’t wait to meet all of farmers in the area!

Near Hammond – with a harvested wheat field in the middle

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AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......

Kelly Curry, fulltime operations staff at Pierson.

AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......

Congratulations to Jay Blackburn, moving from the Emery operations staff to the Atwood operations staff, to assist Bill in the elevator there.

We say farewell to Chris Frye, as he leaves Topflight Grain/ Monticello to further his grain elevator career.

Chris Coleman, our maintenance and millwright in the South, has a new truck! It carries his tools and maintenance equipment, wherever he needs to go.

She will be working with Brad at Pierson, keeping everything running outside. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -

Congratulations to John Boehm, moving from the Cisco operations staff, to the Maroa operations staff, where he will be working with Gary Liggett. Congratulations to Dan Greer, promoted to Emery elevator superintendent, and to Gary Liggett, promoted to Maroa elevator superintendent.

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Congratulations to Kris Mills, as he becomes Monticello Elevator Superintendent.

Denise Docherty & Mylin Bruhn at the Growmark summer convention

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AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......

John, Gary & John rebuilt and cleaned up the TFG sign at Maroa.

Happy 40th Birthday to John Leach!

Kenny’s grandson, Bentlee, in his TFG hard hat Roger (and Henry) end up in some high places, as they prepare our facilities for harvest.

This is the sign the Maroa crew found behind the Topflight Grain sign!

Happy 50th Birthday to Rodd Runyen!

Henry put new buckets on the leg in Bement Kenny was one of the many employees who spent a lot of time on the mower this summer!

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It was like “Christmas in July” (to quote Max Pike), when the stock redemption checks arrived in the mail. Over $1 million of stock was redeemed, including the issue years of 2000 - 2002. SEPTEMBER 2015 / TOPFLIGHT NEWSLETTER 59

Topflight Grain 420 W Marion Monticello IL 61856

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CHAMPAIGN, IL PERMIT NO. 880

TOPFLIGHT GRAIN MISSION STATEMENT:

We are committed to the future of agriculture by improving the profitability of our customers through quality service and exceptional people.

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