MARCH 2015
South Central
n BUFFALO LAKE • 320-833-5321
• 800-642-6727
LOCATIONS
n COSMOS • 320-877-7261
n DARWIN • 320-693-2311 • 800-275-8216
n EDEN VALLEY • 320-453-3200 • 800-240-8835
n FAIRFAX 507-426-8263 • 800-328-0131
n GIBBON • 320-834-6534 • 800-690-6534
n HECTOR OFFICE & FEED MILL • 320-848-2273 • 800-547-5576
n HECTOR C-STORE • 320-848-2286
n STEWART • 320-562-2650
GRAIN & ENERGY
PO BOX E
HWY 4 SOUTH
FAIRFAX, MN 55332
Treated Seed and Soybeans Don’t Mix
From United Soybean Board
A er you’re ﬁnished plan ng, you may be
tempted to dump your remaining seed in
with any soybeans you s ll have from last
year’s harvest. Don’t.
“It is illegal in the United States to put
treated seed into your soybeans and take
them to the elevator. It is unacceptable, not
only in the United States, but worldwide, as
well,” Dwain Ford, United Soybean Board
interna onal opportuni es target area
coordinator and a soybean farmer from
Kinmundy, Illinois, said. “It’s important that
U.S. soybean farmers use and know the laws
here in the United States for disposing of
PART-TIME
Providing high-quality, contamina on-free
soy shipments helps the United States
remain the preferred supplier of soybeans
around the world and helps U.S. farmers
maintain their access to key markets.
As soybean seed treated with cropprotec on products has become more
popular in recent years, it has also become
more important for farmers to properly
dispose of le over seed. Some interna onal
customers forbid the presence of any
l Hector
• C-Store Clerk
FULL-TIME:
l Hector, Gibbon
• Bulk Feed A endant/
Feed Delivery Driver
l Fairfax
• Custom Applicator
More informa on about these
posi ons can be found at scgemn.com
2015© South Central Grain & Energy.
Published by South Central Grain & Energy in partnership
with Madsen Ink Co., New Ulm.
GRAIN & ENERGY
treated seed in commodity soybean
shipments, and farmers viola ng U.S. laws
on treated seed disposal may be subject to
legal ac on.
treated seeds and that they’re very
conscious in ensuring that those are
disposed of in the proper, legal manner.”
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
South Central
“I believe that U.S. soybean farmers are
very conscious about this and do a very
good job in segrega ng and keeping those
treated seeds out of commercial soybeans,”
Ford added. “However, customers can reject
a whole shipload of our soybeans over just a
few soybeans that have been treated, and
that could cost all of us millions of dollars.”
SEASONAL CDL DRIVERS WANTED
www.scgemn.com
Join us for our
W
Tuesday, March 31 • 7 p.m.
ANNUAL MEETING
Cosmos Legion, Cosmos
Note new loca on
• Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL)
with HAZMAT and tanker endorsements
and current medical card required.
• Seasonal Class B CDL holders encouraged
to apply.
• Work assignments based out of Fairfax,
Gibbon, Buﬀalo Lake and Cosmos
agronomy facili es.
Apply at any SCG&E loca on, call
320-833-3003 or visit scgemn.com.
INSIDE:
AGENDA
• 2014 Financial Report
• Elec on of one director
• Other business which may properly
come before the membership
• Dividend checks will be distributed
• Lunch will follow mee ng
—Brian Broderius, Secretary
• 2015 Board Candidates
• HACCP Cer ﬁca on
• New Seed Line Added
2
Annual MeetingWElection
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By Tom Dueringer
Feed Dept. Manager
Introducing your 2015 Board Candidates
8 Ballot #1
K
Fairfax Area • Elect one
WW
en Firle and his wife Renae raise corn, soybeans,
and sweet corn just north of Fairfax. They have two
grown children and four grandchildren. The Firles
have been farming for 42 years and Ken has been a
member of the coopera ve all those years. He was
elected to the board of directors when the co-op was
South Central Co-op of Gibbon and Fairfax. He was board
president when the merger of United Grain and Energy
and South Central Co-op took place, forming SCG&E.
Since that forma on of SCG&E nine years ago, Ken has
been board president and has seen the co-op grow from
three loca ons to eight.
KEN FIRLE
He stated, “SCG&E has experienced tremendous growth,
not only in trade territory, but also in business volumes.
Although we may not always like change, change and growth are necessary to remain a
strong and successful coopera ve in today’s ever evolving and global business world.
SCG&E is a very diversiﬁed co-op, which has allowed this rapid growth to be
accomplished and s ll remain a locally owned co-op. Your board of directors is very
proud to be able to say that we have been able to do all of this growth without any
outside partners.”
He went on, “A coopera ve is described as being a group of members with common
goals and needs, working together as a group to achieve the most beneﬁt for all of its
members. This is something that cannot be done as a sole individual. One of the most
diﬃcult challenges of being on the board of directors is to leave the individual farmer’s
hat at the door when entering the board room, and pu ng on a director’s hat to
represent the best overall interests of the company, and all of its members. I have a
very deep passion for SCG&E and have truly enjoyed the opportunity and honor of
represen ng you, the owners of this co-op. I believe that SCG&E—as a locally owned
co-op—has a very strong, posi ve, and proﬁtable future. I believe that my past
experience, knowledge, and dedica on to this company will be very beneﬁcial during
these ever changing and challenging mes of your coopera ve’s history. The me it
takes to fully understand, learn, and comprehend the func on and responsibili es of
represen ng a co-op as a director is complex and can take years to achieve. I would be
honored to con nue being a part of the direc on, challenges, and opportuni es that
your coopera ve is now experiencing and will face in the future.”
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By Eugene Lu eke
General Manager
HACCP (Hazard
Analysis and Cri cal Control
Point) is recognized by the animal feed
industry globally. It requires a rigorous, credible feed safety
management scheme.
R
on Wendinger
farms 950 acres
with his brother
Larry at Fairfax. They raise
corn, soybeans and some
alfalfa. Wendinger has
been a farmer all his life
and has been involved
with the co-op the en re
me. Ron graduated from
Fairfax High School in
1985 and studied ag
produc on in a two-year
program at Willmar VoTech.
SCG&E has achieved HACCP cer ﬁca on by demonstra ng
excep onal feed safety standards and quality management prac ces.
As of January 9, 2015, SCG&E has been awarded this interna onally
recognized cer ﬁca on status by SGS, a third party cer fying body.
RON WENDINGER
Wendinger is currently in his second year as an associate
director on the SCG&E board. In that appointed
posi on, he has all the rights of a board member except
vo ng, since he was not elected.
With that experience, Wendinger commented, “Being on
the board is an eye-opening experience for me. There’s a
lot more to it than I thought. It’s been a pleasure to
serve as an associate member and I’d be honored to
serve South Central Grain & Energy as a director.”
Ron and his wife Lori live at rural Fairfax. He has two
step-kids—Ma Cuﬀ, 28, and Missy Vorwerk, 26. Missy
and husband Tyler have one child.
Wendinger served on the Renville County Fair Board for
six years; he was food superintendent for ﬁve of those
years. He was also involved with Fairfax’s 125th
anniversary celebra on. Ron’s hobbies include hun ng,
ﬁshing, and camping.
2014 a decent year for SCG&E
There were
ups and downs but,
overall, South Central Grain &
Energy had a good ﬁnancial year in 2014.
Among the causes for the ups and downs, and aﬀec ng some of our
departments, were fall harvest yields and low commodity prices, all
impac ng our volumes and margins. Overall, however, our decent
ﬁnancial year was due to the diversiﬁca on of our organiza on. That’s
always been a strong point for us.
I thank all of our patrons for their business in 2014. We sincerely
appreciate it. Without great patrons and dedicated employees to get the
job done, we would not be successful. That combina on makes a winwin situa on.
Please take note of the annual mee ng announcement on the front
page. We’ve moved the mee ng to Cosmos this year, a diﬀerent loca on
within our territory. We will review last year’s business, covering events
of last year and the challenges that confront us, as well as those that
may be ahead as our company moves forward.
In other ma ers, our grain project is progressing well. It’s at or ahead of
schedule, due to the good weather so far this winter. The grain bin is up
and we expect the project to stay on schedule.
Our agronomy project is on hold for now, with the board reevalua ng
old informa on, current informa on, and some new informa on. This
evalua on will lead us to an upcoming decision.
With that, I’d like to again thank you for your business in 2014. We look
forward to serving you again in 2015. I hope to see you at the annual
mee ng March 31 in Cosmos.
7
SCG&E achieves
HACCP certification
HACCP cer ﬁca on, knowing their feeds are manufactured with both
quality and feed safety as a priority. Such cer ﬁca on valida on is
increasingly important in animal products, with producers
increasingly demanding greater feed safety assurances.
SCG&E already was recognized as a
pioneer and a leader in quality and
feed safety. We are proud to be
among an elite few who have
achieved this cer ﬁca on.
The HACCP cer ﬁca on validates our
HACCP cer ﬁca on requires a third party (SGS) assessment to verify
safe feed program, while addi onally
adherence to the me culous requirements of feed safety standards.
valida ng the outstanding feed
Evalua on is conducted on all aspects of the company’s animal feed
quality.
safety and quality management program, including a poten al
biological, chemical, and physical risk assessment, personnel
prac ces, feed quality control, housekeeping, and facility sanita on
(pest control); ingredient supplier approval, product
traceability, and quality management. HACCP cer ﬁca on
Feed department employee Jason Re g
validates the programs that SCG&E has in place, as well as
headed
the HACCP commi ee and went
con nuous monitoring procedures of these programs.
above and beyond in helping the eightmember commi ee to complete the lengthy
Animal producers prefer suppliers of animal feed that have
process successfully. He ﬂashed a big smile
when the HACCP cer ﬁcate arrived.
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By Bill Meyer
Agronomy Div. Manager
I am pleased
to announce that
we have added a new seed
line to our lineup. In early December, we
became a Prairie Brand seed dealer. Many of you are probably
aware of that name, as Prairie Brand is well known for its soybeans.
We feel that this is a good ﬁt with the brands that we already have
available. While we got a late start with the company for this growing
season, we are excited about future growth
opportuni es with the Prairie Brand line.
Seed supplies for the upcoming season look to
be adequate for all lines of seed that we
handle. Some of the “hot” numbers are in
short supply or sold out, but otherwise
inventories for all other varie es look to be
good.
Seed line added
months. We have seen minor swings both ways on all products, but I
do not expect to see much ac vity either way un l we get past the
spring plan ng season. Even then, I do not expect that we will see any
signiﬁcant changes unless there is a 15 to 20 percent drop in
worldwide consump on. For the foreseeable future, there just is no
indica on of that happening. We have not looked at locking in any
product for fall 2015 yet. However, if you want us to get an indica on
of what pricing is possibly going to look like, let me know and I can get
some numbers for you.
As we get closer to spring, those of you who will be
applying NH3 or wan ng NH3 custom applied,
need to let us know early so we can make
arrangements to get equipment ready and to get
tractors lined up for our use. If you possibly have a
tractor available, let us know so we are aware of
our op ons. Since we generally do not custom
apply NH3 in spring, we need to plan ahead as
much as possible.
Chemical supplies also look to be in good shape
as we head into the upcoming season. We have not had to deal with
shortages this year as we did the past two or three years. If there are
any “specialty” products that you have read about and are interested
in trying, let us know and we will do our best to help you get them.
Even though we work with two main distributors for our chemical and
surfactant needs—Rosens and West Central—we can get products
from other distributors, if you are looking for special products. Just let
us know, and we will work with you. We have good rela onships with
many distributors.
Here are a few reminders as we prepare for spring. Please make an
eﬀort to get into the oﬃces in March or early April to get your ﬁeld
maps ready. On applica on, we would like to see a two- to three-day
lead me. That makes it much easier to plan routes, as we generally
plan the following day’s routes the night before. We try to s ck to our
plans for the day as much as possible, but occasionally we can slip a
ﬁeld in as we go by. Please try to work with us as much as you can, as
that me of year is hec c enough as it is.
Fer lizer pricing has been somewhat stagnant for the past four to six
Thank you ahead of me for your coopera on.
6
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By Brad Kohls
Grain Dept. Manager
Markets stay in sideways mode
The average season price contract was a success, filling up
both time slots. It will be completed July 1 on corn and July
29 on soybeans. Call if you have questions or want updates.
The corn and
soybean markets
remain in a sideways mode, like
they have for most of the winter. The
January crop report did not have a lot of op mis c news in it. The ﬁnal
crop report for 2014 by the numbers were as follows:
Corn—14.21 billion with yield of 171.0 and carryout of 1.877 bushels.
Soybeans— 3.969 billion bushel produc on with yield of 47.8
bushel/acre and carryout of 410 million bushels.
The ﬁnal numbers had a delayed reac on of nega vity. The market
Our Stewart facility is going to two-day a week operations
until fall. We will be open Tuesday and Wednesday, unless
special arrangements are made. We will be open with regular
harvest hours in September.
l
By Renee Anderson
Energy Sales
seems to have been rallying through the last quarter of 2014. Once the
ﬁnal numbers were released, the grain markets have con nued to slide.
As stated in previous newsle ers, I feel any me soybeans get above
$10.00 they should be sold. That opportunity has been there and many
of you have taken advantage of it. South America’s produc on this year
seems to be quite large, and will keep pressure on the futures markets
going forward. West coast exports are down slightly from the past, which
will keep basis levels in check as well. With the local produc on being
quite good last year, the local processors will not need to stretch too far
to buy soybeans. The local corn basis should remain ﬁrm with local
demand and our area corn crop being trimmed by ﬂooding and drought
this past growing season. Cash markets remain in the $3.40 to $3.65
price range; I don’t see that changing a lot in the next few months.
Generally speaking, we do have an adequate amount of corn le over.
We are coming in to a seasonally up-trending market for the next 90
days or so, so have your orders in. If I do have some op mism going
forward it would be in the corn market. I think corn acreage will be
down. I don’t believe we can match the yield from last year, with
reduced acres we could see carryout ghten and prices remain ﬁrm.
3
SCG&E
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South Central Grain and Energy believes in giving back to its communi es to
help them grow and prosper, and to enhance the quality of life. SCG&E, in
conjunc on with matching dollars from the Land O’ Lakes Founda on and
CoBank supported the community.
Our 2014 Dona ons totaled $28,940.00
Local Area Fire Departments:
$9,470 total was distributed to the Gibbon,
Fairfax, Hector, Buﬀalo Lake, Stewart, Cosmos,
Eden Valley and Dassel Fire Departments.
Dona on Sibley Co FoodShare
SCG&E,togetherwiththeLandO’Lakes
FoundationMatchProgram,gifteda
inancialdonationtoareafoodshelvesto
helpmeetthecommunities’hungerneeds.
SCG&EBoardmemberBruceFroehlich
presentedadonationtoJackiKruggel,
SibleyCountyFoodSharePresident.
Local Area Food Shelves:
$9,470 total was distributed to the Sibley, Renville
and Meeker County Food Shelves.
Local Area FFA Chapters:
$10,000 total was distributed between the GFW,
BLHS and ACGC FFA Chapters.
March is Oil Booking Month
With spring
approaching, there are
several things we need to start thinking
about. We started out the year with a petroleum
product mee ng at the end of January where there were presenta ons
from our CHS representa ves on Cenex Premium Diesel Fuel as well as
Cenex Brand Lubricants. The mee ng was well a ended and quality
discussions were had to gather informa on on how products and
machines are changing. CHS con nues to test its products on a regular
basis to make sure they hold up to new equipment requirements. We
can’t stress enough how important it is to use quality products on your
equipment to keep them running at op mum performance for years to
come. The word has go en out about the excellent warranty program
that Cenex provides and several customers have signed up through
South Central Grain & Energy. The Cenex warranty is a very inexpensive
way to protect your investment and give you peace of mind.
Please call me or stop in the Hector oﬃce for details.
As March rolled around, we again hosted our annual oil and ﬁlter sale.
On March 25, we have the bulk oil truck scheduled to do our spring
farm deliveries. Please note, once again, that deliveries will not be
made to loose 55 gallon barrels to ensure quality product. We do
provide bulk storage containers, please contact us if you are in need. If
you would like to be added to the delivery route, or have any ques ons
please contact Dan or myself. We also have several op ons for ﬁlling
your barrels at the warehouse if that suits your needs be er. We have
someone there Monday through Friday 7:30-9:30 a.m. or give us a call
to schedule a me.
Diesel exhaust ﬂuid has become a necessary product for some
machinery and trucks. We currently carry this product in several sizes.
As this becomes a bigger need, our op ons have expanded. We are
looking into new ways to oﬀer and deliver product, along with
equipment available to you as well. Please contact us for what we
currently have available or let us know what you might be interested in
and we will see what is available.
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By Ken Koch
Swine Produc on Specialist
As we
move from one
season to the next, there are
always a number of management items
that need close a en on. These include—
but are not limited to—ven la on, stocking density, pig management,
and nutri on. I have addressed these topics in my past newsle ers. If
you would like copies of them, let me know and I can send them to you.
For this issue I want to touch on nutri on.
Now is the me that we should take a look at possible ra on changes, not
only to address seasonal needs and changes, but also to address changes
in product prices. Added fat has a higher value in the summer than in
thermo neutral weather. Lysine levels may need to be adjusted, along
with increasing fat levels to maintain a correct lysine to energy balance.
Dona on Eden Valley FD
SCG&E board members Larry Dean, Brian Broderius, and
Jason Boll presented a ﬁnancial dona on to Fire Chief Joe
Thielen of the Eden Valley Fire Department, le . Together
with matching funds from the Land O’ Lakes Founda on
Match Program, the dona on will help rural communi es
prosper and prepare for tomorrow.
Dona on ACGC FFA
SCG&EandtheCoBank“SharingSuccess”MatchProgrammadeagenerous
donationtotheACGCHighSchoolFFAChaptertohelppreparefutureleaders
inagriculture.Front,fromleft:SCGEAssociateBoardMemberJasonBoll,
KaylaKutzke,SkyllerSchmidt,andMadisonWhitcomb.Back:SCGEBoard
MemberBrianBroderius,LucasLilleberg,MorganPaulson,MorganErickson,
DillonGratz,andSCGEBoardMemberLarryDean.
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By Dan Filzen
Hector Loca on Manager
Importance of Nutrition
With the current higher price of ddgs, they no longer present the
money-saving opportuni es they did in the past. We have lowered the
ddg levels for all ra ons, based on best cost of produc on. We do keep
a close eye on prices and make adjustments accordingly. Evaluate your
paylean strategy. Like fat, it has more value in hot weather.
Manage the feed systems on your farms. Feed outages are more common
in pigs fed in the summer, as bridging of bins and feeders is more
common. Manage your feeders and ensure that at least 50 percent pan
coverage is available in each feeder. Restric ons in intake are more
costly in the summer. Do a good walkthrough late in the day to make
sure all pigs have access to feed. Pigs will eat much of their feed at
night in hot weather, so having feed available at night is cri cal.
As always, feel free to contact me at any me with ques ons, concerns,
or comments. Your business is greatly appreciated!
There has been a
lot of talk about the crude oil
market lately, as well as gas and diesel
fuel prices. Farm diesel prices were down as low
as $1.80 a gallon in January, though as of this wri ng they are up about
30 to 35 cents a gallon from the low. Gas prices were down in the
$1.80 range as well. I believe we may see fuel prices come down again,
though right now the steel workers’ strike is causing some supply
concerns that puts upward pressure on the fuel markets. Once the
strike gets se led, I would think prices will stabilize or go down again.
U.S. crude inventories rose almost ﬁve million barrels last week, to
reach nearly 418 million barrels, the highest since record keeping
began in 1982. U.S. crude oil inventories are at the highest level for this
me of year in at least 80 years. I would expect that we would see all
petroleum product prices—including LP—to come down some yet. I
Fuel Price Update
would suggest that you keep an eye on price levels of fuel and LP and
watch for favorable contract prices, then lock some in for your speciﬁc
needs.
LP inventories have been steadily increasing throughout this winter.
Here are some sta s cal inventory numbers that give you some
perspec ve on LP inventories across the country. Mid-Con is 11.8
million above last year’s inventory level and is up 5.1 million from the
ﬁve-year average of 15.7 million. Gulf Coast inventory is 22.4 million
above last year and 12.9 million above the ﬁve-year average of 25.1
million. East Coast is up 1.6 million from last year and is 600,000 above
the ﬁve-year average of three million.
As you can see, the inventory numbers look posi ve for prices to come
down. But as we look at this, we must also remember that if crude oil
prices go up, we will see all the products follow to some degree,
including LP. I would suggest watching prices through spring and
summer, and if you see a favorable price, you might think about taking
advantage and contract some of your spring and fall needs.
EMPLOYEE NEWS
4
New Opportunity!
Josh Evenson transferred to feed delivery
from agronomy on December 22. He
delivers out of both Hector and Gibbon.
While delivery is Josh’s primary role, he
may s ll help out in agronomy if needed.
A Gibbon na ve, Evenson graduated from
MVL High School in 2010, studied
plumbing for a year at Pipestone, then
moved to Alaska for a few years where he was a
store manager for Safeway.
O o Hartmann, Jr. is a new regular part- me
employee and started his new posi on that
combines feed warehouse and delivery
responsibili es on December 15.
Hartmann keeps the Gibbon warehouse
stocked and delivers bagged feed products
to other SCG&E loca ons. O o has lived in
the Gibbon area his en re life and
graduated from Gibbon High School in
1976. He then studied ag produc on at
Mankato Technical School. Hartmann has
been in the livestock business all his life and con nues to operate an
organic crop and cow-calf beef opera on ﬁve miles south of Gibbon.
O o and his wife have three grown sons. In his spare me, he enjoys
bowling, ﬁshing, and traveling.
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By Allen Baysinger
Regional Loca on Manager
If you’ve been
through Buﬀalo Lake
lately, you may have no ced a new
bin hoisted up in the air.
Your co-op invested heavily into rail expansion three years ago.
This next phase of the project is much more than just storage
capacity.
Opera on func onality
and environmental
controls are also a key
part of the project. I’ll
address a few.
A. Second leg and dump
pit. This not only improves
dumping speed but also
handling diﬀerent
commodi es side by side
and addresses rail unload
op ons.
B. Dual (upgraded) swing
Lori Holden joined SCG&E on December
31 as a quality assurance and
accoun ng employee in the Gibbon
feed department. It’s a unique
combina on, but one for which
Holden is well qualiﬁed. A na ve of
Minnetonka, Lori earned a bachelors
in chemistry and biology at Augsburg
College and a master’s degree in
science from the University of Minnesota. She worked as a
chemist at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis for 10 years. When
husband Greg had a job opportunity in New Ulm, the family
moved there about seven years ago. Holden con nued to do
research for businesses seeking suppliers of ingredients and
equipment, working from home. Since 2009, she’s done
purchasing and accoun ng work. At SCG&E, Lori creates blend
ckets for Gibbon and Hector and will be trained to be program
leader for the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Cri cal Control Point)
and quality assurance programs.
Lori and Greg have two sons, Hunter, 21 and a junior at MSU,
and Trapper, 17, a senior at MVL High School. In her spare me,
Lori is a “bag lady,” carrying kni ng and croche ng projects
and/or books. She also enjoys jogging.
5
l
iden ﬁca on numbers on your account. The government ﬁnes us if
our patron accounts do not have correct tax iden ﬁca on numbers. It
has been quite a process to get the system up and running and our
patrons have been terriﬁc in helping us through the process. We thank
you.
By the me you are
reading this ar cle, spring has
hopefully become a reality. As
I am wri ng it, winter is whipping past my window at 40
mph. I think we all are ready to put all our year-end
2014 chores behind us and get ready for a successful
One of the great
2015.
As you are going through your receipts so you can ﬁle your 2014
tax return, be on the lookout for any uncashed patronage
checks and grain checks. We s ll have a few uncashed 2014
checks, and issuing replacements is expensive. Please take
your checks to the bank, enjoy the money, and help us at
benefits of doing
the same me!
business with South
“
We get a lot of ques ons every year about the
amount in Box 3 of Form 1099PATR. The amount
Central Grain & Energy
in Box 3 represents the gross dollar value of the
One of the great beneﬁts of doing business with South
is the patronage
grain South Central Grain & Energy paid you for in
Central
Grain & Energy is the patronage program. In 2014,
program.
2014. Grain check-oﬀs, drying charges, price later
SCG&E made $2.3 million in cash distribu ons to our
fees, etc., do not aﬀect the Box 3 number. So, if you
patrons. SCG&E also gives patrons who have reached age 72
are trying to recalculate this number yourself, you have
the opportunity to have any equity retained in their accounts
to add those fees back into the grain checks you received
paid out to them. Only one re rement payment of this kind will be
from the coopera ve. Any deferred payments you received in
made on any account. If you are past age 72, have not received your
2014 are included in Box 3; payments you deferred to 2015 are not.
re rement payment, and wish to receive it in 2015, contact one of our
local oﬃces. We will be processing 2015 re rement checks very soon,
so let us know as soon as possible. If you want us to be able to pay you
The installa on process for our new accoun ng system is con nuing.
automa cally when you are eligible for a re rement payment, please
The form(s) 1099PATR you received in January are the ﬁrst we have
generated in the new system. Please look them over carefully and let us make sure we have your year of birth in your account informa on.
know as soon as possible if you see any errors in your account
informa on. Please be especially sure we have the proper tax
”
l
New bin in Buffalo Lake—
it’s about more than storage!
set distributor will handle both legs and commodi es to all bins,
including further expansion equipment, rail load out, and
overheads.
C. Another key component of the project will be a dust
suppression system hooked into the receiving pits. This will help
control dust emissions from being forced out of the dump pits and
will help keep patrons and employees in cleaner air.
D. A driveway building is being added to keep the west
dump sites covered from outside elements and
eliminates covering pits with mats for safer opera ons.
Over the last two years, we ran over 100 shu le trains
through Buﬀalo Lake. That correlates to roughly 40
million bushels of grain through the system. We look to
move more volume forward and to get you, the producer,
the best price advantage we can.
Thank you for all your support. Have a safe spring season.
Keep an eye on your bins!
Without a lot of grain moving it’s extra important
to check those grain bins frequently to avoid problems such as insect ac vity and mold.
Be aware of moisture and temperature levels.
End of year paperwork
By Chuck Braun
Controller
By Bruce Beussman
Safety and Compliance Director
South Central
Grain & Energy oﬀers
convenient credit terms to its
customers. All new customers go through a
credit evalua on process before credit can be extended. It is very
important and expected that customer account balances be kept
current. It has been a while since we printed our credit policy in the
newsle er so I am including it here. Please read the policy and feel
free to contact any of our oﬃces with any ques ons you may have.
South Central Grain and Energy Credit Policy
1.
2.
The purpose of this credit policy is to extend only
convenience credit to patrons and customers. Any other
terms of credit must be approved by the appropriate
authority prior to the me of purchase.
All purchases made on credit during the month are due and
payable by the 15th of the following month. ANY
TH
REMAINING BALANCE DUE AND UNPAID BY THE 15 OF
THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE MONTH OF PURCHASE
SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A FINANCE CHARGE COMPUTED
AT THE PERIODIC RATE OF ONE AND ONE-HALF
PERCENT (1.5%) PER MONTH, WHICH IS AN ANNUAL
PERCENTAGE RATE OF EIGHTEEN PERCENT (18%). A
minimum ﬁnance charge of ﬁ y cents (50¢) shall be
assessed on past due accounts.
Credit policy review
3.
The closing date of the billing cycle shall be the end of the
month. All periodic statements shall be mailed as soon as
possible following the closing date of the billing cycle.
4.
If the account is not paid by the 15th of the month, the
account shall be classiﬁed as delinquent and the account
shall be placed on a cash only basis. Credit shall not be
extended to any account which has a past due balance.
5.
Cash discounts may be given on certain items in certain
departments. Check with the Department for further details
on cash discounts.
6.
In the event that collec on proceedings are ini ated to
collect any balance due, you may be subject to addi onal
court costs, a orney’s fees, or collec on agency charges. It is
understood that SCG&E has a ﬁrst lien on any equity held by
the applicant in the Co-op.
7.
This policy may be changed from me to me by no fying
you. Use of the account a er no ﬁca on will indicate your
agreement to the change.
8.
Management reserves the right to deny or limit extension of
credit.
EMPLOYEE NEWS
4
New Opportunity!
Josh Evenson transferred to feed delivery
from agronomy on December 22. He
delivers out of both Hector and Gibbon.
While delivery is Josh’s primary role, he
may s ll help out in agronomy if needed.
A Gibbon na ve, Evenson graduated from
MVL High School in 2010, studied
plumbing for a year at Pipestone, then
moved to Alaska for a few years where he was a
store manager for Safeway.
O o Hartmann, Jr. is a new regular part- me
employee and started his new posi on that
combines feed warehouse and delivery
responsibili es on December 15.
Hartmann keeps the Gibbon warehouse
stocked and delivers bagged feed products
to other SCG&E loca ons. O o has lived in
the Gibbon area his en re life and
graduated from Gibbon High School in
1976. He then studied ag produc on at
Mankato Technical School. Hartmann has
been in the livestock business all his life and con nues to operate an
organic crop and cow-calf beef opera on ﬁve miles south of Gibbon.
O o and his wife have three grown sons. In his spare me, he enjoys
bowling, ﬁshing, and traveling.
l
By Allen Baysinger
Regional Loca on Manager
If you’ve been
through Buﬀalo Lake
lately, you may have no ced a new
bin hoisted up in the air.
Your co-op invested heavily into rail expansion three years ago.
This next phase of the project is much more than just storage
capacity.
Opera on func onality
and environmental
controls are also a key
part of the project. I’ll
address a few.
A. Second leg and dump
pit. This not only improves
dumping speed but also
handling diﬀerent
commodi es side by side
and addresses rail unload
op ons.
B. Dual (upgraded) swing
Lori Holden joined SCG&E on December
31 as a quality assurance and
accoun ng employee in the Gibbon
feed department. It’s a unique
combina on, but one for which
Holden is well qualiﬁed. A na ve of
Minnetonka, Lori earned a bachelors
in chemistry and biology at Augsburg
College and a master’s degree in
science from the University of Minnesota. She worked as a
chemist at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis for 10 years. When
husband Greg had a job opportunity in New Ulm, the family
moved there about seven years ago. Holden con nued to do
research for businesses seeking suppliers of ingredients and
equipment, working from home. Since 2009, she’s done
purchasing and accoun ng work. At SCG&E, Lori creates blend
ckets for Gibbon and Hector and will be trained to be program
leader for the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Cri cal Control Point)
and quality assurance programs.
Lori and Greg have two sons, Hunter, 21 and a junior at MSU,
and Trapper, 17, a senior at MVL High School. In her spare me,
Lori is a “bag lady,” carrying kni ng and croche ng projects
and/or books. She also enjoys jogging.
5
l
iden ﬁca on numbers on your account. The government ﬁnes us if
our patron accounts do not have correct tax iden ﬁca on numbers. It
has been quite a process to get the system up and running and our
patrons have been terriﬁc in helping us through the process. We thank
you.
By the me you are
reading this ar cle, spring has
hopefully become a reality. As
I am wri ng it, winter is whipping past my window at 40
mph. I think we all are ready to put all our year-end
2014 chores behind us and get ready for a successful
One of the great
2015.
As you are going through your receipts so you can ﬁle your 2014
tax return, be on the lookout for any uncashed patronage
checks and grain checks. We s ll have a few uncashed 2014
checks, and issuing replacements is expensive. Please take
your checks to the bank, enjoy the money, and help us at
benefits of doing
the same me!
business with South
“
We get a lot of ques ons every year about the
amount in Box 3 of Form 1099PATR. The amount
Central Grain & Energy
in Box 3 represents the gross dollar value of the
One of the great beneﬁts of doing business with South
is the patronage
grain South Central Grain & Energy paid you for in
Central
Grain & Energy is the patronage program. In 2014,
program.
2014. Grain check-oﬀs, drying charges, price later
SCG&E made $2.3 million in cash distribu ons to our
fees, etc., do not aﬀect the Box 3 number. So, if you
patrons. SCG&E also gives patrons who have reached age 72
are trying to recalculate this number yourself, you have
the opportunity to have any equity retained in their accounts
to add those fees back into the grain checks you received
paid out to them. Only one re rement payment of this kind will be
from the coopera ve. Any deferred payments you received in
made on any account. If you are past age 72, have not received your
2014 are included in Box 3; payments you deferred to 2015 are not.
re rement payment, and wish to receive it in 2015, contact one of our
local oﬃces. We will be processing 2015 re rement checks very soon,
so let us know as soon as possible. If you want us to be able to pay you
The installa on process for our new accoun ng system is con nuing.
automa cally when you are eligible for a re rement payment, please
The form(s) 1099PATR you received in January are the ﬁrst we have
generated in the new system. Please look them over carefully and let us make sure we have your year of birth in your account informa on.
know as soon as possible if you see any errors in your account
informa on. Please be especially sure we have the proper tax
”
l
New bin in Buffalo Lake—
it’s about more than storage!
set distributor will handle both legs and commodi es to all bins,
including further expansion equipment, rail load out, and
overheads.
C. Another key component of the project will be a dust
suppression system hooked into the receiving pits. This will help
control dust emissions from being forced out of the dump pits and
will help keep patrons and employees in cleaner air.
D. A driveway building is being added to keep the west
dump sites covered from outside elements and
eliminates covering pits with mats for safer opera ons.
Over the last two years, we ran over 100 shu le trains
through Buﬀalo Lake. That correlates to roughly 40
million bushels of grain through the system. We look to
move more volume forward and to get you, the producer,
the best price advantage we can.
Thank you for all your support. Have a safe spring season.
Keep an eye on your bins!
Without a lot of grain moving it’s extra important
to check those grain bins frequently to avoid problems such as insect ac vity and mold.
Be aware of moisture and temperature levels.
End of year paperwork
By Chuck Braun
Controller
By Bruce Beussman
Safety and Compliance Director
South Central
Grain & Energy oﬀers
convenient credit terms to its
customers. All new customers go through a
credit evalua on process before credit can be extended. It is very
important and expected that customer account balances be kept
current. It has been a while since we printed our credit policy in the
newsle er so I am including it here. Please read the policy and feel
free to contact any of our oﬃces with any ques ons you may have.
South Central Grain and Energy Credit Policy
1.
2.
The purpose of this credit policy is to extend only
convenience credit to patrons and customers. Any other
terms of credit must be approved by the appropriate
authority prior to the me of purchase.
All purchases made on credit during the month are due and
payable by the 15th of the following month. ANY
TH
REMAINING BALANCE DUE AND UNPAID BY THE 15 OF
THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE MONTH OF PURCHASE
SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A FINANCE CHARGE COMPUTED
AT THE PERIODIC RATE OF ONE AND ONE-HALF
PERCENT (1.5%) PER MONTH, WHICH IS AN ANNUAL
PERCENTAGE RATE OF EIGHTEEN PERCENT (18%). A
minimum ﬁnance charge of ﬁ y cents (50¢) shall be
assessed on past due accounts.
Credit policy review
3.
The closing date of the billing cycle shall be the end of the
month. All periodic statements shall be mailed as soon as
possible following the closing date of the billing cycle.
4.
If the account is not paid by the 15th of the month, the
account shall be classiﬁed as delinquent and the account
shall be placed on a cash only basis. Credit shall not be
extended to any account which has a past due balance.
5.
Cash discounts may be given on certain items in certain
departments. Check with the Department for further details
on cash discounts.
6.
In the event that collec on proceedings are ini ated to
collect any balance due, you may be subject to addi onal
court costs, a orney’s fees, or collec on agency charges. It is
understood that SCG&E has a ﬁrst lien on any equity held by
the applicant in the Co-op.
7.
This policy may be changed from me to me by no fying
you. Use of the account a er no ﬁca on will indicate your
agreement to the change.
8.
Management reserves the right to deny or limit extension of
credit.
6
l
By Brad Kohls
Grain Dept. Manager
Markets stay in sideways mode
The average season price contract was a success, filling up
both time slots. It will be completed July 1 on corn and July
29 on soybeans. Call if you have questions or want updates.
The corn and
soybean markets
remain in a sideways mode, like
they have for most of the winter. The
January crop report did not have a lot of op mis c news in it. The ﬁnal
crop report for 2014 by the numbers were as follows:
Corn—14.21 billion with yield of 171.0 and carryout of 1.877 bushels.
Soybeans— 3.969 billion bushel produc on with yield of 47.8
bushel/acre and carryout of 410 million bushels.
The ﬁnal numbers had a delayed reac on of nega vity. The market
Our Stewart facility is going to two-day a week operations
until fall. We will be open Tuesday and Wednesday, unless
special arrangements are made. We will be open with regular
harvest hours in September.
l
By Renee Anderson
Energy Sales
seems to have been rallying through the last quarter of 2014. Once the
ﬁnal numbers were released, the grain markets have con nued to slide.
As stated in previous newsle ers, I feel any me soybeans get above
$10.00 they should be sold. That opportunity has been there and many
of you have taken advantage of it. South America’s produc on this year
seems to be quite large, and will keep pressure on the futures markets
going forward. West coast exports are down slightly from the past, which
will keep basis levels in check as well. With the local produc on being
quite good last year, the local processors will not need to stretch too far
to buy soybeans. The local corn basis should remain ﬁrm with local
demand and our area corn crop being trimmed by ﬂooding and drought
this past growing season. Cash markets remain in the $3.40 to $3.65
price range; I don’t see that changing a lot in the next few months.
Generally speaking, we do have an adequate amount of corn le over.
We are coming in to a seasonally up-trending market for the next 90
days or so, so have your orders in. If I do have some op mism going
forward it would be in the corn market. I think corn acreage will be
down. I don’t believe we can match the yield from last year, with
reduced acres we could see carryout ghten and prices remain ﬁrm.
3
SCG&E
!
k
c
a
B
s
e
v
i
G
South Central Grain and Energy believes in giving back to its communi es to
help them grow and prosper, and to enhance the quality of life. SCG&E, in
conjunc on with matching dollars from the Land O’ Lakes Founda on and
CoBank supported the community.
Our 2014 Dona ons totaled $28,940.00
Local Area Fire Departments:
$9,470 total was distributed to the Gibbon,
Fairfax, Hector, Buﬀalo Lake, Stewart, Cosmos,
Eden Valley and Dassel Fire Departments.
Dona on Sibley Co FoodShare
SCG&E,togetherwiththeLandO’Lakes
FoundationMatchProgram,gifteda
inancialdonationtoareafoodshelvesto
helpmeetthecommunities’hungerneeds.
SCG&EBoardmemberBruceFroehlich
presentedadonationtoJackiKruggel,
SibleyCountyFoodSharePresident.
Local Area Food Shelves:
$9,470 total was distributed to the Sibley, Renville
and Meeker County Food Shelves.
Local Area FFA Chapters:
$10,000 total was distributed between the GFW,
BLHS and ACGC FFA Chapters.
March is Oil Booking Month
With spring
approaching, there are
several things we need to start thinking
about. We started out the year with a petroleum
product mee ng at the end of January where there were presenta ons
from our CHS representa ves on Cenex Premium Diesel Fuel as well as
Cenex Brand Lubricants. The mee ng was well a ended and quality
discussions were had to gather informa on on how products and
machines are changing. CHS con nues to test its products on a regular
basis to make sure they hold up to new equipment requirements. We
can’t stress enough how important it is to use quality products on your
equipment to keep them running at op mum performance for years to
come. The word has go en out about the excellent warranty program
that Cenex provides and several customers have signed up through
South Central Grain & Energy. The Cenex warranty is a very inexpensive
way to protect your investment and give you peace of mind.
Please call me or stop in the Hector oﬃce for details.
As March rolled around, we again hosted our annual oil and ﬁlter sale.
On March 25, we have the bulk oil truck scheduled to do our spring
farm deliveries. Please note, once again, that deliveries will not be
made to loose 55 gallon barrels to ensure quality product. We do
provide bulk storage containers, please contact us if you are in need. If
you would like to be added to the delivery route, or have any ques ons
please contact Dan or myself. We also have several op ons for ﬁlling
your barrels at the warehouse if that suits your needs be er. We have
someone there Monday through Friday 7:30-9:30 a.m. or give us a call
to schedule a me.
Diesel exhaust ﬂuid has become a necessary product for some
machinery and trucks. We currently carry this product in several sizes.
As this becomes a bigger need, our op ons have expanded. We are
looking into new ways to oﬀer and deliver product, along with
equipment available to you as well. Please contact us for what we
currently have available or let us know what you might be interested in
and we will see what is available.
l
By Ken Koch
Swine Produc on Specialist
As we
move from one
season to the next, there are
always a number of management items
that need close a en on. These include—
but are not limited to—ven la on, stocking density, pig management,
and nutri on. I have addressed these topics in my past newsle ers. If
you would like copies of them, let me know and I can send them to you.
For this issue I want to touch on nutri on.
Now is the me that we should take a look at possible ra on changes, not
only to address seasonal needs and changes, but also to address changes
in product prices. Added fat has a higher value in the summer than in
thermo neutral weather. Lysine levels may need to be adjusted, along
with increasing fat levels to maintain a correct lysine to energy balance.
Dona on Eden Valley FD
SCG&E board members Larry Dean, Brian Broderius, and
Jason Boll presented a ﬁnancial dona on to Fire Chief Joe
Thielen of the Eden Valley Fire Department, le . Together
with matching funds from the Land O’ Lakes Founda on
Match Program, the dona on will help rural communi es
prosper and prepare for tomorrow.
Dona on ACGC FFA
SCG&EandtheCoBank“SharingSuccess”MatchProgrammadeagenerous
donationtotheACGCHighSchoolFFAChaptertohelppreparefutureleaders
inagriculture.Front,fromleft:SCGEAssociateBoardMemberJasonBoll,
KaylaKutzke,SkyllerSchmidt,andMadisonWhitcomb.Back:SCGEBoard
MemberBrianBroderius,LucasLilleberg,MorganPaulson,MorganErickson,
DillonGratz,andSCGEBoardMemberLarryDean.
l
By Dan Filzen
Hector Loca on Manager
Importance of Nutrition
With the current higher price of ddgs, they no longer present the
money-saving opportuni es they did in the past. We have lowered the
ddg levels for all ra ons, based on best cost of produc on. We do keep
a close eye on prices and make adjustments accordingly. Evaluate your
paylean strategy. Like fat, it has more value in hot weather.
Manage the feed systems on your farms. Feed outages are more common
in pigs fed in the summer, as bridging of bins and feeders is more
common. Manage your feeders and ensure that at least 50 percent pan
coverage is available in each feeder. Restric ons in intake are more
costly in the summer. Do a good walkthrough late in the day to make
sure all pigs have access to feed. Pigs will eat much of their feed at
night in hot weather, so having feed available at night is cri cal.
As always, feel free to contact me at any me with ques ons, concerns,
or comments. Your business is greatly appreciated!
There has been a
lot of talk about the crude oil
market lately, as well as gas and diesel
fuel prices. Farm diesel prices were down as low
as $1.80 a gallon in January, though as of this wri ng they are up about
30 to 35 cents a gallon from the low. Gas prices were down in the
$1.80 range as well. I believe we may see fuel prices come down again,
though right now the steel workers’ strike is causing some supply
concerns that puts upward pressure on the fuel markets. Once the
strike gets se led, I would think prices will stabilize or go down again.
U.S. crude inventories rose almost ﬁve million barrels last week, to
reach nearly 418 million barrels, the highest since record keeping
began in 1982. U.S. crude oil inventories are at the highest level for this
me of year in at least 80 years. I would expect that we would see all
petroleum product prices—including LP—to come down some yet. I
Fuel Price Update
would suggest that you keep an eye on price levels of fuel and LP and
watch for favorable contract prices, then lock some in for your speciﬁc
needs.
LP inventories have been steadily increasing throughout this winter.
Here are some sta s cal inventory numbers that give you some
perspec ve on LP inventories across the country. Mid-Con is 11.8
million above last year’s inventory level and is up 5.1 million from the
ﬁve-year average of 15.7 million. Gulf Coast inventory is 22.4 million
above last year and 12.9 million above the ﬁve-year average of 25.1
million. East Coast is up 1.6 million from last year and is 600,000 above
the ﬁve-year average of three million.
As you can see, the inventory numbers look posi ve for prices to come
down. But as we look at this, we must also remember that if crude oil
prices go up, we will see all the products follow to some degree,
including LP. I would suggest watching prices through spring and
summer, and if you see a favorable price, you might think about taking
advantage and contract some of your spring and fall needs.
2
Annual MeetingWElection
l
By Tom Dueringer
Feed Dept. Manager
Introducing your 2015 Board Candidates
8 Ballot #1
K
Fairfax Area • Elect one
WW
en Firle and his wife Renae raise corn, soybeans,
and sweet corn just north of Fairfax. They have two
grown children and four grandchildren. The Firles
have been farming for 42 years and Ken has been a
member of the coopera ve all those years. He was
elected to the board of directors when the co-op was
South Central Co-op of Gibbon and Fairfax. He was board
president when the merger of United Grain and Energy
and South Central Co-op took place, forming SCG&E.
Since that forma on of SCG&E nine years ago, Ken has
been board president and has seen the co-op grow from
three loca ons to eight.
KEN FIRLE
He stated, “SCG&E has experienced tremendous growth,
not only in trade territory, but also in business volumes.
Although we may not always like change, change and growth are necessary to remain a
strong and successful coopera ve in today’s ever evolving and global business world.
SCG&E is a very diversiﬁed co-op, which has allowed this rapid growth to be
accomplished and s ll remain a locally owned co-op. Your board of directors is very
proud to be able to say that we have been able to do all of this growth without any
outside partners.”
He went on, “A coopera ve is described as being a group of members with common
goals and needs, working together as a group to achieve the most beneﬁt for all of its
members. This is something that cannot be done as a sole individual. One of the most
diﬃcult challenges of being on the board of directors is to leave the individual farmer’s
hat at the door when entering the board room, and pu ng on a director’s hat to
represent the best overall interests of the company, and all of its members. I have a
very deep passion for SCG&E and have truly enjoyed the opportunity and honor of
represen ng you, the owners of this co-op. I believe that SCG&E—as a locally owned
co-op—has a very strong, posi ve, and proﬁtable future. I believe that my past
experience, knowledge, and dedica on to this company will be very beneﬁcial during
these ever changing and challenging mes of your coopera ve’s history. The me it
takes to fully understand, learn, and comprehend the func on and responsibili es of
represen ng a co-op as a director is complex and can take years to achieve. I would be
honored to con nue being a part of the direc on, challenges, and opportuni es that
your coopera ve is now experiencing and will face in the future.”
l
By Eugene Lu eke
General Manager
HACCP (Hazard
Analysis and Cri cal Control
Point) is recognized by the animal feed
industry globally. It requires a rigorous, credible feed safety
management scheme.
R
on Wendinger
farms 950 acres
with his brother
Larry at Fairfax. They raise
corn, soybeans and some
alfalfa. Wendinger has
been a farmer all his life
and has been involved
with the co-op the en re
me. Ron graduated from
Fairfax High School in
1985 and studied ag
produc on in a two-year
program at Willmar VoTech.
SCG&E has achieved HACCP cer ﬁca on by demonstra ng
excep onal feed safety standards and quality management prac ces.
As of January 9, 2015, SCG&E has been awarded this interna onally
recognized cer ﬁca on status by SGS, a third party cer fying body.
RON WENDINGER
Wendinger is currently in his second year as an associate
director on the SCG&E board. In that appointed
posi on, he has all the rights of a board member except
vo ng, since he was not elected.
With that experience, Wendinger commented, “Being on
the board is an eye-opening experience for me. There’s a
lot more to it than I thought. It’s been a pleasure to
serve as an associate member and I’d be honored to
serve South Central Grain & Energy as a director.”
Ron and his wife Lori live at rural Fairfax. He has two
step-kids—Ma Cuﬀ, 28, and Missy Vorwerk, 26. Missy
and husband Tyler have one child.
Wendinger served on the Renville County Fair Board for
six years; he was food superintendent for ﬁve of those
years. He was also involved with Fairfax’s 125th
anniversary celebra on. Ron’s hobbies include hun ng,
ﬁshing, and camping.
2014 a decent year for SCG&E
There were
ups and downs but,
overall, South Central Grain &
Energy had a good ﬁnancial year in 2014.
Among the causes for the ups and downs, and aﬀec ng some of our
departments, were fall harvest yields and low commodity prices, all
impac ng our volumes and margins. Overall, however, our decent
ﬁnancial year was due to the diversiﬁca on of our organiza on. That’s
always been a strong point for us.
I thank all of our patrons for their business in 2014. We sincerely
appreciate it. Without great patrons and dedicated employees to get the
job done, we would not be successful. That combina on makes a winwin situa on.
Please take note of the annual mee ng announcement on the front
page. We’ve moved the mee ng to Cosmos this year, a diﬀerent loca on
within our territory. We will review last year’s business, covering events
of last year and the challenges that confront us, as well as those that
may be ahead as our company moves forward.
In other ma ers, our grain project is progressing well. It’s at or ahead of
schedule, due to the good weather so far this winter. The grain bin is up
and we expect the project to stay on schedule.
Our agronomy project is on hold for now, with the board reevalua ng
old informa on, current informa on, and some new informa on. This
evalua on will lead us to an upcoming decision.
With that, I’d like to again thank you for your business in 2014. We look
forward to serving you again in 2015. I hope to see you at the annual
mee ng March 31 in Cosmos.
7
SCG&E achieves
HACCP certification
HACCP cer ﬁca on, knowing their feeds are manufactured with both
quality and feed safety as a priority. Such cer ﬁca on valida on is
increasingly important in animal products, with producers
increasingly demanding greater feed safety assurances.
SCG&E already was recognized as a
pioneer and a leader in quality and
feed safety. We are proud to be
among an elite few who have
achieved this cer ﬁca on.
The HACCP cer ﬁca on validates our
HACCP cer ﬁca on requires a third party (SGS) assessment to verify
safe feed program, while addi onally
adherence to the me culous requirements of feed safety standards.
valida ng the outstanding feed
Evalua on is conducted on all aspects of the company’s animal feed
quality.
safety and quality management program, including a poten al
biological, chemical, and physical risk assessment, personnel
prac ces, feed quality control, housekeeping, and facility sanita on
(pest control); ingredient supplier approval, product
traceability, and quality management. HACCP cer ﬁca on
Feed department employee Jason Re g
validates the programs that SCG&E has in place, as well as
headed
the HACCP commi ee and went
con nuous monitoring procedures of these programs.
above and beyond in helping the eightmember commi ee to complete the lengthy
Animal producers prefer suppliers of animal feed that have
process successfully. He ﬂashed a big smile
when the HACCP cer ﬁcate arrived.
l
By Bill Meyer
Agronomy Div. Manager
I am pleased
to announce that
we have added a new seed
line to our lineup. In early December, we
became a Prairie Brand seed dealer. Many of you are probably
aware of that name, as Prairie Brand is well known for its soybeans.
We feel that this is a good ﬁt with the brands that we already have
available. While we got a late start with the company for this growing
season, we are excited about future growth
opportuni es with the Prairie Brand line.
Seed supplies for the upcoming season look to
be adequate for all lines of seed that we
handle. Some of the “hot” numbers are in
short supply or sold out, but otherwise
inventories for all other varie es look to be
good.
Seed line added
months. We have seen minor swings both ways on all products, but I
do not expect to see much ac vity either way un l we get past the
spring plan ng season. Even then, I do not expect that we will see any
signiﬁcant changes unless there is a 15 to 20 percent drop in
worldwide consump on. For the foreseeable future, there just is no
indica on of that happening. We have not looked at locking in any
product for fall 2015 yet. However, if you want us to get an indica on
of what pricing is possibly going to look like, let me know and I can get
some numbers for you.
As we get closer to spring, those of you who will be
applying NH3 or wan ng NH3 custom applied,
need to let us know early so we can make
arrangements to get equipment ready and to get
tractors lined up for our use. If you possibly have a
tractor available, let us know so we are aware of
our op ons. Since we generally do not custom
apply NH3 in spring, we need to plan ahead as
much as possible.
Chemical supplies also look to be in good shape
as we head into the upcoming season. We have not had to deal with
shortages this year as we did the past two or three years. If there are
any “specialty” products that you have read about and are interested
in trying, let us know and we will do our best to help you get them.
Even though we work with two main distributors for our chemical and
surfactant needs—Rosens and West Central—we can get products
from other distributors, if you are looking for special products. Just let
us know, and we will work with you. We have good rela onships with
many distributors.
Here are a few reminders as we prepare for spring. Please make an
eﬀort to get into the oﬃces in March or early April to get your ﬁeld
maps ready. On applica on, we would like to see a two- to three-day
lead me. That makes it much easier to plan routes, as we generally
plan the following day’s routes the night before. We try to s ck to our
plans for the day as much as possible, but occasionally we can slip a
ﬁeld in as we go by. Please try to work with us as much as you can, as
that me of year is hec c enough as it is.
Fer lizer pricing has been somewhat stagnant for the past four to six
Thank you ahead of me for your coopera on.
MARCH 2015
South Central
n BUFFALO LAKE • 320-833-5321
• 800-642-6727
LOCATIONS
n COSMOS • 320-877-7261
n DARWIN • 320-693-2311 • 800-275-8216
n EDEN VALLEY • 320-453-3200 • 800-240-8835
n FAIRFAX 507-426-8263 • 800-328-0131
n GIBBON • 320-834-6534 • 800-690-6534
n HECTOR OFFICE & FEED MILL • 320-848-2273 • 800-547-5576
n HECTOR C-STORE • 320-848-2286
n STEWART • 320-562-2650
GRAIN & ENERGY
PO BOX E
HWY 4 SOUTH
FAIRFAX, MN 55332
Treated Seed and Soybeans Don’t Mix
From United Soybean Board
A er you’re ﬁnished plan ng, you may be
tempted to dump your remaining seed in
with any soybeans you s ll have from last
year’s harvest. Don’t.
“It is illegal in the United States to put
treated seed into your soybeans and take
them to the elevator. It is unacceptable, not
only in the United States, but worldwide, as
well,” Dwain Ford, United Soybean Board
interna onal opportuni es target area
coordinator and a soybean farmer from
Kinmundy, Illinois, said. “It’s important that
U.S. soybean farmers use and know the laws
here in the United States for disposing of
PART-TIME
Providing high-quality, contamina on-free
soy shipments helps the United States
remain the preferred supplier of soybeans
around the world and helps U.S. farmers
maintain their access to key markets.
As soybean seed treated with cropprotec on products has become more
popular in recent years, it has also become
more important for farmers to properly
dispose of le over seed. Some interna onal
customers forbid the presence of any
l Hector
• C-Store Clerk
FULL-TIME:
l Hector, Gibbon
• Bulk Feed A endant/
Feed Delivery Driver
l Fairfax
• Custom Applicator
More informa on about these
posi ons can be found at scgemn.com
2015© South Central Grain & Energy.
Published by South Central Grain & Energy in partnership
with Madsen Ink Co., New Ulm.
GRAIN & ENERGY
treated seed in commodity soybean
shipments, and farmers viola ng U.S. laws
on treated seed disposal may be subject to
legal ac on.
treated seeds and that they’re very
conscious in ensuring that those are
disposed of in the proper, legal manner.”
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
South Central
“I believe that U.S. soybean farmers are
very conscious about this and do a very
good job in segrega ng and keeping those
treated seeds out of commercial soybeans,”
Ford added. “However, customers can reject
a whole shipload of our soybeans over just a
few soybeans that have been treated, and
that could cost all of us millions of dollars.”
SEASONAL CDL DRIVERS WANTED
www.scgemn.com
Join us for our
W
Tuesday, March 31 • 7 p.m.
ANNUAL MEETING
Cosmos Legion, Cosmos
Note new loca on
• Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL)
with HAZMAT and tanker endorsements
and current medical card required.
• Seasonal Class B CDL holders encouraged
to apply.
• Work assignments based out of Fairfax,
Gibbon, Buﬀalo Lake and Cosmos
agronomy facili es.
Apply at any SCG&E loca on, call
320-833-3003 or visit scgemn.com.
INSIDE:
AGENDA
• 2014 Financial Report
• Elec on of one director
• Other business which may properly
come before the membership
• Dividend checks will be distributed
• Lunch will follow mee ng
—Brian Broderius, Secretary
• 2015 Board Candidates
• HACCP Cer ﬁca on
• New Seed Line Added