With some staff members, including yours truly, taking a day or two off during the holiday week, it often leaves others picking up the slack to make sure we deliver on our promise to provide our members with excellent, hassle free service. Thanks to all of you who called in your orders early so our staff could wrap up the week on time Friday and enjoy the holiday weekend with family (and a limited number of aware, cautious, and socially distanced friends). I’d also like to thank all of you who returned your propane contracts by the end of June. It’s a crazy week when they are all coming in so quickly and we appreciate your patience and support. Thanks too for your understanding as we fielded more calls than usual due to the energy offices still having very limited access for face to face assistance with questions this year. Like all of you, we are very anxious to get back to in person contact as soon as we can ensure the safety of our members and staff. If reading this reminded you that your contract is still sitting on the kitchen table, just pick up the phone and call the energy office nearest to you. I’m sure we’ll be able to take care of you. The last of the propane contracts (Cap renewals) and safety mailings will be sent out later this month. On behalf of our energy team and everyone at your cooperative, thank you for choosing us to serve your propane needs again this year.
Normally in July we are busy preparing for a number of fun and educational events at your cooperative. Unfortunately, we all know things are anything but normal this year. Due to COVID, we will not be holding our usual customer appreciation events, Plot Days will be limited to one on one or very small group tours with agronomists, and the annual Premier Cooperative River Rumble tractor pull has been canceled. Another thing we look forward to each year is rewarding our member’s children for the work they do with their livestock animals they show at the fairs. With nearly all the fairs having been canceled, this year your cooperative revised our program to reward our member’s kids despite not being able to show their livestock animals at the fair. Please visit our website to learn more about the program. By providing each youth with the opportunity to receive something, we’ve rewarded thousands of kids with well over $100,000 since we started this program.
The weather continues to be favorable for what could be a very large corn and soybean crop. There’s a lot of corn that will be shoulder high (or greater) by the 4th of July this year. If your crop is looking good today, or if it may need a little boost, be sure you are working with one of our knowledgeable agronomists so they can help it reach its full potential. Tissue testing, scouting for insect pressure, and evaluating the need for fungicide can all help add bushels and profit to this year’s crop despite the challenging low prices.
We welcomed our 2020 Agronomy interns in June. From L to R: Andrea, Andrew, Emily, Haley, Karlee, Karlene, Marsden & Tony. As we enter the last few months of our fiscal year, I’d like to thank all of you who have kept your charge account at the cooperative within our credit terms. I can’t stress enough how important it is to your company that all the previous month’s charges are paid in full by the end of the month after they are purchased. It’s the cash flow we depend on to pay our suppliers, make payroll, and reinvest in your cooperative. I understand that it takes a lot of work to keep your account current, and it is very much appreciated.
In keeping with tradition (reporting my almost annual Father’s Day gift), I’m saddened to report that only my three-year-old granddaughter, Ava, pulled through with a “Papa Day” card. I guess since they splurged last year by pooling their resources together for a nose and ear trimmer, perhaps they didn’t want to set future expectations too high. Then again, maybe they had their hearts set on buying me a thermometer, hand sanitizer, or some N95 masks for Father’s Day and just couldn’t find any so they gave up. I was most surprised by the lack of a card from my youngest, Andrea. I used to be able to depend upon her if all else failed. With her postponed wedding coming up in September (likely to be “postponed” again), and a lot of wedding expenses to be incurred, I thought for sure she’d have a loving card or maybe a new garden tool to replace the one(s) now hanging in her garage. I tease the kids a lot, but at the end of the day we all realize it’s not the cards or gifts, but the quality time we get to spend together. For that I am a very lucky father/papa.
