Tuesday February 9th at 11:00 am is the release of the USDA WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates) monthly report. The key numbers to watch in this report are the 2020/2021 ending stocks numbers, which are currently very tight. Corn ending stocks were projected to be 1.5 billion bushels in the January report and soybeans were projected to be 140 million bushels. Traders expect these carryout numbers to be reduced in the February report. If you’d like to discuss these report numbers and the price reaction after their release, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jory at our Westby location.
There is no better time to stock up on lubricants! For every 100 gallons of qualifying Cenex lubes or grease purchased between November 1 and February 28th can earn you a $50 VISA gift card. Already purchased at least 100 gallons? I'll be reaching out to deliver the cards!
It took a while, but we’re finally getting some real winter. Sometimes there is over a week gap between when I write this newsletter and you read it (or use it to light your wood stove). I’m writing this on January 26th and today reminded me of the weather I recall when I was a kid. I remember deep, blowing snow but the term ‘deep’ means different things to a 6 foot tall man vs a 4 foot tall child. Even with that 2 foot height difference some of the drifts looked pretty deep as I used my pickup as a battering ram to get out of my driveway. It was actually a lot of fun because I didn’t get stuck.
As you consider a minreal program for your cow herd, there are 3 key things to consider: BioavailabilityPalatabilityWeatherability
As I began writing this month’s newsletter, I noticed I was starting with comments about the weather, and leading into the large selection of snow blowers, shovels, ice melt and more available at our Mt Horeb Do it Best and Westby ACE stores to help you get through the winter months. Then I realized that this is my first Manager’s Desk article, and some reading this might be wondering who is the guy in the picture above…and where’s Andy? If you missed last month’s newsletter, Andy had a really nice article on his decision to step down from the CEO role, which can now be found on our website under “News”.
Premier Cooperative has a NEW & IMPROVED calf feed lineup featuring Biome Boost; an exclusive calf feed technology to support the microbiome of the calf. As a part of this new feed lineup, Premier is running the following promotion:
Market In the past few months, we have seen rising corn and soybean prices due to reductions in crop size and tightening carryout numbers. This has presented us with selling opportunities that we have not seen in 5-7 years. As we focus on marketing the 2020 crop, we would encourage you to also look at the 2021 crop. Using your own farm’s projected costs and historic/projected yield information, there may be profitable opportunities to forward contract a portion of your expected crop. The first step in this is calculating costs, which can be helped by a simple Excel spreadsheet template that Premier can send you to customize for yourself. Contact Jory Bossuyt at our Westby location at 608-308-4889 or use the form below to send an email for more information. While we are not certain what prices will do going forward, if it makes sense for your operation to start forward contracting, we are happy to assist.
‘Tis the season for diesel contracting! Diesel market volatility is one of the largest unknowns that producers and organizations face. The capture of a single oil tanker or an OPEC disagreement can cause massive price swings, leaving those of us in the Midwest reeling. If we learned anything last year, it’s that prices can change on a dime and leave us wondering what might come next. Energy trends continue to be bullish as we head into a new administration and as vaccinations continue to roll out worldwide. Though we can never be absolutely certain, we are seeing indicators that price will continue to rise over historic lows seen last summer.Your cooperative offers contracting options to help weather the uncertainty. Whether you are simply looking to lock in a price for your yearly gallons to build a better budget or wanting to hedge risk with piecemeal contracts in the hope of a summer price swing, we can help you find a solution best suited for your needs.Contact me at the information below to learn more!
Syngenta Thrive 2020 By Darci Maulsby Additions by Ken Jahnke Set your sights on high yields with the decisions made during planning and planting. Here are the seven top tips for starting the 2021 crop strong:1. Select seed to match your needs. Don’t focus exclusively on seedling vigor and yield potential. Economics are tight, but you need to plant the right traits that put you in a favorable position for success. The right traits for your needs are a powerful tool in your toolbox.
Growing conditions during the crop year often leave cattle feeders and nutritionists concerned for mold and yeast growth on corn and other grains throughout most of the Corn belt. The 2020 growing and harvest season seemed to be an improvement over the last three years, but there are still pockets of the region that are experiencing challenges with mycotoxins. Simply observing mold on corn does not mean that mycotoxins are present. A first but important step is to identify the main types of molds and yeast present. Identification of the potential mycotoxins in the feed is important when formulating a plan for minimizing the effects on cattle.