Green & Growing

AM1 – Optimum® AcreMax® 1 insect protection system with an integrated corn rootworm refuge solution includes HXX, LL, RR2. Optimum AcreMax 1 products contain the LibertyLink® gene and can be sprayed with Liberty® herbicide. The required corn borer refuge can be planted up to half a mile away. AM – Optimum® AcreMax® insect protection system with YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax products. AMT – Optimum® AcreMax® TRIsect® insect protection system with RW,YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2. Contains a single-bag refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait, and the Herculex® I gene. In EPA-designated cottongrowing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax TRIsect products. AMX – Optimum® AcreMax® Xtra insect protection system with YGCB, HXX, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax Xtra products. AMXT (Optimum® AcreMax® XTreme) – Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait and the Herculex® XTRA gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax XTreme products. Q (Qrome®) – Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait, and the Herculex® XTRA gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Qrome products. Qrome products are approved for cultivation in the U.S. and Canada. They have also received approval in a number of importing countries, most recently China. For additional information about the status of regulatory authorizations, visit http://www.biotradestatus.com/. YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Intrasect®) – Contains the Bt trait and Herculex® I gene for resistance to corn borer.

YGCB,HXX,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Intrasect® Xtra) – Contains the Bt trait and the Herculex® XTRA gene for resistance to corn borer and corn rootworm. RW,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® TRIsect®) – Contains the Herculex® I gene for above-ground pests and the Agrisure® RW trait for resistance to corn rootworm. AML – Optimum® AcreMax® Leptra® products with AVBL, YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax Leptra products. AVBL,YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Leptra®) – Contains the Agrisure Viptera® trait, the Bt trait, the Herculex® I gene, the LibertyLink® gene and the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait. HX1 – Contains the Herculex® I insect protection gene which provides protection against European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, black cutworm, fall armyworm, lesser corn stalk borer, southern corn stalk borer, and sugarcane borer; and suppresses corn earworm. HXRW – The Herculex® RW rootworm protection trait contains proteins that provide enhanced resistance against western corn rootworm, northern corn rootworm and Mexican corn rootworm. HXX – Herculex® XTRA contains the Herculex® I and Herculex® RW gene. YGCB – The Bt trait offers a high level of resistance to European corn borer, southwestern corn borer and southern cornstalk borer; moderate resistance to corn earworm and common stalk borer; and above average resistance to fall armyworm. LL – Contains the LibertyLink® gene for resistance to Liberty® herbicide. RR2 – Contains the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait that provides crop safety for over-the-top applications of labeled glyphosate herbicides when applied according to label directions. AQ – Optimum® AQUAmax® product. Product performance in water-limited environments is

Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company. Liberty®, LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of BASF. Agrisure® and Agrisure Viptera® are registered trademarks of, and used under license from, a Syngenta Group Company. Agrisure® technology incorporated into these seeds is commercialized under a license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG.

Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. TM ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. © 2021 Corteva.

Is your Thanksgiving or Christmas hanging baskets or placed on a stand. Cactus blooming yet? Branches may be pinched back to keep

The two popular houseplants are relat- the plant a manageable size. ed plants from the same species. All three varieties of this plant are as Schlumbergera truncate is commonly long-lived as peonies — meaning they called the Thanksgiving cactus and the may be passed down from one generation Schlumbergera bridgesii is commonly to another. An easy-to-grow house plant, called the Christmas cactus. They have GREEN AND these cacti like being pot bound; but slightly different shapes to what we GROWING when repotted, prefer well-drained soil or might call leaves; but actually are elongated stems. The stems which have sharp By Linda G. Tenneson growing medium. They are not true cacti and enjoy regular watering when allowed points on the sides are the Thanksgiving variety to dry slightly between watering. and the stems which have rounded edges are the Christmas cactus. This cactus may be grown indoors all year round or moved outdoors to a shady location in the spring

The Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri) also and summer. Be sure to move them indoors before has rounded stem edges; but as the common name the temperature falls below 50 F. Blooming is trigindicates, blooms later in early spring. gered by short days and lower temperatures. Keep The identification issue may be further confused if these plants have been crossbred with each other. The blooms may be pink, white, cream, peach, orange, purple, light or dark red. They may have a darker color on the outer edges, but with white or cream at the base. Curved petals emerge from all sides of the bloom with the anthers that contain the the plants in a room where the lights are off for approximately 14 hours at night and the temperature stays in the 60s. Once the buds appear to be set or are starting to open, the plant may be moved to a slightly warmer location where its beauty may be appreciated. Blooms appear on the ends of the stems and can last for several weeks. pollen in the middle. The main bloom times are as These cacti are easy to propagate. Simply remove the common names indicate. However, a few blooms four or more inch long stem sections from the parmay appear later in the season as well. The pollen ent plant and insert the cut end in potting soil. bearing anthers on the Thanksgiving variety are Water and cover with a plastic bag — creating a yellow where the Christmas plant has purplish- greenhouse effect — until new growth is seen. brown or pink anthers. Potential problems include root rot caused by

The plants are native to the mountains of south- excessive watering; and insects such as mealybugs, eastern Brazil. They grow in the trees where soil soft brown scale, red spider mites, aphids and funand rainwater collect in the crotches of tree branch- gus gnats. es. When grown in a container, young plants may be six to ten inches high; but well-established plants may reach eighteen inches in height and spread two or three feet in width. The University of Minnesota Extension website (https://extension.umn.edu/houseplants/holiday-cacti) contains pictures and additional information.

Older plants with long branches display well in Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v Cover crops field guide released

AMES, Iowa — Cover crops can enhance soil health by capturing nutrients, slowing erosion and reducing the need for herbicides. Growers face many different decisions in the field, and the latest edition of the “Cover Crops Field Guide” will assist in some of those choices.

The pocket-sized, in-field reference guide helps growers select, use and grow cover crops effectively. Topics covered in the guide include everything from cover crop selection to cropping system recommendations and the impacts of different cover crops.

This 162-page guide includes nearly 30 pages of new material, including cover crop suggestions for common rotations, up-and-coming cover crop species, effects on yields, climate considerations and more. The species section of the guide has also been expanded to include white clover, forage brassicas, balansa clover and several cover crops that are commonly used in a mix.

The third edition field guide costs $6 and a 10 percent quantity discount is available on boxes of 25. It is available to purchase through the Iowa State University Extension Store at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/14198.

This article was submitted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. v

The corn revolution is here. That means strong results in on-farm trials near you. Pioneer.com/harvest

PIONEER® HYBRID/BRAND CRM COMPETITOR HYBRID/BRAND

NUMBER OF COMPARI SONS PERCENTAGE OF WINS

ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME ADVANTAGE PIONEER YIELD ADVANTAGE (BU/A)

P0075Q™ brand P0220Q™ brand 100 102

P0421AM™ brand 104 P0421Q™ brand P0507Q™ brand

P1185Q™ brand P1366Q™ brand 104 105 111 113 DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb DeKalb 58 199 44 50 188 27 21 66% 71% 61% 68% 74% 70% 81% $29 $24 $23 $39 $15 $25 $29 5.9 6.5 5.2 8.4 6.1 7.9 7.9

Income/A Advantage is calculated with the price of corn at $5.00 per bushel and drying cost of $0.04 per point of moisture. Data is based on an average of 2020, 2021 comparisons made in southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, eastern South Dakota through November 11, 2021. Comparisons are against any number of products of the indicated competitor brand, unless otherwise stated, and within +/- 5 CRM of the competitive brand. Product responses are variable and subject to any number of environmental, disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary. Multi-year and multi-location data are a better predictor of future performance. DO NOT USE THIS OR ANY OTHER DATA FROM A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRIALS AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN PRODUCT SELECTION. Refer to www.pioneer.com or contact a Pioneer sales representative or authorized dealer for the latest and complete listing of traits and scores for each Pioneer® brand product. Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. TM ® SM Trademarks and service marks of Corteva Agriscience and its a liated companies. © 2021 Corteva. 21D-1467-57_TLS_corn_1126_CU2

The Land Correspondent

Dale Strickler is the author of three books including “The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil” which was published in 2021 by Storey. He’s also a beef rancher, professional agronomist, and a former college educator in Kansas.

The Land: In the early pages Dale Strickler of “The Complete Guide…” you write about your college experience. You write, “I was taught in my soils class that it is virtually impossible to raise soil organic matter content on a widespread scale on a permanent basis.” Is that still being taught?

Strickler: I value my education. But a true education is a preparation for lifelong learning of continually changing of ideas as new information comes available. It is not the simple memorization of never changing facts. Yes, unfortunately that idea is still being taught. So much of what we call education is simply a teacher parroting what they were taught, so misinformation gets passed down without being questioned. It’s harder to correct misinformation than to learn new information.

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, said that a lie repeated often enough will eventually become presumed to be truth. I once heard a story called the talking duck theory. If your university professor says that ducks cannot talk, you of course believe him. But it only takes listening to one duck talk to make you question the rest of your education.

Let’s just say I’ve listened to a lot of talking ducks the last few years. So much of what I have seen happen on many farms and ranches, including my own, is what I was told was not possible, just like that statement of the impossibility of raising soil organic matter.

On my own farm, I raised my soil organic matter in one field from 1.9 to 8.7 percent in only 15 years. That is a level higher than native prairie in the area. Think of the implications of that feat. If that were duplicated on even a fraction of the world’s cropland, we could suck enough carbon dioxide out of the air to completely offset all the additional CO2 added to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution begin.

When that statement about the impossibility of raising soil organic matter was first uttered, we were in an era where moldboard plowing and a lengthy fallow period between crops was normal practice. At the time, mycorrhizal fungi were conspicuously absent from cropland and we thought organic matter mostly originated from decaying crop residue. That statement was based on studies in which they added varying amounts of manure to soil and measured the increase in soil organic matter in a cropping system featuring moldboard plowing and a lengthy fallow. It took huge amounts of manure additions in that system to raise organic matter any appreciable amount.

Now we know tillage destroys soil organic matter and we realize that most organic matter arises not from decaying crop residues but rather from microbes that live on root exudates. We know that mycorrhizal fungi produce the most persistent form of soil organic matter and that fallow will cause a drastic decline in organic matter. If we eliminate moldboard plowing with no-till; replace fallow with cover crops; re-introduce mycorrhizal fungi to our soils; and graze livestock on them to self-spread fresh manure instead of spreading it mechanically; it is amazing what can be done to increase organic matter. A lot has changed in our agronomic practices, but that fallacy of the impossibility of raising soil organic matter persists.

The Land: Those early pages of the book seem like a general critique of college learning and a celebration of practical experience. In fact, you tell readers that your Dad told you that you weren’t smart enough to farm. Is there a place for the University, and University trained agronomists, in this work of regenerating our soils? Who are the leaders? Who should they be?

Strickler: I think the best statement I have heard regarding a university education is that the purpose of an education is not to teach you, but to prepare you to be taught for the rest of your life — and to be your own teacher in that process. If education stops when you walk across the stage in a cap and gown, then you’re not truly educated.

There is absolutely a place for universities in this field. I value the education I received; but it is critical we realize that science is never settled and our ideas change over time. It was once “settled science” that the sun revolved around the earth and the first person to propose otherwise was tortured into retracting his statement.

There is a certain amount of arrogance that often comes with a PhD. That needs to be dispelled and replaced with humility. When I left college with an advanced degree I thought I was pretty much allknowing when it came to agronomy. It took me a lot of humbling experiences to learn how ignorant I was.

There are multiple sources of learning. The university is a valuable one; but it isn’t the only one. Unfortunately, when a good idea originates outside of a university, there is often an initial rejection to the idea and sometimes even hostility towards it from the anointed experts. A truly educated person will realize that they, too, have much to learn. I converse regularly with university professors and there are some brilliant people there; but there are real knotheads as well.

The Land: I mean really, why should I care about this soil health silliness when I can get good yields with fertilizers recommended by my elevator?

Strickler: Ha-ha … good question. Anyone today in a developed country has that option. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not necessarily telling farmers to go cold turkey and forgo fertilizer. Fertilizer works quite well at increasing yields. Without it we would likely be looking at massive worldwide starvation. But fertilizer comes with an ever-increasing price tag. That’s a problem for all farmers, but particularly for the small landholders who farm ten acres or less but manage 70 percent of the world’s cropland. Also, most of our fertilizer materials are derived from fossil fuels or from mined materials that are finite in nature. We can already see that these materials will one day run out. We will have to find alternate fertility strategies out of necessity.

Finally, we are now discovering the application of water-soluble fertilizers has been suppressing natural mechanisms that would otherwise release fertility from soils at no cost to the farmer. If we learn to harness these mechanisms, fertilizer may become unnecessary.

The Land: Thinking about the value of practical experience, you have a short side bar in your chapter on Minerals called “Seeing is Believing.” It talks about the yield comparison of irrigated corn vs. corn following alfalfa. What did you observe? What was going on in the soil?

Strickler: In the summer of 1993 we had rain all summer with water standing in the fields for weeks on end as adjacent rivers overflowed into neighboring fields. I actually caught some very large fish by chasing them down between corn rows and grabbing them by hand.

The standing water created anaerobic conditions in the soil. In anaerobic soils bacteria strip the oxygen out of nitrate molecules and turn it into gaseous forms of nitrogen that leaves the soil in a process called denitrification.

This was taking place in all the corn fields that received nitrogen fertilizer. That corn was yellow and yielded about 40 percent of normal. But where corn was planted on old alfalfa fields, yields were normal under the same conditions. This is because these fields had an abundance of protein from the decaying alfalfa residue and the microbial breakdown of that protein released nitrogen in plant available forms throughout the year, slowly over time and in synchrony with plant demands.

Protein does not turn into gaseous forms and leave the soil in flooded conditions nearly as readily as nitrogen derived from synthetic sources. The lesson here is that by creating a system of farming in which the nitrogen needs of a crop are met by decaying protein rather than synthetic nitrogen, we can create a more weatherproof system.

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

Yes, ‘quality’ best describes Minnesota farmers who are awarded the Minnesota Water Quality Certified Farm designation. Since the program’s launching by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in 2016, there are now 1,130 Minnesota farms proudly displaying the MWQCF designation.

Brad Jordahl Redlin, Water Quality Certified Farm Program Manager, shared some tidbits on Nov 4 at the Minnesota Ag and Food Summit. “We’re at about 800,000 acres right now and steadily growing,” he said. “These are folks who are doing just outstanding stewardship of their lands. We are just proud to recognize them for their efforts in protecting Minnesota lands and streams, rivers and lakes.”

“Getting certified in the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program shows the community we are doing our part to protect our natural resources,” say Chuck and Deb Uphoff.

Adds Andrew Schock, another certified farmer, “If I’m going to be in business and carry the farm to the next generation, I have to push toward the edge of excellence in all aspects of farming: farm management, marketing and conservation.”

MWQCF is a voluntary program. There is no fee to get certified. It starts by contacting the local county soil and water conservation district office. Explained Redlin, “They will work with you to collect information like field characteristics, nutrient management, tillage practices. Our specialists will even complete online field-by-field water quality risk assessment. In essence they work with you to identify practices that mitigate water quality risks and make sense for your farm operation.”

Participants in the program can even obtain designated technical and financial assistance to implement specific practices that promote water quality. “MDA helps with funding allocations to cover the costs of some of these projects,” Redlin said. “I’m very proud of the teamwork at state, county and local SWCD’s to make these things happen.”

Like all agriculturists, Redlin was somewhat surprised by the generous yields in many Minnesota landscapes this fall. “Yes, we had some moisture recharge this fall. But I’d like to see some blankets of white ground this winter. I credit Minnesota farmers for their unique skills in making the best of questionable weather this season. They adjust as needed. And of course that’s why I encourage using the MAWQCP to gauge your progress in protecting water quality while saving money and ensuring future generations of dependable food supplies. And that’s why the USDA sets aside a pot of money just for growers in our program. We have a yearly grant of $5,000 that lets participants do ‘quick hitters’ on projects needing immediate attention. Being flexible and farmers working together with our country SWCD specialists is what makes this work.. And growers very much appreciate being able to take care of this one little nuisance without the time-consuming Federal process.”

“It’s working and I’m loving Minnesota,” says Redlin, a native of the wheat, barley and oats farming agriculture of eastern Montana. He admires the innovative attitudes of Minnesota farmers plus their ‘sustainability credence.’

To learn more about the Minnesota Water Quality Certified Farm program, visit mda.mawqcp@state. mn.us v

The Land: In your book you ask, “how will we grow crops in the future without the synthetic fertilizers on which we’ve become dependent?” How would you answer your own question? Do you actually think that’s possible?

Strickler: It is quite possible. Biological processes can release fertility from soil particles and pull nitrogen from the atmosphere to create fertility — if we can create a soil microbiological population sufficient enough. We know that. It occurs all the time in natural ecosystems.

The bigger questions, however, are: How do we need to change our management in agricultural soil to build this type of microbiology? How long will it take to build it to sufficient levels to provide all of our soil fertility? And finally, how do we do this without going broke in the meantime? Those are the questions to which I have no answers; just educated guesses and what I feel are good plans to achieve that kind of biology.

The fate of the human race literally depends on us figuring these processes out.

The Land: The more I page through your book the more it gets me to thinking. There’s a lot of information. How would you suggest readers with a growing interest in soil health use your book?

Strickler: I would start with the table of contents, then move to the chapter summaries. Skim the illustrations and the photos and read the stories in the sidebars. Then dive into the pages that pique your interest.

Probably the best stories are the ones in which I talk about some of the bigger screw-ups I made on my farm and explain how the reader can avoid making those same mistakes.

“The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil” is available at garden centers and bookstores; or visit https://www.storey.com/books/the-complete-guide-torestoring-your-soil/ v

Deadline for Dec. 24, 2021issue is Tues., Dec. 14th at noon. Deadline for Dec. 31, 2021issue is Tues., Dec. 21st at noon. Deadline for Jan. 7, 2022 issue is Tues., Dec. 28th at noon.

Due to the Holidays, THE LAND office will be closed on Friday, Dec. 24th and Monday, Jan. 3rd, 2022.

By TIM KING the industry and are used at other The Land Correspondent grain elevators.

HERMAN, Minn. — The new 1.4 The RFID card, which is attached million bushel CHS elevator here is to the incoming truck, sends its moving toward readying a highly signal identifying the truck and automated testing and delivery owner. Then an automated grain system which will make life for probe takes a number of samples farmers and elevator staff a lot less from the truck and sends them to stressful during busy harvest sea- the office for analysis. Moving forsons. The new elevator, which com- ward, the truck is weighed and pleted construction in October 2020 directed to proceed to an available and is receiving grain during the dump pit. Before dumping, the 2021 harvest, is an addition to the grain type is automatically verified 2 million bushels of storage at the along with, once again, the truck’s original Herman elevator. identity. Once the grain is dumped,

Changing conditions in agricul- the truck is weighed and identified ture brought about the need for an a final time. elevator expansion in this small Kramer says that the automation west central Minnesota town on system evolved with three goals in the BNSF railroad. “The original mind. elevator in Herman was built during the 1970s when the majority of the crops grown in the area were small grains,” Jerry Kramer, general manager for CHS at Herman, said. “The transition to primarily corn and soybean acres — along with improved seed genetics resulting in increased yields — had a big impact on the need for increased storage capacity. Simultaneously, the increased harvest speed of area farmers and increasing technology made the existing elevator less able to provide the delivery speed and experience our customers expect.” operating, delivery of grain goes more quickly and CHS says they can receive and store grain more strategically. “This new facility adds three additional high-speed “First, this creates a more flexible delivery schedule with our very diverse patron base. Everyone’s schedules are busy, so by providing a broader delivery period, we allow our patrons to be more efficient,” he said. “The second goal is to provide our employees with a better worklife balance. The ability to receive grain without employees always on-site allows greater opportunity for staff to have more flexible scheduling than is currently available in a nights-weekendsholidays industry like agriculture.”

Now, with the extra capacity from both elevators dump pits to the two existing pits. Along with the added storage capacity and latest technology, all con“Safety is a core value and strategic focus of CHS,” Kramer went on to say, “and these automation capatribute to being better able to serve our patrons,” bilities continue to evolve a safe working environKramer said. “The increase in dump pits, offering ment, which is our third goal. Grain employees can three delivery bays, and faster receiving speed at up put in long shifts — such as during train loading and to 75,000 bushels an hour all work towards creating harvest — which can lead to fatigue and increased a more efficient delivery process.” risk of injury. Automated delivery allows for some Combined, the two CHS elevators in Herman now needed time off for employees during these peak seahave five dump pits with receiving capacity over sons. That will reduce fatigue and accident risk with100,000 bushels per hour. out slowing or stopping grain deliveries for our cusOne of the automated features at the elevator is an tomers.” RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card which Although the new and expanded elevator at uses a tiny radio transponder on an incoming load to Herman has been taking grain since October of last communicate with the elevator. year, the fully automated system has not been made The RFID card, which is about the size of a credit available to the public yet. card, contains information about the customer who is “The system was in development after the physical hauling grain — including their personal or business structure was finalized,” Kramer said. “It was sucname, truck license number, and number of axles on cessfully used during test deliveries in August 2021; the truck. but, due to the timing of 2021 harvest and ongoing “This card is an interface with our accounting system and an important part of what allows us to be fully automated throughout our system,” Kramer said. “We do not need one of our employees to enter farmer information, as it’s automatically entered refinements, the automated delivery system has been used only for internal deliveries using CHS trucks with RFID cards. Once it’s tested by a pilot group of farmers, it is expected to be available for use by area farmers following this year’s harvest.” when the card is read.” Once that happens, farmers and CHS staff at Kramer points out that RFID cards are not new to Herman can look forward to even more efficient and less stressful grain handling. v

Photos submitted Automation and the spacious three-truck bay helps drivers move through the unloading process quickly. Tags mounted on grain trailers and RFID key cards are used at checkpoints to ensure grain is being delivered to the right dump pit and credited to the correct customer account. Systems are in place to call out inconsistent data. ON THE COVER: The new grain elevator in Herman, Minn., has 1.4 million bushels of upright storage with three dump pits capable of receiving grain at 75,000 bushels per hour. Behind the scenes, the elevator has been automated to allow for delivery any time day or night.

By DICK HAGEN Back to this custom combine cleanThe Land Staff Writer Emeritus ing service, Brad related, “Each fall

OLIVIA, Minn. — On the morning after harvest I would hire Norm’s of Nov. 9, I motored north on Renville Repair Service in Montevideo to come County Road 21 about for about five out clean my machine, adjust and miles. I was looking for combines. make repairs as needed. Soon a few And there they were: red ones and green ones, parked conveniently at the edge of a large harvested soybean field waiting for their ‘dust down’ so to speak. I was at the Brad and Julie of my customers where asking about this same service. So that’s how it started. This three-man crew cleaning our combines does about 100 combines each season.” Link farm, a veteran corn/soybean “Then we started hearing feedback operation of about 1,000 acres. Brad is from machinery dealer mechanics also a long-time Legend seed dealer. saying, ‘Hey, we appreciate the cleanA few years ago, Brad hired a firm using high-pressure air hoses to clean up his combine after harvest. A neighbor stopped, asking Brad if he’d do the same for his rig? Brad is a kindly, courteous guy. And he knows the value of being a good neighbor. up work you are doing. It’s a time and labor saver in our own shops. Our mechanics appreciate this service.’ I used to say, ‘Do you want your free jacket or your combine cleaned?’ I don’t bother with that question anymore,” smiled Brad. Yep, that neighbor’s combine showed up at Brad’s farm and it got cleaned spick and span. Then Brad wondered, ”Why not consider this as a custom service to my customers?” In fact, now when harvest gets in gear, Brad’s customers are texting him — asking when does combine cleaning start and wanting to be on that list again. But wonder no longer. Fourteen combines were sitting there when I pulled up at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning; Brad said another dozen would be on deck Wednesday. And I’m certain I was viewing the first custom combine cleaning service in the state of Minnesota! We adjourned to Brad’s farm shop, a spacious layout with a generous table (coffee and sweet rolls conveBrad Link As China hopefully continues to be a major buyer of U. S. corn and soybeans, production costs for farmers have ramped up considerably for the 2022 season. Hansen said Legend Seeds is adjusting to this new economy. “We, like other seed companies, had to make some adjustments,” she admitted. “Seed production costs are trending upwards. However, our sales also continue upwards. Quality dealers providing the best service and quality products is our future. And Brad Link is a perfect example of such.” FAIRMONT See COMBINE CLEANING, pg. 17 This is a totally free service with even a few more treats too … like a customer appreciation supper in August. “We do all the seed treatments right here at our farm shop. And in two weeks we’ll be having a big pancake breakfast feed out here too. Obviously customers are the bread and butter of my dealership. So this is our thank you to them. niently accessible) for a Q & A session. Also present was Kelsey Hansen, Legend Accounts Manager living at Gibbon. So now a few words from Brad Link: Said Brad, “Legend started about 31 years ago in DeSmet, S.D. by Glen and Janet Davis. Today they are probably TOY SHOW I asked Hansen what she thought of Brad’s unique customer service. “I think it’s absolutely amazing,” Hansen exclaimed. “I’ve never heard of such. It’s most impressive; the third largest independent seed company in America … and 100 percent employee-owned (about 100 employees currently).” Brad is also a seed grower for Legend. Soybean seed is grown by Legend dealers and/or customers in December 11 & 12, 2021 Saturday 9 am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 3pm undoubtedly Brad’s customers are thankful indeed. Looks to me he’s grandfathered something unique within our company. This definitely jumps above and beyond the usual dealer chores.” Corn and soybean seed are benchmarks of Legend Kelsey Hansen Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Corn seed is processed at Platville, Wis. by Grower’s Alliance. Market geography of Legend Seeds today is basically the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, plus northern Iowa and eastern Nebraska. A new addition is the recent startup of their own biological company called Yield Master Solutions. Farm Toys, Cars, Trucks & Various Collectibles Five Lakes Centre 400 South State Street, Fairmont, MN Seeds; but Hanson stressed the company offers more. “We also have conventional seed products, silage products and assist with marketing outlets of the production from these conventional fields also. These newer Yield Master offers seed treatment packages such as a nitrogen fixating product which portends lower rates of applied nitrogen and cheaper fertility expenses. Hanson also mentioned a couple of soybean addiFor more information, contact: Jim Mealman 507-381-8235 (leave a message please) trends in seed offerings are showing up everywhere tives to further assist in reducing crop production these days … generated I suspect by the ongoing con- expenses. “Helping growers be more profitable is sumers changes in their health and taste issues.” always the goal,” she stressed.

Photos by Dick Hagen Fourteen combines lined up to have crop debris blown out from every nook and cranny of the big machines. Brad Link provides the free service for seed customers. Link anticipates his crew will service 100 combines this fall.

The Land Correspondent

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — In midOctober, corn in central Minnesota was coming into the elevators drier than normal; and, as a result, farmers weren’t feeling the bite of rising costs for propane for drying the harvest.

“The crop is very dry this year so little propane is being used by farmers for drying,” Jim Hlatky, the General Manager of Pro Ag Farmers Cooperative in Parkers Prairie, Minn. said. “It’s maybe 20 percent of normal. The bigger issues are lack of access to pipeline supplies and that we are now a net exporter of propane overseas.”

Pro Ag has elevators in a number of communities in Todd, Douglas and Ottertail counties in central Minnesota. CHS, based in Inver Grove Heights, is a propane supplier to Pro Ag. Dennis St. Aubin, the CHS Director of Propane Sales and Marketing, agrees with Hlatky’s analysis.

St. Aubin says a high percentage of propane inventories are stored in underground caverns throughout the United States.

“It used to be that inventories of propane were built up during the summer when demand was low and drawn down in the winter when demand increased,” he said. “That has changed as markets for plastics and other petrochemical products in Asia, as well as heating demand in Europe, have turned to propane as a reliable feedstock. Propane isn’t the only feedstock, but is currently the most affordable.”

As a result of the changing market, several large export terminals have been built in the Gulf of Mexico and on both coastlines over the last decade. If prices in the United States are low, propane which would have been used to build up inventories for winter heating use has been shipped overseas in an effort for producers to capture highest return on this commodity.

St. Aubin said that CHS is paying producers about three times as much for propane this year as they did last year. His experience is reflected across the country, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“Propane markets are experiencing low inventory levels and high prices heading into the winter heating season. As of Oct. 1, wholesale propane spot prices at the Mont Belvieu hub, near Houston, were up $1.00 per gallon (204 percent) from the same time in 2020.” the EIA wrote in its Winter Fuels Outlook released on Oct. 13. “U.S. propane (including propylene) inventories were 72.3 million barrels on Oct. 1, or 20 percent less than the five-year average and 29 percent less than at the same time last year.”

The EIA pointed out that propane exports increased by 13 percent last year. reaching record levels of exports. The Agency predicts retail propane will increase by 65 percent a gallon in the Midwest this winter, making it the biggest price increase since 2013-14 heating season.

“The U.S. propane market has tightened because of the increase in exports, and wholesale U.S. propane prices have risen in line with wholesale propane prices in overseas markets. U.S. exports of propane during the first half of 2021 accounted for 60 percent of total U.S. propane demand when we combine domestic consumption and exports, up from 58 percent in the first half of 2020. We forecast that net exports of HGLs from the United States will remain high through the end of the year and then gradually decline as OPEC+ crude oil production rises, resulting in increased global production of associated propane and other natural gas plant liquids,” the EIA wrote.

“I’m afraid the days of propane being under a dollar are done,” Hlatky said.

Dennis St. Aubin, at CHS, recommends that farmers visit with their local propane retailer during the summer and early fall months to let them know what anticipated needs will be and to see what programs they have to assist farmers. v

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

MINNEAPOLIS — Meet Minnesota’s State FFA President. Her name is Emily Matejka. “I’m a sophomore at South Dakota State University majoring in Ag Communications,” she said. “My ambitions are to continue an agricultural career — be that in marketing, ag economics, communications. I’m not really certain at this stage. Suffice to say, I am rapidly learning that American agriculture is an everexpanding dimension.”

Matejka admitted she was pleased to hear membership in FFA is growing. “The past two years we’ve seen the second-largest membership growth of any state in America. We were previously around that 10,000-11,000 mark, but we’ve now jumped to just over 12,600 members. Partly that’s because we’ve sprouted about nine new FFA chapters in the state. And that stems from the growing desire for continuing education in our society as a whole.”

Matejka credits existing ag instructors for much of the growth. “Plus I sense more and more FFA alumni want to see younger folks in their communities learning about agriculture and the exciting careers ahead in many, many different fields of work,” she said. “Plus, it is really gratifying to see the added push from communities themselves — sensing the positive growth for their entire community if a vocational agriculture program becomes part of their local community school. It’s exciting what’s happening.”

With a couple of years left before graduating from college, Matejka isn’t making any plans for a graduate program. “At this time I’m possibly looking into it,” she admitted. “But I’m eagerly seeing how the rest of my Bachelor’s degree here at SDSU concurs. I’d love to jump right into my career — whatever that might be. We’ll just have to wait and see where the future takes me.”

While still in high school, Matejka’s Supervised Agricultural Experince project focused on agri-business; so she was employed at her local hardware store in Trimont. “That project entailed logging all the hours worked, all the special education that I learned through product knowledge I gained. Through that I was able to work myself up for Proficiency Application. That tagged along with my state degree application rewarded me with the ‘State Star in Business Degree’ at our recent Minnesota State FFA convention.

I commented Matejka sounded like a Dutch origin name; but she corrected me. “It’s Czechoslovakian … a European, Polish, Czech denomination I’m told. My family name goes back five or six generations and we still have some family with the home country.”

Recently home from the November National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Matejka reported 60,000 registered for that final session — an incredible twoday event bursting with the pride of thousands of American young guys and young gals choosing to enrich their lives with the leadership training inherent in FFA events across America. “It is an awesome experience for any and all who attend,” claimed Matejka. “I am so proud to be a part of our Minnesota delegation.”

Obviously, the future will be potentially huge for this young lady … generous in demeanor yet disciplined in achieving further accomplishments. And how about a job in Washington D.C.? “Yes,” Matejka confessed, “I’ve thought about that just a bit. I’m convinced FFA has given, and continues to give me, an exciting future. And I will do my best to earn it with dignity and appreciation for the gifts of my parents, my fellow students, my good Lord, and the thousands of friends continually adding zest into being an American.” v