P E O P L E • P R I D E • P U R P O S E

FieldviewsFALL 2015 EDITION

Reaping What You Sow

Page 2

Sell It or Store It?

Page 10

Trebelhorn Joins UFC

Page 14

Making a Wish Come True

Page 21

3

t United Farmers Cooperative, we’re planning to assist you in reaping the fruits of your labor, just as we have done for generations in Central Minnesota.

Before speaking of harvest preparations, I want to personally thank everyone who attended UFC’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Picnic on Aug. 21. Besides being a wonderful night of fun, fellowship, and music, this event offered all of us the opportunity to reflect on what has been built by many generations of dedicated members, employees, and communities.

A special thanks to the UFC board and employee team for their year-long efforts preparing this gala festivity. Thank you, as well, to our friends, neighbors, and business

partners who assisted in staging this extraordi-nary event.

Most importantly, I thank you, our mem-ber-owners, for making this historic celebration possible. UFC is a cooperative and nothing in a cooperative happens without the commitment of its members.

Congratulations,

Jeff NielsenGeneral Manager/CEO

A

IN OUR SEARCH FOR WAYS TO PUSH EVERY ACRE TO ITS LIMITS, THE ONLY THING WE HAVEN’T FOUND ARE THE LIMITS.With pinpoint data from our revolutionary R7® Tool and worlds of expertise, we can help your yields and operation soar. By combining Answer Plot® data from over 200 sites with the latest satellite technology, we can help match the perfect CROPLAN® seed to every acre. The results are 360 degrees of smart, personalized solutions with big returns. To find a WinField retailer, go to winfield.com

©2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC. Be Greater is a trademark and Answer Plot, CROPLAN, R7 and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC.

REAPING WHAT YOU SOW: THE BEAUTY OF WORKING THE PLANAs you read this issue of Fieldviews, we’re eagerly anticipating

what may be the best crop many of us can remember.

100th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 21, 2015 at Winthrop!

To view our commemorative “Celebrating 100 Years” video, check

out: www.ufcmn.com/youtube

3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:The 2015 Corn and Soybean Harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

Our New VP of Consumer Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Revolving Profits To Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Your Fall Tasks Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

Improvements at Cologne Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Sell It or Store It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10

Spotlight: Norseland Ag Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

Providing the Value You Expect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

Trebelhorn & Associates Joins UFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Help Us Help You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

Replace the P&K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19

Order Early for Best Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19

Questions Answered on Co-op Cash Card . . . . . . . Page 20

Making a Wish Come True . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21

2015 Scholarship Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22

Harvest Grain Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23

UFC DIRECTORYAgQuest FinAnce—507-647-6606 ext. 6749

Bird islAnd elevAtor—320-365-4012

Brownton shuttle—320-328-4002

cologne Feed Mill—952-466-5518

corporAte oFFice—507-647-6600

gAylord Ag center—507-237-4203

gAylord c-store—507-237-2281

giBBon c-store—507-834-6615

grAin MArketing—507-647-6601

green isle c-store—507-326-5866

hAMBurg Ag center—952-467-3111

hector Ag center—320-848-2296

klossner elevAtor—507-359-4519

klossner livestock service center—507-359-2970

klossner stAtion—507-359-4503

lAFAyette Ag center—507-228-8224

lAFAyette c-store—507-228-8364

lAFAyette elevAtor—507-228-8221

lAFAyette seed shed—507-228-8669

new gerMAny c-store—952-353-2601

norselAnd Ag center—507-246-5300

uFc FArM supply-Burnsville—952-890-5296

uFc FArM supply-lesueur—507-665-6421

uFc FArM supply-MAple plAin—763-479-2123

uFc FArM supply-wAconiA—952-442-2126

wAconiA energy oFFice—952-442-2126

winthrop c-store—507-647-5931

winthrop cheMicAl wArehouse—507-647-6615

winthrop elevAtor—507-647-5311

winthrop energy oFFice—507-647-6602

©2015 United Farmers Cooperative. All Rights Reserved. Published in partnership with VistaComm® (www.VistaComm.com).

100th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 21, 2015 at Winthrop!

4 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN BUSINESS

The 2015 Corn and Soybean Harvest...and BeyondBy Jeff Nielsen, General Manager/CEO

’m thankful for the investment UFC has made in a grain-handling system. We’ve believed for years that technology, hard work, and cooperation would combine to produce a crop like this. Now, with our facilities and people in place, we’re ready to take your grain.

There will be challenges, however. A combination of mar-ket dynamics and local demand has us going into harvest with a larger amount of old-crop corn. In the past decade, UFC has added storage capable of holding in excess of 17 million bushels. We anticipate needing every inch of that space this fall.

Our grain team has been working diligently with local, national, and global markets to ensure our elevator lanes are kept open. Still, unfavor-able weather conditions, freight delays, and unknown obstacles may present themselves.

You can help by communicating your needs early and often so we can sched-ule more trains, plan more piles, and do everything in our power to make room for your grain.

We also anticipate some drying demand, and UFC is ready for that as well. Our onsite dryer capacity exceeds 25,000 bushels per hour, and our experi-enced dryer service team is geared up to serve you.

We’re ready to go and looking forward to assisting you in reaping a bountiful harvest.

Start planning for next year’s cropFall also brings the opportunity to purchase seed and lay

the foundation for next year’s crop with fertilizer and pre-cision technology systems to give you the best chance for another bumper crop.

As your planting speed increases, our need to collaborate accelerates as well. We’ve worked hard to understand what can be done in the fall to take pressure off you—and your agronomy team—in the spring.

Schedule a meeting with your UFC sales agronomist to begin planning for next year’s crop. Ideally, your planning process should begin before the 2015 crop comes off.

Taking consumer goods to a new levelI want to announce some exciting news about changes

being made in our consumer goods business, with stores at Burnsville, Maple Plain, and Waconia. Thanks to the

hardworking teams at these UFC farm supply loca-tions and to the support of our retail customers,

the consumer goods division continues to grow.

This growth and opportunities before us led to the decision to acquire addi-tional talent capable of taking consumer goods to the next level.

On page 3, you will meet Steve Spears, who began his career with UFC

on Sept.1, 2015, as our new vice president of consumer goods. Steve brings over 20

years of leadership experience to this UFC division and is already making a difference.

Successful year completedOn Aug. 31, 2015, UFC closed its 100th year of business.

While it was not a record year overall, it was still a profit-able one. Many of our individual business units experienced record volumes, sales, and profits despite last year’s crop being down nearly 40%, which resulted in decreased oppor-tunities in grain and energy.

We look forward to sharing the results at our annual stockholders meeting Monday night, Jan. 11, 2016.

Right now, the most important thing is focusing on the task before us. Get the rest you need and stay safe, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor this harvest season. ●

I

Delivering grain to the Winthrop Elevator.

y name is Steve Spears, and I am passionate about retail! With more than 20 years of leader-ship experience on the

selling floor, I know what success looks like—a clean and inviting showroom, unique products that provide extraordi-nary value, and an engaged team of knowledgeable asso-ciates creating relationships with our customers. I plan to bring this same custom-er experience to UFC Farm Supply as your new vice pres-ident of consumer goods.

I have spent the last 22 years of my career work-ing for Northern Tool + Equipment Company, a niche retailer based in Burnsville, MN. Most of my time with Northern Tool has been in a store leadership role: select-ing and developing talent, maintaining high levels of

operational efficiency, and positioning my team to deliver a memorable shop-ping experience.

However, I have also spent the last five years developing my strategic planning side. I created programs and made decisions that impacted the organization in a leadership role at

Northern Tool’s world headquarters. This blend of high performance field leadership and strategic vision is what I will bring to my role with the UFC Farm Supply retail stores.

I have been married to my beautiful wife, Christine, for 18 years, and we currently live in Hugo, MN. Together

we have two great kids: Andrew (14) and Sara (12). They keep us very busy with sports, music, and school activities. Some of the things we enjoy doing together is travel, spending time at the lake, and supporting our favorite team—the Vikings!

The UFC story is a great one—a 100-year-old compa-ny with hardworking employ-ees dedicated to service and assisting the community. I am proud to be part of the next chapter. ●

Left to right: Andrew, Christine, Sara, and Steve Spears.

M

EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN THE BOARDROOM - 5

Our New Vice President of Consumer Goods

Wow! Celebrating 100 years of cooperative business is quite a pleasing accomplishment. It is the collective hard work and discipline of many through the years who have brought us to this point in our history, along with the continued loyalty of our members and patrons.

he cooperative mergers of our most recent past, individually, do not have roots that go as deep as 100 years. However, the roots of those businesses, no matter when they started, are definitely feed-ing the collective success UFC is today. I consider each one of them a surviving cooperative busi-

ness. Their equity and service to their members have been preserved and protected.

The competitive landscape in which all farm supply cooperatives operate continues to change and evolve at an accelerated rate. We live in one of the few remaining areas where we can still choose to do business with a variety of cooperatives. Whether we like it or not, this will adjust with the changing rules of our economic playing field. Many local cooperatives aggressively compete against each other on thin margins, while private companies use economies of scale to gain market share on a regional level.

The regional level is where the real competition has moved. In order to remain profitable and protect our mem-bers’ investments, we must be a player on this level. UFC is focused on this trend and is committed to being here for another 100 years!

Volatility in agriculture has become the new norm, increasing the need for access to more capital. During this centennial year, your board of directors has wrestled with what we need to do to be here 100 years from now. We have decided to move from a traditional way of revolving profits back to you, the members. In the future, we will take a more balanced approach that reflects capital needs and long-term sustainability. Expect to see adjustments.

As always, the board encourages your questions and input on all matters concerning UFC. ●

T

Revolving Profits to ChangeBy Jeff Franta, UFC Board Chairman

EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN THE BOARDROOM - 7

IN OUR SEARCH FOR WAYS TO PUSH EVERY ACRE TO ITS LIMITS, THE ONLY THING WE HAVEN’T FOUND ARE THE LIMITS.

Answer Plot, Be Greater, CROPLAN and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. © 2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC

On today’s farm, knowledge is vital. WinField offers retailers a wealth of insights to help

farmers make the right decisions at every step. By combining Answer Plot® data from

nearly 200 sites with local expertise and the latest satellite technology, we can help

match the perfect CROPLAN® seed to every acre. The results are 360 degrees of smart,

personalized answers farmers can count on for big returns. Learn how you can help

farmers push every acre to new heights at winfield.com

8 www.ufcmn.com

1. Holding any old crop into harvest? Regardless if you have claims this fall, do not commingle old and new without get-ting the old crop measured.

2. Any potential for crop insurance claims? If you have any doubt, turn it in.

3. While you currently work on finalizing breakevens on your 2015 crop and choosing marketing targets, the 2016 crop is already staring at us. Get started sooner versus later on your operat-ing loan renewal to ensure that any obstacles—perceived or real—are addressed. Negative cash flows will put the squeeze on some balance sheets and may hinder your ability to pre-pay. Don’t wait to address this. Tighter margins need sharper pencils and having to say “no” to some things. If restructure is needed or you simply are looking for the best way to manage tax liability, get the ball rolling by evaluating your options. Cash preservation is vital for the foreseeable future.

4. Crop insurance continues to be one of the most utilized risk management tools and is very cost effective, especially when it directly correlates to your marketing and finance needs. Stop by for a no-obligation review.

5. 2016 rent: Both sides want to “win” and that may differ with each landlord. If you both strive for a long-term relationship,

it will require an investment in time and education. Has your landlord ever toured the fields in your combine or grain cart? Seek to understand and then to be understood. Be bold and help them see the value in working with you. Without that, it may simply be a bidding contest.

6. After an accident is not the time to find out your liability or property coverage was not up to par. Schedule a quick pre-harvest review.

7. Ag economics roll on, even while you are knee deep in har-vest. Take advantage of a text or phone call and lean on your trusted advisors in finance, insurance, agronomy, grain, feed, farm equipment, energy, etc. to keep you rolling. AgQuest and UFC have you covered.

8. Lastly, exercise SAFETY this fall and give thanks! ●

For more information on the risk management tools available to you, contact UFC’s AgQuest team: Vince Sloot at 507-995-9029, Tim Lewis at 612-758-2903, or Dawn Wickenhauser at 507-647-6606 x 6749. You may also email us at vsloot@agquest.net, tlewis@agquest.net, and dwickenhauser@agquest.net, or visit us online at www.agquest.net.

By Vince Sloot, AgQuest Business Relationship Manager/Crop Insurance Specialist

Your Fall Tasks Roundup

arvest season is upon us, and we know how important it is for you to be up and running full force. Thanks to you, our business is growing, and we’re staffing our facilities with skilled team members to help meet your expanding needs.

Equipment: We have rental machinery available such as grain carts, and tillage equipment at our Gaylord, Lafayette, and Waconia locations to help you get the job done.

Service: To help accommodate your needs, we have in-house and on-farm service technicians to help keep your machinery and systems running. Our leg crew and dryer technicians are on hand to help with any repairs or breakdowns to your grain handling systems. Our tire department dispatches two on-farm tire service trucks out of our Lafayette Ag Center to all corners of UFC’s trade territory. We have additional technicians in our shops for in-season repairs as well.

Parts: We have a fully stocked parts department that includes tillage and grain handling parts.

We do our best to make UFC a one stop shop for all your fall needs. Have a happy and safe harvest. ●

Supporting Your Equipment During HarvestBy Tyler Zollner, Farm Equipment Product Sales Manager

H

Demco grain carts, available at our Lafayette Ag Center, have some of the industry’s best auger visibility.

Our tire technician John Hamilton installs new tires on Dale Messerli’s combine on-site.

IPublic Views Improvements at Cologne Mill

n August, United Farmers Cooperative held an open house at our Cologne Feed Mill to introduce the newly remodeled site.

Phase I: During the summer of 2014, UFC pur-chased two properties along Highway 284, directly in front of the

Cologne Feed Mill. Tearing down the buildings on these properties allowed us space to install a new truck scale to replace the mill’s old scale, which was not long enough to weigh semi-trailers and large farm wagons. It also created access to the new scale and to the entire site directly from a major highway rather than from a side street. This has improved traffic flow for incoming and outgoing vehicles.

Commenting on the improved view of the mill from the highway, one local said, “I didn’t even know you were here!”

We also built a 32’ x 50’ addition onto the existing mill office to provide more working space, and we updated the older section of the building to meet current building codes. The addition gives our customers better access to the mill’s office area and includes a parking lot and a small retail space for display of various products we offer for sale.

Still to be doneStarting August 2015, Phase II of the Cologne Mill project got

underway. This construction includes a new and faster dump pit for grain and ingredients coming into the mill along with overhead bins and spouts to facilitate quicker loadout of corn and beans. The new arrangement will allow us to dump grain at the same time we’re load-ing feed trucks with finished feed in the existing driveway.

A new double roller mill will be installed, replacing the old hammer mill currently in use. The new mill will process corn at a much more consistent particle size while saving energy costs and tripling the grind-ing capacity of the facility.

Construction activity may affect receiving at harvest, but you should still be able to dump grain at the mill. We anticipate Phase II to be complete in early 2016.

All of these improvements are being made to advance services for our patrons and the surrounding community. We encourage you to visit the Cologne Mill if you are in the area. Mill manager Ron Kelzer and his employees will be glad to show you around. ●

By Steve LeBrun, Vice President of Feed

We had great local attendance at our open house at the Cologne Mill held Aug. 13. Patrons and community members were able to view the Phase I improvements.

Phase I: Mill manager Ron Kelzer in front of new scale and office addition at Cologne.

Phase II: Digging foundations for a new leg and dump pit at the mill.

9

10 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN GRAIN MARKETING

Sell It or Store It?By Marc Peterson, Director of UFC’s Risk Management Department

Let me start by saying this statement does not mean you don’t own any given amount of this year’s produc-tion. What it does mean is that you could own as least some of the crop on paper, instead of in the bin. Ok, I can just hear the outcry now. “That darn broker and

those options and futures; you’ll never catch me doing that!”As always, my response is “whether you own it in the bin

or on paper, the risk is the same.”As I write this article mid-August,

the future’s market is making it very clear as to what it thinks you should do. This discussion revolves around the marketing fundamental of understanding and using the “carry in the market” to help make storage decisions.

The Chicago Board of Trade is not called the “futures market” for nothing. At any given time, you can see what the market is willing to pay for corn, beans, or wheat as much as three years in the future. For the sake of this discussion, we are only look-ing out to next summer.

When it comes to stored grain, you want to see a grain market that has a “carry.” In other words, the market is willing to pay you a higher price in the future if you fill the bin at har-vest and sell later in the marketing year.

Above is how the futures markets for corn and soybeans are aligned as of the close of trade on Aug. 27.

As you can see, the market is paying a higher price for both corn and soybeans into the summer. However, when comparing the amounts the market is offering, it is substan-tially more for corn than soybeans. Keep in mind these values can, and probably will, change by harvest time.

If there is a decision to be made whether to store corn or soybeans, the market is suggest-ing you fill your bins with corn.

Please understand that this does mean you don’t own soy-beans. It just says it could be a good marketing decision to use one of the many ownership alter-natives available through various elevator sales contracts, futures,

and/or options to benefit from a higher market.The UFC grain department is continually offering educa-

tional marketing meetings and seminars for you to learn how to use this and many other fundamentals of grain marketing. We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities when they are offered at a location in your area.

As always there can be lots of ways to “skin a cat.” Stop in or call the UFC office in your area to discuss this or any other aspects of your marketing program. ●

LWhen it comes to the management of storage bins, the market will tell you what to do.

This material has been prepared by a sales or trading employ-ee or agent of MPT Brokerage Services and is, or is in the nature of, a solicitation. This material is not a research report prepared by MPT Brokerage Services. By accepting this com-munication, you agree that you are an experienced user of the futures markets, capable of making independent trading decisions, and agree that you are not, and will not, rely solely on this communication in making trading decisions.

DISTRIBUTION IN SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY BE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. PERSONS IN

POSSESSION OF THIS COMMUNICATION INDIRECTLY SHOULD INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND OBSERVE ANY SUCH PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION INDIRECTLY AND SOLICITATIONS ARE PROHIBITED IN YOUR JURISDICTION WITHOUT REGISTRATION. THE MARKET COMMENTARY IN THIS COMMUNICATION SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A SOLICITATION.

The risk of loss in trading futures and/or options is substantial and each investor and/or trader must consider whether this

is a suitable investment. Past performance, whether actual or indicated by simulated historical tests of strategies, is not indicative of future results. Trading advice is based on infor-mation taken from trades and statistical services and other sources that MPT Brokerage Services believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgement at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guaran-tee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades.

DISCLAIMER

CORN & SOYBEANS

SOYBEANS CORN November: 8.79 December: 3.75 January: 8.83 March: 3.86 March: 8.85 May: 3.93 May: 8.88 July: 3.97 July: 8.91 As of August, 2015

AgQuest Insurance Agency is an Equal Opportunity Provider.

Vince Sloot, Finance / Crop Ins.

cell 507-995-9029vsloot@agquest.net

www.agquest.netwww.ufcmn.com

705 E. 4th St., Winthrop

Together... We Find The Way!

Farming is not a Job,

With AgQuest, UFC can go beyond seed, fertility and crop protection products and help secure financing, crop insurance and farm insurance. It’s just another way that UFC can offer you the freedom to prosper, the confidence to grow.

Let us help you customize your finance and insurance plans to fit your farm operation.

it is a Way of Life....

Tim Lewis, Property & Casualty Ins.

cell 612-756-2903tlewis@agquest.net

www.agquest.net

The perfect match for your field

Finding a perfectly matched seed for your field is a big task. One that CROPLAN® takes seriously. Selected from the widest array of traits and genetics available and grown under a diverse range of variables, CROPLAN® seed corn allows farmers to make decisions based on real, local results rather than big promises. It’s how we outgrow the competition, year after year, bushel after bushel. Visit croplan.com for more information.

CROPLAN and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. © 2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC

“Intakes are improved after calving from what we were doing in our previous program. Fresh pen milk production is up and Hydro-Lac is the only thing that we are doing different.” - John Warren, Dairy Producer

740 Bowman Street • Stewart, MN 55385800.422.3649 • www.formafeed.com

The post-calving state in a cow’s life is critical. Hydro-Lac is a year-around tool to help fresh cows:

• Replenish lost fluids • Heal tissues damaged in the calving event • Return to positive energy balance

Fresh cows fed Hydro-Lac 14-30 days post-calving showed a 900+ lb. Fresh ME improvement on average, a potential 5:1 Return on Investment*!

Contact your UFC representative for more information about adding Form-A-Feed’s Hydro-Lac to your feeding program!

MAXIMIZE FRESH COW PERFORMANCE WITH HYDRO-LAC®

*Kohls, et. al. 2015 17-Herd Fresh Cow Field Demonstration Summary

EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SALES - 13

hroughout the harvest and fall fieldwork season, our sales team will work with you in the field, on the farm, and at the co-op to provide

the value you expect from this custom-er-owned company. While UFC remains open to strategic acquisitions, like the one announced on pages 14-15, our primary emphasis is organic growth.

To accomplish this, we’re adopting tools to help our sales people become more efficient, prioritize their time, and follow up with you on information you requested. For instance, we’ve recently acquired customer relationship man-agement software called FOCUS.

Developed by our agronomic part-ner WinField Solutions, FOCUS will enable our sales people to become more efficient and effective by provid-ing timely communication. FOCUS will insure your needs are not overlooked due to a lost message or the press of business. It will capture pertinent con-tact information and replicate that infor-mation throughout our system—ensur-ing that the correct UFC representative is able to provide a solution for your needs.

We continue to work with each individ-ual member of our sales team in product training, program development, and basic skills. UFC is actively involved in identifying

individual skill sets necessary for our sales team to improve their communication, presentation, and professionalism in the marketplace.

We expect you, our customers, to provide us with additional insights or ideas for products and services import-ant to your operation. It may be some-thing we offer you are not receiving, or it may be a business we should consid-er developing. As I said earlier, we want to provide the value you expect.

Our abilities to anticipate needs and produce solutions will contribute to your success and the success of your cooperative as we begin our next 100 years. ●

By Greg Peton, Executive Vice President of Sales

Providing the Value You Expect UFC master agronomy advisor Ryan Ponwith and DEKALB® Asgrow® representative Beth Schabert address customers at a plot day south of Winthrop.

rom the humble begin-nings as a creamery, the Norseland Ag Center has evolved into an agronomy, feed, and equipment loca-

tion for United Farmers Cooperative. The business was part of Tri Ag

Co-op which was purchased by UFC in the late `80s. UFC built a new ag center in 1993. Today, it serves as a one-stop shop for agriculture pro-ducers in Nicollet County to pick up bagged feed or place an equipment order—to be delivered to Norseland from UFC’s Gaylord, Hector, or Lafayette Ag Centers. Norseland also offers a well-equipped repair shop for farmers and non-farm residents to have vehicles and lawn mowers worked on.

Anhydrous is the big fertilizer mover at Norseland Ag Center, which also handles liquid starter fertilizers and a small inventory of chemicals.

“We don’t keep huge inventories in Norseland, but can bring in just about anything you need for your convenience,” says loca-tion manager Andy Berdan, adding that sales agronomist Bob Wilkinson offices at Norseland, but all custom spraying and spreading is dispatched out of Winthrop.

Despite the fact much of what they order comes from other UFC locations, the yard of the Ag Center is often bus-tling with customers, even in the middle of the afternoon. “People around here

like the convenience factor,” says Andy. “They like that they don’t have to drive

30 to 40 miles to get to a tire shop.“We’re obviously not one of UFC’s bigger locations,”

he continues, emphasizing the connectedness between Norseland and the rest of the cooperative. “But we’re able to get our customers everything they need.” ●

FSmall Town - Big Convenience By Andy Berdan, Norseland Location Manager

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT—NORSELAND AG CENTER

Customer Steve Havemeier picks up wood chips for bedding.

T

n that first day, Trebelhorn’s office staff imme-diately moved to UFC’s Energy Division on the east side of town along State Highway 19. If you were a customer of Trebelhorn & Associates, you’ll see little change in the early stages of this

union. You’ll call the same phone numbers, place orders with the same people, and see the same staff deliver your orders. It should be seamless. The biggest difference will be your billing, which will come from UFC.

This acquisition is a result of discussions between Trebelhorn & Associates and UFC on how the two companies might collaborate to more efficiently use their transports in the rapidly changing energy business.

In the course of these discussions, Trebelhorn and UFC realized their values and responses to challenges were very similar. “It became clear there was a good potential fit here,” says company spokesperson Scott Trebelhorn.

“UFC employs the same kind of people with the same desire to do things that create energy and value for the cus-tomer that has driven me in the past,” adds Scott, who will take charge of the cooperative’s wholesale and transporta-tion operations and sales.

“Things are changing rapidly in the energy business and those companies with the most tools in their toolbox are going to be the survivors,” Scott continues. “They will be the ones able to deliver service, products, and value to their customers.”

The people, fleets, and experience of 100-year-old UFC and 78-year-old Trebelhorn & Associates will move the combined organization to the next level, according to Darv Turbes, vice president of energy for UFC. “Consolidating our employees, equipment, and purchasing power gives us the opportunity to expand our wholesale business beyond what each company brought to this union,” states Darv.

History of the companyTrebelhorn & Associates began in 1938 when Scott’s

grandfather, Otto Trebelhorn, went to work as a commis-sioned agent and employee of Standard Oil. “My grandfa-ther started this company unloading kerosene from railcars in five-gallon cans,” says Scott. “His work ethic, generosity to his colleagues, and caring service to his customers is his lega-cy to our company today.”

Scott’s father, Bob, an electrical engineer in the Twin Cities, took over the company in the early 1970s when Otto decided to embark on a second career as a preacher. A short time after, Bob moved back to Winthrop and Standard Oil changed its name to Amoco and sold their trucks and tanks to employees who became independent businessmen referred to as jobbers. The third generation assumed a lead-ership role in the business in 1993, when Scott moved back to Winthrop from Rochester, where he had been leasing an Amoco service station.

“Winthrop had been my home practically all of my life,” Scott states. “I got to know just about everybody in town from delivering newspapers and pumping gas in my early years.”

Trebelhorn & Associates owned and operated a service station in Winthrop until the early 1990s and a convenience store in New Ulm until 2004 when the family decided to focus more on the wholesale side of their business.

Today, the company operates as a wholesale supplier to service stations and c-stores primarily in the Twin Cities area. “We’ve continued to grow this business and work more with bigger companies and industrial-type users, while continuing to support the local farm trade that has been our bread and butter,” says Scott.

This family-owned company has progressed from the early days of a couple-hundred-gallon trucks selling petroleum in five-gallon buckets to its present-day tank wagons and transports hauling hundreds and thousands of gallons. Some of the same farmers and local businesses who purchased petroleum products from Otto Trebelhorn nearly 80 years ago purchase from Bob and Scott Trebelhorn today. “Many of our customers are third generation, too,” Scott points out. “Some farms that took five-gallon buckets back then are tak-ing transport loads today.”

14 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN ENERGY

Trebelhorn & Associates Joins UFC

O

On Sept. 14, United Farmers Cooperative acquired Winthrop-based Trebelhorn & Associates, a third-generation bulk petroleum business with retail ag and heating customers within UFC’s market area. Trebelhorn also has wholesale customers in the Twin Cities metro as well as around southern Minnesota in areas such as Albert Lea and Red Wing.

Company founder Otto Trebelhorn, on the job in 1942.

15

Company valuesThroughout its 78-year history, Trebelhorn & Associates

has measured its success on relationships. “It’s all about creating quality of life for your family and for the people you work with and about being part of the community,” says Scott. In fact, the company’s employees are family. They include Scott’s dad, Bob, who continues to work with the company today and Tony Kammerlander, a confidant who has served as a sounding board to Scott for the last 30 years. Del Leske, a sounding board and colleague for more than 40 years, who recently passed away, was with Scott’s grandfather from the very beginning. Bob Rogotzke has also been an important part of Trebelhorn & Associates since its merger with Rogotzke Oil of Fairfax in the early 1980s.

Other employees include Steve Elmer, who, along with Bob, operates the com-pany’s tank wagons, and Paul Clobes, who mans the transport. Cindy Kuehn-Gleason and Connie Portner make up the office staff of Trebelhorn & Associates.

“I’m pretty sure if you added up our employees’ years of service they would average a quarter of a century,” says Scott.

Much of the impetus behind the Trebelhorn’s decision to sell their company to UFC comes from their desire to provide a future for those employees who have served so well and faithfully in the past.

“The older and hopefully more mature you get, the dollars and sense side of things become less important than doing

the right thing by your customer and your colleagues,” says Scott, explaining the Trebelhorns’ decision to join UFC.

“The opportunities on the horizon look endless,” he says of the path ahead for the newly unified petroleum business.

The future“As Scott indicated, transportation was one of the things

that started this discussion,” remarks Darv. “The experience that Trebelhorn & Associates brings to the table will help UFC’s transportation business grow.

“As we continued to talk, we realized we were more alike than different,” Darv continues. “We thought this would be a great opportuni-ty to create efficiencies and deliver more of a value for both customer bases.

“More than anything else, it’s the experi-ence Scott and his team have in the wholesale business and the understanding of the process he has gone through to get his business to this point that appealed to us,” says UFC’s vice president of energy. “There will be trials, but if we have the right people, we can work through those trials.

“We are combining a 100-year-old coopera-tive with an 78-year-old family business,” Darv concludes. “We’re going to build on this family business for the next 100 years.”

For the third generation of Trebelhorn, it is a matter of trust. Someone in UFC told

him, “Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of your business.”

“I believe that,” says Scott. ●

Trebelhorn & Associates employees, pictured left to right in 2012: Scott Trebelhorn, Bob Rogotzke, Del Leske, Steve Elmer, Cindy Kuehn Gleason,

Connie Portner, Tony Kammerlander, Bob Trebelhorn, and Paul Clobes.

“ We’re going to build on this family

business for the next

100 years.” ~ Darv Turbes, Vice

President of Energy, UFC

© 2015 CHS Inc.

STRONGER ROOTS. HEALTHIER CROPS. BETTER YIELDS.

XLR-rate® liquid starter and foliar fertilizers promote early green-up in colder, wet soils and stronger root development and plant recovery. They’re a proven way to overcome challenges for a great harvest. Ask your local agronomist about how XLR-rate can improve yields and profitability.

800-642-4104

chs5413_CHS_VistaComm_HalfpgAd.indd 1 2/10/15 8:38 AM

© 2015 CHS Inc.

STRONGER ROOTS. HEALTHIER CROPS. BETTER YIELDS.

XLR-rate® liquid starter and foliar fertilizers promote early green-up in colder, wet soils and stronger root development and plant recovery. They’re a proven way to overcome challenges for a great harvest. Ask your local agronomist about how XLR-rate can improve yields and profitability.

800-642-4104

chs5413_CHS_VistaComm_HalfpgAd.indd 1 2/10/15 8:38 AM

18 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN AGRONOMY

s we approach fall application season and think ahead to our 2016 crop, your input is crucial. Knowing your fertilizer, chemical, and seed needs early on is a benefit for you as a custom-er as well as UFC. Even if you do not plan to

prepay these inputs, we ask you convey to your UFC sales agronomist what you think you might be ordering this fall and even next spring.

Knowing your needs helps us to prepare in the following ways to ensure you have access to supply, quality product, timely service, resulting in a smooth cropping season.• Purchasing inputs at competitive prices – We’re buying

inputs all year long. Enhanced storage capacity allows us to make smarter purchases with crop nutrient manufacturers. In turn, we can pass those savings onto our patrons.

• Managing inventory – Loading every bin and filling every bulk tank with every different kind of fertilizer and chemi-cal product isn’t a viable option due to carrying costs and price swings. Besides being expensive, over-inventorying product hinders us from bringing in new products with even better technology, such as ESN – a specialty urea we’re offering UFC customers for the coming season.

• Logistic preparations – Particularly with fertilizer, hearing

from our patrons now gives us time to line up trains and trucks to move it within our trade territory so it is readily

available when our customers need it. If we’re going to buy fertilizer barges, we need to start well in advance.

• Lining up people and equipment – For instance, knowing how much NH3 will be applied tells us how many tractors we’ll need to custom apply it and how much nitrogen sta-bilizer to have on hand. Knowing the demand for services like soil sampling and data analysis helps us line up people to take those samples and process the information collect-ed by your yield monitors after harvest.

Since the co-op is owned by you, the customers, we would love to know our owners’ intentions. You have two options under which you can signal your intentions. One is to prepay and the other is to enter into an order contract.

Planning is important to the success of your farming operations. UFC strives to stay ahead of you in order to respond to your changing needs. Please help us plan to support your success!

Your UFC sales agronomist looks forward to hearing from you to start planning your successful growing season. ●

AHelp Us Help You Prepare for the 2016 Crop

UFC sales agronomist LaRay Sandquist (right) makes plans with customer Pat W.

In the last issue of Fieldviews, we told you how UFC Agronomy is preparing to take care of you through the expansion of our blending capacity at Winthrop, the construction of a new ag center at Hamburg, and the development of a unique program known as United Insight, which will offer multiple precision ag tools in one integrated solution.

By Dave Eckhoff, Vice President of Agronomy

MORE SAVINGS Look for special UFC seed promotions

through the Co-op Cash card. See “Questions Answered” on page 20.

EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN AGRONOMY - 19

Order Seed Early for Best Price and to Assure Supply

ith harvest just begin-ning on your existing crop, it can be hard to shift your thinking into next year’s crop,

but it is valuable to think ahead and start planning your seed needs. Harvest is actually a great time to be thinking about hybrids for next year. As you are out in the combine, keep track of which hybrids you really like and which areas of your farm you see the greatest potential for them. Communicate those thoughts with your UFC sales agronomist.

As always, there are allocations of certain hybrids. Seed production is never guaranteed but the earlier we know your seed needs and wants, the better opportunity we have to arrange a great seed portfolio for your farm. Early ordering also helps us optimize seed size preferences for our customers, we do our best to meet your seed sizing needs. With new traited soybeans on the verge of approval, we may have limited trial quantities available. Let us know if you have interest in planting some this spring.

Your UFC sales agronomist looks for-ward to discussing your seed needs and outlining the UFC Seed Program, which includes discounts on your preferred seed brands, hybrids, and varieties. Let’s get a plan together and maximize those early discounts!

More bulk seed facilitiesAs you know, we’re building a new

Ag Service Center at our Hamburg loca-tion, which includes an inventory of bulk soybean seed, a state-of-the-art seed treater, conveyors, and full automation.

The three new 3,000-bushel bulk soy-bean tanks at Hamburg will combine with the six 3,000-bushel tanks at Lafayette to give UFC 27,000 bushels of bulk soybean storage, two automated seed treaters, and five seed tenders to deliver treated beans to your field in 2016!

As you head for the fieldOur seed team is equipped with

weigh wagons to help calibrate your yield monitors and check yields. Give your UFC sales agronomist a call to help you out! ●

By Craig Wilson, Seed Sales Manager

e’re going to harvest a heck of a corn crop and will

remove a lot of P&K from the ground. Growers on a two-year fertilizer rotation going to beans next year should con-sider supplemental P&K this fall. Even growers harvesting beans will be pulling 42 lbs/A of phosphorous and 65 lbs/A of potassium out of the field. If you’re harvesting 200-bushel corn this year, you’ll remove 75 lbs/A of P and 54 lbs/A of K.

When you’re pulling that much out, you need to replace

it. It’s easier to deplete the soil than it is to bring levels back up, so if you can continue to build (rather than take a break this year) it’ll be better for you in the long run.

The nitrogen scene

Nitrogen was underman-aged this year. Already in August, a portion of the corn crop was showing severe nitro-gen deficiency. Remember this for next year.

Besides grid-sampling your soils this fall, order a stalk nitrate test to give yourself a report card on what you did this year.

For fall applications of urea or anhydrous ammonia, protect your nitrogen with a stabilizer.

Next year, consider layering your nitrogen. More growers every year are making split-ap-plications of N with 28% urea and NH3. We have a variety of options for in-season N management. Take tissue tests in the early growth stages to learn where your levels are and give you time to respond if additional N is necessary.

Talk with your UFC sales agronomist and plan your goals for next year. Consider UFC’s United Insight program, which ties all of this together. ●

Sound Agronomics: Replace the P&KBy Jesse Wiant, Sales Agronomist

UFC treats seed for its entire customer base at its Lafayette and Hamburg Ag Centers.

W

W

20 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN AGRONOMY

Questions Answered on Co-op Cash CardBy Dan Braun, Sales and Marketing Analyst

his summer, we notified users of the Cenex® Cardtrol card by mail that their cards are being replaced. In that mailing, each customer received a Co-op Cash

card they can use to purchase fuel or merchandise at our six United Xpress c-stores.

Since then, we’ve fielded several calls about the new Co-op Cash card.

Below are three of the most fre-quently asked questions and the answers:

1. How do I activate my card? • We have a dedicated line for the

Co-op Cash card. That number is 507-647-6605. Someone on the other end will assist you in activating your new card. If you prefer to

activate it after hours, go to www.ufcmn.com/co-op-cash. Either

way, we’ll walk you through the acti-vation process.

• Your new Co-op Cash card replac-es any existing Cardtrol cards and this fall the Cardtrol cards will all be deactivated.

2. Why was there a change? • In order to continue providing

our customers with quick, convenient options for buying fuel and groceries at United Xpress and UFC fueling locations, UFC was required to update from Cardtrol. The change meets new data protection standards being adopted across the U.S. We’re com-mitted to securing your information.

• We also wanted to reward our cus-tomers who shop UFC year in and year out. We could not do that with the old Cardtrol card. The Co-op Cash card offers a means to recog-nize these customers for their loyalty.

3. Can I use the new card everywhere? • Current uses for the Co-op Cash

card include purchases of fuel and groceries at all United Xpress loca-tions. We plan to develop Co-op Cash for use within UFC as a rewards program for our customers in agron-omy, bulk energy, feed, farm supply, and throughout the entire UFC orga-nization. At present, however, it is not available for purchases at other locations.

If you have other questions about the replacement of your Cenex Cardtrol card with the Co-op Cash card, visit our website, call the dedicated phone number, or ask any United Xpress employee.

If you do not have a Cardtrol card, but are interested in a Co-op Cash card, talk to your UFC sales agronomist, and continue to look for updates and additional promotions this fall involving Co-op Cash. ●

T

20 www.ufcmn.com - EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SERVICE EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SERVICE - 21

Winthrop United Xpress manager Dale Jutz helps a customer with his new Co-op Cash card.

atrick M. of St. Cloud, MN, was your typical 12-year-old boy who was very active and loved sports and the outdoors. In March of 2011,

that all changed when Patrick was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His condition left him with limited speech and mobility, but Patrick wished he could enjoy the outdoors like he used to.

Four years later, his wish came true. Earlier this sum-mer, UFC Farm Supply had the honor of being part of Patrick’s special day. On behalf of Make-A-Wish and Arctic Cat, we were over-joyed to present him with a new 2016 Arctic Cat Prowler. We spent the afternoon with Patrick and his family getting them fully equipped with helmets, gloves, and goggles, while enjoying a few of Patrick’s favorite things: pizza and root beer floats.

The morning Patrick was granted his wish, he knew his fam-ily was up to something but he didn’t know what. Right when

Patrick pulled into the UFC Farm Supply parking lot, he realized he was being gifted a new 2016 Prowler. The excitement in his eyes said it all, while everyone around him fought back tears of joy.

Patrick was thrilled to get his new Prowler. He couldn’t wait to take it home and ride with his dad and uncle. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make that day possible, and congratulations, Patrick, on your new ride!

About Make-A-Wish® Minnesota

Make-A-Wish Minnesota grants the wishes of Minnesota children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Visit Make-A-Wish Minnesota at www.mn.wish.org to learn more. ●

Making a Wish Come True

Patrick and his new 2016 Arctic Cat Prowlerwith his mom, dad, and sister.

EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SERVICE - 21

P

22 www.ufcmn.com

2015 Scholarship AwardsUnited Farmers Cooperative has established a scholarship program to recognize and reward the academic achievement, co-curricular participation, and commu-nity involvement of the children of patrons and employees. We at UFC encour-age each student to remember their heritage as they pursue their studies. It’s our hope that these awards assist in developing careers that enhance the future of rural Minnesota.

Alanna DeanBuffalo Lake – Hector - Stewart High SchoolDaughter of Larry and Kathy DeanFuture: Music Education at St. Mary’s University – Winona, MN

Alex BroderiusBuffalo Lake – Hector – Stewart High

SchoolSon of Brian and Shelly Broderius

Future: Agricultural Industries at University of Minnesota –

Twin Cities, MN

Caroline WatsonWaconia High SchoolDaughter of Todd and Kathy WatsonFuture: Food Science at University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, AL

Cassidy RettmannGibbon - Fairfax - Winthrop High SchoolDaughter of Mike and Jennie Rettmann

Future: Accounting at Southwest Minnesota State University –

Marshall MN

Collin HelgetCathedral High School – New UlmSon of Douglas and Jacalyn HelgetFuture: Athletic Training at Dakota Wesleyan University – Mitchell, SD

Daniel RokerBird Island – Olivia – Lake Lillian – Danube High SchoolSon of Jon and Karen RokerFuture: Animal Science at South Dakota State University – Brookings, SD

Hayden Meyer Waconia High School

Son of Dean and Ali MeyerFuture: Education at Gustavus Adolphus

College – St. Peter, MN

Jack BroderiusBuffalo Lake – Hector – Stewart High SchoolSon of David and Anne BroderiusFuture: Marketing at University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, MN

Scott BuboltzBuffalo Lake – Hector –

Stewart High SchoolSon of Jeff and Dawn Buboltz

Future: Ag Business Management at University of Minnesota –

Twin Cities, MN

Desmond Wills*Nicollet High SchoolSon of Douglas and Tammy WillsFuture: Agribusiness at South Central College – North Mankato, MN

*2015 Arnie Berdan Scholarship Recipient

EXTRAORDINARY VALUE IN SALES - 23

United Farmers Cooperative’s Harvest PoliciesBy UFC Grain Origination Team

s you prepare for harvest don’t forget to review UFC’s current discount schedules and storage rates. You’ll find them on our website at www.ufcmn.com. When you bring up our homepage, put your cursor over GRAIN (in the upper right

corner) and select GRAIN POLICIES from the dropdown menu. If you have any questions or would like a copy, you can stop by the corporate office or any of our elevator locations.

This upcoming harvest is looking to be very plentiful. Even though we expect the demand for storage space to be sub-stantial this fall, our rates for delayed pricing and open stor-age will remain the same as past years.

Ready to take your grainAs we close out the 2014-15 crop year we are busy shipping

out the rush of grain that accompanied the mid-summer rally in prices. Brownton and Bird Island are busy loading railcars, and our feed mills are grinding inventories down. Although we had expected to be scraping bin bottoms to satisfy local demand, the extra bushels have been welcome and we are moving them to market quickly. We are also looking forward to pro-viding a speedy, stress-free dump this fall. The Brownton ter-minal elevator is capable of dumping more than 300 trucks in a single day, with plenty of space to bin and pile grain.

Take the pressure off at harvestDon’t forget about these time-saving options that UFC offers!

• Access your UFC account online to see all your grain transactions immediately following delivery.

• ACH options for depositing grain checks directly into your bank account.

• Eliminate mail/postage by confirming your grain con-tracts online with an electronic signature.

We are here to help you with any of these time-saving options. For more information, call Brett, Darrell, Matt, or Nate at 507-647-6601. We wish you a safe and bountiful harvest! ●

UFC GRAIN FACILITIES Bird Island: 320-365-4012 Brownton: 320-328-4002 Cologne: 952-466-5518 Klossner: 507-359-4519 Lafayette: 507-228-8221 LeSueur: 507-665-6421 Winthrop: 507-647-5311 Grain Marketing Office (Winthrop): 507-647-6601

Go to www.ufcmn.com. When you bring up

our homepage, put your cursor over GRAIN (in the

upper right corner) and select GRAIN POLICIES

from the dropdown menu.

A

705 East 4th StreetPO Box 461 Winthrop, MN 55396

www.ufcmn.com

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAID

VISTACOMM

PERFORMING OUT HERE TAKES STURDY SHOULDERS. And the right seeds.

PLAN YOUR FALL APPLICATION

Please line up your fall spreading or NH3 application with your UFC Sales Agronomist today!