www.faccooperative.com

informer

Seems like the only people who like change are babies with a wet diaper and someone who’s trying to get money from a vending machine. The thing is, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.

That’s why, to operate more efficiently, we’re implementing three changes in our agronomy department to benefit you and your cooperative. Some of this is driven by the fact that a number of FAC employees are nearing retirement, including Randy Petersen, our agronomy manager, who plans to retire in March 2020. This will lead to a change in staff, along with other changes in how the agronomy department operates, including:

1. A new invoicing system.We’re going to require that anyone coming in to pick up agronomy products stop in the FAC office first to pick up a computer invoice listing the products they’re receiving. Then, you’ll take that load copy to the warehouse. This process is similar to what we’re already doing at the lumberyard and feed mill. We’re trying to eliminate billing errors by doing things right the first time, which saves time and hassle for everyone.

2. Proper documentation on your fields.With the advent of LibertyLink® soybeans, Roundup® beans, dicamba beans, and now Enlist E3™ soybeans, it’s getting complicated to keep track of what’s being planted in each field. If we don’t have that information on file, costly mistakes are possible. That’s why we’re instituting a new policy that your field won’t be sprayed unless we have this documentation on file. A lot of trouble can be avoided if we document

carefully and pay attention to what we’re doing. You can either sign off on your field maps when you and your FAC agronomist plan for the next growing season, or you can email authorization to FAC by listing what you’ll plant on which field. This new protocol is designed to protect you and should be fairly easy to implement.

3. More streamlined agronomy billing.As we update our agronomy protocols, we also need all the information regarding crop protection products to be applied to your acres so all this is ready to bill. Acres and rates need to be determined ahead of time. We’ll need to know if your order includes a prepaid product, or whether you’ll substitute another product. When you have your cell phone number and email address on file with us, we can text and/or email you a copy of your invoice at the time of billing. We’ll also have our FAC applicator text you when the products have been applied to your field. This new system should allow us to be more efficient in our operations, so we can keep our costs competitive and help save you money.

continued on next page

How FAC’s 3 Agronomy Changes Impact You by Dave Leiting, general manager

How FAC’s 3 Agronomy Changes Impact Youcontinued from previous page

By the way, if you don’t prepay for your agronomy products, you’re missing a great opportunity to buy your inputs at a reduced cost. Also, any time we have customers who haven’t planned ahead and bill their purchase to accounts receivable on the day they pick up their products, your cooperative is taking a credit risk. We encourage you to work with your lender, or contact FAC to make financial arrangements to save you money and help us manage FAC’s credit risk.

All the changes I’ve outlined in this article went into effect the week of August 19. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we implement these new systems. If you have any questions about these changes, contact Randy Petersen or me at the FAC office in Arcadia. We appreciate your business and wish you a safe, productive harvest. ▲

“We’re implementing three changes in our agronomy department to operate more efficiently, which will benefit you and your cooperative.”

By Nate Fara, merchandising manager

Here’s Your Harvest 2019 Checklist

To keep harvest lines moving and get you back to the field quickly, here’s a pre-season checklist for harvest 2019:

1. FAC’s hours of operation during harvest will be posted on the office doors and at the scale at each FAC location. We also send text messages with updates on FAC’s hours of operation at Schleswig and Arcadia during harvest. You can also receive grain bids twice a day via text. Contact me at 712-689-2296 to sign up for this convenient, free service.

2. You’ll find a copy of our 2019 grain policy in this newsletter, at each FAC location at the front counter, and on our website at www.faccooperative.com.

3. If you have new grain accounts or have any splits, let’s set this up now so the information is in the computer long before you pull onto the scale.

4. We can issue you color-coded signs to display in the window of your truck or tractor to signify the type of grain being delivered and your farm number. When

you drive across the scale, we can quickly enter this information in the computer and keep things moving as efficiently as possible. Contact your local FAC office to get your cards now.

5. If you want to designate specific tickets to certain fields, let us know. We can print information for each specific field. This helps with crop insurance records and your personal farm records.

6. We can e-mail your load summaries to you, as long as we have your e-mail address on file. You can send me your e-mail address at NateF@faccooperative.com.

7. As you’re delivering grain or after you’re done delivering grain, let us know if you want your money deferred or if you want a check now

If you have any grain-related questions, give me a call at 712-689-2296, or contact your nearest FAC location. Stay safe this fall. We look forward to working with you. ▲

© 2019 Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company. All Rights Reserved.

By Nate Fara, merchandising manager

3 Big Projects Near Completion

It looks like we’ll have a later harvest in our trade territory this fall. It will probably be the first of October before we see much activity with soybean harvest, and mid-October before corn harvest truly begins.

FAC has had a record number of grain receipts this year. We’re able to keep up with our feed mill, which is good. Thanks to our competitive grain bids and the dividends FAC pays, not nearly as much corn is leaving the area as before.

We’ve been working on three big projects this summer to keep this momentum going, including:

1. New grain bins at Arcadia.Adequate grain storage in the fall has been a bottleneck at our Arcadia location for awhile now. That’s why FAC is investing in two new bins that will be ready for harvest 2019. Construction started this spring on two 90-foot diameter, 640,000-bushel Behlen® bins at our #1 elevator in Arcadia. Since this location is near the railroad tracks, we included 214 16-inch-wide concrete cylinders per bin. These run 50 to 60 feet in the ground and will help manage the vibration generated by passing trains. This location will allow us to connect the new bins to the grain leg and other infrastructure that’s already at the site, including the conveyor at the top of the existing grain elevator. This additional grain storage means we won’t have to truck as many beans from the Arcadia location as we have in years past.

2. New scale on the north side of the Arcadia location.We’ve added a second scale to streamline inbound and outbound traffic at Arcadia. This new system went into effect in mid-August. This new traffic pattern for inbound and outbound trucks will be operational throughout the year, not just a harvest. The old scale by the office in Arcadia will no longer be the main scale and will function as a backup. We’ve included a map in this edition of the newsletter to show the new traffic pattern. If you’re hiring harvest help, be sure to show this to them, or have them come by the FAC office before harvest. We’ll be happy to explain how the traffic patterns will flow.

3. Natural gas pipeline extends to Arcadia.Earlier this year, Manning Municipal Utilities (MMU) was granted a permit from the county to expand their natural gas line around the area by around 24 miles. This means FAC’s Arcadia location will finally be able to have natural gas service — something we’ve never had here before. FAC’s annual usage of natural gas to power grain dryers and fuel the boilers that operate year-round at our feedmill is very attractive to a utility. Construction on this project started this spring and is slated to be done by late September.

We’re looking forward to the completion of these big projects at FAC so we can serve you better. Thanks for your business. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you. ▲

New scale on

north side

of Arcadia

location.

Two 90-foot diameter, 640,000-bushel Behlen® bins at our #1 elevator in Arcadia will be ready for harvest 2019.

You know the drill at harvest. Long hours. Short days. Stress. As harvest rolls on, it’s an exciting time, but it can also wear you down.

Maybe you don’t get enough sleep. Then you don’t pay quite enough attention next time you deliver grain to the elevator. Then you turn a little too soon (or a little too late), and boom — you’re in a bad situation.

It doesn’t have to end that way. It just takes some patience, a little extra care and everyone working together to stay safe during this hectic season.

While we work hard to get you weighed and get your grain dumped as efficiently as possible, there’s a lot more traffic than normal driving through our facilities at harvest. When you combine semi-trucks, tractors and wagons with all the other daily business that’s underway, from forklifts hauling loads to vehicles at the lumberyard to traffic at the fuel station to feed trucks passing by, there are a lot of people coming and going in a relatively small area.

Protect yourself and othersPlease slow down and take your time as you deliver grain to FAC. If you’re hauling grain to Arcadia, become familiar with the new traffic pattern that includes the new scale north of the hoop building.

It pays to put safety first at harvest, from slowing down to following our no-smoking policy at the elevator. Know that we’ll do our best this fall to get you through the line in a timely manner so you can get back to the field quickly.

One more thing — get your rest, ok? One of the great things about farmers is their work ethic, but there’s no prize for skimping on sleep and pushing through harvest to the point of exhaustion. So what if it takes you one more day to finish harvest? Getting the rest you need might just be the most important thing you can do.

I hope you have a safe, productive harvest. ▲

by Darrell Henkenius, operations manager

Don’t Get Tired of Safety

If you’re looking for a deal, the time might be right. Prices for anhydrous ammonia (NH

3) and dry fertilizer are lower

now than they were last spring. Since they’re probably as low as they’ll be all fall, I recommend you commit early with a booking program or prepay to lock in these prices and save some money.

Did you know that the fall of 2018 had the smallest amount of NH3 applied in the last 10 years, while the spring of 2019 marked the largest total ever applied? With a harvest that looks like it will come later rather than sooner this fall, getting NH

3 applied yet this year could be a challenge. Hiring

FAC’s agronomy team to custom apply NH3 or dry fertilizer

can help you get this work done as soon as your fields are harvested. Let us know if you’d like to take advantage of this time-saving option.

It’s not too early to plan ahead for fall soil sampling, too. We encourage you to sample your fields every three to four years. Once you have these results, you’ll know which areas need more nutrients and which areas have adequate or ample levels. This takes the guesswork out of developing a proper fertilization plan.

When you get your fall grid soil sampling lined up now, we can make sure the samples are pulled right after the fields are harvested.

Whether you want to lock in fall fertilizer, line up custom application, or sign up for fall soil sampling, contact your local FAC agronomist. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you. Have a safe, productive harvest. ▲

By Randy Petersen, agronomy manager

How Low Can You Go?

About 40 percent more acres in our trade territory were treated with fungicides and

insecticides in 2019, compared to 2018. Almost all the time, you’re going to get your money back when you apply fungicides. We don’t use cheap generics. We use proven, reliable products like Trivapro® from Syngenta, which provides extended residual control of key foliar

diseases in corn and soybeans.

We’ve seen 8- to 20-bushel yield advantages on corn, and 5- to 10-bushel yield advantages on soybeans

where fungicides were applied in our area. Talk to your FAC agronomist for

more details.

Fungicides Pay Off

Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company 12543 190th StreetPO Box 24Arcadia, Iowa 51430-0024

DIRECTORYArcadia Grain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712-689-2296 Lumber. . . . . . . . . . . . . 712-689-2484 Feed Mill. . . . . . . . . . . . 712-689-2220Westside Agronomy. . . . . . . . . . . 712-663-4352Schleswig Agronomy & Grain. . . 712-676-3351

Suffering from “Combine Disease?”

When you get busy with harvest, it’s easy to let other things slide. Maybe you’ve heard this called “combine disease.” To combat the symptoms of combine disease, start by making a list now of other important things you need to take care of during the hectic fall season.

If you have livestock, that includes ordering feed. Do your best to stay ahead of your feed orders. We appreciate 48 hours lead time, whenever possible. We’ll work with you, however, to get through this busy time as efficiently as possible. Keep us in mind for your feed orders. We appreciate the chance to work with you. Stay safe out there! ▲

By Jary Quandt, feed manager

All Grain Deliveries• All loads will have tarp removed and will be probed in at least 2

different locations to obtain an accurate, representative sample.• Only merchantable grain will be accepted for delivery.• Any loads of corn or soybeans that are sour, musty, COFO, heating

or infested will stand on their own and will be discounted.• Grain delivered to different locations will be averaged separately.

Weighing and Delivery Information All haulers must provide accurate information to the scale operator that includes owner’s name, split percentages (for multiple owners) and disposition (contract, warehouse storage, price later, etc.). FAC will provide signs to all haulers to display this information.

Contracts Purchase contracts will be settled before any other disposition. Contracts will be settled in order written (1st in, 1st out). Any delivery in excess of contracted quantity will be stored at time of settlement unless FAC has other instructions PRIOR to settlement. Any under-delivery of contract quality will be settled at the difference in market price at the time of settlement.

Warehouse Storage Storage rates for open storage and warehouse receipt storage is 10¢ minimum plus 1/10¢ per bushel/ per day. (approximately 3¢ /month)

Storage start date is the weighted average date of delivery.

Grain Bank Storage Corn delivered for grain bank will be charged a 5¢ per bushel ‘in charge’ and then the balance of bushels remaining on grain bank at the end of each month will be charged a 3¢ per bushel storage charge. Corn must be delivered by the feed customer to be placed on grain bank. FAC will not sell corn to be placed on grain storage.

Price Later Price Later contracts MUST BE SIGNED BEFORE settlement can be made. If contracts are not signed and settlement must be made, grain will be settled to open storage

Corn or soybeans delivered and placed on price later will be charged a service charge of 20¢ minimum plus 1/10 ¢ per bushel/ per day until priced. There is no maximum. The final pricing date for price later contracts will be August 20, 2020.

Other Policies• Disposition of grain deliveries should be given to FAC when the

first load of grain is delivered.• Grain deliveries must be settled within 15 days of the first delivery

date to avoid storage charges. All price later contracts must besigned before settlement is made.

Corn Deliveries• Corn placed in storage (open storage or warehouse receipt) will be

dried and shrunk to 14.0% moisture.• Corn sold and placed on credit-sale contract or placed in grain bank

will be dried and shrunk to 15.0% moisture.

Corn Drying & Averaging • All Corn will be dried at 4.0 ¢ per point.• Corn will be averaged in these 3 moisture groups.

» Below 13.0 %» 13.1% to 17.0%» 17.1% and above

• A shrink factor of 1.4% for each point of moisture removed will beapplied on corn.

• Damage on Corn» Loads 5.0% and below will be averaged together » Loads 5.1% and above will be averaged separately.

Corn Discount (Averaged, Per Bushel)• Test Weight: 1¢ for each pound below 54 pounds.• Moisture: Dry and Shrink (see above).• Foreign Material: 2¢ each percentage point above 3.0%

Corn Discount (Stands Alone, Per Bushel)• Total Damage: 2¢ each percentage point above 5.0%.• Heat Damage: 3¢ from 0.3% to 0.5% and then 3¢ for each ½

percentage point above 0.5%.• Sour, Musty or COFO: 15¢ per bushel• Heating or Hot: 10¢ per bushel• Infested: 10¢ per bushel

Soybean Deliveries• Soybeans 14.0% and below will be averaged together and 14.0%

and above will be averaged together per settlement. Deliveriesaveraged over 15.0% must be sold.

• Soybeans loads 15.1% and higher could be subject to rejection.

Soybean Discounts (Averaged, Per Bushel)• Test Weight: 1¢ for each pound below 54 pounds• Moisture:

»13.1% to 13.5% --1.5% of contract price »13.6% to 14.0% --3.0% of contract price »14.1% to 14.5% --4.5% of contract price »14.6% to 15.0% --6.0% of contract price »15.1% to 16.0% --8.0% of contract price »16.1% and above-9.0% of contract price

• Foreign Material (FM): All FM over 1.0% will be deducted fromgross weight.

• Splits: ¼ ¢ for each 5 percent over 20.0%

Soybean Discounts (Stands Alone, Per Bushel)• Total Damage: 1¢ each ½ percent over 2.0% damage• Heat Damage: 2¢ from 0.3% to 0.5% and then 2¢ for each ½

percent above 0.5%• Heating, Sour, Musty or COFO: 10¢ per bushel• Bleeding Hilum: 1¢ for each percent over 1.0%• Beans of other color: 1¢ for each percent over 1.0%

All rates and policies listed herein are subject to change at any time without notice. Direct ship grain will be subject to the policies of the delivery point.

FAC Grain Policies2019-2020 Season

Corn Soybeans

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