Here is an update on all the construction proj-ects since the last newsletter. We will be lookingat some new projects as well as ones that havebeen completed and are ready for harvest.

Here in Holloway we have just completedour latest addition to our grain storage. Thisnew bin can be seen from quite a distance as itstands well above the landscape. It is the largestbin to date here in Holloway and will hold750,000 bushels of grain. We have also tried toincrease the amount of storage that we canaccess with our faster dump pits by filling thisbin from Lanes 4 and 5.

Since mentioning that these pits are a criticalpart of our fall harvest, surely you are all won-dering how the fire has affected this area of ouroperation. We did have some damage, but itwas kept to a minimum. Much of the equip-ment in that area was functional in a couple of days afterthe fire. All equipment should be back in full operation bythe middle of September. Along with this you will noticewe have added a building to cover our dumping lanes andhopefully keep everyone out of the elements on those dayswhen the fall weather doesn’t cooperate.

Also here in Holloway, we have completed another stageof our tarring project. The mainentrance and staging area for ourinbound grain traffic has been totallytarred so this should greatly reduce the

amount of road dust associated with heavy traffic. Thanksto everyone for their patience during the road closing andtraffic rerouting.

Another major addition to our company will be thegrain bins that we have added to our Twin Brooks facility.As stated in previous newsletters, we have added a750,000 bu. and a 650,000 bu. bin just to the east of the

concrete structure. Thesewill be filled with the maindump pits in the elevator.This will greatly increaseour holding capacity andability to handle variouscrops at the same time. Wefelt that these bins wouldhave such a huge impact atthat facility that we havedecided to add a third binyet this fall. This bin willhold 750,000 bu. and beidentical to the one next to it. Completion will be in November. This should

allow us to move a significant portion of our out-side pile back under a roof. With the addition ofthese bins and the hoop building project last fall,we have increased our under-roof capacity atthis facility to just over 4.5 million bushels.

When building new projects, West-Con has to consider allcosts, including the cost of building permits at each possible location. This summer, West-Con has constructedthree major storage projects including a 750,000 bushel binin Holloway, two bins in Twin Brooks totally 1,300,000bushels of storage and two bins in Appleton totaling569,000 bushels.

Each project required a building permit. The first project,the 750,000 bushel bin in Holloway, MN, cost $1,635,864 toconstruct and the building permit cost from the city of

Holloway was $10. Our second project, the two bins at ourTwin Brooks, SD facility, cost $3,500,000 to construct andthe cost of the building permit from Grant County Planningand Zoning was $1,800. The third project, two bins inAppleton, MN cost $1,795,000 to construct and the buildingpermit from the city of Appleton was $6,850.

Clearly, we have experienced quite a wide span of build-ing permit costs this summer, ranging from as little as $10all the way up to $6,850. Each community uses their own

WORDS FROMYOUR MANAGER

DEAN ISAACSON

WESTERN CONSOLIDATED COOPERATIVE • 520 COUNTY ROAD 9 • BOX 78 • HOLLOWAY, MN 56249Toll Free 1-800-368-3310 (Holloway) • 320-394-2171 (Main Office) • 320-394-2171 Ext. 217 (Holloway Scale)

320-289-1921 (Appleton Terminal A) • 320-269-6469 ( Watson) • 605- 432- 4531 (Milbank Terminal)320-839-2861 (Ortonville) • 320-965-2688 (Kensington) • 507-224-2238 (St. Leo) • 320-967- 4234 (Raymond)P

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Building Permit Costs

New bins add 3.5 million bushels of grain storage

UPDATE September 2010

2010 has already provided anumber of challenges for us hereat West-Con. On April 13th wehad an explosion in Twin Brooksand on August 5th we had a firein Holloway. The good news isthat no one was hurt at eitherone. We were also extremely for-tunate to have contractors andsuppliers readily available andable to deliver replacement partson a timely basis. By the timeyou receive this newsletter, weshould be receiving grain at fullcapacity at our Twin Brooks location and be ready to begin shipping out by early October.

In addition, we have beenbusy building a total of 3.5 mil-lion bushels of additional storagethis summer. Traditionally, weseem to run short of space andlast year we ended up piling sixmillion bushels of corn on theground. Adding the new storagewill help minimize our risk,allow us to pick up some carry inthe markets and most important-ly, it will help improve services toour members.

I will, however, extend a wordof caution to our members. We areWORDS FROM MANAGER continued on page 4

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE continued on page 3

BUILDING PERMITS continued on page 5

Construction of twoadditional grainbins continues atAppleton Terminal A

Shown here during construction, the 750,000 bushel bin inHolloway is now complete.

By Chris Aasland

It certainly has been a wild marketingyear with highs put in back inJanuary and a rally occurring in thelate summer right into fall harvest.Weather and yield uncertainty con-tinue to support crop prices alongwith strong demand for corn and soy-beans overseas. We currently have ayield from the USDA for corn at 165and soybeans at 44 bushels to theacre. While the upper portion of theMidwest is looking for good cropsthis fall, parts of the southern CornBelt have had less rain and too muchheat. Some initial yields in the south-ern Corn Belt are coming in a littleless than what was expected. We’llwatch for any changes in the USDAreports concerning yield size in thecoming months.

As this article is written, yieldconcerns continue to drive the mar-ket higher and we are presentlytesting old highs in the market. Ifthis continues to be the trend thisfall, the big question is where thefinal yield will be on the JanuaryUSDA report. A lower yield will notonly lead to higher prices, but alsosupport a bidding battle for acresnext year. Demand for corn and soy-beans should remain strong goingforward supporting the need togrow large crops. We have wit-nessed in the wheat market whathappens when supply issues worrythe market with the drought occur-ring in northern Russia and parts of

Europe. With today’s volatility, itdoes not take long for the market tomake large price swings higher orlower. Keep in mind that offer contracts are still a good method touse in getting grain sold.

This past crop was a challenge inmany respects and many people,from farmers and elevators toexporters, will be happy to see usfinally get through it. Wetter thannormal grain is difficult to dry downand maintain for a long period oftime. It also brings with it extra finesand grading issues. This year’s com-ing corn crop certainly looks muchbetter than last year’s. Even thoughthe condition of this coming cropshould surpass last year’s, make sureto stay in the habit of checking yourbins after harvest. Don’t let goodgrain go bad and take on unnecessaryprice discounts upon delivery.

Most of you are now aware that wehave changed our format in sendingout text messages of the markets toyour cell phone. We are now able tosend the cash price along with thechange in the market. You can nowlogin to our website under “texting”and there are three choices to pickfrom. You just need to check the boxnext to your preferred choice. You canalso customize your own message. If you have any trouble, please call meat 1-800-368-3310, ext 211.

For all of your marketing needsgive us a call and as always, thank youfor doing business with West-Con.

SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 2

By Paul Mattson

We have now turned the corner andwe are officially in the 2010-2011 cropyear. All I can say is “thank goodness!“I certainly do not wish time away, but Ithink we are all looking forward tohandling a better quality corn crop thisyear. The 2009 crop has been a hugechallenge for all parties. First we hadvery good yields. Of course, that wasa good challengeand one we shouldnot complain about.The second issuewas the light testweight, poor qualitycorn that has beenquite a challenge to both store and handle. This pastcrop year, we haveshipped out 1.1 mil-lion bushels of cornscreenings. I wouldnever have thoughtwe would experi-ence something likethat. We also havehad plenty of challenges with damage,some in our bins and some in our customers’ bins.

Last year’s crop is still causingmany issues. Along with us, most ofthe people who import our corn havebeen waiting for better quality andbecause of this, they have pulled outof the corn market until post-harvesthoping to get better corn down theroad. This has left us with almost noplace to ship corn other than to localprocessers. That leaves us and manygrain handlers carrying more cornfrom this crop year into next year thannormal. In addition to the corn marketbeing almost non-existent for sub 54lb. corn, rail freight has also explodedhigher. The current cost to secureadditional harvest rail freight is $1,700per car or $187,000 per train – and thisamount is just so we can load it. Westill have to pay the cost of shippingto get it to the Pacific Northwest.These are all factors that leave cornbasis at extremely wide levels.

Huge Chinese bean demand hasbeen a good thing for us, as we areentering harvest with $9.00 plus soy-beans. However, this also affects cornas most of the West Coast exporters

have booked themselves to capacitywith beans, leaving very little liftingability for corn until mid-Novemberor later. The good news for beans hashad a very negative impact on cornbasis. A light at the end of the tunnel,however, is that there is help on theway. Bunge and AGP are both build-ing new export capacity on the PNW

that will come online late next sum-mer and should bea huge help for the2011 harvest.

One item wewould like to dis-cuss is our harvestpolicies for thisharvest. We expectthat our dryingcharges will be thesame as last year asgas prices are verysimilar. Hopefully,we do not havesupply challengeslike last year.We arenot expecting anyproblems at this

point. The rest of our policy issues likeDelayed pricing charges have notbeen determined yet. We do expectthat at some point we may be cashonly as storage space is limited andwhen it is full, it is full. Please call usif you have questions and we willhave all these issues covered by mid-September.

We are really excited to have thenew storage space going up and atthis point, all construction is runningas scheduled. We could start using theHolloway bin on September 1st andthe two bins in Appleton are sched-uled to be done by October 1st. Twonew bins are complete in WestMilbank, and we are excited to letpeople know we have started con-struction on a third bin in WestMilbank that will bring our new stor-age total there up to 2.15 millionbushels. We are hoping to be able tofill the last new bin by mid-November.

Even though we know we havechallenges ahead, we are excitedabout the upcoming harvest andeveryone in the Grain Departmentwishes all of you a safe and prosper-ous fall. Please call us with questions.

Grain Department UpdateMaking Marketing Decisions Easier

Don’t miss Market to Market on Pioneer Public TV

Saturdays at NoonSponsored by West-Con

GRAIN CHECKS

Check our web site www.west-con.com for fall drying and storage rates

West-Con is hiringWest-Con, a progressive, innovative Cooperative,is looking for self-motivated, positive applicants

• Truck DriversAll locations

• General LaborTwin Brooks, SD

• Assistant Agronomy Plant SupervisorTwin Brooks, SD

• Agronomist/SalespersonTwin Brooks, SD

• Grain Location SupervisorOrtonville, MN

All applicants must be able to pass drug/alcohol test. West-Con offerscompetitive wages and benefits (Health, Dental, Life, LTD, 401K)

Send application/resume to:Western Consolidated Cooperative

Attn: Kerry Bonk520 Co Rd. 9, PO Box 78, Holloway, MN 56249

kbonk@west-con.comApplications available at www.west-con.com

Western Consolidated Cooperative is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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• Available with a 24 hour notice from the office

in Holloway

• Checks are issued starting at 10:00 AM each day

• Checks can be picked up or mailed

• Contracts must be filled before getting a check

• Deferred payment is available

SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 3

By Garb Hohn

The summer is coming to a close andmy staff and I are geared up and readyto help you transport your crop to theelevator. We will have 33 hopper trail-ers and two pups (SD only) runningthis fall. Rumor has it that once againyou have produced an outstandingcrop and with some combined effortsin planning, we’ll help you quicklybring in your record-breaking harvests.

In an effort to respond as quickly aswe can, we have semis located at var-ious locations. As you anticipate yourhauling needs, we would ask that youtry your very best to call in by 4:00 pmwith orders for the following day. Theearlier you call to book trucks, themore likely we will be able to meetyour schedule. All trucks are dis-patched out of our Holloway office, soto book your trucks please call 1-800-368-3310 and talk to Garb (ext 205) or

Aaron (ext 234). As you call, pleasehave the following information ready:• Name• Telephone Number• County, Township and Quarter

(If section and quarter are not available, please have detaileddirections to pick up location.)While I realize that it’s not possible to

predict an exact number of trucks, pleasedo consider booking your hauling needsearly. For example, if you know you aregoing to need a minimum of 75 loadshauled, call us now and get on our list.By doing so, when you are ready, yourloads will be given priority scheduling.

Freight rates are still charged on aper load basis, and a 20 minute loadtime. Anything over 20 minutes willbe subject to additional rates. Pleasecall for additional rate information orany other questions you may have.

Have a safe and abundant harvest!

From the Transportation Department

During harvest, extra-long days of work are a part of life for mostfarmers. As the work day is length-ened, the rate of accidents increases in a greater proportion than theincrease in hours worked.

Steps can be taken to reduce therisk of accidents.• Don’t forget to eat. Take along high-

energy snacks.• Drink plenty of water to keep the

body hydrated. • Doing limbering-up exercises prior

to beginning heavy or sustainedwork increases blood circulationand oxygen level and raises muscletemperature. This has the effect ofdelaying or reducing fatigue.

• Change positions while in the cab.A person who sits or stands too longgrows tired because of poor circula-tion. When remaining absolutelystill, blood circulates slowly and notenough blood can get to the brain.While in a seated position, try lift-ing the body about a foot off the seatusing only arms and shoulders.

• Shoulder shrugs are helpful inrelieving upper chest or shouldertension. With hands on the steeringwheel, raise shoulders up to theears, hold, then drop back to normalposition. Repeat as needed.

• When at the end of the row, standup, take a couple deep breaths, andstretch for a few seconds beforeturning.

Don’t let fatigue equal fatality!

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Grain Standards Act allow

ZERO TOLERANCE for treated seed occurring in grain

West-Con wants to remind you to thoroughly clean all equipment that comes in contact with treated seed. Be sure to

check and recheck to make sure it’s clean.

One kernel of treated seed, whether it be corn, soybeans, or wheat, cancontaminate an entire bin and can cost West-Con millions of dollars.

If you are checked and have treated kernels, by law, you will have to pay for the grain quantity that was tainted.

ATTENTIONATTENTION

To ensure the safety of all patrons and employees

PLEASE obey all traffic signs on the property as posted

New to our Grain Department in Holloway is Joe Meyer. Joe is a recentgraduate of the University of Nebraska where he earned a

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. He is currently studying to take the Series3 test this winter to get his license in commodity trading.

Joe began his training with West-Con by workingthroughout a number of areas of the grain operations,including the grain scale, running the probe, gradinggrain, unloading trucks and helping load rail cars. Heis currently working at the Holloway office with PaulMattson and Chris Aasland as a grain merchandiser.

Joe says he came to West-Con because they have agood reputation for being proactive and with West-Con he knew he would get the hands-on trainingneeded to be a successful grain merchandiser. Joe hasenjoyed meeting farmers at the Holloway office and encourages everyoneto stop in. In his spare time he enjoys fishing up on Leech Lake and is look-ing forward to harvest season and his first Minnesota winter. Welcome, Joe!

In mid-July, West-Con welcomed Tammy Bardusonas our new Safety Director. Tammy is based out of

Holloway but along with the duties of her position,you will find Tammy frequenting all West-Con loca-tions. Tammy brings 20 years of management andsafety training to her position and is excited abouther new position at West-Con.

Tammy grew up in Hazelton, North Dakota buthas lived in the Danvers area for six years. While notat work, Tammy enjoys spending time with her hus-

band, spoiling her dog, raising goats, gardening, canning, photographyand designing personal greeting cards. Welcome, Tammy!

Recently joining our Accounting Department isAaron Vadnais. Aaron grew up in the Benson

area and is a graduate of Benson High School. Heattended college at North Dakota State Universitywhere he has earned degrees in Ag Business,Accounting and Animal Science.

Prior to accepting his position with West-Con,Aaron worked as an accountant at the Co-op Credit Union.

Aaron currently lives on a farm south of Bensonand raises corn, soybeans, wheat and beef cattle. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys hunting pheasants and deer. Welcome, Aaron!

JOE MEYER

TAMMY BARDUSON

AARON VADNAIS

New Faces at West-Con

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE continued from page 1

Due to the potential for a verylarge harvest this year, West-Con hasalso decided to build additional stor-age at our terminal in Appleton. Mostof you probably saw this constructionstarting as you were dumping yourwheat during harvest. This will con-sist of two grain bins that will eachhold 280,000 bushels of grain. Thesewill be filled from the current dump-ing pits at the terminal. This shouldallow Appleton to handle commodi-ties other than wheat on a consistentbasis in the future as well as doublethe holding capacity. Due to the factthat this will greatly increase theamount of rail traffic at this facility,

we have begun work to move the oldlocomotive from Holloway over toAppleton to assist in train loading.

To quickly sum things up with afew numbers, with six bins we haveadded almost 3.5 million bushels ofstorage this year alone, with a totalholding capacity of over 20 millionbushels. With all of these additionsto our facilities we hope to be able tobetter serve you, and during thebusiest times of year be able toquickly and safely handle large vol-umes of grain.

Stay tuned in for more updates onthese and other projects in upcomingnewsletters.

West-Con has 33 trucksavailable to pick-up grain on your farm

Call for more information

1-800-368-3310Garb–Ext 205 Aaron–Ext 234

Notice: For quality and accuracy purposes, West-Con records all callsthat come into the Grain Department

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SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 4

By Chad Syltie

It’s time to look at another article fromthe credit desk. As it has in most years,the summer has flown by and nowkids are back in school, football seasonhas started and harvest season is a fewweeks away. It has been an excellentsummer for growing crops so harvestthis year should be a good one.

I want to give you a few detailsabout what type of financing programswe will be offering for 2011. Thisupcoming year, it will be extremelyimportant to have your financing inplace so when discounts are offeredyou have the capital needed to takeadvantage of the savings. In 2011, youdo not want to run out of money andhave to pay additional late charges onalready expensive input costs.

For 2011, we will have our full-farmfinancing program as we have offeredfor the past five years. During themonth of September we are out seeingour existing customers and those whoare showing interest in this program fornext year. This is a good time to askquestions about this program so youget a clear understanding of what thisprogram is about and what it can do foryour operation. It is also good for newcustomers to get some of the under-writing information to us so part of theapplication process is completed beforeharvest. If you have any questionsabout this program, please give me acall at our Holloway office. This is byfar the best financing program West-Con offers to their customers, so pleasebe sure and give us a call for moreinformation.

Another financing tool we will beoffering this year is Farm Plan. This hasbeen used by a lot of customers andseems to go over very well. We useFarm Plan for financing seed orderswhich are offered through seed compa-nies. The seed financing programs for2011 will come out sometime afterLabor Day, so ask our agronomistabout these programs or give me a callat the Holloway office. This programworks very well in conjunction withyour traditional finance plan and letsyou finance inputs at very competitiveinterest rates. Most seed companies areusing Farm Plan to finance their seedso it makes a nice “one stop shop” pro-gram for purchasing seed.

We will also be working withQuick-Link through Rabo Agrifinanceto finance your inputs purchases. Hereagain, it works well in conjunctionwith your traditional financing plansand any purchases put on this pro-gram are not due until December 2011.

With fall harvest season soon start-ing it is also time to start thinkingabout fall fertilizer. Please contact ouragronomy staff on the prices and termsassociated with fall fertilizer. Our poli-cy with fall fertilizer is all agronomyaccounts must be current prior to anyfall fertilizer being purchased. We dohave a few accounts which still haveoutstanding balances from this sum-mer and we would like to get thesecleaned up as quickly as we can.

It has been an enjoyable summerworking with you all, and I look for-ward to hearing from you once harvestis completed. Please have a safe harvest.

A Word from the Credit Desk

By Kevin Kyar

One of my favorite things to do in latesummer is to go out with customersand look at their fields. This is thetime of year when we can definitelystart to see if the decisions we made inmanaging our crops were the rightones. We always make a point to see ifour new management programs areworking, but do we spend enoughtime looking at our fall back plans?

This year I have noticed a lot of fieldsthat have a late flush of broadleavesthat are going to go to seed. WaterHemp, Giant Ragweed and LambsQuarter are the three that come to mind,most of which have been found in oursoybean and sugar beet fields.

Some of the worst problem areasthis year are the field borders, drownout areas and tile inlets. Due to thehigher weed pressures from past years,we can still see more weed pressure inour usual alkaline areas. Our drownout areas are places we expect to findweeds because we know that weedsgrow best where there is no crop pres-sure holding them back. What we arenot used to seeing is the field bound-aries looking the way they do this year.Corners where the planter left a fewfeet unplanted are another place thatseems to be worse this year.

If you can think back to last summerduring spray season, you may remem-ber that we had more than our share ofwindy days. I think part of the problemwith out field boundaries was driftfrom last year. This year the grass wasnot as thick in those areas and that gaveweeds a chance to move in. Our grow-

ing season has been one of the best wehave experienced in a number of yearsand rainfall and warm temperatureshave given our crops a big step up. Wealso have to remember that those sameconditions have given the weeds thesame benefits. Now we have to answerthe question of what to do about it.

Few options remain this year. Thefirst one I would try would be to handspray field borders and weedy patch-es with a 4-wheeler or gator. The sec-ond that could be done yet this yearwould be to mow field boundaries. Irecommend mowing the entire ditchinstead of just one pass along the field.

Options for next year include:• Pre-plant and pre-emerge herbicides• Liberty Link • Two or more modes of action • Tank mix partners• Increase the amount of surfactants

used• Plan on spraying field edges later

in the seasonMost of us agree that our days of

using Roundup alone have come to anend. We need to use the options listedabove to keep issues of poor perform-ance of our two-pass Roundup pro-gram from turning into a train wreckof resistant weeds. Spending a few dol-lars more now will keep us from goingbackward on our weed control. Thehardest part may be sticking to theplan that you have set up with youragronomist because what sounded likea good idea in January may later seemto take lot of time and effort.

Thank you and have a safe andproductive harvest season.

Planning ahead for tough weeds

By Alan Connell

In early September, West-Con mailedout the official notice of each patron’sshare of the Sec. 199 Domestic Pro -duction Activities Deduction. Thetotal of the excess deduction that waspassed on was $2,427,334. This excessdeduction was allocated to patronsbased on individual gross grain salesto the cooperative for the 2009 year.This same amount will appear in Box6 of the 2010 Form 1099-PATR whichwill be issued in January 2011. If youhave received this notice, be sure tokeep it and give it your tax preparer.

A reminder to all patrons, when youare buying agronomy products ordelivering grain, be sure to tell us of anysplits at the time you pick up or deliverproducts to West-Con. It is much easierto get our invoices or grain assemblysheets correct when we have the correctsplits at the beginning. Be sure to speci-fy the people and the split percentages.When delivering grain, please tell thescale operator if the load is for contract,price later, open storage, etc. and please

specify what to do with contract over-runs. If you do not give this informationto the scale operators, it automaticallygoes on price later contracts.

We do not issue grain checks untilthey are requested. Contracted grainchecks will be made when the contractis full and checks can be picked up at theoffice or mailed to you. You can call theoffice in Holloway or Twin Brooks torequest a check or have the scale opera-tor mark it on your last scale ticket.

When harvest is over, all dryingand freight charges will be billed toanyone who has delivered grainplaced on storage or delayed pricing.It is our policy that all drying andfreight charges are to be paid rightaway. If you choose to wait until yousell the grain, you will be paying ournormal finance charge of 1.5% permonth or 18% annually. There are noexceptions to this policy.

I would like to thank you for all thebusiness that you have done with usso far this year and wish everyone asafe harvest.

Update from the Office

FROM YOUR MANAGER continued from page 1

all anticipating a huge crop and a lot ofinventory, so at some point in time wewill go to cash only. There is no goodcorn destination until Decemberwhich will limit the corn we can shipthis fall and this, too, could causeproblems, as we may get full.

As always, we will do whateverwe can to find a home for your grain.At this time, we will be able to dumpan estimated 20 million bushels thisfall. As of today, we have very littlecommitments from our members,but if you have plans of haulinggrain to town, please give our graingroup a call.

Our Agronomy Department is alsogeared up and ready to go for ourupcoming fall season. Fertilizer pricesare established and I encourage youto give your agronomist a call.

Despite our recent explosion andfire, overall our six-month financialswere very good. All departments aredoing very well, and we in fact, havehad our best six months in history.We thank you for your patience asour crews work through the currentrepairs and additions and as always,we extend our appreciation of yourbusiness and support.

Have a safe and productive fall.

Check out our web siteCheck out our web site

If you have questionsor comments about the web site, e-mailchrisa@west-con.com or call Chris at theHolloway office, 1-800-368-3310

SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 5

By The Agronomy Management Team

There is no “ideal “corn hybrid or soy-bean variety for all situations on yourfarm. Each variety or hybrid respondsdifferently to soil type, moisture con-ditions, fertility levels, cropping prac-tices and weather conditions. Thismeans you plant a various range ofcorn and beans to fit each situation.With the help of your local West-Conagronomist, we can evaluate thesemany factors and help you arrive atthe right seed to reach your highestprofit potential.

To assist in the correct choice, West-Con needs to make available a largeinventory of seed and to better serveyour needs, West-Con is in the processof building a new bulk seed handlingsystem in Holloway. For the upcom-ing 2011 season, we will have 12 bulkbins with a state-of-the-art seed treatment system. This bulk seed system is designed for future expan-sion and is capable of handling anadditional 12 bulk bins, for a total of24 bulk seed bins.

Our new bulk seed system will befully automated with a KSi Autobatchcontroller system. A single operatorwill input a customer’s informationand the automation will handle therest. It will control the conveyers,

bin gates, weighing, seedtreatments and seed dis-charge. The automationsystem will store customerinformation and transac-tions in a central database.The system will also keeptrack of bin inventoriesand adjust for every order.When calibrated, theAutobatch Controller sys-tem will deliver seed toyou with an accuracy ofwithin +/- 10 lb. of seed.

We are also installing a seed wheelwhich counts the seeds delivered toyou as most companies are now sellingseed beans in 140,000 units versus the old 50 lb. unit. The entire KSiAutobatch Controller System will beoperated from a simple touch screen.

West-Con will also have a com-pletely new seed treatment systeminstalled with the bulk seed system.We are installing a new USC LX 2500Seed treater. The treater has the capac-ity to treat 2500 units per hour whichmeans you will be able to get in andout with treated seed very quickly.The new treater will have unmatched

coating capabilities to deliver the bestseed treatment to you. The LX 2500has the capabilities to accuratelyapply up to five seed treatments. Thisallows us to offer a wide variety ofseed treatments. We can help youchoose the correct treatment for eachfield situation.

The new bulk seed facility is beingconstructed just south of the Hollowaywarehouse and it will be completed inthe next couple of months. Once done,it will be the best bulk seed systemwithin the tri-state area. When you geta chance, we welcome you to stop byand take a look.

A new look for bulk seed at West-Con

Now that the county fairshave passed and fall har-vest is on its way, it’s timeto start thinking aboutmanagement plans for theupcoming year. One of the most important plansis determining how tomanage crop residue.Crop residue manage-ment holds several keysfor a successful crop forthe current year, as well as futurecrops. Crop residue is important forphysical and chemical soil properties,nutrient availability, seed bed prepara-tion, as well as soil conservation. Thereare many factors to consider in deter-mining how to manage your cropresidue: crop rotation, soil type, tillagemethod, and residue distribution.

Crop rotation is a very importantfactor when it comes to managingresidue. Due to soil types and prof-itability reasons, many growers havegone to corn-on-corn rotations orother rotations that produce largeamounts of residue. Managingresidue is one of the biggest factors ina successful corn-on-corn situation.Start by selecting hybrids that arehigh yielding, but yet are lower inoverall foliar production. Shorterhybrids as well as hybrids with small-er leaves, and good dry down aregood candidates for corn-on-cornplacement. Allowing time for tillageto get done early in the fall also helpswith the initial breakdown of residueas it takes advantage of some of thewarmer temps while increased micro-bial activity is still taking place.

While making a decisionon how much crop residueto leave on the soil surfacemake sure to take intoaccount what soil type youare dealing with and also soil topography. Largesoil particles such as sand tend to erode easily.Leaving larger percent-ages of residue on the soilsurface helps control ero-

sion. Large amounts of surfaceresidue are generally associated withlow spring soil temps in our area, butsands generally tend to warm upmuch earlier in the year than clays.Soil types that are sandy and alsofields with longer slopes are suggest-ed to have around 50-60% residuecover. Soils such as clays and loamsgenerally aren’t as prone to wind ero-sion, but are more prone to raindropimpact erosion. In cases such as clays,loams and level ground 12-20%residue cover is recommended.

There are several methods that canbe used to calculate the percentage ofsurface residue: line-transect, meterstick, photo comparison and calcula-tion. The preferred is line-transect. Toexecute this method use a tape measureor a rope with marks every foot. Placethe tape measure or rope at a 45 degreeangle from the direction of the rows.Every time a piece of residue comes intocontact with a mark, count it. For exam-ple, if you have 38 touches of 100 marks,that equates to 38% residue. Record aminimum of five measurements andthen take the average.

In corn-on-corn situations there can

be as much as 95% residue immedi-ately after harvest. While choppingresidue, be sure that the residue isbeing distributed evenly. Unevenspreading of residue in the fall cancause uneven emergence in the springas it reduces soil temps in heavy trashareas. In order to achieve the desiredresidue levels the proper tillage meth-ods should be used. To achieve 12-20% residue in heavier soils a deepshank ripper or moldboard plow canbe used. BT products tend to takelonger to breakdown so more residuecan be left over from previous years.In these cases, moldboard plowingmay be more appropriate. Also,

spring burning can be used. Whenburning it is best to incorporate theremaining ash as soon as possible inorder to save as many nutrients aspossible. On sandy soil, rippers orchisel plows with straight points willmeet the desired 50-60% residuecover. Applications of UAN in the fallhave also shown to help speed up thebreakdown of residue.

Soil residues can be difficult tomanage with high producing vari-eties, healthier plants and highresidue rotations. Using proven meth-ods to develop a residue managementstrategy on your farm can make soilresidue go from problem to profit!

Managing Crop Residue

BEN JOHNSON

BUILDING PERMITS continued from page 1

unique method of determining thecosts of these building permits andto give you a clear understanding,we felt it important to look at each.

First, starting with Holloway,MN, it appears that regard less of thecost of the project, they go with a flatfee of $10 for each building permit.For example, we were charged $10for both the new grain storage and$10 for the new shed which nowcovers dumping lanes 4 and 5.

Next, looking at our permit forbuilding in Grant County, SouthDakota, their fee is calculated basedupon the total cost of the project tobuild ($3,500,000 project = $1,800building permit).

The permit in Appleton was alsocalculated based on the total cost ofthe project to build ($1,795,000 =$6,850 building permit). Compared to

the other permits the Appleton per-mit appears disproportionate to thevalue of the project, but Appleton cityofficials assured us that they onlycharged us half of the rate recom-mended by the state of Minnesota.

Beyond the initial constructioncosts, it is also important to considerthat as a result of these improve-ments, West-Con will also be payinghigher real estate taxes at each ofthese locations. The taxes, of course,are then distributed back to theselocal, county and state governments.

As West-Con continues to growand expand, we are excited to keepbringing new construction andadding value to your communities.We look forward to great thingsahead and are always looking forways to keep aligning resources withopportunities.

Genuity Roundup Ready 2(RR2) Yield Soybeans –What are they and whatwill they do for farmers?This has been a commonquestion since RR2 beanshit the market in 2009.Soybeans have not keptpace with corn in the lastten years. There have beenmany traits introduced tocorn in the last ten yearsand for soybeans there have been veryfew traits brought to the market afterthe RR1 trait. Genuity RoundupReady 2 YieldS o y b e a n swere devel-oped throughe x t e n s i v egene mapping that identified specificDNA regions in soybeans that have apositive impact on yield.

RR2 soybeans have the first biotechtrait introduced to improve yield. TheRR2 starts with the roots and on aver-age has 10% more biomass to its roots

than RR1. Larger roots canenhance some key soy-bean yields factors such asflowering, pod retentionand pod fill. This is a resultof better soil moisture andaccess to nutrients. Aboveground, RR2 soybeansalso have an average ofone additional node on themain stem than a RR1 soy-bean. The more nodes per

plant equals more flowers per plantwhich turns into more pods per plantwhich, of course, will create a higher

yielding soybean plant. RR2 soybeansalso have more beans per pod, whichmeans more bushels per acre, result-ing in more profit potential.

For any questions about RR2 soy-beans give your local West-Conagronomist a call.

SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 6

By Shane Bordewyk

With biotech traits protecting today’shigh-yielding genetics against yield-robbing insects and herbicide injury,yields are reaching new high levels. Inmany soil types, specific micronutri-ents may not be present to supportthese high yields and can be a yield-limiting factor.

Micronutrient deficiencies usuallyoccur because sufficient amounts arenot soluble and available to the crop,not just because there are insufficientamounts in the soil. Both soil andenvironmental factors affect the avail-ability of micronutrients to plants.Primary factors that affect availabilityare soil ph, organic matter, soil tex-ture, soil water content, nutrient inter-actions and temperature.

Soil ph is the most important factorinfluencing micronutrient availability. Ingeneral, the availability of micronutrientsdecrease as the ph increases or becomesmore basic. The chart below illustratesthe impact of pH on nutrient availability.

Micronutrients are considered to bechemical activators in plants, mean-ing they activate specific and neces-sary functions in the plant. Eachmicronutrient facilitates separate andspecific functions related to thatmicronutrient.

Soil sampling and tissue samplingare the best ways of testing your cropfor nutrient deficiencies although youcan look for signs on the crop as well.Micronutrients come in many differ-ent forms and are blended with dryfertilizers, put in furrow with startersand foliar feed products as well.

Micronutrients

By Scott Mattocks

Soil testing is one of the most importantmanagement practices in crop produc-tion. It is certain to be listed among thebest management practices (BMPs) rec-ommended by industry, universityagronomists, consultants and farmmanagers for the benefit of their farmerclients. Dealers, like West-Con, alsocontinue to use soil testing as a plan-ning and marketing tool and as a man-agement support service to customers.

Periodic soil testing–which theUniversity of Minnesota suggests test-ing every 1-3 years depending on croprotation and/or manure or compostapplications–combined with a goodrecord-keeping system for each field,serves as a gauge to indicate whethersoil fertility is increasing, decreasingor remaining constant. With the high-er yield potentials in today’s crops, itis important to keep ahead of what isbeing removed from the soil. The con-sequences of mining the soil nutrientsmay not become apparent for severalyears. If no nutrients are applied in a corn, soybean or wheat rotationwith a very high, to high soil test, the phosphates will typically drop 5-6 lb/acre/year and the potassiumor K will drop 10 to 15 lb/ acre/year.Therefore, it is very important to

maintain or at least replace what thecurrent crop has removed.

Testing the soil every two years oron the legume cycle, before corn orwheat, will give you a better under-standing of what the soil is doing andhelp establish a pattern to make rec-ommendations. If the tests show thatthe soil is rich in P and K and it doesn’tneed to be replaced, then the cost peracre will be at your control. On theother hand, if the tests show that oneor both of these are low, or that amicronutrient is low because they havebeen depleted, then we can devise acost effective replacement plan. Testswill also give you an opportunity toevaluate the organic matter levels andmicronutrient levels. With the excep-tion of zinc, there have been more newstudies and focus placed on some ofthe micronutrients like iron, boron,copper, calcium, etc., and their correla-tion to yield. Again, running soil testswill give you the information you needto make these decisions.

The main goal of any soil test is tohelp you start the next growing sea-son with your best foot forward.While we cannot control the weatheror the rainfall, the best way we cancontribute to maximized yields is byproviding the right crop nutrients.

Soil Testing: BMP for your farmRoundup Ready 2 Soybeans

ADAM CARRUTH

By Thomas Paulson

When you think of the words volatileor volatility, what normally comes to mind? Well, in recent years, wewould correlate these words with the unpredictable, rapid, up and downmovement in the grain and fertilizermarkets. Both scenarios cause concernand stress for growers, grain buyersand retailers alike. But what if we thinkof these words in a different sense, likeammonia volatilization? Not to putany unwanted, added stress on platesthat are too full to begin with, but ithappens to be a relevant issue occur-ring in today’s management practices.

Ammonia volatilization occurswhen urea hydrolyzes, that is, it reactswith soil moisture and breaks down.The enzyme urease, which is producedby soil microbes, facilitates the reaction.This process becomes more rapid incalcareous soil type (soils with a pH of7.4 or greater). Generally speaking, thesoils in our geography are comprised ofpH ranges from high 6 area to low tomid 8. The higher the pH in your soils,the less concentrated level of free H+ions which attach themselves to theNH3 molecule to form a stable NH4+and adhere to your (-) charged soils.

Other than water, nitrogen is themost limiting factor in growing a corncrop. Knowing this, as well as theaffects of N volatilization, we need to take steps in our management practices to allow us to gain fullopportunity in maximizing thisimportant input. There are tools thatwe can apply to slow down and min-imize these volatilization scenarios. Aproduct we market called Agrotain

(NBPT) inhibits the urease enzyme,making volatilization virtually impos-sible for up to 14 days. The same goesfor another product called Nutri -sphere. Although it works in a differ-ent fashion than Agrotain, it stillslows the process of urease volatility.

You might be asking yourself; “Whydon’t I just increase the amount of N I apply to my acre to offset the cost of a urease inhibitor?” The answer is simple. The percentage of loss whenspreading 120 lb. of N versus 150 lb. ofN is exactly the same. For example, sayyou spread 120 lb. of additional N ontop of what you’re getting from the restof your blend. From that 120 lb. youlose 15% via volatility. Now, 120 lb.turns into 102 lb. At the current price ofUrea verus what it would cost to use a UI (Urease Inhibitor), you couldincrease your N by roughly 17 lb. Hereis where the problem lies. Of that additional 17 lb., using the same 15%loss to volatility, you’re down to 14.45 lb. of N. Adding the two togetherwe come up with 116.45 lb. of addi-tional N to the blend. If the loss was asgreat as 20%, the total additional Nwould only equal 109.6 lb. This pencilsout to be a net loss of $11.65 per acreversus a mere $6.50 - $7.00 initialcharge to keep your investment stable.

Certain stress caused by grain orfertilizer market volatility, for the mostpart, can’t be avoided throughout theseason. On the other hand, stresscaused by N volatility can be. Contactyour local West-Con agronomist tolearn more on the affects of Nitrogenloss and the ability to contain the mostimportant input your crop endures.

Ammonia Volatilization

Example: one additional node = 2 pods =6 beans per plant at 120,000 plants/acre =4 bushels/acre x $9/bushel = $36/acre.

How Soil pH Affects Nutrient Availibility

As this indicates, most nutrients are more available, chemically, in the soil at this optimum growthrange for most plants. Where soils are more acid or alkaline, a nutrient deficiency symptom is morelikely to appear even if the nutrient is present in the soil, because the plans cannot chemically extract it.

This chart shows how Ph, the alkalinity or acidity of soil, affects availability of nutrients. Notice thatmost of the colored bands are widest, indicating more of the nutrient is available, at pH range 6-7.

Management of fertilizeron crops is very important.With all of the moisturethis year, you may seesome yellow corn tops andbottoms. The problem isthat the nitrogen appliedthis spring or last fallmoved down in the soiland a lot of roots didn’treach it. The corn root mayhave not moved downbecause of moisture. If you can, con-sider putting your nitrogen and sulfuron at two different times or threetimes and at different levels. To startwith, in the fall put down 40-50 nitro-gen with your P and K and work it in.In the spring, apply the balance beforeplanting or right after with a preemergence herbicide and try to keep itup in the top four inches of soil.

Apply a complete blend in thespring and work in the top four inch-

es of soil or apply a com-plete liquid blend inspring either before orafter planting and addingyour pre herbicide to yourblend.

28-0-0 Nitrogen is morestable and doesn’t volitateto the air, so it can beapplied on top. AddingHydra Hume to yournitrogen program will

help keep your nitrogen in the rootzone and Hydra Hume will help buildsoil structure by creating more stablesoil aggregates that resist erosion orcompaction and creates better airspace for roots and micro-organisms.

Looks like we will be blessed witha huge crop this year and we wishyou a safe and bountiful harvest.Thank you for your support over thispast year. We sincerely appreciateyour business.

Managing fertilizer

SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 7

By Steve Negen

It has been an interesting spring andsummer out here at Twin Brooks, SD.As you are all aware we had an explo-sion here on April 13th and from thatday forward, I have no idea where thetime has gone. Almost immediately,we had demolition crews and cranescoming in and tearing all the burnedmetal down from the top and rightbehind them another crew coming into knock out the weak concrete.Following two months of demolitionwork, the actual repair work got start-ed. At the same time, the demolitioncrews continued working out back.As I write, theyare putting thefinishing touchon the fronthalf of the ter-minal. This willgive us the twofront receivinglegs, the twonorth solos andof course, ourtwo new steelbins which pro-vide an addi-tional 1.4 mil-lion bushels ofstorage. By harvest, the back half ofthe terminal should be completed andready to fill as well and we should beready to start loading rail again.

In addition to the existing repairsand new construction, we have alsojust begun constructing another750,000 bushel bin that should beready to receive grain by mid-November. In total, we will haveadded 2.15 million bushels of storagecapacity this summer, now putting

our terminal at just over 6.5 millionbushel total storage capacity.

We are expecting a very busy andfast-paced harvest. As you enter ourterminal, please keep your speeddown as we all know slower speedscreate less dust. We also ask that youplease refrain from using your enginebrakes. As harvest progresses, we endup dumping at some very late hours soplease help us extend courtesy to ourneighbors and school aged children.When in and around the terminal,please refrain from using your cellphone. It gets very busy, we have lotsof people around and we would like to

avoid any accidents. Last but not least,when you bring a load in, please knowwho it is for and what they are going todo with it. Providing this informationwill help us all keep our lines movingand get you quickly back on the road.

My staff and I would like to extenda special thank you for your patiencethis past spring and summer. We lookforward to working with you this falland wish you all a safe and prosper-ous harvest.

News from the Twin Brooks Terminal

FLETCHER SYLTIE

By Kevin Laub

Wow, where did our summer go? We saw grain markets on a rollercoaster ride with wheat leading theway most of the time. Corn and soy-bean futures kept up the pace as wellas they could. Drought conditions inRussia and Australia seemed to havebeen the cause for all of the volatility.

We have seen some very attractiveforward contracts being made for thisyear as well as the 2011 crop year. Asfar as repairs go here, we are runningon track to and are preparing to han-dle the new crop bushels. The heatand the winds of recent weeks havereally moved the crop maturity along

and we are now anticipating an earlystart to the harvest. Rest assured thatthe West-Con team will be ready whenyour combines start rolling. If youhave any questions or need assistance,please feel to call us at 605-432-4531.

Thank you for your patience thissummer and we wish you a safe andprosperous harvest.

Area growers attend Seed Plot Days

Newly constructed bins at Twin Brooks, SD location

Twin Brooks Grain Update

SEPTEMBER 2010 WEST-CON UPDATE PAGE 8

2½ cups flour1½ tsp baking soda2 tsp apple pie spice or substitute*½ tsp salt½ cup butter, softened½ cup firmly packed brown sugar1 egg1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup water2 medium apples (2 cups),

chopped into 1⁄4 - inch pieces½ cup chopped pecans1½ cups hot water¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar1⁄3 cup butter, meltedSweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt in asmall bowl. Set aside.

Combine ½ cup butter and ½ cup brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat at mediumspeed scraping bowl often until creamy. Add egg; continue beating until wellmixed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture alternately withcorn syrup and 1 cup water, beating well after each addition.

Place apples and pecan into ungreased 13x9x2 pan. Pour batter over top of this,sprinkle with ¾ cup brown sugar. Combine 1½ cups hot water and 1⁄3 cup melt-ed butter in medium bowl, carefully pour over top of batter.

Bake 50 minutes or until cake is cracked on top and toothpick inserted in centercomes out clean. Serve warm with cream if desired.

* Apple Pie Spice substitution: If you don’t have apple pie spice, combine 1½ tspcinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves and 1⁄8 tsp Allspice.

WEST-CON CREDIT POLICYI. OPEN ACCOUNT

A. Credit application on file

B. Payment for purchases are due within 10 days from date of invoice

C. Itemized statement will be mailed

D. If account is not paid in full by the 10th, the patron will be placed on C.O.D. and

assessed 1.5 percent per month finance charge (18 percent annual rate)

II. ADVANCE PAYMENT PLAN

A. All purchases are applied to your advance pay funds

B. All other purchases are open account

C. Cash discounts that apply will be given

III. AGRONOMY (fertilizer, chemicals, seed, etc.)

A. Cash

B. Prepaid

C. Partners in Production or West-Con Financing

D. Irrevocable letter of credit

IV. ACCOUNTS PAST DUE (procedure)

A. Telephone call

B. Patrons will receive a “reminder” letter the first month

C. If no response, patron will receive a second letter

D. If no response, patron will receive a third letter

E. Final demand letter

F. Legal action

G. To prevent this, let us know if there is a problem. We want to work with you.

Call the main office at 320-394-2171 or 800-368-3310.

V. N.S.F. or BAD CHECKS

A. $35.00 service charge will be assessed

B. We will pursue legal action through sheriff’s office

C. If we must, we will turn over to legal counsel

Our credit policy is meant to benefit and be a convenience to our customers. The policy

applies to all patrons, employees and the board of directors. We thank you for your business

and support. If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns, please let us know.

Respectfully,

West-Con Board of Directors

West-Con Board of DirectorsCraig Wilkening — PresidentJoe Stelzig — Vice President

Jason Lund — SecretaryPatrick Ascheman • Dean Beyer • Gary NygardSherman Olson • Mark Pillatzki • Ken Rohloff

CARAMEL APPLE PUDDING CAKE

WEST-CON FULL-TIME STAFFG E N E R A L M A N A G E R - D E A N I S A A C S O N

GRAINPaul Mattson

Chris AaslandJoe MeyerHolloway

Jeff HigginsAl Norby

Jeff HogrefeDarrin HatletvedtKayla Forsman

AppletonDoug Stielow

Chuck RonglienMyron Guse Kaye Marohl

OrtonvilleRoger Barnhardt

Lynn LovgrenNathan Karsky

HOLLOWAY OFFICEAaron Vandais

Al ConnellAmanda OlsonBrenda WilsonCarol DeBuhrChad Syltie

Cherri SchmidtDarlene OyenJustin Stock

Kathy PetersonKen DeBuhr Kerry Bonk

Scott StrahmSheila HoffmanStacey Raddatz

Tammy BardusonTracie Peterson

AGRONOMY

Terry Johnson

Adam Carruth

Al Goldenstein

Fletcher Syltie

Greg Gades

Ben Johnson

Greg McCoy

Greg Stock

Joe Schafer

Kevin Beyer

Mike Steinborn

Paul Hollerman

Richard Meyer

Robert Ranum

Steve Meyer

Tom Paulson

Tony Schultz

Kensington

Scott Mattocks

Doug Brakken

St. Leo

Shane Bordewyk

Paul Anderson

Murdock/Raymond

Kevin Kyar

APPLETON SHOP

Joe Schnitzler

John Jenson

Gary Henneberg

Tom Graff

Zach Holen

TRANSPORTATION

Garb Hohn

Aaron Gades

Angie Rush

Bruce Lachmiller

Dennis Kohlman

Gordon Lindquist

Mark Hughes

Mark Paulson

Norman Schwarz

Robert Hurley

Ross Christiansen

Bernard Fjordbak

Bobby Wrobleski

MILBANK

Steve Negen

Amanda Dunnahoo

Bill Matthes

Brad Stoddard

Bruce Kneeland

Bryan Curran

Chris Walters

Dan Kaaz

Derek Appl

Duane Thiele

Kevin Laub

Leon DeGreef

Reese Benike

Ryan Burke

Wesley Falk

Carol’s Recipe CornerCarol’s Recipe CornerBy Bryan Curran

As I am writing this it is late August,we have received some beautiful rainsand we’re seeing excellent lookingcrops. The challenge, however, is theevenness throughout the fields. Asyou recall, we got off to an exception-al start early in the spring only to belater rained out and with replanting,the season got a bit stretched.

One of the issues that may arisefrom a year like this is stalk quality andits ability to sustain late seasonstandibility. Common stalk rot diseasesin corn can be caused by fungi includ-ing Gibberella, Fusarium, Anthracnoseand Diplodia. Gibberella and Fusariumappear similar with pink to reddishdiscoloration in the pith and vascularstrands. A shiny black or dark browndiscoloration of the stalk late in the sea-son is typical of Anthracnose. Thisblack discoloration usually extends upthe stalks for several internodes. Thepith is usually dark brown anddecayed. Diplodia stalk rot can be dis-tinguished from other stalk rots by theraised black dots that are embedded inthe stalk on or near the lower nodes.

These are a few of the issues thatyou could be facing and there are twoeasy field tests that can indicate howsevere the problem may or may not be: 1) Pinch test - Simply squeeze the sec-

ond or third internode. A healthystalk should be firm and resist sig-nificant pressure

2) Push test - Stand next to the plant andpush it away from you until yourarm is fully extended. If the stalkbreaks it has been compromised. This can be a matter of opinion, but

generally if more than 10% of thestalks have issues, the field should beharvested as soon as practical. Thegood news is that there are constantlynew products coming out to combatthese diseases. We have the best line-up of seed available, we are constantlyimproving plant health with properfertility and timely fungicide applica-tion and we are able to assist you withalmost anything Mother Naturethrows at you. Please contact yourlocal West-Con Agronomist with theseor any other questions you may have.

Stay safe and have a great harvestseason.

Evaluating cornstalk quality and diseases

West-Con’s SeedDepartment is GIVING AWAY

a 2010 PolarisSportsman 500

4-wheeler.

Drawing will be heldJanuary 2011. For

official rules and to enter, please call

your local agronomist.