Second Harvest

During the holiday season nothing makes me feel better than helping those in need.  That’s why I couldn’t have been more excited when I learned that Landmark partnered this year with Second Harvest Foodbank and the NBC 15 Share your Holiday’s campaign to help local families in need. 

 

In the preliminary meetings of our committee we knew we had an opportunity to make a HUGE impact throughout our entire organization and the communities we serve if we came up with just the right activities for our employees to get involved with.

 

So, after numerous pots of coffee, a bit of research and some collaborative brainstorming, our committee came up with several activities for employees to participate over the course of the campaign. 

 

The activities, albeit a bit ‘off-the-wall’ if you will, truly captured the excitement, big hearts and generous nature of the Landmark team.  I mean, who doesn’t love a good game of “Cow Pie Bingo,” seeing a “Pie in the Face” of one of our team members, having a friendly “Cook-off Contest,” or seeing your “CEO do something extraordinary” if your company meets their giving goal?!

 

All details aside, let’s get down to the brass tacks of how truly amazing and generous our employees are.  Over the course of the 1-month campaign, through the aforementioned activities, a food drive, a generous Landmark donation and matching funds from our partners at Co-Bank and Land O’Lakes we were able to donate 50,581 meals to Second Harvest Foodbank and the NBC 15 Share your Holiday’s campaign!  You guessed it-- that translates to enough meals to feed 10 families for one year.  How amazing is that? 

 

In our first year of participating in this program, I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of a team who truly opens their hearts, unselfishly gives, and whole-heartedly cares about helping our communities.  So, from the bottom of my heart I say THANK YOU.  Thank you to our employees for their generosity.  Thank you to our management team for allowing our ‘off-the-wall’ ideas to be put into action.  Thank you to our partners for their matching funds.  Thank you to everyone who helped make this entire campaign happen.  Simply put, THANK YOU!

 

 

Partners, Planning and Profit

This growing season has been a wild ride, from shockingly low corn prices to incredibly high yields and surprising weather all year long- and a huge spurt in innovation across the industry. What worked? What didn’t? What would you change if you could, and how can you use this to make sure your future is stable?

Partners

If you followed the prescription of your agronomist to the letter, I bet you saw great yield. In a market like this one, all you have to hang your hat on is yield, and hope that yield will cover the cost of operating and give you some left over. If you didn’t use all the tools in the box, and went mediocre- you probably saved money on inputs but got a less than desirable yield, leaving you with little to no wiggle room.

Your grain marketers should be your best friend right about now. Between your agronomist and your grain go-to person, you should have both on speed dial. Why wouldn’t you use the people that exist to make you profitable? Think about it- if you’re not profitable, Landmark isn’t profitable. We are a cooperative- partnerships are the reason we were formed- over 85 years ago.

Speaking of partners, have you  Heard of Innovation Edge Test Plots? Probably not- it was “Top Secret.” Landmark stuck their innovative neck out and tried prescriptions, products and seed to test their “promise” in the types of conditions our growers face so they could  prove out these inputs. Why? So our team could go to the farm gate with 100% confidence that what they are recommending will work. Our team eats, breathes, lives and sleeps YOUR profitability- if it isn’t going to make you money, they are not going to recommend it. Now THAT is a true partnership.

 

Check out the InnovationEDGE test plot Curry Seed trial results. Pretty interesting and a bit exciting to think that we have the ability to reach 300 bushel.

Planning

Without proper planning, you will get poor performance. Plan ahead for 2015- set goals, get your farm plan together and work with Verity for your financial needs.

 

0% Seed financing for a year and competitive rates on equipment, farm input and real estate loans.

Call your agronomist and get your inputs ordered- get your yield goals set and above all else, dream of a profitable year.

 

Profits

Trust Landmark to work with you and help you remain profitable. Our toolbox gets bigger every year with tools to help you stay strong, and our team gets bigger too- and their priority is to keep you doing what you love not just for today but for future generations.

Happy Holidays- get planning for profits for 2015!

Curry Seed Outperforms

 

 

Landmark is excited to offer four new seed trait packages to their long-standing lineup of seeds in 2015. These new seed trait packages have different base germplasm than other seed available in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, giving growers additional options for reducing risk and reaching 300 bushels per year.

“Planting a diverse variety of seeds is important to prevent putting all your eggs in one basket,” says Joe Slosarczyk, agronomist and certified crop advisor with Landmark Services Cooperative. “When selecting seeds, look for a diverse portfolio that gives you options in genetics, traits and germplasm base. With our new partnership, Landmark Services Cooperative has the most diverse portfolio in our trade territory.”

You won't have time for a cup of coffee, sorry!

Grain harvest is coming quicker than we think.  In about 4-6 weeks, the big harvest push will be on, and in most small and big towns alike, you could see lines of trucks waiting to unload at the local grain elevator.

 

 

 

Not at Landmark's Evansville Grain Terminal, nor at the Fall River Rail Terminal. Grain Haulers will be in and out in about four minutes, definitely not enough time to have a cup of coffee and enjoy local neighborhood banter.

 

The Fall River Rail Terminal is open for business, and started taking loads of grain on August 29th.  Built to perform to be efficient, true to the vision, it is lightning fast, seriously efficient and unbelievably steeped in technology and innovation.

Compu-Weigh scales and an RFID card reader means the grain hauler never leaves the truck.  A loop rail system with capacity for 125 rail cars and storage for over 4.65 million bushels means Landmark has the ability to store and market grain for the best prices, and get grain to various markets enabling premium pricing.

The Fall River Rail Terminal is a game-changer is the industry.  With over 85 years of experience, a passionate leadership team and the technology to answer the call of speed, space and markets, this state-of-the-art grain terminal wins, hands down. 

 

 

 

If you think you want a cup of coffee, call Doug Cropp--he will talk grain marketing over coffee all day long!

Doug Cropp, Executive VP Grain
douglas.cropp@landmark.coop
608.819.3120

 

Additional information on the Fall River Rail Terminal can be found in the Wisconsin State Farmer, The Country Today and The Portage Daily Register. 

 

Doug Cropp discusses the new Fall River Rail Terminal in the Landmark Lesson with Pam Jahnke!



Can your CORN handle the pressure?

Pressure and stress….two things we don’t want in our own lives, and certainly don’t want it in our crops’ lives either! Giving your crops a preventative shot of fungicide, helps ensure you are maximizing the yield potential.

I spoke with Mike Hopke, Agronomist here at Landmark, and he explained fungicide and the WHY everyone should be using it!

“Weather conditions this growing season have created the perfect storm for harboring diseases. Wet spring and early summer, high winds and hail damage to plants, is a recipe for stress and fungus.” Fungus and disease attack leaf and stalk tissue, taking away the potential for those affected plants to produce grain. Using an aerial fungicide protects your maximum potential.”

  

Hopke also stated “We are truly set up for an excellent year as far as yield goes.”

The cost is relatively small compared to what you stand to gain. Although applying fungicide won't increase bushels, it will definitely decrease loss.  Stressed corn doesn’t produce grain, healthy plants do. Isn’t the goal more corn?

 

Everybody wants PILES of grain, right?  Smells like profit... 

 

 

This is Mike Hopke-- he specializes in aerial fungicide application and prescriptions to keep you profitable.  Learn more on aerial fungicide application in this week's Landmark Lesson!

 

 

Cassandra Strommen, VP Marketing Development of Landmark is no stranger to agriculture.  Strommen worked in Animal Nutrition for five years prior to her current role with Landmark.  She has a passion for cows and all things agribusiness.  If you'd like to get in touch with her, she can be reached at cassandra.strommen@landmark.coop. 
 

 

Grow 'em up right!

So what do kids and corn have in common? No, it’s not that they have ears but can’t (or don’t) listen. Hey, that is actually funny- I can’t believe I can be that witty. But enough about my wit or humor. This is serious.

I had the opportunity to ride along with an agronomist today. Joe Speich to be exact. He got me thinking about children, and corn, and the commonalities on growing them up right.

Well, first off- we start with great genetics, right? Right! We plant the ummm, seed, and then wait for growth. But we don’t sit idly by passing the time. We fret over the proper nutrients, making sure the ground is, well, FERTILE. Then when that little sprout emerges- the fun is just beginning.

We worry about the weather, bugs, proper nutrition, vitamins and minerals, and a myriad of things in between the beginning of that young sprouts life to the point when they can finally be independent enough to grow up on their own. (is this even a reality???!!!) Well, anyway- the first phase of that little one’s life is where we can make the most impact on their overall health- to hopefully produce a fruitful adult that yields potential. (Can you see where I am going with this? You know, the commonalities…kids, corn…can you see it?)

 

Getting to the point. We feed children nutritious food, take them to the doctor for regular check-ups, vaccinate against disease, and give them vitamins. We protect, nourish and nurture, all in hopes of a well-adjusted grown adult who can one day provide us with a healthy “yield.” ( I know, I am stretching this to get a point across…stay with me.)

Shouldn’t we do the same for our corn? In most cases we do. We understand the benefits of caregiving to the plant, so that it has a high yield, thereby feeding our animals and the worlds growing population.

Well, it’s about time for your corn to get a shot in the arm of much needed nutrition. Tissue Sampling is the quickest, easiest way to see what your plants are deficient in, if anything. Call your agronomist- your “little sprouts” are now emerging- within the next few weeks, you have an opportunity to give them what they need to produce an abundance of corn. From what I gather, and I am just a mom, not an agronomist- you have about the first 45 days of a plants life to make a difference.

 

Get your tissue sampling done- grow a bumper crop and help feed a growing population!

 

Happy Growing!

Hear more from Landmark agronomy expert and YieldEDGE Manager, Kevin McKee, in this week's Landmark Lesson. 

Cassandra Strommen, VP Marketing Development of Landmark is no stranger to agriculture. Strommen worked in Animal Nutrition for five years prior to her current role with Landmark. She has a passion for cows and all things agribusiness. If you'd like to get in touch with her, she can be reached at cassandra.strommen@landmark.coop.

Get to know Ruthie Morton

You know the age old saying--something about "walking a mile in their shoes" err, hooves, in the case of Ruthie Morton.  That's right, you've probably wondered what the life of a cow is like--well, Ruthie Morton invites you to follow her step-by-step for a day in her life.

                                                                                                                                                                       


Hi, I'm Ruthie Morton and I invite you to live a day in my hooves.

I reside at Morton Farms in Evansville, Wis.  Would you believe I was born right here, on this very farm?  It is such a beautiful place to call home!
 

 Here's an up close view of my barn.  In this free stall barn I sleep, eat and socialize with my friends.
 

Speaking of eating, let's just say I love to eat!  Would you believe I eat about 100 pounds of feed each day!  It's no wonder I weigh over 1,400 pounds!  But, I need all that feed to produce lots of milk.  Each day I eat about 11 meals, which adds up to about 5 hours of my day!

 

Talk about service--the other cows and I get fresh feed delivered to our "door step" twice each day.  Every time I see the bright orange (which by the way is my favorite color) mixer and tractor heading to the barn I know it's chow time!

Here's an up close view of what I eat everyday--straight from the mixer.  It consists of corn silage, hay, protein, vitamins and minerals.  The total mixed ration is balanced by my nutritionist to ensure I am getting a healthy diet. 

 I usually eat with all my friends--it's almost as if we go out to eat together everyday!

Speaking of friends--I'd like you to meet my best friend, Carmen!  We enjoy relazxing on the sand in our stalls and admiring the bull from afar.

All that eating makes me thirsty!  I usually make about 15 trips to the waterer each day.  During that time I drink about 25-30 gallons of water.




All that eating, drinking and socializing sure makes me tired, so I lay down on my sand bed to rest.  Each day I am here for over 12 hours.  During this time I chew my cud for about 8 of those hours.  This shows that I am relaxed, happy and digesting my food.  Chewing my cud equates to about 30,000 chews daily. 



Throughout the day my caretakers walk the barn to make sure all my friends and I are healthy, happy and doing well.  They look for things like if we are chewing our cud, eating our food and our overall well-being. 

During their walk-throughs my owners want for nothing more than to see all of us to be happy and healthy.  That is their number one priority.

While I'm in the freestall relaxing, my farmer is working hard to prepare for our milking.  He makes sure that the system is in proper working order so our milk will be transported from our udders to the bulk tank in a safe and sanitary manner. 

Once my farmer has everything ready for milking, the cows and I head to the barn to wait our turn in line to be milked!

 

When it's my turn to be milked, I stand like so in the parlor.

Before the milker gets put on, my teats get cleaned with an iodine dip.  This is one of many steps taken to ensure a safe and clean milk supply.  After the milker comes off I am dipped again.  This helps prevent bacteria from getting to my udder. 



I get milked twice each day.  Each year I produce enough milk for 40,352 glasses of milk!

 



After traveling through the pipe, the milk is stored here, in the bulk tank.  Here it is cooled and stored until our milk man comes to pick it up.  He comes to visit every day to collect our milk from the tank where it is then transported to be processed. 

 

Not all the cows on our farm are currently giving milk.  These are the "dry cows" and I will soon be joining them.  If you noticed the green band on my leg, that indicates to my farmer that it's almost time to dry me up.  60 days before I calve, I come to this area to give my body time to prepare for calving.  After I calve, I return to the milking herd. 

 

After the dry cows calve, our farm welcomes a new member to the family, just like the cutie you see here.  Once this heifer calf grows up, she will also become a milking cow too.

Thanks so much for coming to my farm and seeing what a day in the life of a cow really is like!  Don't forget, June is Dairy Month!  Be sure to thank a farmer for their dedication and love for cows like me! 

A huge thank you to Morton Farms in Evansville for welcoming us to their farm and taking time to share information with us!



Prepare for Propane

Despite the heat and humidity forecasted this week (and perhaps much of the summer), there's no better time than now to prepare your propane needs for the coming winter season. 

Following an unprecedented season in the propane industry, the Landmark team is encouraging all propane-users take advantage of the summer-fill programs, by filling their tank by the end of August, as propane prices are at their historic lows during this time of the year. 

Additionally, Landmark propane contracts will be hitting the mailboxes in the next 4-6 weeks.  While it's unpredictable to know if we will again experience record low temperatures this winter coupled with exceptionally high grain dryer usage and propane infrastucture challenges this year, it's important to be prepared for those possibilites.  The best way to meet those possibilities head-on is to contract your propane during the coming months.  This will lock-in your pricing and guarantee you those gallons during the heating season.

Hear more from Landmark propane expert and West Energy Manager, Brandon Ihm, in this week's Landmark Lesson. 

Farm Safety: Make it your #1 priority!

Working in the agriculture industry is a legacy in the making.  And while it is notably the most noble profession out there, it is also the most dangerous.  From the moment an individual steps foot onto a farm, there is no greater importance than safety.  Period.

Growing up on a farm is, well, simply AMAZING.  I may be a bit biased, but quite frankly I believe there is nothing better.  From the opportunities I've had to the strong work ethic I've learned, and from the people I've met to the places I've been, all from growing up on a farm, I wouldn't change a thing. 

Wait--I may have spoken too soon--there is ONE thing I would change about growing up on a farm.  That one thing is the safety component of being involved in the agriculture industry.  While I wasn't always directly involved with the equipment, machinery and daily operations of my family's farm, I do know that you can NEVER be too safe on the farm. 

Here's something you should know about me--I've always been what you may call a "worrywart," and that always seems to be at an especially elevated level anytime my family is on the farm and working with machinery, grain bins, tools, and well, you get the idea--basically anytime they are on the farm. 

And while I am constantly asking my family safety questions to help ease my mind, I do know they work hard to ensure their safety and the safety of everyone on the farm. 

Lastly, I want to share with you a message that we use here at Landmark, and one that I see everyday, as displayed by the bright green safety helmet displayed on my desk-- Safety by CHOICE, not by CHANCE.  This powerful phrase serves as a great reminder to make the CHOICE to be safe, don't take the CHANCE.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration shares great tips on how you can improve farm safety here. 

BE SAFE!

Kristi Olson is Landmark Services Cooperative's Communication and Events Coordinator. She has a love for agriculture, which started when she was young, growing up on her family's 2,000 acre grain and show pig farm and carried through to her education at UW-Platteville studying AgriBusiness and Animal Science, and now in her career at Landmark. Kristi has a strong passion for telling the "agriculture story" and promoting agriculture education.  She can be contacted at 608.819.3126 or kristi.olson@landmark.coop.