® AMBER WAVES SUMMER 2017 CHS EMPLOYEES BUILDING A MORE FLEXIBLE LESSONS FROM OUR GIVE BACK AGRONOMY SYSTEM KIDS’ SAFETY TOUR PAGE 10 PAGE 14 PAGE 18 IF THEY’RE YELLOW, YOU’RE TOO LATE. This season, make sure your soybeans get the iron they need by applying Soygreen® Granular to your entire field in-furrow. It is the most effective and proven IDC product on the market, using an unparrallelled concentration of ortho-ortho EDDHA Chelate. It is the only product formulated for air seeder application, giving you options for your IDC control. Ask your retailer for Soygreen soon. PremiumFertilizer.com Soygreen is a registered trademark of Lab Jaer and is distributed exclusively by West Central Distribution, LLC. HEY West Central. mark of NWUE’TRREI ECNOTMSI.N G West Central. Levesol is a trade ©2015 TO GET YOU. Introducing Levesol DFC, the only pure chelating agent that can be added to dry fertilizer for infurrow application. It’s a groundbreaking development that keeps nutrients from becoming bound in the soil to make them more available for growers’ crops. Help unlock nutrients to maximize nutrient efficiency with Levesol DFC. Contact your local retailer for more information. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: www.chsdevilslake.com Consolidation has a CHS DEVILS LAKE DIRECTORY positive impact on agronomy division. ADAMS Page 14 Phone: 701-944-2271 Fax: 701-944-2550 CALVIN Phone: 701-697-5121 Fax: 701-697-5115 DEVILS LAKE Phone: 701-662-5051 Fax: 701-662-3779 Clear-Eyed Decision Making EDMORE Mark Greicar talks efficiency ................................................................................................Page 4 Phone: 701-644-2271 Fax: 701-644-2396 FAIRDALE We Gathered the Best Building Materials Phone: 701-966-2515 Reinforcing services with new employees .......................................................................Page 6 Station: 701-966-2244 Fax: 701-966-2203 HAMPDEN “Because I Care” Phone: 701-868-3291 CHS scholarship and food drives ......................................................................................Page 10 Fax: 701-868-3301 LAKOTA You Ask and We Deliver Phone: 701-247-2917 Fax 701-247-2370 Flexibility in our combined agronomy system ..............................................................Page 15 LANGDON Phone: 701-256-2462 Agronomy Updates Fax: 701-256-2460 There’s a plot in Brocket ......................................................................................................Page 16 LANKIN Phone: 701-593-6255 Fax: 701-593-6171 Thirty Little Reasons to Work Safely Third-graders tour Milton ....................................................................................................Page 18 LOMA Phone: 701-256-2930 Fax: 701-256-2930 AFD, Now It’s Available From Adams MILTON Your fuel tank can communicate .....................................................................................Page 20 Phone: 701-496-3141 Fax: 701-496-3130 It’s Likely Your Banker Endorses This Program PARK RIVER Credit Manager says, “Let’s figure it out” ......................................................................Page 22 Phone: 701-284-6424 Fax: 701-284-6336 SARLES Lakota Delivers Synergy Phone: 701-697-5280 Two railroads are better than one ...................................................................................Page 24 Fax: 701-697-5289 STARKWEATHER Phone: 701-292-4412 Stick With Your Gut Feeling Fax: 701-292-4337 Our grain experts suggest a summer strategy ..........................................................Page 27 3 ©2017 CHS Devils Lake. All Rights Reserved. CLEAR-EYED DECISION MAKING Value Provided Must Be a Measure of Efficiency Once we reached the half-year point of our consolidation, we could already single out efficiencies that prove we made the right choice. We recognized plenty of gains in our ability to manage fertilizer supplies and to influence the cost of freight and logistics in grain marketing. Still, whenever we talk about efficiency, year. Those are the Adams grain elevator, the it’s important to measure value provided. In Park River grain elevator and the Fairdale our long-range planning sessions this spring, location (agronomy, energy and grain). You your management and CHS Devils Lake board already know our Pisek location has been of directors calculated efficiencies for each purchased by Central Valley Bean. That’s of our locations. In some cases, we identified going to be a natural fit for producers in that expenses that can be more effectively pinto-bean growing area. reinvested as sources of capital for future As your cooperative, our number one focus projects. is how we can help our farmer-owners grow Our producer board recently confirmed the their operations and succeed. This means By Mark Greicar very difficult management decision to close positioning our people and our physical assets General Manager some facilities at the end of the 2017 calendar where we can most efficiently deliver the best 4 value for our customers—today and in the future. compress the board to the size agreed upon with the Be assured we are not making these changes to penalize consolidation. We have downsized from 15 to 12 members. you! These decisions will allow us to reinvest for your Currently, we plan to reduce the board to nine directors benefit and for the health of your cooperative. The numbers representing five districts at our March 2018 annual meeting. tell us grain deliveries to Pisek, Park River, Fairdale and Most recently, your board gave the go-ahead to Adams decreased as local farmers leveraged improved implement automated fuel delivery (AFD) throughout transportation options. We understand why you chose to CHS Devils Lake. Our increased size and scope made that reach out to markets accessible from our more modern grain improvement possible. AFD is an efficient and forward- locations. looking use of resources for your benefit. For more about In conjunction with our board of directors’ retreat in Las implementing AFD on your farm, see page 20. Vegas, we attended a CHS leadership conference. That event From all of us, thank you for supporting your cooperative reacquainted everyone with the total CHS experience—the throughout our consolidation process and in the seasons history and growth of the cooperative. It’s important all ahead. Please stay safe in your spring and summer activities board members keep those yardsticks in mind as we slowly on the farm and away! As your cooperative, our number one focus is on how we can help our farmer-owners grow their operations and succeed. 5 WE GATHERED THE BEST BUILDING MATERIAL Though each one has a different specific reason for accepting a position at CHS, all our new employees will tell you they also really like working with the people here. Craig Benoit was previously an over-the- first day was April 3 of this year. He’s road truck driver with Pritchard Trucking. a University of Minnesota-Crookston Craig Benoit with Rhett “Now I’m home every night, and I get to graduate who has a bachelor’s degree with work with other people!” The Olga native an agronomy emphasis and an agribusiness grew up on the family farm and still helps minor. And he spent seven years farming when he can. On the job, Craig runs an with his uncle near Reynolds, south of application rig with his chocolate lab, Rhett, Grand Forks. beside him. Sam would like to see producers adopt He’s training 15-month-old Rhett for deer more precision ag practices in the next five antler shed hunting. “He has days when he years. “Variable-rate technology should listens, but sometimes I think teaching him be the main focus on the hilly terrain in may be the death of me!” the Calvin area. It’s a way for customers Grain semi driver Danny Carpenter came to put their money where it will do more Danny Carpenter to the co-op in August. He’s been through good. I’m already learning what works for one harvest, moving grain from farm bins customers, and I’m hoping to ride along in and into Milton from other CHS locations. their combines at harvest.” “I appreciate having steady work and really If there’s a baseball team in Langdon good people to work with.” looking for another player, Sam is your man. He worked at Columbia Grain for 12 The new Langdon resident also likes to read years and lives on a farm near Walhalla. and “I’m pretty outdoorsy.” Danny is married to Bert, a part-time rural Annie Mae Kelly, an agronomist in delivery carrier. In the off hours, he likes to Milton, grew up in the farming community hunt and fish. of Jordan, Minnesota. She earned her Calvin-area agronomist Sam Moen’s bachelor’s degree at the University of Sam Moen 6 Mary Schmidt Kyle Norrell, a CDL driver from Milton, does his job right. During a recent DOT stop, Kyle and his truck passed a thorough inspection. As a result, he earned a $75 gift card from CHS! Minnesota-Crookston in equine science, so who works for Polar Communications in it shouldn’t surprise you that she hopes to Park River. Their children are Tucker (6), eventually find an acreage with room for a Hailey (4) and Reid (9 months). Craig Annie Mae Kelly horse. She lives in Cavalier and impresses enjoys outdoor time by riding his Ranger to other employees with the beautiful home- check the cows or fishing at Stump Lake. made greeting cards she creates. Jordan Byma is an Oregon native who After college, she accepted a position started his North Dakota career in the oil with Ag and Natural Resources in Walsh field. Since last fall, he’s been a mechanic county. When temporary funding for that at the Adams shop and an application rig position ended, Annie Mae went looking driver. How did he and his wife end up for another ag-related job. “My main goal here? “Courtney’s family owns some land as an agronomist is to provide the best near here, so it seemed a natural place information for producers. I want to make to settle.” Courtney’s employed at the sure farmers are continually educated in pharmacy in Park River. Jonathan Skjervheim things that will help them improve their Jordan, a former competitive powerlifter, operations.” works out at the gym in Edinburg these Jonathan Skjervheim (pronounced days. Shurvime) is a summer agronomy intern It wouldn’t be accurate to call Mary in Langdon who’s studying agriculture Schmidt a new CHS employee. She worked industry and technology at Bismarck State at CHS McVille for 19 years! Because she College. Nekoma is home, where he helps lives in Lakota, though, Mary was ready for on his parents’ farm. He graduated from an opportunity to cut her driving time. “By Edmore High School and likes to fish and staying within the CHS system I retained my hunt. years of service and easily transitioned to Craig Bata He’s excited to work with precision the same responsibilities at a different desk. ag expert Jim Crockett. Jonathan says, I’m a bookkeeper who deals with grain and “Watching a farmer’s program develop from agronomy accounts and connects with our soil tests to application really interests me.” great CHS customers in person and over the Craig Bata, mechanic and application phone.” rig driver in Adams, runs 87 cows and “a Mary’s husband, Brian, farms part-time and little land I farm, too. After working for a owns a pest-control business. Their children farmer for 16 years, I was ready for a new are Breanne (16) and Jase (3). As a family, they challenge.” He came to CHS in February. enjoy boating and camping at Stump Lake. He’ll also drive a semi as needed. Mary and Brian enjoy traveling to Mexico so The Adams native is married to Jessica, much they held their wedding there. Jordan Byma 7 Karen and Kenny Tollefson and Sheldon Severtson at the Tollefson farm auction. A SUPREMELY LOYAL CUSTOMER “I highly recommend doing business with CHS.” Kenny Tollefson takes that firm position based on his 58 years of experience as a customer who did 100% of his business with his cooperative. “I was always treated fairly, and I’ve liked the people. We had a good working relationship.” Kenny would still be a loyal customer if he hadn’t become disabled in 2014. After three years renting the farm, it was time for a sale. “That was hard to do, but we had a really good auction. My renter is Evan Schoenfish, a young man who’ll do business with the co-op, too.” Thanks for recommending us, Kenny! Buyers gather at Kenny Tollefson’s farm sale. A Dedicated Employee Nicolaas Venter, a CHS grain division employee, died Nico loved the outdoors and all the adventures he March 22 in Osnabrock. He came to the United States from discovered in North Dakota. He’s survived by four children, South Africa in 2003 and went to work for Bernhoft Farms Frans, Nicolette and Jaco of South Africa and Nick of Milton. in Mountain, North Dakota. In 2006, he became a dedicated member of our Milton team and remained a proud member of our team for the next 11 years. 8 2 7 2 7 0 0 y. n a p m o C c ai s o M e h T of k ar m e d a d tr e er st gi e a r s s i al nti e s s E o cr Mi d. e v er s e s r ht g All ri y. n a p m o C c ai s o M e h T 7 1 0 2 © LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. With up to 60% of your yield dependent on soil fertility, invest wisely in your farm’s productivity. Trust the leader in balanced crop nutrition. With over a decade of proven results, MicroEssentials® by The Mosaic Company, is proven to increase yield compared to traditional fertilizer. GET YOUR HEAD IN THE DIRT AT MICROESSENTIALS.COM 9 “BECAUSE I CARE” CHS EMPLOYEES GIVE BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES All Jerry Balsdon of Osnabrock did was raise his hand. This year, Alison DuBois and Emily Mootz agreed to take the lead. Two simple actions proved generosity begins with the realization that somebody ought to do something. During a producer board meeting a few years ago, Jerry Generous portions volunteered to manage our CHS scholarship program. “I This is the seventh year of CHS Harvest for Hunger at volunteered because I care about this. I like to see local kids co-op locations throughout the nation. Emily Mootz has get an education and come back.” been actively involved for the past five years. A snow storm Alison DuBois is one of those scholarship recipients who and rescheduled basketball games reduced attendance at returned to CHS. This year, she and Emily served as local co- the pulled-pork feed in Devils Lake on March 9, but she still chairs of CHS Harvest for Hunger, raising $28,000. That’s an believes that event tends to bring in the most money for impressive return on the time Jerry invested in scholarships. local food pantries. “Board members love giving out money to local kids,” Emily is grateful to Devils Lake businesses that contrib- Jerry says. “We’ll keep doing it.” When CHS awards were uted items for a silent auction held in conjunction with the presented at local high schools this spring, 11 recipients out meal. “We couldn’t make this work without them.” of 28 applicants were chosen by the board and awarded a “In Langdon, we served a free-will breakfast and saw a total of $5,800. good turnout,” Alison reports. “All the Langdon employees “The entire board helps evaluate applications, realizing and some Milton employees did the work. We also had a recipients must come from co-op member families,” Jerry silent auction and all the food was donated.” explains. “We generally lean toward students who are going CHS Inc. matches money collected locally based on a into agriculture.” formula that factors donations with the number of employ- ees involved. As a result, the two events were able to raise $12,000 and present $25,000. 10