Spring 2013

IAS Board of Directors

Randy Blake, PresidentPaul Cook, 1st Vice PresidentSteve Perry, 2nd Vice PresidentLoren Manternach, Secretary

LeAllan BuergerTim BurrackScott FunkeAdam HillJason MartinStan NormanJoe Thraenert

Ag Biz BriefsTake your Farming Operation to the Next Level with IASby Jake Klaver, Seed Sales Specialist, Williams, IA It’s hard to believe winter has come and gone! As all of you are making spring decisions for your 2013 crop, I want to suggest a couple ways IAS can help you take your crop acres to the next level. IAS not only offers a great lineup of seed brands and hybrids, but also many other tools that can greatly benefit each individual seed acre tailored to your farming operation needs.

A couple of advanced options that our Innovative Advanced Solutions platform has to offer are the Silver and Gold programs. These two programs offer different ways to increase productivity and yield on your acres. The Silver program starts off with grid soil sampling and fertilizer recommendations. With that, you will receive soil sample analysis maps in a 3 ring binder. As technology and knowledge evolve about how valuable treating each acre differently is, the Silver program also offers you variable rate planting maps and recommendations. Every acre is different and VRT planting can help you get the most out of the seed you plant on that acre. The last piece to the Silver program is printing your yield maps and taking that information and getting you yield analysis reports for each farm. The more data history we can compile of your farms, the more precise prescription maps we can make for you.

The Gold program offers full-service scouting on top of everything that the Silver program has to offer. Let IAS help you out by taking the burden of crop scouting every week off of your shoulders. Receive field analysis scouting reports for each of your farms throughout the growing season to ensure all of your fields are getting the full attention needed to maximize your yield potential. Crop scouting is often times neglected. Any and every year offers a new set of challenges that each farm will face. Scouting reports will help you out in making critical, timely, in-season decisions that can make a big impact on your bottom line. Please contact your local IAS Agronomy Advisor for more information and questions you may have on the Gold and Silver programs.

Growing Relationships to Maximize Success!™

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Manager’s Messageby Rick Vaughan, CEO

Though 2013 has just started, the fiscal year for Innovative Ag Services will be 50% complete with this Ag Biz publication. We had an excellent fall agronomy season. Volume levels and work load time frames were above normal fall periods. The fall grain bushel receipts were excellent in certain areas of our geography and short in other areas of our geography. Overall, grain receipts were down compared to last year and the past 3 year average. Feed volumes are holding steady to last year. Diesel business volumes were excellent this past fall with all of the fall field work completed. The LP business volume was light this fall due to corn moistures, but has been excellent this winter due to more normal temperatures in comparison to last year. Our transportation fleet is busy, but volumes are down a little compared to last year due to the fall grain volume differences and the different grain selling patterns this marketing year. Our lumber and maintenance businesses are on track with budget and last year. Overall, IAS expects a good fiscal year end in August of 2013, but will be impacted by the smaller crop. We

are continuing to invest capital to improve our facilities and equipment and serve our customer members.

We announced our new purpose statement, core values and strategies at our employee appreciation event on Saturday, January 19, 2013. Innovative Ag Services has had a purpose statement for a long time, but it had not been reviewed for several years. Because of our growth over the last 5 years, we felt it was important to review our purpose statement, core values and strategies and involve a cross section of our current employee base. We began with surveys to gather input from employees and then sat down with our management staff to begin the process of evaluating our current purpose statement, reviewing the surveys, discussing other company purpose statements and then putting

a lot of ideas and words into print. Our purpose statement incorporates a lot of the core values of the former purpose statement, plus additions based on the input we received.

Our purpose statement is important to our company for several reasons. First of all, it is important for our company to be able to explain “why we do what we do”. Secondly, this will provide a foundation for us to build on in our marketing programs and recruiting activities. Thirdly, we will be using it in all areas of the company to improve processes and procedures and drive accountability. Fourthly, we are using current technology to introduce this purpose statement. This technology will help aid us in other areas of the business to improve our communication and learning tools. Our purpose statement, core values and strategies are:

This document can prove very beneficial for our customers, members, employees and vendors. If engaged in a consistent and balanced fashion, it will provide Innovative Ag Services with excellent long term results. These excellent long term results will ensure that the IAS members of the future have an equal to and improved company as what their predecessor members have had.

IAS installed a new computer system for the entire company on February 1, 2013. Prior to this, the company has been running on three different computer systems. Each of you, as an individual customer may not have known that, nor were you individually affected by the other two systems. Three systems has definitely been less than ideal for developing an excellent and efficient management information system. Our three year bank loan package negotiations last year included discussions about our timetable to convert to one system. We converted to one system over the first week of February of 2013 with a lot of preparation, long hours, hard work and dedication by our employee team. They all deserve a lot of credit, because it is a lot of work for them to learn a new system and still get all of their daily work done. Our goal through the process was for our customers to NOT feel our company pain in this conversion. I believe that

we accomplished that. If your specific experience was counter to our goal, I would like to know.

To arrive at one system for the company also meant arriving at a set of policies and procedures that included fewer than we have been operating under as a result of having three computer systems. The credit policy is one specific example. The IAS management staff worked hard to incorporate more policies into less for the benefit of Innovative Ag Services.

Now that we are on one computer system, what can you expect from IAS as our valued customer? It is our goal to provide you with accurate, timely and understandable information for your farming operation. It is our goal to have information available to you to verify that the business agreements between you and IAS were completed as intended. Each employee takes personal responsibility to help you understand the new reporting formats. It is also our expectation to provide you with additional reporting that may not be provided on the statement or invoice. It is our expectation as your business partner to help you to utilize our web based offerings that will provide you with on-line information in the comfort of your home. We expect our system to be an excellent and efficient management information

system for our customers and for IAS. If we can do the above with the new system, we will have fulfilled that part of our service package for you. The whole package must be complete though, for us to deliver on our Purpose Statement: “Growing Relationships to Maximize Success.”

Thank you very much for your patience as we implement this new system. Thank you very much for your business! We look forward to working with you and assisting you with the upcoming, very important spring planting season.

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IAS 2/15/2013 1/15/2013 12/14/2012 2/15/2012

CORN 7.13 7.28 7.31 6.04

SOYBEANS 14.04 14.01 14.72 12.11

SOYBEAN MEAL 434.30 437.08 482.16 333.20

Market Insights

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Grain Commentsby Ron Barkema, Vice President of Grain On February 1st IAS merged its long running computer software systems into one. The process took a lot of hard work from many employees, but in the end I believe you will be happy with the new system and how it performs. Now that the entire company is on one system we needed to make a couple of grain policy changes to bring uniformity to the overall IAS grain department.

1. Storage charges and Price Later fees: From September 1st thru December 31st, all minimum storage and price later fees will be invoiced at the time the grain is settled for storage. Storage charges and price later fees thereafter will be invoiced three times a year – December 31st, April 30th, and August 31st.

2. Over run bushels: Over run bushels that are direct shipped to a processor will be spotted out the day IAS enters the ticket – not the day the bushels were delivered. If the seller would like the bushels priced on the day of delivery, you simply need to add up your tickets and notify IAS of the bushels exceeding the contract so we can lock in the price at that time.

GRAIN MARKETS:The February USDA crop report came out on February 8th and all in all it was considered non bullish. They increased corn for feed use by 20 million bushels and cut exports again, this time by 50 million bushels. That puts carry out on corn projected at 632 million bushel. The soybean numbers came in neutral to slightly negative. They left exports alone, but Brazil’s soybean production came in well above expectations. Based on the export sales number the first week of February, if that pace would continue for another three weeks we would already be at the ANNUAL USDA projected sales! Soybean carry out was pegged at 125 million bushels which was 10 million less than a month ago. Based on better South America production estimates, it left the trade comfortable with a net higher world carry out number.

So, how will the summer markets play out? Will export sales on beans need to be revised up again? Will South America be able to export their crop fast enough to satisfy the world demand? On the corn side, will we continue to see more ethanol plants shut down because of very poor crush margins thus reducing corn needs? Will the world continue

to look elsewhere for corn because of high US prices? Will the US plant 99 million acres of corn this year and probably the most important unknown that we have facing us is will we get enough timely rains this year to satisfy the 2013 crop needs? The things we do know are that we have very respectable grain prices and most of the IAS trade area had decent crops. We know that we are facing a summer with old crop prices on both corn and beans nearly $1.50 over new crop and that those two prices will eventually need to come together. None of us can out guess the markets, but I want to throw caution out to not let these higher values get away on the balance of your old crop. Also, for those that have locked in some 2013 crop inputs it may also be wise to cover some of that cost with some new crop sales. The markets are vulnerable. We have a big South America crop coming on and we have an ethanol industry with very poor crush margins and an export program that is almost nonexistent.

As always thank you for your grain business and your continued support of IAS! Be safe this planting season!

Agronomy Notesby Tim Krausman, Vice President of Agronomy As I write this, I am starting to get excited for our spring season and the approaching warm weather. With spring, comes a variety of tasks for you and your agronomy team including precision ag recommendations, fertilizer applications, chemical applications, seed planting and everything else that goes with this busy season.

I would like to take a few minutes to go through some of the issues that we have been experiencing in the fertilizer and chemical markets this past winter, and also talk about how that may affect us this spring. Starting off with the fertilizer markets, I would like to talk about the river. The dry weather last summer not only took a toll on some of the crops last fall, but also had an impact on the river levels – especially the Mississippi. The recent rains that we have experienced in the eastern Corn Belt and even to some degree in eastern Iowa have been helpful, but they still have not fixed the level in the Mississippi. In fact, the US Army Corps of Engineers has been blasting the rock this past winter to help keep the river traffic moving. Although the river level has presented, and may possibly continue to present challenges, I am confident we will get our fertilizer up the river in a timely fashion. The river has caused unrest and strength in the fertilizer market, and the supply has been a deterrent for the P & K market. These two forces have kept the market fairly stable the past few months with a little softness from the highs, but the Canpotex sale to China and India has likely bottomed out the market.

The chemical market has turned into a global market fairly quickly. If you haven’t heard about supply managed products throughout the winter, I am certain you will hear more about them as we get closer to spring and into the summer. Insecticide was the first group of products to be challenged for procuring enough supply especially in the smart box segment, but Glyphosate is following the same pattern of supply challenges along with most of the post corn herbicide market. At the end of the

day with the increased number of corn acres, weed resistance driving higher rates and add-ons to control weeds such as water hemp and giant ragweed, you will find the fact is that manufacturers would rather sell to other countries as opposed to the US because they will be able to make more money for the same product.

It has been IAS’ goal to have our customers notice our computer

conversion minimally. With that said there are challenges along the way; however, you can rest-assured that our entire team of employees is working diligently to make this change as seamless as possible. I am extremely excited about the future of our information system and the capabilities that it will add for our employees. For example, our sales people will have the ability to add connectivity at the farm and with the grower. This connectivity should increase our serviceability

and minimize errors. It should also make our time more efficient as we get more familiar with the tools we are using.

I would like to say thank you for your past business, and we look forward to and appreciate the opportunity to service your business this spring and in the future. Please be sure to be safe as the busy season rolls around!

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Back To Soybean Basicsby Dan West, Agronomy Advisor, Hazel Green, WI The first time soybeans averaged $10 per bushel was in 2007. In the years since then, we have seen that price grow from $10 per bushel to nearly $15 during this past growing season. Yet, we have still seen Iowa soybean acres decline 8%. This decline is due to the fact that corn has always led the way in profit potential per acre. Unless…. we could grow 65 bushel soybeans!

While few would consider using a 65 bushel average yield as something they can pencil in for the year, the number of growers achieving very high soybean yields is rising. Management, genetics and weather have all played their parts, but grower attitudes toward their soybean fields have been the driving factor behind these increases. High producing growers see the value of managing soybeans as a cash crop, rather than simply a rotational crop between corn years.

As such, many growers are interested in utilizing new and innovative products and technologies to drive their soybean yields. And, while innovation is crucial, these products will always fail where we do not have the basics in place to provide a solid foundation for high yields.

THE BASICS

• Assess the fertility of the field with an up-to-date soil test. Grid sampling is always the most accurate. Correct pH and P & K fertility as required. Otherwise, the plant will starve.

• If the ground was flooded, too wet, too dry or not in soybeans for several years Inoculate.

• Plant when conditions are good. This does not necessarily mean as early as possible. It is more important to plant the soybeans accurately into good soil conditions and at a temperature where they will grow.

• Plant a high yielding, adapted soybean variety. Use the best variety, not the cheapest.

• Plant in narrow rows, if possible. Research from Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa shows a consistent 2-4 bushel yield advantage just from making the switch. Additionally, narrow rows respond better to high yield management than 30” rows.

• Plant at the correct plant population. For most situations this is between 130,000 and 160,000.

• Control the weeds. Pre-emergence herbicides in soybeans are a good value. If keeping the field clean entails an extra pass, it will cost an extra bushel or less to do so. Keep it clean all year.

• Control the insects. If 2012 taught us anything, it was not to wait on insect control. Mites and aphids can decimate a field if left untreated. Get out and scout.

• Scout, scout, scout. Weed escapes, insect attacks, disease infection and nutrient deficiencies can all occur in season. They can all be remedied if caught early enough. If they are not found during the season, they will be found in the combine later on.

• Harvest effectively. Make sure the combine is set correctly, the yield monitor is calibrated and harvest as soon as adequate dry down is achieved. All of this is free yield.

If all the basics are in place, additional applications of foliar fertilizers, fungicides, bio-stimulants and other technologies could be the next step in pushing soybean yields, but only if the all the basics are in place first.

Little Things to Higher Yieldsby Paul Reicks, Agronomy Advisor, Elma, IA Lately, you hear everyone talking about trying to obtain a 300 bushel per acre corn crop and you wonder what has to be done to reach that yield. We know the major categories, but I am going to talk about one little thing to help achieve that number. The category I am talking about is plant growth regulators. These products help your plants stay healthy, like a fungicide, or they may promote faster growth and bigger roots, like Ascend®. Those functions are fine, but we have to increase yield to justify using these products.

We have been using fungicides a long time and know the benefits, but

I would like to discuss the benefits of Ascend. Ascend is a combination of growth hormones for plants, I like to call it “steroids for crops.” This combination has shown us earlier emergence and a bigger root system on the average when compared to the non-treatment. It gave us a yield increase of six bushels of corn in our plot last year. We put the product in the starter fertilizer which is applied in furrow on top of the seed. There are other ways to use Ascend, but this way has shown the best chance for increased yield. To find out more about Ascend and the different treatments, ask your local IAS Agronomy Advisor.

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Land O’Lakes to Re-name its Feed Divisionby Steve Wagner, Livestock Production Specialist, Elkader, IA In 2001, Land O’Lakes purchased Purina Mills along with the Purina brand. From that time until now, Land O’Lakes chose to maintain two separate brands, Land O’Lakes and Purina falling under the company name of Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC.

After much consideration and market research, Land O’Lakes has announced it will follow the Winfield model (plant food and crop protection division) and rename its feed company to Purina Animal Nutrition LLC effective immediately. The goal of the name change is to leverage the Purina brand which has been widely recognized and trusted in the feed industry for many years. The Purina brand compares with companies as John Deere and Harley

Davidson for brand recognition. No major product changes will be taking place. Over time the Land O’Lakes brand will gradually be replaced with the Purina brand. You will continue to see the Land O’Lakes trusted brands such as Ultra Care® Pig Starters, RangeLand® and SteakMaker® beef products carrying the Purina logo.

These products carrying the Purina checker board will continue to meet the highest standards of quality and come from the industry’s recognized leader in animal feed research and development. Much of the

research and product development will continue at the research farm located in Gray Summit Missouri. The farm was recently renamed Purina Animal Center from Longview Animal Nutrition Center to enhance the Purina brand. The name change will concentrate rebranding efforts that focus on the power and leadership of the Purina brand and its iconic checkerboard logo. Innovative Ag will continue to solidify the success of its customers by partnering with successful, research driven and brand recognized companies like Purina Animal Nutrition.

Ascend® No Ascend®

Photo courtesy of Ron Miltenberger

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Corn Rootworm Managementby Justin Behn, Agronomy Advisor, Faulkner, IA As I write this, we are already a quarter of the way through the 2013 crop year. Some of you have already had your fall fertilizer and nitrogen applied, your seed choices made and your chemical programs locked in. On the other hand, there are still quite a few people on the bubble, asking themselves; “Do I want to plant these acres to continuous corn or should I rotate them back to soybeans?” There are many factors that play in to this decision, whether it be the market price for grain, the weather pattern we are currently in, or even the severe corn rootworm problem that we saw in 2012. I will be focusing on the last one, although it may seem that I am “beating a dead horse”, rootworm can be devastating to a crop and I feel that it would be helpful to know a little more about the pest before we make those final management decisions.

Weather will play a big role in rootworm population going into 2013. With the mild winter we experienced in 2012 came the increased number of rootworm and rootworm beetles. I believe that 2013 will be no different. We have

seen cooler temperatures and a small increase in precipitation, but it still has been a relatively calm winter. The drought of 2012 will also play a crucial role in this year’s insect populations. The deep cracks left in the ground due to lack of moisture are somewhat of a safe haven for pests. These cracks are often deep enough to get below the frost line, which allows the rootworm to survive even some of the coldest of our winter conditions.

We are also in the day and age where resistance is becoming a larger issue. A popular topic over the past couple of years has been the increase in glyphosate resistant weeds. Much like those weeds, we are now seeing resistance in the rootworm population. There are a couple of ways to battle this problem, one being planting corn with multiple modes of action. There are many companies that offer SmartStax hybrids and Syngenta also has their new 3122 which is a combination of their rootworm trait and Herculex. Both of these would be great options for those heavily infested areas.

Another way to battle the issue is soil-applied insecticides, which are once again becoming more and more popular as these problems arise. If your planter is equipped with insecticide boxes, a smart box system or even a liquid fertilizer system, than we can accommodate your needs. This will give you that added mode of action needed for those corn-on-corn acres. Not only are we protecting against resistance, but we are also targeting secondary pests such as wireworms and grubs, further increasing the yield potential in your field.

In conclusion, the 2013 crop year presents a lot of challenges for us to overcome. Some factors are out of our hands, but we need to be taking proactive measures on those factors we can control. By using soil-applied insecticides and planting the right hybrid we can ensure a safe, pest-free environment for our valuable crop. Consult your local IAS Agronomy Advisor about the right seed and insecticide for your farm today.

Photo courtesy of Purdue University

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Cover Cropsby Owen Heetland, Agronomy Advisor, Cleves, IA There has been a lot of talk about cover crops and how and what they are used for. For many people the perception is why plant a crop that has no harvestable value. That perception is actually far from the truth as cover crops can do many things for us including: erosion control, increase organic matter, recycle nutrients, decrease nutrient leaching and suppress weeds.

First, let’s talk about cover crop establishment. Obviously every cover crop should be treated differently, but with most cover crops we are attempting to gain some or all of the same benefits. Most cover crops should be seeded as soon as the cash crop like corn or soybeans is harvested. There are many ways to do this. The first method may be to fly the seed on pre-harvest. This works well in standing corn, but may cause issues in soybeans if the crop becomes too established before beans are harvested. Next, crops can be seeded with a no-till drill or lightly worked in after harvest. Remember, that in order for a cover crop to be effective it must have enough time to have significant fall growth. Above is a graph that helps explain cover crop seeding times.

There are many options as far as what cover crops to use in your operation. Two of the most widely used options in this area are oats and rye. Oats work if they are seeded early enough to get established before being killed by the frost. The oats can be planted into or worked up in the spring, but will have no regrowth. Annual Ryegrass, on the other hand, can be planted later and will yield

more forage, but it can sometimes be tough to kill in the spring. Cereal Rye can also be used later in the fall, but can be planted into and then killed after crop emergence. There are also other less used options like radishes, turnips and hairy vetch. The turnips and radishes can provide good feed if the cover crops are going to be grazed. They will also do a good job of breaking up compaction just like annual ryegrass. In the spring, some cover crops can be planted directly into while some others need to be mowed or tilled under. If you are considering planting corn into a cover crop, special care needs to be taken to make sure that cover crops are killed far enough ahead of time so that they don’t compete with the emerging corn crop.

Lastly, I’ll talk about the benefits of cover crops in a little more depth. First off, cover crops provide erosion control. You may say that we already do enough to control erosion, but if you drive around and see how brown and black the snow in some of our ditches are you can begin to see just how much soil we can lose to wind. Cover crops also do a great job of protecting from sheet and rill erosion. Cover crops are of great benefit to the soil as legumes can fix nitrogen, while other species like rye can tie up nitrogen and prevent it from leaching. This nitrogen is then re-introduced to the soil as the cover crop begins to decompose. When

cover crops decompose they add organic matter to the soil and increase soil tilth and structure. Organic matter is one of the main influencers of Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) in the soil. By increasing the Soil OM you can, in most cases, increase the CEC of your soils as well. This increase in CEC allows the soil to hold more nutrients to be released into solution where they can be taken up by plants. Basically, the more nutrients that are on CEC the easier it is for a plant’s root to pull those nutrients out of a soil solution. Also, a CEC can be negatively affected by a low PH or more acidic soil. Lastly, cover crops can provide weed control early on in the season just by the ground cover that they produce. Cover crops like rye can have allelopathic properties that produce chemicals in the soil when the plant decomposes, preventing some other plants from germinating.

In conclusion, you may find that there is a fit for cover crops on your farm. Whether this is where you chopped silage, baled stover, planted seed corn or even just in your corn/soybean rotation. These crops can help amend soil organic matter, prevent erosion and generally just improve the quality of your soil overall. If you think you might want to try cover crops and see how they benefit your operation, be sure to ask one of your agronomy advisors for their expert advice on the subject.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Rotation Timeline (Courtesy of Ohio State University)

Corn

Rye

Rye

Soybeans

Wheat

Wheat

Hairy Vetch

Hairy Vetch

Corn

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Increase your Herd’s Future Productivity through your Calvesby Megan Peters, Dairy Production Specialist, Andrew, IA Think back to when you were a child, more specifically the times when you were feeling ill. Did it not always amaze you how your parents could always tell? If you were not receiving comments about how terrible your eyes looked, or how “you just were not acting right,” then you were probably getting drilled with questions like, “why didn’t you eat all of your supper?” Well surprisingly, research has found that one of the ways to increase the future productivity of your herd is to quickly identify and treat sick calves. In other words, act like a parent to your calves!

There have now been several studies indicating that early detection and immediate treatment protocol should be taken on our sick calves to not only reduce their risk of premature death, but also to increase their future milk production. If a calf’s body goes through a difficult and stressful time, whether it is scours or pneumonia, that calf is simply in survival mode. When their bodies are in survival mode, they are not further

advancing in their development phases. As producers, it is crucial to closely monitor your young stock for the future of your herd.

So what are some early indicators a calf is getting sick? I’m sure some of you can answer that question easily, but do ALL of your employees and helpers know the symptoms and how to evaluate your young calves? As stated above, they are the future of your herd! Iowa State University has come out with a great evaluation tool that can help you educate your calf caretakers. The article is entitled “Early Identification of Sick Calves Important to Their Survival and Future Milk Production. “

In the article, it provides various observations to look for when identifying sick calves including droopy ears, manure consistency clues, the eyes, rapid breathing, the calf’s gum color and even performing a “skin tent” test. The “skin tent” test includes gently pulling the skin on the calf’s neck and rotating it 90 degrees to form a tent. The tent should return

to normal within two seconds, and if it does not then the calf is dehydrated and probably experiencing scours. In addition to the visual techniques, the article has numerous questions the calf manager can use to evaluate the calves. Similar to the questions your parents would have asked you in the past, “does the calf want to drink all of its milk?” or “does the calf get up and actively position itself at its feeding station?” Now, I know this all may seem like common sense to you, but it is important to make sure all people involved in the calf feeding process are on the same page as far as sick calf awareness is concerned. Your veterinarian can help you with the treatment protocol, but we have to be aware enough to notice when the calves start to go down-hill.

We all notice when the milk production goes down-hill, but do not let your future milk production go down simply because we did not notice the simple signs of sick calves. Even though we all say we are not like our parents, possibly in this case, we should try to be!

“Skin Tent”

Evaluating a calf’s lower eyelid

An alert calf with erect earsPhotos courtesy of ISU Extension

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Calving Seasonby Darwin Winkowitch, Beef Production Specialist, Austinville, IA Calving Season is upon us! It’s always an exciting time to see young, healthy calves running around the cattle lot; however, it can be drudgery if we are not ready.

It’s time to clean up the calving barn, get the cattle panels in place and fresh bedding prepared so we are ready for that first calf on a stormy night. How about all of the equipment for the “calving tool box”? Here is a checklist:

• Veterinarian’s phone number

• Ear tags ordered and numbered

• Ear tagger with spare pins (and an extra tagger)

• Calving record book

• Flashlight (check batteries)

• Iodine – naval disinfectant (and syringe for placing in the naval)

• Rope halter and lasso

• Pail & water source/soap

• Disinfectant (nolvasan)

• J-lube/lubricant

• OB sleeves

• OB chains (2) and handles (2) — clean

• Clean towels/paper towels

• Hanging scale (record birth weights)

• Castration knife (scalpel) or bander

• Colostrum and electrolytes

• Esophageal feeder

• Antibiotics/clean syringes

Of course, one of my favorite products to use this time of year that can make calving season go a lot smother is US Feeds Calving Mineral starting 30-45 days before the calving season and through calving. Make sure cows get about 1.75 lb mineral/cow/week (1/4 lb/day). Calving mineral contains Bio-Mos which binds harmful bacteria and lowers the risk and incidence of scours. Also, organic selenium is much more bioavailable to cattle and very effective in improving the immune systems of both the cow and the calf. It also has a lot of other Bioplex trace minerals and very high levels of Vitamins A and E. Producers who use the product simply say it works!

If you have any questions about the upcoming calving season, please contact your local Beef Production Specialist for more information on how to make it a successful one!

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R7 Placement Tool- A new tool from IASby Ron Fedeler, Agronomy Advisor, Monona, IA This past year Croplan® introduced the R7 tool which combines local field data with the power of precision agriculture. The tool uses satellite imagery accessed through a French company called GeoSys Inc. When a field is identified in the R7 Tool, it initiates a search of 20 years of satellite imagery to retrieve a preplant bare soil image, a USDA soil survey map, and four mid-season crop images from two recent wet and dry years. Typically these images are from August when biomass is at its maximum and is highly correlated with yield. Also, the R7 tool software crunches data from the bare soil and maximum NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) images to create a composite map (called SaMZ) that identifies management zones. The management zone map can then be used to build variable-rate seeding and fertilizer prescriptions.

A second part of the R7 tool links to performance data on hybrids and varieties from Croplan’s network of 200 Answer Plots across the United States. The R7 tool does not replace sophisticated precision ag software currently used on your farm, but is a new tool for farmers to see another layer of data about their fields. It is also a great way for farmers without extensive yield and grid soil sampling records to get started in precision ag. A separate function of the R7 tool allows growers to see in-season photos of their fields to help them see how their crop is progressing. The final function of the R7 tool allows growers to set up and export prescriptions for variable rate planting. A recent survey indicated that nearly 2/3 of the planters in the Corn Belt are equipped with variable rate technology, yet very few farmers are using it. If you have interest in seeing how the R7 tool can help increase productivity on your farm, contact your local IAS Agronomy Advisor and have them map your fields for you.

Computer-Based Safety Trainingby Thatcher Block, Director of Safety Innovative Ag Services has partnered with La Mair-Mulock-Condon (LMC) to offer an extensive computer-based training (CBT) program that allows us to deliver consistent and comprehensive safety training to each of our locations. LMC provides IAS with access to the Lezage Training Center service. This valuable service provides a variety of online training courses, and we are confident that it will enhance our employee training program and assist us in meeting the responsibilities imposed by federal and state regulations.

OSHA safety training required for a given employee is determined by the tasks that the employee performs and is designed so that each employee gets the training that applies to them. Lezage Training Center service enables employees to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. Lezage interactive safety training is proven to be effective and employees learn faster and retain material longer. This CBT safety training curriculum covers a wide range of topics including: accident reporting, blood-borne pathogens, distracted driving, forklift safety, hazard communications, office safety, personal protective equipment and workplace safety. Lezage Training Center service will be rolled out to ALL of our IAS locations over the next month. This valuable service will help us change behaviors and enhance safety and compliance at all of our locations, so that we can serve our customers safely and efficiently.

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Photo courtesy of SenseFly

What’s New in the Field?by Dennis Gogerty, Agronomy Advisor, Garden City, IA After attending the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines, I know I am not the new kid on the block anymore. Booth after booth was filled with “kids” (20 something year olds) - explaining how to use the latest and greatest tools in farming. They were selling hardware, software, monitors, touch screens, cameras, Weedseekers, Greenseekers, tracking programs and everything else that’s new in the world of farming. These “kids” were surrounded by farmers and ag business people listening intently to what the new technology could do for them.

There was a lot of talk about connectivity and seamless transfer of data. Fleet position tracking allows one person to know exactly where each vehicle is, the route it took to get there, how long it has been there, how much fuel it has used and other vital engine information. This system also records and sends data on time spent idling, applying product and traveling from field to field. If the machine sets motionless for a set period of time, the operator is even prompted to enter reasons for the delay!

Other tools on display (although not new, but gaining in popularity) are the WeedSeeker and the GreenSeeker. The WeedSeeker uses advanced optics and computer circuitry to sense if a weed is present. When a weed is detected by the sensor, it

signals the spray nozzle to apply herbicide. The WeedSeeker sprays only weeds, not bare ground, and is effective wherever weeds occur intermittently. This would be useful for a non-selective herbicide before crop emergence.

The GreenSeeker reads the amount of chlorophyll in the corn plant. This reading is entered into an equation which takes into account the amount of living plant tissue and yield potential for the crop. The correct amount of Nitrogen is then applied according to crop demand and yield potential. It looks like an excellent tool for variable rate N at side dress time.

Another tool being tested in the field is the drone. One model uses a rechargeable lithium battery for propulsion. The drone is about 3 feet wide and V shaped. It only weighs about 2 pounds and is equipped with

a high resolution 16MP camera. It can be controlled from the ground or pre-programmed to take pictures at specific times and locations using GPS coordinates. It cruises at about 22 mph. and can take high quality photos of 200 acres of crops in about 30 minutes. The drone should be an excellent tool for scouting from the sky to determine any trouble spots in the field. However, the FAA has NOT approved the use of an unmanned aircraft for agricultural use yet.

All of these tools generate lots of data. It is how we organize, store and combine this data to make us more efficient and productive that will determine its VALUE. If you are interested in any of this “new” technology, please contact your local IAS Agronomy Advisor for assistance. IAS is committed to implementing new technology to help make you more efficient and successful.

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Capital Projects Underway at IASby Brian Kramer, Vice President, Operations With the conclusion of last year’s agronomy and grain facility projects, IAS quickly looked once again into the future to determine how we can deliver on our purpose statement’s core values and strategies in terms of capital improvements. The following projects key in on our strategies to invest in infrastructure that enhances the overall customer experience by maintaining financial stability and equity revolvement through prudent decision making and risk management and continual review of operating efficiencies.

One of the visions of the former Prairie Land Cooperative prior to the merger was to make improvements at their Faulkner location in the form of a new office complex and enhanced grain drying, handling and storage capacity. That vision is becoming a reality and by this fall is targeted to be in operation.

A new 100’ x 190’ steel building structure is being planned that will contain finished office spaces along with a customer service area, conference room and employee break room. Also within the same building will be a 50’ x 80’ maintenance shop, a 24’ x 36’ heated crop protection storage room, and over 10,000 square foot of warehouse area for bagged feed, seed and additional packaged crop protection products.

Buresh Building Systems from Hampton, IA has been selected to construct the concrete and steel building structure. Materials for the finished areas will be provided by our very own Innovative Building Supply in Hubbard, IA. Remaining contractors for electrical, plumbing, etc. are being determined in the near future. Construction of this new structure will begin in April 2013.

The grain facility improvements in Faulkner have also been outlined and bid work in the areas of concrete, steel structures and millwright, and electrical have all been awarded with plans to begin these improvements slated for late March or April of 2013. A total of 1,060,279 bushels of capacity will be constructed along with multiple handling upgrades.

Plans for Faulkner grain include the construction of a new two lane dumping pit area. The main dumping pit will have a 1,500 bushel pit with a receiving capacity of 15,000 bph. The secondary pit will be smaller in size with receiving capacity of 10,000 bph. The bucket elevator associated with this dump will also double as the dry leg taking dried corn away from the new 4,750 bph (5 points removal) Sukup tower dryer. This second dump can be used in conjunction with the dryer in operation if needed or at full capacity when not drying grain. Three new bucket elevators will serve as a main receiving leg, wet leg and dry leg. A central control room will allow one operator to manage both dumping areas along with drying operations.

Three storage bins are also being planned. A 48’ diameter bin with full floor aeration will serve as the new wet storage bin with a rated capacity

of 136,722 bushels. An existing 60’ diameter smaller bin with a damaged roof is being replaced with another 60’ bin with a capacity of 222,583 bushels. The third bin structure will be a 105’ diameter tank holding 690,906 bushels of rated capacity. Two overhead load out bins are also being planned, each with 5,034 bushels of capacity.

The entire project will consist of galvanized materials, chain drag conveyors for grain transfer and liner packages in all areas grain will come in contact with for reduced wear and longer equipment life. Fangman & Sons, Masonville, IA has been awarded the steel bins, dryer and all catwalk and handling equipment for the project. Wick’s Construction, Decorah, IA has been awarded the concrete for the grain updates with RBF Electric, Iowa Falls performing the electrical contracting needs.

In the area of agronomy, IAS is once again investing in fertilizer storage capacity. This time it adds capacity in the form of UAN liquid nitrogen. We are in the process of constructing a 1.5 million gallon storage tank in Hazel Green, WI. This structure will allow IAS to store an additional 8,000+ ton of 32% UAN solution.

IAS has selected A & B Welding from Thompson, IA to construct the new addition. Preparation for the tank began early this fall by developing the site and running underground plumbing in containment that will transfer product to and from the structure during seasonal filling and spring use. The actual tank construction began about the first of the year and is projected to be completed by mid-March.

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IAS to Launch New Website! Innovative Ag Services is pleased to announce the launch of our new website which will go live in April! Our new website is designed with our members in mind, providing you with a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation. Grain bids, futures, weather and news will all be right at your fingertips on the homepage allowing you to easily get to the most frequently used information, but don’t stop there! Be sure to check out our updated business unit information, career site, leadership team bios and our new purpose statement and core values page.

Did I mention that you can easily access your customer login information from any page from the top right of the screen? That’s right! You can sign up to see your IAS account activity right from the convenience of your home. How about signing up to receive text and email alerts straight to your computer or mobile device? We have these capabilities as well. Simply click on the “Sign up for alerts” tab on the top right to receive cash bids, futures, terminal hours or other location/business unit information. With our new site we want to ensure that you have all of the information you need when you need it; which is why we are also making a mobile site, so that we truly can be with you wherever you go!

We hope that you will enjoy browsing our new site once it goes live in April, finding more options and information each time, and that it will be yet another tool for strengthening our business relations. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of service, and our new website is just one way we are showing that commitment. Thank you for your continued business and helping us to live our purpose statement of Growing Relationships to Maximize Success!

This tank, like others within IAS, is constructed as a tank inside of a tank. The outer tank serves as the structure’s containment in the event any leak might occur within the inner tank. The structure is 100’ in diameter with the inner tank about 94’. The outer walls stand at 30’ in height. Numerous safety features are being incorporated into the transfer system that will detect any signs of product leakage. An auto shut off valve system is also in place that will automatically shut the tank valves when product is not being transferred by electric motor and pump.

Plans are to fill the storage just in time for spring 2013 use. The additional storage will allow IAS to better position ourselves in securing product for customer availability and provide enhanced procurement opportunities to remain competitive in the marketplace. Additional upgrades will take place this summer as we construct a new receiving and load out facility. This facility will meet containment regulations and allow for two lanes of traffic when receiving or loading out product in the spring season. It will also have contained bulk crop protection product storage.

I will report on the continued progress of these projects as they evolve in upcoming editions. Thank you for your continued patronage of IAS. We are committed in providing you with an exceptional customer service experience with the investments we are making in your cooperative’s people and infrastructure.

Iowa Locations

AckleyAldenAllisonAlta VistaAndrewAustinvilleCascadeCenter JunctionCentral CityClevesElkaderEllsworthElmaFarleyFaulknerGarden City

GenevaHopkintonHubbardIndependenceLawn HillManchesterMononaMonticelloOranOwasaPackardSteamboat RockUnionWaukonWilliamsWinthrop

Wisconsin Locations

Cuba CityHazel GreenPlatteville

Store Hours

Monday thru Friday7:30am to 4:30pm

Saturdayclosed out of season

All location hours are varied and seasonal.

visit our website:

www.ias.coop

Growing Relationships to Maximize Success!™

IAS Scholarship Program Eight Innovative Ag Services Scholarships will be awarded this year. Each scholarship is an award of $750.00 to a student who wishes to pursue a degree in the agriculture industry.

Criteria:• Parent or guardian must be an active patron of Innovative Ag Services,

having purchased production supplies from the cooperative or sold grain to the cooperative within the past year.

• Applicant must be a graduating high school senior who will be majoring in an agricultural related field of study.

• Applicant must attend an accredited college or university.

• Applicant must enroll as a full-time student.

Deadline: April 1, 2013 Application must be postmarked by this date.

Please visit our website www.ias.coop for more information on how to apply. If you have questions or need

any further information, please contact Mary Thomas at 319-465-6896 or mary.thomas@ias.coop.

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