April 19, 2013 :: Northern :: The Land

NORTHERNEDITION

(800) [email protected]. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002

April 19, 2013© 2013

Dan Sorum, ag teacher at New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-

Geneva High School in New Richland, Minn., was reporter

for the 1987-88 Minnesota State FFA Officer Team

Inside this special FFA-Ag Education issue of The LandBeginning on Page 2 ~ Editor Kevin Schulz introduces the 1987-88 Minnesota StateFFA Officer Team. Then meet the team, 25 years later: Brian Hegland, Joan Stevermer,

Christy (Pankonin) Jackson, Barbara Van Zomeren, Dan Sorum and Charles Krause

P.O. Box 3169418 South Second St.Mankato, MN 56002

(800) 657-4665Vol. XXXII ❖ No. VIII

40 pages, plussupplement

Cover photo by Kevin Schulz

COLUMNSOpinion 2-5Farm and Food File 4Marketing 15-19Farm Programs 17Calendar 19Milker’s Message 21-24Mielke Market Weekly 21Auctions/Classifieds 25-39Advertiser Listing 25Back Roads 40

STAFFPublisher: Jim Santori: [email protected] Manager: Kathleen Connelly: [email protected]: Kevin Schulz: [email protected] Editor: Tom Royer: [email protected] Writer: Dick Hagen: [email protected] Representatives:

Kim Henrickson: [email protected] Schafer: [email protected] Storlie: [email protected]

Office/Advertising Assistants: Vail Belgard: [email protected] Compart: [email protected]

Ad Production: Brad Hardt: [email protected]

For Customer Service Concerns:(507) 345-4523, (800) 657-4665, [email protected]: (507) 345-1027

For Editorial Concerns or Story Ideas:(507) 344-6342, (800) 657-4665, [email protected]

National Sales Representative: Bock & Associates Inc., 7650 Execu-tive Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55344-3677. (952) 905-3251. Because of the nature of articles appearing in The Land, product or businessnames may be included to provide clarity. This does not constitute an endorse-ment of any product or business. Opinions and viewpoints expressed in editori-als or by news sources are not necessarily those of the management.The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that donot lessen the value of an advertisement. The Publisher’s liability for other errorsor omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publicationof the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paidfor the advertisement.Classified Advertising: $17.36 for seven (7) lines for a private classified, eachadditional line is $1.30; $23 for business classifieds, each additional line is $1.30.Classified ads accepted by mail or by phone with VISA, MasterCard, Discover orAmerican Express. Classified ads can also be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Mail classified ads to The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN56002. Please include credit card number, expiration date and your postaladdress with ads sent on either mail version. Classified ads may also be calledinto (800) 657-4665. Deadline for classified ads is noon on the Monday prior topublication date, with holiday exceptions. Distributed to farmers in all Minnesotacounties and northern Iowa, as well as on The Land’s website. Each classified adis separately copyrighted by The Land. Reproduction without permission isstrictly prohibited.Subscription and Distribution: Free to farmers and agribusinesses in Minnesotaand northern Iowa. $24 per year for non-farmers and people outside the servicearea. The Land (ISSN 0279-1633) is published Fridays and is a division of TheFree Press Media (part of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.), 418 S. SecondSt., Mankato MN 56001. Periodicals postage paid at Mankato, Minn.Postmaster and Change of Address: Address all letters and change of addressnotices to The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002; call (507) 345-4523 ore-mail to [email protected].

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Due to space considerations ‘The Bookworm Sez’, ‘Pet Talk’,‘Table Talk’ and ‘The Outdoors’ are not in this NorthernEdition of The Land. Log on to our website —www.TheLandOnline.com — to view these columns in the “E-Edition” of the April 12 Southern Edition.

A lot has changed since 1987.It was a big year for Minnesotans as we

celebrated a World Series championshipby the Minnesota Twins. My how timeshave changed.

For six young Minnesotans a lot has alsochanged for them. In 1987, (from left to rightin the below graphic) Brian Hegland, JoanStevermer, Christy Pankonin, Barbara VanZomeren, Dan Sorum and Charles Krausewere at the top of their game as they wereselected at that year’s Minnesota FFA Con-vention. Begin reading below to see howtheir lives have changed.

Here’s a glimpse of what was happening in theworld around them while they were developing intostrong leaders of Minnesota’s FFA organization, backwhen FFA still stood for Future Farmers of America.

In 1987, the year they were elected to serve FFA,the average cost of a new home was $92,000, averageannual income was $24,350 and the average price fora new car was $10,355.

One gallon of gas cost 89 cents and you could senda letter with a 24-cent stamp, back when you would

actually send a letter. Social media backthen consisted of writing a letter or plac-ing a phone call on a device that wasattached to a wall, and you could onlytravel as far as the cord would stretch.

The U.S. population was estimated at244.6 million, while the world’s populationwas approximately five billion.

In a bit of timely news, considering sherecently passed away, Margaret Thatcherwas elected as prime minister of the United

Kingdom for the third time. In the UnitedStates, Ronald Reagen was president andAlan Greenspan succeeded Paul Volcker

as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.Michael Jackson was “Bad” on the airwaves, while U2

planted “Joshua Tree” on the record charts. “The Simp-sons” were seen on TV for the first time, while peoplewere heading to the theaters to see “Beverly Hills CopII,” “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Dirty Dancing.”

Kevin Schulz is the editor of The Land. He may bereached at [email protected]. Back in1987, he was graduating from college and looking tomake an honest living. Still looking. ❖

A whole different world than ’87

LAND MINDS

By Kevin Schulz

OPINION

By KEVIN SCHULZThe Land EditorBrian Hegland, President

It was the lure of the blue jacket.When Brian Hegland was heading into high school

at Lanesboro in southeastern Minnesota, he lookedon with interest as he saw the upperclassmen intheir blue FFA jackets.

“There was just something about seeing those guysin those jackets,” Hegland said from his home inBakersfield, Calif. “I joined as a freshman not know-ing what it was all about, but I knew I wanted to be apart of it. ... those jackets were the best advertisingthere was.”

Hegland quickly learned that there was a lot moreto FFA than just the blue corduroy jacket.

Hegland and his two younger brothers had been in4-H, where they showed cattle, and the natural pro-

gression was to take that to theFFA level. He remembers his par-ents not necessarily encouraginghim to join FFA, instead they leadby example.

“Mom was involved in 4-H anddad was involved in different organ-izations,” he said. “That lit the firein me.”

Early on in his FFA involvement, role models wereabundant, starting with Lanesboro adviser VernGroen. “What he did for me with leadership, he said‘just try it’.”

Hegland worked his way through the ranks of FFAoffices: chapter reporter, chapter vice president andthen chapter president, in addition to district offices,ending up as Region 8 vice president. “Especially

25 Years LaterFFA more than just a blue jacket

Brian Hegland

See FFA, pg. 6

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While Max Baucus and Jon Testerare both Democrats, both U.S. senatorsand both Montana country boys, lastmonth’s hurried vote to fund nearly $1 trillion ofcurrent federal spending shows just how differentthese Big Sky legislators really are.

Baucus, a ranch kid with two degrees from StanfordUniversity, has spent nearly 50 years in state and fed-eral politics. He is a six-term U.S senator, chairs itsappropriations committee and is a senior member ofthe ag committee. He is up for reelection in 2014.

Politically, Baucus is more pragmaticthan Democratic. He teamed with

George W. Bush to pass the landmarkMedicare prescription drug benefit and BarackObama to pass the Affordable Care Act.

In early April, Baucus was profiled by both the NewYork Times — http://nyti.ms/Zf5Euq — and the Wash-ington Post. The Times piece was tough. It tied theBaucus-led finance committee’s effort to rewrite thenation’s tax code to “at least 28 former aides” who nowwork “as tax lobbyists, representing blue-chip clients

that include telecommunica-tions businesses, oil companies,retailers and financial firms …”

And, noted the Times, “…many of those lobbyists havealready saved their clients mil-lions — in some cases, billions— of dollars after Mr. Baucusbacked their requests to extendcertain corporate tax perks… aspart of the so-called fiscal clifflegislation in January.”

For example, “Baucus aideswho later became lobbyists helped financial firmssave $11.2 billion in tax deferments …”

A current staffer explained the actions this way:“Every vote has to answer one question for him andthat is: How is it impacting Montanans?” OK, justhow are $11.2 billion in tax deferments to globalfinancial firms impacting Montana’s farmers, ranch-ers, business owners and citizens?

And more to the point, as chairman of the Senate’smost powerful committee, Baucus is now in charge of

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OPINION

FARM & FOOD FILE

By Alan Guebert

See GUEBERT, pg. 5

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GUEBERT, from pg. 4rewriting the entire federaltax code. That means he’sworking for every American, not just every Montanan.

Every Montanan includes his Senate colleague, JonTester, a music teacher by training and farmer by birth.Tester’s old school flat-top haircut is a billboard for whohe is: the Senate’s only farmer who totes home-butcheredbeef to Washington, D.C. in his carry-on luggage.

On March 20, Tester took a rhetorical butcher knifeto the Senate floor to carve up the rules that hadstopped debate on two riders to the must-pass, $1trillion Continuing Resolution.

The riders were odious. One repealed a successful,three-year campaign to give poultry farmers more powerin negotiating production contracts; the other allowedgenetically modified crops to continue to be growndespite any court ruling that required them stopped.

Tester asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,D-Nev., for time to debate the two riders. Reid, underthe dual pressures to keep the wheels of governmentturning and for Congress to leave town for a two-week Easter holiday, turned him down.

During consideration of the CR, however, Testerpublicly objected to the riders and the process thatdelivered them. The “ultimate loser” to this in-the-dark action Congress was ready to take, heexplained, “will be our family farmers going abouttheir business and feeding America the right way.”

The Senate approved the CR, and both riders, by a76 to 23 count. Tester was the only Democrat to voteagainst it; his fellow Montanan, Baucus, voted for it.(It became law within a week.)

The vote represents more than just bad law beingmade by a bad process. It’s a scream for more transpar-ent government because, regardless of which corporatemule carried these riders to completion, neither couldhave withstood an hour of sunshine had they beenoffered, discussed and voted on through the same openprocess that you and I conduct our church meetings.

Congress should be no different. It needs more open

lawmaking and fewer lobbyists, more bottom-updebate and less top-down dismissiveness, more well-lit transparency and less in-the-dark committee work.

In short, it needs more old-school democracy andless old-boy cronyism.

Alan Guebert’s “Farm and Food File” is publishedweekly in more than 70 newspapers in North Amer-ica. Contact him at [email protected]. ❖

Congress needs more democracy, less cronyismOPINION

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FFA, from pg. 2after that year as regional vice presi-dent I really set my sights on stateofficer.”

He did take a year off, from FFAthat is, before deciding to run for thestate office. “I think it did add a yearof maturity” to take that year off.After graduating from high school in1985, he attended North Dakota StateUniversity in Fargo, and didn’t runfor state office until the spring of1987.

Even though he was the elderstatesman of the 1987-88 state officerteam, “when I looked at the other offi-cers, they were all outstanding. Inever felt there was a hierarchy,everyone brought their strengths tothe table and that’s how the work gotdone.”

Hegland remembers back to anexercise when the six officer teammembers told each other “what we

wanted to do in our future, and I thinkwe all ended doing what we said wewanted to do.”

In his eyes, FFA exposure has defi-nitely helped in his career. “Absolutelynot, I would not be where I’m at with-out FFA,” he said. “Being in FFA reallygives you extra clout in the agbusinessworld.”

Former state FFA adviser Paul Daywrote a letter of endorsement to DowAgroSciences on behalf of Hegland.“Well it must have worked,” said Heg-land, who has been with the companysince 1989, in Bakersfield, Calif., since2000.

Coming from a southeastern Min-nesota cattle, corn and soybean farm,Hegland has worked in the agrochemi-cal industry centered on sugar beetsand wheat, and 40 different perennialcrops and fruits and vegetables. “Rightnow I’m basically concentrating as asales rep. for Telone, and almonds andgrapes are the main crops that I work

with now.”Even though his title is

sales representative, Heglandsees himself more of a “tech-nical manufacturer repre-sentative,” advising hisclients more on the stew-ardship of the use ofTelone. California has ahighly regulated environ-mental landscape, so Heglandsaid it is imperative that hework with growers because “as longas we steward the product it is veryeffective.

“With these crops, if you can’t fumi-gate, you won’t get a crop, or at leastone that’s economically feasible.”

His sales territory is the entire stateof California, but he lives “in the heartof ag country” on the southern edge ofthe San Joaquin Valley.

Hegland has seen many changes inthe agrochemical world, but his FFAtraining has aided in preparing forthose changes. “Our leadership in FFAhelped us anticipate situations and beprepared, then you think of the situa-

tions before they arrive. Thestuff you don’t see com-ing will get you.”

From the farm of hisparents, Roger andElizabeth, where heand his younger broth-ers Darin and Martinworked and showedcattle, to the rich agcountry of California,

Hegland has alwaysremembered his FFA days. “Not a daygoes by that I don’t draw from my FFAskills.”

Having lived the FFA experience,and knowing firsthand the organiza-tion’s benefits, he could see his daugh-ter, Bradee, flourishing in FFA. “Sheknows the extent of my involvement,but she’s more into the performingarts. My folks never pushed me, and Ihaven’t pushed Bradee.”

Bradee is Hegland’s daughter fromhis first marriage, and he remarried toSandra in 2004.

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See FFA, pg. 7

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FFA, from pg. 6Joan Stevermer, Vice President

Joan Stevermer made the mostout of an FFA career that almostwasn’t.

She grew up in a 4-H family. “Itwasn’t an option; you were going tobe in 4-H, and I wanted to be in 4-H.My Dad (Ray) grew up with 4-Hand it was instilled in us to also participate.”

Joan’s older brother, Chuck, was in FFA, but herolder sisters Julie and Jackie were not.

She wasn’t even an FFA member until her sopho-more year in high school at Wells-Easton in Farib-ault County.

“My path wasn’t your normal path for an FFAmember,” she said. Back in those days FFA chapterschose a “sweetheart,” and a group of candidates hadbeen named, but one of the girls moved away. Stever-mer replaced that girl in the group of candidates,and was chosen to be the chapter’s sweetheart.

“I reluctantly joined FFA after that,” she said. She wasnot reluctant in her involvement once she joined FFA.

“It probably was my junioryear that I went to myfirst state convention,”she said. She wasinvolved in the livestockjudging (a carryover

from her 4-H days), jobinterview and speechcontests, “but I reallyloved the leadershipaspect of FFA. … I liked

to be in charge of things.”Stevermer credits her high school ag adviser, Dan

Johnson, for giving her the opportunity to pursueleadership roles. “He encouraged me to run for chap-ter president,” she said.

Going back to her 4-H roots, Stevermer was devel-oping her leadership in that organization. She hadserved as her club’s president, then on to FaribaultCounty 4-H Federation president and finally state 4-H ambassador. “FFA dovetailed off of my 4-H career.”

She was in her first year at the University of Min-nesota, living on the St. Paul campus, when she wasencouraged by Mark Enter and Dean Harder (bothpast state FFA officers) to run for state office.

She accepted their challenge, ran for state officeat the end of her college freshman year, and, as theysay, the rest is history. “I didn’t know any of theother state officers” prior to taking office, “but Ithink we each brought good qualities to the table tomake a good team. Brian (Hegland) was the definiteleader of the team. He was good at listening toeveryone’s input. … Brian was always tactful,always calm. I was more in-your-face.”

Even though the team grew close over the year of

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FFA, from pg. 7serving together, they have losttouch with each other. “It’s kind of sadthat we haven’t kept in touch.”

After the year as state officer, shecontinued her education at the U ofM’s Carlson School of Management,graduating in 1990 with a bachelor’sdegree with an accounting emphasis.

Upon graduation, she passed theCertified Public Accounting exam in1990 and landed a public accounting job withDeloitte and Touche. She and Kenneth Satre mar-ried in 1992 and started a family a year later withthe birth of Will.

“After we had Will I decided to spend more time athome and have worked part-time,” she said. After

Will, now 19, Joan and Kenneth also had Wyatt,17, and Maria, 14.

Over the years she has worked in a vari-ety of positions, all utilizing her skills andexpertise as a financial analyst and sen-ior accountant.

“I am currently working as a finan-cial/accounting consultant for SALO,”where her current client is MWCX RealEstate LLC.Joan and Kenneth live in Plymouth,

Minn., and the children have gone through theBenilde-St. Margaret’s school. Will has graduatedfrom high school and is now a plebe (a.k.a. freshman)at the U.S. Naval Academy. Wyatt is a freshman andMaria is an eighth grader. Kenneth is a portfoliomanager for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Plymouth is not geographically far from whereshe grew on Ray and Margaret Stevermer’s farmsouth of Easton, but it’s a long way from her agri-cultural roots.

“Where we live there isn’t FFA. I regret that mykids didn’t have that,” she said. Ken also grew up ona farm, so the couple has tried their best to instillan appreciation for agriculture.

“My Dad told me to always be proud of where youcame from,” she said. Ray passed away a few yearsago.

In addition to Julie, Jackie and Chuck, Joan alsohad brother Rob and Sheldon.

On top of the Stevermer roots she was raisedwith, FFA helped make Joan what she is today.

Goal-setting, leadership skills have ‘opened doors’

See FFA, pg. 10

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FFA, from pg. 9“Being involved in FFA meant a

great deal to me and my development.One of the areas I found most benefi-cial was the emphasis placed on goalsetting. As a parent of teenagers Ihave seen what can happen whenkids either do not set goals or they

lack the ability to correctly identify thesteps necessary to reach their goals,”she said.

Joan has put her leadership qualitiesto work as she’s been involved on advi-sory councils and administratorsearches in the children’s school sys-tem. Once Maria graduates from high

school, Joan may work back intofull-time work. Regardless ofwhat the future holds for Joan,skills learned in FFA will carryher through.

“FFA has opened a lot of doorsfor me.”

Christy (Pankonin) Jackson,Secretary

Joining FFA wasnever a question forChristy Pankonin.

“I grew up on a farmand was always out-side playing on thefarm, and also work-ing on the farm,” thenow Christy Jacksonsaid.

When she joined the Sanborn-Lam-berton FFA chapter as a freshman atSanborn High School she said it wasnatural to commit to the judgingteams that FFA had to offer. “I knewthe judging aspect of FFA, having beeninvolved in judging in 4-H,” she said,“but I didn’t know how much morethere was to being in FFA, and howmuch more you could do.” She creditsher high school FFA adviser RonKelsey with opening those doors to her.

“He really encouraged me to go for achapter office, then district office, andthen ultimately the state office. ... I feltblessed to be given the opportunityand that he invested the time andeffort in me.”

That FFA involvement exposed herto many different people. “The life deci-sion-making and public speaking expe-riences have really helped me through-out my life,” she said. “I learned a lot ofthis that still comes in handy as I’mtrying to guide my children and beinga good role model.”

Christy and Frank have three chil-dren: Carlie, 17, a junior, Cole, 14, aneighth grader and Jake, 7, a firstgrader, all in the Red Rock Centralschool district in southwest Minnesota.

Christy is open about telling her chil-dren about the benefits of joining FFA,and so far so good. Carlie is in the RRCFFA chapter, and plans on followingher mother’s footsteps to attend SouthDakota State University in Brookings,S.D., to major in animal science. “I’m100 percent sure that Cole will also bein FFA. He seems to be pretty goodaround the equipment.

“I hope they view it as me just show-ing them the opportunities that are

available to them in FFA,”she said referringto her strongencouragement tojoin.

Christy said howshe and Frankemphasize strongacademics, butalso push involve-ment in extracur-

ricular activities tobuild the whole person.

After graduating from SDSU in 1990with an animal science degree, sheworked for 2 1/2 years for the Ameri-can International Charolais Associa-tion in Kansas City as the advertisingdirector of the Charolais Journal. Atrip to the Tulsa State Fair during thattime proved fruitful, where she metFrank Jackson who was showingAngus cattle.

She then moved to Bentonville, Ark.,where Frank was a ranch manager.Christy applied for a position withWalmart to sell over-the-counter dia-betes and home diagnostic kits. Sheproved herself to Walmart, when shewas asked in her interview why sheshould be hired when she had a lot ofexperience in agriculture, but not inhuman pharmaceuticals. “I provedthat I was flexible.”

She stayed with Walmart for sixyears, and during that time she wasmaking connections with people fromEli Lilly & Co. Lilly had an opening inpharmaceutical sales in northwestArkansas and Christy applied. Shestayed in that position for 13 1/2 years,and the flexibility it provided wasinvaluable when also raising a family.

Christy is the oldest of four childrenof Wayne and Judy Pankonin. BrotherBrad lives near the Twin Cities andsister, Carrie Pederson lives inMankato, Minn. Tragedy hit the familylast fall as Christy’s brother Barrydied in a motorcycle accident.

In 2003, Wayne needed help on thefarm and Lilly happened to have anopening in the Minnesota area, so theJacksons came north to work into apartnership with Christy’s parents.

Frank does the feedlot chores on thefarm, and he and Christy also have aSimmental-Angus herd. They havebuilt up a clientele of beef customers.“We have a nice base of people that wesell to in the Twin Cities metro area,”she said. “There are about 20 familiesthat order beef from us. ... more and

25 Years Later: FFA experiences guided life

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See FFA, pg. 12

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FFA, from pg. 10more people are looking for that con-nection where their food comes from.”

That is just one of the reasonsChristy recommends youth today

seriously consider joining FFA. “So fewpeople in the world today know orunderstand where food and fiber comefrom,” she said. “We need as manyvoices as possible.”

Barbara Van Zomeren, TreasurerBarb Van Zomeren

is a product of genet-ics and her environ-ment.

Growing up thedaughter of a highschool ag teacher, VanZomeren remembersbeing exposed to FFAmembers. “I kind ofgrew up with it,” shesaid. “I remember the highschool kids coming over toour place for FFA meetings.”

Bernie Van Zomeren wasthe ag teacher and FFAadviser at Jefferson SeniorHigh School in Alexan-dria, Minn., and it wasjust natural for Barb andyounger brother, Brian, tojoin the FFA program.

Barb Van Zomeren joined 4-H asearly as she could, and that involve-ment parlayed into an FFA career. Thefamily had a variety of livestock ontheir acreage outside of Alexandriabefore settling on Rambouillet sheep.“I think at one time we had about 300sheep,” Barb said. “That became myFFA project.”

She remembers participating in thecreed contest as a freshman, but saidthe soils judging contest was herfavorite.

Being a “barny” was also a fond

memory of her FFA days, helping outat the Children’s Barnyard at the Min-nesota State Fair. “I remember doingthat even before I was a state officer,”she said. “That was a great time.”

Van Zomeren worked her waythrough the chapter offices, beforemoving on to district and regional FFAoffices, landing the Region 3 presidentspot, thus becoming a part of the 1986-87 state officer team. The regionalpresidents are considered a part of the

officer team in addition to thesix constitutional offi-cers.

The spring of her sen-ior year in high schoolVan Zomeren ran forstate office and wasselected.

“Just having thatexposure as a kid to the

(chapter) officer team, Iknew that that was some-

thing I wanted to do,” she said. “I had alot of mentors in the chapter. ... Dadgave me a lot of opportunities when I’dgo to state convention with him. ... itwas just the environment you wereexposed to.”

She remembers setting her sights ona state FFA office, “for sure when I wasregional officer, but it probably waswhen I went to my first state FFA con-vention.”

That year as state officer “was a lot

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See FFA, pg. 13

Barbara Van Zomeren

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FFA, from pg. 12of fun. I had such agreat experience, madesome lifelong friends.”

Her term as state FFAtreasurer coincidedwith her freshman yearat the University ofMinnesota in St. Paul,where she majored inagriculture businessadministration, graduating in1991. After graduation, she worked aone-year internship at the NationalFFA Center in Alexandria, Va.

After her internship, she lived inAustralia for six months through a 4-Hprogram.

Ever since junior high school it hadbeen Van Zomeren’s dream to be alawyer, and she started toward thatgoal as she attended the Hamline Uni-versity School of Law, earning her lawdegree in 1995.

During law school Van Zomerenworked at the Minnesota Departmentof Agriculture, and then upon gradua-

tion worked as a law clerk in St.Louis County DistrictCourt in Duluth, Minn. Ajob is a job, so even whileworking as a law clerk,she had her sights set

higher. “My goal was towork in a law firm thatdealt with the agricultureindustry.”

She worked in St. LouisCounty District Court until

August 1996 when she went to work asan attorney at Farm Credit Services ofSouthern Minnesota in Mankato, Minn.

As they say, “go big or go home,” soVan Zomeren scoped out what she sawas the premiere law firm that dealtwith agriculture, and at that time thatfirm was Doherty, Rumble & Butler. “Ibecame familiar with them when I waswith the Department of Agriculture,”she said. “They (Doherty, Rumble &Butler) kept telling me that I neededexperience, so I kept contacting themafter I got more experience tellingthem what I had done.”

Well, persistence paid off as she

landed a job with the law firm of herdreams in May of 1997. She stayedwith Doherty, Rumble &Butler until March of1999. “I had planned onstaying there forever,but got married.” Sheand John Chausseemarried in 1998, andthey lived separately forabout a year. John had ajob in the Brainerd areaand Van Zomerendecided to relocatethere, taking a job withAscensus as a tax attor-ney. She has been there ever since. Shehas maintained her maiden name sinceher professional career was establishedprior to her marriage to John.

She has also taken the time to shareher legal expertise with students, firstas an adjunct professor at the Univer-sity of Minnesota, in early 1999, andthen as a professor at the College of St.Scholastica in Brainerd, Minn., sincethe fall of 2001.

Van Zomeren and John live near Brain-

erd with their three children: Katherine,10, Isabella, 7, and Nathan, 6. All of the

children are in 4-H, andeach year they raisesome quail to bereleased,“to give the kidssome responsibility.”

It is too early to tell ifKatherine, Isabella orNathan will be in FFA,but their mother hopesthat they will “pick some-thing that offers themleadership opportunities.”

Leadership opportu-nities and speaking skills are just acouple of the benefits that VanZomeren gained from her FFA experi-ence, benefits that she truly believesgot her to where she is today.

As mentioned before, Bernie andBetty Van Zomeren also had a son,Brian, who would follow his big sisterinto FFA leadership, becoming a stateFFA officer a few years after big sis.But that is a story for another year.

Dream since junior high school was to become lawyer

My goal was towork in a lawfirm that dealtwith the agri-culture industry.

— Barbara VanZomeren

See FFA, pg. 14

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FFA, from pg. 13Dan Sorum, Reporter

It’s amazing what one class require-ment can do for a person’s future.

“I was going to be big in 4-H,”Dan Sorum said. That was until hetook his first agriculture classunder Vern Groen at Lanesboro

High School. “If you were in an ag class you had tofill out an application for chapter office.”

Well, he was elected chapter sentinel that year andhad his eyes opened to FFA’s leadership opportunities.

“It is not an accident that I am an ag teacher,” hesaid from his classroom at New Richland HartlandEllendale Geneva High School in New Richland,Minn. “I always wanted to be an ag teacher. I remem-

ber the Food forAmerica programwhere you would go intoelementary classroomsto teach children wheretheir food comes from.

“I remember we tooka Styrofoam hamburgerinto the classroom andwe took it apart in front ofthe kids and told themwhere each part comes from.... It was just so much fun to do that, not just making thehamburger, but taking it in to the kids. I just alwaysenjoyed doing that stuff. ... just seeing the kids learn.”

He remembers taking a career survey when he wasin high school, and “it said I should either go into themilitary or teaching, and that agriculture was an areaof interest of mine. ... so I looked at that, let’s see, teach-ing and agriculture, maybe I should teach agriculture.”

To solidify his decision he took a closer look at VernGroen. “I looked at him, and thought ‘he doesn’t look poor,he looked happy,his family looks healthy’,” he said.“I was-n’t looking to be wealthy, but I wanted to be comfortable.”

Comfort can be found when you are confident andat home. That describes Sorum in a high school agdepartment.

After four years at the University of Minnesota,Sorum found himself teaching high school ag atMurray County Central in Slayton, Minn. “I lovedthe program there, I was there 12 years, and wewould still be there, but we were three-and-a-halfhours from the closest family. We wanted to start afamily, but we wanted to be closer to family.”

After looking for an opening for an ag teacher, onecloser to family, Sorum found NRHEG. “It’s a perfect fit.

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See FFA, pg. 21

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Local Corn and Soybean Price Index

Grain Angles USDA finds more

grain out thereThere has been a lot of talk since the March 28 U.S.

Department of Agriculture report was released. Thereare many opinions on how accurate the predictions are.Only time will tell. Most of the questions, however, cen-tered around the stocks report,where the USDA found abit more corn than many grain analysts were predicting.

The USDA estimates that there are5.4 billion bushels of corn and 1 billionbushels of soybeans in storage. Theaverage estimates of the analystswere 5.030 billion bushels of corn and947 thousand bushels of soybeans.These are not drastic differences,stocks remain very tight and there isless corn on hand than there has beenin the last nine years at this time.What this means is higher pricesrationed by demand. The higherprices triggered cutbacks on ethanolproduction, fewer cattle on feed place-ments and reduced chick sets.

The export market for corn has been flat during thistimeframe as well. So it is little wonder that there werea few more bushels of corn in the stocks report.

There were no big surprises in the planted acres esti-mates. The USDA estimated that U.S. farmers wouldplant 97.3 million acres of corn,which matched the aver-age estimate of 97.3. They also estimated that 77.1 mil-lion acres of soybeans would be planted in the UnitedStates versus the average estimate of 78.5 million acres.The surprising part is the market’s reaction to the news.

We saw a pronounced move to the down side with alimit move in corn on the day of the report.This can hap-pen when too many people are trying to get out of theirlong positions at the same time. When this occurs, buy-ers back away from the market because they think theywill be able to buy it cheaper the next day. Lower pricesincreased the open interest in corn as end users came

Grain OutlookCorn market rewarded

after debacleThe following market analysis is for the week end-

ing April 12.CORN — After last week’s debacle, the corn mar-

ket was rewarded with five consecutive higher closes.May corn settled for the week at $6.58 1/2, up 29

1/2 cents and the December contract gained 15 centsto close at $5.50 per bushel.

The highlight of the week was theU.S. Department of Agriculturemonthly crop report. The marketwas curious how the USDA wouldincorporate the higher-than-expected March 1 stocks from theMarch 28 report. Going into theApril 10 report the average endingstocks guess was 824 million bushels.U.S. ending stocks actually came inat 757 million bushels, only a 125million increase,but still an increase.

On the balance sheet,feed/residual was lowered 150million bushels, ethanol was upped 50 million andexports were reduced 25 million bushels. The medianaverage farm price went from $7.20 to $6.90 perbushel. World ending stocks were 125.3 million met-ric tons which was 5.1 mmt higher than the estimate.

Argentina’s crop was left alone at 26.5 mmt andBrazil’s grew to 74 mmt from 72.5 mmt last month.WithU.S. ending stocks number bullish and world endingstocks bearish, the market had to decipher mixed sig-nals resulting in the market being pulled in two direc-tions. This resulted in a quick spike higher to $6.66 3/4followed by a plummet to $6.34 1/4 within 12 minutes.A32 1/2-cent or quick 4.9-percent dive. When the final bellrang on report day, corn was nearly a nickel higher.

Higher weekly ethanol production contributed tothe stronger close. Production went from 807,000

Livestock AnglesCattle, hog

markets erraticThe start of April is indicating a lot of uncertainty

in the hog and cattle markets. Both have started themonth in a erratic manner, indicating a disparity ineach of their supply and demand fundamentals.

The cattle market, which has a decrease in availablecattle ready for market, has seen a steady-to-higher cashmarket. However, the futures mar-ket has responded with a lowertrade and finishing with a discountto the cash trade.This is continuingto indicate the general lack ofdemand for beef. This has been anongoing problem — each time thebeef cutout advances over $190 perhundredweight, the demand forbeef shrinks quick.

The disappointing prospect hereis that we are approaching thegrilling season which is normally astrong demand period for beef andas yet we have seen little responseby the domestic retailer. With competitive meats inmore abundant supply and at much lower cost perpound at the wholesale level, this will make it hard forbeef to compete under these economic conditions. Thiswill likely keep the cattle market in a rather choppytrading range for the near-term outlook.

This battle of supply and demand should continuethrough the remainder of the spring; longer if theoverall economic conditions do not improve. Becauseof this struggle, both cash and futures markets willlikely see sharp moves in either direction on a weeklybasis. For producers, caution should be advised andprotection warranted when opportunity arises.

The hog market has been attempting to make a sea-sonal bottom for several weeks now and has so far failedto accomplish that goal. The futures market, which hasbeen at a premium to cash for quite some time, is

JOE TEALEBroker

Great Plains CommodityAfton, Minn.

Cash Grain Markets

Sauk RapidsMadisonRedwood FallsFergus FallsMorrisTracy

Average:

Year AgoAverage:

corn/change* $6.38 +.23$6.49 +.24$6.68 +.23$6.30 +.30$6.24 +.15$6.63 +.23

$6.45

$5.86

soybeans/change*$13.98 +.19$13.97 +.23$14.11 +.17$13.55 +.03$13.63 +.05$14.10 +.16

$13.89

$13.63

Grain prices are effective cash close on April 16. The price index chart compares an average of most recently reported local cash prices with the same average for a year ago.*Cash grain price change represents a two-week period.

PHYLLIS NYSTROMCHS Hedging Inc.

St. Paul

5

10

15

20current average soybeans

year ago average soybeans

current average corn

year ago average corn

$

$

$

$

Dec Jan'13 Feb Mar AprMay'12 June July Aug Sep Oct Nov

Information in the above columns is the writer’s opinion. It is no way guaranteed and should not be interpreted as buy/sell advice. Futures trading always involves a certain degree of risk.

See NYSTROM, pg. 16 See TEALE, pg. 16 See NEHER, pg. 16

TOM NEHERAgStar VP & Team

Leader — Grain IndustryRochester, Minn.

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NYSTROM, from pg. 15barrels per day to 854,000 barrels perday week on week, the highest levelsince June 2012. Ethanol stocks were slightly higher at17.8 million barrels versus 17.5 million in the previousweek. This comes on the heels of reports that someIowa ethanol plants won’t contract DDGs past Aprilbecause they have not secured corn supplies and areconcerned they will be available.

Weekly exports were better than trade estimates, butcontinue to be less than we need to achieve the new,minuscule 800-million-bushel 2012-13 export projection.Sales this week at 7.3 million bushels are too low whenwe need to average 12.1 million bushels per week, a levelwe’ve only reached twice in the last six weeks.

The USDA is expected to publish the first cornplanting progress report of the year on April 15. Thefive-year average planting pace for the first week ofApril is only 2 percent and 5 percent by April 16.

OUTLOOK: Grower selling has disappeared intandem with the sharp price decline since the end ofMarch. The market will need to show further recov-ery to keep bushels in the pipeline.

Attention on planting weather will grow thelonger we go without warm, dry weather. Plantingisn’t late yet, but it isn’t early either. If we can getthe seed in the ground in a timely fashion, new cropprices at current levels are likely too high. In themeantime, until the crop begins to get in theground, downside should be limited in new crop.

An overall limiting factor to the upside will be the

fact that ending stocks are growing,not shrinking. For now, old crop cornmay make another run toward the gap

that runs from $6.79 to $6.95 1/4 in the May con-tract, but this would be viewed as a selling opportu-nity if planting progress accelerates.

First support currently lies at $6.26 1/2 per bushelwhich was last week’s low.

SOYBEANS — Soybeans recovered to the $14area this week with the May contract showing a 511/4-cent weekly gain, closing at $14.13 per bushel,while the November contract struggled to close only3 3/4 cents higher at $12.31 3/4 per bushel.

Basis levels continued to trend higher, pulling the spreadinverse with it and suggesting better prices to come.

The USDA monthly report left U.S. ending stocksunchanged at 125 million bushels when a 137 millionbushel carryout was anticipated. The balance sheet did,however, show some category adjustments.The crush wasincreased 20 million bushels,exports were raised 5 millionand residual use fell by 25 million bushels. The averagefarm price rose slightly to a $13.80 to $14.80 range.

World carryover at 62.6 mmt was greater than the60.1 mmt estimate due to both Brazil’s and Argentina’sunchanged production estimates at 83.5 mmt and 51.5mmt respectively. China’s imports were decreased 2mmt based on a slow shipment pace.

While not as severe as the reaction in corn, beanstraded a 24-cent range in the two minutes immedi-ately following the report and closed nearly 3 centslower on report day.

Weekly exports were the reverse of corn expectationsthis week; in beans the actual number was less than

anticipated, but continues to surpass what we need on aweekly basis to hit the USDA 1.35 billion bushel fore-cast. Sales were 11.7 million bushels which was belowexpectations, but nearly three times the 4.3 millionbushels we need on a weekly basis to hit the USDA tar-get. Total export commitments are running 13 percentabove last year while the USDA is projecting a 1-per-cent decline in exports year-on-year.

The only sale announced through the USDAreporting system this week for beans was a 110,000mt sale to unknown for new crop. Meal exports weresurprisingly strong at 227,000 mt, bringing totalcommitments to 41 percent above last year. Mealsales only need to average 14,500 mt per week.

A strike for April 22 has been called in Argentinato protest robberies against truckers. It’s unclear ifthis will tangle logistics any worse than they are.

The latest take on how the bird flu in China will affectfeed demand is their soybean imports may fall year-on-year for the first time since 2004. There have been ninehuman deaths reported now in China reportedly due tobird flu. Measures to contain the disease include closinglocal live poultry markets and slaughtering animals.

OUTLOOK: Basis levels are strong and the May-Julyinverse has widened which confirms virtually non-exis-tent producer sales.This scenario suggests higher pricesin the near term for old crop.The first upside target willbe a close over $14.20, which looks likely soon. If that isaccomplished, the secondary resistance is $14.53 perbushel. Support doesn’t come into play until last week’slow at $13.54 1/2 per bushel.

This material has been prepared by a sales or trad-ing employee or agent of CHS Hedging Inc. andshould be considered a solicitation. ❖

MARKETING

230/95R32230/95R36230/95R44230/95R48270/95R36270/95R48270/95R54290/95R34290/90R38300/95R46320/85R34320/85R38

320/80R42320/90R42320/90R46320/90R50320/90R54320/105R54380/90R46380/90R50380/90R54380/105R50420/80R46

Monthly report leaves beans ending stock same

TEALE, from pg. 15attempting to turn the corner and establish a spring low.However, it will certainly depend on the cash market tostrengthen and for the demand for pork to continuestrong. Demand has been the catalyst for the support inthe hogs, which is just the opposite of the cattle market.

The supply of hogs has remained fairly constant to aslight increase as evidence in the recent U.S. Departmentof Agriculture Hogs and Pigs Report. The pork cutout isreflecting a slight increase in demand for pork as we move

into the grilling season, as the volume in the pork tradehas slightly improved. With such a sharp contrast in thepork cutout to the beef cutout, and the deteriorating econ-omy, the consumer appears to be more attracted to thelower-priced pork.This could be the support the hogs needto turn the market higher and establish a spring rally.

Given the overall economic situation, it is not likelythat a large sustained rally is projected. Thereforeproducers should be patient and protect inventorieswhen available. ❖

Hog supply remains fairly constant

NEHER, from pg. 15back into the market, locking in prices. We did see somepanic selling from the holders of un-priced grain.

U.S. weather forecasters remain wary of a droughtafter missing the 2012 surprise. Many of the mostprominent forecasters freely admit that the modelsthey have used in the past did not catch this droughtuntil it was right on top of the Midwest. Some havecalled it a “flash drought” because it developed soquickly. This year many climatologists are re-work-ing their models in hopes of gaining a quicker alertto the possibility of a returning drought this summer.

The topsoil may be wet right now,but the real question is

how wet it is and how hot our summer will be.

The one grain angle I hope that I have given you is thatof margin management. This is the practice of makingmarketing decisions as financial decisions using cost ofproduction and market offerings rather than trading deci-sions, trying to outguess the market.After nearly 30 yearsin the markets and watching the weather, I must admitthat my “crystal ball” is not ever that clear to see thefuture.That’s the beauty of diligent margin management.

Regardless of what the future brings, farmers who basegrain marketing decisions on their production costs, andwhere prices need to be in order to make a profit,will havethe most consistent success over time. ❖

Margin management key ‘grain angle’

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Due to the high cost ofinvestment in farm machin-ery, an ever-increasing num-ber of farmers are hiringother farmers to providesome or all of their machin-ery resources for their farmoperation.

This is especially true withnew and younger farmers,and with children whodecide to start farming withtheir parents. Also, someland investors are choos-ing to operate the farmthemselves rather thancash renting the land toanother farmer. In that case, thelandowner is generally hiring a farmerto provide necessary tillage, plantingand harvesting crop operations under acustom farming agreement.

Some farmers also hire specific farmoperations through a custom arrange-ment with another farmer, such ascombining or hay baling. Many farmersnegotiate these types of custom rateand custom farming arrangements inthe spring of the year.Custom rates increasing

As would be expected with increasingfuel costs, average 2013 custom ratesfor farm work have also risen, com-pared to 2012 custom rates. Most cus-tom rates for farm work in 2013 arelisted at 3 to 5 percent above the ratesfor similar operations in 2012, with anaverage increase of about 4 percent.

In addition to higher fuelcosts, increasing cost fornew and used machineryand rising repair costs arealso factors in the highercustom rates.

These results are based onthe annual “Iowa Farm Cus-tom Rate Survey” that iscoordinated and analyzed byIowa State University. Thesurvey sampled 249 customoperators, farm managers

and ag lenders on whatthey expected 2013 cus-tom farm rates to be for

various farm operations.The survey summary lists the averagecustom rate and the range for varioustillage, planting, fertilizer and chemicalapplication, grain harvesting, and for-age harvesting functions on the farm.

The survey also includes many mis-cellaneous farming practices, lists aver-age machine rental rates for someequipment, and includes a formula forestimating average machinery rentalrates. The survey also lists averagecustom farming rates for corn, soy-beans and wheat.

Over the years, the average customrates for farm operations in southernand western Minnesota have been closeto the average Iowa custom rates.2013 custom rates

Average 2013 farm custom rates for sometypical tillage, planting and harvestingpractices, as well as custom farming rates,

are listed in the adjoining table.The com-plete 2013 “Iowa Farm Custom Rate Sur-vey” is available atwww.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/pdf/a3-10.pdf.

All listed custom rates in the IowaSurvey results include fuel, labor,repairs, depreciation, insurance and

interest, unless listed as rental ratesor otherwise specified. The averagefuel price for diesel fuel was assumedto be $3.50 per gallon. A fuel priceincrease of $0.50 per gallon wouldcause most custom rates to increaseby approximately 5 percent. Theseaverage rates are only meant to be a

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FARM PROGRAMS

By Kent Thiesse

See PROGRAMS, pg. 18

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PROGRAMS, from pg. 17guide for custom rates, as actual cus-tom rates charged may vary depend-ing on continued increase in fuel costs,availability of custom operators, time-liness, field size, etc.Custom farming agreements

An alternative to leasing farmland isa “custom farming agreement”.

In a typical custom farming agree-ment, the custom operator agrees toperform all the machine operations onthe owner’s land in exchange for a setfee or rate.

(Note: Average custom farming ratesfor 2013 are listed in the 2013 CustomRate Survey table to the right.)

The landowner pays for all seed, fer-tilizer, chemicals, crop insurance andother input costs; receives the allgrain produced and all eligible farmprogram payments on the land; and isresponsible to store and market thegrain.

One obvious advan-tage to the custom oper-ator is that a customfarming agreement provides someextra farm income, with little or noadditional operating capital or farmmachinery investment. Fuel, lubrica-tion and repairs are usually the onlyadded costs.

In addition, custom farming offers afixed return per acre to the customoperator, and although there is somepossibility of higher repair bills, this isminor compared with the price andyield risks typically faced by a farmerin a normal cash rental contract.

Of course, in a good year, profits froma custom farming agreement will belower than under most cash rentalleases; however, in this era of muchhigher land rental rates there is muchmore risk to the farmer with a cashlease as compared to a custom agree-ment with a landowner.

Landowners also find several advan-

tages to a custom farm-ing agreement.

Landowners with smallacreages can make most of the cropproduction and grain marketing deci-sions without the investment into a fullline of farm machinery. The landownerdoes not have to negotiate land rentalrates, or worry about collecting leasepayments, since the owner receives allof the crop proceeds. The landownerdoes have to pay the farmer an agreed-upon per-acre fee for the custom farm-ing services by specified dates. Thelandowner is considered to be thematerial participant for income taxpurposes, and the landowner is typi-cally entitled to all government farm

program payments, crop insuranceindemnity payments, etc.Key issues with custom farmingagreements

Although the concept of a customfarming agreement is simple, closecommunication between the customoperator and the landowner is essen-tial. A written contract for the customfarming agreement should definitely beprepared that specifies the amount ofpayment by the landowner to the cus-tom operator, and all other pertinentdetails.

Following are some points to consider

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Following are the average custom rates for somecommon farming practices for 2013, based on the“Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey.”Custom farming rates(Includes tillage, planting and harvesting costs)Corn: $126.65/acre (Range: $85 to $175)Soybeans: $112.40/acre (Range: $68 to $165)Small grain: $83.25/acre (Range: $50 to $100)TillageMoldboard plow: $16.15/acreChisel plow: $15.20/acreV-ripper (deep tillage): $19.60/acreField cultivator: $13.35/acreTandem disk: $13.60/acreRow cultivator: $12.50/acreChopping cornstalks: $11.40/acrePlantingPlanter with attachments: $18.45/acrePlanter without attachments: $16.60/acreNo-till planter: $18.45/acreSoybean drill: $15.75/acreGrain drill: $14.90/acre

Harvesting grainCorn combine: $32.90/acre ($38 with chopperhead)

($46.15/acre with grain cart and truck)Soybean combine: $32/acre

($43.80/acre with grain cart and truck)Small grain combine: $29.70/acreCorn grain cart (in field): $6.80/acreSoybean grain cart (in field): $5.60/acreHauling grain (5 miles or less): $0.10/bu.Hauling grain (5 to 25 miles): $0.17/bu.Grain auger use (on farm): $0.07/bu.Harvesting foragesWindrowing hay: $12.50/acreHay baling (small square bales): $0.60/baleHay baling (large square bales): $10.45/baleHay baling (large round bales): $10.95/bale($11.85/bale with wrap)Corn stalk baling (large bales): $11.70/bale($13/bale with wrap)Silage chopping: $49.85/hour/header rowHaylage chopping: $12.70/hour/foot header width

Selected 2013 farm custom rates

Custom farming offers advantages to both parties

See PROGRAMS, pg. 19

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PROGRAMS, from pg. 18for a custom farming agreement.

• The custom farming agreementshould specify the payment amount peracre that the landowner will pay thecustom operator, and should list thepayment dates.

• There needs to be an accurate counton the number of acres that will beunder the custom farming agreementfor payment purposes, so that thefarmer can accurately plan tillage,planting and harvesting schedules.

• The normal field practices to beincluded under the custom farmingagreement should be listed (tillage,planting, weed control, harvesting,etc.). Typically, these agreed-upon prac-tices are part of the per acre customfarming payment for the year that isnegotiated between the custom opera-tor and the landowner.

• Additional tillage trips or replant-ing due to weather conditions, or addedspraying applications of pesticides tocontrol weeds, insects or diseases,which are provided by the custom oper-ator, are usually charged to thelandowner at a custom rate per acrethat is over and above the base customfarming rate.

• Timing of plantingand harvesting opera-tions should be dis-cussed and negotiated between the cus-tom operator and the landowner priorto the growing season. This can becomea tenuous issue, especially in yearswith challenging weather conditions.

• The custom operator may be askedfor advice by the landowner regardingthe seed corn hybrid or soybean varietyto plant, fertilizer rates, chemical appli-cations, levels of crop insurance cover-age or grain marketing decisions. How-ever, the final decisions on these itemslie with the landowner, and the customoperator needs to be careful not to takeresponsibility for the final authority onthose decisions.

• Typically, the harvested grain of thelandowner is delivered by the customoperator to a farm storage facilityowned or rented by the landowner, orto an agreed upon area grain elevator,as part of the custom farming agree-ment. Any grain deliveries beyond thelocal area usually result in thelandowner paying an extra custom ratecharge for grain hauling. Also, if thelandowner uses the custom operatorsgrain drying and handling facilities,there is typically an added charge for

these services.For more details on

custom farming agree-ments and other farm machinery infor-mation, refer to the Iowa State Univer-sity “Ag Decision Maker” website,

www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm.Kent Thiesse is a government farm pro-

grams analyst and a vice president atMinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal, Minn.He may be reached at (507) 726-2137 [email protected]. ❖

Minnesota Inventors Congress Invention &Idea ShowApril 19-20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Redwood Falls, Minn.Info: Log on to www.minnesotainventorscongress.org

Urban Agriculture ExpoApril 20, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Sabathani Community Cen-ter, MinneapolisInfo: $5/person suggesteddonation; more informationat www.misa.umn.edu andclick on “Urban Ag Expo” pdf;Sabathani Community Cen-ter is located at 310 East38th St., Minneapolis; contactBetsy Wieland, (612) 596-1175 or [email protected]

Equine Castration ClinicMay 18

Carlton County Fairgrounds,Barnum, Minn.Info: Minnesota Horse Wel-fare Coalition’s Gelding Pro-ject assists horse ownersexperiencing economic hard-ships; castrations must bescheduled in advance by con-tacting Krishona Martinson,(612) 625-6776 [email protected]

Pork Quality AssuranceTrainingMay 22McLeod County FairgroundsCommercial Building,Hutchinson, Minn.Info: Registration requestedto [email protected] or(800) 537-7675 or log on towww.mnpork.com

Pork Quality Assurance

TrainingJune 12Minnesota Pork BoardOffice, Mankato, Minn.Info: See May 22 event details

U.S. Precision Dairy Conference and ExpoJune 26-27Mayo Civic Center,Rochester, Minn.Info: Optional farm tour forfour sites will be June 25;log on toprecisiondairy.umn.edu forcontact Marcia Endres,[email protected]

Pork Quality AssuranceTrainingJuly 24AmericInn, Marshall, Minn.Info: See May 22 event details

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Log on to www.TheLandOnline.com for our full events calendarSend us your events by e-mail to [email protected]

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By KRISTIN KVENOThe Land Correspondent

The BrandtsAda, Minn.

What do you lovemost about spring-time on the farm?The fresh spring air?The newborn ani-mals? The plantingof crops? The mud?

For DannyBrandt’s children, running around inthe mud is what spring farm living isall about.

When The Land caught up with himon April 2, he was taking in the brisknight air while watching his children,Anna and Evan, play in the muddyfarmyard. Brandt himself, mean-while, is ready for drier conditions, aswell as warmer temps to melt awayall of the white stuff on the ground.

In the meantime Brandt has beenhauling corn and wheat to the eleva-tor in Ulen, Minn., for the last week.Once that’s done in a day or so, he’llfocus on the equipment side — hisbeet planter is in the shop. Besidesbasic maintenance, Brandt workshard in the “off-season” to make surethe farm machinery is ready to go inthe spring. “I try to go through thingsbefore parking them,” he said.

“Last year at this time we wereseeding wheat,” Brandt said. With 6to 8 inches of snow cover in the area,planting will definitely have to wait.“You always want an early spring.”

Brandt is hoping that by May 5 theycan get the wheat in the ground, withcorn and beets planted right afterthat.

Living in the Red River Valley area,he’s hearing warnings on the newsthat flooding may occur in the Fargo-Moorhead area, but feels confidentthat due to “good slow melt” at hisfarm, major flooding won’t be a con-cern. The area rivers, sloughs andditches froze dry, which will help withany flooding issues.

For now Brandt looks ahead towarmer days, no snow and maybe achance to play in the mud with thechildren one more time before all the“busy-ness” of planting cranks up.

The JohnsonsStarbuck, Minn.

It’s cold but gettingwarmer. This senti-ment describes theoptimism of a farmerwaiting for signsthat spring is actu-ally going to do itsjob and warm up the ground. For ScottJohnson, while spring this year mayseem a bit tardy at the moment, hisfarm is right “on schedule.”

“Last year was so abnormally early”when it came time for planting, hesaid. He’s anxious to get out in thefield, but is quick to point out it “does-n’t pay to rush it, either.”

When The Land spoke to Johnson onApril 2 the weather outlook indicateda warm-up for the rest of the week.That forecast was music to Johnson’sears; he predicted it would only be twoto three more weeks until he got out inthe field. Once the fields are ready, hisfirst job is to “go out and pick a fewrocks.”

Until then Johnson is staying busygetting equipment ready for planting.Meanwhile, the snow-covered fields —rocks and all — wait for the ground tothaw and a little bit of water to run off.

Spring is officially here. Now if some-one could just poke Mother Nature inthe ribs and tell her that.

The MessnersNorthfield, Minn.

Cold weather hasn’tallowed for any plant-ing in the field — andfor Chris Messner, hewouldn’t mind thatchanging, and fast.

When The Landspoke to Messner on April 4 he wasbusy at Central Valley Co-op gettingseed delivered to customers. Just likethem, he’s playing the waiting game.

Last year at this time Messner hadalready applied fertilizer and anhy-drous ammonia to his fields. Soil condi-tions this year are dictating a substan-tial delay. He reported that the groundwas still frozen two inches below thesurface. Thanks to that and remainingsnow, there’s some standing water.

“We need the moisture to get thefrost out of the ground,” Messner said.With snow and rain in the forecastthat will help, but the lack of warmtemperatures is frustrating. “You’d liketo get in there early.”

Early planting won’t be happening in2013, but Messner feels that “as longas corn is planted by May 5, you’re ingood shape.”

At his job at the co-op, he gets theopportunity to talk with fellow farmerswho, like him, “would like to be out

there doing something.” The reality,however, is that it “looks like it’s goingto be a later spring.”

Last year’s spring temps were clearlyabnormal, but “this year is starting tolook abnormal in a cooler way,” Mess-ner said. While he admits he’s anxiousabout the weather, he knows thatwhen field conditions improve “thingsare going to get busy.” And being busyon the farm is a good thing.

The LaubenthalsSwea City, Iowa

Charlie Lauben-thal’s springs arebusy, with deliveringseed to customers,working his full-timejob, and getting readyfor planting. Butthere’s a lot of waiting, too. Like allfarmers in the region, spring can’tcome fast enough.

The Land caught up with Lauben-thal on April 1 while commodity mar-kets, corn in particular, were on hismind. “The market was down 83 centsin two days,” he said. Even with thatsharp decline, he admits that agricul-ture has been strong for at least threeyears, so it’s a wait-and-see game tofind out which way prices will go.

Within the last week snow cover hasmelted off fields and the “tiles haveopened up.” Warm temperatures arestill elusive, with plenty of frost still inthe ground in some areas. Winter inhis area started off mild in terms ofprecipitation, but Laubenthal believesthey had more “winter” in March thanthe preceding three months.

In 2012 “we did have a couple guysplant corn March 31 and it did makeit,” he said. March 31 this year hasalready come and gone, however, andthe fields are still untouched — they’vegone from one extreme to another,Laubenthal said. He calls the field con-ditions good, however, and is happy toreport they’ve got no standing water.

The goal is still to get corn plantedby April 20. “Spring’s work will gofast,” Laubenthal said. While it’s beenpretty quiet around the farm, it’s onlya matter of time before the hum oftractors fills the countryside. ❖

From the Fields: Hurry up and wait for planting

Danny Brandt

Scott Johnson Chris Messner

Charlie Laubenthal

Hard-working artRoadsBack See it on Page 40

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This column was writ-ten for the marketingweek ending April 12.

DairyBusinessUpdate reports thatabsent another drought,dairy producers canlook forward to moder-ating feed prices,according to two agfinance specialists whospoke at the NationalDairy Producers Con-ference, April 9, in Indianapolis. FarmCredit’s Leland Strom is quoted as say-ing “if we had a good crop year thisyear, I would not be surprised to seecorn go sub-$4 per bushel.”

“Things are lining up to be a binbuster,” said Sam Miller, managingdirector of ag banking for DMO Harris,the eighth-largest agricultural bank inthe United States. While he said corncould approach $4 per bushel, he added“you could have said the same thing ayear ago at this time. There’s a longway to go between now and harvest.”

Chris Hurt, Purdue ag economist,told attendees the impact of the pastthree years of below-trend corn produc-tion, combined with federal renewable

fuel policy, could finally come to an end.He projects a slowdown in corndemand from China and forecasts cornfutures prices in the $4.50 to $5.50 perbushel range for 2013-16, with soybeanmeal averaging about $350 per tonover the same period. He added that“when corn and soybean prices moder-ate, crop acreage shifts to other crops,which also could help moderate alfalfahay prices.”

Attendees were also told that “thebenefits of adopting the Dairy SecurityAct as part of the next farm bill will beobvious to farmers and policy makersas Congress begins assembling newagricultural policy this spring,” accord-ing to a National Milk Producers Fed-eration press release. Panelists agreed

that the risk man-agement approachembodied in theDSA “provides acost-effective safetynet for farmers.”

University ofMinnesota econo-mist Marin Bozicreported that farm-ers who enroll inthe DSA will find

that the program “works as cata-strophic risk insurance. It reducesextreme margin risk, as it pays you themost when you need it the most.” Hesaid farmers will likely view the risk ofnot enrolling in the program as fargreater than being part of it.

Lee Mielke is a syndicated columnistwho resides in Everson, Wash. Hisweekly column is featured in newspa-pers across the country and he may bereached at [email protected]. ❖

Bozic: Dairy Security Act ‘pays most when you need it most’

FFA, from pg. 14When I walked in here, itwas like the program I leftin Slayton. ... I don’t plan toleave here until I retire.”

Sorum’s parents, Duaneand Nancy, live nearFountain, Minn., movingoff the dairy farm Dangrew up on, a casualty of thefarm crisis of the 1980s. “Ourcows went to slaughter throughthe dairy herd buyout program.”

The tough times of the farm crisis andthe opportunities FFA offered to Sorumallowed him to never question his deci-sion to head into the classroom. “I sup-pose when I was younger I probablywanted to farm. What kid doesn’t wantto do what their parents do?” he said.

“My parents questioned where I gotmy public speaking skills from, becausethey admit it’s not from them,” he said.

Without FFA, Sorum said he may stillvery well be in a classroom, but proba-bly teaching biology, not agriculture. “Ireally enjoyed biology in high school.”

Sorum credits his parents fortheir support. “You knowwhat they say FFA standsfor: ‘Father Farms Alone.’That was true at ourplace. My dad never com-plained when I was neveraround for chores.”

Starting out as chaptersentinel, he worked his

way up to chapter presi-dent and then District 16

sentinel and District 16 president. Heran for state FFA office the spring ofhis senior year in high school, but did-n’t make the team. “I use that with mystudents. That it doesn’t matter thatyou may not make it the first time, buttry again and you might succeed.”

Obviously he did try again, and madethe slate at the state reporter spot.

“I don’t know if I was a better officerbecause I didn’t get in the first time,but I know I was a better interviewer; Iwas more confident. Maybe that mademe a better leader; I don’t know.”

Sorum: It doesn’t matter ifyou don’t succeed at first

See FFA, pg. 22

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<< MILKER’SMESSAGE >>

FFA, from pg. 21Sorum teaches 10 ag classes at

NRHEG, and he speaks highly ofopening the world of ag education toseventh and eighth graders. “All sev-

enth and eighth graders have to takean ag class — one quarter as a seventhgrader, one quarter as an eighthgrader,” he said. “I want them in myclassroom as soon as possible, so they

can at least see what it(agriculture) is allabout.”

He also teaches that athome.

Sorum and his wife,Barbara, live with theirdaughter, Elena, 4 1/2, onan acreage north of Ellen-dale. “I want her to have aconnection to agriculture, so

she knows where her food comesfrom,” he said. “We have alarge garden and weraise about 100 chickensthat we sell, and I tellpeople who buy thechickens from us thateach one has been ‘4-year-old hugged andkissed.’ She just lovesthe chickens.”

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See FFA, pg. 23

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FFA, from pg. 22Charles Krause,Sentinel

Charles Krauseknew he wanted to bein the Buffalo (Minn.)High School FFAchapter. He just didn’tknow the challengeshe would face to make that a reality.

Krause is the youngest of five born toWarren and Carol Krause, dairy farm-ers west of Buffalo, Minn., and fol-lowed his siblings into 4-H, “but I wasthe only one to really get active inFFA. … It just seemed like the naturalprogression for me to join FFA.”

That progression almost met anunnatural death.

“I had five instructors during myFFA experience,” he said. “During myjunior year the school board wanted tocut the ag program.” He remembersthat he, Bonnie Kowalke and Buffalo

High alum RobinKinney lob-bied theschoolboard tomaintainthe pro-gram.

“I sawBonnie alittle while

ago, and wewere talking about when we were infront of the school board,” Krause said.“We remembered that one of theadministrators interrupted her andshe told him ‘wait a minute, let me fin-ish.’ She was only a sophomore at thetime.”

Kowalke, Krause and Kinney musthave been pretty convincing becausethe school board decided not to cut thehigh school ag program, albeit main-tain a half-time offering. That was over25 years ago, and the program is now

back up to full-time. “At the time wedidn’t really realize how big a deal itwas to save the program.”

It became a big deal for Krause, whomade the most of his time in the part-time ag program.

He remembers his mother cominghome from freshman-year parent-teacher conferences saying the agteacher had told her “your son has thepotential to be a national FFA officer.”

“I hadn’t really thought of that, thatI had what it took. … I just knew that Iwanted to pursue leadership.”

He decided to run for state FFA officethe spring of his senior year in highschool, and was elected. “That kind ofchanged my life forever.”

Krause looks fondly back on the yearas state officer. “I got to fly in a jet forthe first time” when a few of the stateofficers went to St. Louis for a meeting.“Barb (Van Zomeren) and I did ourGoodwill tour, visiting five to seven

schools a day for a week in southwest-ern Minnesota,” he said. “Barb and Igot to be close friends, had a lot of fun.… it’s funny how close we all got thatyear, but now we haven’t beentogether since we left our last stateconvention 25 years ago.”

The year Krause served as stateFFA sentinel was also his first year atthe University of Minnesota, wherehe majored in animal science with adairy emphasis. He graduated in 1991and headed back to the farm, to joinhis dad, Warren, in the dairy busi-ness. “I’ll be doing this for the rest ofmy life.”

The Krause Holstein herd is nowmilking 200 head, but that will bebumping up to 275 once the operationis full. The family is two months intonew free-stall barn. “We’ve had afreestall barn before, but we justweren’t getting the production that

25 Years Later: An FFA career that almost wasn’t

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Charles Krause

See FFA, pg. 24

23


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FFA, from pg. 23we’d like,” he said. Even though they’ve only been inthis new barn a limited time, they are already seeingthe results. “We’ve already seen production jump 12pounds per cow.”

Krause almost got an earlier start to his dairycareer, a start that would have halted his FFA career.Warren suffered a heart attack when Charles was asophomore in high school. “When I was out theremilking cows, I thought about not even going toschool, that I would just be a dairy farmer for the restof my life.”

Obviously, he didnot forgo college andhis FFA leadershipdays. “I am so glad thatI didn’t to that,” hesaid. “I would havemissed out on somuch. … I wouldhave never met(wife) Robyn if I had-n&rs

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April 19, 2013 :: Northern :: The Land