Traks in the Right Direction

Inside this issue:

Fall Fertilizer

Application

3

Importance of Fall

Applied Chemicals

4

Fetal Programming

Gold Star Mineral

5

Get the Most from

Your Vaccination

Program this Fall

6

Supplementing Your

Forages

9

Pre-Conditioning,

Paying Now More

Than Ever

10

Control Next Year’s

Thistles this Fall

12

Understanding NPE

Programs

13

Difference in

Lime Quality?

15

Volume 1, Issue 3

Special Points of Interest:

FFA Spotlight: Bronaugh

FFA

November 2013

Jess Daniels, Producers General Manager

In today’s world it seems like we have programs for everything. The grocery stores have programs to buy 10 items and get one free. The credit card

companies try to hook us to spend more money by giving us free airline miles or even cash back. Restaurants give us meal deals to get us to spend a little more of our own cash for a larger portion of food. Even online shopping encourages us to spend more to get free shipping. Our own government is the biggest program provider out there, just look at healthcare or farm programs. As a society, we have grown accustomed to seeing programs in every aspect of our everyday life. At Producers MFA, we have programs also. One might say our programs are just like all the other programs out there, something designed to steal your hard earned dollar. I might be a bit partial, but I hope you will see in this newsletter that we have programs that will provide you value and make you money in your operation. As you read through the pages to come, you will notice that we have programs for all aspects of agriculture, from crop

production to beef producers and even landowners. There are a couple of completely new programs to our line-up that I would like to comment on, the first being MFA Crop Trak. Crop Trak is MFA’s crop scouting program where we make regular scheduled visits to your fields every 7-10 days. When a customer enrolls in the Crop Trak program, they choose to sign-up spring crops or fall crops. One can even choose to sign up all your acreage or just a portion of the acres. By enrolling in Crop Trak, you will gain valuable insight into your fields. A customer gets a more in-depth look than the typical 35 mph ditch-to-ditch drive-by every other weekend. With Crop Trak, we scout the entire field looking for emergence, plant stands, insect infestations, weed pressures and overall plant health. A major benefit of Crop Trak is that with each weekly report you will receive a detailed listing of our findings, along with recommendations as to what needs to be done.

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Traks in the Right Direction

Page 2 Producers MFA Agri Services Newsletter

Imagine how valuable this will be to you as a producer if you know something as simple as when to spray weeds. You can even know something

more complex, for instance even though there are insects present, they may not be at high enough levels to justify spraying. You can even know what stage your crop is at in production so you can correctly apply fungicide at the absolute most precise time. One of the biggest challenges of owning a sprayer is knowing when to properly apply herbicides, insecticides or fungicides at the correct time. Crop Trak allows for a third party to take the guess work out of the chemical side of farming.

The other program I wanted to briefly mention is MFA’s Nutri-Track. It isn’t necessarily new since our last newsletter, but it is a program that is relatively new to Producers customers. Nutri-Track is the Precision Grid Sampling program that can be beneficial to grain or grass producers. We typically see this program pay in several different ways. One main factor is the savings of not over-applying lime. Other aspects of this program

are not always identified as monetary aspects, but as more environmentally responsible aspects. With traditional blanket fertilization programs, we treat every acre as though they are the same. As many of you know, if you ride a the combine or brush hog a pasture, not every acre is the same. This brings up a good point - why should we treat them the same? With Nutri-Track, it’s like a prescription you get from a doctor; we only treat the symptoms of that particular acre for what ails it. There will be other articles in this newsletter that are more in-depth about Nutri-Track. Another program that is currently in place is MFA’s Health Track. It is an age and source verification tool that we provide free of charge when you wean your calves on Cattle Charge or another MFA approved feed. In conjunction with the feed, you also need to supply the appropriate vaccinations. Many people already do this, they just don’t take advantage of the free ID Tags or our special Health Track sponsored sales at local sale barns. In conclusion, whether it’s MFA’s Crop Trak, Nutri-Track or even Health Track, make your own Trak’s to the nearest Producers MFA Agri Services Center, and let us walk you down the Trak to profitability. I encourage you to consult a Producers MFA representative or myself to learn more about any of our programs and find out how to incorporate these tools to make your operation more profitable. Thank you all for your continued support and for allowing us to show you that Producers MFA is “Made For Agriculture”. Jess Daniels (620) 724-2409 [email protected]

...Continued From Front Page

The Producers newsletter is coordinated by Beth Oehring and MacKenzie Oswald. It is printed through MFA in Columbia, MO. If you

have any agronomy, feed, seed, animal health, or grain topics you would like us to address, please call Beth at (417) 876-2422 or send an e-mail

to [email protected] or [email protected].

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 3

Fall Fertilizer Application

The question that most frequently comes to mind when spreading fertilizer is, “Should I apply fertilizer in the spring or fall?” The correct answer in most cases is both. However, there is most definitely an advantage to spreading most of your fertilizer in a fall application, and it pays big dividends in the long run. With MFA’s Nutri-Track program, you can utilize your soil to its best potential. First things first, when addressing fertilizer applications, you must make sure the pH is in balance within the field. Without a correct pH, a crop is already limited in its

productivity, nutrient uptake, and yield potential. In other words, correct pH = maximum yield potential. A good way to see how your field stands on pH is to get on board with our grid sampling program. This allows us to variable rate lime to adjust the pH of each individual acre of the field. This will allow us to have an even playing field for the spreading of macro and micro nutrients, and it opens up the possibilities for higher yield goals. Once we have a good standing pH within a field, fertilizer applications can be utilized more efficiently by the crop. This is where the correct timing for fertilizer application is very important. For Phosphorus and Potassium (P & K) to be most efficient for a crop, it must be applied in the fall. Phosphorus and Potassium are two of the most important nutrients in crop production, and they both require time within the soil to break down and bind with soil particles. This allows the crop to fully utilize the nutrients.

This also applies when spreading micro nutrients such as sulfur and zinc. Certain nutrients must sit in the soil for a period of time before they can become available to a crop for nutrient uptake, thus the importance of fall fertilizer applications. If the nutrients are available in the soil for a crop, and pH is correct, the crop can then maximize its growing potential, and in return, produce higher yields. Get on board with our Nutri-Track grid sampling program today, and let us help you be more efficient in the field! Contact me in Bronaugh at (417) 922-3216, and we can discuss how to get your ground on the right Track!

Nate Ryan (417) 922-3216 [email protected]

Nate Ryan, Bronaugh Manager

Using precision technology within spreaders, we can more efficiently

apply lime to your fields.

Now that harvest is in full swing, it is time to think about fall applied chemicals. There are several different options when it comes to fall chemicals. I believe that it is important to think about putting some sort of residual herbicide down in the fall. Fall herbicides play a large role in

keeping fields clean through the winter into early spring. The main focus for these herbicides are the winter annuals that normally start to germinate when it begins to cool down in the fall, species like henbit, chickweed, and marestail. Marestail is an especially hard weed to control. It begins in the late fall as a rosette, and by the time it begins shooting up in the spring, it becomes very hard to control. Henbit and chickweed can form a solid carpet across the ground and take away valuable nutrients from the soil as well as cause moisture issues. It either can use up the water that is there or cause the ground to hold too much water and delay plantings. Along with that, when there is a solid carpet on the ground and it is not addressed early in the spring with a herbicide, it is very hard to get a good seed bed to plant in. You almost have to work the ground two or three times to get the henbit and chickweed worked down. If you figure a custom rate of $15 dollars per acre for working your ground, and you do that three times, that equals $45 dollars per acre. When using a fall herbicide, it would cost you

approximately $20 an acre to apply the herbicide. That is a savings of $25 dollars per acre. Some of the options available for the fall are: Autumn Super, Basis Blend, Canopy EX, Rangestar, and Simazine. Some of these you can use on either corn or beans, but some of them are crop specific. Autumn Super, Basis Blend, and Rangestar can all be used if you are going to plant either corn or soybeans the next year. However, Canopy EX can only be used for soybeans, and Simazine can only be used for corn. The Rangestar is 2,4-D and dicamba mixed together. It will have limited residual and is more of a product to apply along with some of these other herbicides for control of what might be emerged already. Every year there is generally a program associated with each one of these products that will pay the farmer back if they were to use one of these products along with other products for residual in the spring. Remember you want to start clean to stay clean, and starting clean begins in the fall. If you have any questions about fall applied chemicals feel free to contact me. I will be glad to help you in any way that I can. Nick Rapp (417) 465-2523 [email protected]

Nick Rapp, Walker Manager

The Importance of Fall Applied Chemicals

Everyone at Producers MFA would like to wish all of our customers a very Happy Thanksgiving,

a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! May all your travels be safe! And all the time

spent with family and friends be blessed!


When I was young, like many young folks who had working parents, I spent a considerable amount of time with my grandparents. As I made observations about the oddity of people, plants and critters, I turned to my grandfather for explanation of the uniqueness of certain individual organisms. One of his standard responses to my endless questions was that whatever I viewed as abnormal “was likely grown in a drought”. At the time I didn’t see the connection, but decades ago astute naturalists recognized that drought has a profound effect on the development of ecosystems and organisms. When you couple drought with other stressors like heat, parasites, and fescue toxicity, the impact can

be far reaching. When feed resources are in short supply and cattle are allocated based on apparent need, the dry gestating cow seems to be placed at the bottom of the priority list. After all, a couple of the critical hurdles like conception and lactation are completed. Some of the conventional wisdom was to focus on and supplement in late gestation when 75% of the mass of the fetus is being developed. One critical development that occurs in early gestation is the placenta and vascular system. This conduit and pipeline between the cow and fetus carries vital nutrients. If the placenta is compromised and not fully developed, it can restrict the flow of oxygen carrying blood and everything else the fetus needs to completely develop. This is the crux of the concept of Fetal Programming. Researchers are now able to identify the metabolic factors that contribute to fetal programming, as well as begin to quantify the negative and far reaching effect it can have on offspring for more than one generation. There is no time in the life cycle of the cow that she can coast nutritionally. We are asking her to perform to her genetic potential every day she is on the place of operation. It is up to the producer to recognize when drought or other forces compromise the nutrient profile of that cow so they can intervene. Some producers see a problem and address it. This reactionary style of management is not always the best approach. Anticipating problems on the horizon and implementing an intervention plan ahead of the problem can pay dividends. If you have time to move a cow one body condition score, it costs less than when you have to add weight in a hurry. Drought, or most any stressor for that matter, can compromise the immune system and hinder nutrient uptake of animals. One way to circumvent this problem is to make nutrients more bioavailable. Gold Star Mineral with Bioplex Chelated Trace Minerals can have a positive effect on these stressors. To take it a step further, the Ricochet mineral product has additives to enhance the quality and quantity of colostrum for newborn calves. When your cows are out there fighting against environmental forces every day, it is important that we give them the supplementation to offset and guard against production loss. Mineral is a good tool to deliver profit enhancing additives to your cowherd. Whether it be antibiotics, larvacides, ionophores, nutraceuticals, essential oils, or highly digestable microminerals, Gold Star can deliver it all for you.

Fetal Programming Gold Star Mineral Jon Roberts, Areas Sales Manager Livestock Products


Continued On Page 6...

An ongoing and aggressive mineral program is exactly the kind of hedge against impending

environmental forces that good cattlemen utilize. If you want to position your cowherd for whatever forces nature might bring, stop by your local MFA and pick up some Gold Star Mineral. It’s some of the best insurance a cattleman can buy. From our outfit to yours, I hope this season brings prosperity to your camp! Jon Roberts Cell: (660) 641-1333 Home: (660) 647-2403 [email protected]

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The following are some suggestions that may help products work to their full potential. All Products Read the label and package insert. The instructions for handling and administration should be there. If products require refrigeration, make certain they are refrigerated when you purchase them, keep them refrigerated before use, and keep them refrigerated while chuteside. Ice packs or a frozen gallon jug of water inside an ice chest work well to keep products cool. Be careful-some products can be damaged if allowed to freeze.

Mark syringes so you know which product they contain while chuteside. A piece of masking tape or a piece of colored tape (different color for each product) with the name of the product written on the tape with a permanent marker works well. Allflex syringes have different color draw knobs you can purchase. Never re-enter a bottle with a used needle. The possibility of contaminating the rest of the product in the bottle is high. Put a new needle on the syringe each time you need to re-enter the bottle. You can purchase a draw-off assembly and automatic refill syringe. Change or clean equipment any time existing equipment gets dirty enough that it creates a risk for injection site contamination. Clean syringes and equipment at the end of each day’s use. You can obtain a guide on how to properly clean a syringe at your local MFA Store. Pharmaceuticals If products are in a brown bottle, the contents inside can be inactivated by sunlight. Keep them out of direct sunlight. The injectable avermectins (Ivomec, Dectomax) are susceptible to inactivation by sunlight. These products come packaged to help protect them from sunlight, but once you draw them into the syringe, keep the loaded syringe out of sunlight. Be certain that syringes or equipment used to administer injectable Dectomax are thoroughly dry before use. More importantly, be sure not to inject any water back into the product bottle. Water will cause the product to precipitate out (you will see little crystals) and render it useless.

Get the Most from Your Vaccination

Program this Fall


Continued On Page 7...

Tony Koger, Livestock Consultant & Sales

Before treating with any of the white drench dewormers (Safegaurd, Synanthic, Valbazen), cattle should be held off feed at least 12 hours. The presence of feed in

the rumen will reduce the effectiveness of these products. Even when using injectable antibiotics, cleanliness is essential. The antibiotic in the bottle will not necessarily kill contaminates injected into it. Don’t mix different antibiotics in the syringe or bottle—some cause an obvious physical reaction, some cause an unseen chemical reaction and some antibiotics work by conflicting modes of action, which may neutralize the activity of each other. Try not to give an antibiotic on the same side of the neck you are giving vaccines. The antibiotic may gravitate under the skin and run together with the vaccine and render it useless. Vaccines All modified live viral (MLV) vaccines are susceptible to inactivation by sunlight. When using them, keep the bottle in the cooler out of sunlight. Also, keep syringes out of the sunlight. Sunlight will kill the vaccine in the syringe if left exposed for more than a few minutes. Do not mix up more MLV vaccine than you will use in an hour. As soon as this type of vaccine is mixed, the viral particles come to life, and then gradually begin to die off. If you take too long to use the product after mixing, enough viral particles may die making the vaccine ineffective. Keep vaccines thoroughly mixed until the bottle is completely empty. This is especially critical with any non-clear vaccines (such as blackleg). Suspended particles will settle over time. Do not beat or shake the vaccine bottle hard to get the contents into suspension, especially a MLV vaccine. It could destroy the vaccine. Some vaccines have a toxoid molecule that will break open and create a poison that could poison the animal when the vaccine is administered. Swirl them gently to keep from damaging cellular particles or releasing endotoxins. DO NOT use disinfectants to clean syringes or needles when using MLV vaccines. The disinfectant will kill the vaccine. Wash out the syringe and other equipment used with MLV vaccines with hot distilled water (at least 212 degrees F.) Change needles every 10 head or when you need to re-enter the bottle. It is safe to use disinfectants with killed vaccines (blackleg, killed IBR-BVD, etc.), antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Implants Some implants must be stored under refrigeration. They also should be kept cool chuteside prior to use. Make sure the ear is clean before implanting. Clean it if necessary. It is a good practice to clean implant needles with a disinfectant between uses. I like to use Nolvasan S. Put ear tags in the cattle’s ears before implanting to avoid knocking out the implant with the ear tag. Insert the implant needle at a point that will allow you to deposit the implant in the middle 1/3 of the ear. Avoid existing implants, ear tags and tag holes. Feel the implant to make sure you didn’t fire a blank.

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All Products Use Beef Quality Assurance techniques and guidelines. DO NOT inject into top butt or leg. Inject all products in the neck. Use subcutaneous (SQ) route of injection at all times unless product specifically calls for intramuscular (IM). Select a clean area, or clean the area before injection. Don’t poke your needle through manure that the animal may have on them at the injection site before anything is deposited on its neck. Use proper needle length and diameter. For water-consistency products, use an 18 or 16 gauge needle. Use either 5/8 or 3/4 inch needle for SQ. Use 1 ½ inch needles for IM. It may be necessary to use 1 inch needles on smaller calves to avoid hitting the bones in the neck or the major ligament running directly above the spine. Space injection sites at least 4 inches apart. This is a normal hand’s width. Place injections side-by-side (horizontally) instead of one-over-another (vertically). This is especially critical with SQ injections where the materials may gravitate and run together under the skin. Tony Koger (417) 876-7441 [email protected]


Kirk Hackleman, El Dorado Springs Manager

Extra Pounds = Extra Dollars

As we move into fall, calf prices are staying up, and it looks like this trend will continue. This provides the cow/calf producers and backgrounders the opportunity to put more money in their pockets. With feed prices beginning to moderate, the opportunity to make money feeding calves versus selling seems brighter than it has in several years. MFA has several feeds in its lineup to help get the most dollars for your calves and options for any situation you are facing. With feed conversion rates like the 4-1 you can get with Cattle Charge, you do not have to have a very sharp pencil to do the math and see that this will work. Also, some timely rains this fall should provide cattlemen with some good grass to run calves on. You may want to consider protein tubs or liquid feed as an excellent way to supplement calves in this type of situation. High demand and meat prices along with declining feed prices can help producers make the extra dollars needed in today’s economy. As always, a good vaccination program should be followed to assist in guaranteeing healthy calves. Stop by your local Producers MFA, and let us help you with fall weaning and feeding needs. Kirk Hackleman (417) 876-2422 [email protected]


Kirk Hackleman417) 876khackleman@mfaPage 9 Volume 1, Issue 3

Wow — What weather we have had to deal with the past couple of years, drought and then rain during planting and hay season. We’re grateful for the rains; it has made for a plentiful hay harvest this year. But plentiful DOES NOT always equal quality, and with this being the best time to get those spring calving cows back to their ideal body score, the first step would be to have your forage sampled. Once we know the Crude Protein (CP) & the Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), we can determine if the nutrient levels are adequate for your herd’s requirements. If your forage is inadequate, we have several options available within our full line of protein supplement products to supplement your herd. If you are looking for convenience, a CTI low moisture supplement tub might be what you

need; these tubs provide high levels of minerals, vitamins and protein. CTI supplements (with free choice salt) are a complete program for the broad cow herd. The biggest benefit of the CTI cooked molasses tubs is the improved digestion of the cellulose and lignin portions of forages. CTI low moisture supplements allow a cow to maintain or even gain weight on forages of limited quality. Another protein source would be the use of MFA Cattle Cubes. We carry the 14% Bucket Rattler and the Cattle Breeder 20 Cube. This option requires more labor but tends to be a more economical way to supplement your cow herd. The Bucket Rattler is a 14% all natural protein to supplement dry range grasses or hay. Feed 3 lb/hd/day along with hay or pasture. The Cattle Breeder 20 Cube contains a high quality all natural protein and high levels of energy resulting in improvement or maintenance of the cow herd body condition through the winter. This results in healthier cows, healthier calves, and better cow breed back. Feed 2 lb/hd/day depending upon the condition of the cattle and the forage quality. Either cube may be fed every few days for convenience. Stop by and visit with us at Producers MFA, we’ll gladly assist you with any of the options available. We’ll even help you take hay samples to make your cow herd as profitable as possible. See you soon at your local Producers MFA! Marlana Shipley (417) 667-2726 [email protected]

Marlana Shipley, Nevada Manager

Supplementing Your Forages

For many, the MFA Health Track Program is not an unfamiliar topic, especially this close to weaning. I also see a lot of hesitation in some producers when asked to sign their calves up for a program that requires them to retain their calves for a minimum of 45 days. However, with Superior Livestock Sales reporting $11-$13 per hundred weight premium for preconditioned cattle, deciding not to precondition calves this fall will be leaving money on the table. The MFA Health Track Program is one of the best tools available to add value to your cattle and dollars to your wallet.

It’s no secret that the droughts of 2011 and 2012 have left the country in a shortage of pounds of beef, thus, it pays to put gain on calves. Cattle producers are now in the driving seat when it comes to the teeter totter of supply and demand. MFA Health Track prides itself on providing strong and healthy cattle starting with nutrition. MFA Cattle Charge offers a cornerstone for optimum immunity and consistent weight gain delivering a 4:1 feed to gain ratio. Again I see some hesitation when it comes to committing to a complete feed when many times a commodity is cheaper per pound of product. Just to give you an idea of the value you are getting, soy hulls have an average feed to gain ratio of 10:1 while Dried Distiller Grains (DDGs) offer an 8:1 conversion rate. On top of that, neither of these feedstuffs can be considered a balanced diet alone, and it is generally safe to say that when balanced in a ration, they will not offer a cost-effective price per pound of gain when compared to MFA Cattle Charge. They also do not contain essential vitamins and minerals for growing calves. Tony and I also invite you to use our chute with scales attached so you can see the difference for yourself. Another benefit of the 45 day preconditioning requirements of Health Track is the reduction in shrink. Due to reduced stress prior to sale day, preconditioned calves will shrink half that of freshly weaned bawling calves. Increased immunity is something that is sometimes hard to visually see, but I believe it is of greatest value to one very important person: the buyer. MFA Health Track allows for customized vaccination schedules in order to optimize immunity to the best ability of each producer. By allowing two rounds of vaccinations to be given either 60 days pre or post weaning, we allow the producer to avoid the peak of stress on a calf at weaning. Since stress reduces the effectiveness of a vaccine, the option to give rounds while still on the cow or after the initial stress of weaning has passed can greatly improve the health of the herd.

Another point to mention is that MFA Health Track tags are free to the producer. I’ve heard of programs charging anywhere from $5-$7 per tag for enrollment in their program. That is money that could be used to put gain on calves and a return in your pocket, but not charging for tags is just another way MFA wants to help you improve your bottom line. Also ask us about our JBS direct ship options. As usual, feel free to call me anytime with questions or comments! Whitney Shaw (417) 321-2651 [email protected]

Whitney Shaw, Retail Sales Representative


Pre-Conditioning, Paying Now More Than Ever

This school year, the Bronaugh FFA Chapter has 51 FFA members. Being a small school, Bronaugh has a very good number of FFA members compared to other schools in relation to size. However, we do not let our size affect our participation! Our chapter is involved in many activities throughout the school year, as well as during the summer. We also provide community service to the city of Bronaugh as our way of giving back. When the school year is at a halt and summertime approaches, many of our FFA members take part in the Vernon County Youth Fair to show their livestock and welding projects. Some of our livestock showmen take their animals to other fairs as well, such as the Gold Buckle Gala and the Missouri State Fair. Our chapter is very competitive and successful when it comes to showing livestock, and it is a great way for students to learn with their SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) projects. We always strive to be the best while representing the Bronaugh FFA Chapter.

The last two years, our chapter has been awarded a Bronze activity award plaque from the Missouri FFA association which puts us in the top fifty FFA chapters in the state. We have also been very competitive in career development event competitions with teams qualifying for state, and other teams, such as livestock evaluation, horse evaluation, and creed speaking, have consistently placed in the top 10 in the last three years. Overall, our Chapter’s largest deed is community service.

Without the generosity of our community, our chapter would be at a loss. One way we give back is by cleaning up trash for the MoDOT Adopt a Highway program. We pick up waste along 2.6 miles of 43 Highway twice a year. At the end of October, 10 of our members will be attending the National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY, along with our advisor Mr. Wait. A highlight of this trip will be that one of our members, Cole Diggins, will be competing in the National FFA Agri-Science Fair with his project about using hedge apples as a natural pest control.

Martell Moore, Bronaugh FFA Reporter

FFA Spotlight: Bronaugh FFA

Bronaugh FFA Group Photo

Bronaugh FFA members picking up trash along 43 Highway

Missouri FFA Bronze Emblem Chapter Activity Award


David Moore, CCA, Range and Pasture Specialist

We basically have two types of thistles in our area – musk and bull. Both are biennials. Seeds from this year’s thistles will germinate this fall and form a rosette. Next spring this rosette will enlarge and the plant will bolt upright and bloom again. With the number of thistles we have had this year, we need to anticipate a huge crop next year. By spraying 1 quart per acre of GrazonNext HL late this fall (November 10 – December 20) we can eliminate the vast majority of next year’s thistles! This works best in pasture and hay ground that is grazed low enough that the rosette is clearly visible and accessible to herbi-

cide application. For best results, spray when daytime temperatures are 45 degrees or higher. A major side effect of this application is that it also controls a large portion of our winter annual weeds, which may or may not be emerged and visible at the time of application. This was very apparent on the thistle plot I sprayed last year (December 5, 2012). The picture below clearly shows a line where the treated field meets the check strip. Before you even notice the absence of thistles and winter annuals, you will notice a signifi-cant (2-3 times) increase in grass in the treated area!

Take advantage of this slower time of year - spray 1 quart of GrazonNext HL per acre plus Astute surfactant (1 quart per 100 gallons of water). The net result will be fewer weeds and more grass! It also takes some pressure off of you next spring when there are many things that need your time and attention… David Moore (417) 942-9541 [email protected]

Treated Untreated

Control Next Year’s Thistles This Fall!


JaNetta Larsen, Grain Coordinator

Understanding NPE Programs

Have you ever heard someone talking about NPE’s around the coffee shop or the elevator? Autumn is here, and harvest season is upon us; therefore it is definitely the time of year to figure out the best steps and plans in determining how to use your crop to provide the best profitability. Let’s discuss NPE’s and see how profitable they could be for your operation. I will do my best to explain and inform you about what NPE’s are. Along with that, I will share what they cost you, how it affects your final price, and many other aspects you should know about. What is NPE? NPE, (No Price Established), is a program that allows you to price the grain when you think the

price is right but transfers the physical ownership of the grain to the elevator. What does it cost? The NPE fees can change every year or even every six months; however for this harvest, our charges are $0.15 cents minimum charge with an additional $0.05 cents per month for both corn and beans. For example: you will be charged the $0.15 cent minimum plus the $0.05 cent per month if you had your corn on NPE until December. Basically, if you have your corn on NPE for a week or a month you will be charged the $0.15 cent minimum. How does the NPE charge affect the price of my corn or beans when I do price my corn or beans out? When you price your beans or corn, the price that you are given over the phone or in person is price per bushel before NPE charges. The NPE charges are deducted off on the settlement. I need to have my money held until January 1; Can I price the corn or beans? Or do I have to put it on NPE to be able to have my money held? Why? Many farmers don’t realize that they can go ahead and price the grain out; then we can Defer Payment until January 1st if they need us to. Can I do a Commodity trade with bushels on NPE? Absolutely, Positively NO!!!!!!! If you want to barter or do a commodity trade with bushels that you have on NPE, you simply cannot! For example, if you know that you will be trading grain for a vehicle, you need to know that at the time that you bring in your corn and beans. The dealership that you will be trading the grain with needs to be the name on the tickets at the time the corn or beans are brought in; therefore, let us know this is what you are going to do with your grain. Can I contract grain before harvest or even during harvest for next year? Absolutely!!!!! A lot of you have already booked your seed for next year so you ’re starting to look at fertilizer and chemical uses for next year, along with what prices might be for fertilizer and chemicals. Why not do the same for the corn, beans and wheat? I beg and plead you to come and talk to me! I can help you decide what the best target price is for you so that you can make sure you are making a profit on your grain.



If you would rather me come and talk to you on the farm, I can do that and would be more than glad to do so. If you aren’t making a profit on the farm, then neither are we. We are a team! We need to work with each other for each of us to grow in this business. Why take the time to come and talk to you? Above I mentioned that we are a team; right? I mean that. We are a team. I know that you as farmers watch the markets, but do you get to watch the markets as closely as you would like to? Why not have someone that is watching it constantly work for you for free? I am constantly just a phone call away! Let’s take the time and discuss your marketing plans together. These markets are so unpredictable these days. Who would have thought a year ago we would be talking about possibly getting down to $3.50 corn and $10.00 beans again? How many farmers protected themselves from that this year? How many contracted at least a third of their crop? If you were one of those who did not, I would like to help you develop the best strategy possible, so I can help you become more profitable. Give me a chance to help you learn market strategies and market structures to help your farming operation be more profitable!!!!! NPE’s are a great option that is available for producers and farmers, so I want you to have the opportunity to implement such a great tool. Feel free to contact me at any time to learn more or begin the process of NPE’s along with other market opportunities. JaNetta Larsen (417) 876-1231 Cell: (417) 296-0725 [email protected]




Corn harvest is in full swing and we are looking forward to wheat planting if it has not already started. With wheat planting starting and soybeans coming off, it is time to start thinking about soil fertility and also mainly soil pH. The next few months gives us a chance to get lime application done

before corn planting this spring. In this article I would like to talk about the difference between Effective Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (ECCE) and Effective Neutralizing Material (ENM). The 2 basic factors that are used to figure both ECCE and ENM is Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) and particle size. The CCE of a liming material is determined by chemically reacting agricultural lime with an acid. The amount of acid the liming material neutralizes tells how much CCE a liming material contains. On an equivalent basis (pound for pound), the different liming materials found in nature are capable of neutralizing different amounts of acidity. The fineness of a limestone material affects how rapidly the lime will react in the soil and how thoroughly it can be mixed in the soil. A great deal of research has been conducted to determine the effect particle size has on the reactivity of lime. The smaller the particle size, the more effective the liming material. As particle size is reduced, the surface area of the particles per pound of lime greatly increases. This allows more of the liming material to react faster. On the other hand, larger particles generally have a more long-lasting effect. A rating system was developed to show the effectiveness of different particle sizes to neutralize acidity. The rating is based on the amount of lime that would likely be expected to react in soils in a

one-year time period. Sieves are used to determine particle size. ENM In Missouri, the term Effective Neutralizing Material (ENM), is used to figure lime quality which is in turn how we decide how much lime is needed for a recommendation. ENM per ton of liming material is calculated using the Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) and particle size efficiency ratings. Here is the equation that is used to figure ENM. ENM = CCE x fineness factor x 800 The 800 is a constant that refers to the pounds of effective calcium in one ton of pure lime. ECCE In Kansas, Effective Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (ECCE) is used to classify quality of lime. ECCE is the measure of the effectiveness of liming materials and is calculated as the product of the purity value (CCE) and the fineness value divided by 100. For example, if the purity is 80 percent and the fineness value is 75 percent, then: ECCE = (80 x 75)/100 = 60% In conclusion these numbers are a way of finding the most cost effective way of buying lime. The higher the ENM or ECCE the more effective and faster acting the lime application will be on changing soil pH. I hope this information can help you get your lime application for this fall planned. If you need more information you can contact your local Producers MFA Agri Service. Eric Preston (620) 674-1775 [email protected]

Eric Preston, SW MO/SE KS Regional Precision Sales Manager

Difference in Lime Quality?

Bronaugh: (417) 922-3216

El Dorado Springs: (417) 876-2422

Nevada Feed: (417) 667-2726

Nevada Fertilizer: (417) 667-3313

Walker: (417) 465-2523

Producers Locations

FIND US ON THE WEB AT www.producersgrain.com

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