The staff would also like to show their appreciation of your continued support by providing a brisket lunch beginning at 11:30 am.

Please contact the Service Center at 641-594-4115 with any questions.


 

In an afternoon of fun and laughter, Jane Jenkins-Herlong, a professional speaker from South Carolina, will encourage and challenge everyone with her down-home principals and uptown humor. Using the analogy of a pearl, Herlong will demonstrate how seed pearls can empower women to handle business and personal relationships with grace and a sense of humor.

This free event, sponsored by Key Cooperative, seeks to recognize the contribution women make in the agricultural industry by providing a forum for them to learn and network.

“We know that women have always played a vital role in agriculture,” says Jim Magnuson, Key Cooperative General Manager. “At Key Cooperative, we feel it’s important to recognize the contributions of women and provide an avenue for women to connect and network with other women involved in agriculture."

Producers in Pearls check-in begins at 11:30 on Saturday, February 25 with lunch served at noon. To register for this event, please contact the business office in Sully at 800-469-1040 ext. 103.

You can see Jane in action here.
 

Other candidates included Ryan Forth, Kevin Thompson and Jerry Veenstra. Jim Magnuson, General Manager, expressed appreciation for all the candidates.

“This was an incredibly talented and qualified pool of candidates,” said Magnuson. “We greatly appreciate their willingness and interest in serving their cooperative.”

Over 100 members attended the meeting held Wednesday and Thursday in Nevada and Sully. Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, reminded the crowd of the economic impact agriculture has on our state, paving the way for flourishing industries such as insurance and agricultural manufacturing. Northey also urged producers to promote the agricultural industry to those outside in order to foster understanding about their careers and way of life.

“Part of all our jobs is reaching to non-ag people and getting them out here,” said Northey. “It can be a real learning experience.”

Members also heard from Trent Sauder, a merchandising consultant with Advance Trading in Bloomington, Illinois. Sauder provided an overview of the 2011 markets and factors that impacted prices. The past year marked a year of records from natural disasters to political upheaval with the dethroning of four dictators.

“All these changes in the global landscape had an impact on the economy,” said Sauder.

He illustrated that point by quoting Cargill CEO Greg Page who said “commodity and financial markets were driven more by political uncertainties than by underlying supply and demand fundamentals.”

While Sauder admitted it is impossible to guess how the markets will move with precision, studying trends can provide some insight. He cautioned the group not to be afraid of taking advantage of upswings in the markets.

“The goal is you don’t want to get caught having to do something when the markets are down,” said Sauder.

See photos of the Annual Meetings on our Shutterfly page

 
 

Crop insurance experts will be discussing:

• Premium reductions for corn and soybeans
• Increased T-yields for corn and soybeans
• Trend-adjusted APH option
• Revised rules for newly broken land
• Revised premium due date
• Revised acreage reporting dates
• Hail and wind coverage
• Weather insurance

Meetings will be held on:

• Tuesday, January 10 at the Newton Pizza Ranch at 11:30 am
• Wednesday, January 11 in the Sully office basement at 7:30 am
• Wednesday, January 11 at Grinnell Steakhouse at 11:30 am
• Thursday, January 12 in the S-14 board room at 11:30 am

Please RSVP by noon on Monday, January 9 to Amy Van Weelden at 641-594-4115 ext 129 or to Kevin Quinn at 800-662-4642.

The Crop Insurance Update meetings are brought to you by Key Cooperative and CropInsurance.com.

• Be a United States citizen and a parent or guardian must be a Class A or Class B member of Key Cooperative.
• Be a high school senior who will be graduating in 2012.\
• Have a minimum cumulative non-weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.65 based on a 4.0 scale.
• Plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two or four year college, university, or vocational-technical school in the U.S.
• Pursue a major course of study in an agriculture, business, information systems, accounting, communication, auto/truck repair, carpentry or masonry construction.

Interested students attending Roland-Story, Nevada, Colo- Nesco, Gilbert, East Marshall, Grinnell, Lynnville-Sully, North Mahaska, Newton, or Pella Christian schools must submit a completed application to their school guidance counselor by April 10, 2012. Students attending other schools should submit a completed application to the Key Cooperative Sully office by April 10, 2012.

Scholarship guidelines may be downloaded here, and application forms may be downloaded here or picked up at any Key Cooperative location. Please call the Sully office at 1-800-469-1040 with questions.

KWMT's Von Ketlesen broadcast live from the Hoksbergen's and provided lunch from Our Daily Bread from Griswold, Iowa.

Find more pictures of the afternoon on our Shutterfly page.

Call Dan in Grinnell at 641-236-6591  for complete details.

Built to face winter’s frontlines, a Boss  plow is the classic workhorse. Featuring the fastest hydraulics in the industry, you can get the job done faster while saving wear and tear on your truck. Easy-to-use ergonomic SmartTouch controls, the brightest lights and the SmartHitch attachment process makes a Boss plow a performer that leads all others in reliability and strength.

Find super-duty and straight blades in stock at the Service Center in Sully. Contact the Service Center at 800-469-1040 to learn how a Boss plow can help you conquer a winter filled with wet, heavy snow.

In addition to games, kids can find trivia questions, comic books and weigh-in with their thoughts about agriculture.

The site also features educational resources for teachers. This section provides lesson plans and supplements to equip community volunteers with everything to extend the lessons from the game into a local classroom or community event.

The games at My American Farm are entertaining and educational. Kids have fun learning about agriculture. And since the games are themed to focus on math, science, social studies, language arts, and health subject matters, participants are able to reinforce many core concepts necessary for elementary school curriculum standards.

To take advantage of the My American Farm resources, games, and activities, visit www.myamericanfarm.org.

 

As further evidence in the growing interest in Iowa agriculture, the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers (CSIF) reports fielding an increase in the number of calls in the past two and half months as compared to the same time-frame as last year. Topics range from farmers needing assistance in siting new hog or cattle buildings to neighbor relations, to guidance in interpreting rules and regulations. Brian Waddingham, CSIF Executive Director notes the majority of calls are coming from those 35 years old or younger.

"Young people are increasingly expressing interest in returning to the family farm in rural Iowa, reversing the trend that has occurred since the 1980’s," writes Waddingham on CSIF's website. "However, with a significant amount of capital required to purchase land, many of these young folks are finding that raising livestock and poultry provides an opportunity for them to accomplish their goal of returning to the family farm."

The trend has also caught the attention of those outside Iowa's borders. A recently published article in the Chicago Tribune News reported the volatile economic climate coupled with Iowa's beginning farmer tax credit program and the federal beginning farmer loan program, makes agriculture attractive to recent college graduates. Read the full story here.

That is good news for agriculture. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, half of all current farmers in the U.S. are likely to retire in the next decade.

"Iowa is an agricultural powerhouse and to stay that way, we need to be able to welcome the next generation of farmers into the mix," says Waddingham. "It’s good news for rural Iowa that interest is high among these young people.”

CSIF also reports an increase in the number of facility tours in the last six months along with record attendance at their annual Farming for the Future conference, held earlier this month. The conference addressed many of the challenges facing the next generation of farmers, featuring a livestock, crop and feed outlook, as well as rules and regulations update. A panel of experts offered insight into financing for a beginning farmer and the day wrapped up with a panel of young farmers who openly shared various strategies they used to successfully return to the farm.

Those interested in learning more can view a video from each session here or go to CSIF's website, www.supportfarmers.com.

• Review your emergency action plan with all workers and have emergency contact numbers available at the site. Additional info at Iowa State Extension's website.
• Prior to agitation or pumping, turn off electrical power to any non-ventilation equipment such as lights and feed motors, and extinguish any pilot lights or other ignition sources. Fully open all ventilation curtains or ventilation pivot-doors, but leave walk-in doors locked to prevent human entry.
• Run ventilation fans at maximum speed.
• Ensure that all people are out of the building and clearly tag all doors noting that the building is unsafe for entry during agitation and pumping. Printable hang tags are available at iowa.pork.org
• If significant foam is present, consider pumping without agitation to reduce the risk of fire or explosion, and monitor solids accumulation to decide if agitation is advised at the next pumping event.
• Do not agitate manure until manure has been pumped and level is at least two feet below the slats.
• When agitating the manure, keep the jet of pressurized manure below the liquid surface. Don’t let the jet of manure strike walls or columns in the pit.
• Stop agitation when the manure level does not allow agitation below the liquid surface.
• Continue maximum ventilation for 30 minutes to an hour after pumping has ended before re-entering the building.
• NEVER enter a building or manure storage structure when liquid manure is being agitated or pumped.
  
  Manure gases are an unavoidable by-product of liquid manure storage
  
  Strict safety protocols along with proper ventilation and agitation practices can minimize the risk of flash fires and explosions during manure pumping. A video discussing safety practices for pumping from deep-pits can be found at: http://vimeo.com/15463270.

Try the simple and easy Parts and Request form today. Go directly to the request form or find it under the Service Center tab.

Key Cooperative Service Center offers a full-line of NAPA parts and complete vehicle maintenance and services, from routine oil changes, to engine work, tires and alignments, utilizing state-of-the-art technology. Staffed by ASE Certified mechanics, each with more than 20 years of experience, Key Cooperative will keep you on the road.

 

Nathen Deppe of CENTROL provided an overview of the latest information on Edge and Integra AgLeader monitors. Producers also had the opportunity to bring their monitors in to receive product updates.

See photos of the event on Key Cooperative's Shutterfly page.

• RECOGNIZE THE SMELL OF PROPANE: Propane has a strong, unpleasant smell like rotten eggs, a skunk’s spray or dead animal. Propane manufacturers add the smell to help alert customers to propane leaks.
• SET-UP REGULAR DELIVERY: Establish a regular delivery schedule with Key Cooperative to prevent running out of gas. Also, periodically check the fuel gauge on your propane tank. If the fuel level drops below 20 percent, call Key Cooperative.
• MAINTAIN APPLICANCES USING PROPANE: This will ensure they will operate safely and efficiently. Maintenance includes checking the vents of your appliances to be sure that flue gasses can flow easily to the outdoors. Also, clear the area around your appliance to be sure plenty of air can reach the burner for proper combustion.
• PROTECT YOUR PROPANE SYSTEM IF THE WEATHER TURNS BAD: In the case of floods, turn off the gas valve at the cylinder or tank before the water rises. Do not turn the gas back on until the gas system and all appliances have been checked by Key Cooperative’s service technicians. In the winter, clear the snow and ice from regulators, regulator vents, piping, tubing and valves.
• KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE WHILE YOU ARE AWAY: If you’re leaving for an extended period of time, consider closing all propane supply valves. This includes the main gas supply valves on the propane tank as well as gas supply valves located near individual appliances.
   

In the event that you smell gas, follow these steps to ensure safety for you and your family:

• NO FLAMES OR SPARKS! Immediately put out all smoking materials and other open flames. Do not operate lights, appliances, telephones or cell phones. Flames or sparks from these sources can trigger an explosion or fire.
• LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! Get everyone out of the building or area where you suspect gas is leaking.
• SHUT OFF THE GAS. Turn off the main gas supply valve on your propane tank if it safe to do so. To close the valve, turn it to the right (clockwise).
• REPORT THE LEAK, From a neighbor’s home or other nearby building away from the gas leak, call Key Cooperative Emergency Hotline at 800-469-1040 or 866-588-3811 right away.
• DO NOT RETURN TO THE BUILDING OR AREA until a Key Cooperative service technician or emergency responder determines that is safe to do so.
• GET YOUR SYSTEM CHECKED. Before you attempt to use any of your propane appliance, Key Cooperative must check your entire system to ensure that it is leak-free.
   

For complete safety propane information, contact Key Cooperative at 800-469-1040 or 866-588-3811.