Announcing the Ag Scholarship Winners

The Andy McNamara Memorial Scholarship is in memory of Andy McNamara, a Renville County farm boy who had a desire to be involved in production agriculture.  He thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors and was concerned for the environment.  Andy is missed by all of those who knew his real passions.

The winners of the 2012 McNamara Scholarship and Corn Capital Innovations Scholarship are:

Andy McNamara Memorial Scholarship:

Rae Larsen – BOLD

Nicholas Steffel – BOLD

Corn Capital Innovations Scholarship:

Josh Mellies – BLHS

Tyler Grams – BLHS

Johnathan Tauer – Cedar Mountain

Rachel Schroeder – Redwood Valley

Corn Capital Innovations believes in the promotion and education of our future leaders.  We are excited to offer these Ag scholarships to any area high school senior who is pursuing a career in agriculture or a related field.

Congratulations to each of you and best wishes in the future!

Water Street Solutions, a vendor of Corn Capital Innovations, also sponsored a scholarship program for students that plan to major in agriculture in college.  Winners for the Waterstreet Solutions’ Ag Scholarships can be seen here.

Production: Farming, Crop and Bushels Per Acre

What is Production The dictionary says:

1. The act or process of producing.

2. Something produced; product. 3. The total number of products; output,

1 = Farming   2= Crop   3= Bushels per Acre

Farmers are probably the most unique businessmen there are.  They need to understand more than the average corporate business person.  They need to comprehend the science of seed and soil.  They need to be accountants, purchasers, mechanics and welders.  They have to be a weather forecaster, and depending on their farm operation, may also have to be nutritionists and a veterinarian.  With all that said, they still need to “farm”.  A farmer needs to protect and nurture their crop from planting to harvest.

I remember hearing “the farmer only works two months out of the year: May & October” which is absolutely not the case!  It is all that can be done in between those seasons that will help to maximize bushels per acre and revenue per acre.  Starting with the right seed for your soil conditions is only the beginning. As you know, you can’t control Mother Nature.  How you handle what she gives us is the one thing you can control!

The weather will determine how you will nurture your crop.  A great example is feeding a diabetic; they do best when fed small meals all day long.  The same idea applies with farming; nurture your crop by applying multiple applications of fertilizer and routinely apply fungicides in combination with other pesticides.  Farmers who follow this philosophy will reap the benefit of higher yields as the plants will be healthier all season long.

What factors are keeping you from consistently producing maximum bushels?

Check the ones you already have in place:

__A 3 year goal and plan to reach higher yields

__Control over my production and yield strategy

__The right people in place to help me reach my goals

__Completed cropping plans prior to harvest each year

__Confidence in which seed and technologies to purchase

__Expertise in the latest agronomic practices to achieve my goals

__ Proficiency in advanced tillage practices

98% of Corn Capital Innovations growers raise yields to new levels and significantly lower their per unit production costs!  The 2% that don’t do this, do not follow our program.

Other factors to consider include protecting your investment with Crop Insurance, increasing profitability with Grain Marketing and generating revenue using Financial Management.

Contact us to help you increase your production as you nurture your field this growing season!

 

Ag Day on May 9th, 2012 at Gilfillan Estate

5th grade Ag Day is set for May 9th, 2012 at Gilfillan Estate

The purpose of the day is to expose 5th graders to a hands on experience of the diversity of agriculture and farming in today’s economy.   Even in our rural communities the majority of these students do not have access to farms and no longer have the opportunity to learn how Food, Fiber, Feed and Fuel are grown, cared for and delivered to our retail stores.

Students from area school districts are invited to attend.  This year we are happy to provide this opportunity to Redwood Valley, Cedar Mountain, Wabasso, BOLD school districts as well as an adopted 5th grade class room in the Twin Cities.   All five of these schools will experience and tour a poultry farm, dairy parlor, cattle feed lot, corn/soybean field as well as presentations from a sheep, alpaca, and pig farmers. And as they learn about the history of Agriculture at the Gilfillan Estate.

The Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism Ag Committee has been offering this program to Redwood Area Schools for 20+ years.  Last year we were able to reach out to 224 students in the local districts.

Corn Capital Innovations believes in the continuation of education and exposing our community to agriculture.  This event is a great step in promotion of production agriculture, and we are happy to support the Ag Committee to continue to offer such programs.

Ag Committee Members include: Joel Mathiowetz, Scott Kodet (HomeTown Bank), Kirby Josephson (Minnwest Bank), Jim Dumdei (Corn Capital Innovations), Pat Hansen (Thrivent Financial), Matt Johnson (Bremer Bank), Caleb Hinkkanen (Titan Machinery), Andy Simon (Titan Machinery), Mike Roach (Pioneer), Kevin Kvistero (USDA), Thor Kaardal (Kaardal Insurance), David Krenz (United FCS), Cori Lecy (United FCS), Jeremy Daberkow (FFA Advisor), Paul Brezina (Monsanto Pre-Foundation), Matt Samyn (Monsanto),  Mike Uhlenkamp (Uhlenkamp & Associates).

Putting the Four Components of Profitability Together

Corn Capital Innovations

Are you a baseball fan?  Maybe you’ve even played in a game or two?  You know that the only way to win a game of baseball is by rounding the bases and touching home to score.  You need to work as a team, rely on the coaches, and find a way to make it to home. The steps to reaching farm profitability can easily be compared to running the bases and rounding to home in a baseball game.

A baseball player can prepare for different situations when it comes to running bases in a game countless times.   But, how you handle each situation, when it comes to actually running the bases, can make all the difference.

There are many factors that can affect how a player successfully gets to home base; you can easily be distracted by lack of focus or controlling emotions.   A good base runner won’t let a large crowd, the score of a game, what inning you are in, or the competition affect your ability to make a good decision.  Every base runner wants to make it home, and with the help of your team and coaches, good decisions are easily made.

Just like running the bases takes smart and educated decisions, maximizing your farming profitability takes patience, good decision making, and putting trust in the coaches you rely on.

Let’s say you are up to bat; home base is what we will consider “Production”.  This is not only where it all starts, but it is where you have the most control.  Home lets you focus on preparing the field, planting the right seed at the correct depth, nurturing it along the growing season and it is where you take ownership for your business!

Now let’s compare first base to Crop Insurance”.  This is how you can protect your investment, secure revenue and provide peace-of-mind.  You need to make sure you are covered for the unexpected; the thing you can’t control; Mother Nature!

Next you are rounding to second which we call Grain Marketing”.  This is the most difficult job every grower will face.  Utilize Corn Capital Innovation’s experts to help you gain the knowledge that gets the best competitive advantage when it comes to the ever changing market.

Third base is Financial Management and Analysis”.  You may question whether or not this is the appropriate time to buy a newer combine; is it time to invest and expand your acreage?  Again, Corn Capital Innovations can help you figure out your profit margins, manage labor resources and set you up with a secure business plan.

Rounding third and off to home is actually putting all 4 components of farm profitability together. 

Each farmer and farm operation has unique needs and Corn Capital Innovations is the only company providing a total farm business solution.

So remember:  Making your own decisions, while trusting the guidance of the coaches, leads to a score!  Consider Corn Capital Innovations as your coaches; CCI is truly an educational hub of information.

Corn Capital InnovationsIf you want to make smart, educated decisions and round the bases to home, contact us today and we will discuss how the four components of farm profitability can positively impact your farm business.

 

Image by Wednesday Elf

The Top 5 Factors to Producing a Top Crop

The Top 5 Factors to Producing a Top CropHow do you minimize the damage from the more than 1,000 variables that affect the intended performance of every crop? Follow these top 5 factors. It is YOUR key to Protecting Product Performance. See how many you remember.

1. Soil conditions at planting.
Are you willing to stop planting and wait a day or two when conditions aren’t right?

2. Seed placement.
(You can’t have perfect seed placement without having No.1).
Are you planting your corn at 3.8 to 4.2 mph and 2 inches deep?

3. Seed Quality.
Every top crop starts with superior seed quality. It is far more important than genetics.

4. Place the right variety in the right field.
Seventy-five percent of all varieties never yield to their potential because they are planted in the wrong field. Who makes your field by variety decisions for you?

5. Post planting management.
What do you do AFTER the crop is planted? Remember, 75% of yield is dictated after the planter is in the shed. The last 25% is just as important.

Not only are these the top 5 factors to producing a top crop, but they are also listed in order of importance. In addition, each one is affected by the one before it. For example, if you don’t have number one, good soil conditions at planting, you cannot maximize number two, proper seed placement and so on. You will also notice that early planting is not on the list. Are there benefits to planting early?  Yes, when everything else is right and when your goal is to only get a 1%-5% increase in yield. But today our goal is to achieve a 20%-30% increase in yield in a single year and achieving that kind of goal has nothing to do with planting date. Instead, it has everything to do with soil conditions at planting time, regardless of the date the crop is planted. The yield of most crops is determined during the summer and the fall, not the spring. Keep that in mind when your neighbors are the first ones in the field and the first ones done planting. Remember, we harvest our crops in September, October and November, not in April or May. Follow these top 5 factors to producing a top crop and you will produce a top crop.

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