farming success

Give Yourself a Special Gift this Holiday Season

The Gift of Time

AgVenture Pinnacle - Happy HolidayYou can relate to the memorable moments that took place in farming this past year. During this holiday season we encourage all of you to give yourself a special gift, the gift of some time out.

Time out to reflect on this past year and acknowledge what went well for you, the opportunities you created and the wins you’ve had. The gift of this time is the opportunity to look forward, and design what you want for your farm for the next year.

Ask Yourself…

 

We’d like to help you plan for success.  We are AgVenture Pinnacle of Olivia, online at avpinnacle.com.

Happy Holiday’s from the AgVenture Pinnacle Team in Olivia, MN!

Farming in an Industry of Doing 1,000 Things 1% Better

Life tends to be a road of continuing education.  Farming is the same way.

Farming is not an industry of doing one thing a thousand percent better.  It’s an industry of doing a thousand things one percent better.

That’s where we come in.  We understand that farmers work with very tight profit margins……there’s little room for error.  We help you implement improvements in each area of your operation.  When those improvements are done together….it improves your bottom line.

Educational Hub

Key to Success in Farming

 

Corn Capital Innovations is an educational hub for producers to be constantly challenged and informed on how to break yield barriers each and every year.  Learn more about Corn Capital Innovations and how we can help develop a continuing education program for your farm.  It’s the key to success in farming!

Check us out on Facebook or contact our team – give us a call at (320) 523-2252.  We’re Corn Capital Innovations of Olivia….a great hand in farming.

Observations From the Combine – 2014 Year In Review

What observations did you make from your combine or tractor this year? Steve and I asked ourselves this very question. After some thought, we wrote this year in review highlighting the factors that we felt had the most influence on the 2014 growing season and the importance of starting a cropping plan for 2015.

Challenging Planting Season

2014 CCI ReviewThe 2014 planting season was challenging to say the least. Farmers had a limited number of days to get this year’s crop planted due to spring rains and cool weather. The majority of corn fields in our area were planted between May 16th to May 19th and from May 22nd to May 26th. Soil conditions during planting season continue to be the number one factor to producing a top crop.

This later than normal planting window left little time for corn plants to establish their roots before the soil was inundated with heavy rain fall in June. In many parts of our growing area this was the highest rainfall amounts farmers have seen since 1993.

After the rains finally stopped, farmers carried through late June and early July with soils so saturated that many weren’t able to get spraying applications completed before the corn was too tall. While the temperature remained moderate, the majority of the corn was pollinated during the last week of July into the first week of August. After pollination, several areas went some time without receiving any additional rain; leaving poorly developed roots unable to establish nutrient movement and feed the plant adequately. Areas that missed the heavy rains in June, or received rains in August, fared much better.

Heavy Rainfall & Stressed Crops

The higher than average amount of rainfall area farmers received in June, caused the crop’s nutrient demands to be out of reach for the plant’s roots. Soil nitrate samples taken in mid-July showed that this year’s crop had little to no nitrogen left in the rooting zone, while the corn plants were still calling for 50% of their nitrogen needs.

Difficult conditions continued when several fields were hit with a widespread frost on Sept 13th. Initially, it was not categorized as a yield affecting frost. Later, it was discovered that this frost may have affected the crop to a much larger degree.

In low lying areas of fields, where corn plants were fighting all year with saturated roots, there was a delayed development of these plants. These already stressed plants were then hit with a frost event that created a double whammy, depriving bushels in areas of the fields that are usually the highest producing areas on the farm.

Yield Results & Staying Positive

What we have witnessed this fall is 1000 variables created by one major element in crop production that being excessive rainfall. As farmers look back at the 2014 Harvest, it is obvious that yields were directly correlated to the production capabilities of each piece of ground and how that piece handled excessive water and stressful conditions. Having a good risk strategy made all the difference in agronomic decisions this growing season.

After a challenging 2014, it is important for farmers to focus on the positives; the successes of their operations this year, and capitalize on those successes in 2015. When you make production decisions in low yield environments, the opposite tends to occur the next year. Don’t be reactive, be proactive!

2015 Planning Starts Now!

Now’s the time to focus on farm planning for 2015. Next year will be different, with lower prices; farmers must focus on increased crop production to lower break evens. When presented production challenges tied to adverse market prices, a written plan and a positive attitude will minimize the emotions of making poor decisions. Contact the Corn Capital Innovation Team; we have the knowledge and resources needed to help you plan to achieve a successful farming operation in 2015.

Do you have any additional thoughts on 2014? Have you started planning for 2015?

Farming is like a Four Leaf Clover…But Luck Has Nothing to do with it!

You might be wondering, what does a four leaf clover stand for if not luck? Well a four leaf clover needs all of its leaves to be complete. They all play an equal part in making up the clover. Farming also has four components, each of equal importance. Let’s review these four components of farming and how they contribute to a successful farm operation.

Four Components of Farm Profitability

  1. Four Components of Farm Profitability Production – the leaf closest to the stem. Production is where it all starts, and where you have the most control. This is the part of farming when you focus on preparing the field, planting the right seed at the correct depth, nurturing it along the growing season and taking ownership for your business!
  2. Crop Insurance – the leaf directly above production. This leaf protects your investment, secures revenue, and provides peace-of-mind. You need to make sure that your clover, or farm operation, is covered for the unexpected; the thing you can’t control; Mother Nature!
  3. Grain Marketing – the remaining top leaf. Grain marking is the most challenging job farmers will face. Utilize Corn Capital Innovations’ experts to help you gain the knowledge that gets the best competitive advantage when it comes to the ever changing market. Remain on top!
  4. Financial Management and Analysis – the final bottom leaf. Should you purchase that new piece of equipment or consider expanding your acreage? Corn Capital Innovations can help you figure out your profit margins, manage labor resources, and set you up with a secure business plan.

Maximize Your Farming Profitability

Success in farming doesn’t happen because of luck! Unlike a four leaf clover, you have the ability to make educated decisions and maximize your farming profitability. Every farmer and farming operation is unique, just like each four leaf clover in the field. Corn Capital Innovations provides a total farm business solution that can help meet those needs.

Let Corn Capital Innovations be the stem to your four leaf clover, our team is an educational hub that feeds the four components of farm profitability. Complete the form below and we will contact you to discuss how we can help positively impact your farm business. Or contact us anytime.