The Only Sure Thing Is Change
By Brooke Brunsvig, Feed Sales Consultant
Having to work between many rain events this summer has not seemed much less hectic than the spring. However, the grass is green across a majority of the state! The moisture is also helping keep the fly population strong, so don’t let up on whichever type or types of fly control you are implementing. Thankfully, I haven’t heard of a lot of pink eye troubles, but keep an eye out and talk to your vet about grabbing a swab to culture and vaccinating for some extra protection.
Be aware as weaning comes around that we may see some residual effects of the spring stress on the calves and potentially even the cows. We may have to put extra effort into a smooth transition off of mom and into receiving calves from the spring into the feedlot.

On the cow side, cover crops are constantly gaining interest. It’s not too late to plant a mixture to extend grazing this fall or possibly to turn out on in the spring. Start making notes and evaluating your grazing system and pasture management. With variable weather and ever hard to come by pasture, the addition of cover crops, rotational, or strip grazing may prove helpful to your operation’s bottom line. Aspects of these management strategies are quickly realized, but much of the benefit is long term soil health and future productivity.

From mineral and TMRs to fly control and grazing management, constant evaluation and adaptation is essential.
Fall Fertility
By Maddy Rabenhorst, Precision Ag Manager
I know it’s only August and it seems we’ve finally made it through the brunt of this season, but harvest will be here sooner than we think and it’s never too early to start planning for the 2019 growing season.

For your fall fertility needs, CFC offers a variable rate fertilizer program called Crop Max Technology (CMT).
CMT involves grid sampling a field and creating proprietary variable rate fertilizer recommendations for the major crop nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. CMT also focuses on correcting soil pH by creating variable rate soil amendment recommendations with lime and gypsum. Balanced soil pH is an important part of soil health and fertility. Soil pH should be around 6.5 for corn and soybean production. If the pH is higher or lower than 6.5, soil nutrients become tied up and unavailable to the plant. If soil pH is not addressed, broadcasted fertilizer that is applied year after year will not be 100% effective. With the current grain markets, CFC wants to ensure the dollars you are spending are being spent in the right areas of your field. CMT allows us to do that. On average, fields enrolled in our CMT program aren’t applying any more fertilizer than if you were broadcasting. Essentially, we are applying roughly the same amounts of fertilizer, but we are putting them in the right place.

If you’ve never heard about our CMT program or want to learn more, please feel free to reach out to myself or your local CFC agronomist . The more proactive we are together the easier we can plan for the 2019 growing season.

Thank you for your business and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of summer!
Are You Ready For August 10th?
By Kayla McMackin, Originator
Whether you are planning on cleaning out bins before harvest, or holding old crop in anticipation of higher prices, harvest is coming… and there is still a substantial amount of grain to be sold.

Over the last week we have seen some good pricing opportunities come about.
Corn has been between $3.25 - $3.31 cash for spot and harvest delivery. Soybeans jumped 27 cents on Tuesday after reports said China and the US were talking (bringing the old crop cash price back above $8.00 for the first time since June 22nd), but then returned most of those gains on Wednesday losing 17 cents as it was announced the US was discussing increasing the proposed 10% tariff on $200 billion Chinese goods to 25%. Soybean basis levels have significantly weakened across the country over the last few weeks, and this is likely to continue in the absence of a trade resolution. Corn basis has held steady but, with the USDA conducting crop tours and yield estimates prior to the August 10th WASDE Report, it will be important to monitor basis between now and harvest to assure you do not miss any opportunity to lock in basis before it widens.

With a good amount of old crop still left in the bins, trade uncertainty, and an assumed good new crop on the way in, it is important to take advantage of marketing opportunities and lock in good prices for the grain you will be delivering before or during harvest while you can.

Pricing opportunities leave as fast as they arrive. Contact your CFC originator to work through your marketing plan, price targets, and set basis on open and new contracts.