To deliver a best-in-class customer experience focused on solutions that serve farmers, CHS is building a 25,000-ton fertilizer hub in Hallock, Minnesota.
(more…)North & South Dakota
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To deliver a best-in-class customer experience focused on solutions that serve farmers, CHS is building a 25,000-ton fertilizer hub in Hallock, Minnesota.
(more…)Now that you have read at least four different descriptions of the weather this winter and what is expected this spring, I am going to give you a quick fun fact instead to get you started. Then we will dig into Energy!
Did you know the ISS (International Space Station) is going to be decommissioned and sent to a slow crash to the earth. It was first dreamed up in 1984, launched in 1998, and then slowly built on for the past 26 years. The ISS has been home to over 250 crew members and 20 countries were involved in its service. Now it has outlived its life and structural stresses are slowing tearing it apart. NASA says it will start the process to decommission in 2026 and final entry and debris recovery will happen in 2031. What a way to Crash and Burn!
Energy at a Glance:
Thank you for your Patronage and feel free to call the office with any questions you may have.
701-483-5157
Jared Bookhardt, Energy Manager
As I write this article it appears mother nature is still trying to decide which season she wants this week. We can at least be glad that she is leaning towards the warmer side this winter and has decided to pay her portion of the feed bill this year.
The USDA recently released their cattle inventory numbers showing that the total number of cattle and calves is at 87.2 million head. This is the lowest it has been since 1951. The beef cow inventory is at 28.2 million head which is the lowest since 1961. These low inventory numbers and heifer retention down 1.4% in 2023 will hopefully continue to be bullish for the calf market during the next couple years.
As we look forward toward calving and upcoming breeding season, now is the time to analyze both your supplementation and vaccine programs. This is important to make sure you are getting the most pounds you can out of every calf born on your place this spring. This critical period right before calving is the last chance you will have to increase the mineral status of the calf and improve their immune system until they start consuming mineral themselves a few months down the road. In one research project at Oregon State, cows that were supplemented the Availa 4 trace minerals, like are found in our Payback Ultramin Elite line, weaned calves that were 53 pounds heavier than the control group.
On the vaccine side of things, I would also encourage you to take some time and analyze any of the challenges you had last year, whether it be with hoof rot or sick calves. We have many resources within our SWG locations and many supplier partners that can help you troubleshoot those issues and prevent them for the upcoming season. One other issue to also keep in mind is if you have added any new cows into the herd and you are not sure of their previous vaccine program, be very careful introducing them to modified live vaccines. If done at the wrong times, this can cause some open cows or abortions.
Thank you for your business and if there is anything we can do for you please reach out to one of our locations or myself.
Dustin Elkins
Feed & Animal Health Department Manager
Hello SWG friends and producers,
I will start by saying winter is not over! I am writing this on February 6, and we are being reminded by Mother Nature that it is still February and snow is on its way back!
January had to be the most roller coaster month of weather that we have experienced in many years. Starting the new year off in the 40’s to hitting record low temps and wind chills by the second week of the month to tie & break many all-time records. Yikes, brrr and ouch! Temps like that hurt anything that tries to move. It is amazing how cattle, wildlife, and other animals can bear the knife-cutting temps that spear us to the bone. Then two weeks later we are all sporting tee-shirts in the 60+ degree spring-like weather! I was looking up old wives’ tales and folklore on if weather trends like this January could even be predicted. Meteorologists from way back and farmers that follow the weather patterns could predict the severity of a winter, but not a swing like we had that month! We all remember and know the talk about the onion peels, but that typically has to do with moisture amount month by month and needs to be done over New Years. As farmer and ranchers, we always need to be prepared for the changes Mother Nature lays in front of us to dictate our strategy for the day and year ahead.
On to other “business”… Thank you to all producers for the past year of business you brought to SWG. From the beginning of the year selecting and purchasing your needs, to getting the planting season started, the use of the agronomy staff in helping you pick plant nutrients, your seed selection and crop protection, to getting your grain to the local elevators. All of this keeps the spring and summer busy and especially the calm days of spraying, which has become the new recreational sport of farmers. It seems to take the place of a golf outing or an evening baseball game. But that grain bin full of the year’s production is always a good feeling to experience! We do not want to forget those farmers and ranchers that did not get to experience that feeling with the lack of moisture and long dry periods resulting in a below average yield and a higher percentage of cows that did not breed back. We can, and should, thank the cattle industry in helping ranchers receive a nice price for calves and feeders they sold in the last few months. It was a well-deserved victory for the battle ranchers have fought to get a rewarding return for their hard efforts. Thank you for choosing SWG for all your feed, supplements, and vet supplies throughout this past year.
The days are going fast, the daylight is getting longer, and that great season of calving is knocking at the door of ranchers around the countryside. The many years of our March calving season brings back many memories of snow and cold and all-night checks. Let’s not forget the wet straw too. One day, pens are all bedded down with a dry fluffy layer of straw just to have to go out and fork it all again the following day! Ah the daily routine of spreading fresh straw… I cannot wait! Haha! I have to say that the March calving season would not be complete without basketball games to watch weekend after weekend! With a 3 Class Division this year, and including the girls’ games, we have basketball almost all month! Throw in College basketball with March Madness and we have lots of enjoyable games to look forward to as they battle through the brackets to the Final Four and Championships. The talent those men and women display on the court is always something to watch.
As we go into the 2024 season on our farms and ranches, SWG staff and employees in all our departments are looking forward to helping you with all your needs. As the years go by, our operations change, planting intentions & commodity prices fluctuate, but SWG is ready to accommodate those changes to help you achieve the goals you set for the new year.
In closing, I know I may talk about the weather a lot, but I think there are three things that influence our day-to-day decisions in all our operations: Family, health, and weather. As farmers and ranchers, if you are blessed with good health and a happy family, your day-to-day activities, whether it be working with livestock or in the race to get crops planted and harvested, we live in an industry that is totally dictated by the weather! We have to love it! We cannot nor should not dwell on last year, but instead, be ready to start a new season with hope and love for success.
Here is to a great season in 2024! Be safe calving and planting and take time to enjoy the signs of spring. Be sure to thank all the people in your lives and operations for their continued support and the helping hand they offer. And do not forget to take care of each other!
Shane Sickler
SWG Board Chairman
For nearly 90 years, CHS has been synonymous with integrity and community stewardship, rooted in the solid rural values of trust, mutual respect, and doing the right things for the right reasons. Now, continuing in this tradition, CHS is proud to announce an impactful partnership with Nationwide®, aimed at enhancing safety and protection for farmers and ranchers across the nation.
(more…)Strong energy and oilseed processing operations contributed to $522.9 million in first quarter net income
Continued robust soybean meal and soy oil demand drove strong earnings in the CHS oilseed processing business in the company’s first quarter of fiscal year 2024.
CHS Inc., the nation’s leading agribusiness cooperative, today released results for its first quarter ended Nov. 30, 2023. The company reported quarterly net income of $522.9 million compared to $782.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023.
(more…)CHS owners elected seven board members to three-year terms during the cooperative’s 2023 annual meeting held Dec. 7-8 in Minneapolis.
(more…)The CHS Foundation is making a $4.3 million commitment to National FFA over the next three years, the largest gift in the foundation’s 75-year history. The grant will help fund FFA programs in 17 states, provide scholarships for attending conferences and contests, introduce students from all backgrounds to ag careers through the workforce development program, and support the National Association of Ag Educators in attracting ag teachers and building strong teaching programs.
(more…)Net income of $1.9 billion exceeds previous high
Strong operational performance, favorable market conditions deliver increased earnings
Company intends to return $730 million cash to owners in fiscal year 2024
In fiscal year 2023, CHS energy businesses delivered strong earnings, reflecting continued favorable market conditions for refined fuels.
CHS Inc., the nation’s leading agribusiness cooperative, today reported net income of $1.9 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2023, compared to $1.7 billion for fiscal year 2022.
(more…)October is National Co-op Month – a time dedicated to recognizing the value that cooperatives bring to farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. Andrew Schafer, a Washington farmer and member of the CHS SunBasin Growers producer board, describes how being involved with his cooperative has helped his operation.