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From the Board Room

Shane Sickler, SWG Producer Board President

Greetings, from your SWG producer board! I would like to start by welcoming two new board members, Loren Bock and Josh Haugen, to the SWG board of directors!

I look forward to working with them as we navigate another spring planting season.

It’s that time of year again, where sleeping in is not in the picture for the next 8+ months in the ag world.  Long days and long hours are a way of life for farmers and ranchers.  The signs of spring are in full bloom!  Baby calves are running everywhere and, on some farms, kittens darting through straw, and maybe even a new foal running alongside its mom.

Spring has finally arrived!  Now if the temperature would warm up soon so we can ditch the heavy sweatshirts and jackets and chore gloves needed in the early morning only to misplace by the warmer afternoon!  The next morning you start over with another jacket and gloves and before you know it, the coat rack is empty and outwear is scattered across the farm!

Seeders and planters are busy getting crops planted at a fast pace in the western half of the state.  Our long winter of never-ending snow mostly dried up with the help of a lot of windy days.  The water supply for dams is a nice start for area ranchers.  It will be nice to get pairs out to green pastures soon.  We do have to deal with Old Man Winter’s effect on a lot of fences, thanks to that heavy wet snow that snapped a lot of wires.  A lot of us will be spending a fair amount of time out on the prairie doing fence repair!

SWG is very busy getting the nutrients spread in the fields and the staff at the fertilizer plants are working hard to keep up with the demand of the producers’ needs.  It seems as though it has been non-stop as someone is always there getting anhydrous or dry fertilize.  Thank you to all the employees for putting in long hours as well, to fulfil everyone’s needs. As Memorial Day fast approaches, please be safe getting your crops in and as you work cattle during branding and hauling to pastures.  Take some time to take a break over the holiday weekend and enjoy some family time.  Thank you for being a loyal customer and patron of SWG.  We truly appreciate your business. Remember to stay safe, healthy, and grateful, and take care of each other!