Missed the 2019 CHS Owners Forum in your area? Tune in for the CHS Owners Forum webinar Friday, June 28, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. CT, to hear business updates from CHS leadership including CHS President and CEO Jay Debertin. We will also take a look at industry trends and ask for your input on how we can make connections that support long-term success. Register here.
By Annette Bertelsen, from Spring 2019 C magazine
What happens when the world’s biggest buyer suddenly backs away from U.S. soybeans? That’s been a question on everyone’s mind since July 6, 2018, when the United States implemented China-specific tariffs. The move embroiled U.S. farmers and cooperatives in a trade war that hit the soybean world particularly hard. Spring USDA data shows 2018–2019 soybean export inspections down nearly 34 percent from the year before, with farms and cooperatives struggling to handle huge carryover and reduced cash flow.
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Weed issues seem to grow every year, which is why we now offer a superior surfactant to boost herbicide performance. CHS Level Best® was introduced in 2018. In its first year it was applied to more than 1 million acres of farmland, receiving strongly positive reviews from farmers and applicators.
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Whether your spring to-do list includes building a fence or planting trees – breaking ground should always be done with caution. April is National Safe Digging Month so remember, your best line of defense before digging is to call 811, a free service that marks underground utilities and pipelines. Many of these are less than a foot underground.
The process is simple: Call 811 or visit clickbeforeyoudig.com three days before a digging project, wait for underground utilities to be marked and don’t dig within two feet of those markers.
It’s best to call 811 any time you break ground, even if you think you know where a utility line is located. “In the U.S., an underground utility is hit every nine minutes, causing dangerous consequences,” says Tina Beach, public awareness specialist for CHS. “It takes a lifetime to build a farm, and it takes just one free call to keep it safe.”
By Mimi Falkman, senior marketing specialist, CHS Lubricants
Planting season is always a busy time of year on the farm, but it can be especially tight when winter overstays its welcome. A short spring means there’s even less time than usual for farmers to complete some of the most important work of the year.
During a condensed planting season, equipment is under added stress because it needs to work overtime to meet demands. To keep machines protected and operating at peak performance during a shorter spring, farmers can set themselves up for success by preparing their equipment and fluids while the fields are still wet.
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CHS Inc. reported net income of $248.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2019 and $596.3 million for the first six months of fiscal 2019.
“Our strong performance in the second quarter reflects our hard work at serving our owners and other customers better. We’ve refocused on serving our customers and improving our operations, and that has shown positive results in our financials for the first half of fiscal 2019,” said Jay Debertin, CHS president and chief executive officer. “Our performance also reflects the benefit of a diverse platform across business units that serves our cooperative and farmer-owners.”
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Grain powers American agriculture. During Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week, March 25 through 29, we want to remind everyone working on farms and in grain-handling facilities to respect and understand the risks associated with working with grain.
“It’s important to continue to work with the industry, our employees and our farmer-owners on the hazards in the grain industry, while stressing safe practices and controls to ensure their safety,” says Matt Surdick, manager, Country Operations Environment, Health and Safety, CHS.
Stand-Up for Grain Safety Week was organized by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, the American Feed Industry Association and the Grain Handling Safety Coalition.
The groups remind us to remember five steps to grain safety:
Moving or flowing grain acts like quicksand and can bury a person in seconds. From the time an auger starts, a person has two to three seconds to react. In four to five seconds, a person is trapped. In 22 seconds or less, the person is completely covered by grain. Grain bin incidents often result in multiple fatalities because coworkers improperly attempt rescue procedures and become engulfed themselves.
“Following procedures, evaluating your surroundings, using proper equipment and ensuring constant communication are keys to entering and exiting a grain bin or silo safely,” Surdick says. “Do it the right way, every time.”
Be aware of bridging grain, which occurs when grain clumps together due to moisture or mold. These conditions can create an empty space beneath the grain as it is unloaded, which means it can collapse unexpectedly or under a person’s weight. Do not enter a bin when there is a bridging condition, or if grain is built up on the side of the bin.
Always monitor the atmosphere inside bins for dangerous changes. Make sure there two people are always present when working in bins and maintain communications between the attendant outside the bin and the person inside the bin.
Never move grain into or out of a bin while someone is inside. Lockout/tagout all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic equipment that presents a danger, particularly grain-moving equipment.
A bin of grain may seem harmless, but in just seconds, that harmless grain can claim a life. Please be safe and share these messages with anyone working with grain.
People in rural communities live surrounded by growing food, but they experience hunger too. That’s why CHS is once again teaming up with local farmers to fight hunger in rural America. The CHS Harvest for Hunger food, grain and fund drive begins March 1 and continues through March 20 at your nearest CHS location.
“We might never know that the neighbor across the road or down the drive struggles to put food on the table, but through our efforts this month, we can make sure those local food shelves can anonymously help those who need it most,” says Rick Dusek, executive vice president, CHS Country Operations. “For nine years now, our CHS employees and farmer-owners have stepped up during this annual campaign to help local and regional food shelves feed those in need.”
Since 2011, CHS has raised more than $5.6 million and 3.6 million pounds of food through its Country Operations business units. CHS locations across the United States have organized ways to get farmer, ranchers, employees and community members involved in fun and interactive ways to raise food and funds to fight hunger.
Financial donations are encouraged as they give food banks additional buying power to provide nutritious food at deeply discounted rates; $1 equals 6 pounds of food for area food banks. But food and grain donations are also accepted. Every donation counts.
“All the food, money and grain raised by CHS Harvest for Hunger goes directly back to local and regional food banks to help fill their shelves,” Dusek says. “This way, we can help those in need by ensuring those organizations dedicated to fighting rural hunger have the resources they need to make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Stop by or contact your nearest CHS location to learn how you can support CHS Harvest for Hunger.
By Nanci Lilja, President, CHS Foundation
When most people think of agriculture, they wonder how we are going to feed the growing population of 9.6 billion by 2050. And while that’s an important question to consider, I find myself thinking more often about the individuals needed to fill the talent pipeline to feed that growing population.
With nearly 4 in 10 agriculture jobs going unfilled each year and the average-age of farmers ever increasing, it’s going to take a pragmatic, creative approach to encourage young people to pursue careers in agriculture.
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CHS has completed the acquisition of West Central Distribution, LLC, a full-service wholesale distributor of agronomy products headquartered in Willmar, Minnesota.
“Completing the acquisition of West Central demonstrates our commitment to provide more of the products, services and technologies cooperatives, retailers and our farmer-owners need to compete,” said Gary Halvorson, senior vice president, CHS Agronomy. “Ownership of West Central expands our agronomy platform, positions CHS as a leading supply partner to cooperatives and retailers serving growers throughout the United States and adds value for CHS owners.”
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