His Passion Knows No Age

By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

William "Bill" Taylor loves to work on the land. He awakes early every morning to continue his passion of farming that started when he was a young boy in the 1930’s.

Taylor, now 93, has lived near Manhattan his entire life besides the three years he served in World War II until he was honorably discharged from the military in December of 1945.

Taylor drove a halftrack (a vehicle with wheels in front for steering and tracks in the back) and saw many battles first hand during World War II including D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Taylor was deeply moved by his war experience, but does not talk about his combat experiences much.

Born in Manhattan in 1921 and raised near Wamego, Taylor described his childhood as typical of that of a Depression-era family. "My parents did a little farming but it was tough," Taylor says.

As hard as his rural life might have been, he enjoyed it enough to pursue a career of farming and raising cattle. "I love the cattle," Taylor says. "Always have and always will."

Taylor says one of the best parts about his chosen livelihood is that he is his own boss and noted the weather and government regulations have been the most difficult to work with.

After returning from the war, Taylor met Lorna, a farm girl from Wheaton, Kansas. They married in 1948 and are still together today. The Taylor’s have one son, two grandsons and five great-grandchildren.

Returning to the Farm
 After returning home from the war in 1945, the G.I. Bill provided Taylor with a loan to start a farm of his own. But Taylor couldn’t find an inch of farm ground. He did the next best and got a job at the Kansas State University Agronomy Farm. It was there Taylor learned a lot about farming. "I read whatever I could get my hands on to learn," he says.

After discovering he could draw funds from the G.I. Bill for four more years if he was actively engaged in farming, he contacted the farmer he worked for in high school. "The gentlemen sold me half of his cowherd and some machinery on a note," Taylor said. "After four years, I was eager to find more land. I ended my ties with my boss and was out on my own."

In 1949, Taylor became a member of the Farmers Union Cooperative. "Our landlords were members, so [we] became members too," he says. Taylor recalls the local service station in Manhattan with the Farmers Union Co-op grain elevator beside it. "We picked up our feed there, got our flat tires fixed and delivered grain," he says. "It was similar to what we see today, just quite a bit smaller."

On the Land Today
 A co-op member for 65 years, Taylor and Lorna recalled memories of attending the cooperative’s annual meetings in Manhattan.

To Taylor, the co-op has always been there. "It has been about convenience and good service," he says. "I grew up in the system so I guess you could say I don’t know any better."

As a long-time co-op member, Taylor was eager to attend the informational meetings prior to the merger of Farmers Cooperative Association and MKC. "At my old age I have seen many things change," Taylor said. "The merger and the co-op’s growth is a good change."

Farming alongside his grandson, Taylor says it takes a lot of time and resources to keep their operation running today. Taylor added he appreciates the expertise they receive from MKC.

When talking about the future, Taylor looks forward to getting ready to plant next year’s corn and soybean crops and watching his cattle finish out. "I have no plans to retire until I am called away," he says.

Five Tips for Winterizing Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines

With cold weather upon us, learn what steps you should take to prepare your vehicles for winter.

 

Tip 1: Treat the fuel.

When preparing your fleet or ag equipment for winter, one of the most commonly overlooked items is the fuel itself. Fuel needs to be winterized, especially if the equipment will be used throughout the winter.

 

Paraffin wax is present in all diesel fuels as a natural lubricity agent. Like any wax, as the ambient temperature of the fuel drops, the wax begins to form large square-shaped structures. These can come out of suspension and cause fuel to gel, which clogs the fuel filter.

 

To prevent gelling, use a cold-flow improver (CFI) that includes de-icers and wax anti-settling agents, which extend the operability of the fuel. But don’t overtreat. Additional treatments of CFI are more likely to inhibit the fuel’s performance than help.

 

A second option is to use a diesel fuel specially formulated for low temperatures, such as Cenex winterized premium diesel fuels. Cold-flow improvers, de-icers and wax anti-settling agents are included in the additive packages for these fuels.

 

Tip 2: Drain the water separator and replace filters.

Water in the fuel system can reduce engine performance and damage components like fuel pumps and injectors. Avoid these issues by replacing water-absorbing filters and draining the water separator regularly. Fuel gelling can be an issue, but it’s water turning to ice in fuel storage tanks and filtration that typically plugs filters during the first couple of cold snaps.

 

Fill fuel and hydraulic oil tanks full to prevent condensation from forming during temperature and humidity changes.

 

Tip 3: Check the coolant system.

Regular preventive maintenance will reveal any issues before they become major problems. Check for radiator leaks, plugged or hardened hoses, and cracked belts. Tighten any loose hose clamps. Check coolant levels and antifreeze strength.

 

Tip 4: Prepare the Battery

Old Man Winter can drain batteries quickly. If a battery is close to the end of a typical 48- to 72-month cycle, replace it. Clean battery terminals and be sure connections are tight. If equipment will be stored over the winter, disconnect battery ground cables to prevent battery drain.

 

Tip 5: Clean and inspect the exterior.

Use a high-pressure washer to remove dirt, dust and residue, and grease unpainted metal parts to protect them from the elements. Then apply a wax to the surface, which will help repel snow, salt and road chemicals. Use a lanolin-based spray-on protectant to prevent rust and corrosion.

Duane Johnson Seeks Re-election to MKC Board of Directors

Three positions on the MKC Board of Directors will be decided by a vote of the membership at the 49th Annual Stockholders' Meeting on July 24. Incumbent, Duane Johnson is seeking re-election to District 2.



Johnson operates a diversified dry land and irrigated farm located between Lindsborg and Marquette. The main crops raised are wheat, milo, soybeans and feed for livestock. He also has a cow-calf operation. Duane previously served as chairman of the Farmers Union Elevator board at Lindsborg, and on the MKC Board of Directors from 2000 to 2009. He was re-elected to the MKC Board of Directors in 2011. Other activities have included Farm Bureau board, township board, church board and 4-H activities.  He served as secretary on MKC's board of directors in 2006 and 2007, vice-chairman in 2008 and 2009 and served on several committees.

Helping Farmers Manage Risk

By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

Risk is an unavoidable element in the business of agriculture. Production can vary widely year to year due to unforeseen weather and market conditions, causing wide swings in commodity prices. But risk, while inevitable, is often manageable.

Following a storm this past June, McPherson area farmer Dennis Friesen saw green snap damage like he had never seen before. After the area received 80-90 mph winds, he soon discovered the risk management decisions he had made with TMA and MKC were bound to improve his return on his investment.

After looking over his fields following the storm, Friesen immediately called his TMA Crop Insurance Specialist, Danny Flynn. Within three days, the totaled corn field was chopped and a short-season corn was planted. “Very quickly Dennis was able to collect insurance, protect his revenue and pursue another crop,” Flynn said.

Once he received word the corn crop was 70 to 80 percent damaged, Friesen worked with Dusty Campbell, TMA grain marketing specialist, to make sure he would be okay on his marketing strategy.

Danny Flynn, crop insurance specialist for TMA, discusses

risk management strategies for 2014 with Dennis Friesen.

TMA provides producers with a multitude of risk management offerings that can be customized to fit their operations. The array of risk management strategies available to producers allows the opportunity to place their attention on making buying and selling decisions based off timing and profitability instead of price.

“There are a number of tools available and widely used to manage the economic, structural and environmental risks of farming,” said Devin Schierling, TMA grain marketing manager.

Schierling says the local cooperative plays an integral role in assisting customers manage their crop input risk, just as the TMA specialist focuses on maximizing revenue through grain marketing and crop insurance decisions.  “This approach allows our producers to focus on the timing of their marketing decisions,” he said.

“Depending upon their needs, producers will have the ability to manage their farm’s risk in multiple crop years by using traditional forward cash contracts, option based contracts, and over-the-counter contracts,” Schierling said. “TMA provides producers with a multitude of risk management offerings that can be customized to fit their operations and grain contracts as the vehicle to help them maximize their revenue potential.”

Although farms vary widely with respect to crop mix, financial situation and other business, timing and looking at trends is the most important part of creating a successful risk management plan. Schierling encourages producers to focus on their farm as an enterprise to allow them to make decisions based off revenue and not from an individual price perspective.

While producers often take the steps necessary to manage their risk, there are times when it certainly pays off and the producer learns first-hand just how important managing risk is to their operation.

Friesen stated it was reassuring to have the specialists there to help make sure he was taking the appropriate steps to make the insurance claim correctly.

“Dusty and Danny worked together, and we worked with Jared Jones right away to check availability of seed,” Friesen said. “I won’t find this type of customer service with other companies.”

While crop insurance is the most ubiquitous risk management tool used by farmers - 86 percent of total planted acres in 2012 were insured – there are other tools many farmers use as well.

“Agricultural practices, marketing and financial strategies are all critical in helping producers manage their risk,” said Jared Jones, MKC field marketer. “The TMA and MKC relationship provides numerous avenues for producers to manage their risk.”

The risk management services at MKC include programs such as MKC’s risk 12-month forward contracting on fuel, crop protection and nutrient products, and the double-crop soybean revenue program.

Friesen says he regularly works with TMA and MKC specialists to manage risk.

According to Jones, the moment a producer decides to plant, the risk management cycle begins. TMA and MKC work together to determine inputs, crop insurance and the ability to market grain.

Friesen stated risk management is a continuous cycle working with his insurance specialist, grain marketing specialist and field marketer. “It all works really well together,” he stated.

 “Every one of our producer’s definition of a successful risk management plan is different,” Flynn said. “Plans will change depending upon the customer’s operation but the focus is always on maximizing our producer’s revenue potential.”

Farmers Cooperative Association seeks membership approval to merge with MKC

By Kerry Watson, Director of Communications

The board of directors of Farmers Cooperative Association of Manhattan has unanimously approved to take a proposal to their membership to merge with MKC.

Over the past two years, directors for Farmers Cooperative met with five cooperatives to determine which organization could provide the greatest benefits to the co-op and its members.

"We are looking forward to working with MKC," said Hal Mayer, Chairman of Farmers Cooperative Board of Directors. "We share the same core values and MKC's attention to detail in the area of customer service is outstanding. Members from these two cooperatives should greatly benefit from us working together."

Currently, MKC's furthest northeast location is in Abilene and serves customers in Dickinson, Ottawa, Clay and Geary counties. Noting the proximity between the two co-ops' locations and the similar profiles of their producers, CJ Blew, MKC's Board Chairman commented the merger, if approved, would be a natural fit. "This is also an opportunity for members from both organizations to insure the relevance and viability of their ownership in the cooperative system for generations to come."

With four locations in Alta Vista, Manhattan, Onaga and Westmoreland, Farmers Cooperative is a full-service cooperative with annual sales of $50 million. They offer grain, feed, agronomy and energy products and services to 2,000 members in five counties.

MKC and Farmers Cooperative are currently developing the required merger documents to be approved by both boards. A vote by Farmers Cooperative membership will be required to approve the merger and is expected to occur next spring.

MKC employees help each other in time of need

By Nichole Gouldie, Communications Specialist

To give employees an opportunity to support their colleagues in times of crisis, MKC allows employees to donate a portion of their vacation time. The donated vacation time is then turned into a monetary donation to the employee in need.

On September 30, a member of the Burns team suffered a heart attack a few hours after she got home from work and passed away unexpectedly.

"Clella Kellogg was working as a counter specialist at Burns and was an energetic, hardworking employee who could put a smile on everyone’s face like few others," said Matt Porter, Burns location manager. In addition to her husband who drives truck locally, Kellogg left behind three children at home, two of which are disabled and require unique schooling and medical attention.

Through email, Porter asked everyone to please consider donating vacation time in Kellogg’s name. Eighty employees responded and within 24 hours a significant donation was raised for the family.

"When I delivered the check to Clella’s husband and children, I explained how MKC employees pulled together to help out their family," Porter said. "They were very grateful and appreciative before they opened the check, and were speechless and emotional after opening the check. The entire family was overcome with a sense of relief and gratitude."

Porter said until that point the family was unsure how they would pay for the funeral services. "Mr. Kellogg told me the donation from MKC’s employees gave their family peace of mind since they did not have to worry about putting food on the table or returning to work before they were ready," he said.

"I was personally blown away by the generosity of our company and made me very appreciative to be working for a company that treats all employees like family," Porter said.