CONTINUED EDUCATION

         By Scott Docherty

It sure seems like we are in an ever changing environment and that the rate of change is accelerating at an ever faster pace. Topflight Grain understands that we need to keep growing and changing to be a leader in our industry and offer good reliable service to you our patrons.

Topflight Grain will rely on making sound business decisions and continued education to work through this ever changing environment.  The Topflight staff has attended IL Grain and Feed Association meetings concerning marketing, energy, aeration and ground pile management.  Eric Clements and Brock Casteel are involved with the GEAPS organization and have attended meetings on new equipment and safety.  We have staff members attend educational workshops sponsored by Midco on marketing and hedging gaining a better understanding of futures and options. Chuck and I attended CoBank’s customer meeting educating ourselves on the status of our economy and the Fed tightening our interest rates. CoBank also offered a session on hiring and developing future business leaders in our industry. Chuck and I also had a great learning session on the influences and different traits of working with traditionalists, baby boomers, generation Xers and the latest of Millennial generation. Topflight Grain Coop will continue to hold safety educational meetings concerning lockout tag out, CPR, and fall protection for our staff. Topflight Grain Coop continues to have grain grading classes directed by Champaign Grain Inspection service to help our staff be as fair and consistent as possible when grading your corn and soybeans.  Topflight Grain Coop has a dedicated staff and they understand the value of continued education so they can grow and bring value to our customers.

Topflight Grain Coop has offered several customer meetings this past winter also. Derrick Bruhn and Jason Geppert offered marketing and crop insurance meetings throughout our territory helping customers with the complexities of insurance coverage.  Topflight held farmer discovery meetings gathering information from our producers that will help in our long range planning and help us understand what services and programs are important to you.  Topflight offered a women’s program in Cisco this year offering a variety of speakers ranging from an Extension Master Gardener to Decatur Memorial Hospital checking your bone density. Your Board of Directors will use the discovery meeting information at their Board retreat to review and help them make decisions on the direction of your company. Your input is important to us so if you have a question, concern or comment, make sure you pass it along to me or another staff member and we will address it as soon as possible. We all need to continue to grow and learn together.

Topflight Grain Coop feels that through our continued education and learning we will be able to offer reliable, efficient products and services that will make your life easier! Topflight Grain will try to exceed the level of what you expect to be a leader in our industry and this is a reflection of the strength and support of our customers.

Topflight Grain Coop continues to grow as we are building 2-105 ft diameter bins and working on expanding 2 rail sidings. This will add 1.4 million bushels of storage bringing the company’s total capacity to 24 million bushels. We continue to pick corn up off the ground that is in temporary storage and load out corn that was in emergency storage. Rising energy cost is one of my biggest concerns as we move into another calendar year squeezing margins and forcing us to become more efficient. 

As you are getting ready for a busy Spring season, I would like to leave you with this thought. Everyone has the basic need of feeling like our life’s work is appreciated and matters. In an instant the words of praise you speak or write could last a lifetime! I appreciate your hard work and thank you for your business.

 

NEWS FROM EMERY

         By Sandy Davenport    

As I write this article, I have to look at the calendar to make sure the date is really March 24^th.  On my way to work, I saw daffodils popping up through the snow.  In just 1 week’s time, we went from a devastating tornado in the area, to a blizzard.  Only in Illinois!

     Again, Emery has been busy this winter shipping corn and beans to Decatur.  We have offered free DP on corn and beans, but only as space is available.  Seems like I had to be away from Emery several days this winter, but I never had to worry about things in the office.  I would like to thank Sharon Brown for filling in for me and doing such a good job.

     Charlie is busy outside doing everything that needs to be done so that we can ship and receive grain.  Sometimes I think we all take it for granted how well that Emery can ship and receive grain.  We don’t stop and think what all Charlie does to make it all run so smoothly.  When I am really busy in the office, going in 4 different directions, I have a pity party for myself until I look out the window and see Charlie working in rain, sleet, snow and temperatures from 5 degrees to 95 degrees. Oh, can’t forget the wind along with everything else!  I see that Charlie has been working on the mower, so spring is surely just around the corner.

     With planting just a few weeks away, it means one thing, HARVEST!  This year Emery is requiring that all trucks coming across the scale have the farm code of the farm that the grain is coming from, visible so that the scale attendants can see it.  Some farmers have the dry erase boards attached to the bed of their trucks; others have signs posted in their windows.  In the past years, people have been good to call me and let me know where the next truck is coming from, but that doesn’t really help the scale attendant if she isn’t familiar with the trucks or drivers.  If each truck has the farm code visible, there is less chance of mistakes.  If you need a list of your farm codes, please call the Emery office and I will be glad to help you.  I even have pieces of cardboard if you need them.

     Jerry and I spent the winter going to Parkland College and Maroa-Forsyth boys’ basketball games and of course, I watched the Illini.  All 3 had a good season, but the Maroa-Forsyth boys were especially fun to watch.  Quite an accomplishment to finish 3^rd in the state!  Now, I am getting ready to put lawn chairs in the trunk for softball and baseball season.  Our 5 year old grandson, Max, starts baseball this year.  Our 11-year-old grandson, Devvon doesn’t play baseball, football is his sport.  Jerry has the camper ready to go, so as soon as there is a nice weekend forecasted, we will probably take it to Weldon Springs.  In May, we are going to Colorado for a week.  Not taking the camper, we have rented a cabin in Estes Park.

     Charlie and I hope that everyone has a safe planting season and a great summer!

GREETINGS FROM LAPLACE

         By Vanessa Stinson

This has been a slower than normal winter, with Topflight not being able to offer free DP until later in January. Now that we have opened it up, things are picking up.  We’re getting corn and beans in off of the farm, and the quality is looking good. We have been shipping grain out of the satellite locations as well as out of LaPlace.  We have a lot of grain to move before the next crop comes on.

In January, our oldest daughter, Gretchen, moved to Port St. John , Florida, which is near Kennedy Space center on the Atlantic side. She works for a chiropractor and loves it. Our middle daughter, Ashley, still lives at home and works for an opthomologist in Decatur and takes classes at Richland. Nicolle is finishing her sophomore year at Eastern. She is working on being a P.E. teacher for the handicapped. Keith and I are looking forward to the summer months so that we can enjoy camping and fishing.

Mark has been active in his church activities and the Reach Prison Ministry.  .He is also enjoying his granddaughter Mackenzie. He is looking forward to spring and the warmer weather.

We at LaPlace wish you all a safe  planting season. Have a great summer.

 

GREETINGS FROM ATWOOD

by Russel Wright

January 1, 2006, began a new era for myself and Topflight Grain. I moved to the Atwood location on that date from Pierson. After rearranging the office, Chuck came down and set up my printers, so I could write checks and contracts from this location. A few days later the first check written at Atwood in a long time (since before Topflight became a company) was issued. We feel this will be a good move, as the Atwood customers had to come to Pierson or call, to sell grain. Bill Dirks is still the outside man here, but will be flexible to help out at other locations when the need arises. About everyday, after the popcorn is made and the coffee is on, a few of the local customers stop by and check the markets, catch up on the local news, or just to see what is happening with Topflight. I’m meeting more and more of the Atwood customers 

Since the January weather was exceptional, we took in all of the farm stored non-gmo soybeans and regular beans that were to be delivered. Now that we are offering free DP on corn until June 30, a few, weather permitting, are hauling in. As always I want to thank the truckers for keeping the grain hauled away.

I can’t believe that our oldest grandson, Zac, is going to be in the second grade next fall. Already he is looking forward to the bowling outing sponsored by Topflight, and all the other “neat things” they get to do. Next fall the two granddaughters, Tatum and Kady will be in kindergarten. Look out teachers, what one won’t think of, the other one will. Our youngest grandchild, Kendyl, will be one year old in May. Time sure flies when you’re having fun, so they say.  I don’t want to forget Tyler and Colin Auth, Tyler is finishing up his sophomore year, while Colin will graduate from the eighth grade.  Debby and I are looking forward to all the summer fun with all the grandkids.

Bill and his wife Lisa purchased a German Shepherd dog from Germany. No they didn’t go to Germany, but they did go to Indianapolis to pick her up. Then a few days later took the dog to Bolingbrook to get her bred by one of the finest of the breed. They will have puppies for sale sometime in the near future. If you are in the market for a good dog, give Bill a call.

If you’re in the Atwood area, or an Atwood customer, please stop by.  There is a pot of coffee brewing or popcorn to eat. I’m here practically everyday, if I’m not out visiting farmers or at a meeting. Everyone have a safe planting season.  Who knows, I might just stop by with some refreshments.

NEW STORAGE BIN AT PIERSON

         By Brock Casteel

         This edition of my High Flyer newsletter article is brought to you with the help of our friendly mid March snowstorm. That’s right, sometimes finding time to write my article is a challenge, but with the help of twenty mile per hour winds and about 4 inches of snow, I decided today would be a golden opportunity to share with all of you the latest happenings in the south end of Topflight Grain.

         As many of you already know, Pierson will be one of the recipients of a new storage tank this year. The winter months have provided us with some great weather to build, and we have definitely taken advantage of it. The concrete pad, or base, has already been poured and we have taken delivery on all of the aeration flooring and supports. Soon we will be seeing the actual bin delivery and begin going up with the roof and walls. This project should be completed well in time for harvest, helping to reduce the amount of grain that we ship or pile in the fall.

         The specifications for the new bin are a 105’ diameter base, 91’ sidewall, and a 120’ roof peak. Sorry Sandy, but that is slightly larger than the Emery bin, built last year. This GSI manufactured bin will hold approximately 730,000 bushels of grain. This one bin will come close to doubling the amount of storage that Pierson currently uses for corn. A GSI en mass conveyor rated at 25,000 bushels per hour will fill the new storage tank. This means that more than one leg can feed the new tank at the same time, therefore improving dump times.

In recent years Pierson has been faced with storage deficits nearing one million bushels, and this is only for corn. To say that this project is only an improvement would be a gross understatement. This project will have an impact that spreads company wide in the form of improved trucking logistics at other Topflight Grain elevators. In short, any building in the company does not only help that facility but strengthens this Coop’s overall ability to service our customers at harvest time.  

Please feel free to drop in any time to see your new storage tank at Pierson. I would be more than happy to show you around and answer any questions you may have.

Have a safe spring planting season, and thank you for your continued business with Topflight Grain.

 

SPRING IS HERE!

         By Gloria Litwiller

Spring is upon us once again, and with Spring, there seems to be change; such as the flowers and trees blooming,  the birds singing  and the days getting warmer and longer.  Pierson must be in the Spring mode with all of its changes.  You will see changes within the office and construction going on outside.

          I have accepted the position as Topflight’s Branch Manager/Originator. I’m not a new face in this area. Most knew me as the secretary at Pierson.  However for the ones that don’t really know me, I live in Atwood, married to Rob and have two girls (Stacey and Hilary). Stacey is married to Jared and they live in Thomasboro with my favorite two boys (Michael and Andrew).  Hilary is a junior at Atwood-Hammond High School. She keeps me very busy with all of her sports and any other activity you can possibly think of. Hilary is a counselor at the 4-H camp in Monticello during the summer. The other change in the office is the hiring of Ralna Stoerger, who will fill my old position for United Prairie and Topflight. Ralna is from the Monticello area and is married to Mathew and they have two girls (Gracie and Emma). When you get a chance please stop by and WELCOME Ralna to the Topflight and United Prairie families. Christy Taylor is an intern from Parkland that will be with us until May. She has been traveling around the different locations to learn the different aspects of the company. Christy lives in Tuscola, but is originally from the Pierson area.

          I mentioned that there was change outside. The first change you will not see from the road. Pierson is getting a new bin that will hold 730,000 bushels of corn. We are losing the little ring, but gaining great storage space with the new bin. The concrete and electrical work is completed. The erection of the sides will begin shortly after the steel is delivered which will be about the first of May. The second project at Pierson will be the building of a new shop and seed warehouse for United Prairie. The building will take up most of the lot just south of the Main office.

Also with Spring comes planting season, so everyone have a safe season.

HAVE A GREAT SPRING AND SUMMER!!

 

NEWS FROM MAROA

By Denny Hill

     Another winter has flown by here in Maroa with the outside men busy blending pile corn and shipping to Decatur and continuing to make some needed repairs around the elevator. Topflight is fortunate to have some talented millwright people within the company to make most of the repairs we see day in and day out around the elevator.

     After another bumper crop last fall we are in the process of looking into another bunker at the north bin site to help temporarily store some of this overflow we have each year above our capacity. This new bunker would sit just north of the one now there and give us an additional 500,000 bushels of capacity. We also plan on having the old dryer repaired and running to help the present dryer handle a wet corn crop like we saw last fall. The plans also call for us to tear out the two rings at the bin site that we did use to store corn. This will give the bin site a better appearance, which is needed with the new housing development going up next to it.

     Like most other Central Illinois areas we are seeing several land sales around the Maroa area. You could see this turnover of land coming the past 5 to 10 years with generations getting older, but it is hard to believe how much ground is being put on the market. With land selling for 5000 to 6000 dollars an acre it is just hard to pass up for some people. The family farms, which I’ve known through the years, will soon be part of the past.

     I can’t write this newsletter without mentioning the great season the Maroa-Forsyth basketball team had this winter. It was a once in a lifetime experience for a small central Illinois school to advance to the state tournament and come home with a 3^rd place trophy. The support the community gave them during their tournament run was really special to witness. After this remarkable season, you drive around town on nice days and you see younger kids shooting in the driveway and working on their basketball skills wanting to be the next Austin or Robo.

     Jessica, my oldest daughter, is finishing up her sophomore year at the University of Kentucky after transferring from SIUE after her freshman year. She really likes the school and the area and hopefully will finish her degree under the 4-year plan. Meghan, a junior this year at Maroa, is in the process of picking a college to attend and is busy playing softball for the high school team this spring. My wife Terri is still teaching 8^th grade Math in Blue Mound for the Meridian school district and is looking forward to another summer of playing golf and spending time with her daughters.

 

HAVE A SAFE PLANTING SEASON !!

 

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED LATELY

By Chuck Bentley

I have attended several meetings lately and I thought I would share some interesting facts with you.

Did you know there are four generations:

Traditionalist----75 million population-Born prior to 1946

Baby Boomer---80 million population-Born 1946 to 1964

GenerationXers-46 million population-Born 1965 to 1981

Millennials------76 million population-Born 1982 to 2000

 

Since I am a Baby Boomer, one fact is every six seconds one of us qualifies for social security.  We still think there will be social security for us.  GenerationXers and Millennials believe there will be no social security for them.  73% of Traditionalists plan to return to work in some capacity after they retire, 75% of Baby Boomers said time off would be the greatest work reward they could receive, 80% of Xers said time with family is more important than challenging work or a higher salary and Millennials ranked “personal safety” as their No. 1 workplace issue.

Why are GenerationXers only about half the population of the other generations?  It’s because the birth control pill was invented and women began working more.

Would you rather be trained or educated.  Consider this: if you had a 14 year old daughter or son, would you like for them to attend sex training or sex education?

Starbucks coffee shops don’t allow their employees to wear perfume or cologne.  It interferes with their $4.00 per cup coffee aroma.

And now for some financial news:  The Consensus Forecast for the economy is 1) a quick end to Fed interest tightening. 2) modestly slower growth, and 3) fairly steady core inflation.  The economist I listened to believes all the current risks in the economy show more Fed interest tightening, a sharper downturn in growth and modestly higher inflation.       

And finally the forecast for Topflight Grain.  The profit level is running above last year at this time.  As always, I hate to predict end of year earnings, but I will forecast at this point, to end the year better than last year.

 

SURVIVING THE WINTER . . . .

         By Mikki Burns

It seems like it is taking a long time for Spring to get here…the gloomy old winter weather just keeps hanging around.  On the first day of Spring, as you all know, we had a snow storm.  We didn’t get as much snow as the forecasters called for, but it was cold and windy.  The poor trees and flowers just don’t know what to do…they’ve had a hint of warmer weather, so the trees are trying to bud out and the flowers are trying to push through the ground.  I’m sure it was a shock for them to get covered with snow!!  Somehow though, they always survive. 

Our guys have been busy this Winter!   We’ve had a lot of trains to load either here at Cisco or at other locations.  They have been doing a lot of blending of corn since we received a big share of the Monticello pile.  It was like another harvest after harvest.  Recently, they had to replace a leg belt and buckets in the East elevator.  There is always something to do or somewhere to go.  Sometimes, they wonder…but they do survive.

Grandchildren update…   This picture of the three of them was a Christmas present to me from the girls.  I absolutely loved it.  The photographer really captured their personalities.  I guess the day they took them was quite a challenge…Chad didn’t think he would survive, but he did.  I’m sure glad they all went to the trouble to have it done.  I have tried and tried to get them all three to smile and pose at the same time, with very little luck…so I was really pleased to have this.  In July, Blaine will be 4 and JD will be 3.  Then in November, Audrey will turn 3.  It’s hard to believe how quickly they are growing up.

We hope all of you have survived the Winter…and will have a very safe and enjoyable Spring and Summer. 

Grandparents are similar to a piece of string – Handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren.

                                                               -Author Unknown-

 

BUSY AT MILMINE

         By Lindy Powers

Well another winter has come and gone and not too bad. We have been extremely busy. Rick has been doing a little bit of everything - loading out, taking grain in, cleaning bins and helping with anything else that comes up.

We are in the process of building a new grain bin which will have the capacity of approximately 750,000 bushels.  This will help so much, especially at harvest.

I look forward to my Thursday visits with one of the nicest gentlemen I have ever had the privilege of meeting, Henry Woodyard, who celebrated his 90^th birthday on March 27^th.  Thursdays are house cleaning day at the Woodyards so after Henry gets the vacuuming out of the way he comes and visits with me. One week we were visiting and I had asked Henry if he was ever in the service and he said that he served from 1943 -1946 and was stationed in Guam. During this time he became the best of friends with a man by the name of Thomas Searcy and wondered what had ever happened to him. His last known address in 1946 was County Line, Oklahoma.  I went to the computer and got on Google search engine and found as many Searcy’s that I could in and around this city, and sent out several letters. So far we have 2 responses, but with no luck as far as the family we were looking for. I hope to keep on trying until we can fill in some blanks for Henry and the friend that he hasn’t heard from in over 60 years. What a reunion that would be.

    I would also like to congratulate Henry and Marcella Woodyard on 60 years of marriage. That’s quite a milestone.

    Our 3 granddaughters are just fine. Mya started preschool in January, Madison will be 2 in May, and Autumn just turned 1 in March.

    Our youngest daughter Katie has made the Jr. Varsity cheerleading squad next year. It sure doesn’t seem possible for her to be a freshman. How time flies. WAY TO GO KATIE.

 

NEWS FROM MONTICELLO      

         By Jason Geppert

         It was another busy winter in Monticello this year. The outside crew kept busy by loading corn trains, hauling out soybeans and wheat by truck, along with picking up the ground piles.  The inside crew has been busy with farmer marketing programs, crop insurance and keeping a close watch on the grain market.

         Jim Shaffer officially retired at the end of 2005.  Everyone here wishes him well.  Kevin Taylor was hired in Jim’s place and will be running Lodge this fall.  We would like to welcome Kevin to our team.  We would also like to congratulate Chris Frye on the birth of his daughter this winter.

         Jack Warren has been doing a great job running the elevator.  He has been busy blending corn and beans, thus keeping discounts to a minimum.  Kevin Taylor has been busy learning the ropes at Lodge and helping Jack load trucks, dump trucks, and clean.  Rob Dick has been picking up piles, working on maintenance, and helping load trains.   Chris Frye has been working at Seymour and Monticello loading trains and helping Rob and Stason when needed.  Stason Kopps has been busy with ground piles, loading trains and making sure things are in order at Monticello, Seymour and Lodge.  Sherryl Young has been busy watching offers, running the scales, keeping track of the accumulator contracts and working on rail settlements.  Derrick Bruhn has been busy with grain sales, marketing programs, and crop insurance.

         I hope that all of you have a safe planting season.

 

SPRING 2006

         By Stason Kopps

Spring has sprung once again.  Soon the fields will be green again.  At Topflight Grain it has been busy.  We have been busy loading trains, loading trucks, and cleaning.  We have begun to pick up the ground pile at Seymour, and so far the corn has all looked pretty good.

I would like to welcome Kevin Taylor to the Monticello crew.  Kevin worked here part-time during harvest and has now been hired to replace Jim Shaffer.  Kevin will be at Lodge during harvest.

 The crew has kept busy around here.  Jack Warren has kept busy dumping trucks, shipping grain, blending, and cleaning here in Monticello.  Rob Dick has been busy loading trains, repairing equipment, and picking up the Seymour ground pile.  Chris Frye has also been busy loading trains and working on the ground pile at Seymour.

Even though it was a mild winter, I am glad spring is here.  For one thing, working outside is much better when the weather is nice.  Plus when I am not at work I like to spend time outside.  I am looking forward to renewing my hobby of bicycle riding. 

 

SEYMOUR SWINGS INTO SPRING

         By Jason Goodner

Wow!  Time sure goes by fast.  It doesn’t seem like planting should be anywhere close to mind, but it’s only 2 to 3 weeks away.  I know some customers around here that have tried to get some fieldwork done.  Those customers who haven’t been to the field are regularly checking up on the ground conditions.

 After the last newsletter, we had a December and January that was as cold as I can remember.  The snowstorm in December brought back fond memories of fun winters with lots of snow to play in.  Now, I’m the adult building a snow fort for Kolby. 

On December 20^th we had our Open House in Seymour.  We had a turnout of around 30 people.  It was very nice to have that many customers join us for lunch and conversation.  We had assorted deli trays, cheese, crackers, and chips.  Mark Nibling helped us out by bringing his highly sought deer chili that had been requested by several local guys.  He also brought in some jalapeno and cheese deer summer sausage and crackers.  It had a kick, but was gone before anything else.  The summer sausage and chili were definitely a hit!  We had another big surprise that day.  Kari and I were blessed with a little girl on December 16^th.  All of my customers had been asking about her, so she made her first public appearance at the open house.  Needless to say I was a very proud poppa!

As I was saying, Kari and I are proud parents again.  We had a little girl, Addison Grace Goodner, on Dec 16, 2005.  She was 6 lbs 11 oz, 20 ½ inches long, with brown hair, and blue eyes.  We couldn’t be any happier that she came just in time to enjoy the Christmas holiday with our families.  Big brother Kolby sure loves his little sister.  About a week after she came home, he was reading her one of his books and showing her the pictures in the book.

On the elevator front, we have been shipping corn and beans to Decatur on and off all winter.  On March 6^th, the guys started to unload the ground pile in back of the elevator.  They’ve been working on it for about a month off and on.  The weather hasn’t been very cooperative, and neither has the trains that are being loaded at other Topflight facilities.  This has been a definite weird marketing year.  So far the highs on the markets came in at the beginning of January.  The carryouts seem to be weighing down the market for soybeans.  The corn market has declined, but has held steady above $ 2.00.  As the USDA planting acres report comes out this Friday, I’m sure we will see some market changes based upon that announcement.  For any market conditions, pricing, contracts, or just a cup of coffee stop in at the Seymour office.        

Well, I hope that everyone had an enjoyable winter season and holidays. I would like to send our condolences to the family of Patricia Young.  I didn’t get to meet her, but she is Bill Young’s mother.  Just to refresh people’s memories, Bill is our Township Road Commissioner. 

I can’t go without saying something about the fine operations staff that we have.  Chris Frye, Stason Kopps, and Rob Dick have spent a lot of time in Seymour this winter.  I appreciate all of their help with the Seymour facility. 

Last but not least, how about that Illini basketball team?  Who would have thought after last year’s championship run that we’d be back with 20 plus wins?  Spring football is around the corner, like spring planting. Hopefully Ron Zook can cultivate his team like our customers raise their crops.  I look forward to visiting with you this coming spring either in the office or the field.  I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Easter, and a productive planting season.

 

YOU CAN’T STOP PROGRESS

         By Rodd Runyen

As the saying goes, “You can’t stop progress.” Sometimes it is good, and other times it isn’t all it is cracked up to be. But time marches on and brings about changes.

Pam Jarboe and I both grew up close to Decatur. Pam grew up outside Forsyth and I grew up in Oreana.  On several occasions, we have discussed places that have changed in Decatur. And things have really changed in the last 30 years!!

Do you remember going to The Pop Dock at the bottom of the Staley viaduct and picking out the glass bottles of pop you wanted and putting them in a wooden case you slid around the store on rollers?

Do you remember going to Joyland Amusement Park at Nelson Park and sliding down the Super Slide?

Do you remember going to Boy Scout camp in the summer at Camp Robert Faries on the south side of Lake Decatur?

These are all gone now but not forgotten. Do you remember these other Decatur landmarks that are now long gone?

 

Elam’s Rootbeer Stand on West Eldorado

Sandy’s Restaurant on the corner of Eldo and Jasper

Top’s Big Boy on Pershing Road

The Blue Mill on South Oakland

Decatur Outdoor Theatre on 22^nd Street

Decatur Drive-In Theatre on Jasper Street

The Rogers Theatre on Wood Street

Northgate Cinemas I & II at the Northgate Mall

Woolworth’s at Brettwood Village

Turnstyle, where K’s Merchandise is now

Goldblatts at Fairview Plaza

Montgomery Wards in downtown Decatur

Carson Pirie Scott & Co. store in downtown Decatur

Shakey’s Pizza Parlor on Pershing Road

A&P at Brettwood Village

Swartz Restaurant at the corner of 22^nd & Route 36

These are only a few of the places that come to mind. As we were thinking about Decatur, my mind turned to Oreana, since that was where I was raised. Even in a small town, lots can change. People in that area might remember these:

 

The Oreana Motel on Route 47 & 48, now only Route 48 – now apartments

The Oreana Café - next door to the Oreana Motel – torn down

The Night Owl restaurant which became Del’s Sunoco – next to the Oreana Café – torn down

Marathon/Oreana Garage across from the Post Office – now a residence

Sinclair gas station across from the firehouse, then became Arco, then became Mobil, then became Bolt Autobody , and then was torn down – the lot then was a video store and car dealership

Cedar Knolls Restaurant, which became Cloyd’s Grocery Store, became Red Fox, became Gerhardt’s, and then was torn down to make way for Melisty Mart

Fagin International on Route 48 – where you could buy a bottle of pop out  of the soda machine for 10 cents if I remember right. Now vacant.

Premio Pizza on Bower St – Good pizza and egg noodles – is now a residence

Grain Elevator  - It was torn down in 1970

The Gift Shop – Corner of  Bower and Clay Streets – now apartments

Barber Shop/ Beauty Salon owned by Nancy Meier on South Street, then housed Betty & Bob’s Flower Shop for 1 Christmas season, then housed an ice cream parlor, and then became the library, and is   now The Great Boars Of Fire

The old Post Office on Bower Street by the railroad tracks, became an ice cream parlor, then became a tack store, and is now an apartment

Treva’s Beauty Salon - South Street out of her home – now out of business

Downey Implement on Route 48, became Z&R Oil Company, and is now Seneca Oil Equipment

These are some of the things I remember and a couple that were before my time. To see all of these changes makes you realize that with the rise of the super stores, the days of a lot of businesses in the small towns has come and gone. So we need to support the small businesses in our towns that remain so we don’t lose them all.

Like I said, you can’t stop progress. So if you can think of some places that are now gone that bring back some memories, be sure to let us know. We can share some of them and see what memories others have!

MOVING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE

         By Eric Clements      

I have been very fortunate to work for a company that values continued training and personal growth. I have been able to accomplish some of this by my involvement with The Grain Elevator and Processing Society and the Illinois Grain and Feed Association. GEAPS is known as the Knowledge Resource for the World of Grain Handling Industry Operations. Brock and I attended the 76^th annual GEAPS Exchange Convention in Nashville, TN in February. We attended two days of education sessions on topics such as manlift safety and maintenance, hazard monitoring devices and managing grain in temporary piles. Besides attending these sessions, I am on the educational programming committee that organizes these educational sessions. Brock was a moderator for an educational session. He had to introduce the speaker and help with questions and answers at the end of the presentation. Our involvement with these sessions goes a long way towards our personal growth. I remember the first time I had to speak to a group of 100 members. Believe me, that was some personal growth.

         The Illinois Grain and Feed Association and the Cornbelt GEAPS Chapter held a joint conference in March. Brock, Stason, Russ D., Ted and I attended this conference held in Bloomington. Brock and I helped with organizing this conference. This all day conference included sessions on automating elevators, preventing soft tissue injures, bearing maintenance and electrical safety. Topflight Grain is a member of the Illinois Grain and Feed’s safety program. Our relationship with their safety director has been very valuable for Topflight Grain.

         We use this information to help us perform our jobs better and we bring this information back to the rest of the employees. Topflight holds monthly safety meetings where we can use this information for education and training. We have held educational meetings on gearbox maintenance, electrical motors and bearings in addition to our safety meeting. Topflight doesn’t try to hold us back in our development; instead they help us move forward to the future.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES

         By Derrick Bruhn

About 2 years ago I enrolled in a Young Soybean Leadership Program that was offered by the Illinois Soybean Association.  The program is designed to get young leaders interested in the Soybean industry and to educate them on the different roles that the Association plays.  Being a part of this program has been very interesting and educational.  One of the events I had the opportunity to participate in was a trip to Washington, DC.  I took the trip in March and was very glad to have had the opportunity to do so.  I was able to attend the American Soybean Association (ASA) board meetings, policy sessions, committee meetings, and a visit to Capitol Hill.  The meetings leading up to the Capitol Hill visit gave me a better understanding of what issues the Association wanted to ask the elected delegates to support.  We met with the aides of Tim Johnson, Dick Durbin, and Barack Obama.  Each person and other staff were invited to the soy foods luncheon on Capitol Hill.  The trip gave me a better understanding of how the Association, and others like it, get support for the different bills that affect their industry.  Our class has two more meetings and then my two years are complete.  We are going to try and get a tour arranged to see a bio-diesel plant and we will be recognized on Ag Day at the State Fair. 

This winter has been busy at our house.  Mabry will be 17 months old on the 11^th of April and is keeping Lynne and me busy.  Since winter, she has gone from walking to nearly running.  She is busy emptying out cabinets and exploring everything she can find.  We went outside a few nice spring days we had earlier.  She enjoyed it so much!  We’re all anxiously awaiting Spring!

 

HOUSEKEEPING

         By Pam Jarboe

         First, I need to do a little “newsletter” housekeeping.  Our last newsletter, the post-harvest issue contained at least four mistakes:  Mona Bolsen was listed in the “sympathy” section of the newsletter. She did not die, they recently celebrated their wedding anniversary; we showed a picture of the corn and bean logo crafted by “Ginny” Einhorn’s class.  That should have been “Jenny” Einhorn; we listed James Charles Murphy in the sympathies listing.  His name is Charles James Murphy; and the last mistake I know about was the different bean harvest comparison number reported by Scott and Derrick.  That difference was created when they used a different date as the last date of harvest.  Our typical harvest cutoff date is October 31.  In 2004, we received beans into November.  As 2004 was compared with 2005, a different cutoff date made quite a bit of difference in the comparison between the last two crop years.

         Now, on to my favorite, the Topflight Grain Women’s Program.  You can read about the program later in the newsletter, but I want to tell you some of the “behind the scenes” stories about the program.  We were able to give one cute little potted plant to each lady who attended the program, because of Sandy Davenport.  In the planning process of the meeting, Sandy volunteered to get the pots and plants.  She called the hobby stores in Decatur, and found about 10 of the pots that she wanted.  We needed 175 pots.  You read in Sandy’s article that her family attends many basketball games throughout the winter, throughout the state.  Every day, prior to an ‘away” game, Sandy looked up the hobby stores in the town they were traveling to that evening, and called to see if they had the flower pots she was seeking.  She could usually find 10 – 20 in each store.  Over the course of a month of basketball games, prior to the ball game, Jerry, Sandy, and the rest of the McCool family collected bright colored flower pots from all over the state of Illinois.  I think they were happy to see the women’s program finished!  Then, she queried the local florists for the potted plants, so that you could take home a blooming potted plant.

         Decorations for the women’s program usually come from our homes.  This year, they also came from Sandy’s sister’s, Barb’s, house. I think Barb surely didn’t have a flower left in her house, as many as Sandy showed up with the day that we decorated.  And Sandy’s mom, Betty, wasn’t too sure that some of her flowers might have been missing.  The rest of us brought flowers, too, and helped in every way we could.  Mikki makes the arrangements for the Cisco Center, which is a great place to host our annual event.  Jill and Sandy worked with Tracy Ferrill and Jill Zelhart, to cater the lunch and morning refreshments.  Jill and Gloria contacted several of the speakers.  Sherryl always picked up lunch for our planning meetings, and she, Vanessa, and I helped wherever we could – with ideas and decorations.

         In the Spring Flowers presentation, Winona Saathoff mentioned a local doctor who compliments her practice with natural and holistic methods.  Several asked, later, for the name of that doctor.  She is Virginia Wade.  She practices in the Arthur area.

         The women’s program is always a great day!  We have fun planning the event, and so much enjoy visiting with the women who do so much to support Topflight Grain, and appreciate their contributions to our company.  We hope you enjoyed the day!

 

FUN WITH 2^nd GRADE

         We have enjoyed several activities with our adopted 2^nd grade class.

         Believe it or not, during the Christmas party, as the students were singing Christmas carols for us, Santa appeared!  With a loud Ho-Ho-Ho, he stopped in to see the students, and double-check his list before the Christmas Eve delivery.  Each student talked to Santa, listing the desires for the season.  And, even though it wasn’t Christmas, Santa had a gift for each one.  As he left, he stopped for a few minutes, to question the behavior of Mrs. Gregory’s kindergarten class.  They were all very excited to see Santa.  Hearing Rudolph pawing outside, Santa said his good-byes, headed back to the North Pole, to prepare for the big night.

         Tom’s Bowl hosted us on February 7.  Dividing the class into smaller groups, Teri guided each group to the back of the alleys and explained how the pins are reset and the bowling balls are returned to the bowler.  Then, we had lots of fun, bowling.  The afternoon finished up with some delicious cookies and soft drinks, served by the staff at Tom’s Bowl.  It was a great afternoon!

         On March 7, Kirk Birch picked us up at the school, for a trip to Decatur.  Our first stop was WB23 TV station.  Crystal was our guide through the studio, describing the interests and responsibilities of the jobs of the employees we met.  In the filming room, in front of the big green wall, four of the students waved, ran, or performed some type of activity.  While we finished the tour, the technician turned that film into a short “movie”, with music, blue sky, and a whale chasing each one.  It is amazing what the right person can do with a computer!  He sent a copy of the movie back with Miss Kim, for the class.  Crystal also sent us home with folders, posters, note pads and ink pens.  It was a wonderful tour!

         Then, where should we eat?  How about McDonalds!!!  The students always enjoy the Happy Meals and the toys at McDonalds! 

         After lunch, Kirk drove us to Kirkland Fine Arts Center at Millikin for a play, called “My Misspent Youth”.  The play displayed some of the antics of a man, remembering his youthful days.  Each short demonstration was presented in mime, then was often described by Mike, the mime, prior to the next antic.  It was a very funny show, and we all laughed a lot!

 

A LONG LIFE OF FARMING!

         What a lifetime of farming!  Henry and Natalie Larson retired from farming this winter.  They had a farm sale in February.  The neighbors were there, the family was there, and memories were shared.  The old pot-bellied stove from the elevator was sold, the old Oliver 99 was sold, and the new equipment was sold.  We visited and we retold the stories we had heard of Henry and the Larson family.

Henry has farmed a long time, all of his 90+ years.  He has seen many changes in farming, and many changes in the community.  Henry is also a great problem solver, inventing many devices to simplify life.  His invention that simplified the life of every grain scale operator in the world is the pneumatic grain probe.  Henry watched Cora Marshall climb up and down the trucks and wagons at Voorhies, then went home, and with a vacuum cleaner and a set of hydraulics, brought back a grain probe.  This invention allowed Cora to sample the delivered grain from the comfort of her office.  Now, variations of Henry’s grain probe are used in almost every grain facility around the world.

He installed hydraulics on the window over the kitchen sink, so it would be easier for Natalie to raise the window. 

When Natalie pulled the tractor and wagon to the bin for unloading, she merely had to hit a series of switches, to turn on the auger and open the wagon gate, all from the comfort of her tractor cab. And it was fast!  She could unload the truck or the wagon, and be back to the field in 7 minutes!  And when Natalie retired a few years ago, it took two men to replace her!

         Henry was born and raised in the house that he and Natalie live in now, east of Voorhies.  The Voorhies area is where the Larson family settled when they came to America from Sweden.  The first night, here, they slept in the haymow of the barn on this “home” place.  The sign on the barn says “L B Larson 1906”.  Henry’s dad was Lambert Bonde Larson.  His middle name, Bonde, is Swedish, meaning farmer.  Henry was given the same middle name. Henry grew up farming, with his brothers Robert and Lynn.  They started farming with horses.  These horses were brought in as wild horses from the western US.  The three boys then broke the horses, for use on the farm.  From farming with horses, they began to adapt and experiment in the mechanical era with tractors and equipment.  Henry was always adjusting, re-doing, re-inventing, and making improvements to make their life easier on the farm.  Henry had no children, but Natalie’s two sons and daughter have been a special addition to his life.

         Unfortunately, Henry’s brother, Lynn, died with a young family still at home.  His brother, Robert, passed away several years ago.  The Larson legacy lived on with Henry, and his nephews, John, Larry and Lynn, and now Lynn’s son, Daniel.  Making the decision to retire was not easy for Henry.  He has farmed his entire life, and enjoyed it.  It will probably be a difficult transition for Henry as his and Natalie’s lives change.  They can be proud of their successful careers, their commitment to their community, and the many friends they have made throughout their years. 

 

A 98 year old woman wrote this to her bank.  

    Dear Sir:
       I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds' must have
elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire salary, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years.
       You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
       My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this ncident has caused me to rethink my errant financial    ways.
       I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your  telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact  you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.
       From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic,  but will arrive at your bank by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.  Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act
for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation
(income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.
       In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but,  again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on
your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
   Let me level the playing field even further.
   When you call me, press buttons as follows:
   1-- To make an appointment to see me.
   2-- To query a missing payment.
   3-- To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
   4-- To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
   5-- To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
   6-- To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
   7-- To leave a message on my computer. (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorized Contact.)
   8-- To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
   9-- To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must  also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
       Your Humble Client

Our sympathies to the families of . . . .  .

Ruby Troy, Edith Morr, Max Born. Nathaniel Hutchcraft, Stanton Malone, RD Schwarze, Boyd Wiesener, Curtis Dick, Junior Herschberger, Helen Brewer, Ruth Louise Robertson, Maxine Reeser, Howard Whalen, Thelma Albert,

David Edgecombe, Bob Burgess, Roger Wildman, Wayne Phillips, Irene Morgret, Lynn Peterson, Ralph Butterfield, Helen Benson, Lela Terril, Patricia Young

And all others who have lost loved ones.

 

SPRING IS HERE!

A spring theme decorated the Cisco Center, for the 160 women who attended the Topflight Grain annual women’s program on March 15.  Speakers for the day included Nancy Togerson, DMH Center for Women’s Health, Winona Saathoff and Ed Loyd and his band of musicians. 

         Nancy Togerson spoke about “A Woman’s Work Was Never Done”.  She described and demonstrated the duties and chores of the early pioneer woman.  The cooking, cleaning, and care for the family were much more involved than today, with our modern conveniences.

         Chris and Heather, from Decatur Memorial Hospital, spoke about osteoporosis.  Heather talked about the causes and the effects of the bone weakening disease, and suggested dietary and exercise changes to reduce the risk of bone loss. Sufficient calcium intake and weight bearing exercise will help prevent bone loss.  Medications are also available to supplement the diet and exercise program.  Chris hooked up a computer, performing bone density readings for each one of the women.

         Winona Saathoff is a Master Gardener from the Moultrie-Douglas Extension Service.  She enthusiastically showed potted plants, gave suggestions for planting gardens and flowers, and offered ideas for treating some of the common gardening problems.  Wet newspapers and mulch are one of her favorite weed control tools.  She suggested “Sparkle” brand window cleaner as a useful pesticide for certain insect problems.

         Following the lunch, catered by Basket Case Catering, Ed Loyd of Armington led his group of musicians in recreating some of the favorite songs enjoyed by all.

 

Congratulations to  . . .

Duane & Martha Medaris, who celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary in March; Russel James Postlewait, recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lamba, at Southern Illinois University: Joyce Bennett, celebrated her 70^th birthday in late March; Eldred and Betty Budde, who celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in March; Allen and Sharon Zindars, whose 40^th wedding anniversary was celebrated in February; Tom and Angie Muse, who celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary this winter; Wayne Peterson, whose 90^th birthday was in January; Meaghann Reeves and Mitch Rhoades, who announced their engagement; Jon Seevers, pictured on the front cover of Prairie Farmer magazine, about the importance of proper tiling and drainage; Dale and Shirley Turner, who celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in January; Rodger and Janet Eads, married 50 years ago, this past January; Leonard and Maxine Fogerson, who celebrated their 50^th anniversary last November; Stan and Miriam Seevers, married 50 years; Dave and Barb Holt, who celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary last November; Dale and Nancy Huisinga, who celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in December; Kristin Strike and Kyle Hendrix, married in February; Greg Heckman, recently appointed to lead the newly formed ConAgra Foods Commercial; June Sago, who celebrated her 95^th birthday; Evan Leeper and Katherine Chenoweth, attending the 10^th Annual 4-H Legislative Connection in Springfield; Eugene Rowe, who celebrated his 86^th birthday in February; The Maroa-Forsyth boys basketball team, placing 3^rd in the IHSA Class A State tournament; Meaghann Reeves, Millikin University graduate; Jessie Wright, recently commissioned as 1^st Lieutenant in the US Army and received a bronze star for meritorious service, and became engaged to Julie Fair; and Bruce Bastert, recently hired as manager of Ludlow Cooperative Elevator.  Bruce is the nephew of local stockholders, Ann Skagenberg and Charlotte Rainey. 

BEST PLACES TO LIVE –2006

Each year, Progressive Farmer issues a list of “The Best Places to Live”.  Central Illinois ranked well, among the top 200 places.  The counties of Effingham, Piatt, McLean, DeWitt, Moultrie and Douglas were included in that list of the top 200.  The selections were based on cost of living, crime rates, air quality, health care, education, leisure activities, quality of life and scenery.  We’ve known for a long time that central Illinois has many great qualities.  Now, those qualities have been nationally recognized. 

 GENEROUS DONATIONS

         On February 15, 2006, the Maroa Lions Club was host for the Red Cross Blood Drive.  Thirty-seven pints of blood were collected.  Thanks to all who worked or donated to make this a successful event.  The Lions Club has two blood drives a year to help supply the needs in this area.

YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK, if . . .

You take your entire family to the K-Mart electronics section to watch a movie;

Your son is named for your favorite pro wrestler;

You’re more concerned about your sick bird dog than your sick wife;

You think Cappuccino is a TV detective;

You plan your wedding for when the fish aren’t biting;

You make wind chimes out of frozen orange juice lids;

You have orange road cones in your living room;

Your toenail clippers say “Craftsman” on the side;

You’ve totaled every car you’ve owned;

In preparation for a romantic evening, you stop by the grocery store to buy a bottle of Mr. Bubble;

Your wife bought you motor oil for your birthday;

 

OUR TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES

         By Karen Goble

         I have been a collector of the Precious Moments figurines for many, many years.  Last December I got a phone call asking me if Gale and I would like to take a trip to the Philippines in February.  We had been invited along with 22 other PM collectors from around the United States to go on this, the First Precious Moments Collector’s Trip to the Philippines.  We would stay at the Sampaguita Gardens Resort, which is owned by Sam Butcher, the creator of the Precious Moments line.

         After I talked it over with Gale and we decided to go, we had to make a mad dash to get our passports, flight arrangements, etc., as we were to leave from LA on February 1^st.  As it ended up, we knew all but five of those going on the trip with us, so we knew we would have a great time.  The only part we were dreading was the 17-hour flight from LA to Manila.  Ugh!!  Actually, we survived the flight rather well as we either were visiting with our friends, watching a movie or sleeping.  I think our group was the only ones that weren’t of Philippine descent on the plane.  We had an interesting conversation with a plastic surgeon, a doctor, and her husband who is the president of an organization for doctors that provide free medical, dental and vision help for those in poverty stricken areas.  All three were from California and they were going further north of Manila for one week to give of their services.

         After arriving in Manila, we caught another flight to Kalibo, where Sam and his assistant met us at the airport.  We had quite a welcome, as we each received a lei and then we were entertained by drummers and dancers in native costumes.  Then, we all got in vans and proceeded to the resort.  Again, we got more flowers and the drummers, dancers and Sam’s staff lined the walkway as we came in.  We felt like celebrities!

         This resort started after Sam Butcher had built a private home there right along the ocean and then opened it up for the people to see.  The mayor of Kalibo later asked Sam to build rooms for visitors to spend the night, plus a meeting place, a convention center, and places to eat and it just grew from there.  Now there is a hotel, restaurants, JoJo’s Christmas Shop, a gym, spa, swimming pools, a butterfly farm, an aquarium, and a place called Sammy’s Circus for the children to play.  This consists of a merry-go-round, Ferris wheel and a train.  We also toured the chapel that Sam is still working to complete.  Several of the murals had been painted and we have learned since returning home that the center mural is almost done.  The outside resembles the Precious Moments Chapel in Missouri, only on a much smaller scale.

         During our stay, we fed the children from the orphanage one afternoon and then supervised them on the rides.  Afterwards, we gave them each a bag filled with items we had brought from home for them.  They had coloring books, crayons, pencils, balloons, a Beannie Baby, candy and suckers.  I think the suckers were the big hit.  One of the nuns told us that this was the first present any of these orphans had ever received.  That brought a few tears.  Right before they left to go back, several of the children gathered and sang a thank you song for us and did signing along with it.  Several of us then went to the orphanage.  Those children just melted your heart.  The next afternoon we all rode to the orphanage to give the nuns $700 that the collectors had collected for them.  We were told this would feed them for about six months.

         Another day, we drove on dirt roads out to the Fatima Primary School, which is a very poor school, and took the children a boxed lunch and shoe boxes filled with school supplies and other items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, washcloths, etc.  These boxes had been filled earlier by the Precious Moments collectors that attend the events at the chapel in Carthage, Missouri, and then they are shipped to the Philippines.  The children were so thrilled and so very well behaved.  None of the rooms had electricity and all their lessons are taught in English.  They know life for these children will be hard enough, but they will have no hope if they can’t speak, read and write English.

         We also went to Boracay Island for part of a day.  After another ride in a van and a boat ride, we got to see one of the prettiest white sand beaches.  Some of the locals were building this beautiful sand castle.  Of course, we all had to have our picture taken by it.

         We visited two factories in Kalibo.  The first one was Dela Cruz House of Pina where we saw how pineapple cloth and rattan baskets are made.  As we looked out back, we saw some beautiful roosters, which we guessed will be joining in on the popular sport of cock fighting.  The next stop was Kalibo’s Heritage Arts & Crafts.  Here, old wooden looms are used to make pineapple cloth and some of their products are produced for Calvin Klein.

         Our last night at the resort was our formal night.  Gale and I were asked to sit at Sam’s table.  He and his assistant, JoJo had been with us every single day as well as the managers who had been assigned to every couple or those rooming together.  I think we were served rice at every meal including breakfast. We tried some of the traditional foods and some we didn’t, but we did not go hungry.  There was a lot of seafood, too.

         All too soon, it was time to leave the resort and head back to Manila.  We stayed the night here in a Holiday Inn on the 19^th floor.  Wow!! We had a corner room with an absolute beautiful view.  The next day we toured the Sandy Doll Factory which produces the Precious Moments dolls.  We got to see the molds being poured for the bodies, eyes being sprayed on, hair being sewn on, and hairdos of all sorts, lace and beads being hand sewn on the dresses, material cut for the outfits, right down to the dolls being dressed and bagged.

         On our way to Manila airport, we stopped at a city park and also the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial where there are 17,206 graves of Americans killed in the Pacific and the names of 36,279 MIA listed on tablets in the center of the cemetery.  It encompasses 152 acres with mosaic maps of the Pacific war, a monument and chapel.

         Gale and I would love to go back in a couple of years to see all the changes Sam will have made at the resort and to see our managers that are now part of our “precious family”.  It was truly a trip we will never forget!

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this.  For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...
 
If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?"  might have turned out something like this:

           COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why?  Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a  computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know.  What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO:  No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track  expenses and run my business.  What do you have?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT:  Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my  computer and I want to type a proposal.  What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your  blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers.  What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money  with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not?  THEY OWN IT!

       (A few days later)
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on "START".............

ALL AROUND TOPFLIGHT

 

Jeff Stout has moved into his new house.  It looks very nice, and he says it is very quiet.

The old elevator house in Monticello has been torn down.

At Pierson, United Prairie tore down the old concrete building, and is constructing a new seed shed and shop.

Congratulations to Jason and Kari Goodner, proud parents a baby daughter, Addison Grace, born in December.

Willard has a new maintenance truck.

Congratulations to Chris Frye and Vanessa Powell, new parents of Morgan Lily, born on February 20.

The operations crew has begun to pick up the corn bunker at Seymour.

Welcome to Ralna Stoerger, working at Pierson for Topflight and United Prairie.

Welcome to Kevin Taylor, working with the operations staff in Monticello.  Kevin will be in charge of the Lodge location this fall.

Congratulations to Lindy Powers, reaching a “significant” birthday last November.

Our operations crew built new handrails for the top of the Emery elevator.

Scott spoke to the farmers attending the Horizon Genetics seed meeting, and to the Piatt County Farm Bureau Young Leaders, in January.

Christy Taylor and Tim Jayne are interning at Topflight this spring.  Christy is a student at Parkland.  Tim is a senior at Bement High School.

The old office and garage have been torn down at the old Piatt location.

Topflight Grain has donated a building site in Bement, at the old Thermogas site, to Habitat to Humanity.  Construction on the new home should begin later this spring.

Topflight Grain has contributed to the new stone at the Bement Veteran’s Memorial, and was able to receive matching funds from Cenex Harvest States, to further assist with the project.

STATE AUDIT

         Auditors from the Illinois Department of Agriculture visited Topflight Grain the first of March.  Their job is to ensure the financial stability of your elevator.

         One of their first jobs is to take a physical inventory of all the grain in all of the elevators, also noting the condition of the grain.  Once this task is completed, they compare their measurements with the grain inventory listed on the books.  Then, they spend several days analyzing the grain accounting information, including grain in open storage, grain in delayed pricing, hedging records, company owned grain, etc.

         As they audit the delayed pricing contracts, one of their checks is the signature dates at the bottom of the contract.  If the grain was delivered into delayed pricing, the grain buyer and seller both must date the contract within 30 days of the last date of delivery.  By law, contracts not dated within 30 days must be sold.   If the grain has been moved from open storage into delayed pricing, the signature of the buyer and seller must be the same as the date the grain was moved from storage.  Topflight Grain will continue to monitor the signature dates on DP contracts.

        
AND THE WINNERS ARE . . . .

         Simon Auth, Abby Jamison, Jessie Shaffer and Harold Nickey. 

         These contestants were the monthly winners of the Topflight Grain Trivia contest.  Their prize is that world famous much coveted Topflight Grain T-shirt. 

A new question is posted each Friday afternoon.  One winner is randomly drawn from each month’s correct answers.  Sometimes, the questions pertain to the latest newsletter, sometimes they’re historical, sometimes they’re general questions.  Keep checking our website for the new question.

HAPPY RETIREMENT, JIM!!

         Jim Shaffer retired from Topflight Grain on December 31, 2005.  He has quite a career in the grain business, that began in 1972, when he came to work for Monticello Grain.  Jim has been responsible for most of the operations around the Monticello complex, and has assisted other facilities when extra help was needed. 

         Jim has been a great friend to all of the Topflight employees, and to the farmers he has worked with over the last 24 years.  We wish him a long and happy retirement!!

         At an open house hosted by Topflight Grain, Manager Scott Docherty thanked Jim for his many years of dedication with an award and gift cards.

 

GRAIN PAGE

PLANTED ACREAGE

         By Derrick Bruhn

USDA estimated corn planted acreage for 2006 at 78.019 mil acres.  That is down 3.681 mil acres from 2005.  The average estimates for the report were 80.5 mil acres.  With trend line yields and the USDA’s acreage estimate the US will produce 10.8 billion bushels.  The US corn usage is thought to be 11.5 billion bushels for 2006/2007, so we would reduce our current 2.351 billion bushel carryout to 1.65 billion by the end of the 2006/2007-crop year.  With the US usage this high it will be very important for us not to have any weather concerns through the growing season.

USDA estimated bean planted acreage for 2006 at 76.895 mil acres.  That is up 4.795 mil acres from 2005.  The acreage estimates for the report were 74.0 mil acres.  With trend line yields and the USDA’s acreage estimate the US will produce 3.058 billion bushels.  The US bean usage is thought to be similar to last year at 2.800 billion bushels for 2006/2007, so we would increase our current 565 million bushel carryout to 823 million bushels by the end of the 2006/2007-crop year. 

Illinois is said to be 700,000 acres lower on corn plantings and 600,000 higher on beans plantings from the 2005 crop year.  Iowa is estimated to be down 300,000 acres on corn and up 300,000 acres on bean plantings.  The big shift was in North Dakota where bean planted acres are expected to be up 1,200,000 acres at the expense of spring wheat.

 

GRAIN INSURANCE FUND

         The producer checkoff contribution to the Illinois Grain Insurance Fund should reach its funding level by June 30, this year.  If there are no insolvencies, or claims against the fund, producer contributions are projected to reach the $3 million level set by law.  Once this level is reached, you will no longer see the grain insurance deduction on your grain check.  If, or when, claims are made against the insurance fund, the checkoff  may be reinstated to once again raise the level to $3 million.

         In addition to producer funding, the grain industry and lenders contribute to the fund until that level reaches $6 million.

         The grain insurance fund is designed to reimburse farmers in the event of an elevator financial failure.  It is a state directed program, and provides some of the best protection to producers, in the nation.  

 

FREE DP, WHAT DOES IT COST?

         By Derrick Bruhn

In past years, Topflight has been able to offer free delayed price (DP) on corn and beans shortly after the first of the year and many times even before then.  This past year we were not able to offer it until later because of the inventory still on hand from harvest.  When we were finally able to free up enough space to take some bushels off the farm we reflected back on what had happened the year before with corn being carried up until new crop by the farmer and then selling it.  This left many elevators in a mad rush trying to ship out all the bushels the farmers had sold to make room for the new crop grain that was just about to come in.  After reflecting, we decided to offer free DP on corn until June 30^th then rate in effect.  This will allow the elevator enough time to market and to move the corn to free up space for the new crop that will arrive.  By Topflight offering free DP in a carry market they are allowing the farmer to store the grain for free and take advantage of the futures gain that the market is paying them to hold the grain until a later date.  An example of this would be at the end of February when we started to offer free DP the March futures that we were bidding off of was at $2.28 and the July futures were at $2.48.  That means that the farmer is able to pick up 20 cents per bushel on corn and it costs them nothing.  Topflight offers this program to the patrons and is responsible and the cost of keeping the grain in quality for the time period in which the farmers decides to keep the grain at no additional income.  If we were to keep those bins full of company owned grain for the same time period, we would be able to pick up that same 20 cents per bushel that the farmer does.  This past harvest, Topflight was able to keep storage rates unchanged when others were charging very inflated rates and now we are offering free DP when other are still charging for it.  Cooperatives still have a very important role in the farmers operation and Topflight Grain is very committed to helping its patrons in as many ways as possible. 

 

TOP COOKS    

         At this year’s women’s program, we asked the ladies for suggestions about topics, themes, even food, that would interest them at future programs.  Some of the ideas mentioned were a style show, travel shows, health topics, comedians, and skits.  These suggestions will help us as we plan your programs to know what you’re interested in.  One of the suggestions we need to get started on now is a Topflight Grain cookbook. 

         This cookbook will be a collection of your favorite recipes, and our favorites, too.  We are asking all of you to give us your family’s delicious recipes to include in the book.  You have plenty of time to think and collect; we would like to have the recipes by August 31, 2006.  We will take them in just about any form you want to send them – mail, email, fax, or in person.  If you would like, bring the recipes into your local Topflight office and we will copy them for you.  If you want to include a short story with your contributions, we would like to print that, too.

         We’re looking forward to lots of good food recipes, from some of the top cooks in the world.  Please look through your personal cookbooks, and share your favorites with us, to be included in the 2007 Topflight Grain cookbook.

BIG BUCKS

         The first of the year is always busy at Topflight, writing many grain checks.  This year, the first day of the new year, $13, 905,000 in grain checks were written.  In the month of January, checks were written for $35,386,000.

A BOOK OF POETRY BY A LOCAL WOMAN

         By Russel Wright

 

         One day, John Terril came into the Atwood office, not long after his mother had passed away.  As we were conversing, he told me that his mother, Lela, liked to write poetry, over her lifetime.  She even went so far to get them published, to give to her children for a Christmas present one year.  I had only met Mrs. Terril a couple of times, but my impression was that she sure lived her life to the fullest and enjoyed every minute of it.

         John brought that book in so I could read the poems that she created.  She started writing poetry in 1958 when she was installed as Worthy Matron of the Atwood Order of Eastern Star.  From there, her poems took off, writing about the weather, the different seasons, her children and grandchildren, and anything else that came to her.  It was quite a collection of poetry over the years.   Sadly, Lela passed away this past January 29.

         I asked John if I could have a few of the poems she wrote, to put in the Topflight newsletter.  “Of course”, he said, “Mom would be proud to share with everyone.”  So, included in this issue are a few of her poems.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 

Observation

(May 4, 1999)

 

Just take a day and observe

The beauty of a sunrise,

All the wonders and things upon the earth

Provide us with such surprise.

 

You’ll notice such simple things

Like the grass beneath your feet,

The soil that serves us food

Many other things today to meet.

 

You’ll see the water in its place

Birds will fly so high,

With clouds moving along

You’d love to touch up in the sky.

 

Around will be flowers to admire

Trees that grow up so tall,

To make us feel at peace

Just to consecrate upon it all.

 

Angels with Dirty Faces

My Children at Play

(Jan 13, 1982)

 

I’d watch them at play when they were small

Living angels with dirty faces,

With tender eyes always brightly glowing

Darting around like butterflies in many places.

 

Unaware of times that I was watching

Playing games, and games of make-believe,

Always puttering like little dreamers

Trying hard, joyous things to achieve.

 

Thank you, God, for those wonderful moments

Of all those pure enchanting scenes.

The gift of watching four little angels with dirty faces

Will always be etched in my mind like a movie screen.

INTERNET GRAIN ACCOUNT ACCESS

         Your individual grain records may be accessed from your personal computer, through the “producer report” link on Topflight Grain’s website.  You may confirm your grain balances, your scale tickets, and your open contracts and offers.  Scale tickets can be searched with date parameters, sorted by farm, or by date, and are totaled at the bottom of the page by farm. 

         This program is free to all of our producers, but you must register for the program, so that your account can be set up.  To register, click on the “producer report” tab, then the “register for free” link.  Once this have been completed, your account access can be finished.  Records are updated once a day, about 8:00 PM.  If you have any questions, please call Pam, in the Bement office, at 217-678-2261.

BRONZE MEDAL WINNER

Aaric Kendall, Argenta native, won a bronze medal in the ice carving competition of the 2006 Winter Olympics.  Aaric’s carving showed a male ice skater, supporting a female ice skater over his head. 

         Aaric demonstrated his skills, one cold damp day at the Argenta park.  He uses many tools, including a chain saw, and several sizes of drill bits to carve the features in the ice.  Several blocks of ice are used.  These are carved, and then welded together by slightly melting the edges. 

         He and his family had a very interesting trip to Italy for the competition, and he represented the USA very proudly!  The story and adventures were very interesting.

         Many of the Bement Grain customers may remember Aaric, who demonstrated his ice carving skills at the 1996 women’s program.  This young man has followed his dream all the way from Cerro Gordo High School to the Olympics.

         Congratulations Aaric!

 

 

SPRING ARRIVING

                                                                                                                              By Lela Terril

 

Spring is bustling thru the yard

Which yesterday was filled with snow.

Water gushed down the hill to a river bank

And left green grass and jonquils peeking through to grow.

 

She danced and hopped around the trees

Left them with buds upon their branches.

Woke up the birds to sing and chirp

Went on and on with her happy prances.

 

I could not help but feel happy and smile

To watch with wonder as she traveled in many ways.

Arousing and beautifying “Old Mother Nature”

To form warmth and happiness to my days.