PREPARING FOR HARVEST     

            By Scott Docherty

            When I sit down to write my preharvest newsletter I always reflect on the past crop year events and ask myself, “What do I need to do to get prepared for the upcoming harvest?”  I realized that we have been preparing and working on this since the last day we received grain last October.  The Topflight Grain Coop Team has been working on 2 new 105’ diameter storage tanks, one at Milmine and another at Pierson. Both of these projects should be completed by the time this letter hits the press.  With this additional 1.4 million bushels of upright storage and also a new temporary ring at Emery which will hold another 700,000 bushels, our pre-harvest preparations should keep us from having 3 million bushels of corn on the ground.

In addition to the bin projects we have been working on 2 NS rail siding expansions, one at Milmine and the other at Bement. We are scheduled to break ground on our Milmine project by Sept 1 and should be completed by the end of harvest just in time to start loading our post harvest trains. The Bement railroad project is running into some resistance from some of the local Bement residents and the Bement village trustees.  Topflight Grain is trying to workout negotiations with the Village of Bement and come to an agreement. This will be very important to the patrons of Topflight Grain that use the Bement facility. With out the rail expansion, Norfolk Southern RR will charge a $7,500.00 switch fee for switching or cutting 50 car unit trains.  This $7,500.00 charge equates to a 4 cent per bushel discount on every 50 car train that is loaded.

Doing business is definitely not getting any cheaper as you well realize. The cost of energy is on everyone’s mind these days. Everything that we buy is affected by the higher energy values. We have to stop and think about the cost of steel, concrete, transportation, drying and, yes, even our labor.  We have to justify every project and become more efficient as we build and upgrade our fulltime facilities. The cost of building a 105 ft diameter tank has increased from 84 cents per bushel to $1.11 per bushel in the last 2 years.  That’s a 32% increase.  Natural gas is one of our biggest concerns as we prepare for harvest and thank God we have NOT had the hurricanes that we saw one year ago.

            The Topflight Team has been busy moving grain, sweeping bins and working on equipment for harvest.  Our goal is to continue to improve our services at harvest as well as post harvest, so that by the end of October we will be making plans for the fall of 2007.

The outlook for corn demand looks bright for the next 3 years and with the deferred December corn contracts trading above $3.00 per bushel there will be some great opportunities on the horizon for our patrons.    

The kids are back in school and it will not be long until the combines are running full steam ahead. I am looking forward to fall as I feel we are prepared. I’d like to wish every one a safe and bountiful harvest.

 

ANOTHER BIN BUSTER??????

            By Stason Kopps

            Here we are again with another harvest approaching.  The question on everyone’s mind is what the yields will be like.  From what I have seen we should have a big harvest.  I use the term bin buster to describe a big harvest.  Last year Jack Warren said he had a bin buster because a bin actually busted open here in Monticello. 

            This has been a busy summer for the Monticello crew.  Chris Frye, Kevin Taylor, and I have been cleaning out bins at Seymour and Lodge.  Jack Warren has kept busy blending grain that Monticello received from Seymour and Lodge to load on trains.  Rob Dick has been busy working on maintenance.

            As harvest draws closer, I start to think about the long hours, busy days, and sleepless nights.  On a more positive note I also think about the feeling of accomplishment when that last load crosses the scales, knowing that everyone worked together to get the job done

            I hope everyone has a safe and productive harvest.

 

BUSY AT PIERSON

            By Gloria Litwiller 

It just seems like yesterday that I was writing my spring article and talking about all the changes at Pierson. Well, here it is almost harvest and the changes are done. Our new bin is up and the final touches are being completed. The additional storage capacity will be a great asset to our company. The guys have been busy making sure everything is as empty as it can be and all repairs are being taken care of.

Hilary sure kept me busy this summer with piles and piles of laundry. She would come home from one camp and off to the next. She was a counselor at the 4-H camp in Monticello for 5 weeks. Some time in the middle of those camps she went to Illini Girls State and had a great time. The experience along with some influence and respect of the Auxiliary ladies, she decided to join the Legion’s Youth group. Hilary competed in the Atwood pageant, which reigns over the Apple Dumpling Festival and was crowned Miss Atwood 2006 with Topflight Grain as her sponsor.

Ralna’s family kept her busy as well this summer. Grace turned 5, so Ralna and a few family members took Grace to the American Girl Doll store in Chicago this summer. They were able to make reservations at the restaurant for lunch. These reservations are usually booked up a year in advance. Talk about being at the right place at the right time or in Ralna’s case, right phone call at the right time. Ralna’s other daughter, Emma, turned ONE in August. I’m sure her summer seemed like it went by pretty fast with most of July working on United Prairie’s billing and her August planning the One year old’s birthday and getting Grace ready for kindergarten……. Remember back when your first one went to kindergarten, how hard it was to let them go that first day? Then after that you were shoving them out the door to go to school. Then before you knew it they were going out the door to be on their own…..

Gary, our outside guy at Pierson, also had a busy summer. He and his family made a move from Mt. Zion to Atwood. They bought a house in Atwood the first part of July, so Gary spent most of his vacation moving. When he got back to the elevator, he began preparing for the harvest season…..and has been busy ever since.

Harvest season is a busy one, so TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO ENJOY THE SEASON!!!

 

DEBT COLLECTION

            By Chuck Bentley

Scott, Dick and I bet on how large the corn crop will be each year.  We put our guess in sealed envelopes and the one closest to the actual bushels delivered during harvest wins the bet.  The two losers have to pay for the winner and spouse dinner at the winner’s choice of restaurants.  Last year we also allowed Eric to enter the contest. 

Needless to say we have not kept current paying off this debt, so we owed Scott from two years ago.  Scott chose a new restaurant named Jim Gould in Champaign last week.  Also needless to say the winner each year seems to pick a more expensive and exclusive restaurant each year.  Well let me tell you, Jim Gould was an excellent choice.  When the menu says market price for steak and lobster,  that is a good choice for the winner.  Also ordering a bottle or two of wine is a good choice for the winner.  If you haven’t gotten the idea by now, this became a very expensive debt to pay off from two years ago.

Luckily Scott did not win last year and we will also have an extra loser (Eric) to help pay the debt from last year.  The only problem is I am not the winner either.  On the bright side, by adding another loser to the payee list, you become a winner if you are a loser.

Sounds like something Yogi Berra would say.

Have a safe and bountiful harvest.

 

GETTING PREPARED

            By Derrick Bruhn

The majority of Central Illinois has been very blessed with rain this summer.  It looks as though we will have another great crop which is good for everyone.  Now that we have a good crop maturing in the field we have to start the process of making enough room.  The outside crews have been working 6 days a week since the first of August, and even before that when they were loading trains.  With the extreme heat it has been tough to get all the bins swept and ready for harvest, but they have done a great job.

 Topflight will be carrying less corn into harvest this year because the farmer has been an aggressive seller this summer and owns very little grain.  We also have added a substantial amount of both upright and flat storage this past summer to try and keep up with the industry switching to more acres of corn.  The ethanol plants and corn exports will continue to push the Midwest to grow more corn each year as the demand increases.  The next 5 years are going to be the beginning of a whole era of demand and price volatility. 

Weak basis levels are here once again with prospects of another good crop on the way.  There has been good demand at the Gulf, but barge freight is extremely high.  Last fall after Hurricane Katrina barge freight traded up to 900%, and this year without a hurricane we are already trading 650%.  The Decatur processor market has a good crop and is not aggressively going out looking for bushels.  Just as last year, once the crop is put away and harvest is done, the basis should improve considerably.

Rail companies continue to try and improve efficiency by moving larger units faster.  Topflight is planning on expanding rail at Bement and Milmine this year to avoid the charges from the railroad for splitting and switching trains.  We are upgrading those to hold 50 car capacities.  The southeast feeder market will have a rate change after Jan 1 that will require loaders to load 75 car units.  The CSX rail, which we load at Pierson and LaPlace, is moving to a 65 car market and has very few end users that still unload 15 car units like those we load.  The CN railroad, which we load at Seymour and Cisco, are discounting the 25 car units that we load because they want 100 car units.  The farmer is striving to become more efficient in his operation by using larger equipment, the elevator is doing the same by improving facilities and possibly closing inefficient facilities, and the railroad is demanding larger car trains.  It all takes money to remain competitive in the marketplace. 

Lynne and Mabry have enjoyed having the summer together.  Mabry will be 22 months on September 11.  Lynne has taught her to swim this summer and she loves it!  Every morning after she gets up she wants to go swimming.  When I get home in the afternoon she wants Daddy to go swimming with her.  We have been in Litchfield seeing the grandparents this summer and they have loved the time they have spent with her. 

   

READY…SET…GO!!!

            By Mikki Burns

We hope all of you had a great summer!!  With summer coming to an end, it means it’s time for harvest once again.  We are working hard trying to get ready.  We are hoping to be empty so we can hold this big crop that everyone says we are going to have. 

Some new LDP rules have been put into place, so make sure you have gone to your local FSA office and have signed page 1 of the 633 EZ form to make you eligible to collect LDP.  Personally, I was hoping there wouldn’t be one…but there probably will be with the prices falling.  So prior to harvest, make sure you have done this so you will be all set!!

Joyce Bennett and Jon Sago will be inside helping me again this year.  Heath Conover is back to help the guys outside.  Cisco is fortunate to have them return to help us during harvest. 

Again, please inform us of any farm changes or farm splits prior to harvest.  We really need this information before you pull onto the scales.  It takes time to get things set up and/or changed. 

It is time that we all gear up and get ready to go!!  Please have a safe harvest!!

 

BUSY SUMMER

            By Eric Clements       

This has been a very busy summer at Topflight. Construction crews have finished the new bins at Milmine and Pierson. The new bins will store 700,000 bushels apiece. We are fortunate to have started construction on the new bins during the mild winter. These projects take about six months to complete. Topflight also added a storage bunker at Emery. This bunker will also store 700,000 bushels. The bunker has four foot steel walls and it will be covered with a tarp.

            Topflight has just started a rail siding expansion at Milmine. This expansion will allow us to load 50 cars at Milmine. The NS railroad wants to be able to hold and load 50 cars at one time. I can remember when we expanded the Milmine rail siding to hold 25 cars. This will be a good improvement for the Milmine facility as we continue to expand this elevator.

            Our elevator crews have been very busy cleaning bins and preparing everything for the fall harvest. The hotter than normal spell we had in August was really hard on everyone working outside. The elevator crews were cleaning out a lot of tanks during that hot period. We could not wait for cooler temperatures because the trains have to be loaded when they arrive.

            I hope that everyone has a safe and productive harvest this year.    

 

NEWS FROM MAROA

By Denny Hill

     The summer flew by here with all the activity going on daily with trucks hauling out to Decatur and the farmers emptying their farm storage and bringing it to town. Ronnie Miller has been in charge of the outside since April when Ted Gandy took a different job and has done an excellent job getting the elevator emptied out and ready for this fall.

     We have needed quite a bit of maintenance work done over here the last couple of years and Rob Dick from Monticello has spent the last few weeks here getting those jobs completed. Several spouts in the head house needed to be replaced along with linings in several conveyors and elbows. Ronnie helped him with the millwright work while he was taking in corn and blending some of our bunker corn to ship out. At the bin site in Maroa we have done some work on the bunker by adding some lime and building the crown back up in the middle. Along with some grading along the sides we hope this work will help the grain stay in better condition until we can pick it up in the spring.

     With the closing of Waller this fall we will be able to keep Gary Liggett up here to run the bin site when we are taking beans and he will be around to help Ronnie during the heavy corn time. Roger Lewis and my daughter Meghan will help Jill and me inside again this fall.  We will add a couple of part-timers to fill out the outside duties and hopefully we will be able to take your grain in a timely manner this fall.

     Early in the spring it looked like we would not be dealing with the Loan Deficiency Program that we have seen the past few years, but with ideal growing conditions we have had, it is very possible we will see an LDP this fall. Everyone should make sure they have everything signed at their local FSA office before they begin harvest and if you have any questions please contact your local Topflight manager and he or she will help you in the right direction.

     This summer found us traveling to different cities on the weekend to watch our daughter Meghan play softball. She will be a senior this coming year at Maroa-Forsyth and is busy like most seniors trying to decide where to further her education next year. Jessica, our oldest daughter, will be a junior this year at the University of Kentucky and is enjoying her college life down there. My wife Terri will be back at Blue Mound this fall teaching 8^th grade math for the Meridian School District.

 

MONTICELLO NEWS

            By Jason Geppert

            Once again it has been a busy summer at Monticello.   The wiring in the old house was very outdated, so the upgrade was made and all the main electrical components are now located outside.  Some patches have been placed on the big steel tank and several sheets will be replaced after harvest.  Also, Derrick Bruhn, Sherryl Young, and myself, along with help from Jack Warren and Rob Dick did some landscape improvements to the Monticello office.  We replaced the wood around the sign, added an area for flowers and put in a light to highlight the Topflight Grain sign.  We also removed the bushes on each side of the scale, replaced the area with rock and added a few small landscape grasses.  The old railroad ties along the parking lot were removed and replaced with landscape blocks. 

            Jack Warren has been doing an excellent job of keeping with pre-harvest maintenance, blending corn, and keeping the facility clean.  Rob Dick has been busy repairing spouts, augers, conveyors, and anything that is in need of repair.   Kevin Taylor has been busy at Lodge getting things cleaned out and ready for harvest.  Chris Frye has kept most of his time occupied at Seymour cleaning bins.  Stason Kopps has been busy making sure bins are cleaned out and facilities are ready for harvest.  Sherryl Young has been busy keeping track of the many accumulator contracts that we are running this year and has been working on rail settlements.  Derrick Bruhn has been busy making sales to get the elevators ready for harvest.

            All of us at Monticello would like to congratulate Rob Dick and his family on the birth of their fist grandson.  We would also like to congratulate Chris Frye on the birth of his daughter.            

Have a safe harvest!

 

SURVIVOR

            By Rodd Runyen

It is such a dirty word. You cringe just hearing it. You fear it when you hear it. You hate it and don’t want to think about it.  It is a word that forever changes you and your family. That word is cancer.

Our family was told that dreadful, dirty word back in October 2003. My wife Tera had been diagnosed with an Astrocytoma - brain cancer. The diagnosis in Decatur was not good. But God was watching out for us and sent us to Bloomington to a different surgeon. This surgeon was wonderful and in July 2004 was able to remove all of the tumor, saying that if Tera had “sat and waited” as the previous surgeon wanted to do, that she would have been dead by Christmas 2004.

Well, I am happy to report that Tera celebrated her 35^th birthday on August 14, 2006. She got a very special present that day. She received an MRI and the outcome was that there is no sign of cancer!! The doctor is very optimistic for her future. The longer she goes with clear MRI’s, the less chance that the cancer will return. This has been great news for our family.

I want to encourage everyone that there is hope, even when it seems as if there is none. The day Tera was diagnosed, we cried at the devastating news. But only a few minutes later she looked at me and said, “I will live to see my three kids graduate from high school.” Autumn, our youngest, was in kindergarten. So Tera decided right then and there that she was going to be a fighter and win the battle. And she has never given up hope.

It is amazing how much that dirty, dreaded, awful word affects you emotionally, financially, socially, spiritually, and physically. It not only affects the patient, but their entire family. But we have survived this and come out a stronger family because of it. And that is why I am writing this. From day one, I truly believed God would get us through this. I just had faith, I knew it would happen. We were on many prayer chains in Cerro Gordo, Bement, Oreana, and Argenta. I want to thank everyone on behalf of my family for all the prayers and words of encouragement. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that prayer doesn’t work, because Tera is a testament that it does!

So even though cancer is a dirty word, it can bring about positive things in your life. It has helped us to focus on what really matters in our lives. It has been an eye-opener on how many lives this disease does affect – and how many survivors there are! I was so proud on June 2, 2006, when I took my wife’s hand and circled the Cerro Gordo High School track. It was the Survivor’s Lap for the Relay for Life. We passed an untold number of luminaries for cancer victims and survivors. And when we finished the lap, our kids were waiting at the end to hug their mom. Our kids took pictures and cried, because they realized what their mother is – a survivor!!

 

GET READY, GET SET, HARVEST!

          By Jason Goodner

 

            It’s amazing how fast time goes by.  It just seems like yesterday that I was writing my last newsletter article.  Looking back at the last article written before the March planting acres report, the landscape of things has really changed. The crops are in the ground, have been pollinated, and look in a lot better shape than last year at this time.  Only time will tell how much of a crop is there, but our Crop Tour on the August 29^th should give us a better indication.

            Things here in Seymour have been busy all spring and summer.  We have shipped just about every bushel we had here to the Decatur processor or transfers to Monticello to load trains.  Our customers had a busy spring too.  The weekend of Easter kicked off planting for most in our area.  It took quite a while to get things planted with the on and off rain that we experienced.  There were a lot of customer forward sales in April, May, and beginning of June.  Customers took advantage of the bullish market during those months after the planting acres report.  As always, if you have any contracting needs, market information, or a cup of coffee just stop by.

            This summer we experienced some crop stress in June, but by mid July the rains came, and haven’t stopped yet.  What a difference a year makes with adequate moisture.  Chris Frye, Kevin Taylor, Stason Kopps, and I have been working on cleaning out every bin for this fall.  It looks like the bushel per acre average will be up, so we are trying to make room for every available bushel out there.  You can tell harvest is almost here, as we have been doing pre-harvest maintenance and putting the corn bunker aeration tubes back together.

            I can’t forget to mention the 4^th of July parade here in Seymour.  Wow!  I thought that last year there were a lot of people and entries.  Last year there were 96 entries in our parade, this year there were 127.  That is fantastic.  Kari, Kolby, Addi, and I drove the Topflight airplane in the parade this year.  I thought three was a tight fit last year, but four is definitely a challenge.  We had a good time showing our community support, and seeing a lot of customers along the parade route. 

            As the end of summer is near, one can’t forget the Illinois State Fair.  We had a couple of customers, which I know of, come home with awards.  Charlie Myerscough received multiple awards for his show cattle.  The other was Chris Karr.  Chris won his 6^th Hog Calling Contest out of the last 15 years.  Congratulations to all of those who won and competed at the state fair. 

Don’t forget to get your farm codes that need to be on your trucks this fall.  If you need to update or change any codes please get in contact with me or stop by the elevator before fall.  Help us to help you in the speed of delivering your grain by displaying your codes on the passenger side of trucks.  It will be greatly appreciated.  I’m looking forward to a good harvest as I know our customers are too.  Please have a safe and bounty harvest.

 

HELLO FROM EMERY

            By Sandy Davenport

     It’s that time again - - - - the dreaded NEWSLETTER!  This is just about as bad of a word as LDP!!!  Guess I had better find something to write about because I don’t think either one is going to go away anytime soon.

     Like everyone else, I don’t know where the summer has gone.  We have been doing the usual elevator things - - - taking in grain, shipping out grain, maintenance work  on bins and equipment, mowing, etc. 

     Emery is in the process of putting up a bunker for corn.  It has a lime base, walls, aeration and will be tarped.  It will hold around 700,000 bushels.  Hopefully, not promising, this will take care of our corn on the ground.

     Just a reminder, the Waller facility will not be open this fall.  Sharon Brown, who operated the scales at Waller, and Dana Shull, will be working in the Emery office.  They both were great help last year.  Barb Fox will help out if and when needed.  I think she would come to work just so she could drive the golf cart to empty the sample buckets.  Gary Wood came back to work this summer and will be helping Charlie and John Boehn (John dumped bean trucks last year) dump trucks.

    Emery will again be taking NON-GMO beans, but will not take stacked varieties of corn.  Again, I ask that you have your trucks marked with the farm codes from which farm you are delivering.

     Jerry and I made our trip to Colorado.  It was really nice.  We especially enjoyed Estes Park and the Royal Gorge.  We have done some camping and we had our first Jet Ski adventure!  Our oldest grandson, Devvon, has his first football game of the season on August 16^th and our youngest grandson, Max, starts kindergarten this year.

     Have a great harvest.

 

HELLO FROM ATWOOD  

by Russel Wright

August is almost half over, and only a few weeks till harvest. Where did this summer go? Each year, as I prepare for another harvest I realize how time just keeps going faster and faster. Looks like we will have another bountiful crop this year in the Topflight area.  The Atwood area has had less rain than some other areas, so consequently some of the yields might be a little lower. However when the combines start to roll, the corn will still have some good yields.

Atwood’s facility is almost empty; a lot of the corn went to Bement to be loaded out on the many trains that were loaded. This took from the middle of April till the middle of July. A big THANK YOU to Bill Dirks, Steve “Jake” Jacobs, and John Beck for sweeping and cleaning out the bins and flats. This was a hot dirty job, but it was completed without too many breakdowns. Now comes the part where the final cleanout and the air tubes are put back in the flats. The non-gmo soybeans have been delivered and those bins cleaned and put back together.

This will be my thirty-fifth harvest, and I have seen a lot of changes in the agriculture industry. It is amazing how much the farm machinery has changed. When I started in 1972, there were very few combines that had four row heads. Now they have eight to twelve rows; technology is always changing. I can’t imagine how harvests would be if the elevators didn’t upgrade equipment and build bigger bins.

With school starting in a few days, we’ve been listening to the grandchildren discussing school. Our grandson, Zac, will be starting the second grade this year. He will be glad to be back with his friends that he missed over the summer months. Kady, his little sister, will be in kindergarten. She doesn’t seem to be so sure about this all day school thing. Tatum will also be starting kindergarten. She is excited to be going to school and riding the bus. All three played t-ball this summer; they sure had a good time playing. There is six months difference between the two girls, so it makes our lives so much fun and very interesting. Tyler Auth will be a junior this year. He is looking forward to playing golf on the golf team. His brother, Colin, will be a freshman this year and is out for football. Kendyl, Marcus and Nicole’s daughter, celebrated her first birthday in May. They are looking forward to moving into their new house in Gibson City in a few weeks. She sure likes to play with their dog Roxie. We are so blessed with family and treasure all our time together.

As harvest is approaching, I would like to remind everyone to please use identification cards to tell the scale operator what fields the grain is delivered from. I have cardboard signs to use, just let me know in advance and I can make them for you. This way we can avoid any mistakes when you bring in your grain.  Please have a safe and bountiful harvest.

  

SUMMER AT LAPLACE

            By Vanessa Stinson

Like all summers this has been a busy one for Topflight Grain.  At this time the LaPlace facility is empty and ready for harvest. This time last year we were still carrying 350,000 bushel of corn, so we are really excited to be empty.

As for harvest nothing much will be different at Laplace this year.  Drivers still enter on the north scale and exit on the south. We do ask that you have a sign of some sorts on your trucks so that we are able to identify who you are; this should be on the passenger side if possible. We do have cardboard if you need it, just inquire at your local elevator.

In my last newsletter I told you that our oldest daughter Gretchen had moved to Florida. Well, she decided she liked the black dirt of central Illinois and has since moved back . She is working at the Kroger store in Mt Zion . The other 2 girls are working and going to college. As for Keith and I, we are wondering where the time went. How can our children be adults already?

Mark is still busy with his church and enjoying his grandchild.

We hope that you have a safe and bountiful harvest. May God Bless!

 

BUSY SUMMER AT MILMINE

            By Lindy Powers

Another summer has come and gone and harvest is almost here. It looks like we are going to have a HUGE crop with timely rains and almost perfect growing conditions. For those of you that don’t stop by on a regular basis, we have put up a 750,000 bushel bin which will be used for corn. We are also putting in a ticket printer so that after you dump and pull back onto the scales empty, your ticket will be printed outside.  This way you can get your ticket and be back on the road. The new bin and the improvement on getting your ticket to you, without getting out of your truck, should speed up the movement of grain inbound and outbound.

Rick and Jeff have been working hard all summer trying to get the bins empty, loading trains and getting things ready to fill them back up again. Roger, Henry, Louie, Paul and Andy have been here and helped out when needed. We really appreciate all your hard work.

Please remember to display your farm codes so that we can make sure that every bushel is put in the correct account.

On the home front, Katie, my youngest daughter will be a freshman this year. She is a cheerleader and her squad is trying to raise money for the girls to go to Florida this winter to perform at the Orange Bowl.  They have had car washes, cookouts, and anything else they can think of to raise money. If it works out, Ann and I are going to try to go and watch her perform.

My oldest daughter, Dana, has two girls, Mya, 4 years, and Autumn, 1 year. Dana is a full time nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Bloomington.  She graduated this last May from Heartland Community College with an associate’s degree and will be attending ISU this fall.

My middle daughter, Tonya, has one girl, Madison, 2 years, and is expecting another baby in December. We are hoping for a boy, but the odds are slightly stacked against us with me having 3 daughters and 3 granddaughters. We will just be happy with a healthy baby.

Ann and I enjoyed a trip to Havana on August 25 for a three day weekend with our camping group. All of our friends have the big RV’s so we stay on a houseboat (with no motor). It is so much fun and has been a yearly event for us.

In closing, get plenty of rest for the 2006 harvest. I think we will all need it.

 

HARVEST PREPARATIONS

By Brock Casteel

            Crops are up and looking good, but if last year taught us anything, it was to expect the unexpected. While the crops look good in this area, we never can tell what is out there until it is in the bin. Speaking of bins, feel free to come by and take a look at the new steel bin here at Pierson. It is an impressive sight once you are inside. The Topflight crew has been hard at work in preparation for this harvest season, which is shaping up to be a good one. Many maintenance items have been taken care of and the number of bins swept has increased a considerable amount from last year. This all adds up to more inbound bushels and more available days to take in grain.

Just like many of you preparing for harvest, we start to get a little excited around here with high expectations and the fear of unknowns such as yields, equipment performance, space issues, and transportation logistics. Some times the stress can take its toll on a person. It is important to eat a balanced diet, get proper rest, and when the going gets really tough, remember to step back from what you are doing. Take a deep breath, and just relax. Difficult tasks seem to work out easier when we are problem solving with a clear head. I hope everyone has safe and profitable harvest season. Thank you for doing business with Topflight Grain, and I’ll be seeing you when the combines are rolling.

 

CONTRACT BENCHMARKS

            By Amy Brammer

Hello all! I have chatted with many of you over the course of the past few months, but for those I haven’t had the opportunity to yet meet, let me introduce myself! I am originally from Hathaway, Louisiana down in the heart of Cajunland.  I graduated from Texas A&M University and moved to LaSalle, Illinois, to work for ADM. I worked for them for 8 years in Illinois and Indiana until February of this year, when my husband was offered a position in the Decatur office. I started with Topflight Grain in late April as Business Development Manager. I’m stationed out of the Bement office, but I can be occasionally found out and about at other Topflight locations.

I’ve been working on putting together several marketing tool aids to help educate and train our staff and customers on the various programs and contracts available at Topflight Grain. One of my main projects so far has been our Benchmarking Program. Benchmarking prices allows you to have a constant price by which to measure and compare to when evaluating your marketing opportunities throughout the year. If you don’t know what the standard is how can you compare yourself to it? In my dealings with customers across Illinois and Indiana, the one common statement I hear from everyone is “I just wasn’t sure when to let go.”  Often times, we only remember the last great sale we made and forget about the averages.  Or we wait for 2 more cents to obtain a certain pricing level only to price it 10 or 15 cents lower. With the Benchmarking Program you can look back over several years’ worth of elevator bids and your own sale prices to help guide you in determining when you should be taking advantage of opportunities the market presents.  The marketplace has changed dramatically over the course of the past few years. As new fund money adds market volatility, input costs continue to rise, and fuel and energy costs/supply take center stage in the market, we can’t continue be complacent in our current marketing strategies because it’s “what we’ve always done.”  In keeping up with an ever-changing market place, Topflight Grain has quite a variety of programs and contracts to help you beat the average.

To get started, ask your local Topflight Elevator for the Marketing Tools Description sheet that explains all of TFG’s major programs and their advantages and disadvantages and other available marketing information. From a simple forward contract to detailed option oriented contracts, there are contract choices for every type of marketer. Many of you are comfortable and quite successful with your current strategies, but if you are interested in further exploring the various marketing opportunities available, we can help you create a personalized marketing plan that suits your individual needs and goals.

I look forward to meeting and talking with many of you this fall!  Have a safe and successful harvest!

 

FRIENDS, OLD & YOUNG          

            By Pam Jarboe

            In the grain business, as well as through our lives, we have made many good friends.  Lately, my young friends are the neighbors who live next door to the elevator.  I first met Cameron when I was working on Henry Lust’s 50^th birthday “celebration”.  I was decorating his truck for the appropriate occasion, and Cameron rode through the parking lot.  I thought I should say something to him, rather than startle him later.  He was very friendly, and helped me finish my job, creating some good decorating ideas to help me.

            Since that time, we’ve become good friends with the rest of the family – Shelby, Cassie, Cameron, Bailey, and we’re just getting to know little Preston.  Cassie, and sometimes some of the others, usually stops by for a break after school.  Cassie knows what kind of pop I like, and we usually have some homemade cookies, or a candy bar.  Today, we had Cracker Jacks.  It was a treat for her.  She had never had Cracker Jacks.  The popcorn didn’t impress her too much, but she was curious to see what the “prize inside” was.  This summer, we enjoyed several “tornadoes” at Sweet Dreams, and we’ve had lunch together a few times.  The weekend I worked on the annual meeting mailing, she showed up with a chicken patty sandwich for me!  It tasted very good!  One day, we were talking about school, and computers.  I told her about learning to type.  She had never seen a typewriter.  We have kept one, in the basement, just in case.  We went downstairs, put in a piece of paper, and she thought it was really cool!!!  Times change quickly, don’t they?

            This summer, we were guests of Don & Elsie Westerman’s 50^th wedding anniversary celebration.  We grew up as “across the fence row” neighbors to Don & Elsie’s girls, and spent several hours watching the goldfish in Nola Hockaday’s cow tank while Don & Dad visited.  It was a wonderful party, a great reunion of friends from old and current times. It was the friends and neighbors that we had a lot of stories to relive and to share!

Our friends, at Topflight are among some of the best. We work together, we enjoy leisure time together, and we confide in each other.  We have also developed friendships with others in the ag industry, and look forward to our time with them.

Our friends and our families are the ones who help us through the good times and the tough times.  Thank you, to all of my friends, and thank you, to all of my family. 

 

As it gets a little later into harvest, if you see this sign posted in the office windows, you’ll understand that we getting as tired as you are:

 

TOPFLIGHT GOLF OUTING

By Denny Hill

     The 9^th annual Topflight Golf outing was held on Wednesday, July 19^th at the Scovill Golf Club in Decatur. On a hot, muggy day that saw temperatures in the high 90’s, 148 golfers teed off in a scramble format for the many prizes being offered and to enjoy the company of fellow patrons and vendors of Topflight Grain.

          Doris Seal, Aaron Hill, Herman Weyen, Jim Magsamen, Jaki Hinton and John Stinson were winners of the closest to the pins on the par 3’s. Unfortunately the $5000 hole-in-one prize went unclaimed. Terri Hill won the women’s longest drive, while Eric Clements took the men’s longest drive. The longest putt winners were Danny Murphy, Jim Kleiss, Dean Disbrow and Duane Jackson.

     After a nice lunch was served by the Scovill Golf Club, a drawing was held for the many prizes donated by vendors of Topflight Grain. St. Louis Cardinal ball tickets, gift certificates, golf balls, shirts, umbrellas, were just a few of the gifts taken home by the lucky winners.

          Thanks to all the vendors who donated prizes, along with the Topflight employees who helped make this event another success. We looking forward to hosting another outing next year and hope you can attend.

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO . . . .

Bud & Deanna Lourash, who recently celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary;  Steve & Kathy Koss, proud grandparents of Hunter Romano, whose mother is Mindy Koss Romano; Dick & Ann Skagenberg, who celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in August; Hillary Lehew, selected to attend Girls State; Gene & Audrey Pirtle, who recently celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary; Andy (James) and David Polanski, recently married; Tim & Angie Schable, proud parents of a new daughter, Chloe; Meaghann & Mitch Rhodes, married on August 5; Hillary Lehew, chosen as Miss Atwood, sponsored by Topflight Grain; Maurice & Nancy Day, married 50 years in July; Sally Swarts, on her 90^th birthday; Marvin & Carolyn Rau, who celebrated their 50^th wedding aniversary in September; Ben & Jim Flaugher, pictured on the front of the News-Record, installing new playground equipment at the Cerro Gordo Elementary School; David & Carol Foulke, who celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in September; Kyle Taylor, delegate to Premier Boys State; Hugh Kirkwood, whose 80^th birthday was on August 28; Sid & Debi James, proud grandparents of August James, born to Jeremy & Mandy James; Marion Day, whose 80^th birthday was in August; Don & Elsie Westerman, married 50 years, this August; Berle & Linda Casteel; granddaughter Sienna was born to Derk & Heather Casteel, and grandson Garrett was born to Luke & Kim Casteel, at the same hospital within 12 hours of each other.  Congratulations to Uncle Brock, too!!; Cotton & Margie Wright, married 60years, this summer; Jerry & Joyce Alexander, married 40 years, this summer; John & Kathy Terrill, proud grandparents of a new granddaughter, Addison Marie Terrill; Janet Frye, honored as Illinois Outstanding Older Worker for 2006; Janet was nominated by her co-workers at the Gerber State Bank.  She will be honored at a recognition banquet in Washington DC in October; Louie Tieman, proud Paw-paw of Skye Briane.  Proud parents are Brian & Tosha Tieman; Piatt County All-Stars Baseball team, who won the championship in the St Joe Tournament in July.  The team included Johnny Bruden, Brody Gallagher, Bryant Lagle, Jake Lieb, Will Lieb, Connor Gross, Greg Neidel, Austin Kraemer, Mitchell Clements, and coaches Rich Gross, John Lieb and Wade Lagle; Gordon Goble, who was honored at a family dinner for his 90^th birthday; Florence Lamb, whose 85^th birthday was in August; Winners of the Beautiful Baby contest in Bement’s 4^th of July events – Joie Kathryn, daughter of Sarah & Danny Auth; Holly Garrett, daughter of Adam & Tara Garrett; and Clair Meyer, daughter of Mark & Laurie Meyer. Michael Robinson and Caitlin Gibson, married at Allerton Park in July; Kay Drew, recipient of the Kirby Hospital Auxilian of the Year 2006; Mary Lehman, who enjoyed a family dinner in honor of her 85^th birthday; Megan Thompson, married in June; Nicole Howland and Troy Louis, married on August 12; Ken Wright, chosen as Grand Marshall of the Bement 4^th of July parade; Central Illinois Girls Softball Rebels, winners of the NSA Softball Tournament in Moline, qualifying for the NSA National Tournament in Ohio.  Local members of the team included Mae Flavin, Kati O’Reilly, Krysten Wileaver, and Ali Moss; the Medaris family, presented with the Century Farm Award, by Representative Chapin Rose; Bill & Janet Stocks, who celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in July; Krista Anderson, Kelsey Clark, Taylor Cherry and Austin Cherry, selected as 2006 Piatt County Fair Royalty; Brooke Morris, Secily Shambuagh, Maggie Stoddard, Hilary Lehew and Mikayla Krause, chosen for ALA Illini Girls State; Lauren Kinert, chosen as Miss Lovington 2006; June Sago, 95 years young, in June; Richard and Patti Evans, presented the Century Farm Award by Senator Dale Righter and Representative Chapin Rose; Angie Ard, named Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year.  Angie is a resource teacher at Wells-Carey Elementary School in Keokuk, Iowa; Cerro Gordo Alumni Basketball Tournament championship team of Zach Coleman, Aaron Bell, Jeff Lawyer, Ty Morganthaler, Quint Shambaugh, Jacob Shackelford, Scott Fleener, and Steve Doolin; Karen Stinson, retiring from teaching at Lovington for 33 years; Amanda Davis and Joseph Pharis, to be married on September 23; Meghann Morgan, married last June; Bailey Runyen, winner of the Young Authors Contest in Cerro Gordo;  and Nichole Howland, graduating from college with a BS in Nursing. 

Our sympathies to the families of . . . .Edith Dukeman, Arthur Edgecombe, Robert Romine, Roy Kleven, Harold McDonald, Patricia Wierman, Lloyd Harshbarger, Larry Johnson, Etta Gisinger, Stan Funk, Burt Wiesner, Helen Henry, Orville Smith, Bob Romine, Mabel West, Lloyd Harshbarger, Eddie Loftus, Keith Burgess, Mary Carroll, Mark Evans, Garvin West, James Marley, James Sykes, Herb Evans, Max Pike, Mitchell Widholm, Josephine Bastert, Nettie June Haughey Park, Douglas Tool, Willma Ballard, Mildred Schultz, Ralph Hanes, Ina Hinton, Dorothy Woodard, Lenore Boyd, Wanda Ruff, Kay Steidinger, Willard Park, John Stoerger,  . . . . .And all others who have lost loved ones.

EVERY CHILD NEEDS A PET….

            By Mikki Burns

It all started with J.D. getting five baby ducks for their pond.  These ducks were yellow when delivered and supposedly when they grew up and turned white, they would be ready to go to the pond.  Well…that wasn’t completely true!!  They were raised in the garage, then the pen was put outside so they could get used to the environment and learn to eat grass.  Tim built a raft for the pond so they could escape the coyotes.  They followed BJ (the black lab) around like he was their mother.  They lay in the driveway with him…we think they thought they were puppies.  One day, Tim decided it was time for them to go to the pond/raft.  He put them in…and I swear it was like ducks walking on water.  They went so fast to the side that their feet barely touched the pond.  It was hilarious!!  Eventually (but it took a long time) they have become real ducks and swim around like they should.  We had our doubts that it would ever happen!!

Blaine and Audrey got a fish and Blaine named him ‘Rappie’.  Well… the aquarium wasn’t quite large enough for this certain kind of fish.  One day, Andréa noticed that he wasn’t acting right.  In a day or two, the fish was no longer.  The kids were outside and she took care of the problem.  When I asked Blaine how ‘Rappie’ was doing, he said:  “Rappie had to go to the doctor.  And when he left, he even shut off the light in his fish tank.”  They did get another fish that could live in the tank and he is doing well!!

For his birthday, Blaine wanted a dog. The kids have been a little afraid of dogs in the past, so Chad thought this would be good for them.  They went to the animal shelter and found a beagle that was about a year old.  They decided to get him and bring him home.  His name is ‘Rocky’.   Blaine has adjusted well to him, but Audrey is still a little apprehensive.  Rocky chewed up one of Blaine’s action figures ‘Dr. Doom’.  When I asked him if he was upset with Rocky, he said, “No, it is all right…I can get another one”.

About three weeks ago, I heard this howling noise.  Lo and behold, someone had blessed us and dumped a dog.  Every dog we have ever had, has gone to town and not stayed home.  So after the last one, we said “no more”.  Well…not true.  Jim said, “I wouldn’t mind having a good dog, if he would stay home”.  The next day, he was going to town to get dog food for him.  So, “Buster” has found a home.  He seems like a good dog, but is still puppy and loves door mats.  Every mat we have has been either chewed on or chewed up.  But he meets Jim every night at the mail box and follows him to the garage, because he knows he is going to get fed.

So I guess not only children, but men also need pets.

DOUG FAULKNER NAMED UNDER SECRETARY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

New releases and website announcements in early June proclaimed the appointment of Douglas L Faulkner as deputy under secretary for rural development.  One of his jobs is to help the department of agriculture achieve the goal of advancing the development of renewable fuels technology. 

Doug had previously served as principal deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy at the US Department of Energy. In the energy department, he worked to promote energy development in the areas of biomass, solar, hydrogen and efficiencies.  Doug began his career in Washington DC as an aide to the late Edward Madigan, and has served as senior policy advisor to secretaries of energy.

In his new position, Doug will assist in development, production and use of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, through USDA research, loan and grant programs.

Doug attended John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, University of Singapore, and the U of I.  He also attended the Maroa-Forsyth schools for his complete elementary and high school education.  The press releases never seem to mention that, so we thought we would.  Congratulations, Doug, on a great career!

TOP COOKS     

Looking forward to the 2007 Women’s Program, we would like to put together a cookbook of everyone’s favorite recipes.  We would like to have your favorites, to include in the book.  You can submit them, in just about any method – mail them to a Topflight office, email them, fax them, or take them to your local office to have them copied.  However you get them to us, is fine.  We think it will be a great cookbook!  We know we have a lot of terrific cooks!

TOPFLIGHT NEWS

Congratulations to Willard Kauffman!!  Willard reached the 20- year mark with the grain company this year!  Willard began his grain career with Pierson Grain in 1986.  Today, he is one of Topflight Grain’s well respected maintenance men.  Stationed out of the Pierson location, Willard performs most of the maintenance needs at Atwood, Pierson, and LaPlace, and assists at any of the locations he is needed.  His work is thorough, precise, and always first class!  Willard was recognized at the Topflight Grain annual meeting, for his many years of service and dedication.

Congratulations to Sandy Davenport! Sandy has completed 25 years in the grain business!  She began her grain career at Waller Grain, just to help out her brother who managed the facility.  And she stayed!!  She has served the Waller Grain customers well, and continues to work with them in her office at Emery.  Sandy’s dedication to her customers accounting needs and paperwork details and her great personality are a tremendous asset to Topflight Grain.  Manager Scott Docherty presented Sandy with special acknowledgement during the annual meeting.

 

WELCOME!!

We welcome Louie Isbell to the Bement operations staff.  Louie and his wife, Gloria, live in Bement.  Louie works wherever needed, often at Shacks, assisting with bean receipts and shipments and nongmo receipts and shipments.  He also has his CDL license, and transports grain for us in the Topflight semi. 

We welcome Andy Parsons to the Topflight crew in Bement.  Andy began his grain training at Shacks last fall, taking in nongmo beans.  He has worked about everywhere, doing about everything since then.  He has been a great addition to the operations staff. Andy is a Bement High graduate and lives in Bement.

Welcome to Amy Brammer!  Amy is developing and working with grain marketing plans and will assist you with your marketing goals and objectives.  She can be contacted through the Bement office and is willing to meet you at your farm business, if you prefer.  Amy and her husband, Elliott, live near the airport in Decatur.

 

With active grain markets, and building projects, Topflight Grain wrote $2.5 million in checks, in the three days of Thursday, March 30, Friday, March 31, and Monday, April 3.  $600,000 was for construction projects, $1.9 million in grain purchases.

You can look for Denise Docherty, in the TV commercials for Karen’s Closet.

Gary & Angie Speagle recently moved to Atwood.

Russ & Heather Durham have moved to Cerro Gordo.

Chuck Bentley received the “Atta-boy” award from Russel Wright, for his work in computer improvements.

Congratulations to Rob & Lyn Dick, grandparents of Spencer Michael Ford.  Spencer’s parents are Brian & Jennifer Ford.

Scott, Annie and Dillon Docherty represented Topflight Grain in the calf dressing contest at the Piatt County Trail Blazer’s Rodeo.

Y’ALL COME!!

            The Topflight Grain annual meeting was well attended by 750 stockholders, at the Decatur Civic Center, on Friday, August 11.  The delicious buffet meal was served by Hump’s Cut Catering.  Guests were treated to a choice of grilled steak, pork or chicken, with tossed salad, pasta salad, cheesy potatoes, baked potatoes, green beans and corn, plus Connie’s delicious cakes! 

            During the serving, guests viewed a picture show of the previous year’s activities and snapshots of some of out stockholders and company guests through the past year.  As the meal concluded, annual meeting chairman, Richard Larimore, welcomed everyone to the meeting.  President Ron Meece called the business meeting to order.  Secretary Cary Hinton read the minutes from the previous annual meeting and controller Chuck Bentley presented the financial statement as prepared by D. Piraino and Associates, P.C.  In the manager’s speech, Scott Docherty reviewed the previous harvest’s challenges, and the preparations for the upcoming year.  He recognized special guests and the employees in attendance. Sandy Davenport received special recognition for 25 years of employment, and Willard Kauffman was recognized for 20 years of employment.  Directors Kenny Ruff and Louie Stoerger were acknowledged, as retiring directors, for their years of service to the company.  Both have provided valuable guidance as a director of many years to the stockholders of Topflight Grain.

            Nominating committee chairman Kenny Ruff presented the slate of nominees, which included Dave Zelhart, Cary Hinton, J W Day, and Greg Briggs.  These directors were elected to serve a three year term, joing the current directors of Richard Larimore, Ron Meece, Bill Schable, Kurt Robson, Kyle Johnson, and George Riley.

 

Manager’s speech, as presented at the 2006 annual meeting:

 

RIDING THE STORM OUT

          This year we learned to expect the unexpected.  We also learned that with the unexpected comes surprise.  Topflight Grain geared up for our 2005 harvest with a new 105’ GSI tank at Emery and we were prepared to put 1.5 million on the ground in emergency storage. With drought conditions we fully expected low yields.  Surprise!  Corn hybrids with specific pest and drought traits proved our crop tour reports inaccurate, yielding a bumper crop for fall of 2005.

Another Surprise!  The perfect storm!  Hurricane Katrina changed all of our lives when she hit and shut down the Gulf; in turn causing a domino effect, shutting down river and rail traffic just as we were prepared to deliver the crop.  We all know that after a lightning flash ---- comes thunder.  For the first time in my 12 years with Bement and Topflight Grain, Decatur processors shut down for 10 days at the heat of harvest.  As a result, we had to shut down until space was made available.  We continued to ride the storm.

As Chuck told you just moments ago, we dumped 20.3 million bu. of corn and 5.4 million bu. of soybeans.  On Sept 28, we set a daily unload record and dumped 1.1 million bu. of corn. Congratulations to our Branch Manager, Vanessa, and Mark and staff at La Place, for setting a new single facility record of unloading 250,000 bu. of corn in one day.  I must also acknowledge and give credit to the previous management and board of directors for the layout and facility upgrades allowing us to achieve this accomplishment.  Through our continued educational seminars, we have learned that with new seed technology and increase in corn acres, corn harvested in one day is expected to increase 25% within the next 5 years.  This means La Place needs to prepare to dump 312,000 bu in one day, by 2010.

As we continued to move through harvest, I began to feel like Gomer Pyle; Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!  Hurricane Katrina had now changed the energy market tripling the price of natural gas.  Our natural gas expense for Harvest 2005 was $712,000 versus $253,000 for 2004.  We are currently paying fuel surcharges of 13 – 18% for our truck and rail shipments. 

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!  As thrilled as we were with the high yields it did cause logistic problems and we ended up putting over 3 million bu. of corn on the ground using emergency storage. Again our cost of doing business went from $135,000 in 2004  to $295,000 dollars for our  grain handling expenses.

          Topflight Grain’s three belt conveyors ran 18 hours a day for three weeks straight.   The 3 million bushel of corn in emergency storage could have been a huge risk to our Co-Op. However, our fantastic team of employees put in the extra hours needed, working overtime and weekends all through harvest to get the job done.  More importantly, getting the job done right, by getting the ground piles picked up and put back into the facilities as quickly as possible.

            After harvest we held a series of discovery meetings for our producers.  At these meetings our producers were asked to fill out two surveys.  One survey being a review of Topflight services; and the second, asking the producer how they planned to change their operations.  Getting dumped in a timely manner ranked number one or two at all of our meetings.   We also found that 89% agreed to support Topflight Grain in either ethanol, or soy diesel investment and production.

            Topflight Grain has invested $280,000 into an L.L.C. called “One Earth Energy”.  This limited liability company includes; Alliance Grain, Fisher Farmers, Ludlow Cooperative and Grand Prairie Co-op. This planned ethanol facility will produce 100 million gallons of ethanol per year and will grind approximately 37 million bu. of corn per year.  In addition to fuel grade ethanol, about 320,000 tons of dried distillers’ grain will be produced.  We have filed with the Securities Exchange Commission and are presently in a quiet period. If you would like more information on the ethanol industry or One Earth Energy contact Mitch Dawson, our project Manager.

            Post harvest is the time to look forward.  Shortly after harvest the board recognized with increasing corn yields and corn acres that Topflight Grain needed to increase our permanent storage.  Instead of one bin, we decided on two 105’ diameter tanks, which will hold 725,000 bu each. One is located in Milmine and the other at the Pierson facility. We also decided to put up a temporary ring at Emery that will hold 700,000 bushels.

            In addition, we are progressing with 2 rail siding expansions in Bement and Milmine served by the NS.  These rail expansions will allow us to receive and load 50 car units at each of these facilities.  Otherwise, we will have to pay $7500.00 to split a 50 car unit between facilities.

            Topflight Grain will spend approximately 4.5 million dollars in capital expenditures with these four projects. 

            As we continue to build and upgrade our full time facilities your Board of Directors also recognizes that we have to become more efficient.  Therefore, we have elected to close our Voorhies and Waller facilities for fall of 2006.

Safety and product services are of the utmost importance for Topflight Grain and its producers.   Our goal is to continue to improve our marketing programs, crop insurance, farm pickup, and Farm Service Agency Services concerning farm programs.

I am very proud that your board elected to redeem stock, pay patronage (totaling 1,281,000 dollars) and build working capital this past fiscal year.  And, I am happy to say, we are currently with in 14 years of stock revolvement, thus keeping the stock in the hands of the active patrons.

The demands for working capital will increase due to the higher volatility in the market place, with the flow of money into commodities from hedge and index funds.  For example, recently, one day’s margin call was $1.2 million.

I read a story that reminded me of how we try to run things at Topflight Grain.  It is a story about the importance of synergy. I know you have all seen a flock of geese heading south for the winter flying along in V formation.  Scientists have learned some amazing things about why they fly that way:

*By flying in formation, the whole flock can fly 71% farther than if each bird flew alone.  When a goose flaps its wings, it creates an updraft for the goose that follows.        

 

*As the lead goose gets tired, he will rotate to the back of the V and allow another goose to take the lead position.

*The geese in the back honk to encourage those in the front.

*Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it immediately feels the resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation.

 

In closing I would like to thank my beautiful wife, Denise, for her support. And, to the spouses of our hard working employees, I would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU.

I pray that we remember that synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create a better solution than either could alone.  It’s not your way or my way but by flying with Topflight Grain Co-op we find a better way.

It takes a supportive team of patrons, employees and families to succeed as we do. and, to achieve the record income as we did this past fiscal year.

If you hear me yell SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE! again  this harvest, the Topflight team will giving each other a honk of encouragement.

 

GRAIN PAGE

SPECIALTY CROP PROGRAMS

            If you plan to grow a “specialty” crop (i.e. nongmo beans), you must sign a grower contract and return it to Topflight Grain.  This is a requirement of the end-user of the special commodity, and it also assists us with planning storage space and delivery periods. 

            It is very important that you have a signed grower contract if you participate in a specialty grain program.  If you have any questions, please contact your local Topflight Grain office.

 

HAULED BY CUSTOMER

            This fall, you may notice a new line of information on your scale ticket.  It will probably say “hauled by customer”.  This extra information will help us comply with rules of the Bio-Terrorism act. As well as noting the hauler on the inbound ticket, it is also noted on outbound tickets.  Drivers transporting grain out of Topflight Grain also must complete trucking logs and submit them to Topflight Grain for filing.  These were not big changes for us to make, but you may notice the extra line on your scale ticket.

 

GRAIN INSURANCE FUND

            As of July 1, the producer funded portion of the Illinois Grain Insurance Fund met the required contribution level.  You will notice that the “grain insurance fund” is no longer deducted from your grain check.  Contributions by grain elevators will continue until their level of funding is reached.  In the event that the fund is drawn upon, producers could be required to re-fund a portion of the monies, once again through the insurance fund check-off.

 

GRAIN OFFERS

            One of the marketing tools offered by Topflight Grain is the Grain Offer Contract.  This contract allows producers to “offer” in a set amount of bushels for sale, if the price reaches a higher, set price. It can be especially useful in a quick moving market, or at times when you do not have access to the markets. 

            Please be sure, though, that you cancel your offer, if you sell the grain prior to the market rally and activation of the offer into a cash contract. Occasionally, we have reached the desired price, sold the futures, activated the offer to a cash contract, only to find no grain to purchase. 

 

YOUR INFORMATION

            Your grain accounting information can be viewed from your home computer, from your comfy office chair, through the Topflight Grain website.  By linking onto “Producer reports” from our website, you can access your current contracts, open grain balances, and scale tickets.  If you are new to this feature, you will have to register through the “Register for free” line on the Producer Reports page. This will allow us to set up your grain accounting records that are updated each evening about 8:00.  If you need help with this, please call Pam, in the Bement office.

 

LDP FORMS

            It is very important that you have completed the correct forms to collect LDP, if grain prices are low this fall.  You must have form 633 EZ completed, before you can collect any Loan Deficiency Payment.  Please be sure that you have this form on file at the FSA office.  If grain prices drop, through harvest, or later in the year, you will then be in position to claim the benefit.  If you need assistance with delivery sheets, forms, or a fax machine, please contact your local Topflight office.

 

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

            Down the street from the Bement office, is a new Habitat for Humanity home.  That house sits on the old Thermogas lot, owned by Topflight Grain.  The lot was donated by Topflight Grain to the Habitat committee. 

            Many distinguished dignitaries of the county were present for the ground breaking.  The house will be finished this September for the young Thomas family.  As a requirement of ownership, the young couple is required to contribute several hours of “sweat equity”.  They work along side many skilled volunteers in the construction of the house.  The home has been constructed through the summer months, with crews working in the evenings, and on Saturdays. 

 

LAST BENCH

Come, sit a spell, on the new bench at the Pierson office.  The bench was a project of LAST, the Learn and Serve Team, of the Atwood-Hammond Elementary School.  The team was created to involve students, parents, community members and teachers in community accomplishments. The team cleaned up, trimmed bushes, planted flowers, and spruced up the garden areas of the high school.  The bench project was lead by Jessica Irace. Several of these benches now grace the Atwood, Hammond and Pierson area.  We are proud and pleased that one of these benches is at the Pierson office.

 

COME, FLY WITH US!!

The Topflight airplane “flew” in several parades this summer.  We had many good pilots and co-pilots who successfully taxied the plane to a safe landing in each parade. 

In the Cerro Gordo Fat Hill Fest, Sara and Bailey Runyen piloted the plane, assisted by Rodd Runyen, Jordan Crist, and Brett Splittstoesser.

Sandy Davenport and Colton Riley in the Maroa 4^th of July parade.

Aaron and Jace Hill were the pilots in the Argenta Prairie Festival Celebration.

Pam’s pilots were Jonathan and Katherine Chenoweth, in the Bement 4^th of July parade.

Russel and Debby Wright taxied in the Atwood Apple Dumpling parade.

Jason, Kari, Kolby, and Addi (you can’t see her) threw candy in the Seymour 4^th of July parade.

GRAND MARSHALL                                                    

      by Russel Wright

William “ Bill” Kamm was honored this year by being the Senior Grand Marshal of Atwood’s Apple Dumpling Parade. Mr. Kamm, who will turn 99 this December, still has a driver’s license, however he had his nephew Howard Kamm drive the convertible in the parade. He still takes an active part in the farming operations that Howard does for him.    

Bill graduated from Atwood High School in 1925, then spent one year at the U of I, participating in several sports. His brothers, Jake and Chin, went on to play U of I sports as well, earning several records and playing on winning basketball teams.  He has spent almost all of his life in the Atwood area, except for three and half years in the Navy during World War II, spending a lot of his time in Hawaii, “a good duty station”, he said.

During the depression he worked on a farm for $30 a month. Then he took a job with the state highway department. He was in charge of 11 men and 300 miles of roadway in Douglas, Piatt, and Champaign Counties. After working there for five years, he took the postal exam in 1939. He scored in the top three and was hired as a rural mail carrier for Atwood.  Several people have told me when Bill would deliver the mail and if the youngsters would pick it up, then he would give them a stick of gum. During the time he was in the Navy, his wife, Pearl, took over his route until he came back home. Bill retired from the postal service in 1968 and moved to Mesa Arizona, where he became involved in pitching horseshoes.  He was later inducted into the Arizona Horseshoe Pitching Hall of Fame.

He has since retired from pitching horseshoes, but still likes to watch the good competition at this year’s festival. Bill has traveled to many places and had lots of experiences, but without question Atwood will always be his favorite place to live. No wonder, his home is surrounded by big oak trees and is visited occasionally by deer, many different birds, and even a wild turkey or two. 

Topflight Grain congratulates “Bill” Kamm on being selected as the Senior Grand Marshal of this year’s Apple Dumpling Festival.

  
ANTIQUE TRACTOR CRUISE

 “Ladies and Gentlemen, start your tractors!”  was the last of the opening instructions in the Bi-County Classic Tractor Cruise that left Malfunction Junction, Paris, Illinois, and ended up in Marshall, Illinois.  Larry Bartram was one of the participants in the Cruise, that occurred during the last weekend of July.  Larry joined 94 other drivers, on the three day cruise, through the gravel roads, hard roads, river fords, and grass lanes.  Tractors and drivers from many states, including Ohio and Oregon joined the trip.  They drove most of the day, stopping for meals and fuel, along the way.  It is a carefully planned trip, with food, overnight accommodations, fuel fill-ups, entertainment and transportation organized for the three days.  To participate, the tractor must be at least 25 years old, and each driver must bring a tow strap! 

            This trip is similar to the Heritage Tractor Adventure, that travels through Streator and LaSalle-Peru in northern Illinois, led by Max Armstrong.  Other local participants who have enjoyed the cruise are John Mackey and Rick and Debbie Beauchamp.

 

AND THE WINNERS ARE . . . .

Winners of the recent Trivia contests include Jim White, Larry Larson and Alice McClure. These lucky people received that world famous, much coveted Topflight Grain T-shirt. 

Each week, the Trivia question is updated on the Topflight Grain website.  The question may relate to the grain business, current events, historical events, or anything interesting.  Each correct answer is entered into the monthly contest, where one winner is chosen to be the recipient of that really neat T-shirt. 

We appreciate all the answers, and the comments that accompany the answers!

SCHOOL’S OUT!!!!

Our year of activities with the second grade class concluded with lunch and a Play Day.  We joined the students for sack lunch, in their classroom.  Surveying the food available, Scott offered to trade some of his lunch for something more desirable.  Several students were willing to negotiate a trade with him, and everyone involved in the auction thought they had a good deal.  This “open outcry” market was an example of how corn and beans are traded in the pits at the Chicago Board of Trade.     

            Following lunch, with a Topflight Grain ink pen in their hands, the students answered questions on a quiz, about all of the activities with Topflight Grain during the school year.  Everyone scored an “A” on the test. 

            In Cole’s pasture, the students were divided into teams for a game of Tug of War.  It was girls against boys (not fair in this class of only 5 boys!) and then students against adults.  The games continued with wheel barrow races, gunny sack races, duck-duck-goose, and telephone. 

            The afternoon was a great ending to a great year, with a great class!  We wish the 2006 Second Grade Class a successful future. We look forward to meeting this year’s class.

 

MONSTER CROP

            The headlines in the Champaign News-Gazette read “Monster Crop” following the Topflight Grain annual crop tour.  Teams of employees, stockholders, and business associates drove the country roads the last week of August to evaluate the potential of the 2006 crop.  Stopping about every 2 miles, the teams counted corn population and corn kernels, and bean pods. 

            Results of these counts were presented on August 29 at a dinner meeting at the Bement Country Opry.  Following a pork chop meal, served by Tracy Ferrill of Basket Case Catering, Derrick Bruhn welcomed the guests.  Derrick introduced Harry Woods from FC Stone, who reviewed supply demand numbers, export numbers and discussed the impact of ethanol plants on the future demand and price of corn.  Brian Malone then discussed the process and paperwork requirements of the new 633-EZ form for claiming and LDP this year.  Michelle Lewis, presented some of the programs available through the Natural Resources Conservation Office, encouraging farmers and landowners to ask about the opportunities. 

            A slide show of the aerial crop tour was shown during dinner.  Derrick, Amy, and Pam were passengers of pilot Bob Cundiff, on August 21, as they viewed the Topflight area from the air.  The day was perfect for flying, and the crops in the eastern part of the area looked very good.  Over the Cisco, Argenta, Emery, Maroa area, several holes were noticed, due to excess rain and ponds.  The corn seemed to be standing very well through the entire flight. 

            Derrick announced an overall crop tour average of 193 bushels/acre on corn for the 2006 crop.  In the bean fields, teams counted bean pods per plant, which were recorded as 49 pods/plant, an increase of about 2 pods over the 2005 bean crop.  Highest corn yields were reported in the Emery and Maroa area.  The lowest corn yields were reported in the Cisco area. 

            Results of this year’s crop tour, and previous crop tours are available on our website at topflightgrain.com.  We greatly appreciate Kestrel Technologies posting the results, and keeping the historical information for us.  Our thanks, also to Kestrel Technologies for the map, printed below, showing the results of the tour. 

 

WHO WOULD BELIEVE IT?

During the summer trucking season, Harold Myerscough lost his cell phone, somewhere while transferring corn from Seymour to Monticello.  Several days later, Tate and Lyle reached Harold, to tell him they found his cell phone in a rail car of corn,

loaded at Topflight Grain, Monticello. 

 

MEASURING AND MONITORING               

            Measuring and monitoring are a continual process at Topflight Grain, to ensure that grain quality and quantity are correct and that we can meet our customers demands.

            Twice a year, Barry Bristol, our ISO auditor visits three Topflight facilities.  Last June he audited at Bement, Maroa and LaPlace.  At the beginning of each visit, Barry, Russel and Scott review the last audit, and the records of the last six months. Barry then focuses on a few certain procedures to observe from each of the employees at the targeted locations.  He usually finds a few things that we aren’t doing right.  We correct these procedures or records, and note them for the ISO follow-up response. In between these audits, the internal auditors review records and procedures.  They also visit each office and elevator facility to ask questions and observe processes.  Any infractions they discover are noted, corrected and recorded.

            Once a year, at the end of the fiscal year, Chuck, the directors and financial auditors measure the grain and note the quality.  These records are compiled, along with research of the financial records to produce Topflight’s annual financial statement, as presented at the annual meeting.  (These reports are available at each Topfight office, if you were unable to attend the annual meeting.)

            Each week, facility managers submit a report that lists any problems that need to be corrected, whether it is grain that needs to be moved or equipment that needs to be fixed.  Throughout the year, Chuck and the measurement team take periodic measurements to confirm actual inventory numbers and grain quality.

            To maintain our state grain dealer’s license, the State of Illinois warehouse examiners review our records at least once a year.  They, too, measure the grain in the bins, the quality, and review the financial records.

            All of these audits ensure that your grain is properly stored and monitored and that the financial strength of the company remains strong.

 

SECRETARY’S DAY, FIRST CLASS!!

            Secretary’s Day, or Administrative Assistant’s Day, is always a treat at Topflight Grain.  This year, Scott was the bus driver, transporting all the girls to Effingham Equity. 

Wes greeted us, and guided us through the new office building at the elevator. He showed us the computer program that he engineered that allows the scale attendant to control and monitor the dumping of grain from the office.  Legs can be started from the office and the flow of the grain is displayed on the computer screen.  Outside, in the elevator he demonstrated the safety switches in place and the cameras that monitor the action in the elevator.

            After the tour and lunch at Nieberg’s, we toured the Corvette museum in Effingham.  The cars were awe-inspiring, and our tour guide told us some interesting stories that accompanied some of the famous cars.

            Closer to home, the final stop was Prairie Fire Glass in Monticello.  Lori explained the process of heating the glass and shaping it into bowls, vases and Christmas ornaments.  Mixing the colored glass crystals, heating them, and shaping them produces unique, beautiful results! (If you’re interested in the actual process, Prairie Fire Glass usually offers an opportunity for you to make your own Christmas ornament, during the Holiday season.)

            Once again, it was a great day to spend together, meeting a lot of good people, with interesting stories to tell.

 

ON TOUR

We’re always pleased when someone wants to learn more about the grain business.  We had several of those groups in Bement and Monticello this year.

Our youngest tour groups came from the Caring Place, in Champaign, where Jenny Einhorn cares for, and plans trips for, the young members.  Jenny brought two groups to visit Bement this summer.  They were all so interested and asked lots of good questions. We were also pleased to meet the Taiwan business students, hosted by Larry Stapleton of Millikin University.  These business students are always interesting to visit with, as we compare their business culture, with our business culture.  The Monticello crew hosted a tour of students, led by Steve Ayers, this summer.  Again, it was another group with good questions, and information exchange.