Complete Kentucky Derby Coverage

Resignation

Dan Striegel (@djsinseia) tweeted at 8:24 PM on Thu, Apr 18, 2013: Just wanted to announce my resignation as Keota Ag Ed instructor. Will be taking over the Pioneer seed dealership in the Sigourney area.

Stick with Full Season Corn Hybrids

James D'Aoust (@Cheech_Cheech) tweeted at 5:33 PM on Thu, Apr 18, 2013: Stay w full season corn hybrids until 5/25. Only abt 13% of GDUs occur in May.

Big Player Bets on Corn Going Lower

Knutson Farms (@KnutsonFarms) tweeted at 2:15 PM on Thu, Apr 18, 2013: RT @robbylevy: big player in corn today betting BIG money that we are going lower. he bought 16,000 Dec puts: 450s, 480s & 500s. it was nuts

From Scott Hingtgen- Jackson County, IA

I just don't even see a small window for fieldwork, or to jump out of! will take the rain, but warmer temps would be great along with it.

From Caleb Hamer- Blackhawk County, IA

Southern black hawk county, IA...we were at 4" for the month of April as of 2pm today, it's still raining #agchat #planter

From Adam White- Buchanan County, IA

Soil temp as of 10a was 40 degrees and as of 2:30p we have had just shy of
1.5 inches of rain

Kentucky Derby Coverage

Calvin Borel to ride Revolutionary

2013 #KyDerby Coverage by

Jordyn Burco

The Kentucky Derby is just 17 Days away and the jockeys are making their final decisions! Three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel has picked up the mount on Louisiana Derby hero Revolutionary for the 139th Run for the Roses, it was announced Monday. Revolutionary represents the same connections -- WinStar Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher -- as Borel's most recent Derby winner, Super Saver, in 2010. The veteran rider first guided Street Sense to Derby glory in 2007 before springing the 50-1 upset aboard Mine That Bird in 2009. Borel takes over the mount from Javier Castellano, who opted to ride Normandy Invasion in the Kentucky Derby. Castellano had been two-for-two on Revolutionary, engineering his victories in both the February 2 Withers at Aqueduct and the March 30 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Wanted: Hay in Eastern Iowa

If you have any extra hay available and are willing to part with it, I have a list of folks who could use it until the grass comes on!

Please call, text or email Pete 319-327-0806 or prburmeister@gmail.com

for contact information

Rudolphi's Burning Feedback

Thought he already had one that said " Eat More Bear"

From Anonymous

It's not too late!

Get your beef for summer grilling now!

Questions on price, timeline, cuts, how many pounds to expect?

Call or email Pete 319-327-0806 or prburmeister@gmail.com

Lowest Planted Corn Rate Since '93

Market to Market (@MarketToMarket) tweeted at 7:45 PM on Tue, Apr 16, 2013: The 2% planted corn rate matched the lowest in history (1993). RT @jasonlbritt:

Flash Flood Watch Locally

Schnack KWWL (@KWWLSchnack) tweeted at 3:33 PM on Tue, Apr 16, 2013: Flash Flood Watch for Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Benton, Linn and Jones County in IA until 12:00am Friday. #IAWX http://t.co/3FQOeAq4IR

2-yr Low for Gold

Market to Market (@MarketToMarket) tweeted at 2:05 PM on Tue, Apr 16, 2013: Gold tumbled to a more than two-year low around $1,300 an ounce, extending a brutal sell-off..http://t.co/6CZHixtFrP #gold RT @johnconolly

Fertilizer Prices

Don Brucker (@DonBrucker) tweeted at 8:56 AM on Tue, Apr 16, 2013: DAP- $560, Potash - $505, 28% N- $386

Rudolphi's Burning Feedback

I was happy to read Rudolphi's Burning. Please tell him it was very nice.

From Mark Kaiser- Iowa via text message

Rudolphi's Burning Feedback

Just not sure who else could talk about male anatomy and corn prices in the same article...great read!

From Jarrod Bakker- Iowa via Facebook

Rudolphi's Burning: Bumper Stickers

Rudolphi's Burning on

News From The Coffee Shop

April 15, 2013 8:27 AM

Bumper Stickers

♪ Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow ♪

Driving up and down the road I have observed motorists in minivans, pickup trucks, and little two door coupes, all proudly adorning their bumpers or back windows with stickers that exclaim how proud they are of their prized possessions.  You’ve all seen them…proud owners of guns, different breeds of dogs, various makes of automobiles (which in certain cases is either redundant or contradictory), tractors, boats…..You name it, if you can own it, I am willing to bet that somewhere there is a bumper sticker or window decal that will enable you to display your enthusiasm of doing so.  The pride of ownership in our society is simply HUGE.

To me, it appears that people display these “Proud owner” stickers for different reasons.  Some truly want to show their enthusiasm and use the stickers to reach out to other like minded motorists…making kind of a “Hey I’m with ya” statement.  (I get that).

Others display their pride purely to spite the opposition.  Gun owners for example, do not wave their flag to casually announce the love of their .357 magnum to the world; they display their window stickers with the intent of rubbing it in the anti-gun person’s face. (I get that too).

So I got to thinking to myself, what should my bumper sticker say?  I’ve never really been one to display my possessions or give away my position.  Typically, I prefer to keep my cards close to my vest and let people think what they will, because I really don’t care.  But in this case, I think it’s probably time to join the trend and display my bumper sticker.  I want something that will sympathize with like minded people, yet really put a burr under the saddle of folks who contrast from my view and position.  My bumper sticker will read…….I am the proud owner of OLD CROP CORN!

Now for you purists out there, (who pre-sold half of your crop for $8.20 and then marketed the rest in the week prior to the report) after you wake up from your fainting episode, catch your breath, and begin to come to grips with how this type of a travesty could possibly have taken place, I will explain to you the differences between you and I that have brought us to this point.

1.)     My brain is smaller than yours

2.)    My balls are bigger

For others, who are still holding a fair amount of old crop, I’m with ya!  I feel your pain.  I know what it’s like to chase Tums with Black Velvet.  Welcome to the OCOBBC….that’s the Old Crop Owners Big Balls Club.

For all of you proud card carrying club members, there are a few things to keep in mind.  There is a lot of time left on the clock—we have 5 months before new crop corn.  We are still in a very tight situation.  The credibility of the USDA is questionable at best.  While Chicago is going to react and use the USDA number as factual, end users won’t have that luxury.  Let the basis go to work!

♪ Oh the weather outside is frightful…..but to me it’s quite delightful  ♪

As we have seen in the last week, nothing will spark a market rally like a good old weather scare.  How about starting off the year with one?  A planting delay sounds just fine to me.  Bring on the snow…I hope we get a couple of feet, if so I’m going skiing, call me in May.

I understand that you are probably thinking that this is purely a one-track mind set.  You also probably want to come through the screen right now and strangle me for not joining the ranks of people begging and pleading for warm dry weather.  But to be honest, in the folks I have talked to, no one seems too concerned, nor do I think they have any reason to be.

Let’s look at the facts.  We know that the planting capacity of the Midwest is much larger than it really needs to be just in case of events like this.  Many producers are geared up to be able to plant their crop in a limited window.  In one week the lion’s share of the corn crop can be put in the ground.  Understanding that fact, we will get the crop in, so why not let Chicago panic a little bit here in the meantime?

Look back to the late starts in recent history, 2008, 2009, and even 2011 to a certain extent.  We came through all of those years in ok shape; there is no reason that this year should be any different.

No Excuses

From an agronomic standpoint, it is these types of years that really allow us to make progress in production.  There are no excuses because there are significantly less variables to contend with.  Look at last year…it became difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions because the planting window was so large.  I’ve talked to producers that had 7 weeks from start to finish.  With this, it was very difficult to conclude what the right solution was, and due to the summer that followed, I would say our “Knowledge Bank” grew very little last year because most producers are content to write it off as an anomaly and “throw it out.”

If we pay attention, a tight planting window can eliminate a huge amount of variables and we can truly begin to compare varieties, schemes, and management practices.  The nature of this spring could provide us with some great data for producing better crops in the coming years.

In addition, this weather does provide you the opportunity to take the time to go over your machinery with a fine-tooth comb and eliminate the potential hassles and failures that might show up in the field.  Take the next few weeks to tweak, tune, tinker, and get everything dialed in.  Watch it rain (or snow), cheer on the corn market, and get geared up to pop the clutch when the sun does finally decide to come out and stay. 

Somebody get me some water... cuz we got a fire!

New Crop Corn Decreasing

Max Armstrong (@maxarmstrong) tweeted at 7:55 PM on Mon, Apr 15, 2013: 1-TO-3 MILLION ACRES IN NW CORN BELT MAY NOT GET PLANTED, says Soybean & Corn Advisor. (and maybe as high as 6 in worst case, says Mike.)

The Risk Inside Your Credit Card

If It’s Not Hot, You’re Not Late

By Brad Forkner

on News from the Coffee Shop

April 15, 2013 10:31 AM

Today is April 15^TH and usually more of the US corn crop is in the ground than we see in this year. Is it time to get nervous?  Absolutely not!!  Mother Nature is in a healing mode.  Much like letting your children and animals have the time to recover from a setback in their health, after the drought last year the soil needed to recover and heal.  Our lack of moisture slowed the normal process that dissipates the herbicides to avoid carry over damage to this year’s crop.  To accomplish this we need time and moisture working in tandem.  The half-life of chemistry lengthens in the absence of moisture.

Second, with the average daytime temperatures this spring we have not accumulated any significant heat units.  The seed production in recent years, whether in North America or South America has been grown under stress and the vigor is not always what the seed companies would desire.

It is imperative, especially this year for the first drink the seed takes in to be warm.  This allows the seed to preserve energy for uniform stand establishment. Moisture is slowly recharging through the profile, but an auger will show dry dirt closer to the surface than most of us would like to find at this time of year. 

While many like to talk about the freezing and thawing fracturing the soil, the reality is that weather and iron do not establish soil flocculation like biology.  One hard rain will undo the aeration created by mechanical tillage at best, and bringing up oxygen depleted soil will damage the decay system near the surface.  Good soil microbes in conjunction with a food source will start the process of breaking down residue and building new organic matter. 

Wait until the soil is warm and dry on the surface, prepare an impeccable seed bed and the sun will let us accumulate heat units to begin the process of establishing another crop of grain to provide feed, to produce food, and continue the process of providing meat and grains. 

Healthy food to feed healthy people three times a day.  Till next month, make a series of good planting decisions this spring.

Questions? Contact:
Brad Forkner, Owner
Nutrient Management Specialists, LLC
Home of Solid-Solutions for Livestock
P.O.Box 303
614 E Cherry Ave.
Cherry, IL 61317815-257-8463
brad@nutrientmanagementspecialists.com
http://www.nutrientmanagementspecialists.com/
Skype: brad.forkner1
Twitter: @BradForkner

Eastern Iowa Travels

Crystal Blin (@crystalcattle) tweeted at 9:59 AM on Sun, Apr 14, 2013: Past 3 days I've traveled from SE IA to SE MN & have seen everything from green grass to snow covered fields #plant13 should be interesting

Drought Ending

Elwynn Taylor (@ElwynnTaylor) tweeted at 8:13 AM on Sun, Apr 14, 2013: IA now exceeds the 100-yr ave for “winter” season precip. Drought ended in SE but still more needed elsewhere.