AgQuest Ag Financial Services and Ag Insurance

Harvest Land Cooperative Receives Honor at State Convention

Agquest — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:39:32 +0000

NEWS RELEASE – For Immediate Release – February 21, 2012

The Harvest Land Cooperative based in Morgan, was honored recently at the 105^th annual convention of the Minnesota Grain and Feed Association (MGFA), by being inducted into the MGFA Century Club. The MGFA Century Club currently consists of 17 Minnesota grain elevator and feed mill firms that have been in continuous operation for over 100 years, providing vital rural community leadership, economic development, market access, essential agricultural inputs and quality customer service over the years.

Harvest Land Cooperative’s founding companies were actually 2 former elevators, the Morgan Farmers Elevator, which was established in 1904 and the Springfield Farmers Elevator Company which was also established in 1904. In the early days these 2 locations collectively handled quite a variety of products from grain, fence posts, lumber, salt, twine, wire & farm implements to hard and soft coal, flour, feed, cement & rock salt, all of which were considered critical supplies needed by the cooperative’s producer-owners.

Each location invested in equipment and facilities throughout the years. Morgan’s first elevator was built in 1904 and Springfield’s elevator was built a year later in 1905. Both facilities added to their holdings over time, through new construction of needed warehouse space, storage capacity, a feed mill at Morgan, and with equipment purchases like new scales, grain dryers and fertilizer application equipment.

In 1965, the Morgan location entered the aqua nitrogen and anhydrous ammonia business. In 1973 they got into the petroleum business, and a year later they added propane business to their list of services offered. In 1974, they built the Southern Seven Terminal at Springfield with 6 other cooperatives. Springfield sold their interest in the business 4 years later, in 1978, to the Morgan Farmers Elevator, who also bought out the other 5 cooperatives as well.

On September 1, 1984 the Morgan Farmers Elevator and the Springfield Farmers Elevator Company merged to create what is now known as Harvest Land Cooperative. In 1991, Harvest Land Cooperative formed AgQuest Financial for the purpose of providing high quality and comprehensive financial products, insurance and services for producers. AgQuest consists of 13 cooperative and independent retailers throughout the United States. In 1996, Harvest Land entered the leasing business with Northland Capital located in St. Cloud. Through AgQuest and Northland Capital, LLC subsidiaries, they provide patrons with financing, insurance, and leasing options.

In the nearly 30 years since Harvest Land Cooperative came into existence, they’ve continued to thrive. Expansion into the turkey business, the addition of refined fuels to the cooperative mix, the continual expansion of storage capabilities, becoming a shuttle train loading facility and the addition of an in-house finance company, has positioned this cooperative for further success in the future. Today, Harvest Land Cooperative employs 86 people full time, handles 26 million bushels of grain annually, has a total storage capacity of 12.5 million bushels, produces 110,000 tons of feed annually and has 5 locations in the communities of Comfrey, Morton, Morgan, Springfield and Wabasso. Congratulations on over 100 years of success in the grain, feed and agribusiness industry!

The Minnesota country elevator industry consists of 350 firms operating out of nearly 600 locations in the State. The “average” country grain elevator employs 20 people full time, handles 7.5 million bushels of grain annually, has an annual sales volume of over $42 million, has been in business for over 65 years and pays a combined $250,000 in annual payroll, property and income tax. To learn more about MGFA and the Minnesota grain elevator and feed mill industry, go to www.mgfa.org

Picture (above) Caption: Harvest Land Cooperative of Morgan was inducted into the Minnesota Grain and Feed Association Century Club, in recognition of over a century of continuous service. Pictured (L-R): Bob Zelenka, MGFA Executive Director, Dennis Schreier, Co-op General Manager and Wes Cole, MGFA President.

The contributions of the third parties views represent the opinions and views of the third parties. AgQuest Financial Services does not endorse these resources and should be considered only as a form of advice.

AgQuest offers “one-stop shopping” for all of your agricultural finance and insurance needs, including operating loans, real estate loans, machinery & equipment loans and leasing, a full line of ag insurance options such as crop insurance, precision farming and Livestock Gross Margin Insurance.

Dawn Standish added to AgQuest Team

Agquest — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:39:25 +0000

We are pleased to welcome Dawn Standish to the AgQuest team. Dawn will be our new Administrative Assistant located at our retailer partner UFC’s Winthrop location. Dawn brings forth a banking and Ag background. She is returning to the Gibbon area after living in Brookings, SD for many years. We welcome Dawn and are happy and excited that she is part of the AgQuest family!

AgQuest Works Well With Security Seed & Chemical

Agquest — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:11 +0000

See what Security Seed customers have to say about AgQuest:

Security Seed & Chemical is one our retailer partners and is located in Tennessee and Kentucky.

Lasagna Soup Recipe

Agquest — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:31:34 +0000

For the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings: 8

Source: adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine.

The contributions of the third parties views represent the opinions and views of the third parties. AgQuest Financial Services does not endorse these resources and should be considered only as a form of advice.

Empowering a Connected Community of Advocates

Agquest — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:00:08 +0000

In 1790, farmers were 90% of the labor force. By 1890, farmers were 43% of the labor force. In 1990, farmers were down to 2.6% of the labor force. (Growing A Nation: The Story of American Agriculture). With the labor force of farmers dwindling down, Americans are becoming more and more detached from their food source. The media has been in charge of bridging this gap and providing the agricultural news to the public. However, with the way the media reports the news, perceptions can be developed and instilled into the minds of its viewers which can lead to significant consequences.

The ugly perceptions and images have given the American farmer a bad rap with little to go on. Instead, farmers are usually reacting instead of pro-acting. So why don’t we be proactive and tell our side of the story? Why not let the public hear it straight from the source rather than getting mudded by the middle man reporter? The AgChat Foundation is doing just that. “The AgChat Foundation is designed to help those who produce food, fuel, fiber and feed tell agriculture’s story from their point of view.” (AgChat Foundation)

Together, we’ll find the way to tell our side of the story!

On The Farm Tips

Agquest — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:05:44 +0000

Do you have a really good on the farm tip you would like to share? It can be anything from how to remove a post to rolling up old fencing and everything in between.

Send the tip along with picture or drawing (optional and not needed to be entered into the drawing), along with name and address to media@agquest.biz or mail to AgQuest Financial Services c/o Media, PO Box 67, Morgan, MN 56266 and you will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Visa Gift Card. 2 winners will be selected from a drawing held on March 1, 2012, winners will be notified that day.

Tips may be posted in our AgQuest News section on our website.

Eligibility. The Drawing is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia), eighteen (18) years of age or older. Void where prohibited. Employees, officers and the immediate family members living in the same household of AgQuest employees or officers are not eligible. The winners name, photo and likeness may be used by AgQuest to promote the winners. By participating, entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of AgQuest, which are final and binding in all respects.

2012 Producer Meeting

Agquest — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:52:21 +0000

The 2012 Harvest Land / AgQuest Financial Services Producer Meeting was held January 13, 2012 at Jackpot Junction in Morton, MN.

If you didn’t make it to the meeting or want to review the presentations follow the links below:

January Grain

Kurt Legred, Country Hedging, January Grain Report.

CHS presentation

Ron Possin, Cenex Harvest States – Supply and Demand.

Multishuttle Changes

By Tim Woelfel, Harvest Land.

Cash Flow Analysis

Joel Heiling, Account Manager with Harvest Land and Steve Bach, Business Relationship Manger with AgQuest.

2012 Insurance Updates

by Lynn Button, Director of Insurance, AgQuest Insurance Agency.

View more presentations from aqfinance

President Obama Proclaims January as National Mentoring Month

Agquest — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:46:11 +0000

January 3, 2012: President Barack Obama has issued a proclamation designating January as National Mentoring Month, saying, “Every day, mentors help young Americans face the challenges of growing into adulthood. By setting a positive example and sharing their time, knowledge and experience, mentors play an essential role in preparing our Nation’s youth for a bright future. During National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the contributions of all those who cultivate a supportive environment for the next generation, and we recommit to expanding mentorship opportunities across our country.”

January 2012 marks the 11th anniversary of National Mentoring Month, an annual media campaign to recruit volunteer mentors for young people. Spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR and the Corporation for National and Community Service, this year’s campaign tagline is Invest in the Future. Mentor a Child.

Mentors, backed by quality mentoring programs, play a powerful role in preventing substance abuse and youth violence, as well as boosting academic achievement and workforce readiness. Studies have shown a more than 250 percent return on a $1 investment in mentoring and a myriad of quality of life benefits to the mentor, too. Mentors help build young people’s character and confidence, expand their universe and help them navigate pathways to successful adulthood. Despite this proven impact, the gap between the number of mentors and the number of young people who need a mentor is still too large. While three million young people have a mentor, 15 million need a caring adult mentor in their lives.

In his proclamation, Obama noted, “Last January, we partnered with businesses across America to launch the Corporate Mentoring Challenge, which calls on corporations to begin or expand mentoring programs that pair children with positive role models, foster leadership skills and put them on the path to success in school and beyond. As part of our steadfast commitment to support our service members and their loved ones, we are funding new mentorship opportunities for children from military families. And we are continuing to engage faith and community groups to help recruit mentors who can guide our youth in education, employment and engaged citizenship.”

Michelle Obama announced the Corporate Mentoring Challenge at the first National Mentoring Summit last January. MENTOR will again host the Summit, along with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and United Way Worldwide, January 24 and 25 in Washington, D.C. The Summit gives the field and cross-sector partners an opportunity to learn and grow together to better meet the mentoring needs of the nation’s young people.

For additional information about National Mentoring Month, visit SERVE.gov/MENTOR.For more information and resources on quality youth mentoring and MENTOR’s network of Mentoring Partnerships and programs, visit www.mentoring.org.

Resource: National Mentoring Month.

UFC, ADM building shuttle-loading site for grain

Agquest — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:02:39 +0000

Facility will have 3.6-million bushel grain storage capability

BROWNTON – Winthrop-based United Farmers Cooperative (UFC) recently announced the creation of a joint venture with ADM-Benson Quinn to build and operate a $29 million, 3.6-million bushel shuttle-loading site near Brownton.

Capable of loading 110-car unit trains of corn or soybeans with four receiving pits, the facility – at a site a quarter mile north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 212 and State Highway 15 – will help open new markets for local farmers to sell products at competitive prices.

“We have to ship more and more out of the area. We need high-speed equipment, adequate storage, and good rail access,” said UFC Winthrop General Manager Jeff Nielsen.

“We’ll be able to load 440,000 bushels of corn or beans in eight hours or less,” (at the new site) Nielsen added.

He said UFC studied the project for a decade before creating a partnership.

“We’ve seen the number of grain bushels increase about four times in recent years.” Nielsen said.

Expected to be operational by Sept. 12, 2012, the site on rail owned by the Twin Cities & Western Railroad, offers service from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific, and Union Pacific railroads.

United Grain Systems (UGS), LLC,, expected to begin operations on or about Feb. 1, 2012, will handle UFC facilities in Winthrop, Lafayette, Klossner, Le Sueur, and Bird Island plus a new shuttle-loader elevator at Brownton.

Storage at the new Brownton site includes four 550,000-bushel steel bins, a 550,000-bushel concrete warehouse and a 1.2-million bushel mechanized grain pile.

Nielsen said the Brownton site will employ 4-6 full-time workers and have future expansion space.

Benson-Quinn executes trades at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, Kansas City Board of Trade and actively trades future sand options in Chicago and New York.

By: Fritz Busch, New Ulm Journal

Originally posted December 23, 2011; www.nujournal.com

UFC is one of AgQuest’s retailer partners. For more on UFC visit their website: www.ufcmn.com

Tauers named Redwood County 4-H family of the year

Agquest — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:09:04 +0000

Redwood Falls, Minn. —

About seven years ago, the Jeff and Kris Tauer family of rural Morgan opted to try something new as a family.

That decision has certainly paid off, as the family’s involvement in the Redwood County 4-H program recently hit a high water mark when the Tauers were named the 2011 4-H family of the year.

According to Kris, it was actually an interest expressed by their son, Jonathan which led to the decision to join 4-H.

Neither Kris nor Jeff were involved in 4-H growing up, but the entire family has certainly made up for that by being involved as a family.

“The people in 4-H are a great group,”?said Jeff. “4-H is very family oriented.”

That is what the Tauers enjoy most about being involved in 4-H –?the opportunity they have to do the activities together as a family. There are certainly a number of those activities available for them, too.

Kris said she figures during the busiest times of the 4-H year the family may be gone three nights a week doing different things, whether that is going to meetings as members of the Golden Gophers 4-H Club or helping prepare for shows, such as those related to the horse and dog project.

It is in those two areas where the family has taken interest.

Kris has taken on the role of leader for the horse project, which means doing everything from getting the horse show ready for the state fair to helping youth who are interested in getting involved in the project.

Both Jonathan and Michael are involved with the horse project, and both consider it one of the projects they enjoy most.

The Tauers raise Morgans as a family, which made taking on a leadership role in the horse project a natural fit.

“I?just like horses,” said Michael, adding he is also involved in the dog, rabbit, photography and wood science projects.

Older brother Jonathan is also involved in both the horse and dog projects and has had the chance to take on added youth leadership roles not only in those project areas but also as an ambassador. He is also in his second year as treasurer for the Redwood County 4-H federation and has served in leadership roles at the club level.

Jeff took involvement to the next level this year when he became one of the contractors involved in the construction of the addition to the food stand at the fair.

He also took on a new role as a member of the county fair board this year. He said he is looking forward to being a representative on the board in developing the relationship between the board and the 4-H program.

The Tauers said they were very surprised when they were named the family of the year.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Kris. “It was very unexpected.”

Jeff added there are certainly plenty of other families who are worthy of the recognition.

The Tauers encouraged other families to come out and give 4-H a try. They are certainly glad they did.

By: Troy Krause, Redwood Gazette

Originally posted December 27, 2011; www.redwoodfallsgazette.com

To learn more about 4-H and to get involved go to http://www.4-h.org/