Happenings in the Local Ag Community
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FALL FARMING NEWS & FEATURES Happenings in the local ag community INSIDE : Cargill plant is 40 Still all about feed Page 2 They came in a Model-T Big Families in front of the Big Barn Nelson / Foster Century Farm Page 6 Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen NRHEG STAR EAGLE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 2 Thursday, September 27, 2018 A DAY IN THE COUNTRY STAR EAGLE Ready for 40 more years Cargill Animal Nutrition of New Richland is still go-to place for feed By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD different branches, this Cargill Contributing Writer plant specializes in making animal feed for livestock. Originally, the The Cargill Feed and Nutrition plant manufactured feed for a large plant was built on Hwy. 13 near variety of species, including dairy New Richland 40 years ago in cattle and pigs, but also some more 1978, and dedicated on Sept. 23. unusual animals like mink. Randy Anderson and Kent Robran, “Today, we’re specializing mostly who have been there since the in equine and poultry,” says beginning, still work there today. Severson “Those two are about The plant was built by Cargill, Inc. 70% of everything we make.” The “Across the U.S. and across the plant also manufactures feed for world, you’ll find different Cargill what Severson calls “a whole plants,” says Adam Severson, the gamut of species”: rabbit, dairy current manager, who joined the and beef cattle, lama, alpaca, team four years ago. “Some of sheep, goat, and even wildlife like them are not originally Cargill deer and elk. plants. They’re acquisitions or At one time, if someone decided bought out. This plant was origi - to buy feed, they would come to nally built by Cargill.” the plant itself. “This office was Although Cargill, Inc. has many full of people. That’s why it’s as big as it was with cubicles all lin - ing down it,” says Severson. People at the office took orders for those who wanted feed delivered. They also ordered specific ingredi - ents for the plant. “We’ve moved very central now, and most of that work is done in a Kansas City cen - GRAIN PROCESSING – Plant operator Randy Anderson tralized office for the United States measures the moisture content of incoming corn. business.” Cargill now sells feed to Star Eagle Photo by Melanie Piltingsrud big box stores like Mills Fleet Farm, Runnings and Bomgaars, the Twin Cities. They specialize in through a grain cleaner to clean off where people purchase feed. dairy feed and, unlike the New stocks and cobs that come from the Cargill’s distribution network cov - Richland plant, still send it directly farmer, and put it in a bag, so you ers five or six states. Runnings, for to dairy farmers. can go to Bomgaars or Mills Fleet example, is found in Minnesota, “We do a lot of packaging,” says Farm and buy a 50 pound bag of South Dakota and North Dakota. Severson, who explains that they corn if you want. People do that to “The fact that we have to ship stuff put feed in 50, 40, and 25 pound feed to the wildlife, especially in 500 miles almost to Rapid city, bags before shipping it box stores. the fall.” “A WHOLE GAMUT” – Cargill South Dakota doesn’t really mat - The raw material to make the According to Randy Anderson, manager Adam Severson ter. We’re still shipping it to them, feed at Cargill comes from all over, the plant operator, all the corn says they provide feed for because that’s one of our cus - but a big portion of what they use comes from within a ten-mile many species. tomers.” is corn. “A lot of corn goes into the radius. Some of the farmers who Star Eagle Photo The next nearest Cargill feed diets,” says Severson, “but also we contract to provide whole corn to will package and sell whole corn by Melanie Piltingsrud plant is in Big Lake, just north of Cargill continued on 3 [and] cracked corn. We’ll run it Star Eagle “A Day In the Country” Special Thursday, September 27, 2018 Reed Waller , Editor • Tracie Rosacker , Advertising Manager STAR EAGLE A DAY IN THE COUNTRY Thursday, September 27, 2018 3 The New Richland plant works I Cargill closely with four different divi - from Page 2 sions of Cargill corporate. Severson says, “But then you look Cargill are Rick Schultz, Doug at other Cargill plants within our Christopherson, David Routh, own business unit. We’re making 2Mark Hanson and Mike Supalla. products and selling products and Once the plant receives the corn, moving product between different Anderson’s job is to measure its Cargill plants on a very regular moisture content before it is pack - basis.” Severson provides exam - aged or added as an ingredient in ples of why Cargill Feed & animal feed. Nutrition needs to ship products Cargill Feed & Nutrition doesn’t between its various plants. contract directly with farmers. Whereas the New Richland plant “There’s another division of specializes in feed for chickens Cargill called Cargill Aghorizons, and horses, “Other Cargill plants Cargill Corn Milling, and that’s are specializing in different feeds what they do,” says Severson. and have different manufacturing “They buy big contracts from all capabilities. So we have another sorts of suppliers. And the farmer sister plant in Milton, Wisconsin, might store it on their farm instead which is about 330 miles away, of bringing it to a grain elevator. and we’re getting a truckload of That’s more and more common feed from them every week. We’re nowadays,” says Severson. “So sending some feed to a Cargill then our division, Cargill Feed & plant in Kansas City to help them Nutrition, will buy part of the out because they’re customer Cargill Animal Nutrition contract. growth has been huge, and we We work very closely with them to have some additional capacity, understand the suppliers, which is where we can send them some ume. Some of our bigger cus - 160,000 people. going to be your farmer. Then, feed.” tomers from a corporate standpoint The New Richland Cargill plant we’re calling the farmer directly. Cargill Inc. manufactures many are fast-food restaurants like is in the process of hiring four new They know, because they’re work - other things besides animal feed, McDonald’s, so a lot of the ground people for a total of 20 who work ing with Aghorizons, and then such as pet food, water softener beef [and] eggs, salts, frying oil is at the plant. In the last four years, they’re working with us on the salt under the “Diamond Crystal” provided by Cargill. So they’re the plant has gone from running deliveries.” label and food products for human providing food ingredients that two shifts to round-the-clock pro - There are Aghorizons elevators consumption, such as hot dogs. then are used to manufacture fin - duction. all over the U.S. The New “Cargill is a big company,” says ished food products.” Severson summarizes: “Our Richland Cargill plant works with Severson, “and being a big compa - There are now 55 Cargill Feed & business has continued to grow an Aghorizons elevator just south ny, they like to work with larger Nutrition plants across the U.S., pretty well. It’s been Cargill since of the border in Iowa. Severson companies just because of the size; and, according to Severson, that it was built, and it’s been here 40 clarifies, “They’re not the one pro - it’s easier to handle a large volume division of Cargill employs a total years, and we plan to be here viding the corn; they just manage of orders that come in from some of about 2,300 people, whereas another 40.” the contract.” customers versus a smaller vol - Cargill, Inc. employs close to 4 Thursday, September 27, 2018 A DAY IN THE COUNTRY STAR EAGLE A likely banner harvest with nowhere to sell By DAN GUNDERSON (MPR) As the U.S. trade war with China rages, farmers in Minnesota and North Dakota are anticipating a strong soybean harvest, leaving them scrambling for ways to deal with excess, unsold beans. Most years, farm - ers sell soybeans soon — and sometimes immediately — after harvest. In 2016, Minnesota exported $2.1 billion of soybeans. China was the biggest buyer. But a trade war means that, at least for now, China isn't buying U.S. soy - beans. And many farmers are scrambling to find ways to store the soybean crop they can't sell. Soybeans ripen in a field near Fergus Falls, Minn., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. "It's a confusing... complex mar - photo by Dan Gunderson ket. Anybody who can predict ready to buy more storage bins. ket to harvest. Hellevang said he That means farmers will have what it's going to absolutely do "That's a huge capital invest - has already heard from farmers to regulate the temperature maybe should buy lottery tick - ment. And then you build this who have questions about stor - where the beans are being stored ets," said David Kee, director of great big bin that you might use ing soybeans, which are more with fans that blow air through research for the Minnesota one out of every two or three challenging to store than other the grain, lowering the tempera - Soybean Research & Promotion years ... You've got to make it pay crops, like corn. ture. Council. for itself, too," he said. Instead of • Grain prices tumble: Crop Few good options Kee was staffing a booth this buying new bins for the soybeans report predicts another big har - As the harvest looms, farmers week at the Big Iron Farm Show he'll harvest soon but doesn't vest are left to decide: Spend the in West Fargo, N.D., where about expect to sell, Kluvers is planning Soybeans are a temperamental money on bins to store soybeans, 70,000 people check out the lat - to move around the wheat he's crop: To store them well, farmers or hope the trade war ends and est ag trends and equipment now storing to make room for need to harvest when the beans markets turn around? every year.