Customer Appreciation Night

You and your family are cordially invited to our annual Customer Appreciation Night on Saturday, September 7th 2019.

We’ll be serving supper at the Bauman Agency Warehouse from 6-7:30pm, sharing food, prizes, and fun with all of you.

Call 605-353-1112 with any questions!

Still Planting Forage or Cover Crops? We’ve Got Your Back!

The window for planting corn and soybeans has closed, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not still out in the field.

Bauman Agency has enough forage sorghum and sudan grass seed to support farming operations both large and small!

Please call 605-353-1112 with any questions — we’d be glad to help. After all, we’re Bauman Agency, and we see agriculture from your side of the fence.

Image Credit: AgriLife

Help Huron’s Center for Independence Win $10,000

Farmers and ranchers have lots of ways to make a difference in their communities, and we at Bauman Agency know that you all do so each day. Sometimes, though, we all get opportunities to go the extra mile to support people and organizations who need our help. As you know, it often only takes a few seconds to make a difference.

Thanks to Scott and Tammy Slepikas of Huron, we have the chance to help win $10,000 for the Center for Independence, a local non-profit that provides support and job-training for people with developmental challenges in our area, as well as a dream sports trip for local farmer! That’s because Scott is a finalist in the Agriscience Corteva Power to Do More contest.

Please click here to go to the Power to Do More website, vote for Scott by clicking the vote button on the right side of the page, and then share the link below on facebook, twitter, or via email to get even more votes for Scott and the Center for Independence. The contest ends on July 8th, so please get your votes in before then! We know you can do it!

www.poweroverweeds.com/powertodomore/?m=contestant&e=190

After all, we’re Bauman Agency, and we see the community from your side of the fence.

Thank you for your time!

Prevent Plant Informational Meeting: Friday, 24 May at 1:30

The rain keeps falling, and that means many operations may be unable to get a full crop in the ground this season. Bauman Agency knows that a too wet planting season can be stressful, especially when all your options aren’t clear.

Please join us on Friday May 24th at 1:30pm for an informational meeting on Prevented Planting coverage. We’ll be gathering at Bauman Agency, 9 miles north of Huron on Highway 37, for a short presentation followed by a question and answer session led by our agents and crop insurance claims personnel. Learn about your farm’s options, and how to navigate the ins and outs of Prevented Planting coverage.

Please call 605-353-1112 with any questions!

On Your Mark, Get Set…Go!

Another snow storm – what else is new?   Have you been restlessly tapping your foot, waiting for spring to come? A cold, wet Spring is not a new experience, but, it sure can be exasperating.  Calving frustrations, feeding livestock in mud, difficulties in preparing planting equipment, roadway issues, and time marching on can cause just a little stress to those in production agriculture. Many of us struggled to complete our fall tillage/fertility program, adding to our agitation.

In a year when commodity prices appear to be challenging, protecting input investments, such as the seed varieties you and your seed sales representative have selected to be best for your farm, is particularly crucial.  Your multi-peril crop insurance coverage decisions were made last month to protect your yield and mange some risk to your operation.  Planting is the next step, and planting at the right time will also help you manage risk.

Waiting to plant in the “right” soil conditions can test our patience and tempt us to go ahead, even when waiting may be the wisest move.  Seeing our neighbor in the field can be hard to ignore, but, as your folks may have told you in younger days, “Just because your friend jumped off a cliff, doesn’t mean you should too!” Good soil conditions provide an optimum seed bed, giving the seed that you have invested in the best foundation for producing an abundant crop. This year, ideal soil conditions may be hard to find.  Expect to be challenged with varied down pressure requirements as the seed bed changes from perfect to wet to dry and back again. Wait for a minimum soil temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit at two inches, while you are planting. To assist you, we take daily soil temperatures, at planting depth, throughout the month of April and publish them on our Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Planting equipment in perfect working order with seed spaced evenly and at the correct depth is vital to ensure optimal performance.  If you have seed meters that need attention, bring them in for us to test and repair.  Don’t let the flip of the calendar page cause a short change in planter preparation.  Having to stop and address issues while planting (that should or could have been handled at planter prep time) is less than ideal.

The use of seed treatments and fungicides on soybeans is especially critical in a cold wet Spring.  These treatments provide another level of protection to the seed investment you have made, and count on, to best deliver profits to you in this crop year.

2019’s Spring looks to be a year when Prevented Planting may come into play.  If prevented planting acres become a reality in your operation, visit with your crop insurance agent BEFORE you certify acres at FSA to refresh yourself on the PP rules and regulations.

Planting season is crunch time.  We are always in a hurry to get it in the ground.  Take it easy.  Be careful and do it right.  We cannot fix a planting mistake. We have to do it right the first time.  After investing so much already, make every seed count.  Get prepared and be ready to …GO!

And from my soap box:  Thank you to the Huron Area Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau and the Prairie Family Business Association for presenting us with the Huron Area Family Business of the Year Award.   Like many of you, we, and our staff, are involved in a family farming business operation.  We are fortunate to enjoy working with our daughter and son-in-law, Callee and Jonathan, here at Bauman Agency, along with a cracker-jack dedicated staff who are involved in their own farming operations.  Our family of dedicated staff members does a wonderful job serving all of you and helping us provide you with solid solutions for your seed, crop insurance, and precision planting sales and service needs from a farmer’s perspective.  We feel lucky to work with them and you!

Featured Image Credit: Richard Corfield

Meter Calibration Hands-On Training Day: 27 March 2019

There’s still time!

This season’s special hands-on training event will be held at the Nordby Exhibit Hall on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron, SD, from noon to 5:30pm. We hope to see you there!

Call Bauman Agency today at 605-353-1112 to confirm your registration!

 

Real Conversations About Agriculture

No need to thank me. Let me thank you!

Today is National Ag Day. That is, as I sit to write this, it is March 14th, National Ag Day, and in the middle of National Ag Week, March 10-16, 2019. Today was set aside to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Today, you may have been encouraged to thank a farmer. You may have been told that each American Farmer feeds more than 165 people (up from 25 people in 1960’s). You may have been asked to appreciate the role agriculture plays in your everyday life by providing you with safe and affordable food products aplenty. Perhaps you were told to value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong US economy or to understand how food and fiber are produced in America. On Ag Day, we ask the consumer to sit up and take notice of the significant worth of what we do every single day.

In a March 8, 2019 Agweb.com article, guest columnist Katie Miller, a managing partner of IMB cattle with experience in protein marketing, works to bridge the gap between production agriculture, the food production industry and the consumer. She advocates, and I paraphrase, that rather than get our noses out of joint about being misunderstood and under-appreciated, we should instead thank our customers for letting us serve them. Appreciate that they do business with us, and in return we should strive to continue to offer the best products and service possible. She urges us to listen to the consumers questions, answer them omitting any condescending or reproachful tone, and thank them for the opportunity to tell your story. In short, check your entitlement at the door, start a dialogue, and extend some graciousness to the consumer and greater community that supports you. Maybe then we will get some of the appreciation we seek.

On a recent air flight, Louise and I struck up a conversation with our seat mate. How did the conversation begin? She was snacking on some Jack Link’s jerky. We told her that the jerky she was eating was packaged a few miles from our home. She was thrilled! She loves the stuff. We also learned that this city girl from Honolulu, Hawaii, is a loyal fan of the “Incredible Dr. Pol” TV series on National Geographic Wild featuring a veterinarian who practices in central Michigan. In fact, going to Michigan to meet Dr. Pol in person is on her bucket list. When she learned that we were in production agriculture, she peppered us with questions making a very long flight seem very short. Although I’m not sure she quite yet understands that Michigan and South Dakota are not next door from each other, she learned a lot. We learned a lot and became fast friends. It is safe to say that she was delighted to receive the several packages of Jack Link’s Jerky that we shipped to her upon our return home.

I encourage you to strike up a dialogue with those you come in contact whether it be in person or through social media. Thank them for consuming our products and ask them how we might serve them even better. To those who consume the products that we in American agriculture produce, thank you. To all of those involved in the process of getting our commodities in the hands of the consumer, from the seed genetics researcher, to the veterinarian, to the line worker at the packing plant, to the spray coupe driver and more, thank you. You are part of a great team!

Image Credit: Alex Kraus

Wall or No Wall, We Won’t Shut Down

A new year brings with it some anticipation. We farmers and ranchers are filled with hope for the ultimate growing season, great crop yields, strong markets, high demand, favorable calving weather, high calving percentages rates, and efficient rates of gain for fed cattle. On the flip side, we have suspicions that none of the above is going to happen, that the banker is going to be most unhappy, and that our bank accounts will be very lonely.  For ag producers, every year is filled with uncertainty and on any given day we may be encouraged or discouraged, or both, about the things we can and cannot control.

At this writing the government is still in partial shutdown mode.  I am proud to say that, at least so far, when farmers and ranchers don’t get what we want we don’t just quit.  Instead, we work harder and smarter.

The good news for crop producers today is that multi-peril crop insurance is still at work for us. The government shut down does not affect Bauman Agency’s ability to service our insureds.  Although crop insurance premiums are supported with some government subsidies, crop insurance sales and service thankfully remain in the private sector. As crop producers select their 2019 coverage types and levels in the next few weeks, they can be assured that we will remain accessible, well trained, and willing to share our expertise to growers keeping their operation’s success as top priority.  Bauman Agency offers a unique perspective in the crop insurance industry because all 6 of our licensed agents are also ag producers.  Since we all have our own farming operations, we understand your need for agents with a thorough understanding of production agriculture, crop insurance, and how the two best work together.  At Bauman Agency, we understand just how important dedication to the grower is.

With this in mind, we are once again bringing in grain marketing analyst Rich Morrison of Diversified Services Marketing Group.  Rich can be found on twitter @richmarketguru.  We believe that “market guru” is an apt description for Rich. He will be presenting his annual market update at our “Producing Solutions with you Crop Insurance 2019 Update” at the Nordby Exhibit Hall on the South Dakota State Fair Grounds on Friday morning, February 8, at 10 am.  (Come at 9 am and have coffee and some one-on-one time with Rich.)  Following Rich’s presentation, we will update you with the latest changes and clarifications in crop insurance and Precision Planting and how to make them work for you.  Join us for lunch and be on your way armed with valuable information for success in 2019.  Gaining an understanding of market trends, grain marketing plans, options for yield advantages and planting efficiencies, along with the best crop insurance risk protection, go hand in hand when preparing for the crop year.  Take advantage of this opportunity and benefit your farm.  Though not required, we would appreciate an RSVP by calling the office at (605)353-1112.

Be assured, whether the wall is up or down, whether the government is opened or closed, at Bauman Agency, we will keep working with you to create success and stability for your operation in 2019.  We pride ourselves in being accessible to your needs and look forward to seeing you on February 8th! Happy New Year!