update 3_6

March 6, 2007

You wouldn't know that spring is just a few days away by our "in like a lion" beginning of March. It is North Dakota, so don't put your snow shovel away just quite yet. I think it is pretty safe to say we had somewhere between 18-30 inches of snow in the general area. The moisture situation should be good this spring.

Please check the annual report to North Dakota Corn Growers for information about the 2006 corn crop. Just click on the reports

Have you been to enough meetings yet? There is a pretty good crop of new chemistry out, so we have some new things to try. With commodity prices high, any return on investment will be amplified enough to possibly justify treatments that would have not made it before. It seems a little backward, that when times are tough, things that work won't pay. One other thing to always remember is that most agriculture treatments work on a "probability of response" pattern. An irrigator doesn't do much good if it rains enough at the proper times. If you treat for insects that aren't there, you do not have much of a return to the insecticide. But, if your profit is high, and you will be looking at paying taxes, instead of debt, economics take on a whole different character.

I did sell some corn at $3.60 couple of weeks ago. It appears like there is some turbulence in the market as corn did go as high as $3.85 here in Forman and as of today is back down to $3.59.

In the course of meetings, I understand that Everest has come control of foxtail barley. Has anybody had any positive results?

Congratulations to Mark Wyum, our new chairman, and many thanks to Joel Erickson, our outgoing chairman. The board has been been very good to work with and I appreciate the efforts of everyone. Thankyou!

Have a good week.

Kelly Cooper- farm manager