Ramsey County

Howdy!!!!!
Well has this been some fall?  It seems it rains most anytime it feels the need in this area. And the forecast would indicate more rain in the near future.  I suppose this weather report would be good if you were a duck but not a producer. 

I had been out of the office for 5 days, which included a 3-day fall conference in Fargo and came back to many questions.  There were many questions on the crops of corn and soybeans along with many questions of taking care of the lawn and garden for the fall season.  I will talk briefly on the different subject matters that appeared and include other topics that are pertinent to the time of year.

I did however get asked to sing at my sister-in-laws wedding this past Friday and I have come to the conclusion that my “final tour” has come to an end.  I like to sing but singing in the pickup is the way to go now days for me.  My talents are not many but singing in front of a couple hundred people is definitely not my thing anymore.

Corn?????
I have had many questions on grazing of cattle on unharvested cornfields.  Generally cornfields can be grazed without many problems.  BUT, there are always concerns.  One is always the concern of founder (bloat).  Generally cattle will eat enough roughage in the corncob to eliminate any problems that could occur.  I would recommend cell grazing in small acreage to keep an eye on your cowherd.  Another problem we do need to keep an eye on is the mold on the corncob.  We should monitor for mold on the ear and if you are concerned check with either the Extension office or a veterinarian for advice.

Soybeans as feed?????
Soybeans can be fed to the cowherd.  It is recommended to not go over 14% TDN of the ration.  The one thing that might be of a bigger concern is the rancid taste of the green bean.   There is no data that would indicate such, but blending of the green beans with other feedstuffs would make the ration more palatable.  Always check your ration for the group of cattle you are feeding. 

LDP Calculations??????
The Objective of Posted County Prices is to determine a value as close as possible to the local cash market price in any given area. Items that go into the calculation are terminal markets, terminal market prices, differentials, and adjustments, if applicable. I will try and discuss each one of these:

Terminal Markets:  Each county is assigned 1 or 2 terminal markets for all applicable commodities. When two markets are assigned, generally one is export and one is domestic. Terminal markets are assigned on their ability to measure local prices, even though the commodity may not actually be marketed through that market location.

Differentials:  Differentials are yearly averages, based on historical price relationships between local market prices and assigned terminal markets.

Transportation is an integral part of developing a differential, however it's degree of influence can be dependent on other factors. Other factors can include weather, spreads between old and new crops, supply/demand, feed lot purchases. The Kansas City Commodity Office periodically will make adjustments to differentials for specific terminal locations to bring the Posted County price in line with local cash prices. Sometimes the adjustments will not be needed in a county or state, but when is assigned to a terminal location, all counties that use that location have to make the adjustment. Occasionally an exception is made for a state, but that is the exception and not the common practice. When this happens, maybe not all states needed the adjustment, but some states did, so all must use.

We recently had an adjustment for barley and could apply to any commodity. North Dakota may not have needed the adjustment, but some states did, so we had to use as well.

Like any adjustments, they are not retroactive. Producers need to understand that filing an LDP application is no different than making a marketing decision to sell crop on a given day. If they sell today, and the price increases tomorrow, they are locked into the sales price from today. LDP's are no different. Once they complete an application that is the rate they will receive.

Terminal Prices:  KCCO determines the Posted County price based on the closing spot cash prices from the previous day at a number of terminal locations. These terminal markets are used because they generally reflect some volume of activity on most trading days. The Kansas City Commodity Office merchandisers monitor Posted County Prices vs. cash relationships on a weekly basis through formal industry surveys throughout the U.S. being contacted.

Farmers Night Out!!!!!
Remember Farmers night out November 8^th.  This will be a great time for the businesses of the Lake Region to show their appreciation for the agriculture section of the Lake Region.  The night begins at 6 PM.  This event will be held in the Memorial Building in Devils Lake.  PICKUP YOUR 2 FREE TICKETS AT THE DEVILS LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  Remember this night is for the ag sector of our community.

524 4th Ave #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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