News Briefs

Strobel Farms of Pemberton, Minn., had nearly completed fall tillage when the transmission failed on its Challenger tractor. By the time the transmission was repaired and the rear-end was flushed, the total repair bill exceeded $70,000 — a huge cost that the company was able to avoid because it had enrolled the tractor in the Cenex Total Protection Plan® through Central Farm Service, its energy supplier.

“There are a lot of good oils on the market, but Cenex® is the only brand that offers a total protection plan,” says Jerry Geving, energy sales manager. “This is a quality program with quality products. Those two things go hand-in-hand to protect the farmer’s investment in a bigger way and for a longer time.

“With the high cost of repairs today, there’s no smarter way to protect your bottom line. I think seeing a warranty check written for $70,000 speaks for itself,” says Geving.

The Cenex Total Protection Plan extends beyond manufacturers’ warranties to provide valuable coverage to farmers who use Cenex premium diesel fuels and lubricants. It covers new equipment for up to 10 years or 10,000 hours, and used equipment for up to 8 years or 8,000 hours, with no deductible.

Hunger and food insecurity affect people of all walks of life, and many food-insecure households are in rural and farm communities, the very places that feed the world.

According to Feeding America, 17 percent of rural U.S. households — 3.3 million — are food-insecure. Rural areas account for 62 percent of counties with the highest rates of child food insecurity.

CHS Country Operations locations are working together to fight hunger. In March, CHS Country Operations locations collected financial donations and food to support regional food banks. Since the program began in 2011, CHS Country Operations has raised more than $4 million and 2.7 million pounds of food to fight hunger.

“Stewardship — reaching out in the communities where we work, live and raise our families — is a core part of CHS Country Operations,” says Lynden Johnson, executive vice president, CHS Country Operations. “Harvest for Hunger is a great campaign and I’m proud to be part of the CHS Country Operations tradition, which supports the communities where we live and work. We are doing great work together.”

United Prairie, LLC, a full-service agronomic retailer serving farmers in central Illinois, has acquired Northern Illinois Alliance, a retail agronomy joint venture between Illinois-based Elburn Cooperative and CHS.

“Northern Illinois Alliance and United Prairie have similar approaches to meeting our customers’ needs, and we agree that doing what’s best for them is our first priority,” says Tim Gocken, general manager, Northern Illinois Alliance.

“We are excited about bringing our two organizations together and building from what each has started,” says Tim Hughes, general manager, United Prairie. “It allows us to be most efficient with our current resources and to invest in more precision ag products and technology.”

The merger of Elburn Cooperative and CHS on March 1 provides a unique opportunity to strengthen agronomic offerings for farmers in east-central Illinois. Northern Illinois Alliance adds 30,000 tons of dry storage, 15,000 tons of liquid storage and a 50-car rail siding, along with dry fertilizer blending services and 24-hour access for 32 and 28 percent nitrogen loading to existing United Prairie capabilities.

CHS member-owners and customers will soon benefit from completion of projects that enhance the region’s refined fuels supply. An upcoming connection between the NuStar pipeline and the Cenex® pipeline near Prosper, N.D., and related investments in additional product storage will strengthen supply to CHS customers.

The NuStar connection project, slated for completion in spring 2017, is undergoing regulatory approval and is anticipated as a positive investment in the area’s refined fuels supply infrastructure.

“A dependable supply of gasoline and diesel fuel is essential to our Cenex brand customers and owners,” says Darin Hunhoff, senior vice president, CHS Refined Fuels. “Over the past five years, CHS has invested $90 million in developing a robust supply network across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. Our goal is to help Cenex marketers provide a reliable supply of gasoline and diesel fuel to their customers.”

To maximize access to refined fuels produced at the upgraded and expanded CHS Laurel, Mont., and McPherson, Kan., refineries, the company has partnered with NuStar pipeline on a connection at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Combined with a connection near Prosper N.D., these investments allow more energy products to move efficiently from CHS refineries to existing and new terminal locations across the CHS distribution network.

To expand distribution capacity, the company also plans to upgrade portions of its Cenex pipeline, which runs from Laurel to Fargo, N.D.