2014 in Review / 2015 Weather Outlook

FARMERS:  Make sure that you are ready for what Mother Nature has to throw at you next year!  Here is an amazing resource outlining what the weather looked like in 2014 and how it may have effected yields.  It also has a preview of what weather will look like in 2015.

We especially want to hear what your thoughts were regarding the 2014 weather and how that effected your crop yields.  What do you expect from next year?  What will you do differently in 2015 to prepare for certain weather.

We encourage you to share your thoughts on the 2015 weather outlook on our Facebook page or on Twitter.


Click Here: 2014 in Review / 2015 Weather Outlook

Crop Insurance and Replant Decisions

Recent adverse weather conditions may force some growers who have already planted to replant.

If you believe replanting may in your best interest, check the replant provision in your crop insurance policy and immediately contact your insurance agent to get the paperwork started. [Catastrophic (CAT) and Area (Revenue) protection policy do not have replant provisions.] 

The following guidelines, which come from the USDA Risk Management Agency's Loss Adjustment Standards Handbook, will give you an idea of what to expect from crop insurance for replanting.   To qualify for a replanting payment:

1.     The insured crop must be hit with an insured peril (excess moisture, frost, hail, etc.).

2.     Your approved insurance provider must determine that it is practical to replant. (This is why it's best to contact your insurance agent immediately.)

3.     Acres being replanted must have been initially planted on or after the earliest planting date.  

4.     Appraised expected yield must be below 90% of the guarantee yield on acreage intended for replant.

5.     Acreage replanted must be at least the lesser of 20 acres or 20% of the insured planted acreage for the unit.  

6.     Approved insurance provider must give consent to replant. 

7.     The replanting payment will be equal to the projected price multiplied by a maximum bushel factor.  For 

2014 corn and soybean projected prices are $4.62 and $11.36, respectively. Maximum bushel factors are eight bushels per acre for corn and three bushels per acre for soybeans. 

For example, your insured corn crop was hit with excessive moisture. You planted corn on May 1, which is past the earliest planting date ofApril 10.  Appraised expected yield is now 70 bushels per acre (bpa). Actual production history (APH) is 140 bpa. You insured using a Revenue Protection policy at a 75% coverage level using the projected price of $4.62 per acre.  Your yield guarantee would be 105 bpa (140 APH yield x 75% guarantee).  Applying Rule 4 from above, 90% of your yield guarantee is 94.5 bpa (105 x 0.9).  Your expected yield of 70 bpa is less than 94.5 bpa (90% of guaranteed yield).  Consequently, you would receive a replant payment of $36.96/acre (8 bpa x $4.62, the projected price). 

From the example we can see that qualifying for a replanting payment hinges on the producer's yield guarantee.  Selection of a lower coverage level implies a lower yield guarantee and a smaller chance of qualifying for a replant payment.  However, when extreme events occur it is likely everyone will qualify for a replant payment.  If you are unsure whether you may qualify for a replant payment, your first step is to contact your crop insurance agent.

Cory Walters
UNL Extension Crop Economist

Cumulative Precipitation Forecasts 5 Day Total

Using Growers Edge In The Winter: GrainTV

Don't be left in the cold!

Winter is in full force in the Midwest. Freezing temperatures, snowy conditions and biting wind fight against our memories of June sunsets and warm days in the field. You've seen the benefits of joining the 26,000 other farmers in the Growers Edge community, and all the advantages of being a Growers Edge user during planting and harvest seasons, but what about now?

Is there anything to gain from being a Growers Edge user in the winter?

Of course there is! Winter is a great time to fire up some hot cocoa and improve your knowledge base to begin planning for planting season in the spring. Growers Edge users have a variety of resources within the Growers Edge website and Growers Edge app.

One nice benefit of being a Growers Edge user is daily access to GrainTV, a free webcast featuring the latest commodities' trading news and updates. GrainTV is filmed every weekday morning, bringing the latest news to directly to you on your phone or computer, for free. You don't even have to get out of your warm flannel pajamas!

How can you see these informational webcasts each day? You have two different options:

1. View GrainTV right from your Growers Edge home page

When you log in to your Growers Edge account, you'll automatically land on your Growers Edge home page. If you scroll down, you'll notice a square box containing the most recent episode of GrainTV right in the middle of your page. Clicking on the video will redirect you to your Market Commentary page and will begin playing the video.

2. Access GrainTV from your Growers Edge "Market Commentary" page

After logging into your Growers Edge account, click on "Market Commentary" on the top navigation bar. Within your "Market Commentary" page, you will see the most recent GrainTV video embedded on the page after scrolling down. Click on the video to play it!

3. Access GrainTV via Growers Edge Mobile Apps

You can access GrainTV while on the go! If you have our free mobile app for Android or iPhone, you can view GrainTV anytime from your mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.) Check out the App Store or Google Play Store to download the app!

An episode of GrainTV from December 16. 2013

So there you have it: an easy, free, and entertaining way to keep up on your latest market and trading information all winter long! And the best part? You don't have to brave the cold weather. So put on those slippers and tune into GrainTV!

How To Utilize Your Precipitation-Tracking Features Within Your Growers Edge Account

Welcome back to our “How-To” series, showing you how to get the most out of your free Growers Edge account! Last time, we detailed how to download the free Growers Edge mobile app to manage your farm while on-the-go. In this edition, we will be focusing on the valuable precipitation-tracking features found within GrowersEdge.

With your Growers Edge account, you receive a free daily Your Weather Report email every morning. This email details weather events at your specific farm locations, including:

-       Precipitation reports of recent and cumulative totals by farm location

-       Soil moisture for your area compared to your specific farm location

-       Current hourly forecast for the next 24-hour period detailing temperature, precipitation expectations, and wind speed/direction

-       6-day extended forecast

This email gives you information you can use to take action, every single day. With the very best information in the industry, you can improve your operation’s profitability for free.

Below, we detail how to access several other fantastic features. This includes your Current Rainfall Totals, your Area Soil Moisture, Custom Weather Reports for your locations, and Custom Precipitation Reports by your locations. Take a look:

Getting To "Your Weather"

After logging in to your Growers Edge account at Growers-Edge.com, click "Weather" from the top navigation bar. Underneath "Weather", click "Your Weather" from the submenu.

Looking At Your Local Forecast

From within the "Your Weather" screen (above), click on "Daily Weather Forecast" from within the "Tools" menu on the right side of the screen. This chart will give you an hourly and daily forecast.

Finding The Current Rainfall Total For Your Fields 

From within the "Your Weather" screen, click "Current Rainfall Totals" from within the "Tools" menu on the right side of the screen. This chart will show you the rainfall total in your field's location over the past 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours. It will also show you monthly totals and a breakdown of the chance for precipitation within the next 24 hours. 

Generating Custom Precipitation Reports

  From within the "Your Weather" screen, click "Custom Rainfall Reports" within the "Tools" menu on the right side of the screen. On this screen, you can view precipitation by day, month, since plant date, or year-over-year from the drop-down menu. You can then choose which farm locations you want this report generated for, the dates you want included, and the type of graphyou want generated (line or bar). An example is of a line graph is below.

Viewing Area Soil Moisture

From within the "Your Weather" screen, click on "Area Soil Moisture" from within the "Tools" menu on the right side of the screen. The "Area Soil Moisture" screen shows you weekly precipitation totals and soil moisture. It also shows you how this crop year compares to the past two years.

Viewing Your Soil Moisture

From within the "Your Weather" screen, click on "Your Soil Moisture" from within the "Tools" menu on the right side of the screen. This screen will show you how your field's specific weekly precipitation compares to your area precipitation. It will also give you your fields' soil moisture. It also gives you a nice visual breakdown of your precipitation needed, your area precip, evaporation, and soil moisture.

Signing Up For Daily Precipitation Alerts

You can set up alerts to email you when precipitation is higher than your selected amount. It's easy and takes less than a minute. From within the "Your Weather" screen, click on the "Email Alerts" from within the "Settings" menu on the right side of the screen. Here you can enable email alerts, choose the precipitation amount, set the timing of your alerts, and even choose when to suspend alerts. 

Now, if you still haven't signed up for all these free resources, what are you waiting for?! 26,000 farmers nationwide are already managing their farms and increasing profits with these free tools, and you can too. Sign up by clicking here!

Growers Edge Featured in the Des Moines Register

The Des Moines Register recently profiled Growers Edge in it's Sunday edition of the Register! The article features a nice photo of Growers Edge President Craig Mouchka, along with a thorough description of the Growers Edge app and how it aims to help farmers become more profitable. You can read the full article by clicking here!