This week we highlight the USDA Quarterly Acreage and Stocks reports from yesterday. We also review crop conditions and the weather.

Videos available for:

• Corn
• Beans

We are working on new ways to get important information to our members and customers. A video on Weed Identification by our Field Marketer Brad Thirlwall has, to date, received over 4,000 impressions on our @HDCAgronomy twitter channel. Even if you don't subscribe to twitter, you can see the video, and many more on our online video channel: https://vimeo.com/hensallcoop/weedid.

Listen to our Keith Schweitzer talking on the DFD (Dairy Farming Discussions) podcast about Hay Field Scouting by clicking on the image:

Grand Prize - Yeti Package and Image as the cover of the 2020 Hensall Co-op Annual Report.

Any or all submitted images may be used for Hensall Co-op marketing activities. 

CATEGORIES

1. FIELD FUN -  Crop services activities from planting to harvest.
2. FULL OF ENERGY - Keeping our farms running, our energy division is out on the road.
3. FEEDING ONTARIO - the people, animals and activities from our Animal Nutrition division as animal protein is grown to feed the population. 
4. PLANT PROTEIN - show off how you play a part in our bean shipments exported 40 countries 
5. KEEP ON TRUCKING - Hensall Global trucks and people doing their thing.
6. GOING WITH THE GRAIN - The people and activities involved with the grains and other raw ingredients we handle that go into the food and products for the world.

PRIZES

• Grand Prize for Best Image: a $500 Yeti package & image showcased as the cover of the Hensall Co-op 2020 Annual Report
• Runner-up Best Image: $350 Yeti Package
• $100 first prize in each category
• $50 second prize in each category
• $25 third prize in each category

ELIGIBILITY

• All entries must be images taken in Canada.
• Entrants must own the rights to the image(s) they submit.
• The contest is open to all members, customers and employees of Hensall Co-op.

PUBLICATION

• Winners’ names and images will be used in our social media and may be used in the Hensall Co-op 2020 Annual Report.
• Hensall Co-op reserves the non-exclusive right to publish any entry and/or use any entry in promotional and advertising materials. Published images will be credited to the photographer where possible.
• By participating in this contest, each entrant agrees to provide Hensall Co-op with the non-exclusive rights to use their images. Participants agree to the terms and conditions outlined.

FORMAT

• Entries are to be digital images and submitted electronically as jpeg files to marketing@hdc.on.ca. Emails must be no more than 6 MB in size, larger files may be submitted via www.WeTransfer.com
• Cropping and tonal or colour corrections are permitted. Photography should be of professional quality and style. Warm tones are favoured as they help unify the look and feel of our brand materials. 
• Images selected will be contacted to submit a high-resolution file suitable for print reproduction (minimum 300 dpi at 6 x 9 inches, 8 x 10 and greater is preferred). If that is unavailable, the prize(s) will be forfeit and a new winner will be selected.

ENTRIES

• Images that have won any other contests or have been published in a magazine or newspaper are not eligible.
• Individuals can only win once per category, but may win in multiple categories.
• Limit of two entries per category per entrant. 

FARM SAFETY & SOCIAL DISTANCING REMINDER
Please remember the importance of both farm safety and social distancing in the activities portrayed in submissions. When taking photos, please keep in mind the safety of all those involved. Entries that do not portray this will not be accepted.

IDENTIFICATION
When submitting photos, the following contact information must be included:

• full name
• phone number
• email address
• location where the photo was taken
• category image is to be entered
• a signed image waiver for each person in the image (available here).
• Failure to provide any of the above information will make the submission ineligible. 

DEADLINE 
All entries must be received by email by end of day on August 31, 2020.

JUDGING 
The winners will be selected by a panel of staff and external judges. 
Judges’ decisions are final.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Melanie Prosser
Marketing & Communications Manager, 
Hensall Co-op
marketing@hdc.on.ca

PDF version of the Contest Rules available here.

This week we highlight planting progress, the weather forecast, and the Balance sheets for both Corn and Soybeans.

• Corn

• Soybeans

Happy Earth day!  Have a great week!

To our valued customers

Over the last few years we have continued to grow our exports of Ontario Corn to the European Union (EU) because we have a competitive advantage over the USA.  With the question marks in the ethanol industry and what their demand looks like ,  our exports out of Ontario could become very important to our corn market.  Because of this we have to make sure we are growing varieties that are approved by the EU for feed and food use.  As new technology comes out there can be a lag between when they are approved for planting in Canada and approved for use in the EU.  Ontario Agri Business Association (OABA) and Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) have developed a joint statement regarding the marketing of corn from hybrids that have not received approval for food and feed use in the European Union. Their release can be found here.

Here at Hensall Co-op we support the development of new genetics and support the seed companies bringing out those genetics.  We also have to make sure we comply with what our end user market want.  Hensall Co-op can not accept non approved varieties and that has been our position in the past as well.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to your Hensall Co-op locations

This week we discuss the results of last week's USDA monthly Supply & Demand report. We also highlight planting progress nationwide and look at short-term weather trends.

• Beans
• Corn

Hello!

This week we preview the USDA Supply & Demand report coming out April 9th. We also look at corn planting conditions across the US with the short-term weather forecast and touch briefly on the very sluggish US exports sales program for soybeans.

Click on the links below to watch the videos:

• Corn
• Soybeans

CleanFarms has announced that they will be postponing collections of Ontario containers collections until July 1, 2020. 

We are Seeking your assistance!

CleanFarms is a vital program and collections will take place but there will be a delay.  Please contact your Field Marketer when you need empty bags, we will provide what we may have in inventory but would ask that you collect, store and shelter them on farm until after July 1, 2020.

Despite the postponement, we look forward to another successful collection of ag containers this year! Cleanfarms, and our Ontario contractors, RPM eco and Access Distribution Services are committed to supporting your operations during this difficult period. 

Thank you for being part of this program and helping us out at this difficult time. We would ask that you call in advance of showing up and respect Covid-19 procedures in place.

Empty pesticide and fertilizer container recycling program (jugs under 23L)

• All containers are triple, or pressure rinsed to ensure high-performance health and safety
• The jugs' caps and the paper booklets are removed before placing them into the Cleanfarms collection bag

Non-deposit bulk pesticide and fertilizer* container recycling program

(> 23-1000L)

• There is no more than 1" of liquid remaining inside the containers
• All of the containers' bungs and caps are in place for safe transport

Seed & pesticide bag collection

• The bags are completely empty (to avoid dust please do not shake seed bags)
• The small empty bags (< 100kg) are placed in the plastic Cleanfarms recycling bags and tied at the end with rope or twine