June 2026 Choice

Jun 05, 2026

General Manager – Djamel Khali 

Fertilizer has had a wild ride in the last 60 days. The Iranian conflict will have a long tail on fertilizer. I do not see any large reset on Nitrogen products through fall at this time. The only small exception might be Urea as China has started allowing exports out of the country. It will be interesting to see how break-evens and input cost drive the corn & soybean decisions coming into next year. Thankfully the US does not have as big of an issue with getting and having the product as many other grain producing countries will, however we definitely will not like the price. Demand destruction (people deciding not to put as many tons out) may cause some small decreases in short term, but it will take many months after any end of the conflict for trade routes to return to normal. Locally we are positioned very well and have stayed true to our communities to you on product and supply. The team has done a great job of executing when the time is right! We are steadfast in making sure that we help you and your cooperative through these times. Like many things in our life, this too shall pass. Finally, please join us for our Pizza in the Park events this summer and celebrate our wonderful communities. Thank you and stay safe!  

Keota Vision Ag Location Manager – Scott Swanson 

We are spreading Urea over the top of corn with our high clearance spreader right now, so if you have any fields, you think may be short on nitrogen, give us a call. Fungicide spraying will begin on beans as soon as they start flowering. The most optimal time is around R3 but requires an additional trip in most cases. Corn fungicides should be applied again this year even if the disease pressure isn’t there. It could pay back big on stand ability alone! We’ve also been using a newer product from QLF called Boost. “It’s More Than Just Sugar!” It’s a carbon-based fertilizer loaded with sugars to help increase soil microbes and promote plant growth! Add Boost to all your applications and just watch your yields Boost to new highs! There are multiple ways to use this product, so ask your agronomist for more information! From everyone at Vision Ag thank you for your continued support! 

FCA Grain Originator - Sarah Hora 

According to the USDA’s latest Crop Progress Report, Iowa farmers continue to make strong planting progress this spring. Corn planting is currently 94% complete, matching last year’s pace, while soybean planting has reached 90%, just 1% behind this time a year ago. Crop emergence is tracking closely with 2025 levels, with corn emergence reported at 72% compared to 73% last year, and soybean emergence is holding steady at 57%. As crops get off to a solid start, grain markets continue to experience volatility driven by shifting international trade developments and lower crude oil prices. Despite recent uncertainty, the ag markets rebounded following meetings between President Trump and President Xi during which Chinda announced plans to purchase an additional $17 billion in U.S. agricultural products beyond its previously committed purchases. With market conditions changing quickly, now is a good time to review your grain marketing plan for both old and new crop bushels. If you’d like to discuss contracts, offer targets, and marketing strategies, give me a call at 319-657-2911. 

Keota FCA Feed Manager – Jeff Sprouse 

As good as the cattle markets have been, it is important as ever to maximize your bottom line. One way to achieve this is to creep feed your calves. Creep feed helps fill the “hungry calf gap” that is created by a decrease in cow milk production and forage quality later in the season just as the calf’s nutrients are increasing. By filling the “gap” you will have heavier calves at weaning time thus generating more dollars. Our Purina RangeLand Calf Creep 14% R80 or our Hubbard Supergain Creep 16% B60 will fill the “gap”. Each product comes in bulk or bag options. The Purina RangeLand Creep qualifies for John Deere Financial at 0% interest. The Hubbard Supergain at 0% interest. The Supergain  Creep qualifies for Feeder Finance at 0% interest. We also have our CFA financing option available. Contact Jeff Bulechek, Jeff Sprouse or Mike Sprouse with any questions. Remember that we also need to keep mineral in front of cows all year around. We have the Wind & Rain mineral Altosid for your fly control needs. Show season is starting to roll, with that we ahve all your Honor Show Chow and Show-Rite feeds and supplements. If you have any questions, please give us a call. Be on the lookout for your youth program shirts as they will be ready in the middle of the month. Thank you for your business.  

Sigourney Vision Ag Agronomist – Ben Fox 

Planting season was one to remember this year. I think we were all wondering if we would ever get started. Patience paid off; we got a beautiful couple of weeks to plant and spray and just like that the season was started. Looking forward, while writing this we have a hot dry 10 days in front of us with post trip corn spraying and side dressing still in front of us. Looks like we will be looking for rain by the time we get to the end of this forecast. If you have not planned your side dress and/or fungicide needs, there is still time. Give me a call and we can get a plan together. I hope everyone has a safe summer and thank you for your continued business.  

FCA Propane Manager – Nathan Nelson 

Propane prices have remained steady, and current propane inventories are approximately 50% above last year’s levels. We have officially started summer fills ahead of the upcoming heating season. Summer is also the ideal time to complete any tank maintenance projects. Painting, leveling's, or adding a tank is much easier to accomplish during this time of year. If you have been considering any tank updates or additions, let us know how we can help. We also want to remind customers that the Iowa Propane and Gas Association has renewed funding for new furnaces and water heaters. If you have recently replaced equipment or are planning to, we can assist with submitting rebate applications on your behalf. Additionally, we have received many requests for line locates recently. This service is provided at no cost to our customers and is always much less expensive than repairing a damaged gas line. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.  

Broadway Service Center Manager - Dave Hyman 

Vehicle Fun Facts from Broadway: 

  1. It only takes about half ounce of fuel to get your vehicle started. 

  1. The first windshield wipers were operated by hand. 

  1. Cars are made up of approximately 30,000 parts.  

  1. Almost 95% of your vehicle’s lifetime is spent parked. 

  1. About 75-80% of your vehicle recyclable. 

  1. The first cars had levers instead of steering wheels until 1894. 

  1. 99% of pickup trucks are sold in America. Only 1% of trucks are sold overseas.  

  1. The very first “SUV” was actually made in 1935 by Chevy and called the Suburban Carryall. 

  1. You never have to get our of your vehicle to know what side the fuel door is on. Look at the little gas pump icon on your dash. There is a tiny arrow pointing to the side of the vehicle your tank is on.  

  1. Cruise Control was invented by a blind engineer names Ralph Teetor.  

Thank you from all of us at Broadway Service Center for your continued support and stay safe on the road!  

Marketing Updates – Ellie Menke  

We want to congratulate all ten high school seniors who received a $500 scholarship from us here at FCA & Vision Ag! Recipients are Gavin Sieren, Jackson Vittetoe, Olivia Lyle, Reese Conrad, Brock Fisher, Maxwell Sieren, Tate Bombei, Gavin Khali, Owen Menke, and Blake Sheetz! We also want to invite you all to our Pizza in the Park events this summer! We had such a great turnout last summer; we wanted to bring back our summer celebration to a few of the communities we serve! Join us in Keota on June 17th, Keosauqua on June 23rd, Sigourney on July 2nd, and finally in Ainsworth on July 9th.  Each event is from 5-8pm with pizza, sides, desserts, and swag!