Serious about Farming

Farming is all that Pistorius Farm does -- dedicating full-time attention to the business of growing and harvesting crops. Tim, Pete and Craig understand that land doesn't take care of itself. Regular soil testing, coupled with GPS technology, is done to assure that soil fertility is maintained and enhanced. When problems are identified, they are addressed immediately. Pistorius Farms investigates and incorporates new technologies whenever possible to ensure the profitability of the operation for Pistorius Farms and its landowners. The operation is efficient and modern and assures the best possible income for landowners.

With its livelihood dependent on the success of the farming operation, Pistorius Farms maintains a solid balance sheet. They understand their responsibility to protect their investments in equipment and land.

Environmental Stewards

As landowners themselves, the Pistorius team understands their responsibility as stewards of the land and the importance of preserving the land's value for future generations. They are one of the few operators in the area that have the equipment -- and the passion -- to practice conservation tillage.

Pistorius Farms maintains a full complement of tillage equipment that can accommodate a variety of tillage options, including no-till, strip till, minimum till and deep tillage. With the extensive inventory of equipment, Pistorius Farms has the ability to choose the appropriate equipment for the conservation strategy being used on a particular field and are able to implement the best management practices.

Equipment

Pistorius Farms maintains an extensive inventory of equipment, including a small fleet of semis and trucks. Their equipment inventory includes the latest technology, including GPS guidance systems. Pistorius Farms' investment in the newest technology assures that they operate efficiently and economically -- cutting down on input costs.

Pistorius Farms is dialed into the latest innovative technology. Auto steer and guidance technology is used extensively on Pistorius Farms, allowing for precision planting. With GPS and by overlaying soil maps with yield maps, they are able to efficiently vary seed population within the same field. The same technology is employed throughout the remainder of the season through spray activities, fertilizer application and tillage.

Pistorius Farms is currently working with deep-placing of nutrients while tilling a strip in the soil and using the GPS technology to plant into the strips. This practice creates a perfect seed bed for the plant and allows nutrients to be readily available to the plant when necessary.

This technology helps keep Pistorius Farms on the cutting edge of modern agriculture.

Storage

Pistorius Farms has made an investment in a storage capacity of over 420,000 bushels -- allowing for grain to be stored until the market is strong and avoiding bottlenecks in grain lines during harvest. The farm includes a certified scale to assure each field's yield is accounted for, making it easier to comingle crops from different fields and to assign crops to individual landowners. Bins are located in four locations away from the main farmstead and vary in size, allowing for segregation. Storage may be available to landowners for use. Pistorius Farms utilizes its on-site storage by delivering to local processors who offer higher prices, maximizing profits for themselves and their landowners.

Flexible Farming Arrangements

Pistorius Farms understands that each individual landowner's interests are unique. A variety of operating scenarios are available that will offer maximum benefits for each party. As manager of contracts, Pete and Tim discuss with each landowner the options available to them and help them decide on the best arrangement. Contracts range from traditional cash rent or variable leases, to crop share at various percentages or even custom farming.