 |
 |
Energy Extras
How Smart Pigs Help Pipelines and Protect Our Bottom Line
By Scott Chase, Energy Department Manager
The companies that Central Farmers Coop partner with are committed to maintaining the highest standards of efficiency, reliability, and safety and one of the key technologies they use to achieve that is “smart pigging.” Despite the funny name, smart pigs are serious business. These high-tech tools are designed to travel through pipelines, gathering data about the condition of the interior walls.
Early Detection, Proactive Maintenance
Smart pigs are equipped with sensors that detect corrosion, cracks, and deformations inside pipelines. This approach reduces unexpected shutdowns and saves on emergency repair costs. The smart pig travel at 1.5 miles per hour.
Meeting Safety and Regulatory Standards
Pipeline safety regulations are becoming increasingly strict and rightly so. Smart pigging plays a critical role in maintaining industry and federal standards. It’s not just about avoiding fines; it’s about doing the right thing for communities.
Investing in Smart Technology = Long-Term Savings
While smart pigging does come with an upfront cost, studies show that the long-term savings are substantial. Preventing even one major pipeline failure can offset the investment many times over.
After reading Gerry Crawford’s article about how South Dakota gets supplied with propane and fuel I thought it would be good to tell you all about how the companies do maintenance on pipelines that run in our back yards.
Last of all, I thank you for your business and wish everyone a great summer.
7/11/2025
Fuel Storage Tank Size / Maintenance
By Gerry Crawford, Energy Sales
As we work through another challenging growing season, we are seeing the crops get off to a great start across our trade area. With the farmers haying, and the contractors working to get their road work done and buildings built, the need for fuel will be at a high level.
CFC is blessed to have motivated refined fuel and propane delivery drivers. With the busy fall and spring deliveries we would like to visit with our customers about tank storage size. Depending on the operation, fuel storage ideally should be 3 to 4 fills per year. Historically it has been a beneficial price to fill your tanks midwinter late December through February, and again early to midsummer June or July.
We have some customers that should consider updating to newer larger tanks. Some of these tanks are overhead gravity flow and are under 500-gallon capacity. As we move forward, for the safety of our drivers, we want to encourage converting these overhead tanks to ground level tanks. We have a complete inventory of tanks, pumps, and accessories. We have tank sizes 560, 1000, and 2000 in inventory. We’re able to order larger sizes if a customer is interested.
Since we are talking about fuel storage tanks, we would like to remind you that it is important to perform tank maintenance every 6 months. When we store fuel in a tank through the spring and fall season, the tank will sweat on the inside from temperature change. This moisture will drain to the bottom of your storage tank. Proper fuel storage tank practices such as draining or pumping the water out are essential in maintaining the viability of cleaner diesel. If you have questions CFC can help you determine if there is water at the bottom of your fuel tanks. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Have a safe summer and fall harvest!
6/20/2025
Budget Heating Program
By Scott Chase, Energy Department Manager
As we flip the calendar to June, it’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through 2025. With summer just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start preparing for the upcoming propane season.
Central Farmers is once again offering our Budget Heating Program, designed to help customers manage their propane expenses with ease and predictability. In the June mailing, customers will receive a pamphlet outlining the details of this year’s budget plan. We highly encourage you to take advantage of this program—it offers stable monthly payments and protection against rising market prices throughout the heating season.
By enrolling in the CFC budget plan, your propane price is locked in, giving you peace of mind regardless of fluctuations in the market. Our goal is to serve the best interests of our patrons, and we welcome any questions. Feel free to stop by or call—our team is happy to walk you through the program.
As always, safety remains a top priority. We continue to monitor regulators and perform leak checks as part of our ongoing service. For new customers, please remember that you must be present at the time of your first propane delivery. In accordance with state codes and insurance regulations, a system inspection and leak check will be performed. Our drivers will also provide safety information and walk you through the operation of your propane system.
We’d like to extend a sincere thank-you to our current customers who participate in the budget program. We encourage others to enroll by June 30, 2025, to secure your spot and take full advantage of the program benefits.
Thank you for trusting Central Farmers—we look forward to serving you in the upcoming season!
5/16/2025
CFC's Safety & Delivery Policies
As a valued propane customer, your safety is our main concern.
We would like to make you aware of our delivery policies.
Our policies follow the National Fire Protection Association mandates, state codes, insurance requirements
and the CFC credit policies.
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you this coming season.
Click here for more information.
 |
Energy Staff
 |
 |
 |
 JT Kass
|
