Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Hoeven, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman and House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson are reportedly working on a $15 billion farm assistance package. Boozman said there is a need for additional assistance. “After…

United States Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says recent trade agreements are opening new doors for U.S. farmers and ranchers, following a trade mission to Malaysia. Lindberg said the trip focused on turning…

Whole milk and reduced-fat milk options will now be available in schools. President Donald Trump signed the bill on Wednesday, surrounded by dairy-state lawmakers and dairy farm families. “I’m delighted to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into…

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig has unveiled a legislative framework for farm relief. Craig said the proposal would make farmers 65 percent whole. “We can’t cover the full losses of this administration; they have been too tremendous,” said…

When Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suspended $129 million in USDA grants to Minnesota. SNAP was a target. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said farmers are seeing the impact, including early indications that funding for avian influenza testing was affected. After…

The farmland market is resilient despite low commodity prices and higher interest rates. Farmers National Company Area Sales Manager Troy Swee sees one major change. “If you go back to the high of 2022 and 2023, the number of buyers…

With a tight farm economy, sales of tractors and combines have plummeted. According to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, overall tractor sales were down ten percent in 2025. Four-wheel drive tractors took the biggest hit, down…

Chelsie Keys is the new senior vice president of government relations for the International Dairy Foods Association. For the past ten years, the Minnesota native was on the Republican staff for the Senate Agriculture Committee. Most recently, as the committee’s…

Kristin Zipperlen has been promoted to senior manager of stakeholder media for the National Pork Board. Zipperlen has been on the Pork Checkoff staff for nearly five years.

Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Hoeven, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman and House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson are reportedly working on a $15 billion farm assistance package. Boozman said there is a need for additional assistance. “After…

Five individuals have been appointed to the Minnesota Farm Service Agency State Committee. Randolph farmer Charles Radman will chair the committee. The members of the committee also include Jim Kukowski of Strathcona, Jason May of Rush City, Pamela Kay Uhlenkamp…

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Dr.Michael Watson will retire at the end of the month. Chief Veterinary Officer and deputy administrator for veterinary services, Dr. Rosemary Sifford, is another recent retiree. Kelly Moore will serve as acting…

Corteva is asking the federal courts to push back an October court date for an antitrust lawsuit. The case alleges Corteva and Syngenta used a crop loyalty program for distributors to limit the sale of generic crop protection products. The…

Duane Dahlman is the new executive director of the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association. Most recently, Dahlman was an ag production supervisor with Seneca Foods. Before that, he was a co-owner of Dahlman Farms/Dahlco Seeds. Dahlman had been serving as the…

United States Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says recent trade agreements are opening new doors for U.S. farmers and ranchers, following a trade mission to Malaysia. Lindberg said the trip focused on turning…

The farmland market is resilient despite low commodity prices and higher interest rates. Farmers National Company Area Sales Manager Troy Swee sees one major change. “If you go back to the high of 2022 and 2023, the number of buyers…

Ethanol production for the week ending January 9 was a record-breaker. According to the Energy Information Administration, an average of 1.19 million barrels of ethanol were produced per day. That shatters the previous record by 65,000 barrels per day.

The schedule is filled with bull and bred female sales at this time of the year. In RRFN’s Cattle Country Conversations, American Angus Association Field Rep Andrew Swanson offers insight into the maternal and carcass traits that are in high…

Good yields in 2025 were overshadowed by weak commodity prices. “It has been a crazy year and part of my concern is we had good yields this year, but we just didn’t have the price,” said Betsy Jensen, farm business…

The first sale of the year is often a big one for Napoleon Livestock and Co-Owner Jim Bitz says this year was no different. “We ended up with like 6,200 head last week and the market was strong from beginning…

Despite the U.S. tariff strategy, China posted a record trade surplus in 2025. Imports remained flat, while exports rose 5.5 percent for the full year. That brought China’s trade surplus to $1.2 trillion.

Chelsie Keys is the new senior vice president of government relations for the International Dairy Foods Association. For the past ten years, the Minnesota native was on the Republican staff for the Senate Agriculture Committee. Most recently, as the committee’s…

Kristin Zipperlen has been promoted to senior manager of stakeholder media for the National Pork Board. Zipperlen has been on the Pork Checkoff staff for nearly five years.

Five individuals have been appointed to the Minnesota Farm Service Agency State Committee. Randolph farmer Charles Radman will chair the committee. The members of the committee also include Jim Kukowski of Strathcona, Jason May of Rush City, Pamela Kay Uhlenkamp…

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Dr.Michael Watson will retire at the end of the month. Chief Veterinary Officer and deputy administrator for veterinary services, Dr. Rosemary Sifford, is another recent retiree. Kelly Moore will serve as acting…

Corteva is asking the federal courts to push back an October court date for an antitrust lawsuit. The case alleges Corteva and Syngenta used a crop loyalty program for distributors to limit the sale of generic crop protection products. The…

Duane Dahlman is the new executive director of the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association. Most recently, Dahlman was an ag production supervisor with Seneca Foods. Before that, he was a co-owner of Dahlman Farms/Dahlco Seeds. Dahlman had been serving as the…

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting has named Cindy Cunningham as its industry engagement director. Cunningham is a 35-year member of NAFB. Most recently, Cunningham was managing supervisor at Woodruff. She spent 19 years as assistant vice president of communications…

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has updated its Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions Map. This is part of the state’s groundwater protection rule. Much of the state has restrictions. The exceptions are northwest Minnesota, which has a climate exemption, and…

Good yields in 2025 were overshadowed by weak commodity prices. “It has been a crazy year and part of my concern is we had good yields this year, but we just didn’t have the price,” said Betsy Jensen, farm business…

University of Minnesota Extension Small Grains Specialist Jochum Wiersma encouraged growers not to cut back on nitrogen despite tight margins. Speaking at the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers Small Grains Update at the University of Minnesota in Crookston. Wiersma said…

NDSU Extension recently hosted their Getting It Right: Sunflowers webinar, and National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken kicked things off with a review of the 2025 year in sunflowers. “Overall, think sunflower crop here in the US and Canada…

The South Dakota Legislative sessions are underway. South Dakota Farm Bureau Executive Director Krystil Smit says property taxes have been the big talking point in the weeks leading up to the sessions. “The big talk in South Dakota is definitely…

Estelline, South Dakota, farmer Jerry Runia is a member of the state’s Nutrient Education and Research Council. Runia represents the South Dakota Farm Bureau on that board. “That program researches nutrients by taking the 50-cent tax that’s on fertilizer so,…

Syngenta expects to bring its Durastak seed trait to market in 2027. Syngenta Head of Technical Data Bruce Battles is excited about this new corn rootworm control. “I’ve had a chance to touch and play with this trait in our…

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has updated its Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions Map. This is part of the state’s groundwater protection rule. Much of the state has restrictions. The exceptions are northwest Minnesota, which has a climate exemption, and…

There were reports that Minnesota’s avian testing was impacted by USDA’s suspension of grants in the state, but the federal government has provided assurances that no high path programs will be affected. “There have been a few nuanced issues that we…

When Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suspended $129 million in USDA grants to Minnesota. SNAP was a target. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said farmers are seeing the impact, including early indications that funding for avian influenza testing was affected. After…

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative has reelected three dairy farmers to its board of directors. They are Michael Crinion of Ash Grove Dairy in Lake Benton, Minnesota; Heidi Fischer of Fischer-Clark Dairy Farm in Hatley, Wisconsin and Josh Meissner of Norm-E-Lane…

The schedule is filled with bull and bred female sales at this time of the year. In RRFN’s Cattle Country Conversations, American Angus Association Field Rep Andrew Swanson offers insight into the maternal and carcass traits that are in high…

The first sale of the year is often a big one for Napoleon Livestock and Co-Owner Jim Bitz says this year was no different. “We ended up with like 6,200 head last week and the market was strong from beginning…

The South Dakota Legislative sessions are underway. South Dakota Farm Bureau Executive Director Krystil Smit says property taxes have been the big talking point in the weeks leading up to the sessions. “The big talk in South Dakota is definitely…

Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Hoeven, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman and House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson are reportedly working on a $15 billion farm assistance package. Boozman said there is a need for additional assistance. “After…

United States Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says recent trade agreements are opening new doors for U.S. farmers and ranchers, following a trade mission to Malaysia. Lindberg said the trip focused on turning…

Whole milk and reduced-fat milk options will now be available in schools. President Donald Trump signed the bill on Wednesday, surrounded by dairy-state lawmakers and dairy farm families. “I’m delighted to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into…

The farm financial situation overshadowed many of the discussions at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention. Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing doesn’t see an easy fix. “From an organizational standpoint, we’re looking at a multifaceted approach, whether that’s more trade…

There were reports that Minnesota’s avian testing was impacted by USDA’s suspension of grants in the state, but the federal government has provided assurances that no high path programs will be affected. “There have been a few nuanced issues that we…

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig has unveiled a legislative framework for farm relief. Craig said the proposal would make farmers 65 percent whole. “We can’t cover the full losses of this administration; they have been too tremendous,” said…

When Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suspended $129 million in USDA grants to Minnesota. SNAP was a target. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said farmers are seeing the impact, including early indications that funding for avian influenza testing was affected. After…