WOTUS Veto Sustained – The House did not get the necessary two-thirds majority to overturn President Joe Biden’s veto dealing with the Waters of the United States rule. Congress tried to undo the revised WOTUS rule, but that was met with a presidential veto. Meanwhile, the administration cannot implement or enforce the rule in 26 states, including North Dakota and South Dakota, due to two different court rulings. The fate of the WOTUS rule is also being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Frustration Remains Over Water Rule – The Waters of the United States rule is not enforceable in 26 states, but it remains in place for Minnesota. “It doesn’t pass the southern Minnesota farmer common sense test,” said Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad. “It’s a faceless, nameless bureaucrat that’s really dictating the terms of how they’re going to lrun their business and farm their farm.” Finstad said it is time to end “this back door through the regulatory process.”

GOP Offers Plan to Raise Debit Ceiling – House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has introduced a plan to raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or through March of next year, whichever comes first. This proposal is tied to cuts in federal spending. President Joe Biden has already said he wouldn’t accept an increase in the debt ceiling if strings are attached to the proposal.

A Lot of Moving Pieces in Debt Ceiling Discussion – The debt ceiling is a concern for lawmakers. Raising the debt ceiling involves a lot of moving pieces. “The reason we don’t just eliminate the debt ceiling is so policy makers, appropriators, and budgeters occasionally look at what are the drivers of our debt, what are we spending our money on and what should we be cutting back,” explained North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer. The full interview with Senator Cramer is available here.

Farm Bill Process Moves Forward Despite Debt Ceiling Debate – The debt ceiling dominates nearly every discussion in Congress. North Dakota Congressman Kelly Armstrong says that doesn’t mean the farm bill isn’t important. “I think, sometimes, not having oxygen in the room is a good thing,” Armstrong told RRFN. “The farm bill is cut by the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate and Republican leadership in the House and Senate. It’s going to be a tough slog with this being a pretty polarizing time, but I’m still cautiously optimistic that we can get it done on time.

The Budget Problem – The debt ceiling debate could complicate the farm bill process. “One thing that keeps me up at night is this whole debate about whether or not our country is going to default because that is very real,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow. “We lived through this when I first took over chairing the committee in 2011. Ten years later, there’s a 5.7 percent cut in the commodity tiles and other existing programs from what was called sequestration.” Stabenow said if across-the-board budget cuts resurface, it will make it very difficult to write a farm bill.

Klobuchar Hosts Boozman in Minnesota – A bipartisan approach is often talked about in the agriculture committees. That was on display Friday as Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar hosted Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman for farm meetings in Rochester and the Twin Cities. “I am so honored to have Senator Boozman here,” said Klobuchar. “We have worked together for years; he is the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee at a very important time and we have always believed we are not going to get this done one party versus the other.” Boozman, who represents Arkansas, was able to hear from Minnesota farmers. “The farm bill really isn’t a Democratic or Republican thing; it is more about regions of the country with Southern agriculture different that the ‘I’ states.” With the makeup of the House and the Senate, Boozman said a farm bill won’t pass unless it is a bipartisan piece of legislation.

Who Holds the Cards in the Farm Bill Debate? – Russell Group President Randy Russell does not expect the new farm bill passed before the current bill expires at the end of September. “There’s not a snowball’s chance that is going to happen.” It is more likely action will be taken by the end of the calendar year. Russell says it’s important to consider that when lawmakers negotiate. “The nutrition and climate money that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act was a one-time $20 billion that goes to USDA. If Congress takes no action, nutrition funding, including SNAP, continues as it currently is. So if you’re in a negotiation, you need to know what the motivation is behind those you’re negotiating with and who’s holding the cards and who isn’t.”

A Strong Safety Net is a Must – The National Farmers Union is continuing to meet with lawmakers to educate them about the intricacies of the farm program. “Farmers Union is very much focused on making sure that we get a farm bill done and we get one done that has as strong a safety net as possible,” said Rob Larew, president. “We want to make sure we’re writing a farm bill that meets the needs out there, not just one that is politically easier.” For Title 1, the National Farmers Union wants to see an increase in reference prices and more certainty in ag disaster programs. “Beyond that, one of the focuses for Farmers Union is trying to bring attention to the question of competition in the marketplace.” Larew said much of agriculture is controlled by a few large players. The packing industry and the crop input sector were cited as examples. The entire interview is available online.

A United Voice – According to Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Harrison Weber, the sugar industry is still evaluating its farm bill platform. “We want to make sure we’re on the same page within the beet sector, but also with our sugarcane brotheren; making sure that we’re going as a unified voice,” said Weber. “Like a lot of other groups, (we’re looking at) reference prices with sugar and at different tweaks to crop insurance, how certain programs are administered, certain dates, stuff like that. Not ready yet to release specifics but from a high level those are some of the things we’re exploring.”

Support for the Bioeconomy – Corn Refiners Association President John Bode is concentrating on the farm bill issues that support corn farmers. “We support crop insurance, responsible conservation programs and initiatives to develop the agriculture bioeconomy.” Bode said the renewable bioeconomy hinges on manufacturing and that needs to be done in the United States. In Bode’s view, scientific breakthroughs are happening in the U.S., but manufacturing productivity is being found in Asia and Europe.

Free, Open and Fair Trade – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven believes the United States needs to stand up for trade that is mutually beneficial and remains fair. “We want open and free trade but we want fair trade,” Hoven told RRFN. “For too long, the United States has been too accommodating. We’re frankly too nice to our trading partners. I think we have to be firm and recognize that our trade partners need our markets.” Chinese interests have dominated headlines with the Fu Feng project no longer in the works at Grand Forks. Hoeven said the trade relationship with China is important to both countries.

North Dakotans Provide Farm Bill Input – A coalition of seven North Dakota farm groups are hosting a series of statewide farm bill listening sessions. North Dakota Corn Growers Association Executive Director Brenda Elmer says similar issues have been heard at each meeting. “We’re talking a lot about ad hoc disaster programs versus crop insurance and mitigating that risk,” said Elmer. “Most prefer crop insurance and something they could plan on versus these knee-jerk programs that we’ve been dealing with the last several years.” The final farm bill listening session will be held Tuesday in Jamestown.

More Foreign Market Development Funds Sought – For dry bean growers, farm bill priorities include adequate funding for the pulse crop health initiative and foreign market development. Northarvest Bean Growers Association Executive Director Mitch Coulter says the dollars available for export development need to be adjusted. “It’s been two decades since we’ve seen any kind of change there and we’d really like to see it double,” said Coulter. “I think every commodity group is fully utilizing their funds and we see opportunities that are being missed. If we can get those funds added, that would be helpful for all the commodities in North Dakota and Minnesota.” Coulter was part of the farm bill listening sessions Thursday in Harwood and Grand Forks. The final meeting will be held Tuesday in Jamestown. Seven North Dakota farm groups, including Northarvest, sponsored this series of meetings.

SDFU Takes Message to D.C. – South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke was in Washington D.C. for the spring legislative fly-in. Sombke met with officials from the anti-trust division of Department of Justice and USDA. “Country of Origin Labeling is a top priority along with promoting crop insurance tools.”

EPA Administrator Addresses E15 Usage – Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan was in the hot seat Wednesday, taking questions from the House Agriculture Committee. Regan was asked about the use of E15 during the summer months. “We tried to ramp it up in a timely fashion to have 2023 included, but we’re probably just not going to be able to do that,” said Regan. “We’ll be looking at the same thing we looked at last year which is a case-by-case analysis of whether or not E15 will be needed in 2023 and in that case, we’d have to use our emergency waiver.” Regan refused to say if he would make a decision on E15 in time for this summer driving season.

Workforce Issue is ‘a Real Mess’ – Finding labor is one of the biggest headaches for farmers and agribusinesses. National Council of Farmer Cooperatives President and CEO Chuck Conner says efforts are underway to ease the labor shortage by making the foreign guestworker program more assessable. “In the meantime, there’s been new rules put out by the Biden Administration that would not be helpful but actually take us backwards quite a bit,” said Conner. “This rule was put into effect on April 1 and is taking us backward in terms of higher cost and fewer farmers being able to use the H2A program; labor is a real mess right now.” Lawsuits have been filed in an attempt to shut down the Biden rule.

High Water Shuts Down Barge Movement – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is warning the Upper Mississippi River could be facing the highest flood levels in more than 20 years. The American Commercial Barge Line expects the locks from lock 3 at St. Paul to lock 7 in southern Iowa to be closed due to high water. The closure could last 12-to-15 days. The locks along the mid-Mississippi River may be closed from early-to-mid May.

Navigation Hampered by High Water – The Army Corps of Engineers closed Lock and Dam 4 at Alma, Wisconsin due to high water. Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi says the flooding has also slowed navigation on the rest of the Mississippi River. These river shipping issues couldn’t have come at a worse time. “We’ve had massive sales to China, which is a plus, but now we have these logistics problems with the river,” said Grisafi. “The very Mississippi River that was bone dry at harvest is now plum full so if we get additional rain, it could really mess things up.”

Corn Matters – Nitrate screenings can give growers an idea of what their nutrient profile is like on their farms. Hear more from Minnesota Corn Growers Association Research and Promotion Council board member Brandon Fast in the latest Corn Matters.

Transportation Secretary Touts Infrastructure Improvements – While meeting with farm broadcasters in Washington, D.C., Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed the supply chain issues that have impacted agriculture. “We’re able to do a lot because of the infrastructure improvements that we’re funding,” said Buttigieg. “Whether it’s the port improvements that are helping to take some of the pressure off of bottlenecked ports or things like truck parking, literally just helping add parking spaces.” Union workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been working without a contract since last July. Buttigieg said he has been in contact with the parties involved, urging them to find a solution.

MN Wheat Minute – Tune in to Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers Project Lead Chris Matter in the latest MN Wheat Minute to hear about the on-farm research network.

Disagreement Continues for Black Sea Grain Deal – The tit-for-tat disagreements continue between Russia and Ukraine regarding the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Russia claims Ukraine is demanding bribes from ship owners to register new vessels. Ukraine said Russian grain inspectors were holding up grain shipments. After two days of negotiations, shipments resumed Wednesday. However, the Russian government is insisting it won’t extend the grain deal past May 18 unless sanctions from the U.S. and the West are lifted.

Advocating for Minnesota Soybeans in the EU – The Port of Duluth is being promoted as an option to export Minnesota soybeans and other commodities. Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Executive Director Joe Smentek was part of a USDA trade trip to the Netherlands. Buyers from throughout the entire European Union were represented. “The EU is 27 member states,” said Smentek. “Here in the Netherlands they are pretty strict and we have a little work to do, but other markets like Spain and North Africa are a little bit more lenient and really excited about our products.” This is a twofold mission for Minnesota Soybean. “Another important thing is trying to find containers to come back to Duluth; that’s one of the biggest challenges for these IP (identity-preserved) growers.”

Innovation and Conservation – USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor led a trade trip to the Netherlands. “The Netherlands is second in the world for exports of food and agricultural products, which makes sense with their emphasis on innovation and conservation,” said Taylor. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, who was part of the delegation, said the U.S. started the conservation movement by developing practices, equipment and systems. “I think it tells a story of how well U.S. agriculture does at protecting its resources.”

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman joins us to talk about the strength in canola demand, reflective of the latest planting intentions report.

Well Grounded: A Year of Record Land Values – As land prices soared to record levels in the past year, how much did they increase in North Dakota? In the Well Grounded podcast, North Dakota State University Agricultural Finance Specialist Bryon Parman provides insight into state land values. Well Grounded is hosted by Acres and Shares owner Jayson Menke and Red River Farm Network’s Randy Koenen.

Farm Loan Volume Drops – According to the latest Ag Finance Update from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the volume of non-real estate farm loans is down ten percent from the first quarter of last year. Lending activity was held back with fewer new loans and smaller operating loans. Interest rates have reached levels not seen since 2007, which also impacted loan volume. The Fed report says “remarkably strong farm income” in recent years strengthened farm liquidity.

Farm Economy Described as ‘Stable’ – The Federal Reserve Bank’s beige book looks at all segments of the economy. For the Nineth Federal Reserve District that represents Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and parts of Wisconsin and Michigan, the report said agricultural conditions were stable as we enter the planting season. Farm income is rising, while capital spending was steady. The prices received by farmers are up from one year ago for corn, soybeans, potatoes, hay and turkeys. Lower prices were seen for canola, cattle, milk, hogs, sugarbeets and dry edible beans.

MFU Minute – Minnesota Farmers Union Government Relations Director Stu Lourey joins us to discuss the passage of the Minnesota Senate’s omnibus agriculture bill. Hear more in this week’s MFU Minute.

Agriculture Bill Passes on a Party Line Vote – Minnesota’s omnibus agriculture finance bill is now moving to a conference committee. The House passed this legislation with a 70-to-58 party line vote. Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha Vang carried this legislation. “I’m proud to present a good comprehensive balanced budget that represents both rural and urban farmers, big and small farmers, and for the environment and sustainability of agriculture. Whether it’s protecting farmers, ensuring our soil remains healthy, or providing food for every Minnesotan, we are making sure Minnesota is a national leader.” The bill includes $100 million for the expansion of broadband. It creates a grain indemnity fund and increases funding for the Rural Finance Authority and Farm Business Management.

House Bill Seeks Change to Animal Health Board – The House omnibus agriculture bill changes the size of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health from six members to 11. Representative John Burkel, who represents the northwestern corner of the state, attempted to turn back these changes. “The fact that those members just need is to be knowledgeable in animal agriculture versus being a veterinarian or a livestock producer is just too subjective and frankly, it’s irresponsible given the challenges that the livestock industry and poultry industry face with CWD, HPAI and African Swine Fever.” Burkel said this move is an attempt to politicize the Board of Animal Health.

Omnibus Environment, Energy Bill Passes in MN House – The omnibus environment, natural resources, climate and energy bill passed with a ten-vote margin in the Minnesota House and has been sent to the Senate. DFL Representative Rick Hansen, who is from South St. Paul, spoke in favor of the bill. “Do we agree on all of our solutions? No, we do not, but I’m asking us to put aside the fears that we have and look at the research we’ve invested in (and) the science we believe in.” Republican Representative Pam Altendorf, who is from Goodhue, said farmers will be hurt by the energy and environment bill. “It is disappointing to see that we as the Minnesota State Legislature which is supposed to be looking out for the entire state, that we truly are leaving farmers and their future out of the equation on this bill.”

Troubled by House Environment Bill Provisions – The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation is concerned about the House omnibus environment bill. “Fortunately, we were able to get two of the four provisions that were most concerned about out of the bill on the floor,” said Kaytlin Bemis, public policy specialist. “Those provisions being the MPCA citizens board and feedlot financial assurance. Both of those were amended out, but we’re still dealing with regulations surrounding treated seed and drainage registry portal. The language dealing with seed treatments calls for new restrictions. “The bill establishes treated seed as a solid waste and claims that it has unreasonable effects on the environment. It asks for MPCA and Minnesota Department of Agriculture to adopt rules about lawful disposal of treated seed. Ultimately, we feel farmers are very responsible with their treated seed.” Bemis is hoping for a better outcome when the environment bill goes to the conference committee.

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Public Policy Specialist Kaytlin Bemis talks about the passage of the omnibus bills. Hear more the latest MFBF Minute.

Tax Bill Unveiled – The Minnesota House released its tax proposal this week. Minnesota Farmers Union Public Policy Specialist Stu Lourey says there is some good things in the bill for farmers. “We were really excited to see an expansion of the beginning farmer tax credit to family members.” In the State Senate, an increase to the ag homestead tax limit is being considered.

North Dakota Legislative Report – The North Dakota Legislative session is winding down, and legislators are working through night sessions to get bills done. North Dakota Farm Bureau Director of Public Policy Pete Hanebutt says there are several agriculture zoning bills. Listen to this week’s North Dakota Legislative Report to hear more.

Raw Milk Bill Advances – A bill which would allow North Dakota dairy farmers to sell raw milk is on its way to Governor Doug Burgum. The State Senate passed the bill 32-14. The House passed the same bill in late February. The bill was sponsored by the youngest member in the history of the North Dakota Legislature, Representative Dawson Holle of Mandan.

Legislature Tackles Foreign Land Ownership – A bill banning foreign ownership of North Dakota farmland has passed in the House. This issue was prompted by the China-owned Fufeng corn wet milling project in Grand Forks. The legislation targets foreign adversaries, like China or North Korea, preventing these governments from owning farmland.

NCBA Defends Traceability Rules – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has filed comments on USDA’s proposed traceability rule. This proposal calls for the use of electronic ear tags as the official identification for cattle and bison. NCBA President Todd Wilkinson said a foreign animal disease outbreak would be “catastrophic” and traceability is an important risk management tool.

Fielding Questions – In this edition of the Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Insurance and Customer Education Rob Fronning discusses the late start to the planting season, seasonal market trends and the cattle market. Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network.

Collaborative Approach Highlighted – Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza was among the topics addressed in a House agriculture subcommittee Tuesday. USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt emphasized a collaborative approach to educate all parties about avian flu. “The partnerships with states, with industry, with cooperative extension, with other nonprofits and tribal organizations; all of those different layers of partnerships are very importantas we get information out.”

HPAI Case Reported in ND – Avian influenza has been confirmed in a Dickey County, North Dakota turkey flock. The farm has been quarantined and the birds are being depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. This is the first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North Dakota this year.

State and Federal Support for Waubun Meat Slaughter Project – Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen made a stop in Mahnomen County this past week to get an update on a proposed meat processing plant. Benson and Turner Foods is building a small cattle and hog slaughter facility at Waubun. Petersen says this is “a good piece as we look at building our livestock up here in northwest Minnesota and helping diversify the economy.” This project on the White Earth Reservation received a grant of nearly $1 million in December. The grant is part of a USDA effort to expand small-and-medium sized meat processing.

Decision on Federal Orders Expected This Week – American Farm Bureau Federation economist Danny Munch says the current inflated economy has been the push for dairy organizations to ask for higher make allowances in federal milk marketing order reform. “The problem on our end is the process to change make-allowances is based on voluntary surveys. We won’t support make-allowances until the surveys are mandatory so the numbers can more accurately reflect market conditions.” The International Dairy Foods Association and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association formally petitioned USDA to change the make-allowances. USDA has until April 29th to issue a plan to complete a hearing within 120 days, request additional information from IDFA and WCMA or reject their requests.

Lamb Market Ticks Higher – NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Sheep Specialist Travis Hoffman says the lamb market is on the upswing with Easter in the rearview mirror. “The last three years, we’ve had extremes on both sides of the market, but the sheep industry is holiday related.” Hoffman says lambs in the 60-90 pound range have more value in the spring during holiday markets.

FFA Delivers Lifelong Skills – The South Dakota FFA Convention includes a career carnival. South Dakota Soybean Communications Specialist Maggie Vander Laan was part of that experience. In an interview with RRFN, Vander Laan said she is proud of her own time in a blue jacket. “This state is not very big so everybody you meet is associated somehow in agriculture so it’s been really cool as you grow in your career to look back and see everybody kind of come up through FFA.”

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Corn Utilization Council board member Jay Esser breaks down how E-15 saves consumers money.

Stars Shine at FFA Convention – The South Dakota Star in Agriscience is Mason Pulse of the McCook Central FFA Chapter. Northwestern Area FFA Chapter member Ella Haven was named Star in Ag Placement. Her family’s custom harvest business was her emphasis. “Haven Harvesting goes down in the summer to do winter wheat in Kansas and Colorado before coming back up to South Dakota; learning how much effort and hard work I put in is really rewarding.” The South Dakota Star in Agribusiness is Ashley Bjerke of the Sioux Valley FFA Chapter. Star Farmer Landon Roling hails from the McCook Central FFA Chapter and said his SAE prepared him for his future. “My dream has always been to come back to the farm and FFA has really helped me get a grasp about the real world of farming.”

Sanders Recaps Year as State Vice President – South Dakota 2022-2023 State FFA Vice President Megan Sanders gave her retiring address at the first general session of the state convention. “It’s definitely the big ‘going out with a bang’ moment we’ve been building up to.” State officer candidate interviews started on the Friday before convention. Sanders said it was a very different experience being on the other side of the curtain this year.”

South Dakota FFA Slates New Officer Team – The South Dakota FFA Association has slated the 2023- 2024 state officer team. South Dakota State FFA Treasurer Gretta Larson says she ran for state office to get more young leaders involved in agriculture. “I was inspired to run for state office to get FFA members involved and make people feel at home.” Larson is excited about her year of service and looks forward to meeting new members during FFA leadership activities. In addition to Larson, the new officers are Alyssa Feather of Wilmot as president, Dustin Kolb of Belle Fourche as vice president, Reasa Zelinsky of Brookings, Gabrielle Rebelein of Sioux Valley and Emily Robbins of Elkton as sentinel.

Living to Serve – Service is an important component of the FFA experience. South Dakota FFA Foundation President Sandy Osterday cited the Living to Serve Day where FFA members packaged meals for Feeding South Dakota. “Our goal every year is to package 50,000 meals.”

‘Our Future’ – The South Dakota Farmers Union hosted its annual safety quiz bowl at the South Dakota FFA Convention. SDFU Communications and Policy Specialist Luke Reindle welcomed the chance to work with the FFA students. “There’s no better organization in Rural America that focuses on agriculture than FFA; these kids are our future.”

Celebrating Growth – South Dakota FFA Association is in a time of growth. “In addition to watching our growth in numbers, we’ve seen a growth in quality in our students and chapters,” said Executive Director Wyatt DeJong. That excitement was seen at the state convention. “We had right at 2,431 students competing in 46 hours in various career development events.” In addition, seven new chapters were chartered at convention this year.

A Shift in Attitude About Mental Health – State Reporter Caidyn Johnson reluctantly began his FFA career because agriculture classes are a requirement at his high school, Fertile-Beltrami. “I was blessed at my school that it is a requirement; it is not the standard by any means at many schools.” Johnson is a student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities studying psychology. He feels mental health is critically important for young people, especially in rural communities. “I think young people are seeing a shift in mental health because we’re growing up in a generation where mental health is talked about,” said Johnson. “Youth in FFA and around the world are seeing the importance of mental health.” The Minnesota FFA Association, Minnesota FFA Foundation and Minnesota Department of Agriculture partnered on a program to help chapters create mental health initiatives in their own communities.” The convention schedule today includes contests, delegate sessions, awards and a career connection event.

Chapter Visits a Highlight for State Officer – Minnesota State FFA Sentinel Noah Erickson has been spent much of the past year with chapter visits. “The best experience has been meeting people from throughout the state and learning about how they got involved in agriculture and why they do what they do.” Erickson is from the Morris Area FFA Chapter and is studying agriculture education at the University of Minnesota. It is a significant time in ag education. “We are at a really strong point,” said Erickson. “There’s teacher vacancies, but there are also new chapters chartering every year.”

Giving Back – The theme for the Minnesota State FFA Convention is ‘All In, For All.” State FFA Treasurer Brynn Lozinski has spending months planning this convention. “It is eye-opening to see all the work that happens behind the scenes to make sure that all members have the best experience possible.”   Lozinski is studying agriculture communications and animal science at South Dakota State University. “I really want to focus on the swine industry; it is literally what I grew up with every single day of my life putting clothes on by back and food on the table and I want to give back to that.”

Star Finalists Named – Fourteen students have been selected as Minnesota FFA Star finalists. For Star Farmer, the finalists are Clark Koehl of Hancock, Mason Grams of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, Rachel Tusa of Jackson County Central and Emma Heiden of Rushford-Peterson. Shelby Dieball of Sibley East, Caleb Neal of Verndale, Katie Thome of Southland and Malorie Thorson of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted are finalists for the Star in Production Placement. The four FFA’ers vying for the Star in Agribusiness are Blake Koehl of Hancock, Halli Poppler of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Jacob Walsh of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg and Joseph Mohr of Jackson County Central. The finalists for the Star in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources are Eli Devore of Park Rapids and Shae Fath of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.

Nine Selected for MN FFA Hall of Fame – Nine individuals are part of the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The inductees are T.J. Brown of Good Thunder, Dan Dylla of Wells, Mike Miron of Hugo, Brian Sather of Winona, Jon Yusten of Zumbrota, Leah Addington of Cannon Falls, Doris Mold of Cumberland, Sherry Newell-Opitz of Avon and James Tracy (deceased) of Dennison. These honorees join 203 members who were previously inducted into the FFA Hall of Fame. RRFN’s Don Wick was part of the inaugural class of 2004.

11 New FFA Chapters Chartered – Minnesota senior and junior high schools have nearly 40,000 agriculture students and more than 16,000 are members of the FFA. Twenty new FFA chapters chartered in the past five years with an additional 11 chapters welcomed into the organization last night. Minnesota FFA Foundation Executive Director Val Aarsvold says there is a common theme with these new ag ed programs. “School administrators really see that career and technical education really prepares its students for careers.” The FFA foundation is giving these new chapters a kick start. “For the first time, we are presenting new startup kits; these new chapters will receive chapter jackets, the officer markers, banners, gavels and everything to get them off to a great start.”

Career Connections – Universities, technical colleges and agribusinesses are at the Minnesota FFA Convention recruiting FFA members. Adam Ulbrecht, who is with AgCountry Farm Credit Services, says these young people are enthusiastic about the future. “I just had a conversation with a very well-informed students who was talking about interest rates, the economy and what the Fed is doing and that’s fun to see someone that young and that engaged.” The Career Connections is linking ag companies with their future employees. “Everybody knows there is a giant shortage of workers so it’s good to get in front of these kids and plant the seed now.”

Patience Needed – Peterson Farms Seed Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson reminds farmers to be patient. “It’s amazing how we can go from five-foot snowbanks along the interstate to nothing in ten days. “Compared to 2018 and 2019, we’re actually sitting a lot better from a snowpack standpoint.” While there are fields with standing water, Swenson thinks a lot of the moisture is going into the soil profile.

Lock in Crop Inputs – Dakota Agronomy Partners agronomist Dylan Block advises farmers to lock in remaining fertilizer and seed needs. “With the weather and timing, prices are probably going to be at their lowest point, so farmers need to start wrapping up their needs.” Seed treatments are another good bet. “With the moisture that we have, I think it would be ridiculous to not treat seed at this point. It would be nothing but beneficial.” Block is based at Bottineau.

Enrollment Underway for Grasslands CRP – Sign -up for the USDA Grasslands Conservation Reserve Program is underway until May 26. Minnesota Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Whitney Place reminds farmers to get their application in as soon as possible. “It is a competitive process, so we rank the applications.” Place says there are quite a few CRP contracts up this year. “In Minnesota, we have roughly one million acres in CRP at any given time. We had about 104,000 acres of expiring contracts this year.”

Dry Bean Scene – Northarvest is a sponsor for Farm Bill listening sessions that are taking place across the state. Executive Director Mitch Coulter explains some priorities that Northarvest would like to see written into the next Farm Bill. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

Planting Delays Contrast with Welcome Moisture – Winter delivered one more blow to the region this past week with snow, sleet and rain. Soils are saturated and wheels won’t be turning for some time. Pioneer Field Agronomist J.J. Jaehning is seeing a silver lining. An early winter layer of snow insulated the ground and limited the amount of frost. That is now going to allow much-needed moisture to soak into the soil profile. “Last fall, the one thing we didn’t have was subsoil moisture; I talked to a lot of growers that have a bunch of tile and it was dry eight feet down.” Questions about the acreage mix and maturities are bound to surface. “Remember, the month of May is a low GDU month and we want to stay with adaptive maturities until about May 20th.” Listen to the full interview. 

UPL Ask the Expert – UPL Commercial Lead Shawn Kennedy highlighted new technology for the potato industry in the latest UPL Ask the Expert. Click here to hear the entire interview.

Potato Stocks Decline – Potatoes held in storage on April 1 totaled 121 million hundredweight. That’s down five percent from April of last year. Potatoes in storage account for over 30 percent of this past year’s production. According to the USDA report, potato stocks in North Dakota totaled 8.3 million hundredweight. That represents 36 percent of the 2022 crop. In Minnesota, stocks total 8 million hundredweight. That’s 40 percent of last year’s production.

An Optimistic Start – Sugar producers remain optimistic going into the new growing season. American Sugar Alliance Director of Economics and Policy Analysis Rob Johannson says strong sugar prices should make for a pretty good year. “Of course, prices need to balance out the high input prices.” The Farm Bill is another focus for Johannson who would like to see more affordable crop insurance for sugar producers.

Beet Stock Values – According to Jayson Menke with Acres & Shares, there were four American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock brokered sales last week totaling 145 shares for an average price of $4,763.79 per share. During the fall-to-spring beet stock trading season, Acres & Shares collects weekly trading data from its website, FNC Ag Stock and Red River Land Company and provides a weekly beet stock snapshot. As the season winds down, this will be the last snapshot of the spring. For the season which started in early September, 3,834 shares have been brokered for an average price of $4,575.72 per share.

Sugarbeet Report – Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist Tom Peters recommends sugarbeet producers have a management plan in place now. Hear more in the Sugarbeet Report, presented by Amity Technology, H&S Manufacturing, SESVanderHave and Bayer Crop Science.

Children’s Ag Museum Proposed – Fundraising is underway for the creation of the Mini Sota Agricultural Children’s Museum in downtown Benson, Minnesota. Organizer Ginger Claussen says the museum will provide a whole-farm experience. “You can learn the different types of machinery used on the farm and engage in making them work. We’ve got grain production so you can follow the life cycle of the different types of grain. We’ve got engineering where you can design and construct improvements for farm machinery and technology. Discover the many ways livestock products are used and demonstrate how our local products support the community.” The group behind this project represents all sectors of agriculture and education. More information is available at online.

Register for Next NCI Future of Feeding Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting another Future of Feeding webinar on Wednesday at 9 AM. This webinar will feature Selpha Trinidad, president and general manager, Longview Agribusiness Solutions Inc., who will be presenting on Feed Milling in the Philippines. This webinar series focuses on using innovation in the processing of animal food, equipment as well as using grains from the region for co-products. To register, go online.

Duluth Port Moving Container Shipments – The Duluth Seaway Port Authority and Duluth Cargo Connect have announced a new regularly scheduled monthly liner service between Duluth and Antwerp, Belgium. Duluth Cargo Connect President Jonathan Lamb says this service provides shippers an excellent option for exporting grain cargoes. “The new liner itself will be able to not only handle general commodities, but also other products like machinery.” The first containerized exports out of the Port of Duluth Superior began last fall.

JBS Settles Beef Case – In a proposed settlement, JBS will pay $25 million to commercial beef buyers for allegedly conspiring to restrict market supplies and keep prices artificially high. Cargill and Tyson are also being sued but have not agreed to this settlement. This case is subject to judicial review.

USMEF Transitions Asia-Pacific Operations – Longtime U.S. Meat Export Federation Senior Vice President of Asia-Pacific Joel Haggard is stepping into a consulting role with the organization. Jihae Yang, who previously served as the director of South Korean operations, has taken over the management of the region. Yang was instrumental in reopening the South Korean market to U.S. beef after the BSE discovery in 2003. Under Yang’s leadership, South Korea is now the largest buyer of U.S. beef at $2.7 billion.

Johny Presented Outstanding Service Award – The Midwest Poultry Consortium awarded Dr. Anup Kollanoor Johny with its outstanding service award. Johny was recognized for his commitment to the MPC Center for Excellence Scholarship/Internship Program and his work at the University of Minnesota.

Spronk Appointed to Pork Board – A Minnesota pork producer is one of five appointees to the National Pork Board. Dr. Gordon Spronk of Edgerton will serve a three-year term. The other appointees are from Iowa, California, North Carolina and Virginia.

Young Leaders to Learn About Crop Protection Industry – The Mid America CropLife Association has selected nine college students to participate in its Young Leader Scholarship Program. Four of the participants are from the tristate region. The list includes Nicole Koziolek from the University of Minnesota, Lahni Stachler from North Dakota State University and Tessa Erdmann and Ryder Mortenson from South Dakota State University.