Reporting From Washington, DC – The Red River Farm Network will be reporting from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Washington Watch program this week. While in Washington, D.C., farm broadcasters are meeting with farm leaders from USDA, Congress and farm organizations. The decisions made in our nation’s capital impact how we farm today and tomorrow. What issues are important to you? Send an email to don@rrfn.com. If possible, those issues will be brought up within RRFN’s coverage. Join RRFN for reports on-air and online.

New Traceability Rule Announced – USDA’s new standard for traceability in cattle is electronic ID tags. This replaces the 2013 rule that called for visual ID tags. In a statement, USDA said the decision was being made to respond quickly to foreign animal diseases. This rule applies to sexually intact cattle 18 months of age or older, rodeo and exhibition cattle and dairy cattle moving interstate.

Mandatory Testing Takes Effect Today – In response to the threat of H5N1 Avian Influenza, USDA is taking action to protect the U.S. livestock industry. A negative test is needed before the interstate movement of dairy cattle. If cattle test positive, animal movement will be traced. The Agriculture Department is also demanding mandatory reporting of any positive tests for the virus. Despite the more stringent protocols, USDA emphasized there have been no changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to people.

Ag Industry Responds to USDA Announcement – A statement released by National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud said USDA’s action on testing and interstate movement of dairy cattle is appropriate. Doud also stressed milk is safe and pasteurization leaves all viruses inactive. Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts also released a statement, saying properly prepared beef remains safe to eat. The Meat Institute also called on USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure the movement of healthy animals to slaughter.

Export Restrictions Due to Avian Influenza – Colombia is the first country to restrict U.S. beef imports due to Bovine Influenza A Virus. This ban includes beef products that came from cattle slaughtered in South Dakota, Texas, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio. Colombia imports a small amount of U.S. beef each year.

Emergency Loans Available for Those Dealing with HPAI – The Farm Service Agency is providing emergency loans for farmers dealing with quarantines due to High Path Avian Influenza. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health began the quarantine last October for farmers in 15 primary and 40 contiguous counties. The money can be used to replace equipment or livestock or refinance certain debts. The county FSA offices will take applications through December 4.

Dry Bean Scene – It may be too early to plant dry beans, Johnstown Bean Company General Manager Dylan Karley is still encouraging farmers to be prepared. Fungicide seed treatments, in-furrow fertilizer and pre-plant herbicide applications can all help get the crop off to a good start. Hear more in this week’s Dry Bean Scene.

New School Meal Standards Announced – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new rule for school meal standards. It emphasizes less sugar and sodium in school meals. “We continue to work with the dairy industry to provide options of flavored and unflavored milk, but with a new limit on added sugars.” Current standards for whole grains will not change. USDA will also impose stricter ‘Buy America’ guidelines. In a media briefing, Vilsack said the standards will be gradually updated starting in fall of 2025 with full implementation by the fall of 2027.

RRVSGA: School Nutrition Rule Has Good and Bad – Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Harrison Weber says there were some positive provisions in the new USDA school lunch standards. “As commodity producers, we always want to see our products included in those programs. There are some improvements that we’ve felt were made, but there’s still definitely some concerns.” The rule does not restrict low and no-calorie artificial sweeteners. “If you target one area, you’ve got to treat all sweeteners the same. This is another example where artificial sweeteners can have a leg up on a naturally produced and naturally occurring sweetener.”

Canola Minute – Changes are coming for canola crop insurance planting dates. Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman says starting in 2025, planting dates will allow for additional time to get the crop in the ground. Hear more details in this week’s Canola Minute.

Schaley: Planning for More Corn and Pinto Beans – At Niagara, North Dakota, Randy Schaley was able to start seeding his spring wheat between rains. Going into this spring, Schaley has made some small adjustments to his acreage mix. “We’re going to do a little more corn than what we’ve been doing in the past,” Schaley told RRFN. “We’re going to be long on pinto beans again as I guess everybody is this year. It’s our traditional wheat, soybeans and pinto beans but well have a little bit more corn than normal this year.”

Moisture is Welcomed – Hallock, Minnesota farmer Dan Younggren describes the April sugarbeet seeding conditions as “beautiful.” The rain is welcomed. ” In November, we picked up over ten inches of snow up north here and that all melted and went straight down,” said Younggren. “In February, we had that rain event that went through and we picked up a half-to-three-quarters of an inch of rain that also pretty much just went straight down. It’s certainly not the winter we’re used to.”

Weed Control Begins at Planting – Mark Huso, who leads Huso Crop Consulting at Lakota, North Dakota, is excited about the planting progress “In general, field conditions have been great. We are (Prairie) Pothole country here along Highway 2, Lakota, Petersburg, Niagra, you see lots of cattails, but guys have been able to take advantage of some nice long rounds.” Weed control is on the job list. “We have Foxtail barley; we have Downy brome, shepherd’s purse, dandelion and so as these fields get seeded, we’re actively following the drill with sprayers and getting that burndown applied.”

Enlist + Liberty Interview #1 – A program approach to weed control includes multiple modes of action along with pre and post-emergence products. Enlist Field Specialist Steve Snyder is featured in this series of updates on this weed control program approach. This is update #1. “It is very important to look at the whole program; you can’t just rely on a straight post application.” More details are available online.

Taking Advantage of an Early Start – Randy Melvin, who farms at Buffalo, North Dakota, is off to a good start with planting. “Any time you can get going in April, I count it as a victory because over the last 25 years we’ve had very few April starts.” Melvin is pleased with the early-season soil conditions.

MN Corn Matters – This week, Minnesota Corn Matters focuses on the recently released Sustainability Report. Minnesota Corn Growers Association Executive Director Adam Birr says corn farmers have been practicing sustainability for decades.

The Value of Seed Treatments – NDSU Extension Cereal Grains Pathologist Andrew Friskop is fielding questions about seed treatments. There are a few considerations when deciding whether to use a fungicide seed treatment. “Know your field history and if you had some issues with emergence or root rot in the past. I also remind them that the quicker a plant gets above the soil surface, the less of a chance for an issue with the stand, at least with wheat and barley.” NDSU Extension has a large data set on this issue. “Generally, we see an eight percent improvement in stand when a fungicide seed treatment is used.”

MO Farmer Sees Insect Pressure With Warm Spring – Wendell Koehn farms in south-central Missouri and has a large share of the corn planted. “Where we’re sitting, we’ve had a really good run of farming and in the last day or so, the rains came in and shut us down completely.” With an early spring, Koehn said an insecticide may be needed. “We had a warm, early spring and a lot of moths flew in early. We have cutworm and armyworm that are pretty advanced. It’s something to keep an eye on if you have a lot of cover and weeds out in the field.”

Sugarbeet Report – Extension agronomist Tom Peters is part of the Sugarbeet Report this week discussing weed control. The activation of preemergence herbicides can be tricky.

Cow Prices Soar Thanks to Lean Beef Trimmings – Ninety percent lean beef trimming, used in ground beef formulations, has been trading at record-high prices. Perham Stockyards and Tri-County Stockyards owner  Mitch Barthel says it’s a combination of things that has beef prices soaring. “The Covid shortage from two years ago had the market piled up because the cows couldn’t get harvested. That drove the prices lower and with the drought, people liquidated their cow herds and drove these markets higher due to a shortage of cows.”

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council Director of Industry Relations Jon Dilworth is featured in The Minnesota Beef Update.  Upcoming events include a Producer Promotion Panel at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment in early May.

Replacement Heifer Values Remain Lofty – A spring lull in auction barn receipts is happening, but Lake Region Livestock owner Chris Plummer says the cash cattle markets remain strong. “These big cattle may be backed up just a little bit here recently  but, everything is holding in there good.” The demand for replacement heifers is still extremely high. “It’s really hard to keep them at home when they’re worth what they’re worth,” said Plummer. “You get an open replacement heifer that weighs 750 to 850 pounds and she’s bringing from $1,950 to $2,150, it’s pretty hard to leave ’em at home.” Lake Region Livestock is located in Devils Lake.

South Dakota Dairy Herd Continues to Grow – Milk production in the 24 major states totaled 18.8 billion pounds in March. That’s down less than one percent from a year ago. South Dakota had the biggest increase in milk production, up more than 11 percent from one year ago. South Dakota added 21,000 cows to the state dairy herd in the past year. Minnesota milk production declined 1.4 percent with eight percent fewer cows.

Anti-Checkoff Group Hits the Road – Sixteen farm organizations have launched its ‘Enough is Enough’ tour to voice their opposition to the commodity research and promotion checkoff programs. The first tour stop will be May 11 in Clearwater, Minnesota. After stops in Wisconsin, Kansas and Alabama, the tour will wrap up June 4 in Bismarck. The groups involved in this coalition include Dakota Resource Council, R-CALF USA and the Organization for Competitive Markets.

Denver Ballot Initiative Could Hurt Midwest Lamb Producers – Denver, Colorado is facing a ballot initiative this fall that would ban the slaughter of animals within city and county boundaries. Superior Farms is the one packing plant within the city. American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick says this could have a huge impact on the lamb and sheep industry. “You just have lambs that come from all over the Upper Midwest; from Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Wyoming funnel in to Colorado,” said Peter Orwick, executive director, American Sheep Industry Association. “A shutdown of the plant would have major ramifications on our industry.” Colorado has had similar animal rights ballot initiatives in the past. Orwick is asking for producer support in fighting this initiative. “The meat industry and livestock industryneed to help fund a campaign and run it correctly to nip this thing in the bud.”

Farming for the Future – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Red River Farm Network and the Linder Farm Network to provide information on soil health events and topics with Farming for the Future. This week, Clay County, Minnesota farmer Ryan Hough discusses his farming practices. Hough and his brother were winners of the 2023 Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence.

Ag and Airlines Call for SAF Support in the Farm Bill – A unique coalition of farm groups, biofuel groups and commercial airlines is asking House and Senate Agriculture Committees to deliver support for sustainable aviation fuel in the next farm bill. The U.S. aviation industry is committed to a goal of 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. To make that happen, this alliance wants specific incentives to be included in the farm bill’s energy title.

SD Corn Comments – South Dakota Corn Council Secretary/Treasurer Justin Minnaert says every day is Earth Day for South Dakota farmers. Farmers invest in and work toward maintaining healthy soils across the state. Hear more in this week’s Corn Comments.

Volatility Rules the Day – Week-over-week, Minneapolis Wheat finished up 50 and a quarter cents. Soybeans rose nine cents and corn was up six and-and-a-half. Feeder cattle futures closed the week more than $7 higher than a week ago. In a conversation with Red River Farm Network Farm Broadcaster Don Wick on ATI Pro Media over the weekend, Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi said the markets are volatile. “The Dow Jones was down 750 at one point Thursday; that was the biggest down move in a couple years and that scared people,” said Grisafi. “But, we had a nice bounce with the stock market closing really firm on Friday. There was a lot of volatility in a lot of the markets.” A link to this interview can be found on the Red River Farm Network website.

Forging Trade Relationships with India – Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor led a USDA trade mission to India. The delegation included officials from 47 agribusiness and farm organizations and 11 state agriculture departments. Taylor said India was an easy choice for this trip. “One of the things we were excited about to select India for the destination of this trade mission was some of the demographic changes we’re seeing that are causing a shift in demand for an increase in protein, more variety of products and high-value food and agricultural products, things that the United States really excels in.”

Opportunities for ND Agriculture – North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring was part of the USDA trade delegation in India. “I’m encouraging our companies to continue to seek this market.” Goehring said India can learn about farm production from the U.S. “We’re doing more with less and they desire that also.”

AURI Update – The final webinar in a three-part series on supply chain development for specialty crops will take place on May 16. The Agriculture Utilization Research Institute invites anyone involved in the production of specialty crops to register for the free webinar on their website. Hear more details in this week’s AURI Update.

A Record-Breaker – Minnesota FFA Executive Director Lavyne Rada says this year’s convention was one for the books. “The convention is definitely record-breaking as our membership continues to grow,” Rada told RRFN. “Currently, we’re sitting at over 15,000 FFA members, which is more than doubled in the last five years and continues to grow as we continue to grow new programs.” Minnesota FFA added 35 new school districts with FFA chapters in the last handful of years.”We could have another five FFA chapters joining us just in the next year if they’re able to find teachers.”

New Officer Team Installed – The Minnesota FFA 2024-2024 State Officer team was named during the final general session of the state convention. Lauren Stoel of Murray County Central is the new state president. There are three state officers from the Grand Rapids chapter; Emma Braford, vice president; Kaiya Grossman, secretary and Victoria Gunderson, sentinel. Cole Sundeen from the Rockford FFA Chapter is treasurer and Natalie Clemenson of Zumbrota-Mazeppa is the reporter.

Stars Shine at FFA Convention – The Star Award winners at the Minnesota FFA Convention include Isaac Lendt of Sleepy Eye as the Star Farmer. Olivia Noble of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sundburg FFA is the Star in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Sciences. Rachel Dose of Sibley East FFA is the Star in Agricultural Production Placement and Jamie Johnson from the West Central Area FFA Chapter is the Star in Agribusiness.

Johnson Earns FFA Star in Agri-Business Honor – Jaime Johnson of the West Central FFA Chapter was named the Minnesota FFA Star in Agribusiness and took home the state proficiency award for diversified crop production placement. Johnson said FFA has fueled her passion for agriculture. Johnson plans to use the skills she’s gained working at Red River Sales and Agronomy. “I plan to attend Lake Area Tech in Watertown, South Dakota and I’m going to go for ag business. I plan to take this degree back to the farm to take over operations there. I just love being in agriculture and I hope to use that passion for a long time in my career and in life.”

Pedal to the Metal – Rothsay FFA student Ethan Olson was a finalist for Star in Agribusiness award at the Minnesota State FFA Convention. Olson runs a business that he started at a very young age with the help of his parents. “I host pedal tractor pulls for ages four-to-11 and it’s a whole competition reaching from state to nationally,” said Olson. “My parents helped me get started at age 12 and get my whole business up and going.”

Career Connection Buzzing With Activity – The Minnesota FFA Foundation is working with the Minnesota FFA  Association to help members network with representatives of the agribusiness world. Foundation Program Coordinator Amanda Sommers said there were numerous opportunities for that to happen during the state convention. “The career connection is one of them. We bring in almost 90 vendors and colleges, industry partners, for these students to really learn about the opportunities within agriculture.”

Job Opportunities Highlighted at FFA Convention – Members learned about career opportunities during the Minnesota FFA Convention. Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Outreach and Member Services Coordinator Brandon Severns said the state’s turkey industry generates 26,000 jobs. “We’re looking at jobs like veterinarians, nutritionists, researchers, but we also have things like sales, business management, even as far as our trucking and diesel mechanics. There are so many opportunities that are directly and indirectly related to Minnesota’s turkey industry.”

Carrying on the Family Legacy – Tristen Osmonson of the Fosston FFA Chapter was the runner-up in the Diversified Crop Production proficiency. Osmonson started farming three years ago and credits a lot of his knowledge to his grandfather who helped him get started. In 2021, I started renting land from my grandfather, Bennett Osmonson, and it kind of took off from there,” said Osmonson. “I learned a lot from my grandpa so I owe a lot to him.” Osmonson is a high school senior and said everything he learned through the FFA program will help him in his future.

Ready for the Job – AgCentric Executive Director Keith Olander sees the Minnesota State FFA Convention as a great place to see the bright future for the agriculture industry. He especially appreciates the career connections event that allows students to meet with post-secondary institutions and potential employers. “Talent in the ag industry is at a premium and when we think about the blue and gold jackets, they’re a premium talent; a lot of folks recognize that.”

Competing for the Best and Brightest – With workforce shortages, the agriculture sector is looking for young people from all backgrounds to fill important jobs. To be successful, Ridgewater College agriculture instructor Lyndsay Ampe said the ag sector must be competitive to get the student’s attention. “They want to be able to make a good living and they want to be able to have that work-life balance.”

Swine Proficiency Winner From the Region – Ada-Borup-West FFA student Billy Roesch won the Minnesota FFA Swine Production Placement Proficiency Award for his work on the family farrow-to-finish operation. “Recordkeeping is obviously one of the most important things on any farm because it’s essential just to know what you did and for financing.” Other soft skills gained through the FFA will benefit Roesch for years to come. “All the leadership aspects of what I do through my SAEs and becoming a better speaker and leader through my SAE’s can come back to the farm with me.”

Genesis Leaders Program: Eye-Opening Experience – The South Dakota Soybean Genesis Leaders Program has concluded its 2024 schedule, graduating 20 participants. For Ag PHD agronomist Zach Hefty, the program was a great experience. “It was very interesting and eye-opening and just a good way to learn more about the agriculture industry,” said Hefty. “Just to network with people in agriculture and make new friends that are in different agriculture sectors that you might not know as much about, it was great.”

Ukraine Ag Minister Caught Up in a Scandal – Ukraine’s agriculture minister is being accused of corruption. The country’s anti-corruption bureau claims the ag minister illegally took over state land worth more than $7 million. The ag minister was part of a group that seized the land between 2017 and 2021 before he joined the cabinet.

WestBred Wheat Report – In the WestBred Wheat Report, WestBred Technical Product Manager Justin Berg provides an update on wheat seeding progress. A recommendation on seeding rates and seeding depths is also provided. Berg also highlights the importance of a seed treatment.

Mandan Hosts Carbon Pipeline Hearing – In a hearing on the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project in Mandan, Summit Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Powell said he is confident the company will get the voluntary easements needed from every landowner on the North Dakota route. More than 500 landowners own land on the route and 110 have not yet signed easements. The pipeline will carry carbon from 57 ethanol plants for storage in western North Dakota. The next hearing will be May 24 in Wahpeton and June 4 in Linton.

ACSC Penalized for Violating Air Quality Standards – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has fined American Crystal Sugar Company $350,000 for violating air quality standards at its East Grand Forks plant. The investigation centered on issues that happened between 2020 and 2022. The Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Board will receive 40 percent of the $350,000 penalty. A statute that went into effect last year requires a portion of the penalties to be made to community health boards in the area where violations happened. This is the first case that meets the criteria.

Bunge-Viterra Merger Faces Competition Concerns – The merger between Bunge and Viterra has hit a hurdle. The Canadian Competition Council said the merger was “likely to result in substantial anti-competitive effects and a significant loss of rivalry between Viterra and Bunge in agricultural markets in Canada.” In a joint statement, the two companies pledged to work with Canadian officials to resolve the concerns.

Hollinrake Leaves Syngenta Seed – After seven years with the company, David Hollinrake is leaving Syngenta. For the past four years, Hollinrake was the head of strategy and portfolio for global seeds. Before that, he was president of Syngenta’s North American seed business. From 2012-to-2017, Hollinrake was Bayer’s vice president of marketing. Glenn Walter Fuhr will succeed Hollinrake. For the past seven months, Fuhr was Syngenta’s interim regional director for Brazil and Paraguay.

MFBF Minute – The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Minute took time to acknowledge and thank its volunteers during National Volunteer Week. MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Chair Jessie Bester said that volunteer spirit begins at the county level.

Kramer Honored – Monica Kramer was named by the Minnesota Rural Behavioral Health Provider of the Year by the Minnesota State University-Mankato Center for Rural Behavioral Health. Kramer is a mental health specialist for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Kramer also has her own mental health consulting business called Eyes on the Horizon.

NAMA Award Winners Recognized – During the National Agri-Marketing Association Conference, Corteva Agriscience Vice President of U.S. Marketing Todd Frazier was recognized as thet Agribusiness Leader of the Year. Long-time Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. was presented the Ag Association Leader of the Year. The NAMA Marketer of the Year is Brian Torrey, advertising and marketing communications manager, John Deere.