RRRN Announces Big Iron Forum Schedule – The Red River Farm Network is moving to a new location for this year’s Big Iron Farm and Construction Show. The RRFN building is near the center of the grounds and can be found at the #4 site on the Big Iron Farm Show exhibitor map. RRFN once again has a full slate of forums including market outlook panels featuring industry-leading market analysts. Our program will also include a weather update with World Weather Inc. Senior Ag Meteorologist Drew Lerner, a policy discussion with Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and a conversation about the farm machinery market with ‘Machinery Pete’ Greg Peterson. The full schedule can be found online. 

Grand Farm to Host Ag Approps Field Hearing – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven will host a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee field hearing Thursday at the Grand Farm Innovation Campus. Panelists will include Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman and Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small will represent USDA and there will be a witness panel made up of farm and industry leaders. This hearing will concentrate on the future of ag technology and research.

VP Pick Walz Highlights His Connection to Agriculture – The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris introduced her vice presidential pick at their first campaign stop. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz referenced his 12 years in Congress in his speech. “I worked across the aisle on veterans issues, on agriculture and ways to grow rural economies; I learned the value of compromise without compromising my values.” Walz represented Minnesota’s First District in southern Minnesota and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee. Walz is now in his second term as governor. “Minnesota’s strength comes from our values, our commitment to working together, to see past our differences, always to be willing to lend a helping hand,” said Walz. “Those are the same values I learned on the family farm.”

MFU Welcomes Walz Pick – Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish believes the selection of Governor Tim Walz for the Democratic vice presidential role is good for the state and for agriculture. “When’s the last time we had someone on a national ticket that served on the House Agriculture Committee and Governor Walz has done that,” said Wertish. “As governor, he’s done a good job. He’s been thrown a few curveballs with COVID and the unrest. He’s seen challenging times, but overall has done well.”

Timing Becomes a Farm Bill Hurdle – AgCountry Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs Howard Olson met with lawmakers this past week at Farmfest. That follows a trip to Washington, D.C. the previous week for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives meeting. The biggest farm bill hurdle appears to be finding a way to pay for the various priorities. “No one seems to be able to see how we’re going to unlock that and where can we come together on that.” Timing is another problem. Even if the farm bill was passed today, it wouldn’t take effect until the 2025 crop year. “Farmers won’t see the benefit of new reference prices until the fall of 2026.” A vote during the lame-duck session or another farm bill extension are both possible.

A Lame Duck Vote Likely for the Farm Bill – The current farm bill extension expires at the end of September. Minnesota Second District Representative Angie Craig says more work needs to be done. “I think we’re going to need another extension to get to the lame duck session,” said Craig. “The farm bill passed the (agriculture) committee and it should be on the floor, but it’s not because my colleagues across the aisle don’t have the votes.” The Red River Farm Network asked Craig about her fellow Minnesotan being on the presidential ticket. “Tim Walz served in Congress on the Ag Committee so this is a Democrat who knows a thing or two about ag. People may not love every single thing that he’s done over the years, but he gets biofuels, he gets ag and I think it would be a tremendous asset to have someone like that working in the White House.”

Klobuchar: Farm Policy Has Seen Much a Larger Divide – The current farm bill expires at the end of September. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said common sense must prevail so Congress can finalize the farm bill. “We must get it done, we’ve already seen the effect on prices with corn prices alone down 33 percent since last summer,” said Klobuchar. “Right now, we’ve got different versions, but the policies aren’t that different. We’ve had much wider divides in the past when it comes to ag policy.” Klobuchar made the rounds at Farmfest, including participation in Wednesday’s Senate candidate forum.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association Past President Richard Syverson joins Minnesota Corn Matters this week. The focus is on the value of membership. Listen to the report. 

Policy Changes Needed to Improve the Price of Corn – National Corn Growers Association President Harold Wolle is extremely disappointed in the price of corn. “We need policies that improve the market for our corn crop,” said Wolle. “We need more trade and we need to increase the amount of ethanol in our fuel; those are two ways where policy will make a difference.” Wolle farms at Madelia, Minnesota and welcomed the addition of Governor Tim Walz to the presidential ticket. “Governor Walz was my congressman and he’s been out to my farm and he does have an understanding of agriculture and I think that is important to have someone running for that position who has that understanding of agriculture.”

Looking for Certainty – Minnesota farm organizations, including the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, hosted political candidates during Farmfest. MCGA Vice President Jim Kanten said there was a consistent message. “Let’s push the farm bill forward,” Kanten told RRFN. “Everyone is looking for that certainty for next year to help make plans and help make decisions; we want to get this farm bill done as soon as possible.”

Big Changes for Farmers – The Farm Service Agency is making changes to its farm loan program effective September 25. “Profitable producers are better for everybody in the food value chain in America,” said Zach Ducheneaux, administrator, FSA. The four key objectives of these new rules are to provide financial freedom, expand opportunities, increase resilience, and provide equitable access for producers. Ducheneaux said USDA will not take the primary residence as collateral unless it is needed to get to a one-to-one security position. Ducheneaux said putting homestead protection at the front end of borrowing instead of later in the process will be beneficial for many. These enhancements were called the most significant changes to federal loan programs since 2007.

ACRE Act Could Help Farmers During Tough Times – With rising input costs and low commodity prices, farmers are staring down a tough finish to 2024. The Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act is seen as a way to help soften stressful times. American Bankers Association Senior Vice President of Agricultural and Rural Banking Policy Ed Elfmann feels this is the perfect time for the introduction of the ACRE Act. “We have the farm economy starting to not look as strong as it’s been, we have a rising interest rate environment, and you get that perfect storm. It makes all the sense in the world to look at legislation that provides a solution to lowering interest costs for farmers, ranchers, and rural homeowners.”

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. This week, Jessica Jursick, who is with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, talks about the soil health equipment grant program. August 30 is the signup deadline. Listen to the report. 

Investigating Used Cooking Oil Imports – The Environmental Protection Agency is responding to complaints about the high volume of cooking oil imports from Asia. Used cooking oil is eligible for Renewable Fuel Standard credits. Reuters is reporting the agency is auditing at least two renewable fuel producers to determine where the biofuel feedstocks originated.

Voluntary and Incentive-Based – There is strong demand for climate-smart government programs in Midwest agriculture. USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie stressed these conservation programs are all voluntary and incentive-based programs. “We’re trying to figure out ways to reward producers either through the market or with government incentives for doing good by the environment and maintaining productivity. We need farmers, ranchers, and forest owners to help us design this. Nobody wants conservation done to them, they want it done with them and that’s our goal here.” Click here to listen to the full interview.

Spring Wheat Harvest Underway – Spring wheat harvest is underway for Wilmot, South Dakota area farmers. Jason Frerichs says they’ve seen decent yields. “We’d like to see things be a little bit better, but again, that wheat goes on those more marginal acres and it was planted in the middle of April. It was refreshing to have those acres in when we looked at all of the rain we received in May.” Though Frerichs didn’t plant any winter wheat last year, he plans to later this year. “We had some prevented planting acres, about 15 percent of our farm. We’ll look to put a little winter wheat in those areas that we didn’t put a cover crop on.”

Transitioning to Spring Wheat – The harvest in South Dakota is turning from winter wheat to spring wheat for Bradberry Harvesting. “We finished up winter wheat a couple of days ago,” said Kevin Bradberry. “It’s been really good as far as bushels go.” Bradberry has been seeing bushels in the 80-90 bushel per acre range. Test weights are really good but the protein has varied. Bradberry, who is based in Onida, South Dakota, said the rain at the beginning of the past week was not needed for harvesting.

Protein Issues – Montana’s wheat harvest was going well until an adverse weather pattern set in. “We’ve been hot, dry, and windy, perfect harvest weather up until about three days ago. Now we got some rain which set us back a bit,” said Kent Kupfner, executive director, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. “We’re probably going to average around 50 (bushels per acre) for winter wheat. Test weights are really good statewide. We do have some protein issues.” Kupfner would not be surprised if the average protein is below 11.5 percent and is suggesting that producers bring their higher protein crop in and hold onto the lower protein if possible.

Satisfying Pea Harvest – Belfield, North Dakota farmer Greg Kessel has started harvesting field peas. “They’re running anywhere from 35 to 45 bushels an acre. Considering the heat we’ve had, we feel pretty satisfied with that.” Kessel expects the later crops to be more affected by the heat. Kessel has also seen oats, barley, and winter wheat put up for hay due to the late frost that was harsh on the hay crop.

Stunted Growth – Wet conditions have influenced the crops in southwestern Minnesota. “They look good on the high ground,” said Lake Benton farmer Bob Worth. “Everything is green, but down in the low ground it’s just a little too much water.” Worth said the corn and soybeans are stunted due to the wet conditions. “We aren’t going to see the yield that the USDA is predicting because there’s too much damage done in each field.” Worth is still glad that we got moisture this year compared to the last few years.

Extreme Weather Leads to Crop Variability – A wet start to the growing season has influenced the condition of the corn crop throughout the tri-state region. “Last year we were talking drought and this year we’ve had a bit more moisture,” said Jamie Kloster, corn and soybean product manager, CROPLAN. “Some of the challenges that it caused led to delays in planting.” Soybeans have also struggled, but there is hope. “There’s an old adage that soybeans are made in August and I really believe that’s true. If we get good weather here throughout August and we have good moisture in those fields, we can still put on a lot of yield here in our soybean crop.”

IDC Returns – Pioneer Field Agronomist Brent Larson covers southwestern Minnesota and is seeing some unusual problems with Iron Deficiency Chlorosis. “In the last week we got quite a bit of rain in some areas and it seems like the IDC has popped up again in the top leaves of the plants,” said Larson. It is kind of interesting where we’ve seen the iron deficiency again, I think it’s somewhat with the lack of oxygen and the water that we’ve had.”

Peterson Farms Seed Production & Profit Series – In the last edition of the Peterson Farms Seed Production and Profit Series, PFS Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson said white mold and IDC are top-of-mind this week. Swenson says it is important to evaluate all areas where the crop may be losing yield. “We did a poll as fall and it was amazing how few people are actually testing for cyst (nematode),” said Swenson. “Two-thirds of the people didn’t know what their cyst levels were and that’s the #1 yield-dropping thing in the whole country.” Listen to this episode for more details. 

Warm, Dry Weather Needed – Crops have suffered from too much rain this year in west-central Minnesota. Mike Yost, who farms at Murdock, says his farm has seen over 30 inches of rain this season. “This cooler weather we’re seeing, which feels like it should be late September rather than the first part of August is going to push the crop back a bit more than we want and ultimately those harvest dates are probably ten days further out than what we would’ve liked. We just need warm and dry weather.” Soybeans look a bit better than corn. “The beans could have the potential for an average crop but there’s not going to be any gangbuster yields here on a broad area, whether it’s corn or soybeans.”

Keep Scouting Your Soybeans – In the erratic start to the season, soybeans were planted before April 20 and there were also soybeans going in the ground after June 20. “We had one of the longest planting season I’ve ever seen; that’s almost a three-month window,” said David Kee, director of research, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. With the wet conditions, diseases have thrived. “We’ve seen photophobia show up; we’ve seen more white mold pop up and I anticipate seeing more sudden death syndrome.” Kee recommends farmers continue to scout soybeans through September.

Facing Pyrethroid Resistance – Soybean aphid populations doubled their populations within three days this past week in parts of southeastern North Dakota. The NDSU Crop and Pest Report says growers also complain that pyrethroid insecticides are not providing effective control. In its field trials, NDSU found aphid-specific insecticides or pyrethroid and aphid-specific premixes more effective than fields treated solely with pyrethroids.

Corn Rootworm and Sunflower Moths in SD – According to SDSU’s latest pest and crop report, corn rootworm adults are active in South Dakota. High winds from recent storms caused lodging which could be partially due to corn rootworm. Scouting is necessary to confirm and stay ahead of insect pressure. Sunflower moths have also been observed in South Dakota. Sunflowers are most susceptible to the moth caterpillars from the onset of flowering to when the ray petals begin drying. These moths migrate from the south. The threshold for sunflower moths is one-to-two moths per five sunflower heads.

Employing the Newest in Ag Technology – Peterson Farms Seed Precision Systems Specialist Nolan Berg spoke at the company’s Aberdeen Field Day, “I work in the technology space, so I’m looking at drones, different sensors to understand different trials that we have going on in the field and I’ve been looking at some of the new biological products in the industry.” The price point has come down in many cases. “We can now play with that stuff and use some of the newer tech to better understand what the plants are doing. Things like handheld sensors where you can do leaf tissue testing in the field and get results in 30 seconds and then we can take the action based on what it’s seeing.”

Bringing Field Insights to a Field Near You – Peterson Farm Ssed is taking a fresh approach to its field day activities. “We wanted to change something up from the previous years and have it more regionalized,” said Cody Olson, sales representative, Peterson Farms Seed. “We get to showcase our research and what that is all about and how much in-depth and how we truly test products that work in our customer’s backyard.” Olson believes the give-and-take nature of these events is helpful. “This way, we know what’s going on in people’s fields and this is just a great opportunity to showcase what we’re seeing and what we can do to help.” PFS field days are scheduled for Wednesday at Belgrade, Minnesota; Thursday at Chokio, Minnesota and September 10-11 in Prosper, North Dakota. Photos from the Aberdeen field day can be found on RRFN’s Facebook page. 

States Seek Clarity for Glyphosate Labels – Attorneys general from 11 states, including North Dakota and South Dakota, filed a petition asking the EPA to clarify its rules for state labels. Specifically, the AGs contend state warning labels for products containing glyphosate with information contrary to federal scientific standards would constitute misbranding. This petition claims court action has resulted in a gap in the regulatory system that could result in problems for the states.

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Executive Director DaNita Murray highlights the soon-to-be-released herbicide framework and compliance with the Endangered Species Act. Listen to the report. 

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, RRFN is speaking with NDSU Plant Pathologist Sam Markell about seasonal reminders. The conditions have been ripe for rust. “Rust in dry beans and in sunflowers can cause yield loss and we’ve had great conditions for it.” Listen to the report.

A More Active Trade On the Way – The grain trade has been marking time, waiting for today’s USDA Supply/Demand Report. Van Ahn and Company market analyst Kristi Van Ahn sees more market-moving news on the horizon. “You have the Pro Farmer (crop tour) August 19th through the 23rd, you have the September 12th crop report and at the end of September, you get your final carryout levels for old crop corn and beans.”

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson said there’s not much in the ‘hot’ category. Cattle are described as ‘lukewarm.’ Grain and oilseeds have been weak. “A lot of the focus is going to be on today’s (USDA Crop) report.” Listen to the report.

TransFARMation: Carrying on the Legacy – Fran and Mary Ann Miron are in the process of transitioning their Hugo, Minnesota dairy farm to two of their sons. This farm has been in the Miron family since 1887 and values that legacy. “I don’t think there’s a farmer out there if they have children if they love what they’re doing would love to see their kids follow in their footsteps. We have that responsibility and obligation to try to make that happen if that’s our desire.” Fran shares his family’s experience in this conversation. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Fran joined the farm in 1976. The fifth generation is now bringing a unique skill set to the farm. TransFARMation is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Listen to the podcast by clicking on this link. 

Farmer Optimism Increased in July – According to the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, farmer sentiment improved in July despite higher input costs and lower commodity prices. Purdue University ag economist Jim Mintertis was puzzled by the increase in optimism from June. “When we asked producers what their biggest concerns are for the upcoming year, they continue to point to the risk of high input costs followed by the risk of low crop and livestock prices and rising interest rates.”

MFU Minute – This update from the Minnesota Farmers Union features MFU Government Relations Director Stu Lourey. Lourey speaks about the importance of the candidate forums at Farmfest. Listen to the update.

Candidates Spar During Farmfest Forums – Farmfest featured two congressional candidate forums with 14 candidates from five congressional districts. That was followed by a senate candidate forum with another seven people on the stage. The senate forum took on a populist tone, especially ahead of Tuesday’s primary. Republican Alycia Gruenhagen voiced frustration with the lack of broadband access in rural areas. “At the same time, free markets; I don’t know why the federal government needs to be involved in that.” Libertarian candidate Rebecca Whiting offered a similar sentiment. “We’re going to take it all the way back to you having the power to do what you want to do with your life and as long as it’s not hurting anybody, nobody should be able to tell you no.” The endorsed Republican candidate, Royce White, answered a question about animal agriculture by saying farmers and their livestock will soon be seen as non-essential. “You need people who aren’t afraid to say that and I’m that candidate,” said White. “Because of that, they call me an extremist and I’m proud of it.” Incumbent Senator Amy Klobuchar has a primary challenger, Steve Carlson, who was seated next to her during the forum. Carlson is running in the Democratic primary but seemed to favor the Republican presidential ticket when responding to a question about immigration. “I stay with what (Donald) Trump said, let’s first secure the border then the good people can be allowed to stay.” The other candidates participating in the senate candidate forum were Republican Joe Fraser and Independent Joyce Lacey.

Knowledge is Power – The  Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation sponsored the Farmfest forums for the first time this year. “The more that our members and farmers in general have the knowledge and information, the better decisions they’ll make whether it is at the ballot box, in their farming operations or their personal lives,” said Dan Glessing, president, MFBF.  Glessing sees the lame-duck session as the best chance to pass the farm bill. “If we get into next year’s session, we’ve got that Tax Cut and Jobs Act expiring and that will take a lot of oxygen out of the room in next year’s session. Let’s get this thing done.”

Building Relationships – Politics are an election-year staple at Farmfest. In addition to the candidate forums, politicians meet with farm leaders. “The biggest thing that we’re trying to do is build relationships with our elected officials and potential elected officials and put a face on the issues of agriculture,” explained Carolyn Olson, vice president, Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. “Sometimes policy might look great on paper, but when you see how it affects a farmer, they’re not going to know that unless we have that relationship and are able to explain that whether it is at Farmfest, State Fair or in their office in DC.”

MN Ag Department Taking Public Input For Upcoming Budget – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is hosting online forums to get public input on agricultural issues and ideas. With the next legislative session setting the biannual budget for the state, Deputy Commissioner Andrea Vaubel says this is a great time to be heard. “We find that a lot of times folks in the public and working particularly in agriculture have ideas that we haven’t even thought about, or they want to tweak an existing program, so this is a great way to share your ideas.” One of the online forums will be today at noon. The other one is late Tuesday afternoon. “It’s nice as we develop our budget to be able to say when we talk to legislators that this is something that came in from the public.” More information can be found at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/2025-legislative-ideas.

Tell Your Story – As a young farmer, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Treasurer Rose Wendinger is proud to be an advocate for agriculture. “Some of the things I’m very proud of that we have taken on as a priority in the Legislature is leaning into that Young Farmer Tax Credit, working to extend the biofuel opportunities, making sure we have the opportunity to transition farms, working to make sure our water is safe and we can do the tiling and applications that we need to produce a profitable crop.” Wendinger sees value in taking an active role in these policy issues. “If I don’t tell my story, someone will tell it for me.”

Loan Volume Totals for Young, Beginning and Small Farmers – At its monthly meeting, the Farm Credit Administration board reviewed its work with young, beginning and small farmers. Twenty-three percent of the Farm Credit System’s total loan volume went to this category in 2023. By loan count, this combination of young, beginning and small farmers represents 53 percent of all Farm Credit System loans.

Fielding Questions – In this edition of Fielding Questions, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Executive Vice President Marc Knisley joins RRFN Farm Broadcaster Don Wick to discuss the farm economy. “There are a lot of headwinds facing agriculture,” said Knisley. “What isn’t talked about though is we’re going into this from a pretty good cycle. Agriculture cycles so balance sheets and working capital with most of the producers we’re working with is strong coming into this so they have a little bit of staying power. The caveat would be if they’re carrying a lot of grain inventory from 2023 and earlier.” Fielding Questions is a collaborative effort between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network. Listen to the podcast.

MN Beef Update – This week, Minnesota Beef Council CEO, Kelly Schmidt joins the Minnesota Beef Update. Schmidt promoted the Beef Checkoff’s role at Farmfest. Listen for all of the details. Click here for the report. 

Anthrax Reported in China – China is reporting a beef cattle farm has been shut down due to an outbreak of anthrax. All of the animals were culled. Five farm workers were also diagnosed with anthrax and are being treated.

Addressing Trade Barriers – Corn industry leaders from the United States, Brazil, and Argentina belong to a group called MAIZALL. It is an opportunity to work together to deal with non-tariff trade barriers, such as biotechnology. Minnesota farmer Chad Willis is a past chair of the U.S. Grains Council and said progress is being made on the GMO issue. “It’s a slow process to get acceptance but we just let them know that all three countries do produce GMO corn and how safe it is,” said Willis. “There are a lot of questions when we are traveling about safety and we let them know that we feed it to our families. We know the scientific facts and we’re not afraid of it.”

More Farmer Engagement Urged – To reduce nitrate contamination, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is proposing changes to its feedlot permits. “Farmers are going to be hit with a lot of different regulations and we haven’t seen a lot of farmer engagement which is pretty surprising because this could be some pretty big changes as far as manure transfer and some of the other things farmers are doing, especially in cold weather temps that could change things drastically in a big swath of the state,” said Joe Smentek, executive director, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. The public comment period has been extended to September 3. “Whether they think it is good or think it is bad, let PCA know.” Listen to the interview.

MSRPC Prepares for New Business with Uzbekistan – Six cargo containers of U.S. soybean meal were sold to two buyer groups in Uzbekistan. That’s the second shipment of its kind since 2022. Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion director Patrick O’Leary was in Uzbekistan this past week with the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick and USDA Agricultural Attache Lucas Blaustein to consider the next steps to enhance trade between the two countries.

ND Soybean Crush Plant Officially Open – The North Dakota Soybean Processors, with the support of CGB Enterprises and the Minnesota Soybean Processors, held the ribbon-cutting event for the new crushing plant near Casselton, North Dakota Wednesday. “Anything that creates more domestic consumption of soybeans is good,” said Scott White, senior advisor, Minnesota Soybean Processors. “It is not subject to the whims of an export market or whims of export tariffs or anything like that.” The new facility has the capacity for 125,000 bushels per day and gives farmers a year-round market for their soybeans.

An Economic Boost for Casselton – The new North Dakota Soybean Processors crush plant near Casselton is beneficial for local farmers and the community. “There’s numerous jobs coming in that can support families,” said Mayor Michael Faught. “Those are the jobs you want as a growing community. Then you can work in Casselton, live in Casselton, and eventually get your groceries in Casselton.” Photos from the ribbon-cutting event can be found on the RRFN Facebook page. 

Fire Under Investigation at AIC – A fire broke out this weekend in a soybean conditioning system at the Ag Innovation Campus in Crookston. The fire was contained in one area of the plant. There were no injuries or major losses at the facility. After assessing the damage, the Ag Innovation Campus plans to be back up and running on a timely basis.

Property Tax Measure on ND Ballot – Language to eliminate property taxes in North Dakota will be on the ballot in November. The North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office approved the initiative. The Legislative Council estimates this measure would cost the state $1.3 billion in lost revenue annually. A coalition called Keep it Local is opposed to Measure 4. The agriculture groups in this coalition include the North Dakota Farmers Union and commodity groups representing corn, soybean, cattle, grain and sugarbeets.

ND APUC and ADD Projects Funded – The North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Committee has awarded $419,000 for seven projects. The projects include $100,000 to evaluate the use of ceramic resin and corn stover as a carbon source alternative and $48,000 to develop drone machine learning for the detection of invasive species. Agricultural Diversification and Development funds totaling $625,000 was awarded to four projects. The approved projects will assist with the purchase of equipment to handle increased potato production; money for identity-preserved grain processing equipment; and the construction of robotic dairy facilities.

NASS to Survey Small Grain Farmers – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will contact small grain farmers during the first two weeks of September. The purpose is to get a comprehensive look at the production and supply of small grains, including wheat, oats, barley and rye. North Dakota State Statistician Darin Jantzi says NASS will contact more than 3,300 North Dakota farmers to get an accurate measure of 2024 acres, yield and production for small grains and the quantities of grains and oilseeds stored on farms.

Electric Tractor Highlighted at Farmfest – New and novel ideas are being encouraged in the energy sector. The University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center highlighted their research during Farmfest. “Agriculture is one of the largest consumers of energy and there is emphasis from companies, like General Mills, Target and Cargill, to push down the carbon intensity of their products,” said Michael Reese, director of operations, WCROC. A Monarch electric autonomous tractor was on display. “This tractor was the result of California pushing for electrification, this is a direct result of the government promoting for it and Minnesota is going that route as well,” explained Victor Rodriquez, a product specialist for Monarch Tractor. Rodriquez said Monarch is a start-up company with about 450 units in operation commercially.

Well Grounded – The Well Grounded podcast is a collaboration between Acres and Shares and the Red River Farm Network. Our guest is Eric Mueller, who has a 20-year career in farmland brokerage and management. Mueller’s clients and partners have included individuals, families, private and public funds, institutional investors and bank and trust company clients throughout the United States. Many of you have heard of a 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange, but what about a 721 Exchange or a Legacy Farmland Fund. abd how does it compare to a 1031 Exchange? Listen to Jayson Menke with Acres and Shares and Red River Farm Network farm broadcaster Randy Koenen. Click here to listen to the podcast. 

Local Markets – USDA Undersecretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jennifer Lester Moffitt participated in Wednesday’s North Central Regional Food Business Center Summit in Fargo, highlighting the importance of having many markets for farmers to market their products. “Multiple venues means that the farmer has choices, and then we can keep more of that food dollar in farmers’ pockets.” Moffitt said farmers are more resilient to supply chain disruptions when they have more outlets for their products. The Center focuses on expanding small and medium-sized agricultural value chains in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota.

Celebrating National Farmers Market Week – This past week was National Farmers Market Week. “This is a good time across the state for visiting local food producers,” says Keith Knudson, executive director, North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Association. “We’ve had a really good year, the crops are on time and the pests haven’t been too bad.”

The UM-Morocco Connection – In the 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. Agency for International Development brought Moroccan students to the United States to get their education. University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations Mary Buschette says many of the students came to St. Paul. “It was impactful for the faculty here because the students would come here and do classes but they would also work on research projects back in Morocco. I can’t remember the total number of students that have come through but a lot of professors in the agricultural colleges and universities in Morocco were educated through the University of Minnesota.” The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is hosting a two-week trip to Morocco in November. “One of the really cool things is the minister of agriculture in Morocco is a CFANS grad and he’s going to be coming to meet with us while we’re there.”

Connecting People to Their Roots – Root Connections, a farm-to-table supper and social took place at the Amundson Farms in Gilby, North Dakota. “Everyone’s disconnected from their roots, the soil, their food, where everything comes from,” said Greg Amundson. “We’re trying to make connections so people don’t take everything verbatim and they think for themselves.” The event included tractor rides/driving, a water simulation demo, lots of crops, and activities for kids. Increasing agricultural awareness and making connections is what it’s all about.

Making Connections for Urban Areas – At the Root Connections event in Gilby, North Dakota, Grand Forks County Extension Agent Katelyn Landeis talked about how important getting people out on the farm is for urban communities. “We’ve got 72,000 people that live in Grand Forks County that have maybe never been to a farm. It’s a way to help connect the public with agriculture.” Landeis also suggested that the event is good for farmers to learn what the public wants to know about farming.

MiniSoyta Golf Course Debuts at Farmfest – A mini golf course filled every inch of the Minnesota Soybean tent at Farmfest. It was an opportunity to highlight another soybean checkoff success story. “This was a product that the United Soybean Board helped develop,” said Mike Youngerberg, senior director of product development and commercialization, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. The SYNLawn artificial grass brings more sustainable solutions for putting greens, playgrounds, pet turf and landscaping. Youngerberg said the soybean checkoff tries to be ahead of the curve and meet the changing dynamics of the marketplace.

A Reorganization for Cargill – Cargill is planning to streamline its operations from five business units to three. The new three business units will focus on food, agriculture and trading and a specialized portfolio. The head of Cargill’s protein and salt business, Jon Nash, will lead the new food division. Roger Watchorn will move from oversight of the ag supply chain to take over ag and trading. Cargill Chief Risk Officer David Webster, who also chairs the Cargill Commodity Risk Committee, will now oversee the new specialized portfolio.

CHS Invests in Santos Grain Terminal – CHS is partnering with a Brazilian rail company to build a major grain terminal in Brazil’s Port of Santos. The project will cost the U.S. equivalent of $440 million and take nearly two-and-a-half years to build. This is South America’s largest port.

Bayer Crop Science Releases 2Q Results – In the second quarter, Bayer Crop Science had sales of more than $1 million. That’s up 1.1 percent from the same quarter last year. Sales were particularly strong for glyphosate-based herbicides in North America. There was a small drop in sales for the corn seed and traits business while soybean seed and traits climbed by a double-digit percentage due to larger volumes in North America. Fungicide business was down sharply. Sales of insecticides increased. When reporting its earnings this past week, Bayer officials announced the company cut 3,200 jobs since the beginning of the year.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman reports research grants have been approved for canola projects in North Dakota. Click here for the report. 

Another Loss for Tyson Foods – Tyson Foods is reporting third-quarter profits of $191 million on net sales of $13.3 billion. That compares to a net loss of $417 million a year ago. The sales volume of Tyson’s beef business was up 4.4 percent. Chicken sales during the quarter were down slightly and pork sales were up 1.2 percent.

Zoetis Revenues Increase – Zoetis reports second-quarter revenues of $2.4 billion, up eight percent from the same quarter last year. Net income was $624 million, a drop of seven percent. The Zoetis livestock portfolio enjoyed a global growth of nine percent.

A New Role for Plasma Blue Technology – The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council is working with University of Minnesota researchers to develop a new way to make biodiesel. CEO Tom Slunecka says Plasma Blue heats molecules in a new way. “We’re using electricity to drive the excitement of the electrons so that they can either come together and form new chemicals or biodiesel or we change the power just slightly and we can break things apart.” Plasma Blue has gone beyond biodiesel production to solve another problem. “If we’re concerned about contamination in our water, whether that be viruses, bacteria, fungi or even that most pesky of new chemicals, PFAS, our process can break those apart with very little expense and a very simple applied technology.”

Shields Excited for His New Role – The Northern Potato Growers Association’s new executive director is settling into his new role. Having been in the industry for over 30 years, Gary Shields is not new to the business, having served as president of the Potato Associates for the last six years. “The industry in general is very strong. There’s a lot of exciting things going on and there’s no shortage of continued growth in the industry.” Shields said it is a good year for potatoes with the cooler weather earlier in the season and the forecast.

SHIC Adds New Board Members – The Swine Health Information Center has welcomed two new board members. Seth Krantz, a veterinarian for Tosh Pork in Tennesee, and Jay Miller, a veterinarian with The Maschoffs in Illinois, are the new SHIC board members. New officers were also elected. Mark Schwartz of Schwartz Farms, is board chair. Paul Ruen of the Fairmont Veterinary Clinic is vice chair. Kent Bang will serve again as secretary/treasurer.

New Directors Appointed to ND Beef Commission – Governor Doug Burgum has appointed three new directors to the North Dakota Beef Commission. They are Austin Henderson, Lane Marshall and Carmel Miller. Henderson is a livestock market owner and cattle feeder at Dickinson. Marshall raises cattle at Towner. Miller runs a commercial cow-calf operation in Grant and Bowman counties.

Brown is on the Job With MN FFA – The Minnesota FFA Association has named Dr. Thomas Brown Jr. as its new executive director. Brown has nearly 20 years of experience in agricultural education and is an agribusiness instructor and former department chair at South Central College in North Mankato.

A Promotion for Dauer – The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation has promoted Loren Dauer to public policy director. Dauer has been a public policy specialist since February. Before that, Dauer was a district outreach representative for Minnesota Representative Brad Finstad.

Three Inducted into Strip-Till Hall of Fame – At the National Strip-Till Conference, three individuals were inducted into the Strip-Till Hall of Fame. The honorees are Jodi DeJong-Hughes of Willmar, Minnesota, David Legvold of Northfield, Minnesota and Bill Preller of Congerville, Illinois. DeJong-Hughes is a University of Minnesota Regional Extension Educator and has focused on soil quality issues for over 25 years. Legvold was the first recipient of the Strip-Till Innovator Award and is a pioneer in strip-till farming. Preller is the founder and president of AGuru Machinery and previously worked in research and development for DMI and Case IH.

Cunningham, Barnes Recognized by LPC – The Livestock Publications Council honored Cindy Cunningham with its Ed Bible Distinguished Service Award. Cunningham is the public relations managing supervisor for Woodruff and previously worked for the National Pork Board and KICD Radio. The LPC Headliner Award was presented to the former National Pork Board Director of Producer and Industry Services Ernie Barnes. Barnes retired in 2023.