First Glance at FSA Acreage Data – The Farm Service Agency was scheduled to release its report on 2022 certified acrage earlier this month, but the data never came. USDA said additional time was neeeded to process the information. The acreage report, which includes prevent plant statistics, is now scheduled for release this afternoon at 2 PM.

FSA Fixes AGI Calculation Challenges in Disaster Aid – The Farm Service Agency has created an appeal process for farmers challenged by the Emergency Relief Program’s adjusted gross income calculation. The calculations prevented  some farmers from fully recovering eligible losses due to payment limits. “This is very good news for those farmers who had issues in the ERP with prevent plant information or adjusted gross income,” said North Dakota Senator John Hoeven. “Both issues are fixed.” More than 18,000 farmers will receive new or updated pre-filled disaster applications to offset eligible losses. FSA already distributed $6.4 billion through ERP.

More Phase One Emergency Relief Program Applications Being Mailed – The Farm Service Agency will mail additional pre-filled Emergency Relief Program applications in the next two weeks to farmers who have potential crop losses from disasters in 2020 and 2021. Farmers are expected to receive their assistance direct deposited to their bank account within three business days. That’s after producers sign and return the pre-filled application to the local FSA county office and the county office enters the application into the system. This next phase is expected to generate $756 million. More details of the second phase of ERP and the Emergency Livestock Recovery Program have not been released yet.

More Work Ahead for the Farm Bill – The next farm bill is coming into focus. South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson says it will be important to build in flexibilities for the American farmer and ranchers for the next six years. “I wonder if there are tweaks we can make in the farm bill to make ad-hoc relief less likely,” said Johnson. “It never gets done on time and it’s always a big political shouting match.” During a Dakotafest panel discussion, Johnson also cited the need to update reference prices.

Crop Insurance Leads the Way in Farm Bill Priorities – South Dakota’s congressional delegation participated in a farm bill discussion at Dakotafest. At the event, South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal said crop insurance is a top priority. “It’s very important to our risk management programs and crucial to our food safety to protect the financial viability of the American agriculture industry.” Commodity prices highlighted discrepancies in crop insurance. “The challenges that come with high commodity prices are the expenses and inputs that go up with it. That can be a lagging effect where farmers lose their margins”

EPA Releases Dicamba Draft Risk Assessment – In its draft risk assessment of dicamba, the Environmental Protection Agency says drift is still a problem for the herbicide. Despite the new label measures from 2020, EPA received nearly 3,500 incident reports for the 2021 growing season in non-dicamba tolerant soybeans and other crops. There is a public comment period open on the risk assessment through October 17.

Lawmakers Push Back on Atrazine Changes – House members sent a letter to the EPA, pushing back on a proposed new label for atrazine. The lawmakers said the EPA also proposes an unworkable list of mitigation measures required when using the herbicide. Minnesota Representatives Tom Emmer and Michelle Fischbach, North Dakota Representative Kelly Armstrong and South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson signed the letter.

Pro Farmer Tour Underway – Participants on two legs of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour are taking a closer look at more than 2,000 corn and soybean fields in the eastern and western Corn Belt. The multi-state tour wraps up Thursday in Rochester, Minnesota. Follow along on your local RRFN station for updates throughout the week.

More Stress Expected on Western Leg of Crop Tour – The western leg of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour moves from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Grand Island, Nebraska today. “We’re going through an area that has been dry for most of the season,” reports tour lead Chip Flory. “The expectation is that we will run into some areas that have had problems growing a crop this year.” The crop in southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska was planted on a timely basis. “The corn crop had the opportunity to put on yield early this year and it did it. The question is now how much of the yield has the corn been able to hold onto.”

Good Crops Expected in the Eastern Cornbelt – The eastern leg of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour moves from Columbus, Ohio to Indianapolis, Indiana today. Pro Farmer editor Brian Grete describes this week’s crop tour as ‘a fact-finding mission.’ “Over the next four days, we’ll be through western Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, eastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota,” said Grete. “We should see pretty good crops out here.” In an interview with the Red River Farm Network this morning, Grete said he drove through rain over the weekend. “There will be mud in the fields, but it will be good for the crop.”

Markets to Follow Pro Farmer Crop Tour – Van Ahn and Company market analyst Kristi Van Ahn thinks the trade is anxious to see the results of this week’s Pro Farmer crop tour. Much of the focus will be on the drier soybean growing regions. “Pod counts will be watched super closely. It’s really dry in the southern half of Iowa; central Illinois is dry as well. Those are the watch points.”

Crop Tour to Survey Conditions in ND, NW MN – The annual Red RIver Farm Network Crop Tour, presented by Pioneer, will be held next week. The tour will evaluate current crop conditions and help growers prepare for the upcoming harvest. Thanks to Pioneer for your sponsorship.

Abnormally Dry Conditions Expand in ND – NDSU Extension State Climatologist Adnan Ackyuz says the dry conditions in western North Dakota will worsen without additional soaking rains. “Western North Dakota has been drier than eastern North Dakota. We may see an expansion of those dry conditions in the coming weeks.” On the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, more than 24 percent of North Dakota is experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Ackyuz says the only significant crop stress being reported is in the moderate drought area in Richland County.

SD and MN Also Have Dryness – The U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions in Roberts, Brown and Marshall Counties in South Dakota. For Minnesota, moderate drought remains in Wilkin and Swift Counties. The western portions of Polk and Norman Counties in northwestern Minnesota are abnormally dry.

Drought Spurs on Silage Chopping – Croplan Alfalfa and Forage Specialist Jeff Jackson says corn silage chopping is picking up in the drier parts of South Dakota. “It’s no secret that there’s pockets where the crop is moisture-challenged and there’s been chopping that’s started already where the crop is not going to make grain.” The center of South Dakota is at the bullseye for drought concerns. “I would says within the next week to two weeks, there’s going to be a significant change to the number of acres that start chopping corn.”

Short-Term Moisture Welcome – Recent rains should help with grain fill, but Nutrien Ag Solutions Principal Atmospheric Scientist Eric Snodgrass says it’s coming at the wrong time in western Iowa, Nebraska and portions of South Dakota. “The happiest people with these rains are probably the farmers in Texas dealing with drought.” There is a pressure ridge being seen across the Rocky Mountains. “The further west you push the ridge, the better our chances are at precipitation. It’s a pretty favorable forecast for the north and may push us into a La Nina-like fall.” Snodgrass will join the Red River Farm Network for the Big Iron Farm Show.

SD Corn Comments – It’s county and state fair time in South Dakota: a great time for ag education. In this week’s South Dakota Corn Comments, hear how the South Dakota Corn Growers Association is sharing about corn production.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – Sunflowers are in bloom across the Dakotas and Minnesota. Pioneer Field Agronomist Jesse Moch says the sunflower crop is progressing well and it may have the most yield potential of many crops grown in the Northern Plains. “Most hybrids when you get to mid-bloom are about 30 to 40 days from physiological maturity, but I’m excited about the sunflower crop.” Moch says the red sunflower weevil is being found in many sunflower fields across the region. “I usually start scouting looking at the flowers right when they start to bloom, but it’s simple to check. I spray the flower head with DEET, give it five to 10 seconds and you’ll see the bugs come out of the outer ring of the sunflower head.” Watch the latest Pioneer Agronomy Update for more scouting tips.

Aphid Populations Building – Soybean aphid capture numbers doubled this past week across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Northwest Research and Outreach Center Extension Entomologist Ian MacRae says Green Peach Aphid trap numbers were up almost 70 percent from the previous week and the populations are still building. Green Peach Aphid is the most efficient vector for Potato Virus Y. Scouting is recommended.

Spring Wheat Harvest Wraps Up in Onida, SD – In Onida, South Dakota, Oahe Grain manager Tim Luken says spring wheat harvest is wrapping up. “We’re at about 99 percent done. The crop north of here, around Gettysburg, hasn’t started yet. That’s due to later fungicide applications.” Oahe Grain had to turn away a few bushels due to ergot. The west river crop didn’t have any ergot issues, but the yields were lower due to dry growing conditions. “The worst areas I’ve heard about are around 15-to-20 (bushels per acre). Otherwise, we’re hearing about that 40-to-45 range moving to the east.”

Wheat Quality Looks Good in Finley, ND – Finley, North Dakota Farmers Co-op is just starting to see spring wheat come across the scale. Probe shack operator Cheryl Moore says quality looks good. “Proteins are all over the place, honestly. Some are coming in low. Others are coming in around 14.5 to 15 percent.” Ergot has not been a problem, but the crop has more moisture. “I’ve seen it only in a few yields overall, the really early planted wheat.”

A Quick Harvest – In the Hazen, North Dakota area, John Weinand has made quick work of the 2022 harvest. “Canola harvest is wrapping up and we’ve had a nice crop with good prices. Barley is also being harvested in the area. Some of the barley we harvested was some of the best we’ve ever had.” Weinand only has corn and soybeans left to harvest.

WestBred Wheat Report – WestBred Technical Product Manager Justin Berg is pleased with the quality reports coming in this harvest season. “Test weights have been really good, protein levels have been really good and there’s a lot of good yield reports.” The spring wheat harvest is rolling in southern North Dakota and moving north. Learn more in the WestBred Wheat Report.

Soil Sample Behind the Combine – After the combine rolls through the small grains, it’s time to soil sample. Agvise Laboratories Soil Scientist John Breker says timing is important for a few reasons. “When you get those samples with an untilled field, you have the most consistent soil sample. That’s a plus for getting good quality soil test data back for immobile soil nutrients. Also, if you get those tests done early, you can focus on fall fertilizer recommendations.”

MN Wheat Minute – In the latest Minnesota Wheat Minute, Minnesota Wheat’s Vice President of Research Missy Carlson has an update on small grain and fertilizer research trials.

Oat Harvest Done, Rye is Next – Andover, South Dakota farmer John Horter finished harvesting seed oats last week. “Conditions were wet when we planted, but all things considered, it’s been a good growing season with timely rains and good heat.” Horter planned to chop rye for silage, but when the crop needed to be chopped, conditions were too wet. Horter will now wait for corn silage. “I don’t plant a silage variety of corn. We take what’s ready when the custom harvesting crew is ready.”

Drought Affecting MT Small Grain Yields – Montana Wheat and Barley Committee Outreach Coordinator Sam Anderson says the state’s harvest is moving quickly. “Winter wheat harvest is at more than 70 percent complete. In terms of yield and quality, there’s been decent winter wheat quality, good test weights and protein.” Anderson says the small grains will still get decent quality and protein during drought, but yields take a hit.

Monitor Small Grain Moisture During Storage – To maintain the best quality of the small grain crops, NDSU Extension Ag Engineer Ken Hellevang reminds growers to monitor crop moisture going into the grain bin. “Typically, we don’t like to see more than about 17 percent moisture for barley and spring wheat going into the grain bin. We also need an air flow rate of at least three-quarters of a CFM per bushel,” says Hellevang. “Some may try to push that a bit, but if they do, there’s a potential for barley to germinate.” As farmers clean out grain bins, grain dust and moldy conditions must be considered are respiratory hazards. “Wear at least an N-95 mask to protect the lungs and respiratory systems. Bins need cleaned, because we don’t want problems from last year to be there this year.”

Dry Pea Harvest Goes Well for Bowman, ND Farmer – Bowman, North Dakota farmer Ryan Brooks is finished with the dry pea harvest. “We got it planted late, which we don’t like to do, but we averaged about 32 bushels per acre, it’s a decent yield considering how late we got the crop planted and how hot things got this summer.” Oats are next. “We planted oats with the intention of haying. We got a pretty good hay crop this year and oats are worth $4 to $5 per bushel so we decided to swath them. We’ll start picking those up and then, wait on durum to ripen. The spring wheat is coming later.” Photo credit: Ryan Brooks

Southern MN Sugarbeet Yields Estimated as a 25-Ton Crop – It’s been a challenging year for growers in the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative area. The late planting season did not help. Vice President of Agriculture Todd Geselius says current yield samples are estimating 25-ton crop. “It’s clearly less than we would like, but we’ll see. We’ve had nice rains lately and we hope that those beets are growing, but we won’t know for sure for a few days.” SMBSC won’t begin pre-pile harvested until mid-September. It will be one of the latest pre-pile harvests in the co-op’s history.

Minn-Dak Pre-Pile Harvest Starts Next Week – Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative Vice President of Agriculture Mike Metzger says pre-pile harvest is scheduled for August 29. “We’re making red x’s on the calendar. The one that’s circled in red is August 29, when we’ll get a few beets out of the ground. The big machine starts up on August 30.” Estimating the size of this year’s crop is challenging. “This one is tough to forecast. Our ag staff has the staff estimated at 22.5 tons per acre, but the yield potential with these new genetics, especially if we get rains, the sugarbeets may be poised to take off. We all agree, there could be a two, maybe three ton per acre upsize.”

Dry Bean Scene – This week’s focus is on North Dakota State University Extension Cropping Systems Specialist Greg Endres, and his newly published research on growing winter rye as a preceding cover crop for dry beans. The Dry Bean Scene is brought to you by SRS Commodities, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, and BASF.

STB Wants Harvest Plan from Class I Railroads – Ahead of the National Grain Car Council’s meeting in Kansas City on Thursday, the Surface Transportation Board sent a letter to Class I railroads. The STB asked for reports on how each rail carrier plans to meet the demands of U.S. grain harvest.

Labor Dispute Threatens Rail Movement – Members of the Presidential Emergency Board have made recommendations to resolve a dispute between U.S. railroads and railroad unions. The two sides have 30 days to accept the recommendations or reach a different agreement. If an agreement isn’t reached, workers may go on strike. “It’s a real concern on the horizon because even a threat of a slowdown or a stoppage is worthy of our attention within agriculture,” says Mike Steenhoek, executive director, Soy Transportation Coalition. Steenhoek says it’s difficult to get a pulse on the outcome. “Rail unions wanted a 31 percent increase in wages over a five year period. Railroads offered 17 percent. Interestingly, the Presidential Emergency Board recommended 24 percent.” Additional negotiations are expected in the next few weeks.

Grain Continues to Move Out of Ukraine – Nearly 30 grain shipments have left Ukrainian Black Sea ports since August 1. That’s when a deal was put together by the United Nations and Turkey to create a humanitarian corridor to move grain out of Ukraine. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres inspected one of those shipments Saturday and said more than 650,000 metric tons of grain is on the way to markets around the world. Guterres also called on developed countries to help developing countries to purchase grain.

Canola Minute – Late season insect counts are still low in the canola crop. Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director  Barry Coleman explains in the latest Canola Minute.

Fertilizer Timing is Important – Before making a fertilizer purchase, Nutrien Senior Agronomist Alan Blaylock wants farmers to know what the fields need. Soil test right after the combine moves through the field. “Obviously, a key part of that fall fertilizer program is the soil test. Know what you need to apply. Especially in these times of high prices, you don’t want to apply something that’s not needed.” The timing of fertilizer application, especially nitrogen, will be important. “Nitrogen can be susceptible to over winter or early spring losses if we have wet conditions. Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied late, after the soil is cold. It reduces the transformation of ammonia nitrogen to nitrates.” Hear the story.

Phosphate Supplies Remain a Concern – Industry consultant Mike Rahm says China is one of the biggest hurdles for the fertilizer supply. China is one of the world’s largest exporters of finished phosphate products. “In 2021, China exported about 10 million tons of products and the government restricted the amount of phosphate exported. As a consequence, they’ll probably export 5.5 million tons this year. That’s been a shock in the market.” For potash, the concern is Belarus. “With the sanctions imposed, Lithuania has not allowed Belarus to move potash through their country.” Hear the story.

Fall Nitrogen Application Restricted in Portions of MN – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture reminds farmers and commercial applicators that fall nitrogen application are restricted or prohibited in some areas of the state. The state’s Ground Water Protection Rule restriction begins September 1. A map of the fall nitrogen application restrictions is available on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s website.

Noem Makes Energy Prices a Priority – The Governor’s Ag Innovation Forum at South Dakota’s Dakotafest featured a panel that delved into markets and challenges of different segments of the ag industry. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said she’s making energy prices a priority. “One of the biggest issues that farmers are struggling with is energy costs and it’s not only energy, it’s supply chain issues and everything else that impacts their input costs.” Noem says governmental oversight and new regulations present more hurdles for farmers.

Two Sides to the Pipeline Story – The proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline would carry carbon dioxide from ethanol plants across the Midwest to underground storage in North Dakota. A status update on the pipeline took place at Dakotafest. “We’ve seen a really good buildup in easement signings in the last couple of month,” said Jim Pirolli, chief commercial officer, Summit Carbon Solutions. “I think folks think there’s a stigma that prevents them from signing until their neighbors sign.” Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth is seeing frustration from landowners. “I hear the concerns about eminent domain for private gain.” The pipeline’s easement progress in Iowa is at 40 percent. North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska have around 30 percent of easements complete; Minnesota is slightly below the other states in signed easements.

MN Beef Update – In this week’s Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council Director of Industry Relations Royalee Rhoads talks about grilling, modern cattle production and sustainability.

Bearish Cattle-on-Feed Report – The number of cattle and calves on feed totaled 11.2 million head on August 1. That’s an increase of one percent from one year ago. Placements increased two percent and marketings are down four percent. Friday’s USDA report said the feedlot inventory was down 15 percent in South Dakota and 11 percent in Minnesota. North Dakota is not cited in this report.

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 looks to the cattle market is one of the bright spots. “We’re not settng the world on fire, but we’re consistently going higher.” The wheat, corn and soybean markets are seeing seasonal weakness.

Midwest Ag Export Summit Happening in Sioux Falls – Agriculture professionals are gathering in Sioux Falls, South Dakota this week to discuss trade at the Midwest Agricultural Export Summit. South Dakota District Export Council’s Luke Lindberg says there are three themes for the event. “Right now, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty around the world. We’d like to figure out ways our family farms can take advantage of those market dynamics to make sure we help feed the world.” China’s role in the global marketplace will also be discussed. “We have former Iowa Governor and China ambassador Terry Branstad to break that down.” Follow the Red River Farm Network’s coverage of the Midwest Ag Export Summit Wednesday.

Parade of Champions: Ingniting a Passion – Kiley Kvamme is a member of the Kindred Sandburs 4-H Club and Kindred FFA Chapter. In addition to showing hogs and beef cattle, Kvamme is a North Dakota 4-H state ambassador. She graduated high school this spring and will be attending North Dakota State University this fall to pursue a degree in agricultural education. “There is nothing you can learn in a sport or any other extracurricular activity that you cannot learn in 4-H or FFA or showing livestock. It’s really just your work ethic and the time you put in.” Hear the story.

MFBF Minute – The Minnesota State Fair is finally here. Hear what Minnesota Farm Bureau has planned for the event in this week’s MFBF Minute.

National FFA Membership Hits Record High – The National FFA Organization now has all-time record high membership of more than 850,000 members. That’s an increase of 15 percent from last year. There are 178 new chapters across the country with the top five student membership states being Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Bayer Launches New Digital Platform – The ForGround platform builds off the Bayer Carbon Program, giving growers the tools, resources, discounts and potential to earn revenue to adopt regenerative practices. Bayer is encouraging farmers to focus on improving soil health, using fewer inputs and focus on improving soil erosion.

Vive Raises $26 Million in Funding Round – Vive Crop Protection has closed its $26 million Series C investment round. Vive will leverage this funding to accelerate the commercialization of its next-generation product portfolio into new North American markets. The money will also be used to expand its research and development pipeline.

Hear Jacob Shapiro Speak at the Next 5 Years Executive Conference – The Northern Crops Institute is pleased to announce the first featured speaker for the upcoming Next 5 Years Executive Conference. Jacob Shapiro is the founder and chief strategist of Perch Perspectives, a political and business consulting firm. Shapiro has more than a decade of experience as a political analyst and writer. More information about Shapiro, the event and registration can be found at https://next5years.com/. Early bird registration is available until September 1 for $185. After that date, the registration fee moves to $225. A group rate is also available.  All registration options include access to the conference along with complimentary lunch service, a facilitation guide, and pre- and post-conference material.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program named its new class. Executive director Olga Brouwer says it’s the first time a class has began in the middle of summer. Hear more in the latest Corn Matters.

Partnering on ‘Animal-Free Dairy Products’ – ADM and New Culture have formed a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize what it calls animal-free dairy products. New Culture’s website says “any cheese is possible and can be made completely animal-free” because of its technology. New Culture describes its process as “cow cheese without the cow.”

RRFN Announces Big Iron Forum Schedule – The Red River Farm Network has a tremendous lineup for forums at the Big Iron Farm Show. Our guests will include meteorologist Eric Snodgrass, Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux and market analysts Tommy Grisafi, Ray Grabanski, Mike Zuzulo, Kristi Van Ahn, Bret Oelke, Randy Martinson, DuWayne Bosse, Betsy Jensen and Frayne Olson. AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farmers National Company and Freedom Financial Group will also be hosting seminars on the RRFN stage. Representatives from CHS, Helena, Wilbur Ellis and Simplot Grower Solutions will discuss the current supply chain scenario. The RRFN forums will also be live streamed at YourLiveEvent.com.

Chief People Officer Hired – Dr. Mia Mulrennan has been named the chief people officer for the International Dairy Foods Association. Mulrennan spent the last ten years as an organizational psychologist and consultant for Fortune 500 companies, including Sun Country Airlines and the Star Restaurant Group.

New MN State Veterinarian Named – The Minnesota Board of Animal Health appointed Dr. Marion Garcia as Minnesota’s new state veterinarian and the executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Garcia has been a livestock veterinarian in the poultry industry for more than 20 years. Garcia starts in her new position at the end of September. Read more. Photo credit: State Board of Animal Health – Dr. Garcia second from right.