Pro Farmer Forecasts a Big Crop – Pro Farmer wrapped up the week with the release of its national corn and soybean estimates. Corn production is forecast at 14.9 billion bushels with an average yield of 181.1 bushels per acre. For soybeans, production is expected to total 4.7 billion bushels with an average yield of a whopping 54.9 bushels per acre. Pro Farmer considers the results of its crop tour, weather, crop maturity, and other factors when putting together its estimate.

Pod Counts Were a Surprise – Reflecting on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson said the corn in South Dakota and Ohio was below expectations, but soybean pod counts were good. On Tuesday, crop scouts found a decent crop in Nebraska and Indiana. Illinois was “phenomenal.” Martinson said the tour found good crops in Iowa, especially for soybeans. As expected, the wet conditions this spring cut into the yield potential in Minnesota. On Friday, Pro Farmer released its national production estimates, including an average soybean yield of 54.9 bushels per acre. “The pod counts came into play, showing good numbers in all of the states and that was a surprise,” said Martinson. “We’ve got a long way to go until that is in the bin. Everybody was expecting a bumper, large spring wheat crop and look what’s happening now with all of the disease issues and concerns with production.” RRFN’s Don Wick spoke with Martinson for the Agweek Market Wrap. 

Crop Scouts Found ‘a Tough’ Corn Crop in MN – The Pro Farmer Crop Tour wrapped up Thursday night in Rochester. Pro Farmer’s Minnesota’s corn yield estimate is just shy of 165 bushels per acre. That compares to 181 bushels per acre a year ago. The soybean pod count is 1,036, surprisingly up from 985 pods in a three-by-three square last year. Chip Flory, who led the western leg of the tour, had nothing good to say about the Minnesota crop. “The corn crop is running out of gas,” said Flory. “If they put on a fall-applied nitrogen, it seems like most of that nitrogen is gone at this point. It was way, way, way too much water for the corn crop to deal with. The color stinks, the ear size stinks, and it’s a tough crop up in Minnesota.”

Two Crops Growing in South Dakota – Crop scouts on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour found a lot of variability in southeastern South Dakota. “The holes in the field, the drowned-out spots, the ponded-out areas, that’s putting a big question in my mind about the impact on South Dakota corn and soybean crops,” reflected Chip Flory, who led the western leg of the tour. “We saw a corn crop that had two very different planting dates so we’ve got two very different corn crops growing in South Dakota.” South Dakota’s corn yield is estimated at 156.5 bushels per acre. That’s down almost one bushel from last year’s tour. The soybean pod count is at 1,025 pods in a three-by-three square. That’s slightly better than last year. “This bean crop has got a ton of work to do to realize its potential.”

Shallow Rooted Corn – There are major differences in crop conditions in west-central Minnesota this season. Richard Syverson farms at Clontarff, northwest of Benson, and is surprised by what he’s seeing in his fields. “The better the soil, the worse the crop this year; I farm some marginal ground and that corn looks great.” The corn has very shallow roots and that may be a problem. “A crop that’s used to getting rained on twice a week that misses one of those showers starts to throw up the white flag pretty fast.”

Corn Needs Heat – Andover, South Dakota farmer John Horter has finished his oats, but the spring wheat harvest is lagging due to the recent rains. What about the corn? “We just need some heat to push us along. We’re kind of scared of an early frost.” After a wet spring, Horter said there was a considerable amount of prevented plant acres in northeast South Dakota.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – For timely crop production information, listen to the latest Pioneer Agronomy Update. Pioneer Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner says the window for insect issues is closing. However, bean leaf beetles are still a concern. “Typically, their biggest economic impact comes around this time of the year in the form of pod feeding and pod clipping that impact both yield and the quality of the grain,” said Sinner. “Control might be tricky.” Listen to this update with Sinner.

Heat is Welcome – Langdon, North Dakota farmer Jon Iverson has had plenty of moisture on his farm, but welcomes this heat to help finish the row crops. “The peas we’ve combined are a little on the light side,” said Iverson. The wheat that has been harvested was low on protein, but that was expected.

Welcome Moisture – Dakotafest got started two hours late on Tuesday due to a large rain system that moved through the area. Many farmers at the show were glad to see the rain. “There were definitely some areas that really needed it,” said Matt Hofer, an independent sales representative for Stine Seeds at Mitchell, South Dakota. Corn conditions vary. “Some spots look really great but as a field average it’s hard to say.” Hofer feels the soybeans in the region have a lot of potential.

Soybeans Soaking up the Rain – The rain in South Dakota this week was welcomed by many. “We needed it for this last go around here in August,” said Jim Ruhland, Pioneer’s strategic account manager. “We could use some  more rain, but not too much.” Ruhland said the rain was needed for the crops and especially good for the soybeans which he expects to turn out really good with some heat.

Issues With Vom and Falling Numbers – The Money Farm Market Analyst Allison Thompson says wheat farmers are taking a hit with quality losses with the recent rains. “Two weeks ago, we were looking at phenomenal yields with great quality; all of sudden, you have this rain come through and we’re seeing huge falling numbers and vom is showing up as well.” Thompson recommends growers connect with their crop insurance agent to make claims. “There are also marketing strategies that we can use, whether it is making sales with the quality you’re getting now versus storing it.”

Low Protein – For Tim Dufault, spring wheat yields and test weights are higher than he expected. Protein levels are lacking. “You kind of have to expect that when you have a really good growing season. The plant put more effort into producing bushels than protein.” Dufault farms in the Crookston area.

The Bushels Are There – In many areas, the spring wheat harvest is winding down. WestBred Wheat Technical Product Manager Justin Berg is pleased with the bushels coming off the combine, especially in eastern North Dakota. “There’s a lot of 100 bushel-plus yields and a lot in that 80-to-90 (bushel per acre) range.” The recent rain influenced wheat quality. “I have heard a few falling number issues with the wheat crop, I think a lot of it varied on maturity and where your crop was at during grain fill.”

Spring Wheat Harvest Sees Delays in Northern Plains – Wolf Harvesting’s Craig Wolf, of Clark, South Dakota, is harvesting barley in the Rolette, North Dakota area until spring wheat is ready. “It’s been going good. We got started on barley and it’s been slow, but we’ve been down all the way to Southern Oklahoma, Texas border and they had an excellent winter wheat crop. After that came up to South Dakota, Pierre area and they had a great crop. But no spring wheat yet, it’s all been winter wheat.” According to Wolf, spring wheat throughout the Dakotas has seen pretty significant delays to harvest thanks to recent rains. “The spring wheat up here looks great, but it’s still pretty green. Guys haven’t been able to spray it to kill it yet, which is going to put it back to mid-September.”

Factories Up and Running with Good Beet Supply – The sugarbeet pre-pile harvest is going well despite the recent rain. “We’re good as far as how things are going and the beet supply that we need,” said Travis Pederson, agronomy manager for  American Crystal Company in East Grand Forks and Crookston. “We’re averaging between 14.5-to-15 percent sugar content right now. On average, yield is in the low 20-ton range.”

Sporadic Harvesting Around the Rain – Sugarbeet pre-pile has had above-average yields so far. SES VanderHave Commercial Sales Manager Nick Revier says the rains have been fine for harvest. “It gets a little sporadic when they can harvest. It’s just going to make the beets grow more.”

Beet Crop is Putting on Tons – Ada, Minnesota farmer Neil Rockstad looks forward to getting into his sugarbeet crop. “With these recent rains, we expect they’ll put on some tons.” Rockstad is president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and will begin the pre-pile harvest activity on his farm this week.

Fall Weed Management Should Include Spraying – With wheat harvest picking up throughout the Northern Plains, NDSU Sugarbeet Agronomist Tom Peters reminds farmers that weed management is a crucial part of crop rotation. And while farmers may have three options for weed management this fall, the first two, doing nothing and tilling, don’t excite Peters that much. “The third option is to spray, to use a broad-cast spray to control emerged weeds in the wheat stubble. Hopefully deep enough into September where you can do your primary tillage after spraying then leave your fields sit for the rest of the year in preparation for the next year.” It’s that combination of the two, spraying then tillage, that Peters suggests makes up the best form of weed control heading into winter months. Peters also suggests spraying before late-season weeds get to the six-inch mark. “They’re going to green up, they’ll grow pretty fast and sometimes you want that, so they’ll provide a better target for the spray.”

Potatoes are Looking Good – Potatoes have been soaking up the moisture and cool weather this season. Harvest is only a few weeks away from starting. “Maybe another rain between then and now would be great,” said Tom Nilson, Hoople, North Dakota. “Overall, I think potato farmers are going to be happy out there.” The only issue that Nilson noted throughout the growing season was Colorado potato beetle pressure.

Increased Disease Pressure in Potatoes – Speaking at Northland Potatoe Growers Association Field Day, NDSU Extension Plant Pathologist Julie Pasche warned potato growers about the increased potential for disease pressure this harvest season. “Part of the focus is our soilborne pathogens; early-die complex, Verticillium wilt and black dot with that, and we look at our water rot pathogens now with potatoes going into storage.” Proper harvest and storage tactics are advised to minimize or eliminate some of those pathogens going into storage.

Potato Field Day Brings Farmers and Researchers Together – The Northland Potato Growers Association held its annual field day this past week. “We’re always looking for new varieties that can resolve some of the issues that we have in potatoes and field days give us an overall view of what’s coming in the future,” said Carl Hoverson. “The big thing is that North Dakota State University deserves a lot of credit for all the research and work they do to help us have a successful year, a successful crop and making potatoes one of the most important crops in North Dakota and the U.S.” The event continued with a tour of the NPGA irrigated research site in Inkster, North Dakota, then a twilight tour of Oberg Farms in Hoople, North Dakota.

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Education Coordinator Pam Debele is our featured guest in the MFBF Minute. Debele discusses the Farm Bureau’s role at the Minnesota State Fair. Listen online to the report. 

High Fertilizer Prices – Fertilizer prices are high but StoneX Vice President of Fertilizer Josh Linville says some global situations could cause these prices to continue to rise. Demand for fertilizers worldwide are strong. “India is very low on their stockpiles. They’re the biggest buyer in the world.” Linville says waiting for lower prices might not work out. “You might see it get worse before it gets better.”

‘Time has Come’ to Cut Interest Rates – The Federal Reserve Board is expected to cut interest rates at its September meeting. “The time has come for policy to adjust,” said Fed Chair Jerome Powell during the annual Jackson Hole Economic Conference. “The direction is clear and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook and the balance of risks.” Powell said he is confident inflation is returning to two percent.

EPA Herbicide Strategy Ruling Leaves Ag Groups Frustrated – The Environmental Protection Agency has released its finalized version of the Endangered Species Act Herbicide Strategy, which has been met with concern from multiple agriculture groups. American Soybean Association President Josh Gackle said the agency made some concessions from the previous proposal, but, it is still far too limiting for pest control, giving farmers too few options.”What we’ve seen here in the first read of this is that a lot of that flexibility and some suggestions we had provided in order to make sure that it actually works on the farm and is affordable, just weren’t included.” Gackle feels the costs of compliance along with tighter restrictions will result in long-term losses on the farm “When you take certain tools away and have to rely on other things that are more expensive and harder to apply, all of that adds cost.” Gackle farms at Kulm, North Dakota.

Ag Trade Deficit – During the Congressional session at Dakotafest, Senator John Thune spoke about the trade deficit. “We run trade deficits in this country but never in agriculture,” said Thune. “Last year we ran about a $17 billion ag trade deficit.” Johnson also pointed out that the Biden administration’s trade agreements have not advanced as other administrations have in the past.

Farm Bill Extension is Likely – Another farm bill extension seems to become more plausible as time progresses. “We’re at the point in the process where we’re going to be forced to probably extend all the appropriations,” said Jay Truitt, president, Policy Solutions. Truitt expects the farm bill will be one of many items lumped into one large omnibus bill. A farm bill debate will finally happen, but Truitt doesn’t expect that to happen until well into next year.

California’s Biofuel Cap Sparks Criticism from U.S. Canola Association – The California Air Resources Board is proposing a 20 percent cap on biofuels made from canola and soybean oil for the state’s low-carbon fuel standard. U.S. Canola Association Executive Director Tom Hance said the proposal could result in a greater reliance on foreign feedstocks for biofuels. “We don’t see any data or science that justifies imposing this cap.” With a growing demand for biofuels, Hance sees an opportunity for expanded canola production with winter canola.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, NCGA Executive Director Barry Coleman joins us to discuss the biofuels market. Listen to the report. 

Dry Bean Scene – NDSU Extension Cropping Specialist Greg Endres joins this week’s Dry Bean Scene to highlight this week’s event for dry bean growers at the Carrington Research Extension Center. Click here to listen to the report.

Step Up Biosecurity Measures – Fall bird migration has started and North Dakota State University Extension is emphasizing the need to review and reimplement biosecurity to address the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. These guidelines include a separation between a domestic flock and wildlife.

MDA Takes Additional Efforts to Prevent the Spread of H5N1 – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is accepting grant applications to help farmers buy and install equipment to prevent the spread of avian influenza. This grant will reimburse the farmer for up to 80 percent of the cost of the approved virus prevention measures with a maximum award of $10,000. A previous round of Protect Grant funding awarded $500,000 to 54 farmers in 34 counties across the state. The equipment eligible for the funding includes lasers or sound machines to scare birds and wild animals away from the livestock operation, electronic ID systems, air filtration and truck washes. The application deadline is October 31.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt joins us for this week’s Minnesota Beef Update. Schmidt highlights the Beef Checkoff’s involvement at the Minnesota State Fair. Click to listen.

Support for Livestock Disaster Assistance Reform – A proposal to reform livestock disaster assistance programs is getting support from four major South Dakota ag groups. South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the legislation which would require the Farm Service Agency to make quarterly updates to the Livestock Indemnity Program payment rates to better reflect current market prices. Rounds’ office has released a news release saying the bill has been endorsed by the South Dakota Farmers Union, South Dakota Farm Bureau, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association.

Trilaterial Meeting for Cattle Groups – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and its counterparts in Canada and Mexico met this past week in Saskatoon to discuss common issues. The topics addressed included a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and international cooperation on antimicrobial resistance. The next trilateral meeting will be next year in San Antonio.

SD Continues to Grow Its Dairy Industry – Milk production in the 24 major dairy production states totaled 18.2 billion pounds in July. That’s down 0.2 percent from July of last year. In South Dakota, milk production increased 7.4 percent. South Dakota added 15,000 cows to the state dairy herd over the past year. Minnesota milk production dropped four percent, losing 9,000 cows since July of last year.

SD Corn Comments – Michael Bishop, who is the superintendent of the Horticulture Building at the South Dakota State Fair, joins South Dakota Corn Comments to talk about the upcoming South Dakota Fair. The fair kicks off on Wednesday. Listen to the update.

Investment in Future of SD Swine – The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC) has committed $1.2 million towards an expansion of the Swine Education and Research Facility at South Dakota State University. “We’re always trying to support, if not increase, corn demand and grain within the state,” said Jim Ketelhut, SDCUC. “This might be a commitment on our part this year but the long-lasting effects are going to be many years down the road.” The expansion includes the addition of two new wean-to-finish nutrition rooms to the existing facilities.

MFU Minute – This update is from the Minnesota Farmers Union. County Farmers Union presidents from across the state gathered for their biennial board meeting. MFU Vice President Anne Schwagerl says important action was taken regarding Project 2025. Click here to listen to the report.

Join RRFN for Big Iron Forums – Look for the Red River Farm Network in our new location at the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show. RRFN will be centrally located on the grounds, in the former Geringhoff building. RRFN’s forums kick off with World Weather Inc. Ag Meteorologist Drew Lerner. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen will share the stage Wednesday morning and Greg ‘Machinery Pete’ Peterson will discuss farm equipment values on Thursday morning. RRFN has daily market outlook forums with industry-leading market analysts. AgCountry Farm Credit Services and Farmers National Company are also part of the RRFN schedule. The full schedule can be found online. 

Back on Track – The work stoppage affecting the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroads has ended. The Canadian government ordered the railroad and the Teamsters Union into binding arbitration. Labor Secretary Steve McKinnon said rail traffic should resume within a matter of days. Seventy-five percent of the products exported from Canada to the United States moves by rail. For agriculture, that includes grain, oilseeds and fertilizer shipments.

Court Rules on Freight Rate Issue – The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Surface Transportation Board does not have the authority to streamline rate dispute settlements between railroads and shippers. This limits the ability of grain elevators to challenge freight rates. The new rate review process means the STB must choose either the rate proposed by the railroad or the shipper without doing its own analysis.

A Third Consecutive Year with Low River Levels – Water levels on the Mississippi River are dropping for the third straight year. The river has dropped 17 feet since June at Memphis. It appears river levels will continue to decline through the end of the month. The issue isn’t as severe as it was in 2022 and 2023, but grain industry analysts are closely monitoring this year’s water levels.

CRP Nears 27 Million Acre Cap – The Agriculture Department is accepting offers for more than 2.2 million acres through this year’s Grassland, General and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program signup. With this announcement, enrollment is approaching the 27 million acreage CRP cap.

Peterson Farms Seed Production and Profit Series – Peterson Farms Seed presents the Production and Profit Series on the Red River Farm Network. PFS Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson says the genetics are better than ever and the credit goes to ongoing research. “We’ve got just over 100 research locations and that’s all small plot replicated research,” said Swenson. “It’s tens of thousands of replications and when you factor all of that in as you consider products, it makes it easy.” Peterson Farms Seed research work includes corn, soybeans, identity-preserved soybeans and wheat. Click here to listen to the report.

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, University of Minnesota Extension Educator Bailey Tangen discusses soil health. Listen to the report. 

SD Court Rules Against Summit Carbon Solutions – With a unanimous vote, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled Summit Carbon Solutions cannot use eminent domain to survey land. The Summit project would capture CO2 from 57 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The carbon will be shipped and sequestered underground in North Dakota. This project would allow ethanol produced at these ethanol plants to be a net-zero fuel by 2030. It allows the ethanol companies to meet low carbon fuel standards, providing access to the sustainable aviation fuel market.

Making the Transition to Organic Crop Production – The Organic Agronomy Training Service, also known as OATS, is hosting a workshop Wednesday in Glencoe, Minnesota. This event targets ag advisers, including Extension, NRCS, and the private sector. Training specialist Sam Oschwald Tilton says this event will provide resources for those considering a transition from conventional to organic production. A transition to organic farming requires a strategy for crop rotation, weed management, and marketing. “Farmers have to have a passion or a fire under their butt for transitioning to organic farming,” said Oschwald Tilton. “There are plenty of resources online, printed fact sheets and videos. There are resources from groups like ours, Organic Agronomy Training Service, or Extension, but farmers should gather a lot of information and make the choices that are right for them.” Registration is limited for Wednesday’s workshop in Glencoe. Listen to the interview.

Specialty Crop Block Grants Awarded – USDA is awarding over $82 million to 65 recipients for specialty crop block grants. The money can be used for market development, consumer education and research. Regional projects include a project to promote a sustainable dry bean breeding program, a field-to-fork program to promote specialty crops and an effort to increase the access of genotyping for the beekeeping industry.

Registration Open for ‘Next 5 Years’ Conference – An executive-level conference focusing on agriculture’s next five years is coming to Fargo on September 5. This program is hosted by Northern Crops Institute. AgCountry Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President Howard Olson has been part of the planning process and says geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro will be back on the agenda. DTB AgriTrade partner Ben Conner is also a featured speaker. “He’s going to talk about the next administration’s impact on trade, regardless of who’s elected. He’ll take a look at both sides and also the impacts of the Senate and House races and what will be the impact on trade for agriculture. That one is going to be really interesting. I think there’s some real concerns for farmers in the area regardless of which administration is in office.” Registration is available online.

Cybersecurity Vital for Precision Agriculture – As agriculture continues to grow and adapt, the use of data becomes more important for the industry. Keeping that data secure is equally as important. “Not as a way to hide stuff, but just to best protect ourselves in the future,” said Logan Vandermark, SDSU Extension. “One of the big things is not using the same password for everything.” Vandermark says something as simple as this can increase security immensely.

Soy-Based Firefighting Foam Continues to Pass Tests – Farmers and commodities groups are always looking for new products for their crops. Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council Director Glen Groth recently attended a demonstration on SoyFoam, which uses soybean meal for firefighting and came away impressed. “Part of the testing process that United Soybean Board and other soybean check-off organizations have been funding is to get the testing completed so this soybean foam product is approved for use in a wide variety of different settings. Right now, it’s going through testing to be approved for the U.S. Forest Service firefighting and has already passed testing for U.S. military use.” Groth notes SoyFoam’s capability for putting fires down is well documented. “A number of fire departments, particularly rural fire departments, have already switched over to the product, as it can be used for Class A and Class B fires.” A new Minnesota law will ban the use of polyfluoroalkyl, a “forever substance” used in many firefighting foams. The law goes into effect in 2025, highlighting the need for more natural options for products.

From the Canadian Border to the Gulf – If you find yourself driving through the Midwest next month and come across an old Farmall model M tractor plugging along, hauling a camper behind it, that’s not your imagination at work. The recently retired Upsala, Minnesota farmer Mark Koehn is driving down to the Gulf of Mexico to raise funds for FFA alumni and awareness of ag-related issues. Koehn expects the nearly 2,000-mile-long trip to take a month. “We’re leaving the Canadian border on September 16th and for road miles by car, it’s about 1,600 miles, but I’ve got to go around some major cities and find secondary roads so I’m estimating it’s going to take about 2,000 miles.” Koehn was inspired by seeing similar events and thought it would be a good way to help bring attention to issues that are important to him. “The alumni group locally in Upsala, Minnesota is taking care of the donations and Venmo. All the money is going to them.” More information can be found online. 

Deere Tillage Portfolio Expands – John Deere is expanding its tillage lineup with a new and improved Minimum Tillage Series In-Line Ripper and new Coulter Chisel Series. Both the MT and CC Series have features designed to increase productivity and efficiency. They also integrate seamlessly with precision agriculture technologies. Both tillage tools will be on display at the Farm Progress Show.

New Tech Offerings From Case IH – Case IH has announced new precision technology offerings with the addition of the Soil Command factory fit on select sizes of its Speed-Tiller 475 and VT-Flex 435 tillage equipment. It works on any ISO-compatible tractor. With the launch of Case IH Active Guidance, farmers also have access to a plug-and-play system to correct implement drift while planting, tillage and side-dressing.

New Holland Rolls Out New Equipment at FPS – At the Farm Progress Show, New Holland is unveiling new equipment and technologies across five product categories. That includes a new Class 9 CR combine, a new telehandler series, upgrades to the T7 tractor line, an all-new Forage Cruiser harvester and a suite of precision and digital technologies. Another innovation on display will be the Bluewhite autonomous solution. Bluewhite, an autonomous technology company, was announced in June.

Bobcat Expands Utility Tractor Business – Bobcat has introduced three new utility tractors to its lineup. There are two 66 horsepower models and a 73 horsepower model. Bobcat is targeting larger acreage farms with this addition to its product mix.

A Focus on Pulse Merchandising – Louis Dreyfus Company has established a new business unit that will focus on the merchandising of pulse crops. The initial focus is on yellow peas, chickpeas, red lentils, faba beans and pigeon peas. Louis Dreyfus Company plans to capitalize on its origination capabilities in Australia and Canada.

Pilgrim’s Pride Agrees to Settle Antitrust Case – The poultry processing company, Pilgrim’s Pride, will pay $100 million to settle allegations of conspiring with its competitors. Five poultry companies allegedly shared information about pricing to keep market values artificially low. This antitrust case has been ongoing for seven years. Pilgrim’s Pride is the last company to settle the case and is paying the largest amount of money.

Truterra Carbon Incentives Expand to Dairy Sector – Truterra has launched a first-ever carbon program for dairy farmers. Land O’Lakes created Truterra in 2016, offering incentives to adopt climate-smart farming practices like cover crops and no-till. Truterra President Jamie Leifker says this is their first program for the dairy business. Truterra is working with three dairy companies, Land O’Lakes, Dairy Farmers of America, and Bel Brands. “What we want farmers to understand is that we’re owned by a farmer-owned organization that puts a high degree of effort into the fidelity of our data to ensure that we’re protecting the farmer’s data in a way that they own it; they never lose control of it,” said Leifker. “We’re not calling out specific performance on specific farms. We aggregate the data so we’re protecting the farmer and the efforts that they’re putting into their farm.” Listen to RRFN’s interview with Leifker.

MN Corn Matters – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made a recent stop in Minnesota to announce grants for biofuels infrastructure grants. Minnesota Corn Growers Association Past President Richard Syverson joins Corn Matters this week to highlight the impact for the ethanol industry and corn growers. Listen to the report.

BASF Launches New Spray Timer Tool – BASF is offering a new digital tool to ag retailers to help optimize fungicide use. The xarvio FIELD MANAGER includes a unique spray timer tool that alerts the user before disease stress happens. BASF Digital Farming Commercial Lead Kyle King says this crop modeling platform provides field-specific agronomic advice. “If we think about mitigating stress, it’s about crop health management and how we continue to save those bushels so that farmers can get those bushels in the grain tank. Timing is paramount and proactively using these models allows us to give some of the time back. that drives efficiency.” The original focus for this tool is on corn and soybeans, but will likely expand to other crops in the future. Listen to the full interview.

Bushel Honored for Innovation in Ag Technology – Fargo-based Bushel has been awarded the AgTech Finance Platform of the Year by AgTech Breakthrough, a market intelligence organization. Bushel was recognized for its digital payments product, Bushel Wallet.

Strategic Joint Venture Announced – The Arthur Companies and Birdsall Grain and Seed are forming a new 50/50 joint venture. This work will be headquartered in Berthold, North Dakota. Construction of a state-of-the-art 40,000 ton fertilizer shed is beginning this month and is expected to be operational by late summer of 2025. The facility is designed to increase efficiency and expand the scope of operations for both companies.

New NPGA Magazine to Debut in September – After a six-month hiatus, the Northland Potato Growers Association is rebranding its magazine, Mike Brue took over editor duties for the new Northland Potato Grower Magazine magazine after the unfortunate passing of the previous editor Todd Phelps. “The plan is to continue bringing relevant, up-to-date content and news about the potato industry to readers.” The first issue will be published next month. “We’ll have a tribute to Todd Phelps. We’ll look at research field testing that has gone on this summer, and we’ll do a little recap of during the six months we were gone.”

Lium Joins Ag Tech Firm – Rachel Lium is the new content marketing manager for Rantizo. The Iowa-based company ag tech company that connects demand and supply for agricultural spray drone services. Previously, Lium worked for CHS, broadhead and Two Rivers Marketing.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way Crowned – A 19-year-old college student from Hutchinson is the newest Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Rachel Visser was crowned last night at the State Fairgrounds and will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s dairy industry. Katie Ketchum of Altura and Grace Woitalla of Avon were selected as runners-up.