Progress Made on Infrastructure Bill – With a 68-to-29 vote, the Senate voted to end debate on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Final passage of this bill is expected to happen late tonight or early tomorrow morning. This bill includes $110 billion for roads and bridges, $65 billion for broadband and more than $17 billion for ports and inland waterways.

Senate Working Through First Phase Infrastructure Bill – The U.S. Senate started voting on amendments to the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package last week. There are two phases for infrastructure. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar says this first phase focuses on roads and bridges. “We have billions of dollars for roads, freight and rail, water infrastructure, rural broadband and updates to the electric power grid.” The first phase will be financed by repurposing unused COVID-19 relief money and returned unemployment assistance from states. Funding for the second phase of infrastructure may result in tax changes for agriculture. Klobuchar says the second phase could be passed through reconciliation. “Reconciliation is a special process we used to pass the last pandemic relief. If it’s related to certain taxes, you don’t need all 60 votes, just 51. It may be a more Democratic bill, there will be tons of bipartisan work going into it.”

Senators Pursue Short-Term and Longer-Term Disaster Fixes – The next step for the ag appropriation bill is to be considered by the full Senate. This bill includes $7 billion in disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers due to natural disasters. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman tells the Red River Farm Network he is glad to see the bill move forward. “As we conference with the House, there is a good chance the provision to extend the WHIP+ program will stay in the bill.” Boozman says there is a need to provide farmers disaster relief in the short-term, but also to come up with a better longer-term plan to deal with natural disasters. Work on the longer-term plan will continue in the next few months.

Fischbach Meets with MN Farmers to Discuss Drought –

Drought is one of the top concerns for Minnesota agriculture right now. “As I meet with farmers, we’ve been talking a lot about what can be done to help,” said Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach. “If this drought continues, we’ll need to be dealing with things over the winter, making sure farmers have what they need to survive next spring.” Fischbach said the House is also considering an extension of the WHIP+ program. “We passed the bill out of committee and it’s been sent to the House floor.” Fischbach attended Farmfest in southern Minnesota and also met with farmers in the Fargo-Moorhead area in the last week.

Check With FSA Before Haying CRP Ground – Farmers and ranchers seeking forage for their cattle need to contact their local FSA office for additional clarity before cutting hay on CRP ground. “Just because August 2 came and went, they need to be careful if they’re going to cut CRP,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “There might be restrictions because of your practices like CP 23 and CP37 or you might have restrictions because you’re in D3 (extreme drought) and not D2 (severe drought); it can be super frustrating.” Petersen is working with the DNR to make land available for grazing. “People that are interested in doing that should contact their local land manager through the DNR. In addition, the Board of Water and Soil Resources has easements through RIM that may be available for farmers and you can talk to your local Soil and Water Conservation District about that.” Information is available on the MDA website.

MN Farmers Haying CRP Ground as Quickly as Possible – Emergency haying and grazing CRP opened for eligible farmers and ranchers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota last week. With 200 cow-calf pairs to feed, Barnesville, Minnesota farmer Jake Thompson didn’t waste any time getting paperwork approved by the Farm Service Agency and then, out to hay. “We are going to try and put up as much hay as we can as long as we can.” The drought conditions in Clay County are a mix of moderate and severe, not as bad as surrounding counties, but dry. “We are still in D2 or severe drought, catching half an inch of rain here and there, but you can definitely see the dryness showing up. Grass yields are a half or two-thirds of an average year.” Thompson is also concerned about limits to haying CRP. Hear the story.

Haying/Grazing Updates Require Farm Bill Change –

Livestock producers in the severe to extreme drought areas of western Minnesota were hoping to hay available Conservation Reserve Program ground, but some are finding themselves in a frustrating situation. As farmers go into their local FSA office for the haying paperwork, they are learning there may be limits on what can be hayed. At Farmfest, Minnesota Representative Angie Craig said this may take time to address. “I’m focused on D2 and D3 drought recognition and seeing what we can do to make sure we’ve got grazing and haying. Long-term, I think we’ll have to make sure there’s additional authority under the farm bill.” Craig is also a co-sponsor of legislation allowing USDA to allow emergency haying and grazing CRP acres before August 1 when certain conditions are met. Hear the story.

Farm Leaders Report From Farmfest – During Farmfest, the Red River Farm Network visited with numerous farm leaders. Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President Mike Skaug highlighted policy issues and the importance of biofuels. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish discussed the drought and consolidation within the meatpacking industry. In the Minnesota Corn Growers Association tent, RRFN caught up with Harold Wolle, who is a member of the National Corn Board. Wolle offered thoughts on trade.

MFBF Update – Plenty of policy conversations took place during Farmfest. Find out more from Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Associate Director of Public Policy Josie Lonetti in the latest MFBF Update.

Ag Spending Bill Moves Forward in the Senate – The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced the Fiscal Year 2022 agriculture spending bill last week. Included in the $25.9 billion bill is more than $7 billion in disaster assistance to help farmers and ranchers with losses due to the drought and other natural disasters. “Of that, $750 million will be for livestock,” said North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee. The appropriations bill also supports the creation of a pilot program for a cattle contract library at USDA, an additional $2 million to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act and more.

Farmers Need ‘Skin in the Game’ – During a Farmfest forum, agriculture leaders offered their perspective on the next farm bill. For longtime House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, the WHIP+ disaster program needs to be addressed. “I’m afraid it is going to come back to haunt us,” said Peterson. “They’re going to extend it again so we’ll have four years of disaster payments that the farmer is not contributing to and at some point that is going to be an issue.” Peterson advocated enhancements to crop insurance so it covers more crops and farmers can buy the necessary protection “and farmers have some skin in the game.” Twenty-five percent of the House Agriculture Committee is new and most of them do not represent farm districts. As a result, Peterson said it will take more time and money to educate lawmakers about farm policy.

The Cost of More Ad-Hoc Programs – Preparing for the next farm bill, National Farmers Union President Rob Larew is concerned about the money coming into agriculture from ad-hoc programs. “The question going forward is not only the total dollars, but how is that money going out? Is the money going to the right people at the right time and the right way? We’ll have to build in a mechanism for these kinds of disruptions. We know there will continue to be disruptions in agriculture.” Larew acknowledges livestock producers aren’t used to having ad-hoc programs available during tough times like the drought. “That’s why, continuing to build in flexibility for livestock producers will be important. Overall, we also need a cattle market that’s workable in the long-term.” Larew was part of an agriculture policy panel at FarmFest in Minnesota.

MN Gets Drought Relief from Federal Government – Minnesota will receive around $17 million from the federal government to help with the drought. On Friday, Governor Tim Walz met virtually with the agriculture community for feedback on how that money could be used. “We’re only in the beginning of August,” said Walz. “We are understanding not all of the farmers are in the same position with the exact same needs.” Glenwood, Minnesota dairy farmer Suzanne Vold needs cattle feed. “We’re working with our lender to use Rural Finance Authority loans, but our lender is recommending us to wait. We do have conservation acres we could hay, but they’re not available yet.” Bejou, Minnesota farmer Mike Gunderson is concerned about the future of the industry. “If you can find any hay to purchase, is it economical to do that? If it’s going to cost an extra $300 to $400 a year to feed cows, unless calves go up in price, I don’t see the economics of staying in business.” Walz said there may be ways for state lawmakers to get involved to help in the upcoming special session.

Cramer Still Anticipates In-Person WOTUS Meeting for ND – The Environmental Protection Agency is looking for feedback as they begin the process of redefining the Waters of the U.S. rule. The virtual meetings beginning next week are a slight change from what was discussed when EPA Administrator Michael Regan came to North Dakota. “I don’t think the EPA is doing virtual in place of all in-person meetings, but it’s a great chance to get feedback,” said North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer. “I’m still expecting an in-person meeting for North Dakota.” In the meantime, North Dakota’s WOTUS rule is still in effect. “The Biden administration reopening WOTUS allows us to keep our rule active. The Biden administration has to have their new rule in place to revoke the Trump administration’s rule back to pre-Obama administration. That will become the benchmark.”

Senate Ag Committee to Vote on USDA Nominees Today – The Senate Agriculture Committee will vote on two USDA nominees later today. The nominee for USDA’s Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development Xochitil Torres Small and the Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation, Robert Bonnie. Once approved through the committee, the nominees will be considered by the full Senate.

Lawmakers Offer Bipartisan Tone – The 50-50 split in the Senate and tight margins in the House underscores the party-line politics in Washington, D.C. Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach says there is a rural-urban divide, but bipartisanship can happen on Capitol Hill. “I think sometimes when we talk about partisanship, it is overplayed. Just recently, in the House Ag Committee, we passed the broadband and WHIP+ bills unanimously.” Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer shared the stage with Fischbach at Farmfest. Emmer said elections matter for farm policy and regulations. “Keep in mind, in this state there is a population of 5.5 million people and roughly 3 million of those people are concentrated in nine to 11 countries. That’s out of a total of 87 counties.” Emmer said the people in those metro areas and their representatives in Congress need to be educated every day that agriculture is one of the key drivers of our state and national economy.

Corn Matters – Work is being done of the Next Generation Fuels Act that is, once again, being brought up in Congress. Find out more from Minnesota Corn Growers Association Public Policy Director Amanda Bilek in the latest Corn Matters program.

A Sustainable Future – Sustainability and climate issues are a focus of the Biden administration. However, former USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey says the issue of sustainability is bigger than that. “It is something the business community and the international community cares about so I think sustainability and carbon are something we”ll continue to talk about ten and 20 years from now.” The conversation about carbon is the place to start, but Northey said sustainability is also about water quality and biodiversity. During Farmfest, Northey said we’re early in the discussion about sustainability. “”It’s going to be around for a long time, but this horse hasn’t left the barn yet.”

Biofuels Offer Opportunity – During a Farmfest forum, American Soybean Association Chairman Bill Gordon highlighted the role ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel has on the marketplace. “To me, biofuels is one of the greatest opportunities we have right now to bridge the gap for fuel system.” Electric cars may make sense in some places, but that doesn’t necessarily include Rural America. “To run B20, E15 and E85; we’ve shown the environmental benefits.”

‘Right to Repair’ – Last month, President Biden issued an executive order that gives farmers the right to repair their own equipment. Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation President Kevin Paap says farmers need to be productive and should be able to work on their own machinery. However, there is a difference between the right to repair and the right to modify. “I think farmers understand manufacturers have got some money invested in technology and as we look at changing software to change emission standards, increase horsepower or do safety things, we have real liability in warranties.” Paap believes this is a national issue and should not be addressed by a patchwork of state-by-state rules. “In fact, this should be an issue handled within the (agricultural) family; we don’t need government involvement.”

Until There is Trust, More Oversight Needed for Beef Supply Chain – In the words of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President-elect Don Schiefelbein, there are more cattle to be harvested than hooks to harvest them. With that imbalance, packers ration supply with lower prices at the cow-calf/feeder level. At the same time, the demand for beef is at an all-time high. “It would be okay if you trusted the packers, but I think if we did a poll with cattlemen to say do we trust the packer to do the right thing all the time, there wouldn’t be many hands in the air. We need to reinvigorate the trust.” Until trust is achieved, the Kimball, Minnesota producer said strong oversight of the beef supply chain is needed. During Farmfest, Schiefelbein was reminded about the ongoing Justice Department investigation into the cattle market. “We asked for that investigation in March of a  year ago and I understand the wheels of justice go slowr, but if you can steal two years of someone’s life while you look into it, it’s probably not the right approach.”

Beef Checkoff Petitioners Gets Another Two Months to Collect Signatures – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is giving the organizers of a national beef checkoff petition drive another 60 days to collect enough signatures to bring the promotion and research program up for a vote. R-CALF USA is behind this effort and originally had one year to secure the 88,000 signatures necessary for a vote. The petition drive began in July of last year and currently has less than 20,000 signatures.

Cows Are the Answer – As the focus on sustainability and carbon grows, Minnesota Milk Producers Association Executive Director Lucas Sjostrom says there is a simple solution–more cows. During Farmfest, Sjostrom said Minnesota allows some types of livestock farms exist and does not give the same support to other parts of animal agriculture. This comes at a time when more carbon sequestration is being sought. “We have fantastic technology to store more carbon in the soil through the manure and you have a natural carbon cycle through the crops that livestock, especially cows, eat. Cows are the answer.” Over 90 percent of milk produced in Minnesota goes to farmer-owned processing plants. Sjostrom says that unique relationship with consumers gives the dairy industry an edge when it comes issues, like sustainability.

ASF Cases Quickly Multiply Across the DR – African Swine Fever has now spread to 14 of the 32 provinces in the Dominican Republic. Minnesota Pork Producers Association CEO Dave Priesler said the DR and other Caribbean countries has had Classical Swine Fever for years, so the ASF confirmation was not a huge surprise. “Quite honestly, the only reason we found this is out is because USDA has a cooperative agreement to do surveillance in the Dominican Republic. Having USDA work with higher-risk countries to do surveillance and testing at the high standards we have in this country is incredibly important to protect our own domestic herd.” Priesler said anything done to keep foreign animal diseases out of the U.S. is good for livestock producers and crop producers.

ASF Outbreak Unknowns Could Slow Soybean Demand – There continue to be questions surrounding the severity of the African Swine Fever outbreak in China. NAU Country Vice President of Farm Services Rich Morrison says the lack of uncertainty could spill over into soybean demand. “There’s been a slowdown in soybean demand as a result. Long-term, we need to keep an eye on this.”

Hay Prices Double In Portions of MN – It’s an interesting year to be in the commercial hay business. In addition to raising crops and cattle, Pennington County, Minnesota farmer Aaron Chervestad sells alfalfa and grass hay. Chervestad is getting phone calls from customers, but says it will be hard to fill all the needs. “Normally, we produce 3×3 square bales. On a normal year, we can produce 4,000 to 6,000 bales, but we’ll be lucky to hit 3,000 bales this year. The first cutting of hay was 50 percent of normal and there won’t be a second cutting. There’s nothing there.” For those still looking for hay, Chervestad says hay prices have doubled from one year ago. “It’s all based on supply and demand. The market is what someone is willing to pay and customers aren’t complaining about quality or price yet this year.”

HRSW Harvest is Winding Down – The end is in sight for the wheat harvest in northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota. “Yields are okay, not tremendous, but there is stuff in spots that caught a rain that is a pleasant surprise and wheat on old beet ground that is all dried up,” said CHS Ag Services Sales Manager Andrew Schultz. Corn and soybeans have taken advantage of any little pop-up showers that came their way. “We’re pretty fortunate, we must have had some moisture in the soil early. A lot of locations are six-to-eight inches under what their historical rainfall is so if we can get something pulled out of this dirt we’ll have some ‘okay’ happy farmers.”

A Pleasant Surprise at Harvest – Crookston, Minnesota farmer Kevin Capistran is finished with his small grain harvest. Capistran had concerns about shriveled kernels and lower test weights, but he is pleasantly surprised. “Test weights are fine and size isn’t too bad.” The spring wheat harvested will be used for seed production. Now that small grain harvest is over, Capistran is thinking about next year. “What will we plant? Wheat acres may be up, because soils need to recover. We are likely to see high nitrates, which is a difficult environment for soybeans. Tillage isn’t happening and herbicide carryover is also on my mind. If these wheat herbicides don’t break down, can we get a stand of sugarbeets in the field next year? That’s a lot of what’s on our minds right now.”

Variable Spring Wheat Harvest in MN – Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers Chief Executive Officer Charlie Vogel says as expected, Minnesota’s spring wheat crop is variable. “I don’t think there’s a field out there that will be average, everything is drought stressed. The silver lining is the majority of quality looks good. It’s variable. We didn’t get widespread rains, we got thunderstorms. If farmers lived where it rained, I’m getting calls about 60 to 70 bushels/acre wheat. The drier areas are reporting 20 to 30 bushels/acre. Driving around, I think we’ll be one-third off of average.” Vogel sees increasing interest in raising wheat in southern Minnesota. “As the soil health narrative becomes more popular, we’re seeing more wheat grown and complex rotations in this part of the country.”

Poor Yields Reported Near Hazen, ND – Drought conditions in the Hazen, North Dakota area is making a major impact on the crop. John Weinand is able to harvest some. “The winter wheat we harvested was the poorest we ever cut, but it ran anywhere from 10 to 20 bushels/acre. We harvested field peas and they were equally as poor. The barley yield was surprising at more than 40 bushels/acre.” Drought conditions are forcing alternative harvesting. “We did hay one quarter of winter wheat. The crop adjusters had it at 1.1 bushels/acre. That wasn’t worth harvesting for grain, so we hayed that,” explains Weinand. “With that kind of a crop, you only get about three quarters of a bale per acre. That’s a lot of work. Generally, the corn is also very poor. Not sure how many of my corn fields will be harvested for grain.”

Getting Creative Chopping Silage – North of Bismarck, North Dakota, Clark Coleman is cutting corn for silage. Coleman told Illinois Extension Farm Broadcaster Todd Gleason the corn is struggling, with some of the crop measuring only one foot and half tall. “Cobs are small; the size of your thumb or bigger. The kernels are 14 to 16 around. The rest of the corn is drying up.” Coleman got creative to harvest the silage corn. “My row crop headers won’t push through. You need to be pushing corn to get it into the chopper,” says Coleman. “We started looking around to change our chopper. We found a draper head specifically built for choppers. I don’t think there are many out there, but it’s working a lot better than the row crop header.” KFYR TV in Bismarck has more with Coleman.

Extreme Drought Worsens in MN – The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows Minnesota’s conditions worsening. Minnesota hasn’t been this dry in at least eight years. Since U.S. Drought Monitor began in 2000, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Senior Climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld says extreme drought conditions have only happened twice in Minnesota. “The most recent was in 2012 and 2013. Prior to that, drought conditions from 2006 and 2007. In both cases, that level of drought was more widespread and has lasted longer than what we’ve seen so far, but this drought is still developing.” Northwest Minnesota has some of the hottest weather in the state this year. “There was a period in June where temperatures were above 100 degrees, in some cases for multiple days. The drought started early in northwest Minnesota and it’s been more persistent. At this time, NOAA has dry weather forecasted to continue in the fall.”

Dry Conditions Stick Around in the Western Corn Belt – The 30-day weather outlook continues to show drier than average conditions and above average temperatures across the Northern Plains. USDA Midwest Climate Hub Director Dennis Todey says drought conditions will remain. “There has been some precipitation to improve conditions in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Unfortunately, widespread improvement will have to wait until the fall.” Todey says the Eastern Corn Belt has a slightly better chance at being wetter than average in August. “Conditions are pretty good from a soil moisture standpoint. Overall, temperatures don’t look too hot. We expect those good growing conditions to remain.”

Pioneer Agronomy Update – During this past week’s Pioneer Agronomy Update, Charlie Perry of Prairie’s Edge Agri-Service said 70-to-80 bushel wheat yields have been seen south of Fargo. “A lot of people are pretty puzzled on where that may have come from, but hopefully it is a good sign about mining subsoil moisture as we go into soybean and eventually the corn harvest.” Perry, who is based at Sabin, Minnesota, says there has been some grasshopper pressure in the region. The Pioneer Enlist soybean genetics were showcased in the RRFN YouTube update.

Pockets of Good and Bad Crops in MN – In the last week, Minnesota’s soybean crop conditions declined. Peterson Farms Seed Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson, who lives near Underwood, Minnesota, says there are pockets of good and bad. “The crops near home are past the point of no return, but then, farmers south of Fergus Falls have received ok rains. The soybeans may only be eight inches tall and they never did canopy. They’re aborting pods. The pods left need to fill.” Minnesota’s corn is rated 36 percent good to excellent. “Some of the corn is only knee to waist high and it’s tasseled out. There won’t be a cob on that.” Hear the story.

Dry Bean Scene – Crops in the Brownton, Minnesota area weren’t looking too bad until this last week. That’s according to farmer Jeff Kosek, who serves on the Northarvest Bean Growers Association board of directors. The area hasn’t received any measurable rain since around July 7. Hear more in the Dry Bean Scene made possible by Northarvest, Sharpen Herbicide by BASF, Johnstown Bean Company and SRS Commodities.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – Outside markets dropped overnight with concerns about the pandemic and its impact on travel. Rains were also seen in parts of the Cornbelt over the weekend. Find out more in this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets with Tommy Grisafi from Advance Trading.

Wanted: More Corn and Soybean Yield Data – Total Farm Marketing Senior Market Advisor Naomi Blohm says grain traders are trying to get a better grasp on where corn and soybean yields will end up. “This week’s USDA report will indicate whether or not we’ll be sticking around record yield or if it’s not as good of a crop. There is usually always a yield adjustment in August.” Blohm says the August weather is still a factor in the grain markets. “If we get a one inch soaking rain across the Midwest, that would likely trump the data coming out of the upcoming WASDE report. We’re also monitoring demand.” The August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report will be released on Thursday, August 12 at 11 a.m. Central Time.

Bears and Bulls at Work – The debate over whether or not the Eastern Corn Belt can offset drought damage in the West continues. Utterback Marketing President Bob Utterback will be watching Thursday’s USDA supply/demand report and next week’s Pro Farmer Crop Tour closely. “There’s bears and bulls on both sides pulling. I don’t think the crop is as good as people wants it to be, but not bad. Corn yield may be down a little, but not fantastic.” Utterback expects corn and soybeans to move lower into harvest even if there is bullish news. “The last report we had through the USDA suggest the soybean yields getting better and corn yields getting worse, which was a surprise to the trade.”

A Choppy Grain Market Ahead of WASDE Report – Grain markets continue to chop sideways as traders being to position for next week’s supply and demand report from USDA. Frontier Futures commodity broker J.R. Edmondson says the corn market is consolidating around the $5.50 area. “Every time that happens, we have to mention it. There are wide ranges due to open interests.” Edmondson expects a better idea of market direction as we get closer to this week’s report. “As we get towards the WASDE report, we may see better direction into the row crop markets. Right now, the wheat market is still one to watch.”

Potato News – Fungicide applications for potato producers are staying on course, for the most part. Hear more from BASF technical service representative Ken Diebert in Potato News, brought to you by Gowan USA, BASF’s Zidua for Residual Weed Control and Corteva Agriscience.

Walz Addresses Clean Cars Effort – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made a stop at Farmfest to discuss the drought and other agricultural issues. The recent implementation of the Clean Cars initiative may have caused heartburn in agricultural circles, but, Walz did not shy away from that topic. “I wanted E15 year round and I wanted E15 to be the mandate in Minnesota and we have the opportunity to do that (in the next legislative session) so for many of them, they cooled their jets on that.” Walz said he supports an “all of the above” strategy that includes biofuels. “I think some of the sting has been taken out of that, but I just wish it hadn’t been ginned up so it became so divisive because it took us off mission on E15.”

HOS Regulations Lifted to Address MN Fuel Shortage – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has issued an executive order to address fuel shortages across the state. Hours of service regulations for truckers hauling fuel have been lifted. Fuel terminals in East Grand Forks, Alexandria, Sauk Centre and four other sites have faced shortages or outages of gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, ethanol and biodiesel.

Support for Emerging Farmers – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is establishing an office that will focus exclusively on emerging farmers. Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey says this effort can help people make the transition from consumer to producer. Minnesota is the first state in the nation to create an office of this kind. The state’s leadership role is in “just being able to recognize black, indigenous and people of color, LGBQ+, veterans. They all have a space to be when it comes to agriculture.”

Farmland Values on the Rise – According to a new USDA report, Minnesota farmland averaged $5,240 per acre this past year, up $400 from last year. Farm real estate in South Dakota averaged $2,190 per acre, up $180 per acre from 2020. In North Dakota, farmland averaged $1,820, up $100 per acre. Cash rents for dryland crop ground in Minnesota averaged $177 per acre. South Dakota cropland cash rents averaged $120 per acre and $72.50 per acre in North Dakota.

July Ag Economy Barometer Declines Slightly – The July Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer shows a slight decline of three points from the previous month to a reading of 134 points. That’s the lowest reading of the survey since July 2020. Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture Director Jim Mintert says the decline is due to the index of current conditions. “People felt less positive about the current conditions. I think a lot of that was related to the softness in the crop prices between the June and July survey. The financial performance index improved slightly from the last month.” Overall, farmer sentiment is less positive than earlier this year, but many farmers are in stronger financial positions. “That’s probably reflected in asset values. We’re seeing strength in the farmland market.”

Parade of Champions – Kellie Wilts – Kellie Wilts is a member of the Morris FFA Chapter and Stevens County, Minnesota 4-H Club. This is her final year showing sheep, goats and rabbits in 4-H. “My favorite thing is participating in showmanship. Even if you don’t have the best animal, you’re being judged on how well you work with the animal. Judges are looking at the work you put into the project.” The Parade of Champions is presented by AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Associated Milk Producers Incorporated and its Dinner Bell Creamery brand, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the North Dakota Wheat Commission. Listen to the story.

Minnesota Wheat Minute – Have you heard of Minnesota Wheat’s On-Farm Research Network? Vice President of Research Melissa Carlson shares more about the network in this week’s Minnesota Wheat Minute.

4-H and FFA Members to Design New Ag License Plate – During Farmfest, a contest was announced for 4-H and FFA members to help design a new specialized agricultural license plate. Minnesota FFA Foundation Executive Director Val Aarsvold says this new license plate was approved in the most recent legislative session. “The dollars raised will go back to support the valuable work of FFA and 4-H in the state of Minnesota.” The design will be inspired by the students. “We recognize the talent that our students have so our FFA and 4-H members are encouraged to submit designs.” Contest details can be found on the Minnesota FFA Foundation website and the Minnesota 4-H Extension website. The deadline to submit designs is October 1.

Beef Featured at Grand Forks Air Force Base Summer Bash – The North Dakota Beef Commission hosted a grilling competition at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Staff Sargent Steven Baxter was part of the winning team. “We had a German meatball with German potato salad and we went the Hawaiian pizza route, but I changed it up using plums rather than pineapple. The last dish was inspired from South America with a grilled, marinated steak with chimichurri, roasted corn and black beans.” Marvin Regorral’s team was the runner-up. “This was a great contest,” said Regorral. “We can’t say enough good things about them. We see many of the same folks every year’ they are very, very supportive.” NDBC Consumer Marketing and Industry Relations Specialist Nicole Wardner said this event demonstrates the appreciation seen for the military. “We also have a community here that isn’t just North Dakotans. They come from all over the country. It is a way for them to learn about the ranchers creating the product for them and the beef they consume.” This North Dakota Beef Commission ‘Iron Chef’-type event has been part of the Grand Forks Air Force Base Summer Bash since 2011. Photos from the event can be found on Facebook.

Trade Mission Planned for November 13-19 – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will lead a trade mission to the United Kingdom and Finland in mid-November. Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen will join Walz on this trip. This trade mission comes at a time when the UK is moving into its post-Brexit economy and is considering a trade agreement with the United States.

Minnesota Beef Update – The Minnesota Beef ‘Top of the Class’ program is made up of cattle men and women from across the state. Learn more about the program from Wadena cow/calf producer Emilee White in the latest Minnesota Beef Update.

U.S. Durum Miller Sold – A subsidiary of Richardson International has closed on its deal to purchase the largest durum miller in North America. Richards Oilseed Holdings has met all regulatory hurdles for the acquisition of Italgrani USA. The deal includes storage and crop input facilities in Tolley, Powers Lake and Benedict, North Dakota; a milling facility in St. Louis and a merchandising office in Minneapolis.

Isagro Being Integrated into Gowan – Gowan Company has finalized its purchase of Isagro S.p.A. Isagro is now a privately owned company owned by Gowan. With the acquisition, Gown adds a basic position in several active substances, including tetraconazole.

Worthington Ag Parts Closes SD Location – The Worthington Ag Parts location in Watertown, South Dakota has closed. This location has been in operation since 1983.

Deere Makes Silicon Valley Purchase – John Deere has purchased Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million. The acquisition is seen as a move to expand Deere’s autonomous technology.

Easy USA Acquires Furst-McNess – A Korean-based company has acquired Iowa-based feed and ingredients company Furst-McNess. Furst-McNess has 12 major facilities in eight states and Canada. It will operate as a stand-alone business for Easy USA, a newly formed subsidiary of the international feed and feed mill company Easy Holdings.

New Ownership for Sanderson Farms – Sanderson Farms is being sold to Cargill and Continental Grain Company for $4.5 billion. Sanderson Farms is the third-largest poultry processor in the United States.

Corn Comments – Volunteers are at the heart of agriculture communities. Hear more in the latest Corn Comments program, a production of South Dakota Corn.

CHS Expands E15 Availability – Beginning this month, CHS is expanding access to E15 ethanol blends through 19 additional fuel terminals. That includes Magellan and Nustar terminals in Jamestown, Fargo, Grand Forks, Alexandria, Mankato, Rochester and Minneapolis. CHS is the only refiner in the country to establish an EPA-approved misfuelling mitigation plan for its Cenex brand retail locations.

Gregory Begins New Job at ASTA – The American Seed Trade Association has hired a new manager of membership engagement. Most recently, Jordan Gregory was a policy specialist for the Texas Department of Agriculture.

US Grains Council Adds Sutton to DC Office – Emily Sutton is the new manager of communications for the U.S. Grains Council. Most recently, Sutton worked for the Prim Marketing Group. In her new role, Sutton will be responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of USGC publications, website, social media and other internal and external outreach.

AgriGrowth Announces New Hire – Effective September 27, Josie Lonetti will take over as the new director of strategic engagement for the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council. Lonetti currently serves as the associated director of public policy for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation.