Trump to Impose Tariffs on Canada and Mexico – In addition to China, President-Elect Donald Trump is now calling for tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports. Trump said he will impose a 25 percent tariff on all products coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, starting on his first day on the job. On Truth Social, Trump said “this tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country.”

‘Counterproductive’ – President Biden is asking President-Elect Donald Trump to rethink his threat of additional tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Biden said these two neighboring countries are our closest allies and additional tariffs would be counterproductive. Trump is calling for a 25 percent tariff on all products coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.

Trump and Trudeau Meet at Mar-a-Lago – With the looming threat of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago Friday to have dinner with President-Elect Donald Trump. Trade was one of many issues discussed. Both world leaders described the meeting as “productive.” There were several dignitaries at the event, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

Tariff Concerns – Tariff concerns are having an impact on the ag commodities. Van Ahn and Company Kristi Van Ahn is watching the corn market closely. “We know what it’s like to work through the tariffs and the trade war life with China when it comes to soybeans but this would be something so new for us in the corn market and Mexico is our number one corn buyer,” said Van Ahn. “It also has a lot of implications when it comes to fertilizer prices, we get quite a bit of fertilizer from Canada.”

Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on BRICS Nations – President-Elect Donald Trump issued a warning for the BRICS nations over his Truth Social platform. Trump said there would be severe economic consequences if these countries create a new BRICS currency to replace the U.S. dollar. The BRICS alliance includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and it has discussed moving away from the U.S. dollar in recent years.

Greer to Lead USTR – President-Elect Donald Trump has named Jamieson Greer as his trade representative. Greer served as chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who led the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office during Trump’s first term. After his time at USTR, Greer was a partner in a multinational corporate law firm with a focus on international trade.

Fielding Questions Featuring Andy Martin – AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Legislative and Public Affairs Andy Martin analyzes the 2024 elections and their impact on agriculture. Martin said he wasn’t surprised by one party sweeping the federal elections, as was seen with a clear victory for President-Elect Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress. Margins are slim and attention is already shifting to the next election cycle two years from now. The fate of the farm bill is also highlighted in this discussion. Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network. Click here to listen to the podcast.

Support for Rollins – President-Elect Donald Trump’s nomination for agriculture secretary is receiving praise from farm groups. Texas Farm Bureau Director of Communications Gary Joiner thinks Brooke Rollins’ background and familiarity with the Trump administration is a plus. “It’s not much of a surprise when you see how she fits within the Trump administration’s goals going forward with their cabinet picks. I think she brings a passion for agriculture,” said Joiner. “She talks about Texas Farm Bureau, 4-H and FFA being the reason she could attend college.” U.S. Meat Export Federation CEO Dan Halstrom is also excited about the Rollins nomination. ” The Trump administration, during the first go-round. was very aware and very conscious of the importance of agriculture; I think this sort of pick for potential ag secretary is a good pick.”

Watne: Rollins Has the Credentials for Ag Secretary Role – The nomination of Brooke Rollins for the top job at USDA is receiving praise. “She certainly has credentials that could bring her into a leadership role,” says North Dakota Farmer’s Union President Mark Watne. “She has some background in agriculture growing up on a farm and attending Texas A&M where I believe she got a degree in Ag Development.” Rollins will come into the role with a full plate. “Hopefully, she’ll surround herself with the talent needed to help us get over having a long period without a new farm program and bring us some new markets.”

Threats Made to Rollins and Other Cabinet Nominees – Several of the people nominated for Donald Trump’s cabinet have faced bomb threats or false emergency calls at their homes. Agriculture Secretary-Nominee Brooke Rollins and her family received one of these bomb threats Wednesday morning. Rollins later went on social media to thank Fort Worth police for their quick response.

Craig Seeks Ranking Member Post – Minnesota Representative Angie Craig wants to be the lead Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. Craig sent a letter to her fellow Democrats on the committee, making her case to take over the leadership role. Georgia Congressman David Scott is now in that role, but has had health issues. Scott has also faced scrutiny over his effectiveness in leading the Democratic caucus in the ag committee. Congressman Jim Costa has also announced his intentions to seek the ranking member role when the next Congress convenes in January. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar will be the ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Klobuchar is succeeding Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, who is retiring.

Back to Work – Congress is returning to Washington, D.C. following the Thanksgiving break. Lawmakers face a December 20th deadline to fund the government, likely with another continuing resolution. Action on a farm bill extension, a disaster package and an ag assistance plan are also expected during the balance of the lame duck session.

Farm Bill’s Fate Rests with Donald Trump – National Farmers Union President Rob Larew would still like to see the farm bill completed during the lame duck session. Kicking this legislation into next year does not solve any problems. “Next year, we may be talking about making cuts in a farm bill, not adding and strengthening the safety net and we cannot find ourselves in that situation.” Larew said it is not known how a farm bill fits into President-Elect Trump’s agenda “and that’s not good for farmers and ranchers.” Much of the heavy lifting has already been done for this farm bill. Larew believes the farm bill’s fate rests with Trump and his willingness to clear the deck so he can focus on other priorities. “If he sends the signal that we need to get this farm bill wrapped up here at the end of the year before he’s sworn into office, I think it’ll get done.”

‘Dairy Cliff’ is Possible – If Congress doesn’t address the farm bill before the end of the year, agricultural policy will revert to permanent law. Parity would push milk prices to more than $49 per hundredweight, more than double the current Class I price. If that ‘dairy cliff’ happens, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said there would be a recession in the next week. Speaking at a dairy farm in New York State, Schumer said Senate Agriculture Committee Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member John Boozman will have a permanent farm bill ready before the end of the year. However, Washington insiders indicate a one-year farm bill extension is more likely.

Unknowns Remain for the Farm Bill – Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen was in Washington, D.C. early this past week for the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation and offered his perspective on the farm bill and disaster relief. “We’re going to get the (farm bill) extension, but there are a lot of unknowns. There’s also a lot of talk about the piece that (President Joe) Biden put out and there are some dollars for our Midwest producers who had flooding and different issues there. We may be looking at a WHIP-type program like we had in 2019 and we’ll see how that goes.” Petersen also wished Agriculture Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins well, saying he wants her to be successful so farmers can be successful.

Advocacy Takes on More Importance – National Corn Growers Association Chairman Harold Wolle, who farms at Madelia, Minnesota, says the money available for farm bill funding could be tight with the new Congress and new Administration. “It’s a transition period and none of us know exactly how the new administration is going to function,” said Wolle. “The leadership team that the new administration is putting together is untested. We don’t know what their goals are going to be so I think there will be a place for associations like the National Corn Growers Association to be involved and advocate for the policies that we think are appropriate.” With so much turnover in Congress, Wolle said that education and advocacy for agriculture is even more important.

ND Disaster Declaration Sought – North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congressman Kelly Armstrong are asking President Joe Biden to approve a major disaster declaration for North Dakota. This request is for the historic straight-line winds and wildfires in early October.

Crop Insurance Enhancements for ’25 – USDA’s Risk Management Agency is now offering revenue protection coverage for flax. This option is already available for barley, rye, wheat and oats. For farmers who want yield coverage without electing one of the new revenue coverage options, there are only a couple changes. The guarantee will be the projected price offered for revenue protection, instead of a price election established by RMA. The replanting payment for flax will also be determined by using the projected price, instead of a price election. For 2025, RMA is also adjusting the written agreement deadlines for dry beans to match other insurance policies.

Mexican Imports Restricted by Screwworm – The United States has suspended livestock imports from Mexico temporarily. Trade was shutdown after a New World screwworm was confirmed in a cow near the Guatemalan border. The screwworm parasite can cause serious damage, including death. The screwworm was last eradicated from the United States nearly 60 years ago. The restrictions on feeder cattle imports from Mexico are happening at a time when cattle supplies are already tight.

U.S. and Mexican Officials Cooperating on Screwworm Discovery – As of Wednesday afternoon, only one animal was confirmed to have screwworm. Dr. Burke Healey with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said this case was in southern Mexico. The United States shut down its border and is working closely with Mexican animal health officials. “Mexico has put in a robust system. They’ve got multiple checkpoints that protect their southern border that they utilize to find this particular case so we’re confident in their system and we working hand in hand with them to come up with a protocol to reestablish trade.”

WTO Addresses Food Insecurity – The World Trade Organization Agriculture Committee got an update on global food insecurity concerns at this week’s meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Program predicts a rise in serious food insecurity over the next six months in 22 countries and territories. The FAO called for more market transparency and trade and marketing infrastructure improvements.

Ag is Part of the Solution – The United Nations Climate Change Conference, which is better known as COP29, was held in Azerbaijan. Plant-Based Product Council Executive Director James Glueck was part of the program and said there was a realization that agriculture could be part of the solution. “I don’t think there’s a lot of recognition at the global scale for all the time and energy that growers spend improving their land, improving water, improving the air,” said Glueck. “Folks don’t realize what you do on the farm with the responsible use of resources so you can pass the farm on to the next generation.” The United States, the European Union and other major nations agreed to provide $250 billion per year to developing countries to address climate change. That’s far short of the trillion-plus number that the small, developing countries sought. With the election of Donald Trump, that figure may be in doubt. However, Glueck said U.S. agriculture remains committed to this issue.

Fertilizer Market Overcomes Supply Chain Struggle – U.S. fertilizer markets faced major challenges in 2024. Despite these obstacles, the industry has remained resilient. “The Canadian rail strike was a real scare,” said Fertilizer Institute President and CEO Corey Rosenbush, noting the U.S. relies on Canada for 85 percent of its potash supply. Low river levels and the hurricanes that struck the Gulf area also shook the fertilizer business. “There’s always something, but we’re resilient. I think that’s the story of 2024.”

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, Water Quality Certification Specialist Brian Ingmire talks about the five endorsements available to certified producers. Click here to listen. 

Taking the Confusion Out of Climate Markets – Farmers can be paid for their conservation practices in numerous ways, including carbon markets, clean fuels and supply chain management opportunities. Minnesota Farmers Union Climate and Working Lands Director Ariel Kagan sees the organization as an unbiased source of information about these revenue opportunities. “We’re continuing to look at these new federal and state policies to get our heads around them so that we can help our members make good decisions.” Unfortunately, Kagen says the data isn’t keeping up with reality. “When you look at the data about how many cover crops are in Minnesota, it’s pretty low. We are seeing increases in the data, but it’s, it doesn’t reflect what I think is really happening on the ground. People are starting to experiment with cover crops and reduced tillage.”

Clean Fields Critical During Emergence – Syngenta Agronomy Service Representative Phil Krieg says weed pressure during corn emergence can negatively impact growth throughout the plant’s life. “Early season weed control means everything to yield,” said Krieg. “We always see an advantage to controlling weeds early, controlling them before they ever come up to compete with the crop in any way or at any size.” Waterhemp is particularly difficult to control. “This weed has outsmarted just about every chemistry that we’ve tried to use to control it from a resistance standpoint. We like to look at that weed first and foremost from a control aspect, taking a look at doing everything we can to keep it from developing more resistance than it already has.”

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Carolyn Olson recaps the organization’s annual meeting in this edition of the MFBF Minute. discusses some details from the Annual Meeting. Listen to the report.

Patience Needed for Interest Rates – Interest rates have come down, but it will take time for those effects to be felt on the farm. “We went from three to four percent farm level interest rates up to seven percent and now we’re coming down from seven to maybe six percent,” said David Widmar, economist, Agricultural Economic Insights. “We’ll start to see some improvement, but we went up a lot and we’ve only come down a little.” Interest rates impact everything from borrowing costs to asset valuations “so it’s going to take time to work this way through this system.” Some input costs have come down slightly, which is positive news for the budget.

MFU Invests in Meat Processing – The Minnesota Farmer’s Union supports small and medium-sized meat processing in the state. “We need to make sure that we’re providing training programs so that we have people going into the workforce,” said MFU Special Projects Coordinator Dave Endicott. “The second piece is getting legislative advocacy to happen, making sure dollars are coming in to support our processors, our producers and these training programs.” Additionally, MFU is behind a new meat processing coming to Staples, Minnesota. “Farmers Union Foundation has purchased a piece of land there and we’re going to be building a multi-million-dollar facility that will be able to have USDA processing and we’re building infrastructure around there so we have a safe, comfortable place for people to work.” Listen to the full interview.

MFU Minute – RRFN interviews Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish for a recap of the MFU Annual Meeting. Listen to the MFU Minute.

November Hay Prices Reported – According to the Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest, prime alfalfa hay averaged $171 per ton for large squares. That’s down from $237 one year ago. The price for large rounds is averaging $112 per ton, which is nearly half the price seen one year ago. Grade 1 hay is valued at $115 per ton for large squares, down from $213 per ton one year ago.

Record Dairy Consumption – Americans consumed a record amount of dairy products in 2023, with butter and cheese consumption at historic highs. USDA reports per capita consumption of dairy products reached 661 pounds per person in 2023, an increase of seven pounds per person over the previous year and matching the record set in 2021. U.S. cheese consumption totaled 42.3 pounds per person and butter consumption was 6.5 pounds. Both were record high. Yogurt sales were up, while fluid milk and ice cream sales declined.

Rising Lamb Demand – The American Lamb Board’s mission is to grow awareness and demand for American lamb. It was a successful year. “We’re seeing an increase in the consumption of American lamb,” said Jeff Ebert, ALC chairman. Applications for the ALB Cooperative Funding Program are reviewed twice a year to effectively and efficiently allocate funds that will have the greatest impact. “With our limited budget, we have to be selective in how we spend our dollars.” The lamb checkoff’s Smart Climate Commodities Grant recipients will be announced on December 15. “We’re selecting 150 producers and what we’re doing is assessing carbon and gashouse emissions. Going from that, producers will have to provide data that we’ll use to build a system for other producers interested in carbon reduction.” Listen to the full interview here.

Farm Worker Wages Up 3.2% – Low commodities prices and high input costs had farmers tightening the purse strings in 2024. For farm workers, the opposite might be true. November’s farm labor survey showed an increase in wages. “Combined field and livestock worker wages were $18.12 nationally, up 3.2 percent from the 2023 release,” said American Farm Bureau Economist Samantha Ayoub. Wages are dependent on location. “There was actually a decrease in the Lake region, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, down two percent to $18.15, but then we have places like the Southeast, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, with nearly ten percent increases.” The adverse effect wage, which comprises 96 percent of H2A workers, is based on the results of the survey and will be announced in December.

Courts Intervene on H-2A Rule – A federal judge has blocked enforcement of a rule amending the H-2A visa program. The International Fresh Produce Association was joined by the American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a handful of state Farm Bureau and produce groups. This statute allowed temporary farmworkers to bargain collectively. The IFPA said this ruling is a victory for farmers because it prevents regulatory overreach that would increase costs and create inefficiencies.

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – Check out the Job Opportunities tab on the Red River Farm Network website. The Pennington County Farm Service Agency is hiring a full-time temporary program analyst in Thief River Falls. If your business has a job opportunity, contact the Red River Farm Network to reach your future employee.

Lawmakers Gather in Bismarck – North Dakota legislators are in Bismarck for the next three days for their organizational session. The schedule is filled with procedural activities and new members will be sworn in. A budget session will be held Wednesday.

Agribusiness Expo Kicks Off Winter Trade Show Season – The North Dakota Agricultural Association Agribusiness Expo will include a focus on the EPA and its approach to the Endangered Species Act. “That’s one where they’re looking at a lot of different chemistries and whether there will be limitations on use due to effects on endangered species,” says NDAA Executive Director Stu Letcher. “It’s a pretty involved regulation so I think that’s a pretty important one for people to show up for, especially in the retail industry.” Ag advocate Trent Loos is also on the agenda on Tuesday. “He’s going to be talking about protecting domestic food and fuel supplies for a free future.” The Agribusiness Expo is taking place this afternoon and tomorrow in Fargo.

SDFU Convention: A Focus on Animal Agriculture – The South Dakota Farmers Union is hosting its annual convention December 11-12. President Doug Sombke expects animal agriculture to be heavily discussed at his year’s meeting. “We’ll have open remarks by Dr. Beth Thompson, the state veterinarian, mostly about the bird flu and how it’s affecting livestock in the state,” said Sombke. “Then also animal ID. Eminent domain and the pipeline are also expected to be debated ahead of the state legislative session.

SD Farm Groups Collaborate for Ag Horizons Conference – South Dakota Wheat Growers Association Executive Director Caren Assman is excited about this week’s Ag Horizons Conference. “We have 16 speakers in a day and a half and we’re going to kick it off with Secretary (Hunter) Roberts from DANR (Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources).” Breakout sessions are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday in Pierre. “We’re going to visit about secrets to high yield with the SprayTec company. We’re going to talk about cyber threats to agriculture with the cyber team from SDSU (South Dakota State University) and DSU (Dakota State University) and we’re also going to provide a climate review and outlook.” Ag Horizons is sponsored by SDWGA, the South Dakota Crop Improvement Association, South Dakota Oilseeds Council, South Dakota Pulse Growers, South Dakota Seed Trade Association, South Dakota Soil Health Coalition and the South Dakota No-Till Association. To register, go to sdwga.org.

SD Corn Comments – In the latest edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, Farm Credit Services of America Regional Vice President of Insurance Matt Lindgren invites farmers to participate in the Growing On market education meeting. Listen to the update. South Dakota Corn Comments is made possible by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

ACSC/RRVSGA Expect Large Turnout for Annual Meeting – Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Harrison Weber expects a great turnout for the joint American Crystal Sugar Company/RRVSGA annual meeting. “Farm bill is going to be on our mind. We’ll also be talking about the year and where we finished on everything this past year.” Newly-elected North Dakota Congresswoman Julie Fedorchuk will also participate in the meeting. “We’re very excited to host her and hear her thoughts and some of her ideas before she goes to DC in January.” This joint event will be Thursday in Fargo.

Beet Stock Values – More American Crystal Sugar Company beet shares were brokered at $5,200 last week. According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, there were four trades last week totaling 90 shares all at $5,200 per share.

UMC to Host Bergland Lecture Series – The University of Minnesota-Crookston is launching the Bergland Lecture Series to promote new ideas to enhance agriculture and rural communities. This program is named for Bob Bergland, who served as the agriculture secretary during the Carter Administration and served in Congress for six years. UMC Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause describes Bergland as an authentic individual. “He would walk into a coffee shop and be just as genuine there as when he was representing the farmer’s interest in Washington and around the world.” Geopolitical specialist Jacob Shapiro will be featured in the inaugural lecture. “Jacob Shapiro is a very well-studied person who speaks around the country. He’s also focused a lot on agricultural audiences so much of everything that he’ll tell us is very relevant to what’s happening in the agricultural field.” That includes comments about the Trump presidency and world events. This program will be held on Thursday, December 5 in Crookston.

Cultivating Conservation – The Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Convention brings together 700 conservation leaders. “The primary function is for our members who are local soil and water district officials and their resource professionals to come together to learn from each other,” said Executive Director LeAnn Buck. “The biggest thing too is to promote and adopt local conservation policy and focus on voluntary conservation programs.” The MASWCD meeting is Tuesday and Wednesday in Bloomington.

Soil Health Experts Gather in Mankato – The  Premier Soil Health Event will be Tuesday and Wednesday in Mankato. “We have a great lineup of soil health educators, both national and regional and local, and that gives farmers an option to pick the topics they’re interested in,” said Mark Gutierrez, executive director, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition. A prestigious award will be announced for the first time in Minnesota. “The Leopold Award focuses on landowners and farmers who demonstrate outstanding conservation practices. The winner is selected by a panel of farmers and ag professionals.” The Leopold Conservation Award is named after renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold.

Energy Efficiency – A renewable energy roundtable this week will concentrate on energy efficiency. AURI Director of Science and Technology Luca Zullo admits the topic isn’t very flashy as others, but it is important. “There are multiple benefits to streamlining energy efficiency,” said Zullo. “One is economics, to use less, spending less money on energy, but the other one is environmental. If we use less energy, we have a lower carbon intensity.” Thursday’s event is available in-person in Maple Grove and online at auri.org

New State FFA Leadership Conference Coming to St. Cloud – The Minnesota FFA is separating its career development events from its leadership development events These contests have traditionally been held together in the Twin Cities. Minnesota FFA Career and Alumni Coordinator Nasha Mortenson said most state FFA programs do it this way, but it is new for Minnesota. “The State Fair is remodeling the coliseum, putting a new roof on, which meant we’d lose a bunch of space for the FFA convention next year and the year after,” said Mortenson. “All of the leadership development events are going to be held at St. Cloud State University December 9th and 10th for all of our preliminary and final events for those LDEs. We also have leadership conferences and workshops happening during the conference as well.” The Leadership Development events include parliamentary procedure, extemporaneous, public, and creed speaking. Mortensen expects attendance to top 475 students for the new Minnesota State FFA Leadership Conference.

Preparing Students for a Career in Agriculture – South Dakota FFA hosted 600 students from across the state for a series of leadership development events over the weekend in Box Elder, South Dakota. South Dakota FFA Foundation Executive Director Gerri Eide says these events help prepare students with skills for the workforce. “They’ll be learning skills relevant in whatever career field they go into; how to understand marketing plans, knowing how to make a sale in the ag sales event, knowing how to run a meeting if they’re in the city council or school board members or state Legislature down the road.” The event also had a career expo,

Dry Bean Scene – In the latest edition of the Dry Bean Scene, Dean Nelson of Kelley Bean Company reviews the 2024 growing season and looks ahead to next year. Market prospects get attention in the report. Click here to listen to the report.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets – In today’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says the cattle market continues to rally. The closure of the Mexican border due to New World Screw Worm is the biggest consideration. “I’d also have to say the stock market; we’ve had a little downturn, but for the most part, we’re still in the upper range and that market continues to look very strong.” Wheat is in the ‘not hot’ category as it flirts with contract lows.

WCAS-CHS Merger Approved – Members of West Central Ag Services approved the sale of their cooperative to CHS. More than 1,100 active patrons voted with over 70 percent of them in favor of the merger. In an earlier interview, West Central General Manager Jesse McCollum told RRFN said this combination brings immediate value to its members. “As we analyzed the situation, when can you sell something over five times equity and own it back the next day at zero that brings a lot of value for the business; we think it’s a huge opportunity in setting us up for the future.” The $225 million deal is expected to close within 30 days. West Central Ag Services is based in Ulen, Minnesota, and has 14 locations in northwest Minnesota. CHS and West Central Ag Services have a 50/50 joint venture based in Hannaford, North Dakota called Central Plains Ag Services. This joint venture will now be wholly owned by CHS and part of the CHS ag retail business unit located in Devils Lake. The Arthur Companies made a bid for West Central Ag Services, highlighting its offer in a series of town meetings, online and on the radio. However, the West Central Ag Services board chose to move forward with only the CHS merger proposal.

An Expansion for Cavendish Farms – Cavendish Farms plans to break ground on a major expansion of its Jamestown, North Dakota potato processing plant in 2025. The $150 million project will increase capacity from 410 million pounds per year to 450 million pounds. Cavendish Farms is a Canadian company and the Jamestown plant is its only U.S. location.

Titan Machinery Sees Increased Parts/Service Revenue – Titan Machinery is reporting third-quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings of $680 million. That’s down from $694 million in the same quarter last year. Revenue generated from parts and service is up from last year while income from equipment sales is lower. President and CEO Bryan Knutson said the ag equipment business continues to face headwinds. Knutson says the company is seeing positive results from its inventory reduction effort. “We have made some early progress, but we are only just beginning to move the needle and still expect the majority of inventory reductions to be realized as we progress through fiscal 2026,” said Knutson “Nonetheless, in the third quarter, we were able to decrease our total inventory by approximately $115 million.”

Award Winning Wheat – WestBred had 12 of the 26 national winners in the National Wheat Yield Contest. WestBred Marketing Manager Carrie Roach said the combination of high-producing wheat varieties and management-intensive production will deliver yield. Quality is also part of the contest. “You can’t have high-performing varieties and just hit those bushels without making sure that you’re hitting the quality because that’s really what we need downstream.” Wheat variety decisions are being made earlier and earlier. “Making sure you’re locking in those varieties, especially if you’ve got your eye on one, is going to be really important right now,” said Roach. “Talk to your seed supplier about which WestBred variety is best for you and get that locked in so you can achieve those yields, performance, and high quality.” Click here to listen to the full interview.

Lallamand Introduces New Seed Treatment – A new seed treatment called LALRISE SHINE DS is available for corn and dry bean growers. The easy-to-use dry seed treatment is produced by Lallemand Plant Care. It is seen as a tool that will enhance phosphorus fertility performance, particularly in soils with fluctuating pH levels.

Anderson, Hansen to Co-Chair House Ag Committee – With the 67-67 divide in the Minnesota House, all committees will be split evenly between DFL and Republican members. Republican Paul Anderson and DFLer Rick Hansen will co-chair the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee. Anderson farms at Starbuck and has been in the Legislature since 2008. Hansen represents South St. Paul. He grew up on a farm near Albert Lea and worked at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture from 1998 to 2005. Hansen is now president of a small business and owns a farm in southern Minnesota.

Extension Water Engineer Joins NDSU – Laxmi Prasad is the new Extension water engineer for North Dakota State University. Prasad will focus on water issues including irrigation systems management, tile drainage management, and water quality. Prasad received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University in India and his master’s degree in land and water resources engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur. He got his Ph.D. in biological systems engineering and soil science at UW-Madison in 2021.

Best Wishes – Red River Farm Network Farm Broadcaster Melissa Hammer has accepted a new position with AgCountry Farm Credit Services. RRFN wishes Melissa well in her new career endeavors.