Omnibus Appropriations Bill Signed – President Joe Biden has signed the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill. The bill includes $3.7 billion for crop and livestock losses that happened this past year. There’s $2.2 billion for international food assistance and promote U.S. agricultural products overseas. USDA is being directed to support voluntary carbon market programs. The year-end spending bill also allows crop protection companies to pay registration fees to help pesticides move through the registration process faster. There’s $1.5 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers to improve navigation on the Mississippi River and extends mandatory livestock reporting until September 30^th of next year.

Sustainability Support – The year-end spending bill includes provisions to promote voluntary conservation practices to reduce high carbon emissions. This language would allow private sector funds to supplement federal conservation programs.

Friends of the Earth Oppose Carbon Offsets – The activist group, Friends of the Earth, are upset with provisions within the omnibus spending bill. Carbon offset programs are being described as an ineffective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a statement, a Friends of the Earth spokesperson said that is a ‘poison pill’ and it will take money away from sustainable farming practices.

Rice Growers Secure Relief Package – The year-end spending bill in the Senate includes $250 million for a one-time payment for rice growers. A recent study conducted by Texas A&M University found rice farms would be hurt the hardest by rising crop input costs. A second study by the same school found two-thirds of rice farms they monitored will fail to breakeven this year. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman sought this relief package.

Year Ends With Confirmation of Ag Trade Ambassador – As the lame duck session approached the finish line, the Senate confirmed Doug McKalip as the chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. McKalip was nominated in July, but a hold was put on the confirmation. McKalip was the senior advisor for agriculture and rural affairs with the Biden Administration’s Domestic Policy Council

Taylor Confirmed – The Senate has confirmed Alexis Taylor as USDA’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural services. Taylor is an Iowa native who served as the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture for six years. Before that, Taylor worked at USDA and on Capitol Hill.

‘A Big Win for Agriculture’ – U.S. Grains Council Director of Trade Policy Andrew Brandt is looking forward to working with Alexis Taylor in her new role at USDA. “I think her confirmation is a big win for all of agriculture,” said Brandt.  “We’ve worked together on Capitol Hill way back in 2009, so I know she’ll be a great advocate for us.” Brandt says her knowledge will be useful on many fronts including “Mexico’s biotech decree, the Indo-Pacific economic framework or some of the issues we’re seeing with the European Union with their Farm to Fork Initiative.”

Three Options for ’23 Farm Bill – When the new Congress convenes next month, Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson will be at the helm of the House Agriculture Committee. Thompson says there are three options for the 2023 farm bill. Number one, the bill could be allowed to expire at the end of September and let it revert to the language established during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. “Number 2, we could kick the can down the road and do an extension,” said Thompson. “But, that’s a failure to do our job because I think there’s improvements to be made.” Crop insurance and updated reference prices were cited as possible improvements for the next farm bill. The ag committee’s third option is to complete the farm bill before the current legislation expires. “Which really in my mind is the only option.”

Preserving Ukrainian Ag Infrastructure – The Ukrainian government has authorized the agriculture ministry to identify critical ag facilities that should be a priority for receiving electricity. With the ongoing threat to its infrastructure from Russian forces, Ukraine has made the food processing industry and agriculture a priority.

Canola Minute – This week, we hear from Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman who recaps the annual Canola Research Conference. Tune into this week’s Canola Minute to hear more about the breeding program, plot program, and disease resistance efforts.

China Eases COVID Restrictions – China recently ended its more severe COVID restrictions. U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President for Asia-Pacific Joel Haggard says the move should help open new opportunities for U.S. red meat as the restaurant industry rebounds. Another COVID wave remains a threat. “One factor that will supercharge the wave of COVID cases is the vast movement of the population before the Chinese New Year.” Haggard expects a record year for U.S. beef. “U.S. beef exports to China have been stellar this year; I think there’s optimism for next year because so many restrictions are being lifted and international travel should resume closer to normal.”

U.S. Files Dispute Over Market Access – The United States has filed a new request for dispute settlement discussions with Canada. The U.S. claims Canada violates the USMCA tariff-rate quota provisions for dairy. The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council pledged their support for increased market access with Canada.

Tariff Rate Cut Extended Through ’23 – The Philippines have extended a reduction in tariff rates on food imports until the end of 2023. The lower rates were established in 2021 and were scheduled to expire at the end of the month. The lower tariffs impact rice, pork, corn and other food products. This tariff reduction is designed to address inflation concerns.

Food and Fuel Research – The growing demand for soybean oil for biofuels is not having a significant impact on food prices. The United Soybean Board partnered with Purdue University on this Food and Fuel study. The research found the demand for biofuels had a small effect on retail vegetable oil prices, but that was partially offset by lower prices for dairy products, beef, pork, chicken and eggs. With an increase in the soybean crush, the availability of soybean meal also increases. That helps drive down the price of animal protein.

Soil Fertility Minute – On this week’s Soil Fertility Minute, sponsored by the Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council, Dr. Dan Kaiser gives tips and tricks on managing Iron Chlorosis.

Additional Resistance Issues in Western North Dakota – Kochia in western North Dakota may have developed resistance to common pre-plant burndown herbicides, including Sharpen and Aim. A study was conducted by North Dakota State University. Weed scientist Brian Jenks said the potential loss of Aim and Sharpen as effective weed control will leave farmers with few remaining options.

Pay Attention to Palmer – Farmers should be thinking about the weeds they faced this past year and make a game plan for 2023. In a webinar this past week, NDSU Extension Weed Specialist Joe Ikley said dry bean growers need to be alert for Palmer amaranth. “It’s more problematic than Red River pigweed.” Ikley says there’s overlap in management between Palmer amaranth’s and waterhemp.

Check Drought Scores – The 2022 growing season started very late with very wet conditions.The crop caught up quickly and now there’s very little moisture in the soil profile. “Look at the drought scores,” said Scott Walker, corn product manager, Pioneer. “Anything with a seven or eight in our book would be good for those particular acres, especially up in North Dakota and northern South Dakota as well.” Preparation is the key to success. “Every acre is different; every growing seasons different so you want to make sure can diversify your package.”

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association will be at the Minnesota Ag Expo! Hear more from MCGA President Richard Syverson in the latest Corn Matters.

Learn About the Country of Origin and Corn Composition in NCI’s Future of Feeding Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting another Future of Feeding webinar on Wednesday morning at 9 AM. This webinar features Alvaro García, livestock nutritionist, Dellait, discussing ‘Country of Origin and Corn Composition. This webinar series focuses on using innovation in the processing of animal food, equipment and the use of grains from this region for co-products. Register online.

A Michigan Perspective on Cercospora Leaf Spot – Helena agronomist Ben Wilson is based in Michigan and deals with many of the same crops grown in the Red River Valley. For sugarbeets, that means similar issues with cercospora leaf spot. “What we’ve learned is a regimented spray application sequence is the way to go,”  said Wilson. “We can monitor DSV (Disease Severity Value); spraying prior to rain events is always a big deal; tightening up your interval a little bit and mixing up your modes of action.” Wilson does not expect to see many changes in the acreage mix in Michigan.

Beet Share Values – According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, there were four American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock brokered sales last week totaling 123 shares at $4,700 per share.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – The cattle market continues to be one of the positive aspects of the marketplace, especially with live cattle futures at levels not seen since 2015. In this edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson also looks at the weather and end-of-the-year positioning.

Temps Dictate the Wheat Market – NAU Country Vice President of Farm Services Rich Morrison says traders are keeping an eye on the wheat crop as temperatures fall below freezing well into the Southern Plains. “We did see some premium put into the wheat markets for the cold weather. but with some areas next week in winter wheat country forecasting warmer temperatures in the 50s and 60s, it’s kind of all over the place. We typically kill the wheat crop a few times every year and I guess this is one of them.”

Southern Plains Wheat Crop Lags – Despite recent moisture in the Southern Plains, Oklahoma State University Small Grains Specialist Amanda Silva says the wheat crop is far behind. “People are really excited about all the rain, but unfortunately the Panhandle has not seen as much moisture. The wheat is small around the state because it was planted so late.” Silva says temperature swings in Oklahoma could be a problem for underdeveloped wheat.

Beneficial Moisture – According to South Dakota State University Extension state climatologist Laura Edwards, this past week’s snow could be beneficial for the crops. “The snow protects winter wheat and alfalfa from the extreme cold,” said Edwards. “I know it’s a pain when snow is measured in feet not inches, but it does provide benefits as well.”

Mitigate Risk – As the calendar turns to a new year, Advance Trading broker Ben Peters reminds growers to develop a plan to deal with the rest of their old crop supply and start to mitigate risk on the new crop. “That’s especially true in this window before crop insurance is embedded,” Peters told RRFN. “I encourage farmers to continue to challenge themselves to get floors under 20, 30 or 40 percent more than they normally would with the cost structures being so high this year.”

Getting It Right – NDSU Extension hosted the annual Getting It Right webinar featuring research-based production information. NDSU Soil Specialist Dave Franzen highlighted the cause of interveinal chlorosis in soybeans in the Red River Valley. “The only cause of this condition is the presence of carbonates in the soil and if you have a zone sample that shows a pH of 7 or above, you have carbonates.” said Franzen. “Variety selection is extremely important.” Franzen also said that the right iron fertilizer, using a companion crop at planting, or wider rows can help mitigate the issue.

Tools Available to Offset Rising Input Costs – Nine in every ten farmers participate in the Federal Crop Insurance program. Rural Community Insurance Services Head of Sales Jeff Bahr says there are also private products that narrow any gaps in coverage. “Talk to your agent about differences from last year to this year because there are some, now’s the time to do it.”  There are tools to help farmers deal with rising farm input costs. “For example, we have an insurance product called margin protection that helps with input costs, fertilizer (and) fuel; these things are much higher than what they what they typically have been so a lot of times farmers want those supplemental coverages.”

TransFARMation: Unique Stressors Facing Farmers and Ranchers – Most farmers enjoyed a good harvest and are experiencing decent markets. However, the high cost of crop inputs has cut into the margins on the farm. In addition to financial challenges, farmers and ranchers face unique stressors. In the latest TransFARMation podcast, Becky Kopp Dunham discusses the dynamics facing agriculture today. Kopp Dunham is a therapist with a special focus on issues relating to farm stress. “There are just so many moving parts to a farming and ranching operation. There are a variety of things that impact them financially that are outside of a farmer’s control and that’s what makes it so difficult.” Thanks to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture for your support for this episode. Listen to the full podcast.

MN Wheat Minute – Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers helps coordinate the Ag Leadership Network. Learn more about the event in this week’s Minnesota Wheat Minute.

$100 Crude Likely – A Brazilian investment bank, BTG, is forecasting crude oil prices to push back over $100 per barrel. Demand will increase with China easing its COVID-related lockdowns and strong U.S. activity. BTG says it won’t be easy to increase oil supplies because OPEC has little room to increase production and the U.S. has stopped releasing oil from its strategic reserves.

STB Rules on Rail Disputes – The Surface Transportation Board has adopted two rules to streamline rate disputes between railroads and shippers. One rule establishes a voluntary arbitration program. The other rule offers a new procedure to resolve small rate disputes. The Association of American Railroads said the STB issued a “fatally flawed rule” that ignores sound economic principles. U.S. Wheat Associates Transportation Working Group Chairman Charlie Vogel, who also leads Minnesota Wheat, said these rulings are an indication that rail customers are being heard.

Used Equipment Market Not Slowing Down – Machinery Pete founder Greg Peterson has been tracking the used equipment market for 33 years. “I’ve never seen anything close to this, the market has just been on fire since late 2020.” Used machinery values increased every month of 2022. “When the calendar flips, we might have a chance to catch our breath, but everything’s in place for used equipment values to remain strong.” The combination of tightness on late-model large equipment and scarcity of new equipment is driving demand.

Tools Available to Offset Rising Input Costs – Nine in every ten farmers participate in the Federal Crop Insurance program. Rural Community Insurance Services Head of Sales Jeff Bahr says there are also private products that narrow any gaps in coverage. “Talk to your agent about differences from last year to this year because there are some, now’s the time to do it.”  There are tools to help farmers deal with rising farm input costs. “For example, we have an insurance product called margin protection that helps with input costs, fertilizer (and) fuel; these things are much higher than what they what they typically have been so a lot of times farmers want those supplemental coverages.”

Hours-of-Service Waiver Extended – North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has signed an executive order, waiving the hours-of-service requirements for truckers hauling propane, gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil. The record-setting cold is causing significant demand and smaller supply of these fuels. The waiver is in place for 30 days.

Milk Production Increases – Milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled 17. 5 billion pounds in November. That’s up 1.4 percent from one year ago. In South Dakota, November milk production rose nearly 11 percent. Over the past year, South Dakota added an additional 19,000 dairy cows to the state herd. Minnesota milk output increased nearly one percent, despite a 7,000 head downturn in cow numbers. Milk production increased 1.3 percent over the past year in Wisconsin and declined a fraction of one percent in California.

Weather Pumps the Brakes on Feeder Calves – NDSU Extension Livestock Marketing Economist Tim Petry says the combination of weather and the holiday season is slowing down packer inquiry into feeder sales. “With the storm, auctions were closed and now with Christmas here there’s just not a lot of auctions going on.”  In Petry’s view, the movement of cull cows in the Southern Plains pushed back a rally in the fed cattle market. “One of the things holding us back is the drought that caused a lot of cattle movement. It looks like fed cattle are going to be record high next year, but we can’t compare to 2014 prices because corn was a lot lower.”

Cow Liquidation Capped Fed Cattle Market – With the Southern Plains in a historic drought and the Northern Plains still recovering from one, the pace of cull cow slaughter has kept packers busy. Kist Livestock Auction Field Manager Matt Lachenmeier says the cow liquidation has kept a glass ceiling on all cattle. “There was just too many cows moving because of liquidation this year that packers didn’t have to fight too hard for beef. I think in the long-term we’re sitting on a firm market that’s going to add value to feeder calves later on.” Lachenmeier is optimistic that demand for replacement heifers will continue to boost female prices. “I think the bred market has changed probably $350 just in the last two weeks.”

MN Beef Update – Learn more about the new Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Kaitlyn Root in the latest Minnesota Beef Update.

Ten-Year Wolf Management Plan Released – The Minnesota DNR has finalized its vision for wolf management over the next ten years. Six goals were highlighted in the plan, including maintaining a resilient wolf population and educate the public about wolves. The report says less than two percent of farms in the wolf area experience wolf-related livestock losses. The government is involved in wolf management and livestock producers are compensated for losses. Wolf depredation management is described as more intensive than other species. The Minnesota DNR report says alternative systems should be considered in the future.

EPA Sued – The Center for Food Safety, the Center for Environmental Health, Pesticide Action Network of North America and a coalition of farm worker groups are suing the EPA. The lawsuit claims the agency failed to test and regulate pesticides that disrupt the body’s hormones. Glyphosate, atrazine and 2,4-D are among the products recognized as disrupting the endocrine system.

Appeals Court Ruling Made on Sulfoxaflor – A federal appeals court ruled the EPA failed to consider the environmental impacts of sulfoxaflor when it approved the long-term use of the insecticide. The case was remanded back to the EPA for a review. The Pollinator Stewardship Council, American Beekeeping Federation and others filed the lawsuit.

CHS Hedging Settles With CFTC – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has ordered CHS Hedging to pay a $6.5 million penalty. CHS Hedging reportedly accepted millions of dollars in margin payments from a rancher in Washington without adequately investigating the customer’s source of funds or reporting suspicious activity. This scheme lasted from 2017-to-2020. The rancher involved in this case pled guilty to criminal fraud charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Value-Added Ag in Grand Forks – The Grand Forks City Council addressed three different value-added agriculture projects in its recent meeting. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ruled last week it has no jurisdiction over the proposed Fufeng corn wet milling project. Grand Forks city staff have been asked to compile additional information. The council also authorized city to work on a development deal with the proposed Epitome Energy project and extended a letter of intent agreement with Northern Plains Nitrogen for another six months.

Telling the Biofuels Story – For the year ahead, the Minnesota Biofuels Association is reaching out to the 70 new members of the Minnesota Legislature to educate them about the benefits of ethanol. Executive Director Brian Werner says there is bipartisan support for biofuels, but there is a split between rural and metro constituencies. “The truth of the matter is there are not many DFL legislators that represent areas in the rural parts of Minnesota; a lot of our (ethanol) plants are located in areas that are represented by Republican legislators,” said Werner. “That just means we do have to do that education piece that I talked about. We have to go out there and really talk about how ethanol specifically reduces carbon emissions.” The DFL caucus wants to address climate change and Werner says biofuels are an immediate solution. The Minnesota Biofuels Association 2022 annual report outlines the accomplishments of the past year. RRFN’s interview with Werner can be found online.

Corteva and NEVONEX to Collaborate – Corteva Agriscience is collaborating with NEVONEX, powered by Bosch, to enable data-driven crop protection applications with standard machine spray technology. “By coupling intelligent equipment with real-time, farm-specific data analytics, we can provide detailed crop protection prescriptions customized for an operation in order to optimize every dollar invested while sustainably meeting yield and productivity goals,” said Dr. Brian Lutz, vice president of digital solutions, Corteva Agriscience.

Corteva Exits Russian Sunflower Market – Corteva Agriscience is eliminating 50 jobs at its Woodland, California facility. The company shut down production and business activities in Russia and already had enough sunflower production capacity in Europe for the EU market. Corteva will continue to produce parent seeds and partner with a third party to produce commercial sunflower seed for the U.S. market.

Dry Bean Scene – Bonanza Bean was recently awarded the Minnesota Governor’s International Trade Award. In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, we chat with Bonanza Bean Sales Manager Echo Hacker. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

Living Inside the Plant – One of the newest players in the crop nutrition business is Azotic. The company’s primary product is Envita, which is a patented, nitrogen-fixation biological that can be applied in furrow at seeding or as a post-emergent foliar spray. “It’s getting inside so it’s living inside the plant,” explains Tom Trogunno, global product manager. “A lot of biologicals are working in or around the soil and soils are a busy spot; there’s a lot of competition in there. What’s really different about Envita is it’s actually living inside the cells of both the roots and leaves.”

New Partnership Brings High-Res Thermal Imaging to FieldNET – Lindsay Corporation and Ceres Imaging have announced a strategic partnership. The Ceres Imaging technology will by used to populate high-resolution impages in Lindsay’s FieldNET platform to allow growers to remotely monitor, control, analyze and apply irrigation recommendations.

Titan Machinery Expands – West Fargo-based Titan Machinery has an agreement to buy five Case IH agriculture dealerships in southeastern Idaho. The deal is expected to be finalized in February.

75 Years of Giving – The CHS Foundation focuses on three areas, cooperative education, university partnerships and ag leadership programs. The foundation is celebrating its 75th anniversary. “It’s one of the oldest corporate foundations which is really indicative of that philanthropic commitment that our member-owners bring to the communities where their employees live and work every day,” said Megan Wolle, president, CHS Foundation.

Former NDSA EVP Passes – Clair Michels, 105, passed away earlier this month. Michels was the executive vice president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association for 25 years. In 1982, the NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club honored Michels as its Agriculturalist of the Year. He was also inducted into the Northern International Livestock Exposition Hall of Fame. Since 2010, Michels has lived in Colorado to be near family.

Develder Reflects on a Career in the Dairy Business – Donn Develder started his career with Associated Milk Producers, Incorporated in 1985 as a field representative in northern Minnesota. At the end of this week, he’ll retire as the co-op’s co-president and CEO. Thanks to the global demand for dairy products, Develder sees a bright future for the dairy industry. “If you consider the dairy products that are really in demand, which is cheese, butter and whey, the cheese basket of the U.S. is here in the Midwest,” said Develder. “The proximity to the East Coast, the better off you are. The infrastructure here in the Upper Midwest has always been strong and it’s done nothing but get stronger.” Sheryl Meshke, who has been AMPI’s co-president and CEO since 2015, will continue to lead the company moving forward. The full interview with Develder can be found online.

Bateman Reflects on NDBC Career – After 30-plus years as the executive director of the North Dakota Beef Commission, Nancy Jo Bateman is retiring. Bateman was part of the committe that hired the advertising agency that created the famous ‘Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner’ marketing campaign.  “I feel some ownership of that, which is cool.” said Bateman. “I think over my career what I’ve really enjoyed is teaching consumers about beef.”

Brossart to Chair STC – The Soy Transportation Coalition has elected Chris Brossart of Wolford, North Dakota as its chairman. Brossart also chairs the North Dakota Soybean Council. “It’s an honor to be elected to this position and serve producers across the nation.” said Brossart. “We all know transportation is important and I look forward to finding new ways to move product across the nation.”

NDSU Fellows Honored – The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities honored Frank Casey and Lynette Flage for their achievements as Fellows of the Food Systems Leadership Institute. Casey is the assocate director of North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Flage is the associate director for NDSU Extension.

Dingels Elected Foundation Chair – The Minnesota FFA Foundation Board of Trustees elected Pat Dingels of Redwood Falls as its chair, succeeding Lara Durben of Buffalo. Julie Tesch of Waldorf is vice chair. Patrice Baley of Maplewood is the secretary and Staci Martin is the treasurer. Gary Sloan of Lake Elmo chairs the executive sponsors board. Jenny Doering of Mapleton and Nathan Purrington of Ada are newly-elected to the FFA Foundation Board of Trustees.

Farm Bureau Committees Welcome New Members – The American Farm Bureau Federation has appointed five new members to its Promotion & Education Committee. That list includes North Dakota farmer Nate Schlief. Members were also appointed to the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee for 2023-2025. Jason and Caitlin Keck of Minnesota will serve on the YF&R committee.

Pork Leadership Institute Class Announced – The National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board announced the 19 producers selected to be part of the Pork Leadership Institute class of 2023. The PLI class includes Andy Cook of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota and Chad Stoterau of Sherman, South Dakota.

SD Corn Comments – Happy Holiday’s from the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council! In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, we thank farm and ranch families across the nation for putting food on the table this holiday season.

New CEO Named for SDARL – Montana State University Director of Government Affairs Janelle Booth is returning to her home state to take over as the CEO of the South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership Foundation in March. She was the co-founder and director of the leadership training program, REAL Montana. Booth is a native of Timber Lake, South Dakota.