Rollins Building Her Team – In her new role, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ priorities will include avian influenza, trade, and the distribution of $31 billion in economic and disaster assistance. Rollins is also focused on building her team at USDA. “My fastball, I believe, has always been finding the most amazing people, the best talents out there, those that are willing to serve others and serve a bigger cause,” said Rollins. “The team we’ve begun to build, and we’ve only just begun, is some of the smartest, most incredible, most dedicated men and women I’ve ever worked with.” Rollins said the Trump Administration’s effort to downsize the government will ultimately get USDA back on track in serving farmers and ranchers.

Rollins Hosts Farmers at USDA Headquarters – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins met with two dozen farmers for a roundtable discussion about avian influenza on Thursday. Rollins said USDA will take aggressive action, but it will take some time. In addition to bird flu, the topics addressed include expanded access to capital for young farmers, lowering input costs and disaster relief.

White House Takes Authority Over Independent Agencies – President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving the White House control over independent agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission. These agencies are now bipartisan, and appointees are confirmed by the Senate. The move to centralize power in the White House is expected to face a legal challenge.

Government Workforce Reduction Can Move Forward – Six unions representing government workers failed in their bid to block President Trump’s reduction in the workforce. A federal judge took no position on the issue, but determined the unions should take their challenge to the Federal Labor Relations Authority rather than the courts.

DOGE Cuts 1,000+ NRCS Jobs – The National Association of Conservation Districts is upset with the firing of over 1,000 federal employees. NACD President Gary Blair said these actions will “erode producers’ trust and confidence” in the locally-led, voluntary conservation system. The trade group says the NRCS and conservation district offices were already operating leanly with staff covering multiple counties. According to NACD, the job cuts will impact the quality and timeliness of technical assistance for farmers.

Criticism for Trump’s ‘Slash and Burn’ Approach – The government workforce reduction is making headlines on a daily basis. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith said efficiencies can be made in government, but feels President Trump is taking a ‘slash and burn’ approach. “The President isn’t the king.; he doesn’t just get to make the law. His job is to implement the law and Congress passes laws.” The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 initiative calls for cuts to agriculture spending including crop insurance, the ARC/PLC programs and the sugar program. “During the campaign, the President said he had nothing to do with this Project 2025 agenda and yet the guy who wrote it is now running the Office of Management and Budget which is the agency that is responsible basically for the fiscal policy of the Trump administration,” Smith told RRFN. “Time after time, the things that they proposed in Project 2025 are being presented as the next thing that the administration wants to do so it feels a bit like a bait and switch to a lot of folks who we’re paying attention to that during the campaign.” Smith said farm policy isn’t usually a partisan issue with all sides seeking what would work best for farmers and the food sector.

Klobuchar, Craig Seek Clarification Over Food Aid – Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig are seeking answers from the Trump Administration over recent disruptions to international food aid. The protocols for the Food for Progress program have been clarified, but questions remain. The turmoil over food assistance prompted the Minnesota lawmakers to voice concern about the impact on farmers and the ag markets.

USDA H5N1 Employees Rehired – USDA is rescinding the termination notices it previously delivered to some employees working on the federal avian influenza response. Politico reported 25 percent of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network employees had lost their jobs. These positions are considered necessary to protect a safe and adequate food supply and the USDA employees were brought back to work. .

Veteran Ag Economist Reviews Farm Policy – The financial challenges in agriculture were part of Terrain Executive Head John Newton’s keynote address at the International Crop Expo.  “We’ve seen tight margins for three years in a row and that’s why Congress stepped in and provided the $10 billion in economic support and help farmers until a new farm bill can get authorized by Congress.” Newton said the legislation that will likely pass this year will be the first trillion-dollar farm bill in history. A significant portion of that budget, around 80 percent, is allocated to Supplemental Nutritional Assisstance Program. SNAP is a prime target for GOP budget cuts. “When you look deeper into the numbers and see the high overpayment rates, there are efficiencies that can be made.” The Department of Government Efficiency is looking for budget savings throughout government, including a review of commodity checkoff programs. “People need to understand the reseach and promotion work that the checkoff does is very valuable; they work with our landgrants on agricultural research so it is an important program for agriculture.” Newton previously served as chief economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee and in similar roles for the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Milk Producers Federation.

USDA Releases First Tranche of IRA Funding – USDA will honor the contracts already in place with farmers, releasing $20 million in funding. The contracts included in this tranche of funding are the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Conservation Stewardship Program and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. Additional announcements will be made as USDA continues to review the Inflation Reduction Program funding. The USDA statement said it will honor its obligation to support farmers and ranchers, but not DEI or climate programs.

Larew: USDA Funding a Positive Step, but Uncertainty Remains –

The recent USDA funding approval is bringing relief to farmers who had been left in limbo regarding conservation program contracts. National Farmers Union President Rob Larew called it “really good news for a bunch of reasons,” particularly for those who had already committed to conservation programs but saw their contracts put on hold. With around $20 million now cleared for funding, Larew said it will “bring a lot of certainty to some of our folks out there where there wasn’t.”  However, Larew emphasized that challenges remain, as many farmers are still uncertain whether their individual contracts will be honored.

Budget Bill Passes in Senate All-Nighter – With a 52-48 vote, the Senate passed a budget resolution early Friday morning. This bill does not include an extension of the 2017 tax cuts, but Senate Republicans plan to put that into a separate bill. This debate lasted more than ten hours and included 25 roll call votes. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said this action provides President Trump with the resources needed to implement his agenda.

Beet Stock Values – American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock trended up slightly last week on low volume. According to Jayson Menke with Acres & Shares, 72 shares were brokered at $5,550 per share and six shares were brokered at $5,600 per share.

RRFN Special Coverage: USDA Ag Outlook Forum – The Red River Farm Network will broadcast from this week’s USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum. This is the premier annual event for the Agriculture Department and will attract 1,800 people. USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer kicks off the program Thursday with the market and trade outlook. Thirty breakout sessions will consider everything from forecasts for all major commodities to issue-based updates on ag transportation and workforce issues. RRFN will be in Washington, D.C. ahead of the Outlook Forum for exclusive interviews with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The trip also coincides with a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Winter Policy Conference. RRFN’s coverage is sponsored by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Amity Technology, North Dakota Corn Growers Associaiton and AgCountry Farm Credit Services.

Administration Addressing Avian Influenza – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is in her home state of Texas today for a roundtable discussion about avian influenza. This meeting follows comments by President Trump on Friday about the same issue. “She knows everything about it and she’s going to be a fantastic secretary,” said Trump. “I’m hearing so much about eggs;  you’ll figure it out and you’ve got to figure something out fast, but we inherited all of the problems.” .

Lab Layoffs – USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network is the foundation of the government response to animal diseases, like avian flu or foot and mouth disease. There 58 facilities that are part of this network. Politico is reporting the Trump administration is cutting the workforce at these labs by 25 percent. The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians were told testing and the response to H5N1 will be slower because of the staff reductions.

Lawmakers Call for Coordinated H5N1 Approach – A group of 16 senators is calling on the Agriculture Department to address the avian flu situation. The lawmakers want an aggressive vaccination strategy for laying hens and turkeys; a coordinated approach from government, private industry and academia to expand knowledge of the virus and movement controls within the dairy industry. Lawmakers from the region signing the letter include Minnesota senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.

Job Cuts at UM Cereals Lab – The White House efforts to reduce the government workforce has hit close to home. Minnesota Wheat Executive Director Brian Sorenson said the small grains industry will feel the impact. “The cereal disease lab, it’s an ARS USDA facility that’s officed down at the St. Paul campus at the University of Minnesota. They lost four full-time researchers out of about seven so it’s a tremendous impact. A crop like wheat really needs long-term research. It needs that commitment long term in order to continue to fight the crop diseases and the issues that influence the production of wheat and keeping it a viable crop in the future.” Sorenson said this research is a food security issue.

Important Interaction Between State and Federal Governments – Ten percent of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s $400 million budget comes from the federal government. Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee and outlined the interaction between the federal government and his Department. Federal funds also impact state programs dealing with food safety and inspection, regional conservation programs, and grants to build out small-to-medium sized meat processing plants. Wolf depredation is also a potential worry. “There’s issues with the USDA Fish and Wildlife Service being able to hire or bring on the trappers for wolf trapping so that’ll be a real concern as we get into spring calving,” said Petersen. “They are not permanent employees; those are contracted employees and we’ll be working with our federal delegation to make it known as Minnesota has more wolves than the rest of the United States put together.”

RFK: Nothing is Off Limits – During his initial address, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. told employees that “nothing is going to be off limits” from review. The focus will be on “unbiased science” as HHS reviews “glyphosate, other pesticides, ultra processed foods, artificial food additives” and other products.

Trump Orders Restrictions on Chinese Investments – President Donald Trump has taken steps to block Chinese investment in sensitive U.S. business sectors, including agriculture. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States reviews foreign investments to determine if there are potential risks to national security. Trump’s ‘American First Investment Policy’ said China has targeted the ‘crown jewels’ of U.S.. citing technology, food supplies, farmland and more. In 2022 and 2023, headlines were seen worldwide about the proposed Fugeng corn milling project in Grand Forks. The site’s proximity to the Air Force Base was one of the reasons the China-owned Fufeng project was eventually blocked.

Milk Testing Begins Today – As of today, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of Agriculture will begin testing raw milk for the H5N1 virus. This surveillance will be part of the routine bulk tank tests. If the avian influenza is identified in a sample, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health will collect an additional sample to confirm the virus. If confirmed, samples will be sent to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames. The farm will be quarantined for at least 30 days. This testing is part of the National Milk Testing Strategy.

MN Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association board member Richard Syverson discusses a new call to action on a federal bill that would create a path for year-round E15 in this week’s edition of Corn Matters. Listen to the report.

E15 Emergency Waiver Approved – Fifteen percent ethanol blends will be available year-round in eight Midwest states. The Environmental Protection Agency issued the emergency waiver for the 2025 driving season. A proposal to make the E15 policy permanent has been introduced in Congress.

E15 Bill Introduced in the Upper Chamber – One week after the proposal was introduced in the House, a year-round E15 bill was introduced in the Senate. Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, South and South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds are among the lawmakers seeking the higher ethanol blends.

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, we hear from Josh Krenz, a producer who has worked to establish a diverse forage mix of grass and legumes. Click here to listen. 

Farmers Reminded of ARC/PLC Program Deadlines – Farmers enrolling in the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs must meet key deadlines to remain eligible for payments. In a webinar hosted by the North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Farm Service Agency Production Adjustment Director Brandy LaFromboise explained the payment timeline. “Payments are a year behind because the marketing year needs to be completed to determine the prices so for the 2025 crop year, payments wouldn’t be issued until after October 1, 2026.” Producers must also submit all required eligibility documents by March 1 following the contract period. “For example, for the 2023 contract year, you have until March 1 to submit eligibility documents, including AGI’s, 902’s, and 1026’s,” LaFromboise said. “If they’re filed after March 1, you would not be eligible for the 2023 program and the same rule applies in future years.” LaFromboise also noted that ARC and PLC payments are subject to a $125,000 limit per person or legal entity for all covered commodities.

A Proposed Increase in Funding for FBM – Representative Nathan Nelson is sponsoring legislation that would boost funding for the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council from $4.5 million to $6 million in the 2026-2027 biennium. Funding would be prioritized for faculty with expertise in farm transition planning, rural mental health and growing specialty crops in urban areas. Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence Executive Director Keith Olander gave a presentation on the farm business management program this past week. The House Agriculture Committee laid the bill over for consideration in its budget bill.

ND Legislative Report – The North Dakota Legislative Report is a weekly update on the ag policy issues happening in Bismarck. The report is sponsored by the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, NDFB, Northern Pulse Growers Association, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, North Dakota Farmers Union and AgCountry Farm Credit Services. NDFB Public Policy Director Pete Hannebut is featured in this week’s report, highlighting how agriculture is at the forefront in this session. Click here to listen.

Pro-Livestock Bills Move Forward in ND Senate – A proposal that came out of the Model Zoning Task Force cleared the North Dakota Senate with a 42-5 vote. The bill revises the setback distances for livestock zoning. Another bill providing a post-production incentive for a new dairy processing facility passed the Senate without any dissenting votes.

Checkoff Bill Rejected – A bill was heard in the North Dakota Legislature this past week that would have increased the time for the Oilseed Council to receive refund applications from 90 days to one years from the assessment. Dan Wogsland represented the North Dakota Grain Growers in his testimony. “House Bill 1509 threatens the stability of the entire checkoff system which is vital to improve profitability, develop international and domestic markets and providing essential education programs for producers and consumers.” The Senate Agriculture Committee made a unanimous ‘do not pass’ recommendation.

Encouraging Markets – Spring crop insurance baselines are established during the month of February. “Usually, the last two weeks of February we tend to see a dropoff with that crop insurance price,” said Jim Emter, president, Van Ahn and Company. “We tend to see seasonal pressure for corn and wheat markets at the end of February and early March and pick up on rally potential thereafter; we’re fighting right through the seasonal pressure and that’s encouraging to see.”

No Change in Ten-Year Baseline – USDA has released its latest ten-year baseline projections. There were no changes made to the 2025 planted acreage forecast. The report calls for a steady decline in corn acreage, a small increase in soybean acreage and minimal change in wheat acreage. USDA will release its prospective plantings report at the end of March.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets – Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson sees gold as the bright spot in the markets. “There is a little concern with what’s going on with the economy, keeping gold on the strong side.” In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson said soybeans and crude oil are in the ‘not hot’ category. Listen to the update. 

More Corn Acreage in ’25 – According to a new report from the CoBank Knowledge Exchange, corn will steal acreage from soybeans, spring wheat, cotton and sorghum in 2025. The report forecasts a 4.2 percent increase in corn acreage, totaling 94.5 million acres. Soybeans would drop 3.6 percent to 84 million. As wheat prices continue to struggle, the CoBank report says spring wheat acres will decline nearly six percent to 10 million acres.

Corn, Sunflowers Winning Acreage Battle – Acreage decisions are still being made. However, Corteva Territory Manager Jordan Grundstrom believes farmers are starting to lock down those choices. “Corn is wildly popular, sunflowers are wildly popular, wheat is gonna be strictly a rotational crop.” There are places to cut expenses, but weed control is not on that list. “You shave one year, you’ve got another three to five-year headache,” said Grundstrom. “I think definitely penny-pinching going on and looking at ways to save money, but yet still get a cross-spectrum weed control across all their fields.” Listen to the full interview. 

Optimism for Sunflower Acres – National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken expects sunflower acreage to rebound from last year. “Right now, we’re definitely in the thick of the battle for acres for 2025,” said Sandbakken. “We were down about 40 percent to 45 percent in some areas last year when had some pretty, pretty good sized stocks and prices probably weren’t quite where they should have been. That has changed. From what I’m hearing from seed companies and producers, I think we’re going to see a definite increase in sunflower acres here this year.”

Weed Control for Today and Tomorrow – Due to the threat of herbicide resistance, residual weed management is a must. “We still have to control those weeds, not only for today but for tomorrow.” During the International Crop Expo, BASF Technical Service Representative Ken Deibert got a lot of questions about the new Liberty Ultra formulation and the Group 15 chemistries with Zidua and Outlook. New products are also on the horizon. “We’re fixing to launch a brand new white mold fungicide here this next season as kind of a pilot or a demo launch, and then as we get into the 2026 season, we’ll have a full launch of that.” The new white mold fungicide will be labeled for soybeans, dry beans, and canola.

Dry Bean Scene – Farmers are looking for ways to lower expenses this season. In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, NDSU Extension Cropping Systems Specialist Jeff Stachler says weed control is not the best way to make those cuts. Listen to the report.

International Investment Being Seen in U.S. Potato Business – The United States is a net importer of potatoes. Potatoes USA CEO Blair Richardson said the domestic demand for potatoes is so strong, international companies are now investing in the U.S. “Everyone in this region knows about the Agristo plans (to build in Grand Forks), which is a wonderful company,” said Richardson. “The French company, Cite Gourmande, is looking at building a new processing plant here in the United States, but they haven’t decided where it’s going to be yet and in Washington, an Indian company is looking at building a processing plant there. Good demand here and I think these companies see the opportunity.” Richardson, who spoke at the International Crop Expo, said the next big trend may be using food as medicine. Listen to the full interview.

Potato Research Projects Outlined – There was a full house for the Northland Potato Growers Association Research Reporting Conference Tuesday in Grand Forks. Research on new potato varieties, insect management, and storage quality were highlighted. “To be in this game you’ve got to be on top of it, right?” asked Extension Potato Agronomist Andy Robinson. “This is cutting-edge stuff; the growers are trying to learn everything they can to improve their operations and to continue to do what they do because if you don’t improve you’re going to be left behind.”

MN Beef Update – Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Kaitlyn Root has an update on the policy activity National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual meeting. Click here to listen to the Minnesota Beef Update. 

Beef Herd Rebuild Unlikely Amid Strong Production Levels – NDSU Extension Livestock Economist Tim Petry says there are numerous reasons a herd rebuild isn’t likely any time soon. “We’ve been going down six straight years now on beef cow numbers. The last couple of years, we’ve been below the low point of the previous cycle back in 2014 when cow cattle prices were at a record high at that time. So, no surprise that we have higher prices now than we did back in 2014 because we’ve got fewer cattle.” Lower replacement heifer numbers is also a factor. “We aren’t going to be able to restock very quickly because we don’t simply have the replacement efforts to rebuild very quickly even if weather conditions are allowed.”

A Neutral to Slightly Positive COF Report – Placements of cattle into feedlots last month were lower than expected. According to the monthly report, placements rose 1.7 percent. The pre-report estimate was for a nearly four percent increase. Marketings were lower than expected, up 1.4 percent from a year ago. The cattle inventory declined by a fraction of one percent, which was in line with trade expectations.

Milk Production Edges Higher – Milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled just over 18 billion pounds in January. That’s up 0.2 percent from one year ago. South Dakota milk production rose 6.5 percent with a 7,000 head increase in cow numbers. In Minnesota, January milk output is down a fraction of one percent. Cow numbers are down 9,000 head over the past year.

FFA Week: Schafer Reflects on FFA’s Lasting Impact – Jacy Schafer, who serves as the deputy chief of staff for North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, credits her time in FFA for shaping her career and confidence. She fondly remembers her first livestock judging contest when her advisor reassured her nerves. Pete Hetle was the advisor for the Grant County FFA Chapter. “He looked at me and asked if I was nervous and I said ‘oh yeah, the butterflies are really flying this morning.’ He looked back at me and said, ‘good, that means you care’. That’s something that’s stuck with me as I’ve gone about my career.” Schafer believes FFA helped her develop essential skills, especially in decision-making and communication. “You have to make extremely quick decisions under a time clock when judging livestock, then explain your reasoning to a judge,” she said. “That skill has helped me immensely in my career.”

FFA Week: A Time of Rapid Growth – Minnesota FFA Alumni President Cara Soukup didn’t always see herself in FFA. “I didn’t think it was something I wanted to participate in when I got into high school and then I saw a lot of my friends going to different activities and coming back really excited,” Soukup said. “That kind of ignited my excitement for agriculture.” As alumni president, Soukup is proud to support the organization’s rapid growth. “Back when I was in FFA, we had around 8,000 members, and now we’re at a little over 14,000,” she said. Looking ahead, changes in ag education enrollment are expected to push that number to nearly 40,000 by 2027-2028. Click here to listen to the full interview. 

FFA Week: Schmidt Still Draws on His FFA Experience – Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt was a state FFA officer in 1998-1999. “I have wonderful memories from it and still draw on experiences I had through that year, everything from leadership development to networking,” said Schmidt. “I still see people to this day that I met through that experience close to 25 years later and that really stands out as one of the highlights of my FFA experience; there were many many good things but that was definitely a highlight.” Schmidt’s home FFA chapter was Tracy FFA in southwest Minnesota. The chapter advisor at the time was Paul  Skoglund who is now a member of the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame. “I very often tell people he was absolutely one of the mentors of my life.” Click here to listen to the full interview with Schmidt.

Developing Life Skills – C-W Valley Co-op General Manager Mike Bjertness is working at the same company where he was an intern as a high school FFA student. Bjertness has many highlights from his FFA career, but the biggest was serving as a North Dakota state FFA officer. Bjertness credits his time in FFA for developing the life skills he uses as an adult. “Every day, in just about everything I do, really comes down to the skill set and the confidence that was instilled in me during FFA and the leadership, having a shared goal and working with a team to achieve that,” said Bjertness. “FFA is not just for farmers or agribusiness, it can apply to any industry and it is great experience and great skill set for the future.” Bjertness’s home FFA chapter was in Kindred , North Dakota. The full interview can be found online.

Evolution Ag Summit Highlights Biofuels and Trade – The 3rd annual Evolution Ag Summit took place Tuesday at the North Dakota Farmers Union in Jamestown, bringing together farmers, policymakers, and industry leaders. National Farmers Union Biofuels Advisor Anne Steckel provided a federal policy update, stressing the importance of strong biofuels legislation amid ongoing trade and economic uncertainty.  “There were a lot of moving pieces,” Steckel said. “With a new administration and Congress, we were closely watching potential tariffs and their impact on export markets. That made it even more critical to ensure strong biofuels policy, so farmers had a reliable market at home.”

Corn Comments – This week’s South Dakota Corn Comments highlights the one-cent voluntary South Dakota Corn Checkoff program. This program began 40 years ago and can be credited for successful efforts, including ethanol. Listen to the report.

Unpredictable Policy Influences Decisions on the Farm – Uncertainty in agriculture policy was a key topic at the North Dakota Farmers Union’s Evolution Ag Summit on Tuesday. Rolette, North Dakota farmer Ryan Pederson highlighted how unpredictability in government programs affects decision-making on the farm. “As we infuse some more uncertainty into the industry, it makes it hard for farmers to work with programs that may incentivize things if the incentives aren’t going to be there with certainty.” Despite the challenges, he emphasized the importance of industry collaboration. “I think having a chance to have open lines of communication to see what the industry needs and really what we as farmers can provide is crucial.”

Renewable Energy Growth Stalled – Karla Krabbenhoft, business development manager at Gevo, highlighted the company’s focus on renewable energy and the growing demand for low-carbon fuels during the North Dakota Farmers Union Evolution Ag Summit. “We’re a company that focuses on renewable energy, producing ethanol and renewable natural gas while looking to expand into sustainable aviation fuel.” However, uncertainty around the 45Z tax credit has stalled progress. “Everything is on hold until we figure out what the administration wants to do,” she explained. Despite the delays, Krabbenhoft emphasized that sustainability remains a priority. “Sustainable and regenerative agriculture isn’t going anywhere and adopting these practices is important for the future.”

Ag Tech Summit Preview – Full Circle Ag will be holding its annual Ag Tech Summit Wednesday, March 5, in Britton, South Dakota. The Shark Farmer, Rob Sharkey, will provide the keynote address. Breakout sessions are also planned. “Vice President of Agronomy Justin Ranek is going to be moderating a panel with four industry experts on artificial intelligence,” said Joe Gustafson, location manager, “As AI gets more ingrained into agriculture, what does that mean from an equipment standpoint, from an energy standpoint with fuel and how we interact with our growers? It’s changing so fast it’s going to be nice to have those guys here and quiz them about how they’re going to handle it going forward.”

Canola Minute – Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman joins this week’s Canola Minute to talk about the Getting it Right in Canola Production webinar. The virutal meeting will be March 14. Click here to learn more.

Preparing for Spring – There were nearly 130 companies represented in the International Crop Expo trade show. FMC Retail Market Manager Sam Lockhart said farmers are beginning to queue up for spring. “There’s some optimism out there,” said Lockhart. “Obviously, capital and crop prices are on the top of everybody’s mind, but there’s some options guys can tap into.” Farmers are looking to cut expenses. “The biggest probably talking point we’ve had this year is our zero percent financing option through John Deere Financial. That’s a big deal.” FMC has a new seed treatment to address soybean cyst nematode. A new FMC fungicide in wheat was also highlighted at the trade show. Listen to the interview.

CF Industries Net Income Falls – For the full year, CF Industries had net income of $1.2 billion. That compares to $1.5 billion one year ago. Sales volume for 2024 was similar to the previous year with higher ammonia sales volume. CF Industries made a semi-annual distribution payment to CHS of $129 million. For 2025, nitrogen demand is expected to be up due to an expected increase in U.S. corn plantings.

Nutrien Sales Decline in ’24 – Nutrien finished its fiscal year with net earnings of $118 million. That’s down from $176 million in FY 2023. For the year ahead, the outlook is supported by strong crop input demand and firming potash fundamentals.

Valmont Industries Reports FY24 Financials – For the fiscal year, Valmont Industries had operating income of $524.6 million, up from $291.6 million in 2023. In North America, irrigation equipment sales volume declined slightly. That was driven in part by low grain prices.

New Active Ingredient in UPL Corn Herbicide – The EPA has approved the registration of INTRAVA DX herbicide for use in corn as pre-emergent weed control.This UPL product contains amicarbazone, an active ingredient that is new to the corn market and has no known resistance issues. INTRAVA DX will be available for the 2025 growing season.

A Global Partnership with VIXERAN – Syngenta and Ceres Biotics are partnering on a global biologicals platform. The VIXERAN biostimulant is designed to optimize nitrogen fertilizer use. It has multiple modes of action, enabling the plant to efficiently access nitrogen from the environment through its leaves and root system. This agreement follows an earlier collaboration in the European Union.

ND News Co-op Names CEO – Sabrina Halvorson has been named the first chief executive officer of the North Dakota News Cooperative. NDNC is a nonprofit news organization providing independent reporting on issues and events that impact North Dakotans. The mission of the organization is to increase the public’s access to quality journalism and promote news literacy across the state. Halvorson’s background includes time as a print, television and radio journalist. Halvorson is a longtime farm broadcaster and active member of the National Association of Farm Broacasting. She is a California native who moved to North Dakota in 2017.

Advisory Committee Appointed for Safety and Health of Ag and Food Processing Workers – Eight individuals have been appointed to the Governor’s Committee on Safety, Health and Wellbeing of Agricultural and Food Processing Workers. New appointments include Patrice Bailey of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing, Marc Major from the Department of Employment and Economic Development, Allysa Wetzel-Moore from Minnesota Housing, Maureen Ramirez from the Department of Labor and Elise Sporre of Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services.

Walz Reappoints Bauman – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has reappointed Mahlon Bauman of Buffalo to the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. Bauman raises horses at Buffalo and is the current president of the board.

NPC Elections Today – The slate of officers will be introduced today at the National Potato Council annual meeting. TJ Hall of Hoople, North Dakota is nominated to service as the vice president of finance.