Heading to Houston – The Red River Farm Network will report from what is billed as ‘America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience’ this week. Commodity Classic is the annual meeting for the corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum industries along with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environment Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will share the stage Friday. The schedule also includes numerous educational sessions and a massive trade show with nearly 450 ag exhibitors. RRFN’s special coverage is sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Truterra and AgCountry Farm Credit Services.

E15 Approved in ’25 – The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a petition from eight Midwestern states allowing sales of E15 during the summer months. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said this announcement was a ‘good news, bad news’ situation. Cooper is pleased with the waivers but is not happy the implementation has been delayed until 2025. “That leaves us in a lurch for 2024. Summertime is just around the corner; what’s the marketplace going to do with E-15 come May 1st and June 1st?” The ethanol industry will continue to seek an emergency waiver for the 2024 driving season. The eight Midwestern states granted the waiver include Minnesota and South Dakota.

ND Not Included in E15 Announcement – North Dakota is not among the eight states granted year-round access to 15 percent ethanol blends. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum signed the original letter to EPA in April 2022, but rescinded the request six months later to support a national solution. North Dakota Corn Growers Association President Andrew Mauch is disappointed his home state was not included in the E15 announcement because it would have benefit farmers, reduced consumer costs and benefitted the environment.

Vilsack ‘Confident’ About SAF Modeling – The biofuels business needs the Biden Administration to support the so-called GREET model to be eligible for tax credits to produce sustainable aviation fuel. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack offered encouraging news during the National Ethanol Conference in San Diego. “I want to assure you that we are working hard on working to make sure that as we create these incentives they include room for climate-smart agricultural practices which is going to make it easier for what we raise on our farms to be used as feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel,” said Vilsack. “We’re working hard to make that happen and I’m confident that it will happen.” At that point, Vilsack chided the audience for applause. Vilsack also said there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of gas stations selling E15 over the past three years. Investments are being made to continue to build out that infrastructure. Following his speech, the Renewable Fuels Association presented Vilsack with its 2024 Industry Award for his ongoing support for biofuels.

EV ‘Mandate’ Challenged – More than 130 members of the U.S. House and Senate are asking the Biden Administration to withdraw its proposed rule that would require 67 percent of new lightweight vehicles and 46 percent of medium-duty vehicles to be electric by 2032. The bipartisan group of lawmakers said the proposal restricts consumer choice and is expensive.

Government Shutdown Looms – Congressional leaders were unable to find a consensus on a funding bill over the weekend. Without action, USDA and three other major government agencies will run out of money on Friday. A government shutdown for the rest of the agencies is possible after March 8. House and Senate leaders will continue to meet this week.

Freedom Caucus Wants CR Extension – The House Freedom Caucus is calling for a year-long extension to the stopgap spending bill. The current continuing resolution to fund the government has deadlines of March 1 and March 8. In a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, the conservative wing of the Republican majority has released a laundry list of demands. That list includes policies dealing with abortion, student loans and Homeland Security. Members of the Freedom Caucus are afraid an omnibus funding bill will be released at the last minute before being rushed to the floor for a vote.

ND Lawmakers Take Input on the Farm Bill – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven and Congressman Kelly Armstrong participated in an agricultural roundtable event in Minot Wednesday. Hoeven said it is important to maintain and strengthen crop insurance, update the counter-cyclical farm safety net and provide adequate access to credit.

Sustainable Ag Coalition Supports Conservation, Crop Insurance Changes – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is out with a new farm policy report. The report said over 60 percent of farm program payments went to farmers in ten states, including North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Policy recommendations include means testing and a payment limit on crop insurance premium incentives, improvements to the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection insurance program and safeguarding the $20 billion in climate-smart agricultural conservation programs.The coalition is an alliance of 130 grassroots organizations.

ARC May be the Better Option – Compared to one year ago, corn, soybean, and spring wheat values are down double digits from last year’s spring pricing period for crop insurance. Ihry Insurance Agent Reed Ihry expects most farmers to sign up for the ARC program. “If you’re interested in buying SCO, you have to go PLC at the FSA office, but at this point, we’re thinking cover it with revenue protection, do the ARC, forgoing the SCO and maybe taking that savings from that it would cost you to buy the supplemental coverage option and add it to the enhanced coverage option or buy up a level of your multi-peril so you’ve got your farm protected at a higher level.”

Climate Change the Focus of Latest ND Poll – North Dakota opinions about climate change vary widely. A new poll conducted by the North Dakota News Cooperative found 43 percent of voters see climate change as a serious problem, while 34 percent do not. Eighty-five percent of the respondents do not plan to buy an electric car or truck. Forty percent of those surveyed did not take a position regarding the storage of carbon capture emissions. Chief Research Officer Trevor Smith said environmental issues have become highly politicized with Independent voters being the ‘wild card.’ This survey of 500 North Dakota voters was conducted in early February.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman highlights the Canola Renewable Fuels Summit. Demand for canola as a feedstock for renewable fuel will grow in the next decade.

The Carbon Conundrum 2.0 – The sustainability trend is impacting the food and farm market. “That means producers have a decision to make,” said North Dakota Farmers Union Government Relations Director Matt Perdue. “They have to decide if they are going to participate in something or not.” NDFU hosted its Evolution Ag Summit Tuesday to consider the opportunities and challenges in the move to a carbon economy. Renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel are receiving much of the attention, but Perdue said there are opportunities for all kinds of producers.

Sign-up Underway for Ag Conservation Pilot Program – The application window is now open for a national pilot program that pays farmers and ranchers for implementing high-value conservation practices. If accepted for the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture program, they will earn $100 per acre or animal unit. North Dakota is one of four states participating in this program with enrollment limited to Billings, Cass, Foster, McKenzie, Mercer, Rolette, Stark and Ward Counties. The North Dakota Farmers Union is the state lead for this program. March 21 is the application deadline.

Livestock Systems: A Tool to Improve the Environment – Sustainability research is not limited to just crop studies. NDSU Extension Livestock Environmental Stewardship Specialist, Miranda Meehan is looking into ways livestock can help greener production and the farmers’ bottom line. “I look at it as how we can use livestock as a tool to improve the environment. There’s different grazing systems to improve sustainability, incorporating livestock into crop systems and how can we improve sustainability but also improve the bottom line for our farmers and ranchers in these systems.” Meehan was on the NDFU Evolution Ag Summit program.

Farming for the Future – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Red River Farm Network and the Linder Farm Network to provide information on soil health events and topics. This week, University of Minnesota Extension Educator Jodi DeJong Hughes says freeze/thaw events may mean soils require less tillage this spring. Hear more details in this week’s Farming for the Future.

Long-Term Land Use Study Shows Carbon Benefit in SD – According to South Dakota Corn Growers Association Executive Director DaNita Murray, previous land-use studies showing carbon sequestration and soil quality fell short do not tell the whole story. A new study funded by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council looked at land use from 1985-to-2021. Other studies looked at four-to-eight year periods. Flipping back and forth between cropland to CRP to reduced till cropland, had benefits for carbon sequestration. The hope is that this study will be helpful when lawmakers and government officials work on climate policy. “If these models that look at land, like in McPhearson and Brown Counties, continue to show an increase in carbon in the soil, that needs to be taken into account,” said Murray.

SD Corn Comments – It has been over two decades since a U.S. president had first-hand experience in agriculture. In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Corn Growers Association President Dave Ellens celebrated Presidents Day by sharing some history and emphasizing the importance of communicating with elected officials.

Soybean Sector’s Carbon Footprint Shrinks – The United Soybean Board and National Oilseed Processors Association have released a new Life Cycle Assessment of the U.S. soybean industry. The study found the soybean industry’s carbon footprint declined significantly from 2015-to-2021. That includes a 19 percent decline for U.S. soybeans, a six percent drop for soybean meal, a 22 percent decline for crude soybean oil and an eight percent change for refined soybean oil.

ND Soybean Crush Plants to Improve Basis – Over 90 percent of North Dakota’s soybeans are shipped out of state and about two-thirds of the crop is exported to other countries. Three new soybean crush plants in the state are expected to provide more market opportunities. Green Bison Soy Processing in Spiritwood has been operating since last September. Projects in Casselton and Grand Forks are on the horizon. According to NDSU Extension Bioenergy Economist David Ripplinger, local demand is important. “We expect that this will have a significant impact on basis.”

Control What You Can Control – North Dakota soybean production falls short of the national average on a per-acre basis, but the gap is narrowing. North Dakota Soybean Council Research Programs Coordinator Miki Miheguli credits the farming practices that are being adopted. “We cannot control all of the factors, but we can control some such as selecting good varieties and best management practices,” said Miheguli. “Know what works best on your farm. Minimizing the cost of production can help a farmer’s bottom line almost as much as yield output can.”

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says the cattle-on-feed report was slightly negative, but the cattle market remains in positive territory. Corn, soybeans, wheat hit new contract lows last week with light demand and heavy fund selling.

A Fair Amount of Old Crop Wheat and Corn Left to Sell – Markets can often act like a roller coaster. Innovus Agra President Bret Oelke, who is a farm management consultant, said that is happening now, “but it is all going downhill.” Crop insurance pricing is being established this month, but it has been a rather benign time in the markets. Oelke feels there will be an opportunity to do forward contracting on new crop and move old crop commodities between late March and July. “There’s a fair amount of old crop wheat and corn, but I don’t think there is a lot of soybeans left in the country.

Lower Prices and a Higher Cost of Money – Corn, soybean and wheat prices have all come down since last year’s Commodity Classic in Orlando. With the March corn contract dropping below $4 per bushel this past week and soybeans trading at new contract lows, Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi expects an entirely different attitude at this year’s show. “Not only is it bad that the corn market went down, but the cost of money is extremely high relative to the cost of production,” said Grisafi. “I have a feeling there’s not going to be as many smiling faces and high fives as we’ve had in the last few years.” See the full interview.

Indecision – There seems to be a lot of indecision heading into the 2024 growing season. Bayer CropScience Senior Technical Sales Representative John Martin believes farmers are waiting for more information. “I think everyone is just trying to see where commodity prices land and especially when we look at federal crop (insurance) and what the guarantees are going to be,” said Martin. “It’s going to be so critical in a year like this.” Martin is hoping for timely spring rains. “With this open winter, I think we’re going to experience really dry, powdery soil so you’re really going to have to manage that topsoil residue.”

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, Kelley Bean Company’s Dean Nelson says Mexican demand has kept demand strong for dry beans. Nelson said dry bean acres are expected to be up this spring.

Crop Input Purchases Ahead – The long fall season will give many farmers a head-start this spring. Helena Agri-Enterprises sales representative Tim Stanislawski says that is especially true for fertility. Stanislawski believes a lot of buying decisions still need to be made. “I think there’s some crops that are pretty much baked, but there’s still a lot of indecision. Different crops could be done, whether it’s wheat or beans or corn or whatever, there’s still a lot of opportunity yet.”

The Fight Against Kochia Goes On – Kochia continues to be a big challenge. “I had kochia that I believe didn’t die from glyphosate last year until probably sometime in June,” said Jason Hanson, Rock n’ Roll Agronomy. “We’re to the point that we’re going to stick to our pre-emerge and burndown. We can’t have anything that gets past us right off the bat.” The weather may allow for earlier fieldwork and planting. Hanson is seeing more interest in edible beans and canola this year.

Sample Soil for Residual Nitrates – Nitrate analysis will be critical as farmers make their cropping plans for the season ahead. “Last year was still a drought year and in the northern Red River Valley moving north, especially towards Devils Lake, Minot, and into Manitoba, I would expect there’s a lot of residual nitrates left in those areas,” said John Breker, soil scientist, Agvise. “I definitely would make sure that you got those acres sampled for nitrogen. As we see fertilizer prices start to go up again for spring, that information will be more important than ever.”

WTO Ministerial Takes Place This Week – The agriculture chair of the World Trade Organization has circulated a draft text ahead of this week’s ministerial conference. Topics up for negotiation include public policy over food security and assistance for the most vulnerable countries. The ministerial is being held in Abu Dhabi.

A Volatile Time for Exports – The latest agribusiness review from Rabobank cites the ongoing conflict on the Red Sea as causing global shipping capacity to tighten. Most shippers are avoiding that region and adding emergency risk surcharges. The report said this will be another year of volatility for anyone managing logistics. Uncertainties over the U.S. election and potential labor disruptions on both coasts are expected.

US, UK Counter Houthi Attacks – The United States and the United Kingdom are continuing to fight back against the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping on the Red Sea. The weekend strikes included underground weapons storage, air defense systems and radar. The U.S. and UK released a statement, saying these strikes are intended to disrupt the capabilities the Houthis use to threaten global trade.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council board member Chad Willis attended the U.S. Grains Council Winter Conference. Willis is featured in Corn Matters to recap the opportunities and issues that were discussed during the event in Guatemala.

NASDA Considers Trade Opportunities in Cuba – A trade delegation from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture traveled to Cuba this past week. There were seven state ag leaders on the trip, including Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. This delegation met with government officials and private industry representatives to discuss opportunities for collaboration between the U.S. and Cuba.

Amping Up Cybersecurity at U.S. Ports – The Biden Administration is taking steps to prevent cyber attacks on U.S. ports. There’s mandatory reporting of all cyber incidents for all ships and facilities. The Coast Guard is adopting new cybersecurity measures for the nearly 80 percent of the cranes operating at U.S. ports that are owned and manufactured in China. The government will also invest over $20 billion in infrastructure improvements for U.S. ports over the next five years. These actions are being described as a way to support the supply chain.

Brussels is Home to the Latest Farmer Protests – European farmers are protesting today while agricultural ministers are meeting in Brussels. Over 100 tractors are blocking traffic around the EU headquarters and farmers have set tires on fire. Protests have been happening throughout Europe with farmers seeking less regulation, including the possibility of exempting small farms from some environmental regulations. The farmers are also seeking higher commodity prices and an adjustment in trade policy.

Estate Planning Takes on Greater Significance – The Census of Agriculture reaffirmed the trend toward larger farms. Farmers National Company Senior Vice President Matt Gunderson says the Census is generating a lot of discussion. “It’s creating a conversation within production agriculture and internally in terms of what does that look like for the next generation, how does that look from a generational planning perspective and brings to the forefront the importance of estate planning.”

Real Estate Taxes Impacting Land Sale Prices – The International Crop Expo featured a session covering land and equipment markets. Steffes Auction Director of Real Estate Max Steffes said real estate taxes have an impact on sale prices from state to state. “Minnesota is not bashful about taxes,” said Steffes. “I’ve typically seen about a $1,000 an acre difference between a comparable tract of land on the North Dakota side versus the Minnesota side.” Steffes also highlighted a shift in how used equipment is leveraged and sold in negotiating equipment upgrades. Less used equipment is going to dealerships on trade-ins with producers favoring auctions or private treaty sales and negotiating prices from a cash position. Hear the full interview with Max Steffes here.

Farmland Demand Remains Strong – Farmland prices continue to climb. AcrePro Managing Broker David Gorder says the trend is still upward. “Demand is still strong for good quality land, even marginal land has still been selling pretty strong,” said Gorder. “I think a few good years stacked up has kept farmers controlling that market; investor activity has definitely slowed down.” Gorder said farm rental rate renewals are generally up ten-to-15 percent from last year.

Positive Outlook for Potato Markets – Potatoes USA President and CEO Blair Richardson says potato markets have rebounded following the Covid-19 pandemic. With significantly less consumption at restaurants, there was an opportunity to educate consumers on using potatoes at home. “That has since shifted back to where it was before,” said Richardson. “We’re spending many more dollars now on foodservice than we do at home.” European markets are also starting to see some constraints on land availability to expand the production of potatoes. Richardson says despite those production restraints, those markets continue to look for ways to expand and diversify processing facilities. This reflects a long-term global demand for potatoes which is expected to increase by five percent annually.

Potato Industry ‘In a Good Place’ – Larimore, North Dakota farmer Casey Hoverson is the new president of the Northland Potato Growers Association. Outgoing President Peter Imle said the industry is in a good place. “There are always challenges as you’d expect with specialty crops, but the overall mood is positive. The different sectors are doing well kind of across the board which is a little bit unusual.”

Consumer Demand Evolves – The potato industry continues to evolve. Northland Potato Associates President Gary Shields says innovation is happening to meet consumer demand. “We’ve seen a little shift with the yellow potatoes on the market and our reds still are what I would consider the best in the world, but there’s been a change with consumers and how they like their (potatoes)packaged.” Northland Potato Associates partnered with the Northland Potato Growers’ Association at the International Crop Expo trade show.

Grower-Focused Potato Research – NDSU/University of Minnesota Potato Extension Agronomist Andy Robinson helped curate the potato agenda at this past week’s International Crop Expo in Grand Forks. Research was highlighted “We’ve been doing a lot of different things, all of them grower-focused grower projects that they wanted completed.”  Those projects include turkey manure as a local source of nitrogen for potatoes, skin set on potatoes for improved storability and an update on a late blight spore trap project.

Timely Yellow Potato Variety Release – NDSU potato breeder Susie Thompson has a few new varieties that look promising following the 2023 growing season. A red variety is currently being evaluated by growers. A dual-purpose yellow variety looks promising along with three russets. There has been a shift in what types of potatoes are planted across the Red River Valley. “In 2008, just three percent of our fresh market potatoes were yellow,” said Thomson. “In the fall of 2023, 40 percent were yellow. Our numbered line ND1241-1Y could be a very timely release.” There is already large seed acreage available for the new variety.

Mexican Demand for Sugar Buffers Record U.S. Supply – Domestic sugar supplies are at record levels. CSC Sugar Market Strategist Chris Bergin credits the large beet crop that was harvested this past fall. “However, if we take into account beginning stocks, it’s not the largest quantity of total available beet supplies,” said Bergin. “It’s close but it’s not quite the same as 2017 where we had just north of 6.3 million tons.” Refined sugar margins were squeezed in 2017. Bergin says the market is not reacting the same way this year, especially with fewer Mexican imports. “Mexico is taking our surplus. They are having a crop failure and prices in Mexico have now traded up to or on par with prices in the United States adjusted for freight so we’re now happily able to service that market.”

RRV Beet Industry Remains Strong – According to VERAX Commodities Vice President of Sales and Marketing Pedro Figueroa, the sugar cooperatives in the Red River Valley have continued to invest in facilities. Figueroa cites the region’s dependence on sugarbeet production compared to other parts of the country that may focus on other crops. “Co-ops, particularly in the Great Lakes and in the Rockies, have not invested as much as their Red River Valley colleagues because they’re chasing other opportunities,” said Figueroa. “If you look today at the co-op share prices, the Red River Valley is extremely strong versus Michigan and Rocky (Mountain) co-ops that are pretty much trading at par or zero.”

Beet Stock Values – According to Acres & Shares owner Jayson Menke, there were three American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock sales last week.  One sale was at $5,700 per share for 15 shares and two sales at $5,800 totaling 47 shares. As of yesterday, Menke said there were no broker shares for sale.

Foreign-Owned Farmland Bill Advances – The South Dakota Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee gave a ‘do pass’ recommendation for legislation placing restrictions on foreign ownership of agricultural land. Agriculture Secretary Hunter Roberts testified in favor of the bill. “South Dakota has seen nearly a 320 percent increase in foreign-held agriculture land holdings from 2010 to 2022; every county in the state has recorded instances of foreign investor land holdings,” said Roberts. “It’s a trend that we’re seeing that we’re not comfortable with.” There was no testimony offered in opposition to the bill.

MN House Ag Committee Concentrates on Nitrate Contamination – In response to a directive from the EPA, Minnesota is addressing nitrate levels in private wells in the southeastern corner of the state. During testimony before the House Agriculture Committee, there was a focus on the karst geology in southeastern Minnesota. Margaret Wagner manages the nonpoint fertilizer section for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and said other parts of the state are also vulnerable to groundwater contamination. “Some of the concerns are in what’s called the central sands region and because of the course textured or sandy soil where there are elevated nitrates. In southwest Minnesota, there’s often shallow depth to bedrock so there’s just not a lot of vertical distance for something to move from that surface into a groundwater aquifer so we see some vulnerability in southwest (Minnesota).” Wagner said the groundwater protection rule has statewide implications. The ag committee will continue to take input on nitrates in the soil at its hearing on Thursday. Environmental groups, farm organizations and ag retailers are all scheduled to testify.

MFBF Minute – The Minnesota legislative session continues. Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Director of Public Policy Pierce Bennett is preparing for the organization’s Day on the Hill March 19. Get the details from this edition of the MFBF Minute.

Warm Winter Impact on Migration and HPAI – The last confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Minnesota was found in October. State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs told the Minnesota Senate Ag Committee the Board of Animal Health is still ready for any outbreak that may occur this spring. The abnormally warm winter weather has impacted migration patterns. That makes any spring outbreaks unpredictable. “These strange winters that we have seem to be strange as far as migration is concerned as well,” said Hoefs. “It could come earlier; it could come later. It’s anybody’s guess, but we’re preparing nonetheless.”

Weather Tools Available – New tools are available for producers to help make management decisions with weather data. USDA Midwest Climate Hub Director Dennis Todey joined the University of Minnesota Extension CropCast to highlight how farmers can utilize soil temperature climatology. “You can now see the dates when we usually hit those 50-degree temperatures and freezing in the spring and fall.” The data is available on a county-by-county basis in the Midwest. The data shows that freeze dates have been changing. “We are getting, especially in Minnesota, this longer growing season.”

As Good As it Gets – NDSU Extension Veterinarian and Livestock Stewardship Specialist Dr. Gerald Stokka is pleased with the cattle conditions this winter. “From a cow standpoint for North Dakota, this is probably as good as it gets.” Some producers have been able to graze all winter long. Warmer temperatures also mean those considering lice treatment may want to hold off. Treatments are more effective in colder temperatures.

Keep Your Pencils Sharp – Mitchell Livestock Marketing Field Representative Lanning Edwards expects cattle numbers to continue to decline. “People that would normally background their calves have sold them already,” said Edwards. For those considering expanding herds or entering the cattle business, Edwards says it’s important to understand breakeven costs and inputs. “Keep your pencils sharp and know your numbers.” While feed costs may be down some compared to past years, interest rates are higher.

Replacement Heifers Continue to Bring Big Bucks – Bennett Consulting owner Matt Bennett doesn’t expect a rapid rebuilding of the cattle herd due to the high price of heifers. “They’re so expensive and I cannot fault someone who wants to get $1,800 to $2,000 or more for a common heifer,” said Bennett. “That’s not normal and so I’ve got to think that guys are going to have a really hard time keeping the girls back.”

MN Beef Update – The Minnesota Beef Update catches up with MN Beef Council Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator Kaitlyn Root. Root says BQA is a way for producers to relay the message of animal welfare and food safety to consumers.

Grassley, Tester Oppose P & S Rider – Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley and Montana Democrat Jon Tester have sent a letter to their Senate colleagues in opposition to recent efforts to weaken the Packers and Stockyards Act in the agriculture appropriations bill. There is a policy rider in the spending bill that would prevent USDA from enforcing these rules on packers and meat processors.

MOU Signed Between U.S., Canada, Mexico Meat Sectors – The North American Meat Institute, which is the largest trade organization for U.S. meatpackers, has signed a memorandum of understanding with its counterparts in Mexico and Canada to improve trade. The groups agreed to work together to address foreign animal diseases, especially African Swine Fever. Reducing technical trade barriers and sustainability are also shared interests for the three trade groups.

Most Numbers Flat in Friday’s COF Report – The placements figure was the biggest surprise in Friday’s USDA Cattle-on-Feed Report. Placements in January totaled 1.79 million head, down seven percent from last year. The average trade guess was over 11 percent. Placements were higher-than-expected, but still at an eight-year low. The number of cattle on feed was just a fraction of one percent higher than a year ago. Marketings came in as expected, slightly below year ago levels.

Marginal Drop in Milk Production – Milk production in the 24 major states totaled 18.3 billion pounds in January. That’s down less than one percent from one year ago. South Dakota milk production rose nearly 11 percent. Over the past year, South Dakota farmers added 21,000 cows to the state dairy herd. Minnesota milk output declined zero-point-eight percent. Minnesota cow numbers dropped 5,000 head.

DMC Enrollment Begins This Week – Enrollment begins Wednesday for the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program. This USDA program compensates dairy farmers to offset milk and feed price differences. Rules have been changed to allow eligible dairy farms to make a one-time adjustment to their established production history. Sign-up continues through April 29.

Agricult-HER Series Begins Friday – The Red River Farm Network will be celebrating women in agriculture throughout March in a special series called Agricult-HER. Beginning Friday, you’ll find special interviews on RRFN’s YouTube Channel, Facebook and X. Guests will include Theresia Gillie, Vanessa Kummer, Whitney Place, Leah Halverson, Leah Johnson, Katie Pinke, Betsy Jensen, Sherry Koch, Marsha VanLaere, Monica McConkey, Val Aarsvold, Erika Kenner, Julie Peterson, Sarah Lovas, Val Wagner, Bev Durgan, Jamie Beyer, Kristie Sundeen, Carolyn Olson, Marcy Svenningsen and more. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council is the title sponsor for Agricult-HER. Sponsors also include North Dakota Corn Council, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, AgCountry Farm Credit Services and Van Ahn and Company.

Life Skills – Serving as the North Dakota FFA President Ty MacDonald has taught him important life skills. “You get a lot of speaking experiences and I’ve learned the importance of being organized and being on top of things,” said MacDonald. “Right now, I’m studying animal science and ag communications at NDSU and I’m hoping to bring all those skills back with me to the ranch.” His favorite part of the organization is the connections students make to agriculture.

FFA Opens Doors to Opportunity – Mackenzie Kuschel put on the blue jacket for the first time in eighth grade and it just felt natural. As a freshman at South Dakota State University, Kuschel is now on the Minnesota state FFA officer team. “I make sure people are feeling cared for and that people are feeling welcomed into our organization.”  Her Supervised Agriculture Experience is beef production placement where she carries on traditions from her great-grandparents while implementing new technologies. Kuschel is working toward becoming a veterinarian and says her leadership roles in FFA have given her opportunities to be successful. “State office has not only connected me to great people and great resources but has opened a lot of doors to opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Preparing for the Future – North Dakota FFA State Parliamentarian Ireland Watterud says the organization has allowed her to learn more about agriculture. Not growing up on a farm, her first Supervised Agricultural Experience was a coffee shop selling Pride of Dakota-sourced products. Her FFA resume continued to grow. “I started to raise my own cattle,” said Watterud. “Each of those SAE’s prepared me for future opportunities.” This summer Watterud will be an intern for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Spearfish, South Dakota. Click here to listen to the full interview with Ireland Watterud.

FFA: A Lesson in Responsibility – Being a state FFA officer comes with a lot of responsibility, including chapter visits, planning events and helping with contests. “It’s helped increase my leadership skills,” said Annaliese Rauschenberger, state reporter, North Dakota FFA. “Even if you don’t come from a farm family or any sort of agriculture background, FFA is such a good opportunity. I have learned so much from my ag classes.” Rauschenberger says students will have opportunities for scholarships and much more. Hear the full interview with Annaliese Rauschenberger here.

Hands On Experience Through FFA – Kelliher, Minnesota FFA student Riley Connell helped their school celebrate National FFA Week by teaching an introductory lesson on agriculture to fourth graders. “They were a pretty smart bunch and knew a lot of the basics of farming and ranching,” said Connell. As a sophomore at Kelliher High School, this is Connell’s first year in FFA. “I’ve learned more about how to care for cows and crops and more about the science of cattle.” Although Connell didn’t grow up on a farm, she has come to appreciate the hands-on experiences the FFA program offers.

FFA Experience Ignites a 50 Year Passion for the Ag Industry – Proseed District Sales Manager Dave Gehrtz says his experience as an FFA member helped fuel his passion for the ag industry. “I was never a farm boy. My dad was an elevator manager, so I had some background.” Gehrtz has spent over 50 years in agriculture and has seen a lot of change since the days of driving John Deere 4010 with a 5-bottom breakaway plow. According to Gehrtz, being involved in FFA is a smart career move. “Whether you’re a farm kid or a city kid, you learn an awful lot about agriculture.”

Shark Farmer Shares His Story – Rob Sharkey is no stranger to adversity and much of his keynote speech at this year’s Evolution Ag Summit focused on just that. Known as ‘the Shark Farmer, Sharkey opened his speech by detailing how his early venture into hog farming failed, leaving his family on the brink of bankruptcy. Later, the media personality and Illinois farmer spoke about the loss of his son. The importance of succession planning was also highlighted. “If you talk with ag producers long enough the topic of succession comes up and it seems to be the biggest sticking point in farming. If you don’t have the family farm together then the rest of it really doesn’t matter.” The Evolution Summit was hosted by the North Dakota Farmers Union in Jamestown.

Pinke Strong – Hunter Pinke came home to be the keynote speaker at the International Crop Expo. A skiing accident left the University of North Dakota football player paralyzed from the chest down. “Being a North Dakota kid, this is pretty special for me to come back to North Dakota and speak to these people who have given me so much,” said Pinke. “I’ll never be able to repay what I’ve gotten from them so to be able to hopefully fill their cup with some hope and a different perspective.” Pinke attends the University of Arizona where he is pursuing a graduate degree in real estate development while also competing on the University of Arizona Wheelchair Basketball Team as team captain.

Nutrien Sales Drop 23 Percent – Nutrien generated net earnings of $1.3 billion in 2023, down from a record $7.6 billion in 2022. Global potash demand was strong through the second half of the year and is expected to recover to trend levels this year. The U.S. nitrogen supply and demand balance is forecast to be tight for the spring application season. That’s because nitrogen fertilizer imports in the first half of the 2023-2024 fertilizer year were down 55 percent from the three-year average. Phosphate markets are relatively strong to begin the new year.

Huma Acquires Gro-Power – Huma has acquired Gro-Power, effective immediately. Huma Plant and Soil products include liquid nutrients, plant protection and growth managers. With this acquisition, granular humic-based fertilizers and soil conditioners are also available. Terms of the deal were not announced.

MFU Minute – Minnesota Farmers Union recently held its Lobby Day at the Capitol. MFU Government Relations Director Stu Lourey says members had a chance to discuss key issues with lawmakers. In this week’s MFU Minute,  Lourey said priorities include right-to-repair legislation and healthcare.

Larew Appointed to White House Advisory Committee – President Biden has appointed National Farmers Union President Rob Larew to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. Larew is the only representative of agriculture on this advisory committee.

CropLife America Selects New President/CEO – CropLife America has named Alexandra Dunn as its new president and chief executive officer. Most recently, Dunn was with the Baker Botts LLP international law firm where she worked on pesticide issues, water quality and environmental justice. From 2019-to-2021, Dunn was the assistant administrator in the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. Chris Novak was the president/CEO for CropLife America for five years before parting ways with the organization last fall.

Smithfield Hog Production Has New President – Kraig Westerbeek has been named president of the Smithfield Foods swine production operations. Westerbeek started his tenure with Smithfield in 1993. Most recently, he has been the chief development officer for a joint venture between Smithfield, Roeslein Alternative Energy and TPG Rise Climate.

Franzen to Retire – Longtime NDSU Extension Soil Specialist Dave Franzen will this fall. In his presentation at this year’s International Crop Expo, Franzen reviewed the changes he has seen in the past 30 years in soil science. “We started out with yield goal-based formulas and now we focus on relative yield.” Franzen also stressed the importance of potassium in clay chemistry. “It’s not something that professors spend a lot of time on in soil fertility classes, but they really should be because potassium fertility is very complex.”

Vculek Involved in Potato LEAF Training – The current class of the Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation is participating in this week’s Washington, D.C. summit. That’s after a leadership development program this past week in Idaho. There is one participant from this region, Katie Vculek of Crete, North Dakota.

Vive Announces Career Advancements – Vive Crop Protection has added Bruce Ringrose as its director of sustainability and stakeholder relations. Most recently, Ringrose had a similar role at Farmers Edge. Vive Crop Protection has also promoted Jeff Lacrooy to vice president of finance. Lacrooy has been part of the company since 2021.

Arians Moves to NCGA – Sean Arians has joined the National Corn Growers Association as its vice president of sustainable production. Before joining NCGA, Arians worked for Advanced Agrilytics, Bayer, Climate Corporation and Precision Planting.

JL Farmakis Expands its Team – J.L. Farmakis has added Ryder Farmakis as a regional sales and marketing manager and controller. Farmakis previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ankura Consulting Group. J.L. Farmakis is the largest ag advertising sales rep firm in the country and represents the Red River Farm Network nationally.