ERP Phase Two Details Released – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Phase Two of the Emergency Relief Program one week ago. More details have emerged since that announcement. North Dakota Farm Service Agency Executive Director Marcy Svenningsen says the enrollment begins before the end of the month. “Sign-up will open January 23 and continue until June 2.”  Phase Two will compensate farmers for shallow losses. “These programs look at revenue, so they really only aim to cover shallow losses or people who weren’t insured from Phase One.” Farmers should visit their local FSA offices to determine eligibility.

Additional Flexibility Added to FSA Programs – The Farm Service Agency has updated several conservation and disaster programs.  Additional flexibility is being provided to socially disadvantaged, beginning and veteran farmers for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. For the Emergency Conservation Program, USDA is now making advance payments of up to 25 percent of the cost of the project available. Previously, this option was only available for fence repair or replacement.

Climate Politics and Monetary Policy Do Not Mix – Environmental groups have asked the Federal Reserve Bank to actively address climate change. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell responded in a panel discussion with other central bank officials, saying the Federal Reserve must avoid drifting into political issues that aren’t directly involved with its work on economic policy. Powell said the Fed is not and will not be a ‘climate policy maker.’

A Blueprint for Decarbonization – The Biden Administration has unveiled its plan to bring greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation industry to net-zero by 2050. The plan recommends a significant investment in public transit by 2030. It calls for the transition for all new vehicle sales to zero-emissions technology in the 2030s. Among other things, this blueprint also promotes ways to make walking and biking safer and more convenient as a way to protect the environment.

Soil Fertility Minute – On this week’s Soil Fertility Minute, University of Minnestoa Small Grains Specialist Jochum Wiersma joins us to talk about small grain nutrient management. The Soil Fertility Minute is sponsored by the Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council

Ag Groups Participate in North American Summit – Nearly 20 farm groups are pushing for the governments from the U.S., Canada and Mexico to strengthen North American trade in agricultural products. On top of the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City, this farm groups also asked for a solution to trade barriers, such as Mexico’s proposed ban on biotech corn imports. This diverse coalition included Farm Bureau, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and corn, dairy, oilseed and pork commodity groups.

Farm Bureau Delegates Complete Policy Book – American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Scott VanderWal oversaw the resolution process at the group’s annual convention. “Our delegates voted to modernize the Farm Bill by expanding baseline funding and developing more flexible disaster relief programs. They also voted for more transparency for the federal milk marketing pricing system.” VanderWal, who also serves as the South Dakota Farm Bureau president, said labor shortages were addressed at the convention. “Right at the top of the list is labor issues and immigration, specifically, fixing our H2A system.”

Crop Insurance and Conservation Included in AFBF Debate – Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing says a focus during the American Farm Bureau Federation delegate session was to expand crop insurance to specialty crops and make sure crop insurance was not attached to conservation practices. There was also a resolution seeking protection for those enrolling in conservation programs in case the practices were not adopted successfully.”If they end up not having success and breach the contract, these programs need to be able to change course if needed so the ultimate goal of conservation on the landscape is achieved.”

Carbon Storage Concern – In addition to the farm bill, NDFB President Daryl Lies says carbon storage was an important part of the discussion at the American Farm Bureau convention. “Our members were very clear about the non-use injection of CO2 at our (NDFB annual) meeting in November. We shouldn’t be storing a plant nutrient that could at least be used to enhance another industry.” North Dakota’s delegation also focused on regulatory overreach during the delegate session.

USDA Releases January Reports – USDA lowered U.S. corn production to 13.7 billion bushels, raised the corn yield to 173.3 bushels per acre and lowered harvested acres slightly to 79.2 million acres. Soybean production is estimated at 4.27 billion bushels. Soybean acreage was cut to 49.5 bushels per acre. Winter wheat seedings were raised 11 percent from last year to 37 million acres.

Fielding Questions – USDA delivered a plethora of numbers this week with Thursday’s crop report. In this edition of the Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Insurance and Commodity Marketing Rob Fronning recaps these reports and considers markeing considerations for this time of the year. That includes a conversation about crop insurance. Listen to the podcast. Fielding Questions is a presentation of AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network.

Report Opens Window of Opportunity – The USDA supply/demand report delivered a little strength into the corn market. Total Farm Marketing Market Analyst John Heinberg focused on the lower harvested corn acres. “That was the area we saw the surprise as the USDA took harvest corn acres down 1.6 million acres.” Heinberg says a short run-up of corn prices could prove to be profitable for farmers looking to sell. “It might push this market a little bit higher, providing farmers the opportunity to get some sales in over the next few weeks. We still have a big South American and Brazilian crop that may come into play later this some and that could weigh on prices.”

A Big Corn Year – 2023 is shaping up to be a big corn year. That’s the word from Peterson Farms Seed General Manager Scott Sanders. “Specifically, in our area in North Dakota and parts of Minnesota and South Dakota, we had some prevent plant last year due to the moisture and wet spring that we had so we’re definitely thinking there’s going to be more corn acres this year,” Sanders told RRFN. “Soybeans are still going strong but I would say right now if I had to pick a crop that’s probably going to lead the way, it’s going to be corn.” Sanders spoke at the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association, saying success goes beyond marketing. In his view, everyone in the company top-to-bottom must believe in their mission.

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman encourages farmers to attend the annual Northern Canola Growers Meeting where they can learn strategies for flea beetle and weed control.

Markets Poised for Strong 2023 – Since 2020, grain prices have been advancing on a combination of crop losses and demand growth. “As we look at elevated prices, I don’t think we’re going to see them coming down anytime soon,” said Kevin McNew, chief economist, Farmers Business Network. McNew cited the January WASDE report, saying it underpinned the supply challenges. “The market got a little complacent. Where the market had been looking for an increase in stocks because of sluggish exports, they actually got stocks that were lower which is very bullish.”

Lawmakers Take Aim at Foreign Ownership of Land – A bill has been introduced in the North Dakota House to ban foreign ownership of agricultural land. Bismarck Republican Larry Klemin introduced the bill in response to the proposed Fufeng corn wet milling project in Grand Forks. However, the bill would be in place for land purchased by a foreign governments after July 1 and would not affect the Fufeng project.

North Dakota Legislative Report – Activity is starting to pick up in the North Dakota Legislature. In this week’s North Dakota Legislative Report, Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Larry Luick outlines SB 2037, a bill dealing with a cost/benefit analysis for water projects in the state.This update is brought to you courtesy of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, NDFB, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, North Dakota Corn Growers Association and North Dakota Farmers Union.

Governor Signs Tax Conformity Law – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed the tax conformity bill. This bill updates several parts of the state’s tax code, putting it in compliance with the federal tax code.

Bipartisanship is ‘Not Good Enough’ – Minnesota Senate Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee Chairman Aric Putnam is in his second term in the Legislature and his first term on the ag committee. During the first hearing of the session, Putnam said he understood the committee is historically very bipartisan. “While I hold this gavel, that’s not good enough; we need to be better than bipartisan, we need to be non-partisan,” said Putnam. “I am disinclined to hear any bill from anyone that has five signers of the same party. We need to work better and do better.”

Vang Oversees First Ag Committee Hearing – Minnesota House Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha Vang led the organizational meeting forher committee on Tuesday, saying she looks forward to this session. “Farmers represent less than two percent of the Minnesota population, yet 100 percent of us eat or have benefitted from the work of our farmers,” said Vang. “Farmers are truly the backbone of Minnesota and I am very excited about what this committee can do and I look forward to working with each and every one of you.”  Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen was asked about last year’s drought relief package. Approximately 3,000 farmers applied for the assistance. “People got on the average 42 percent so I think $2,700 was the top payment that people got,” testified Petersen. “Like I tried to say all along, it was going to help pay a bill or two, maybe help buy a load of hay or make a payment on something.”

HPAI Remains a Worry in ’23 – In testimony before the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee, State Veterinarian Dr. Marion Garcia said Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza will be an issue well into 2023. “In the past, we had associated outbreaks solely on the presence of migratory birds who brought the virus with them, but based on surveillance of wild birds this year we know that the virus has persisted in the state’s wild bird population and will probably continue to affect farmed poultry.” Garcia said work is underway to minimize the impact of this virus but the number of available tools are limited.

Playing Offense – With new leadership in the state legislature, Minnesota Corn Growers Association public policy specialist Alex Trunnell says there are opportunities for agriculture. “As an example, agriculture can play offense when we talk about soil health initiatives,” said Trunnell. “Farmers should be the ones at the forefront of those discussions as the ones who will be implementing those practices.” Trunnell said he is looking forward to working with State Senator Aric Putnam and State Representative Samantha Vang as the new agriculture committee chairs. Trunnell was featured in the small grain update meetings this past week in northwest Minnesota.

SDPPC Review Legislative Agenda – The South Dakota Pork Producers Council wrapped up their annual Pork Congress in Sioux Falls Thursday. “We had a few discussions on what could be coming through the legislature,” said Shane Odegaard, immediate past president. “There’s not a lot happening right now, but there is a bill by the Governor’s office on foreign ownership of land. The South Dakota Pork Producers hasn’t taken a stance until we can get clarification on wording.”

Protection From Nuisance Lawsuits – A bill is being drafted in the South Dakota Legislature that will provide liability protection for farms and ranches from nuisance lawsuits. Among other things, this proposal would set limits on compensatory and punitive damages. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said it increases costs “when agricultural operations are attacked by frivolous claims.”

Transportation Woes Continue – From railways to rivers, transportation methods in 2022 have been challenging. Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek says agriculture isn’t able to absorb increased transportation costs without farmers feeling their margins tighten. “Agriculture doesn’t have exorbitant profit margins or this infinite ability to absorb cost increasing in transportation without it affecting our bottom line.”  Supply-chain holdups has increased costs of moving products, but Steenhoek says inflation is having a significant impact on transportation as well. “Inflation really rears its head when it comes to building infrastructure for transportation.”

A Supply-Demand Tug-of-War – The used machinery market remains hot. BigIron Auctions Territory Manager Eric Kaczmarski says tight supply will continue to keep used machinery prices high. “Prices will remain strong as long as customers still struggle to get equipment at dealerships.” Kaczmarski says BigIron Auctions is coming off a record year. “Our sales were through the roof and we were constantly breaking records every week.”

Smaller, But Bigger – North Dakota Grain Dealers Association Executive Vice President Stu Letcher says the industry has seen consolidation and facility closures in the past five years. “Membership is smaller but bigger, if that makes sense,” said Letcher. “A smaller number but larger firms. With the labor market, one of the other trends we’re seeing is the more labor-intensive facilities may be being phased out.” The NDGDA Annual Meeting is underway through tomorrow in Fargo. DTN meteorologist John Baranick and NDSU crops economist Frayne Olson are on the program today.

NCI Hosts ‘Everything Ethanol’ Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting another Everything Ethanol webinar Wednesday morning at 10 AM. This webinar will feature Turner, Mason & Company Vice President John Mayes. The interactive webinar series focuses on advancing global ethanol market development. Topics throughout the series include ethanol marketing factors, global policies, human health and ethanol and more. Register for the webinar online.

Growth Energy Provides RFS Testimony – The Environmental Protection Agency hosted a hearing this past week on its 2023-2025 biofuel blending obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standards. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor urged the agency to approve the backlog of renewable fuel pathways. “We’re encouraged by EPA’s proposal but moving forward we’d like to see the proposed volumes accurately reflect industry growth.” Skor says year-round E-15 is still a priority in 2023 and encouraged EPA to continue to work on broadening retail infrastructure.

Corn Matters – The EPA released their proposed volumes for the Renewable Fuel’s Standard. Hear more from MCGA President Richard Syverson in the latest Corn Matters, presented by Minnesota Corn.

China Approves Imports of Eight Biotech Crops – The list includes two glyphosate-resistant types of alfalfa, which was submitted for approval more than ten years ago. Both alfalfa traits are owned by Forage Genetics International, which is a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes. China also approved a glyphosate-resistant canola from Corteva. The other approvals were for sugar cane, cotton and domestically developed corn and soybean biotech products. China allows these imports for feed usage but has not approved any major food crops for cultivation.

Large Farm Operation Moratorium – The White Earth Tribal Council has placed a two-year moratorium on any new large farming operations within reservation boundaries according to the tribal newspaper, Anishinaabeg Today. The tribal council cited a threat to health and safety, water and land resources, and economic security as concerns.  Tribal council chairman Michael Fairbanks said Minnesota agencies were informed of the decision and that the tribe will take the time to create their own laws around what they want on the reservation. Earlier in 2022, Becker County, Minnesota made a similar ruling. The White Earth Reservation includes Mahnomen County, and portions of Clearwater, and Becker Counties in northwest Minnesota.

Support for Labeling Law – A coalition of 50 agriculture, rural and consumer groups has sent a joint letter to key lawmakers, seeking support for mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef. The letter references a recent poll of American voters that found 86 percent of respondents support this labeling law. The groups signing the letter range from the National Farmers Union and R-CALF to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

MN Beef Update – Join us in the latest Minnesota Beef Update to hear from Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt on how to plan resolutions for 2023.

Auction Receipts Pick Up – After the holiday break, activity picked up at area auction barns. “Markets are very aggressive coming out of the holiday season with a lot of guys looking to fill yards,” said Billy Bushelle, manager, Bagley Livestock Auction. “There’s just a lot of optimism in the future especially for fed cattle prices.”

BASF Presents Live Broadcast From Bean Day – Join the Red River Farm Network for a live broadcast from the Northarvest Bean Growers Association Bean Day this Friday. These special reports are part of RRFN’s Agriculture Today broadcast from 12:30-1 PM and being sponsored by BASF. Bean Day in the largest dry bean-specific conference in the United States. BASF has a complete portfolio for the dry bean grower.

Dry Bean Scene – Northarvest’s Bean Day is set to take place January 20, 2023. Northarvest Bean Growers Association Marketing and Communications Director Jed Brazier joins us in this week’s Dry Bean Scene to talk about the schedule. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

Soybean Cyst Nematode on the Move – Soybean Cyst Nematode was prolific this past spring in the region. “Soybean Cyst Nematode is a big deal and it’s expanding through the state,” said Sam Markell, plant pathologist, NDSU Extension. “Sampling is really important for identifying it” SCN has progressively become a common disease in eastern North Dakota. “It’s moving up the (Red River) Valley and west.”

Stacking Herbicides – Farmers are putting orders in for crop inputs for the 2023 growing season. BASF Tech Service Representative Dan Melaas recommends farmers review what weeds were troublesome last year and what products helped control them. “Make a weed control plan for 2023 based on what went well and what didn’t. This year, we’re looking at setting up a good pre-emergence herbicide plan.” Melaas says layering residual herbicides helps manage yield loss and reduce pressure on the post-emergence herbicides.

MN Dicamba Regs Remain in Place – Minnesota’s dicamba restrictions will remain in place for 2023. The application of Engenia, Tavium and XtendiMax cannot be made south of I-94 after June 12th and June 30^th north of the interstate. There is also a temperature cutoff of 85 degrees. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture reports 32 complaints of non-target movement last year. That compares to more than 300 in 2021.

Small Grains Battle Bacterial Leaf Streak – NDSU Extension Cereal Plant Pathologist Andrew Friskop has three diseases in wheat that he’s worried about. “The most problematic disease in 2022 was bacterial leaf streak followed by scab and fusarium head blight. Most of the head diseases were kept in check and I think growers did a good job managing fungicides.” Friskop says ergot is a relatively new disease that’s migrated to the Upper Midwest, but it hasn’t been a huge problem yet. Conversations on ergot started in 2018, but no epidemic fields sprouted this year. Friskop says the disease was most commonly found on field edges.

MN Wheat Minute – A New Year comes new research and projects. Tune in to Minnesota Wheat Vice President of Research Melissa Carlson the latest MN Wheat Minute to find out what’s on the roster for 2023.

Seeking to Fill an Insecticide Void – Researchers participating in this past week’s Sunflower Research Forum are focused on developing new insecticides for sunflowers. “Sunflowers are one of the crops that lost the ability to use chlorpyrifos, so we’re looking at potential new insecticides,” said John Sandbakken, executive director, National Sunflower Association.

Risk Mitigation – National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says Canada’s government has answered potato wart concerns regarding potato imports from Canada’s Prince Edward Island. “They made it very clear that they’re working to modernize testing.” Quarles expects USDA to adjust protocols to mitigate risk on imported potatoes. “USDA identified the breadth of potato wart if these enhancements didn’t occur, so we’re hopeful that they’ll mitigate that risk.”

Managing Stored Potatoes – Managing potato quality post-harvest is critical to profitability. Syngenta Post Harvest Manager Tim Madden says there are a number of issues that can arise in stored potatoes. “Syngenta’s developed a number of products over the years that help protect (potatoes from) degradation,” said Madden. “Archive is a mix of fludioxonil with azoxystrobin, a very unique product that it has two methods of protection.” For many years, the potato industry tried to manage humidity and temperature to mitigate potato loss. With the addition of new tools, “we’re able to protect quite a bit more of the product in storage over a longer period of time.”

Ag Innovation Center Gains Financial Support – There are 55 million bushels of soybeans grown annually in an 11-county area surrounding Crookston. The Ag Innovation Campus is designed to be an incubator of ideas and the development of new products. The concept for this project began in 2018. Board Chair Mike Skaug says it is now becoming a reality. “We had a tough time getting started because of COVID and we’ve had some big cost increases because of supply issues. Everything is going along pretty smoothly right now; it’s more predictable now than it was even a month ago.” Farmers Union Enterprises, which is made up of the Farmers Union organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wisconsin, signed on as a major sponsor of the Ag Innovation Campus. FEI is a very diverse business with interests in everything from pet food ingredients to rendering. “They made a sizeable contribution financially and they’re going to have a seat on our board of directors.” The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute are the other partners for the Crookston project.

AURI Update – The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute’s new Ag Innovation News Podcast features ag leaders and innovators. Hear more in the latest AURI Update.

Construction Advances for AIC Facility – The Ag Innovation Campus in Crookston plans to crush its first soybeans this summer. Crushing equipment is being installed now and the company is in the final stretch of Phase I construction. Energy Management Systems President Bill Paulsen will manage this project. “This was an exciting project from the get-go; it’s altogether different than what is normal out there,” said Paulsen.” There’s nothing else like this, this is a research facility that wants to have a crush facility that operates like a for-profit business.” The Ag Innovation Campus will support three soybean crush lines, providing research and development opportunities for the public and private sectors. Training will also be available for the fast-growing soybean crush industry.” Plans are also in place to grow this campus with Phase 2 and 3 being addied

Beet Stock Values – The first American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock brokered-sales of the new year happened last week. According to Acres & Shares broker, Jayson Menke, there were two brokered sales totaling 25 shares at $4,650 per share.

Environment and Agriculture Win-Win – Northstar Lime LLC in Crookston, Minnesota is one of 21 projects that will soon be open for public comment regarding its participation in the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program. Bryan Boll farms near Crookston and leads Northstar Lime. Boll says the technology is a win-win-win. “Instead of burning cornstalk bales, we’re able to turn that into biochar, capture that carbon, and put it back on the field to increase organic matter.” The Northstar Lime pellets are made from a byproduct at the nearby American Crystal Sugar plant. The pyrolizer used to create biochar will produce heat to dry the lime and produce a value-added product while capturing carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The pyrolizer should be up and running sometime this spring.

Wetland Mitigation Bank Funding Awarded – USDA has awarded $4.7 million in funding for the Wetland Mitigation Bank Program. This program allows off-site wetland mitigation through the purchase of credits. Six projects were given grant money in this round, including nearly $1 million for South Dakota Farm Bureau to coordinate state efforts. North Dakota and Minnesota were awarded projects in the past.

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – Click on the Job Opportunities in Agriculture tab on the Red River Farm Network website. Companies looking for high quality additions to their staff include Anheuser-Busch, Pioneer and True North Equipment. The Red River Farm Network promotes job opportunities online, on-air and in social media. For an effective way to reach prospective employees, contact don@rrfn.com.or kolleen@rrfn.com.

New Ownership for Dickinson Auction Barn – Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange of Dickinson, North Dakota has new ownership. Larry Schnell retired and a group made up of Austin Henderson, John Fischer and Dan O’Donnell took over the reins at the end of 2022. “These places don’t come up often and this one had been in the Schnell family for many years,” said Henderson, vice president, Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange. Henderson is no stranger to the livestock auction business. “I started in Herreid, South Dakota, and I’ve also sold at Rugby Livestock and Napoleon Livestock.”

Activist Investor Challenges Bayer – Bluebell Capital Partners wants Bayer to split up its pharmaceutical and agriculture business. Bluebell was created three years ago and has a history of challenging corporate policies. A Bayer spokesperson declined to comment on the report, but said the company is open to ‘constructive dialogue’ with its shareholders.

CHS Reports 1Q Earnings – CHS is reporting first quarter net income of $783 million. That compares to $452 million in the same quarter last year. Revenues were up due to higher refining margins in the energy sector, strong demand in its soybean and canola processing businesses and positive earnings from its investment in CF Nitrogen.

Joint Venture Expands – CHS and Cargill are planning to expand the scope of their TEMCO export capabilities. A Cargill-owned export grain terminal in Houston will be added to this joint venture. TEMCO currently operates three facilities in the Pacific Northwest, Portland and Kalama/Tacoma, Washington. The Houston facility handles up to 250 million bushels per year.

Cargill Appoints Acting CFO – Joanne Knight has been named the acting chief financial officer for Cargill, replacing Jamie Miller who resigned. Knight currently is the vice president of finance for Cargill’s Agriculture Supply Chain business.

MN Represented on Ways and Means Committee – Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach has been appointed to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. This is the chief tax-writing committee in Congress. In a statement, Fischbach emphasized “the importance of a competitive tax code and robust market access” for agriculture. The lawmaker, who is in her second term, said the Ways and Means Committee provides the strongest platform to work on these important goals for agriculture.

Glessing Re-elected – During the American Farm Bureau Federation convention, Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing was re-elected to the board of directors.

Swenson Ready to Expand Meristem’s Dealer Network in RRV – Eli Swenson of Shelly, Minnesota has joined Meristem Crop Performance as a sales representative for North Dakota and the Red River Valley. Most recently, Swenson worked for AgriMAX in Fisher, Minnesota.

Tupper Takes the Reins at USCA – St. Onge, South Dakota rancher Justin Tupper is the new president of the United States Cattlemen’s Association. The board of directors approved the slate of nominations for its officer team.

New Leadership for SDPPC – Adam Krause of Clear Lake, South Dakota has been elected president of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. Krause was elected to the SDPPC board in 2017 and spent 2018 as one of three National Pork Board ‘Pig Farmers of the Year.’

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota President Scott Stahl previews the South Dakota Corn Conference this weekend.

Premium Ag Solutions Sponsors Two-Day Broadcast From Winter Conference – The Precision Planting Winter Conference will be held in 22 locations nationwide this week. That includes a new location, Grand Forks. The winter conference will be held Wednesday and Thursday and is an event that brings together the latest technology and the people behind it. The Red River Farm Network will roadcasti Agriculture Today  from the Grand Forks site on Wednesday and Thursday. This special coverage is made possible by Preminum Ag Solutions of Hitterdal, Minnesota.

Vincent to Lead Pheasants Forever – A North Dakota native will succeed Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever President/CEO Howard Vincent when he retires later this year. Marilyn Vetter was born and raised in a farming and hunting family at Anamoose, North Dakota. Vetter, who now lives in Wisconsin, will become the third CEO in PF’s 40-year history.

A New Role for Vance – Andy Vance is the new executive director of the Poultry Science Association. Vance is a former Ohio farm broadcaster and most recently worked for Feedstuffs/Farm Progress.

MCIA Awards Presented to Seed Growers – Dean Johnson and Kurt Aakre, who farm together at Karlstad, received the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association Premier Seed Grower Award. “We’re thankful for the honor,” said Aakre. “Growing up we were taught to do the very best you can in whatever you do because that’s what the Bible says and we carry that on in everyday life.” Kurt Flegel of Benson and Lon Baldus of Grand Meadow were also named as Premier Seed Grower Award winners.

Scapanski, Fox Re-elected – During the Minnesota State Agricultural Association, Joe Scapanski of Sauk Rapids was re-elected to a second one-year term as president. Joe Fox of Maplewood was re-elected as vice president. The State Fair board of managers approved $9.4 million in maintenance projects and capital work.

Hall of Fame Honors for Butter Sculptor – Linda Christensen is the newest inductee into the Minnesota State Agricultural Society Hall of Fame. Christensen was the butter sculptor for Princess Kay of the Milky Way and the regional dairy princesses for 50 years. The farm crops superintendent Ron Kelsey received honorary life membership. Kelsey taught agriculture at Red Rock Central High School in Lamberton for 35 years and was a state fair superintendent for 22 years.

Agriculturalists of the Year to be Recognized at Little ‘I’ – The North Dakota State University Saddle and Sirloin Club will honor Dean and Paula Swenson of Walcott as the Agriculturalists of the Year. This couple operate Swenson Stock Farm. The recognition will be given during the NDSU Little International in early February.