Drier Conditions Welcomed – This season’s on-again, off-again rains have been a challenge. At East Grand Forks, Ashley Altepeter welcomed the drier forecast. “It was kinda weird to go a few days without rain, that’s for sure,” said Altepeter. “Rains have been hit and miss, we’ve gone from 19 inches this season in one area to six inches in another area so it’s just a matter of where these storms have been hitting. If it’s not raining, it seems like it’s 40-mile-an-hour winds, but we’re finally able to catch up on spraying and farm stuff. It’s nice to catch a little bit of a break.”

Replanting Again and Again – It won’t stop raining on Jay Nord’s farm. The Wolverton, Minnesota farmer has been forced to replant multiple times over the past month. “Six inches in June and a whole bunch in May and already two-plus in July, we ended up replanting ten percent of our beans and 20 percent of our corn.” The few acres that have avoided the surplus moisture look decent. “The wheat is looking good; the corn and beans that are out of the water aren’t looking too bad.”

Corn in NW MN is Some of the Best in the State – The corn is responding to the warmer weather that has settled into the region. “Warm humid weather is going to get that crop growing very rapidly so we are probably looking at tasseling in later July,” said Jeff Coulter, corn agronomist, University of Minnesota Extension. “The reports I’ve gotten is the corn in northwestern Minnesota looks a lot better than the rest of the state.”

Crops Behind Schedule, But Can Catch Up – Persistent rain and windy days resulted in a delay in the spraying regiment in the southern Red River Valley. Thunder Seed District Sales Manager Derek Haug is also seeing nitrogen issues. “There’s a lot of areas where you can see the fertilizer got away from us with the amount of rain we had before the start of the season.” Crops were planted later than normal. “A lot of that looks pretty good but it’s just behind. I think if we get some nice weather and we can keep that into the fall everything’s going to look pretty decent.”

Optimism at Onida, SD – Onida, South Dakota-based Oahe Grain general manager Tim Luken is generally pleased with the local crops. “The top end of the (wheat) crop pulled back earlier when we had a lot of winds this spring. Granted, it was cool and that’s our saving grace. The row crops look absolutely amazing.”

Crops are Recovering – Crops have started to recover from the wet spring. Peterson Farms Seed Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson says these hot and humid days will help dry the fields up and get crops growing. With all the moisture still in the fields, fungicide applications are important. “For the first time in three years, with the drought, we are looking at having some white mold issues so really keeping an eye on those areas where we’ve had perennial problems in the past.”

Fungicide Management is a Key to Potential Yield – Crop development may be behind average, however, Helena Product Specialist Brad Hammes said the threat of insects and disease is not. “We’re going to have stronger fungi developing in the fields when the crop is smaller than we’re used to thinking about. Fungicide management this year is really important, giving us a great opportunity later this year to push yield.” Hammes recommends the addition of a nutritional product or a biostimulant to the fungicide application. One product would be Fullscale, which is a 3-0-3 with the addition of zinc, manganese and boron micronutrients. Fullscale also features beneficial plant extracts. It can be used in corn, soybeans and wheat. Listen to the full interview.

Canola Needs a Fungicide – Proseed District Sales Manager Dave Gerhrtz, who is based at New Rockford, North Dakota, is advising canola growers to apply a fungicide to protect the yields. “I’ve got some customers that say they have been blooming for 28 days. The old rule of thumb is 100 pounds per day for each day it blooms. That equates to some pretty good yield potentials. With the moisture and heavy dews we have in the morning, we need to apply a fungicide.”

Pioneer Agronomy Update – With the excess rain in recent weeks, canola is at risk for sclerotinia or white mold. In the Pioneer Agronomy Update, Field Agronomist Kristie Sundeen said the best time for a fungicide application is 20-to-50 percent bloom stage. “Twenty percent bloom is when there’s 14-to-16 flowers are open on the main stem,” said Sundeen. “Fifty percent bloom is when the canola is at its most yellow and the main stem will have 20-plus flowers and developing pods on the main stem.” The Sclerotinia Risk Map is online.  Listen to the report.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman joins us to discuss this year’s record-high canola acres. Listen to Barry Coleman’s comments. 

Potato Harvest to be Stretched Out Due to Extended Planting Season – At East Grand Forks, Casey Folson is pleased with the potato crop. However, “we’ve had enough rain so the fields are pretty saturated but if we can get this stretch of sunny, dry weather here I think there’s definitely some crop potential out there.” Like much of the region, Folson Farms is dealing with a lot of variability in maturity. “Different fields are at different stages depending on their plant date. Our planting got stretched out, spread out over a longer period of time because of the wet spring. We have stuff that’s blooming and closing rows and other stuff that’s only a few inches out of the ground.”

Organic Farmers Dealing With Wild Parsnip – The wet season has delivered a new headache for Minnesota organic farmers. “We’ve been invaded by a horrible new weed, wild parsnip,” said Karen Torjesen. “We very much want to get into those fields to mow them but have been unable to do so.” Torjesen, who farms at Kenyon in southeastern Minnesota, said the weed is even more bothersome for organic farmers who must physically remove weeds from their fields. “It’s a particularly vicious weed because of the sap. One has to be extremely careful about touching it.” Torejesen says wild parsnip first entered the state a couple of years ago and has spread rapidly.

Cover Crops an Option for PP Acres – With the wet spring, many acres were left unplanted. Renovo Seed product expert Justin Fruechte says it is a good idea to plant something in those fields. “You are going to see a lot more benefits other than it just suppressing weeds,” said Fruechte. “We know that a diversity of species does great things for creating different root structures and channels for better water infiltration.”

In-Season Fertility is Beneficial – The saturated soils this spring have caused nutrients to leach from the soils. AgroLiquid Field Agronomy Manager Reid Abbott recommends the use of in-season foliar fertilizer to ensure proper plant nutrition. “In addition to the quality or yield benefits at the end of the year, farmers can also mitigate some of the risks that they are putting into that crop dollar-wise early on in the year before the weather situation is known to him.” Listen to the whole interview with Abbott here.

MFBF Minute – The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Education is hosting a summer webinar series called Harvesting Solutions. MFBF Coordinator Pam Debele says this series identifies important issues to its members. Find out more in the latest edition of MFBF Minute.

Few Pest Problems – Insect pressure is generally low across the region. NDSU Extension Entomologist Janet Knodel credits the cool and wet weather that we had. That may change with this past week’s hot temperatures. “Typically, most insects do better when it’s warmer because they go through their biology quicker.” Grasshoppers are the most prevalent insect this season, but are not at economic thresholds.

Tracking Insect Pressure – Nearly half of the wheat and barley fields scouted in North Dakota over the past two weeks had cereal aphids. The NDSU Crop and Pest Report says the hot spots are in southwest and south-central North Dakota. Wheat stem sawfly and wheat stem maggot were only seen in 13 percent of the fields surveyed. With the numerous rains, soybean aphids were not reported in any of the 90 fields scouted last week. Grasshoppers continue to be the most common insect in field crops this year. The highest grasshopper nymph counts were in Emmons and Hettinger counties in southwest North Dakota and Eddy County in the east-central part of the state.

Cutting Wheat in Nebraska – The Schemper Harvesting crew has made its way to Sidney, Nebraska. “The wheat here is making 40-to-50 bushels per acre,” reports Jared Schemper. There has been a wide range for yields in the areas harvested. “We cut down by Dodge City and Scott City, Kansas; the wheat around Dodge City made about 35 (bushels per acre) and we got to Scott City and it went around 85 (bushels per acre). When we were in Oklahoma, it was hot and dry and the crop went 35-to-50 (bushels per acre) depending if they ran cattle on that ground in the winter time or not.”

Texas Wheat Harvest Wrapping Up – The Texas winter wheat harvest is nearing the finish line. Texas Wheat Producers Director of Policy Steelee Fischbacher says their harvest is finished except for small pockets that received recent rains. “Most of the wheat is now in the bin.” Outside of some trouble spots in east Texas, quality is termed good or very good. Not surprisingly, the yields for irrigated wheat shined. “We had a lot of 80-plus bushels, some coming in around 100, some very good yields for areas around the Panhandle.”

About Average – Wade’s Harvesting owner Wade Haak of Strasburg, North Dakota says the harvest in Kansas and Oklahoma went very well. “Probably above average. We did anywhere from 25 bushels to 70 bushels.” Weed pressure was low for most of the fields harvested in Kansas and Oklahoma. “Last year, they had so much moisture right before and during harvest. This year it’s been pretty clean.”

Ready to Roll in South Dakota – Devils Lake-based custom harvester Scott Brown is home waiting for the wheat to ripen. Dry weather hurt the area he cut in north Texas, Oklahoma and eastern Colorado. Brown says the combines are in South Dakota. “We got ahead of the harvest,” said Brown. “It was a fast summer, hot down south and we knew we’d catch it somewhere.” Brown expects his South Dakota run to begin this week.

No Bad Spots – Kevin Bradberry, who operates Bradberry Harvesting, has seen good wheat since they started harvesting in Texas. “We really haven’t hit a bad spot yet,” said Bradberry. “Texas was probably the worst but it was still in the 40’s (bushels per acre).” The Bradberry Harvesting crew has made their way north and are home in Onida, South Dakota until the harvest begins within the state.

A Quality Kansas Winter Wheat Crop – Despite some weather delays, Kansas Wheat Growers Vice President of Communications Marsha Boswell said this year’s crop was very good. “This year’s harvest was much better than the last couple of years. We’ve seen some really good quality wheat this year,” said Boswell. “Test weights are coming in over 60 pounds and some protein pockets that are up to 13 or 14 percent protein so I think overall the protein will be a bit better than average.” There may be a slight dip in yields, especially in the areas dealing with late-season rains.

Winter Wheat Harvest Rolling Along – Arrow B Custom Harvest’s Haley Brown, Ponca, Nebraska, says this year’s winter wheat yields have been all over the place. “The wheat’s been really good, but it’s been sporadic. Where we started down in Alva, (Oklahoma), we had some 70-bushel wheat. and we had some 20-bushel wheat. We went up into Kansas and that probably averaged 45 bushels across the state. In Nebraska, we had dryland wheat that was all of 60 bushels pretty much all of the way there.” The next stop for Brown is South Dakota.

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – The Pennington County Farm Service Agency office in Thief River Falls is hiring a full-time temporary Program Technician. Duties include general office activities supporting FSA programs administered at the field level. Successful applicants must be reliable, have a professional attitude and enjoy working with the public. To apply, submit your resume to luke.sadler@usda.gov or call 218-681-1612. If your company has career opportunities, consider the Red River Farm Network to promote the position. The opening will be promoted online, on-air and in social media. Contact don@rrfn.com for more details.

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, Griggs County NDSU Extension Agent Jeff Stachler discusses the weather and its impact on dry beans. “We’re way behind from last year, but you have to remember last year was an abnormal year.” Listen to the report.

Finally – On Wednesday, USDA announced China’s purchase of 132,000 metric tons of soybeans. This is China’s first purchase of U.S. soybeans for the 2024-2025 marketing year. This is the latest first sale of the year between the U.S. and China in five years.

La Nina Timeline Pushed Back – The U.S. Climate Prediction Center predicts La Nina is favored to develop in the August-to-October time period, giving it a 70 percent chance of happening. There’s nearly an 80 percent chance of La Nina occurring between November and January. With this forecast, it is becoming less likely that La Nina will impact the current growing season.

S-D Report Released – USDA lowered U.S. old crop and new crop corn and soybeans but raised old and new crop wheat carryout in the July supply and demand report. New crop corn ending stocks by five million bushels from June to 2.09 billion on increased usage and exports. New crop production was increased on greater planted and harvested area while usage was raised by 100 million bushels and a 75 million bushel increase in exports. Domestic soybean production declined by 15 million bushels to 4.4 billion and reduced new crop ending stocks by 20 million bushels to 435 million bushels on lower harvested area and slightly lower beginning stocks. USDA raised all-wheat production by 134 million bushels to 2.01 billion bushels on increased harvested area and higher yields.

Fielding Questions – Fielding Questions is a podcast produced in collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network that explores the world of farm finance and rural life. AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Insurance and Customer Education Rob Fronning recaps the latest supply demand report and the impact on markets. “Every year it is important to have a plan and to start marketing accordingly.” Listen to the podcast.

A Gift – Van Ahn and Company analyst Kristi Van Ahn views USDA’s July supply and demand report as a gift. “I did not have a lot of expectations with this report. To be honest, there is still plenty of crop around with 2.097 billion bushel carryout in corn and 475 million bushels in soybeans. The difference is the market was really bearish coming into this report.”

A Record Small Grain Crop Possible – Based on July 1 conditions, North Dakota’s spring crop is forecast at 306 million bushels. That’s up 14 percent from last year. The average yield is forecast at 56 bushels per acre. That’s up seven-and-a-half bushels above last year and would be a record high if realized. Durum wheat production is estimated at 53.4 million bushels, up 67 percent from last year. North Dakota durum yields are forecast at a record 46 bushels per acre. Barley production is expected to be down 45 percent from a year ago. USDA is projecting North Dakota barley yields to tie the record of 74 bushels per acre.

Spring Wheat Forecast Adjusted Upward in MN – In the latest crop production report, Minnesota spring wheat production is forecast at 94.5 million bushels. That’s 21 percent above last year’s crop. Spring wheat yields are expected to total 63 bushels per acre. Oat production is estimated at 7.7 million bushels, up 15 percent from a year ago. Minnesota barley production is predicted to total nearly 1.4 million bushels, down 66 percent from a year ago.

SD Crop Production Totals Released – USDA’s latest crop production report forecasts South Dakota winter wheat production at 44.5 million bushels, up 35 percent from a year ago. The average winter wheat yield is estimated at 57 bushels per acre, up ten bushels per acre from a year ago. South Dakota’s spring wheat crop is forecast at 33.5 million bushels, up 20 percent from last year. The average spring wheat yield is predicted to be at 50 bushels per acre.

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 remains bullish on the cattle market. “That’s somewhat driven by the record highs on the NASDAQ; the Dow is off a little bit, but it remains well above 40,000 right now.” Wheat had a bullish report Friday and leads the list for the ‘not hot’ category.

Brazilian Corn Harvest Progresses Rapidly – Soybean and Corn Advisor President Michael Cordonnier says 63 percent of Brazil’s crop has been harvested and it is getting larger. “I did increase the Brazil corn estimate this week by 2 million to 116 million tons and that was due to higher yields being reported by IMEA in Monto Grosso,” said Cordonnier.”It’s been hot and dry so the harvesting moves along very quickly. Corn has dried down very nicely and the yields in Monto  Grosso and Goias are positive. They’re disappointing every place else but Monto Grosso and Goias are the two big ones.”

Ranking Member Criticizes Ag Committee Chair and House GOP – The House Agriculture Committee gathered to review the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory impact on American agriculture, but the hearing began with criticism from Ranking Member David Scott. Scott accused Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson and the Republican leadership of playing politics with the farm bill. “Speaker (Mike) Johnson will not bring the bill to the Floor for a vote because it was not written as a serious bill. It was written to be used as a campaign slogan, nothing more.” The farm bill passed out of the committee at the end of May. Scott said the clock is running out on this farm bill. “The August recess is right around the corner, we come back here in September and a week is gone there and then the new appropriations year starts three weeks later on October 1.” The chairman and ranking member were sitting side-by-side during Scott’s opening comments. Thompson did not respond to his colleague’s criticism. “There’s a lot I could say, but I’m not going to say anything,” said Thompson. “We’re going to move ahead with this hearing and stay grounded in reality.”

Congressional Staffers Pessimistic About Farm Bill Passage – A survey commissioned by Punchbowl News found 68 percent of senior congressional staffers do not think the House Agriculture Committee farm bill will pass this year. The survey was conducted between June 3-21. Seventy-five percent of Democratic staff members and 62 percent of Republican staff members believe it is unlikely the farm bill will pass in this Congress.

SD Corn Comments – Danita Murray, executive director, South Dakota Corn Council, is featured in the latest edition of South Dakota Corn Comments. Murray offers insight into the farm bill process.  talking about the US House Committee on Agriculture holding a farm bill markup. Click here to hear the update.

Collaboration Needed to Reduce Regulatory Impact on Farmers – On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee examined the consequences of the Environmental Protection Agency’s actions on American Agriculture. In a hearing filled with criticism for the agency, National Farmers Union Vice President Jeff Kippley reminded lawmakers about the good things the EPA has done for the environment and agriculture. “If done right legislative and regulatory actions can create economic development opportunities for rural communities and family farms. That is certainly true of the Renewable Fuel Standard.” Kippley, who farms near Aberdeen, South Dakota, spoke about the need for cooperation. “EPA plays an essential role in protecting the environment, but the agency should do more to limit the impact of its regulations on family farmers and ranchers. One of the best ways to do this is through regular engagement and partnership with farmers and communities.”

Support for MCOOL – South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds has announced endorsements from 25 state and national farm groups for his mandatory country-of-origin labeling proposal. Rounds want MCOOL included in the new farm bill. The groups supporting this policy include the National Farmers Union, the North Dakota and South Dakota Farmers Union groups, R-CALF USA, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, I-BAND and the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

MN Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association Past President Richard Syverson joins Corn Matters this week to discuss the legal challenge against the EPA over the emission standards for light and medium-duty vehicles.  “These standards completely ignore the benefits of low-carbon, corn-based ethanol.” Listen to the report.

FY25 Ag Spending Bill Advances – T he Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the 2025 ag spending bill. At the hearing, Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member John Hoeven delivered a familiar message. “We have the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in America and we take that for granted at our peril, right?” asked Hoeven. “What keeps that going? That network of family farms and ranches across this country, 16 million people involved directly or indirectly in agriculture because we’ve got a great farm program, but it benefits everybody.” Hoeven said the bill includes his priorities, including support for ag research, more funding for Farm Service Agency staffing, and significant funding for FSA operating and ownership loans. Earlier this week, the House Appropriations Committee also passed its version of the ag spending bill.

Economic Concerns Creep Into the Conversation – Grain prices have slumped to levels not seen since December 2020. That scenario has caused some anxiety in farm country. “We’re sensing that,” said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.”They’re a little concerned that they may have to have a bumper yield just to break even.” Interest rates are also a concern. “Interest rates are creeping up and this could have a direct impact on our farms and ranches.”

The Push for EVs – The White House is delivering $1.7 billion to car companies to promote the manufacturing of electric vehicles. The money will cover nearly a dozen projects to help car companies transition their plants to EVN manufacturing. In a statement, President Biden said this effort will help the climate and union workers.

Sugarbeet Report – In this week’s Sugarbeet Report, American Crystal General Agronomist Joe Hastings gives us an update on the status of the sugarbeet crop. Listen to the report. 

Financial Assistance for Soil Health – Incorporating cover crops into an operation comes with an element of risk. “We can offer financial incentives to farmers to plant cover crops to offset some of the risk with planting them,” said Morgan Torkelson, district technician, West Polk Soil and Water Conservation District. Local SWCD’s have more information about the Soil Health Incentive Program.

The Soil Was Alive on Highway 75 – The Soil is Alive on Highway 75 Tour took place this past week. Minnesota Soil Health Coalition Executive Director Mark Guiterrez was excited to bring this opportunity to farmers and industry professionals. “It’s really important for farmers because it can lead to increased profitability and it can build resiliency against extreme weather event on their farms.”  There were demonstrations and comments from the ‘soil guy,’ Ray Archuleta, and a farmer panel.

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, Alan Kraus, Conservation Program Manager with the Clean River Partners Conservation Program Manager Alan Kraus is highlighting an upcoming soil health tour. Listen to the update. 

Maximizing Yields with Soil Health – For Crookston farmer Craig LaPlante, regenerative farming is the name of the game. LaPlante adopted these practices over ten years ago.  “By using reduced tillage and a combination of cover crops you can start changing weed species. You also start changing insect species. You start changing fertilizer requirements as well because our soils will regenerate and rehabilitate.” LaPlante participated in Tuesday’s soil health event near Crookston.

Cattle and Crops go Together – Drew Dragseth and Chad Knutson are neighbors in the Climax area who work together on their operations. “I don’t have the time or means to have livestock on my farm,” said Drew Dragseth. “There are guys out there that do have cattle who need places to graze.” Dragseth and Knutson both see value in the relationship. “We are finding the soils that have had livestock on them were much easier to see the nutrients,” said Knutson.

Farmland Values Shows Signs of Settling – A new report from Farmers National Company says the farmland market is showing signs of leveling out. Senior Vice President of Real Estate Operations Paul Schadegg said the agricultural land market has been “nothing short of exceptional during the past five years.” Inflation, interest rates and a soft grain market are being reflected in new sales. Demand for high-quality land remains strong and is at or near record highs for the Dakotas and western Minnesota.

A Full Legislative Agenda – With another downturn in cow numbers expected, the market outlook remains strong. North Dakota Stockmen’s Association President Jason Leiseth says that ramps up the focus on tax policy. “Capital gains tax, estate tax exemptions, Section 179 and accelerated depreciation and expensing; those things are all going to expire at the end of 2025 so we need to do the work to keep those exemptions in place.” Leiseth was part of the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting and said the chaos in Washington will likely influence all policy, including the farm bill.”It’s just unlikely that any of that is going to happen this year. We’re probably looking at another extension on the farm bill with the hopes of having something done maybe a year from now.”

Huge Strides Made in Traceability – During the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Health and Well-Being Committee was briefed on the H591 avian influenza virus. North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Vice President Randy Schmitt said traceability and the use of RFID tags were also discussed. One example was given. “It was a particular animal in South Carolina and within 15 minutes they knew it came from Tennessee and they had it every stop and the sales barns it was in,” said Schmitt. “In 15 minutes they knew exactly where this cow came from, where it had been and where it’s final destination.” Schmitt says the traceback technology has made huge advances. “Look back to 2003 when we had the cow that stole Christmas and it affected every producer for way too long. If we can get this down to minutes and hours versus what it was 20 years ago, we made huge strides.”

Lab-Grown Meat Needs to be on Cattle Industry’s Radar – There’s a difference between beef raised on grass and what is produced from a petri dish. North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Immediate Past President Jeff Schafer made that point about lab-grown meat while at the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. “Right now, the consumers are definitely not attracted to it, but there’s a lot of money and sometimes there’s an agenda behind it so it’s always got to be on our radar.” Schafer said there is plenty of optimism at the San Diego meeting. “Some of the video auctions have started and these calf values are strong so there’s a lot of excitement in the industry. For the most part, the grass is green and the calves are worth something so there’s a lot of optimism out there. Heifer retention hasn’t started so we might get another couple of years out of this.”

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt joins this week’s Minnesota Beef Update. Schmidt outlines Minnesota’s representation at the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. Listen to the report.

Beef Checkoff Unveils ROI Study – Over the past five years, each dollar invested in the beef checkoff program delivered a return of $13.41 to the producer. An independent economic analysis was commissioned by the beef checkoff and conducted by Cornell University. The ROI analysis simulated market conditions without the beef checkoff investment. The research found domestic beef demand would have been 8.5 percent lower each year. The steer price would be eight percent lower than the actual results and U.S. beef export demand would have been 11.5 percent lower.

Getting the Most ‘Bang for the Buck’ – Huff, North Dakota rancher Mary Graner is a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board executive committee and helped review proposals for beef checkoff investments during the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. Graner is focused on research. “What we need to do as producers right now is highlight why beef is better, why red meat is better and we’ve got to stay away from the fake meat,” said Graner. “We have to prove that we have a good product that’s safe and healthy to eat. That’s my priority here.” Graner values her role on the national beef checkoff board. “We are here to make sure with the checkoff dollar that you get more bang for your buck.”

Prioritizing Beef Checkoff Proposals – The grassroots beef industry came together in San Diego for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. Jamestown cattle feeder Brian Amundson is a member of the North Dakota Beef Commission and part of the beef checkoff domestic marketing committee. The Cattlemen’s Beef Board will rank the proposals made for beef checkoff funding. “That’s the direction that we were tasked with in the committee; is this applicable to the long-range plan? How does it meet our goals and is it continuing to drive that demand for beef and keeping it at the center of our plate?” Amundson is pleased with the results of the new economic evaluation of the beef checkoff investment. Listen to the interview.

Lamb Industry Evolving – The size of the U.S. sheep breeding flock is continuing to shrink. “We’re seeing lower numbers there in the Dakotas and Minnesota and we’re generally seeing lower numbers across the board,” said Tyler Cozzens, agricultural economist, Livestock Marketing Information Center. It’s definitely something I’m watching moving forward over the next one-to-two years as far as available (lamb) supplies.” Cozzens says high-priced feed caused producers to market lambs at lower weights this past year. “Now we have some cheaper feed, can we get them to a little bit heavier weights and does that start to show up in higher cold storage?”

Potatoes USA Executive Committee Visits ND/MN – Potato industry leaders from throughout the country were in North Dakota and Minnesota this past week for a grower outreach event. Potatoes USA CEO Blair Richardson said this tour has two primary objectives. “One of them is to bring our executive committee, which is the leadership of our board, into regions that they may not have a lot of familiarity with and expose them to the issues the challenges and the frustrations in that particular region,” said Richardson. “On the other side of it, we’re able to provide a better link to who our leadership to the region itself and that just allows everyone to have a better sense of confidence in what Potatoes USA is and does.”

Potatoes-America’s #1 Vegetable – Leah Halverson of Grand Forks is co-chair of the Potatoes USA Domestic Marketing Committee. The Potatoes USA tour is an opportunity for leadership to stay up to date with the potato community. Another focus is to spread the word about potato products. “We really want to talk about the nutrition message, how potatoes are an integral part of a diet and try to create more demand for potatoes.” Potatoes USA has programs to promote America’s #1 vegetable to consumers, foodservice, retail operators and processors.Listen to the interview.

Differences Seen in Potato Production From RRVto PNW – Dennis Wright manages a large potato farm in the Columbia Basin of Washington State. Wright is a member of the Potatoes USA executive committee and was in the Red River Valley for a grower outreach event. “Soils here are much different than I’ve ever experienced, the darker nice loam that we saw in some places,” said Wright. “The varieties here with the reds, the yellows, the chippers; it’s just different, beautiful.” Wright said the water situation differs from the Pacific Northwest to the Red River Valley. “Where I’m from, we get six-to-nine inches of water a year and here they don’t even have to irrigate sometimes.” The Potatoes USA executive committee made stops in Larimore, Hoople and Grand Forks Tuesday, Karlstad, Park Rapids and Perham Wednesday and Big Lake, Minnesota Thursday.

Crop Diseases and Weather Headline NDSU Field Day – A series of NDSU Research Extension field days took place this past week in the west. These field days will be in Casselton, Carrington, Minot and Langdon this week.  “We’ll have the usual NDSU Extension specialists on hand as well as some of the plant breeders.” said Brian Otteson, director, NDSU Seed Farm. “The big thing again this year is the weather. Despite having a dry winter, we ended up with a very wet spring and I think the crop diseases will be something people are going to be interested to hear about.”

CHS Releases Q3 Financials – CHS finished the third quarter with net income of $297 million. That compares to $547.5 million in the same quarter last year. For the first nine months of the year, the nation’s largest farm cooperative has net income of more than $ 990 million. That’s the third highest net income in company history, but down from the record $1.6 billion one year ago. In the ag segment, margins were lower for crop inputs, but the volume of business increased. Less favorable refining margins influenced the CHS energy business.

Developing Genetics for Winter Camelina and Pennycress – Cargill and the University of Minnesota have announced new research collaboration. The focus will be on the development of new seed varieties of winter camelina and pennycress designed for the unique conditions of the Upper Midwest. Sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel could be a potential market for these high-oil crops.

FMC to Spin Off Non-Ag Products – FMC has agreed to sell Global Specialty Solutions to Environmental Science US, also known as Envu. GSS serves non-agricultural markets, such as golf courses and lawn care. The sale price is $350 million. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.

Syngenta’s Focus on Sustainability – Syngenta has introduced four sustainability priorities. The first one is accelerating crop productivity will reduce the impact on the planet. The second priority supports the adoption of regenerative soil health practices. Third on that list is the improvement of rural prosperity, with a special emphasis on low-income and underserved farmers. The fourth priority considers sustainability within the company’s business structure. Syngenta Head of Business Sustainability and Government Affairs Val Dolcini sees the focus on higher yields as something that resonates with farmers. “We’ve got a whole suite of digital platforms that allow farmers to deliver technology and service and address some of their biggest management challenges.” said Dolcini. “And we’ve also got new chemicals that will really lead the way for more sustainable outcomes so it’s a win-win for farmers all across the country and really farmers around the world.” The full interview with Dolcini will be available on the Red River Farm Network website.

Syngenta Welcomes Luke as Senior Communications Manager – Susan Luke is the new senior communications manager for Syngenta Crop Protection and Corporate Communications. Luke joins Syngenta from Bayer Crop Science where she most recently was the director of global issues and crisis communications.

MFU Minute – In addition to membership, Claudine Arndt is the director of the Minnesota Cooks program for the Minnesota Farmers Union. MFU has numerous ‘local food’ events coming up that are part of a focus on agritourism. Listen to the report.

NPIC Honors for Dierks – The National Pork Industry Conference Larry Graham Pork Legacy Award was presented to Neil Dierks. Dierks spent 40 years working in the pork industry, including 20 years as chief executive officer for the National Pork Producers Council. Dierks retired in 2021.

Honors for Putnam – The Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators has presented Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Aric Putnam with its Bell Ringer Award. This recognition is for Putnam’s dedication to agriculture and ag education.

Leaders and Legacies – Prairie Business Magazine has announced its 2024 Leaders and Legacies award winners. The list includes individuals with a connection to agriculture including Butler Machinery President Twylah Blotsky, American Crystal Sugar Company President/CEO Thomas Astrupand Energy and Environmental Research Center CEO Charles Gorecki.

USW Officer Team Installed – U.S. Wheat Associates has seated its new officer team for 2024-2025. Idaho farmer Clark Hamilton is the new USW chairman. Jim Pellman of McClusky, North Dakota is the new vice chairman. The secretary-treasurer is Gary Millershaski of Kansas.

New Leadership for MCRPC – Duane Epland of Twin Lakes is the new chair of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council. The vice chair is John Mages of Belgrade. Scott Winslow of Fountain is the secretary and Jordan Goblish of Vesta is the treasurer. The new terms for the corn checkoff board began July 1.

Bennett Leaves MFBF for Michigan – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Director of Public Policy Pierce Bennett has resigned. Bennett has accepted a position as an industry relations specialist for livestock with the Michigan Farm Bureau. Bennett has been with MFBF since 2022 and will begin his new job in Michigan in August.

SDSU College of Natural Sciences Appoint Interim Dean – South Dakota State University College of Natural Sciences Associate Dean for Research Sen Subramanian has been named the interim dean. Subramanian takes this role following the retirement of Dean Charlene Wolf-Hall. The search for a permanent dean continues. Subramanian currently serves as a professor in the Department of Biology and Microbiology and the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science.

Nwadike to Lead SDSU Dairy and Food Science Department – Londa Nwadike is the new David A. Thompson Endowed Department Head and professor for the South Dakota State University Department of Dairy and Food Science. Nwadike is a Bruce, South Dakota native and an SDSU alumnus. For the past decade, Nwadike held a joint Extension food safety position with Kansas State University and the University of Missouri.

From 3M to ADM – ADM has named Monish Patolawala as its executive vice president and chief financial officer. Patolawala succeeds ADM’s interim CEO Ismael Roig. Most recently, Patolawla was president and CFO for 3M.

Brand to Advocate for St. Joe – The St. Joseph (Missouri) Community Alliance has hired Tom Brand as its new director, effective July 29. Previously, Brand served as the executive director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting for 12-plus years. The Community Alliance partners include the local chamber, convention and visitors bureau, school district, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, United Way and more.