Know Your Farmer – The Red River Farm Network hosted its annual tour for advertising agency representatives and agribusiness marketing/communication professionals on Tuesday and Wednesday. This tour showcases modern-day agriculture and highlights the diverse crop production in the region. We spent time on farms walking fields and seeing the latest farm equipment technology. True North Equipment hosted us on the second day with panel discussions with farmers and agricultural stakeholders. The National Association of Farm Broadcasting and JL Farmakis also highlighted the latest media research. After the event, tour participants shared their image of today’s farmer. The comments included ‘cutting edge,’ ‘innovative.’ ‘progressive,’ ‘hard-working,’ ‘multi-faceted,’ and ‘dedicated.’

A Chaotic Time in Politics – Congress broke late last week for its August recess and won’t return to Washington, D.C. until after Labor Day. There are only 13 working days left before the election. The countdown is on and there are less than 99 days until Election Day. It has been a chaotic two weeks in the world of politics. The big stories included the decision by President Joe Biden to end his re-election bid; the endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the job; the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the GOP Convention with the naming of Ohio Senator JD Vance as the vice presidential nominee. Politics and the tight congressional calendar will certainly influence the prospects for passage of a farm bill.

No Apologies – The House Agriculture Committee hosted a hearing on farm financial conditions Tuesday, but the session started with a spirited exchange over the farm bill. Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson defended the farm bill that passed out of his committee in late May. “I would not apologize for advancing a bill that seeks to put the farm back in the farm bill and I also won’t apologize for advancing a bill that was written by every member of this committee,” said Thompson. “Forty provisions that were put into this that were just led by my Democratic colleagues and I don’t put things in legislation just to buy a vote, I put it in there because it was great legislation.” Thompson also  challenged Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow to unveil her farm bill text and not what he called “a partisan 90-page summary.”

Scott Renews Criticism of Ag Committee Farm Bill – House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott followed Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson’s opening statement with criticism. In particular, Scott argued the pending farm bill eliminates the Agriculture Department’s ability to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds to support farmers. “Secretary (Sonny) Perdue used approximately $23 billion in CCC funds for the Coronavirus assistance program and this helped our farmers survive lower prices that were arising as a result of COVID 12. We didn’t restrict the CCC when my friend Sonny Perdue was agriculture secretary and we must not do it now.”

MFBF Minute – In the report from the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, MFBF President Dan Glessing offers insight into the farm bill process. “Our message is get it done.” Listen to the update. 

Farm Bill Coalition Seeks Action Now – More than 500 national and state groups have sent a joint letter to congressional leadership, urging passage of the farm bill this year. If the farm bill is pushed into next year, Congress will be seating new leadership and committee members. The farm groups said that will further delay action on the farm bill. The current farm bill extension expires at the end of September.

A Perfect Storm – Minnesota Corn Growers Association President Dana Allen-Tully kicked off the House Agriculture Committee testimony about the farm economy. “Unless conditions change, we’re facing a perfect storm though I don’t think it will be fully understood until early next year when farmers are unable to secure loans because they can’t cash flow,” said Allen-Tully. “Plummeting crop prices, high cost of production, doubling interest rates, natural disasters and tightening credit are some of the key culprits. Working capital is fast depleting. John Deere’s layoff of thousands of workers is a canary in the coal mine.” Allen-Tully said a supplemental disaster assistance bill may be necessary. A representative of the American Bankers Association testified his organization supports changes to the Farm Service Agency lending programs to authorize larger loans.

Corn Matters – In this edition of Minnesota Corn Matters, Minnesota Corn Growers Association President Dana Allen-Tully recaps her testimony before the House Agriculture Committee. Click here to listen to the report.

Pols Seek Treasury Department Acton on SAF Tax Credits – A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad is asking the Treasury Department to finalize the rules for the Section 45Z Clean Fuel production tax credit. This tax credit is seen as a necessary step for the development of the sustainable aviation fuel industry. Lawmakers signing the letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen included South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds and Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Congressional supporters include Minnesota Representatives Michelle Fischbach, Pete Stauber and Angie Craig; North Dakota Congressman Kelly Armstrong and South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson.

Lawmakers Seek Support for Increased Biofuel Volumes – Nearly 40 members of Congress have sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency to encourage the use of more biofuels when considering volume obligations for the 2024 Renewable Fuel Standard. This letter was signed by members of both parties including Minnesota representatives Angie Craig, Michelle Fischbach, Pete Stauber, Brad Finstad and South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson.

Ethanol Groups Disappointed in Court Ruling – A federal appeals court vacated most of EPA’s 2022 denials of small refinery exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard. The court remanded these petitions to EPA for further action. The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol said they are “extremely disappointed” with the court decision. The ethanol groups said they are considering their next step, but remain committed to defending the proper implementation of the RFS.

Growth Energy Seeks to Intervene in RFS Lawsuit – Growth Energy, the nation’s biggest biofuels trade association, filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals in a set of cases under the Center for Biological Diversity-versus-EPA. This brief supports the EPA in debunking outdated research about land use and its impact on endangered species. “The problem for them in this case is that they’re trying to pin all of those claimed harms on the Renewable Fuel Standard and it just doesn’t stick,” said Joe Kakesh, general counsel, Growth Energy. “American agriculture is huge and there are so many factors that go into planning, decision timing, crop rotation, crop choice and markets so to isolate the Renewable Fuel Standard as being responsible for all of those actions is just wrong.”

Year-Round E15 Sales Remains a Priority – While the farm bill was the main talking point at Corn Congress in Washington, North Dakota Corn Growers Association Vice President Brian Leier says year-round E15 sales were also discussed.  “Ethanol has been a big push for the (National) Corn Growers Association. E-15 would grind close to 2.5 billion bushels of corn each year going from E10 to E15.” Productive talks also took place with Canadian Embassy officials. “We have some concern over the possible Canadian rail strike and what that would do for the movement of goods and services both in Canada and the U.S.”

Ag Groups Speak Out Against Tariffs on 2,4-D Imports – Six major commodity groups have joined together to ask the Commerce Department to consider the consequences for farmers as it considers Corteva’s petition to place duties on imports of 2,4-D. The letter said restricting the availability of 2,4-D would hurt farmers as they deal with rising crop input costs and low commodity prices. The groups signing the letter represent corn, soybean, wheat, barley, durum and sorghum grower groups.

Real-World Practices Sought for Endangered Species Act Regs – More than 300 ag groups sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency calling for reform to its Endangered Species Act. American Soybean Association President Josh Gackle said the letter’s intent was for farmers to get some clarity over pesticide use. “We understand that they have to meet the requirements of the law when they provide registrations for certain labels and go through that ESA process, but they’re being a little too conservative in their assumptions from our perspective not using real-world data and actual practices on the farm.”  Gackle farms at Kulm, North Dakota.

Rain Guage Filled Over the Weekend – Severe storms are possible late this afternoon and evening across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Very strong winds, heavy rain and hail are all possible. There was significant weather over the weekend in the region. Mandan reports hail measuring 1.25 inches Saturday night. Grygla, Minnesota had 7.5 inches of rain Saturday morning. The National Weather Service also reports an area northwest of Thief River Falls receiving 4.8 inches. There were 3.2 inches at Sherack and 2.8 inches north of Grand Forks.

A Good Crop, Not a Super Crop – Devils Lake, North Dakota-based custom combiner Scott Brown is cutting wheat in the Onida/Gettysburg, South Dakota area. “The wheat is falling down on the ground, some of it went down early and there’s some disease in it; really tough going. It’s gonna be a good crop, it’s not gonna be a super bumper crop.”

Fog Slows Harvest Activity – In the Mitchell, South Dakota area, CHS Farmers Alliance’s Donnie Howard said farmers are cutting wheat when the weather cooperates. “The fog is kind of playing havoc on us every morning. For the most part, we’re rolling along at a pretty good pace.” Howard reports yields anywhere from 50 to 80 bushels per acre.

Harvest Almost Complete for Nebraska Wheat – The Nebraska wheat harvest is nearing the finish line. “This week we are about 86 percent complete across the state, which is above the five-year average of 60 percent,” said Samantha Oborny, Nebraska Wheat Board. “Yields are averaging about 60 in some places, seeing about 50-70 bushels per acre.” Protein for the state ranges from nine to twelve percent and test weights have been near 60 pounds per bushel.

Higher Yields, Protein Off in NE Wheat Crop – University of Nebraska Extension Dryland Cropping Systems Specialist Cody Creech says Nebraska’s winter wheat harvest is wrapping up. “I think across the board, our growers are fairly pleased with how it’s gone so far.” With yields up throughout the state, Creech says protein levels are a bit lower. “Because we’ve had those higher yields, it’s just harder to maintain that protein. The test weights have been good, not excellent, but not bad.”

A Wide Range in Yields for SE NE – According to University of Nebraska Water and Cropping Systems Extension Educator John Nelson, this year’s winter wheat crop in southeast Nebraska is looking very good. “The lowest yields I’ve heard are in the 40-bushel area. There was some wheat-streak mosaic, there was stripe rust and there was fusarium in the area. Seems like the farmers who didn’t spray had some trouble with stripe rust and fusarium.” On the other end of the spectrum, Nelson said wheat yields have come close to 100 bushels per acre.

Flip-Flopped Weather – The Montana wheat harvest is just getting started. “We had predicted an abnormally late harvest this year and that was a couple of months ago because of the cool conditions that we had all the way through May and June,” said Lori Wickett, marketing and research director, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. “That has completely flip-flopped really with this heat.” Wickett expects harvest to be in full swing at the end of July.

Record Crop Potential – The Wheat Quality Council Spring Wheat and Durum Tour had record-calculated yields this year. “The tour total ended up being 54.5 (bushels per acre) for the hard red spring wheat,” said Anne Osbourne, project manager, National Wheat Foundation. “That’s the highest that this tour has seen and near the USDA’s estimated 56 (bushels per acre).” Durum wheat was calculated to be 45.3 bushels per acre, close to the record set in 2016. While these are good estimates, with the wheat harvest still being four to five weeks out, Osborne said disease could still play a large factor.

Southeast ND Wheat Thriving – National Wheat Foundation director Brian Walker spoke with RRFN during the first day of the Wheat Quality Council Spring Wheat Tour. “Generally, everything is in pretty good shape and some fields are just absolutely beautiful.” Regarding disease pressure, Walker did not have much to report. “Scab is really the only one that I’ve identified as something that’s out there.” Walker expects the wheat to be ready for harvest in three-to-five weeks.

Spring Wheat Behind Winter Wheat – Winter wheat harvest in South Dakota was progressing this week. “I’d say we’re a third finished and yields have been mostly good to excellent,” said Jon Kleinjan, Executive Director, of South Dakota Wheat Commission. According to Kleinjan, test weights seem to be good all around while yields are quite variable ranging from as low as 25 to as high as 107 bushels per acre. Protein levels are also variable but generally around 11-12 percent. The winter wheat looks like a promising crop this year. With drier weather for the strong spring wheat parts of the state, Kleinjan does not expect it to be a record crop.

May Still See Scab in Late-Planted Wheat – Leaf rust, stem rust, and scab are all being reported this season. NDSU Extension Cereals Plant Pathologist Andrew Friskop says the different planting dates are impacting the risk of Fusarium head blight. “Our greatest scab risk window started around the 4th of July and extended on for two or three weeks there.” The scab risk is starting to come down. “The only downside is we are having some high-humidity mornings; fog is starting to roll in, too so we could see some scab on the late-planted wheat,” said Friskop. “We might not see a yield loss, but we might see some more vomitoxin. It’s all hypothetical at this point but be aware.”

A Great Year – NDSU Extension Agronomist Claire Keene is excited about this year’s wheat crop. “Folks out west and pockets of south-central North Dakota are really having a great year. Folks were able to plant in April which is ideal for our small grains and the cool wet spring was good for people who were able to get in early. I’m expecting some very high yields from the west which is great, certainly after some tough drought years that they’ve had in the past few years.”

Stripe Rust and Other Diseases Found in Local Plots – At the Grand Forks County plot tour, NDSU wheat breeder Andrew Green said he is seeing some unusual things this year. “We’re seeing some pressure from diseases like stripe rust in our trials where we don’t normally see that disease,” said Green. “We don’t typically have to select against it in terms of resistance so it’ll be nice to have that as a note.” These plot events are a chance for farmers to provide input. “Straw strength is always an important factor, but we’re getting more questions about disease resistance this year.”

White Mold Risk Remains High – White mold fungus is expected to be quite active with the intermittent rains and relatively mild summer temperatures seen in recent weeks. In the NDSU Crop and Pest Report, Extension Plant Pathologist Wade Webster said the northern regions of the state are at the highest risk for white mold development. Other pockets of North Dakota are at moderate risk. Fungicide application is an effective tool for managing white mold.

Scout for Soybean Aphids – The soybean aphid population is slowly growing in southeastern North Dakota. The NDSU Crop and Pest Report also cites an issue north of the Grand Forks area. Late-planted soybeans could be at increased risk from soybean aphids. Scouting is recommended with an economic threshold of 250 or more aphids per plant from the R1-to- R5 stage of production.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – In the Pioneer Agronomy Update, Pioneer Strategic Account Manager Brent Sorenson says Iron Deficiency Chlorosis is an issue again this year. IDC causes soybean plants to appear yellow or chlorotic and result in stunted plant growth and reduced yields. “The best way to combat IDC in soybeans is selecting varieties with strong IDC ratings.” Supplemental iron chelate fertilizer and increased plant populations are also options. Listen to the report. 

A Lot of Potential – The prospects are good for the crops across the region. “There’s a lot of potential whether you’re talking hay, grass, corn or soybeans and there’s a lot of variation in those,” said Neal Fisher, executive director, North Dakota Wheat Commission. “It seems to me the corn looks as magnificent as it ever has on a statewide basis.” Fisher said the wheat crop is also doing well, but “we’ve got two-to-four to sometimes five weeks before we’re going to harvest it so a lot can happen yet.”

Take Proactive Approach to Tar Spot and Other Diseases – On the sidelines of the Ag PhD Field Day, BASF Technical Service Representative Dan Waldstien said tar spot is becoming a bigger problem across the Midwest. “We’ve got to be proactive. If we wait until we see symptoms of a disease, whether it is tar spot or other diseases, it’s usually about two weeks past the time when we should have been spraying,” said Waldstien. “So look at those environmental conditions to make that application is happening at the right time, not waiting until we see the symptomology because we’re playing catchup at that point.”

Fielding Questions – In the Fielding Questions podcast, Weatherology Chief Meteorologist Paul Trombley describes this year as a time of extremes. The region went from a ‘snow drought’ to extremely wet conditions in the Upper Midwest. “A lot of the moisture is related to the position of the jet stream,” said Trombley. “That brought us one storm system after another.” Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network. Listen to the podcast.

Sugarbeet Report – In this week’s Sugarbeet Report, RRFN interviews NDSU/University of Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist Tom Peters about late-season weed control and Cercospora leaf spot applications.  Listen to the report. 

Getting Ahead of the Cercospora Threat – With the amount of moisture this season, UPL Territory Sales Manager Andrew Easton said there is significant Cercospora Leaf Spot pressure.”I would say growers have been more on the defensive side where they’ve started their applications earlier. I was getting the first calls on Cercospera the week before the 4th of July so I’m pretty happy to hear that growers are taking it seriously with the conditions that we’ve had and they’re getting up and ahead of it.” Easton said UPL’s MANZATE PRO-STICK fungicide has a short pre-harvest interval, which allows an application to happen as pre-pile approaches.

U.S., Japan, Australia and India Partner on Maritime Safety – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India plan to work together to develop free-and-and-open shipping on the Asia-Pacific seas. They also agreed to counter cyberattacks. China wasn’t named specifically, but it was the obvious point of contention in these discussions earlier today.

One Extreme to Another – The flooding that occurred this year was vastly different from recent memory. “In 2022 and 2023, we had historically low water levels,” said Mike Steenhoek, executive director, Soy Transportation Coalition. The locks and dams closed due to high water have since been opened. “Looking forward, we’re very hopeful that the inland waterway system, this maritime highway will be well positioned to handle soybeans, grain, and other commodities when it’s really go time which occurs during the harvest season.”

SovEcon Forecasts a Bigger Russian Crop – SovEcon is predicting Russia will produce 130.5 million metric tons of grain this year. That’s up more than 3 million tons from the last forecast. From that total, more than 84 million tons of wheat is expected to be harvested. That’s up 3.5 million tons from the previous estimate. An improvement in weather conditions in Siberia and strong winter wheat yields in southern Russia are getting the credit.

A Change in the Weather Forecast is Bearish – A change in the forecast on Friday brought a moderation in temperatures and rain to parts of the Cornbelt. AgriSompo North American Chief Analyst Sterling Smith said the corn is in good condition. “The corn crop nationally is very well developed,” said Smith. “In terms of silking, we are sitting in the 60 percent range which is 15 percentage points ahead of normal. That means the corn may be a little less subject to these problems.” August weather will have a bigger influence on the soybean crop.

Cordonnier Ups Corn Yield Estimate – Soybean and Corn Advisor Michael Cordonnier has updated his corn and soybean production estimates. The crop consultant raised his U.S. corn yield a bushel-and-a-half to 181.5 bushels per acre. That bumps the corn production estimate to 14.97 billion bushels. Cordonnier left his soybean yield and production forecasts unchanged at 52 bushels per acre and nearly 4.4 billion bushels.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In today’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says the cattle market is at highs not seen since October. What’s not hot? “Pretty much everything else,” said Martinson. The change in the weather forecast is pressuring grain and oilseed markets to start this week. Listen to the report. 

U.S. Potato Groups Respond to CFIA Potato Wart Response Plan – The National Potato Council, Northland Potato Growers Association and several other state potato groups have submitted comments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over its draft potato wart response plan. The U.S. groups said the Canadian plan takes action after the disease is identified and does nothing to prevent it from happening. If potato wart were to enter the United States, the National Potato Council said all international fresh potato markets could be lost. Direct export losses would total over $225 million each year and have billions more in indirect economic impact.

A Class III Market Reversal – The dairy market has seen a remarkable reversal higher since last winter. AgResource Company President Dan Basse said several factors are driving the change. “We’re still trying to decipher the impact on production relative to avian flu, but longer term, there is optimism as the Europe and southern hemisphere production is down and we start to see dairy markets improve in Class III prices likely make it to the $21, $22 level as we go into the fourth quarter.”

Dairy Herd Expansion May be Delayed – Class III milk prices have been stronger lately. “It’s much better than what we were facing earlier in the year,” said Mike North, producer division president, Ever Ag. With falling feed costs and rising milk prices, profitability may be on the horizon. Despite that, North said expansion may be slow to happen. Rising interest rates, the cost of capital and the interest in beef-on-dairy are cited as reasons. “We also have HPAI that’s been found in dairy animals and reduced milk production and supplies so that’s taken away from it.”

Milk Production Takes Small Dip in June – During June Dairy Month, milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled 18 billion pounds. That’s down 0.8 percent from June of last year. South Dakota had the largest increase in milk production, up 8.3 percent. At the same time, Minnesota’s milk output declined by one percent. South Dakota state dairy herd increased by 17,000 cows and Minnesota cow numbers declined 6,000 head.

H591 Impacts Miracle of Birth Center – Milking dairy cows are not expected to be part of the Miracle of Birth Center at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. The threat of avian influenza in dairy cattle is prompting the move. The Miracle of Birth Center will still have weaned dairy calves and dry dairy cows, but there won’t be any cows giving birth during this year’s fair.

Massachusetts Q3 Pork Ban Remains – Triumph Foods plans to appeal this past week’s federal court ruling dealing with Massachusetts’ Q3 pork law. This provision bans the sale of pork from pigs raised in confined production. The judge determined this state law does not specifically regulate harvest operations at pork processing plants.

Pork Industry Impacts Economy – The National Pork Producers Council released an economic contribution report which includes the significant impact America’s pig farmers have on the agricultural and general economy. The pork industry contributes over $62 billion annually and supports over half a million jobs in the U.S. More than 142,000 of those jobs are supported by pork exports which account for 25 percent of U.S. pork and over $8 billion.

Record Beef Production in Brazil – The U.S. beef inventory is record small, but that’s not the case in Brazil. CONAB is reporting Brazilian beef production at a record 10.1 million metric tons. That’s more than a seven percent increase over last year. CONAB is also forecasting Brazilian beef exports of 3.4 million metric tons this year, up more than 13 percent from 2023.

MN Beef Update – Mike Landuyt is a cattle producer from Walnut Grove and is now a member of the Minnesota Beef Council. Previously, Landuyt was in leadership with the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association. In the Minnesota Beef Update, Landuyt said it is an opportunity to continue the great work of the state beef industry. Listen to the report.

ND Beef Industry Shows Appreciation to the Military – North Dakota beef industry groups hosted their annual military appreciation day at the State Fair Tuesday. North Dakota Beef Commission Chairman Jason Zahn said providing a meal for military members is a great way to give back to those who have given so much for their country. “I think it’s important that it’s put on by the North Dakota Stockman’s Association, the North Dakota CattleWomen, and the North Dakota Beef Commission, all three of us work together to bring this meal to show our appreciation for the military.” North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Randy Schmitt said cattle producers are having a great year so there’s no better time to support the military members that are stationed nearby. “The prices are excellent. On top of that, we have good moisture. Yeah, it’s a nice time to be in the cattle business.”

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, RRFN visits with NDSU dry bean breeder Juan Osorno about the status of this year’s crop. “It’s a mixed bag,” said Osorno. The Red River River Valley looks excellent, but the dry bean test plots in Carrington have been destroyed by hail. Listen to the report. Click here to see the damage.

MFU Minute – In the MFU Minute, Minnesota Farmers Union Anti-Monopoly Director Justin Stofferahn talks about prescription drugs and curtail the power of pharmacy benefit managers. Listen to the report. 

MN Awarded Climate-Smart Ag Grant – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore announced a $200 million grant for climate-smart food systems in the state. This grant expands Minnesota’s Agricultural Water Quality Certification and Soil Health Financial Assistance programs. It also calls for replacing gas-powered vehicles and equipment, such as tractors and freight trucks, with EVs and advanced clean fuel options.

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, Brad Carlson, Regional Extension Educator Brad Carlson discusses the effect of the extensive rain on nitrate levels. Listen to the report. 

Farm Expenses Continue to Rise – Total farm production expenditures totaled $482 billion in 2023, up 6.5 percent from 2022. On a per-farm basis, farm expenditures were just over $255,000. Feed is the largest production expense, representing nearly 17 percent of farm expenditures last year. In Minnesota, the largest percentage increase from last year was for interest, up 57 percent.

Finding and Keeping Ag Employees – AgCareers.com hosted its annual Agriculture and Food HR Roundtable in Minneapolis. “We talk about talent development, acquisition, management, and retaining that talent,” said Bonnie Johnson, marketing manager, AgCareers.com. “The biggest topic that we hear a lot about now is retention, keeping the good employees that you have.”

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – Visit the Red River Farm Network website and click on the Job Opportunities in Agriculture tab to see the latest job postings. Becker Soil and Water Conservation District has two positions open; an engineering technician and a program technician. The engineering technician will work with SWCD, NRCS and other partners to provide engineering assistance to landowners, community groups and local government units to implement and maintain a variety of conservation practices. The program technician promotes, plans and implements conservation provisions of the farm bill, the Reinvest in Minnesota program and other related wildlife and clean water conservation programs. Both positions are based in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. If your business or organization is looking to fill ag-related jobs, contact RRFN for more information. co.becker.mn.us. The closing date for the application is August 9.

A Deep Dive into Taxes – The South Dakota Farm Bureau’s meetings this past week were for anyone who wanted to learn more about what is in their tax bill. “As an organization, we hear a lot about people talking about taxes, whether it’s property taxes or estate taxes,” said Krystil Smit, executive director, SDFB. “Business owners and farmers and ranchers are always concerned about estate taxes and preparing for those types of things.” The event included a presentation about estate planning and a deep dive into property taxes.

The Crop is Behind, But Look Good – For Pioneer Product Agronomist Zach Fore, it has been a different growing season. “We kept getting a lot of small rains, so our planting dates got stretched out,” said Fore. “We’re a bit behind in heat accumulation, so the combination of that and later planting has our crop a little behind.” Enlist Specialist Steve Snyder is happy with the corn and soybeans in the area. “Crops around here may be little bit behind, but they look fantastic; they’re very impressive here.” Fore and Snyder were part of the Pioneer Innovation Plot Tour near Spiritwood, North Dakota.

Short Corn Stands Out – Short corn trials drew a lot of attention at the Pioneer Innovation Plot Tour near Spirtwood, North Dakota. “In some ways, it (short corn) behaves like a different crop,” said Matthew Walsh, corn breeder. “It still looks like corn and still yields like corn, but we need to understand what the limitations are, how to produce it and to make sure it yields enough to fit into the market, but early indications are encouraging.”

The Talk of the Tour – Pioneer’s Z-Series soybeans are being grown in limited quantities this year with a full launch in 2025. “As soon as we were able to convert our best RoundUp Ready 2 Xtend genetics to have the Enlist herbicide trait, that is the best class that we have,” said Nadia Krasheninnik, soybean breeder. The Z-Series product line was showcased at the Pioneer Innovation Plot Tour. “There’s great performance across the board; improvement in a lot of disease tolerances and resistances, and rest assured, incremental improvements in varieties are coming behind it.”

Adding Adjuvants to Maximize Yields – Adjuvants can be added to fungicides to help the fungicide reach more surface area on the plant, and in turn infiltrate better. Choosing the right adjuvant for our operation is vital to the economic benefits that they can provide. “The first thing that I think about are the factors that influence spray application,” said John Blackford, Adjuvants Portfolio Manager, Wilbur-Ellis. Blackford cited factors including aerial or ground application, label instructions, the pressure through the lines, nozzle types, wind, and moisture. “Then you have to think about spray barriers and spray disruptors.”

Diversity Seen Across the Region – Hefty Seed Business Development Lead Jeff Preston serves Minnesota and the Dakotas. At the Ag PhD Field Day in Baltic, South Dakota, Preston said his geography covers a variety of conditions. “It’s very diverse agriculture with sugarbeets, dry edible beans, potatoes and more so our people have to know recommendations because of carryover and things like that in chemistry,” said Preston. “Down here it’s predominantly corn and beans.” Preston, who is based in Hillsboro, North Dakota, said soil types also vary greatly across the region.”The (Red River) Valley is very unique and we work all the way out to the Montana border. We go from irrigation to heavy clay/high magnesium soils to bull sand. So it’s very diverse and it takes different agronomy skills and expertise to work with farmers.”

Improving Farm Efficiency with Drones – Drone technology has quickly advanced. Terraplex Sales Director Matt Kestel said that has made it easier for farmers to use as part of their daily operation. “Guys are tipping their toe in the water and maybe adding one to their fleet and working on small acres here and there to the guys that have added two, three or four drones and having a couple of crews on their farm so they can go out and capture thousands of acres.” At the Ag PhD Field Day, Kestel said batteries, tank size and overall drone efficiency continue improving.

Hands on Learning Opportunity – The University of Minnesota Extension is hosting a Field School for Ag Professionals event on July 30-31. This event is geared towards crop consultants, agronomists, and others who interact with farmers regularly. “There is a lot of focus on corn, soybeans, and small grains,” said Bob Koch, Extension Entomologist. “From agronomy to insects, to weeds and soils. There is a diverse menu of topics.” Koch says most of the event is hands-on and expects attendees to get their hands dirty. Online registration is closed but you can show up the day of. More information can be found on the University of Minnesota Extension Events page.

Ag Expo Attracts Audience From Both Sides of the Border – The goal of the Northwest International Ag Expo in Emo, Ontario was to encourage collaboration across the ag community. “Our geography is pretty unique up here and we partner a lot more with Manitoba and northern Minnesota in our research and agriculture and we wanted to host an event that reflected that,” explained Rachel Kehoe, regional communications communicator, Northwest Soil and Crop Improvement Association. The event included tours of the Ontario Crop Research Center. Workshop topics ranged from soil health to livestock handling.

GF/EGF City to Farm Tour Highlights Agriculture’s Importance – The Annual City to Farm Tour was in East Grand Forks on Thursday. “This year we focused on the potato industry,” said Barry Wilfahrt, president/CEO, The Chamber. “New Northland Potato Growers Association Director Gary Shields spoke about what the association does for chips, fresh seed and processed potatoes in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.” Wilfahrt says this event is circled on his calenda every year. “Agriculture is still king in the Red River Valley and this event is a way to showcase that.”

AGCO Spins Off Grain & Protein Business – AGCO Corporation has an agreement to sell off the majority of its grain and protein business to American Industrial Partners for $700 million. This divestiture was necessary with AGCO’s joint venture with PTx Trimble. The all-cash deal is expected to close before the end of the year.

When the Old Becomes New – As newer technologies make their way onto the farm, farmers often must decide whether to buy or not to buy.  AGCO has unveiled new autonomous technologies. However, it is the focus on retrofitting older equipment that has PTx Trimble General Manager Andrew Sunderman excited. “It’s the ability to equip farmers’ machines that are still in ready-working condition but bring them up to date on the latest technology.” By retrofitting older equipment, Sunderman said it helps farmers ease the transition to autonomous technology. “There are also customers who want the latest and greatest technology and so having the ability to offer both forms is really important to us.”

New Dual Rotor Combine from Case IH – The new Case IH dual rotor combine was on display at the Ag PhD Field Day in Baltic, South Dakota. “The AF11 was designed for large growers running large acres with high capacity production,” said Ben Albert, combine product specialist. “That two rotor system works really well in crops that are small seeded, tough to separate and in tough conditions.” The combine has a 567 bushel grain tank and features 775 horsepower.

Another Step for the Bunge-Viterra Deal – The European Union is expected to give conditional approval for Bunge’s acquisition of Viterra. Bunge has offered to spin off Viterra’s crush and refining facilities for certain oilseeds in Poland and Hungary to satisfy EU concerns. When completed, this deal is valued at $8.2 billion U.S.

Syngenta Seeks Registration for Dicamba Product – Syngenta has submitted its Tavium dicamba product for use in soybeans and cotton. Bayer and BASF have already applied for the registration of their dicamba products. The comment period for Syngenta’s product is in place until August 22. The comment period for Bayer and BASF has ended.

Wilbur-Ellis Introduces FORTUS Soybeans – Wilbur-Ellis is introducing FORTUS brand soybeans for the 2025 planting season. These varieties have the Enlist E3 trait. Five varieties in the Group 0 to Group 2 maturity were available for this growing season with demonstration plots at Ayr and Casselton, North Dakota and Crookston, Minnesota.

Schaefer Promoted – CNH has appointed Ryan Schaefer as the new vice president for New Holland Agriculture North America, effective immediately. Schaefer has been in the ag equipment business for 20 years, most recently as the leader of the New Holland North America Quality division.

Swine Industry Leaders Join American Egg Board Staff – The American Egg Board has hired Bill Winkelman as vice president of industry affairs and engagement and Nick Jones as the director of international marketing. Most recently, Winkelman was the executive director of the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence. He also served eight years as vice president of producer and industry relations at the National Pork Board. Jones was CEO for Berkwood Farms, a coalition of 100 independent farms with an elite branded pork product brand.

New Directors Added to NDSC Board – The North Dakota Soybean Council has welcomed two new directors to its board. They are Jeremiah Undem of Oakes and Philip Neubauer of Bottineau. JP Lueck of Spiritwood and Jim Thompson of Page were re-elected to the soybean checkoff board.

Christianson Takes on New Role at Amity Technology – Amity Technology has named Beth Christianson as its marketing coordinator. For the past ten years, Christianson has owned her own marketing firm called The Idea Shop in Hillsboro, North Dakota.