A Win for Biofuels – The Environmental Protection Agency has released its proposed renewable volume obligations, or RVOs, giving a boost to the biofuels market. The proposal calls for a significant increase in bio-based diesel volumes, with the 2026 target set at 5.61 billion gallons, well above industry expectations. The volume for conventional fuels, like ethanol, was put at 15 billion gallons.  A proposal to reduce the value of imported renewable feedstocks, like used cooking oil, could also impact the market. A public comment period is expected to run for 30 to 60 days before the final rule is issued by the November 30 deadline. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised the EPA decision to set the highest-ever biofuel volume requirements under the RFS. Rollins said this action provides certainty for corn and soybean farmers and lowers prices at the pump for consumers.

EPA Decision Recognizes Industry Growth – The EPA’s new proposals on renewable volume obligations are getting high praise from the Clean Fuels Alliance. Director of Public Affairs Paul Winters says the rule goes beyond what the industry expected. Winters says the EPA is also acknowledging the growth in renewable fuel capacity and setting volumes that reflect that investment. “That’s a huge change in this program.”

Geopolitical News Send Markets in Both Directions –  AgResource Company President Dan Basse said the Renewable Fuel Standard announcement was much larger than expected. “At 5.6 billion gallons, that’s a 57 percent increase from where we’re at, big news for the biofuels industry.” The conflict in the Middle East sent crude prices higher, which hurt cattle markets. “If energy prices rise, how much disposable income will be spent going out to restaurants and buying that fancy filet mignon.”

Canola Minute – Barry Coleman, Executive Director of the Northern Canola Bean Growers Association, discusses the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and 2027 in this week’s Canola Minute. Give it a listen. 

Positive Reaction from Canola Sector – U.S. Canola Association President Tim Mickelson is praising the EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and 2027. Mickelson, who farms at Rolla, North Dakota, said the EPA is recognizing the industry’s capacity and investment in biofuels.

Trade on the Agenda at the G7 Summit – World leaders are in Alberta, Canada for the G7 Summit and trade is expected to be a big part of the discussion. In comments made to reporters last night, Trump downplayed the significance of any trade negotiations. “We’ll have our trade deals, all we have to do is send a letter (saying) this is what you’re going to have to pay, but I think we’ll have a few new trade deals.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to attend the G7 meeting, even though Mexico isn’t one of the G7 countries. With the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement up for a review next year, this is seen as a way to jump-start those talks.

Tariff Case on Fast Track – The Trump Administration’s tariffs will likely remain in place for a minimum of two more months. A federal appeals court said it will hear arguments at the end of July.  In the meantime, the tariffs will continue. The dispute is over the President’s use of the Emergency Economic Powers Act. The case will likely end up in the Supreme Court.

Co-ops Face Soaring Export Costs – National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability Zach Gihorski says farmer cooperatives are still struggling to bounce back from earlier trade disruptions. “Most of our co-ops are just upset from the last Trump 1.0 China trade deal,” said Gihorski. “They’ve lost markets, and they still haven’t had a chance to restore those markets.” Beyond lost export opportunities, Gihorski said ag co-ops are also facing higher transportation costs. “There are these fees on the Jones Act and the shipping containers and the boats, we’ve had a co-op say that because of some of the things that happened, they’ve had $1 million a month in increased fees.”

Ships Moving Through Strait of Hormuz – Despite the conflict between Israel and Iran, commercial shipping is moving uninterrupted through the Strait of Hormuz. However, shipping industry officials indicate many shippers are taking extreme caution and avoiding that area. Twenty percent of the world’s oil consumption moves through this region daily.

Senate Tweaks Big, Beautiful Bill – The Senate’s version of the reconciliation proposal includes several key differences from the House bill. It increases the Price Loss Coverage reference price escalator from 85 percent to 88 percent of the five-year Olympic average and removes the House’s proposed corn price floor. The Senate bill also provides more flexibility in funding, responding to pressure from the specialty crop sector to be included alongside row crops.  While the House bill proposes a $294 billion cut to nutrition programs, the Senate version trims $211 billion and includes $67 billion for farm programs. The Senate Agriculture Committee was only required to cut $1 billion from its jurisdiction.

Peterson Sees Trouble for Farm Bill – Former House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson voiced skepticism about the path forward for the next farm bill, warning that political gridlock could stall the legislation. Speaking at the Midwest Ag Summit in West Fargo, Peterson said disagreements over non-ag provisions are overshadowing core farm policy. “I’d say September at the earliest,” said Peterson. “And I think there’s a possibility this may fail, not over farm policy, but the SALT (State and Local Tax deduction) thing, for example.” Peterson pointed to resistance from lawmakers in states like New York who have taken strong positions on unrelated tax provisions, adding that debate in the agriculture committees has been effectively shut down.

EV Mandate Rejected – President Trump has signed a congressional resolution that overturns California’s electric vehicle mandate. The EV rule would have phased out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 in 17 states, including Minnesota. “They passed these crazy rules in California, 17 states would go by them and the automakers didn’t know what to do,” said Trump. “When you have 17 states, you’re building cars for two countries.”

Week in Review – For the week in review in markets, check out the weekly update with Tommy Grisafi, Ag Bull Trading, and Don Wick, RRFN. Click here to watch the report. 

Trump to Issue an Executive Order to Protect Ag Workforce – Despite the crackdown on immigration, President Donald Trump plans to issue an order to protect the farm workforce. In response to a reporter’s question, Trump said farmers are being hurt badly. “We have to do something about that; we can’t take all their people and send them back because they don’t have maybe what they’re supposed to have.” Trump also addressed the ag labor issue on Truth Social. “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump wrote. Agriculture is heavily reliant on immigrant labor. If these workers are not in the barns and the fields,  American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said there is a risk of supply chain disruptions similar to what occurred during the pandemic.

Assistance Reaching Farmers Quickly – Speaking before the House Agriculture Committee, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA has distributed billions in emergency assistance in recent weeks. “I’ve already sent out aid to more than 500,000 farmers in just the last eight weeks with a total of over $7.7 billion out the door to date, additionally, we’ve issued $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief.” Rollins said the aid is especially important since a new farm bill hasn’t been passed yet.

Stand Issues Seen During Crop Watch – Erratic weather conditions at planting time caused lingering issues in the northern Red River Valley. During the Red River Farm Network Crop Watch broadcast, CHS Ag Services Agronomy Manager Chris Kolstoe said there was uneven emergence. “There are some stand issues I would say in sugarbeets,” said Kolstoe. “Overall, I think things look pretty good, but stand counts are probably the biggest issue.” The spray rigs have been busy whenever the weather cooperated.

Blowing in the Wind – At Karlstad, Minnesota, Kurt Aakre says it was a challenging start to the growing season. “The biggest issue was just a lot of dirt blowing; that stressed some of the plants,” said Aakre. “Otherwise, the emergence was really pretty good.” Aakre said it took a long time to dry out some fields this spring. “It was interesting because we didn’t have much snow last year, so not much cover. Some of our tiled fields were the last ones to be planted this year, I think the tile just froze and it just took a long time to get that cleared out.” During Crop Watch, Aarkre described the weeds as “healthy.” Weed control has been hampered by the strong winds.

Crop Will Need to Catch Up – Crops are performing well in the Stephen area of northwest Minnesota. “The small grains look exceptionally well,” Brent Halfmann told RRFN during Tuesday’s Crop Watch broadcast. There were some stand issues in sugarbeets, and Halfmann had to replant. The crop is behind and will need a long growing season. “In the last couple of years, it seems like we run into August and the beets just go stagnant for three weeks. I’m hoping we can see some rainfall in July and August, just grow all the way through that and see where they end up.”

Canola Takes Off – A beautiful canola crop was seen during the Red River Farm Network Crop Watch travels. “I’ve never seen a crop explode like that,” explained Dan Younggren, who farms at Hallock, Minnesota. “We were a little skeptical too whether we should re-seed or not and we just held our own. I’m glad we did because, boy oh boy, it’s a weed for crying out loud. It’ll grow anywhere out of anything. It looks fantastic. I just hope it stands up come harvest time.”

Red Crown Rot Creeps North – Red Crown Rot has historically been seen in the Southern states, but it has been moving northward. Syngenta Crop Protection Agronomy Service Representative Jason Snell sees Red Crown Rot as an aggressive pathogen. “Talking to counterparts in southern states or central Cornbelt states, they have seen some significant impacts from Red Crown Rot, and a quote from one of them was ‘it’s the worst pathogen that he’s ever seen in the field, due to the yield loss standpoint.'” said Snell. “We’ve talked a lot about Sudden Death Syndrome. Red Count Crown is kinda like a supercharged version of that.” Yield losses of 50 percent or more is possible with Red Crown Rot. Seed treatments are the best way to protect the crop from RCR. Click here to listen to the full interview. 

Heavy Rains in Western MN – Chad Willis, who farms east of Willmar, received six-and-a-half inches of rain Thursday and Friday. A few miles to the southeast received ten-to-15 inches. “We had a great planting season; we were looking forward to a good growing season, but then Mother Nature threw a wrench into it. That’s all part of farming.” The heavy rains have raised questions about nitrogen losses. “It’ll be similar to last year. We were in a real wet area last year, and it really showed up on our corn yields in the fall.”

Waterlogged Fields – Parts of northeastern South Dakota received up to eight inches of rain from a large, slow-moving storm late in the week. Dairyland Seeds District Sales Manager Keith Rekow says northeast South Dakota was hit the hardest. “East of my house, there are probably ten acres out of 65 that have water standing, flooding with water coming across.” Rekow says the rain is appreciated. “As dry as we were, it’s beneficial overall. I’ve had to haul water to the pasture cattle because the creeks were dry and no snow runoff so we’re thankful for it.”

NDSU Expert Urges Scouting for IDC – The cool weather hampered soybean emergence.  “Our area, northeast North Dakota, is a little behind when compared to the rest of the state in terms of plantings or crop growth,” said NDSU Extension Cropping Systems Specialist Anitha Chirumamilla. “Our soybeans are just popping out from the soil, and the most advanced soybeans that are in our area are at the V1 to V2 stage. That is the only early seeded fields, but the majority of them are just poking out through the ground and stands are looking good.” Chirumamilla says farmers should also be on the lookout for iron deficiency chlorosis in their fields. “Sometimes, when it is too wet, that is when you start seeing the symptoms, also when the pH of the soil is greater than seven, those are the areas of the field that will see IDC. Farmers need to scout their fields and look for those issues.”

Pioneer Agronomy Report – Pioneer Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner is featured in the Pioneer Agronomy Report, saying it hasn’t been an ideal spring. Even in areas with good conditions, corn may still look yellow. “The reasons for this can vary, but many times it’s just the symptom of the corn plant transitioning from living off the nutrients stored in the seed to using its own developing root system to feed itself.” Those symptoms will likely subside with warmer weather. Click here. 

A Weather Change is Coming – Weather conditions have been highly variable to start this growing season. Weather 20/20 Chief Solutions Officer Bryce Palmer expects more change as we get into summer. “Many parts of the country are about ready to hit that dry cycle again until the other side of the 4th (of July) and then we’re going to see that wet cycle come back through again,” said Palmer. “Everyone is asking us when is summer coming because it’s been a little chilly, be careful what you wish for because that day is coming sooner than later.” Weather 20/20 specializes in long-term forecasts.

The Sugarbeet Report – The Sugarbeet Report airs on Thursdays on the Red River Farm Network. In this week’s report, NDSU/University of Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist Dr. Tom Peters says there have been waterhemp breaks in the region. Weed control options are part of the conversation. Click here. 

ICE Raid at Omaha Meat Plant – More than 70 people were arrested at an Omaha meat manufacturing company on Wednesday. Glenn Valley Foods CEO Gary Rohwer said his company uses a Homeland Security system called E-Verify to determine an employee’s legal status. The plant is now operating at 30 percent of its normal capacity while seeking new employees.

New Dairy Export Program to Launch July 1 – The National Milk Producers Federation board of directors voted to implement a new member-funded export assistance program called NEXT (NMPF Exports and Trade). This is the successor organization to the Cooperatives Working Together or CWT program. NMPF members will support NEXT with a two-cent per hundredweight contribution through 2028. The NEXT program will focus on expanding U.S. dairy exports worldwide, including Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Early Vet Involvement Key in Managing Cattle Pneumonia – As herd numbers increase, so too does the risk of cattle respiratory diseases, such as Mycoplasma bovis. “Mycoplasma bovis is one of the agents of bovine respiratory disease,” says Zoetis Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Vickie Cooper. “It is also part of the normal bacterial colonies that are in the upper respiratory tract of cattle. So, it doesn’t really become an issue until something sets it off, just like any respiratory disease.” The first step, if respiratory issues are detected in cattle, is to contact a veterinarian. “If you lose calves, they need to have a post-mortem examination and identify the different causes of the pneumonia. Very seldom is pneumonia a single-organism issue. It’s multiple organisms affecting the calf and causing lung damage. Mycoplasma is a chronic, insidious disease. It grows very slowly, and it just continues to cause progressive lung damage.”

MN Beef Update – In the Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt shares the Beef Checkoff’s role in the recent Grill Fest. “It was a great two days talking to consumers and our core audience.” Click here. 

Pork, Poultry Plants Gain Chinese Approval – China has approved 106 U.S. pork and poultry processing plants for access to its market. That list includes 23 pork plants and 83 poultry plants. These approvals follow last week’s trade meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials in London. No beef facilities have been approved at this point.

FCA Releases Quarterly Ag Report – An uncertain tariff environment is weighing on the farm economy. The Farm Credit Administration’s quarterly report on agriculture said this is the third straight year of negative returns in crop production. Margins are better in the livestock sector, especially with cattle prices at record highs. Loan quality within the Farm Credit System remains sound. However, more risk measures are being taken due to a challenging farm financial situation.

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 soybeans are hot right now with the latest EPA biofuel announcements. “Soybean oil finished with limit gains Friday and that’s really the market that is hot right now.” Click here. 

Another Chinese National Faces Smuggling Charges – A Chinese national has been charged with smuggling biological materials into the U.S., marking the third such case in a week. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Michigan, Chengxuan Han is accused of bringing roundworm-related materials into the country for research at a University of Michigan lab.  Han allegedly brought the materials from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China.

ND Farmer Challenges Decades-Old Easement Interpretation – LaMoure County, North Dakota, farmer Cody Peterson has filed a complaint against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over interpretations of a 1963 easement on property owned and leased by his family. Pacific Legal Foundation Senior Attorney Jeffrey McCoy, representing Peterson, said it is unfair to so broadly interpret something that was so loosely defined over 60 years ago. “The deed didn’t actually specify what they covered, and this has led to some problems. The Fish and Wildlife Service has gone after farmers in the past, criminally, for violating these easements.” Within the past five years, USFWS started issuing maps to farmers that laid out areas that were supposed to be covered by easements, including maps declaring prairie potholes as small as one one-hundredth of an acre. “Cody is an example of it. He effectively, under the Fish and Wildlife Service map, can’t use half of his farmland because of these pre-existing easements and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s interpretation of these easements.” A court date has not been set yet, but a ruling is expected within the year.

NDSU Hosts KernzaCON to Highlight Promising Crop – A perennial small grain is gaining traction among farmers and breweries. NDSU Extension hosted an event in Fargo to promote the benefits of Kernza. “Bigger seed, higher seed yield, anti-shatter so the seed doesn’t fall off the plant at maturity, Kernza has those very core traits that you want in a grain as opposed to a forage grass,” said NDSU Extension Agronomist Clair Keene. The event, called KernzaCON ran in conjunction with Ag Tech Week, and brought together researchers and industry professionals to showcase Kernza and how it might fit into the small grain landscape.

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, Dennis Fuchs, who is retiring after 29 years with Stearns Conservation District, talks about what’s been accomplished. Click here to listen. 

Real-World Experience to be Highighted at SoilWarrior Academy – SoilWarrior Academy will be held on Tuesday in southern Minnesota to offer information about strip tillage, sustainability, cover crops and more. “We want to highlight strip till as a practice and expose people to that,” said Dave Sender, regional sales manager, Environmental Tillage Systems.  Regional Sales Manager Dave Sender says strip till reduces the cost of crop production. The residue also protects the crop from the strong winds seen this spring. “Up in the (Red River) Valley, we’ve had a lot of growers who have adopted this technology with sugarbeet growers sick and tired of having their crops destroyed by that wind, sandblasting their crop so they have to replant,” said Sender. “Growers see a benefit to leaving that residue there; it helps slow that wind across the field and keep that soil in place.” The SoilWarrior Academy will be held on Tuesday at FarmAmerica, near Waseca.

Public Perception Threatens Modern Ag – Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson is sounding the alarm over public perception and regulatory pressure influencing key ag policy decisions. Speaking about ongoing legal battles and criticism of crop protection tools like Roundup, Peterson said, “the public has no idea what we do in production agriculture, they have no clue.” Peterson criticized the growing push against modern farming practices, warning that policymakers are reacting to misinformation. “There are people out there that are trying to dismantle commercial agriculture like we understand it here in the (Red River) Valley,” he said. “They want to go back to everybody having 100 acres, two cows, and a pig and that ain’t going to work.”

Farmer Engagement Strategy Criticized – Vance Crowe delivered the keynote address at the Bushel Buddy Seat Conference on Wednesday. Crowe has a diverse background, including time as the director of millennial engagement at Monsanto. Crowe said major ag companies need to protect their technology, but the way they engage with the farmer should change. A recent letter from Corteva to farmers about the possible use of a generic 2-4D product on its Enlist soybeans was cited. “It appears to me that Corteva took the same playbook that Monsanto did, and they may run headlong into the same issue that Monsanto did which was they alienated farmers which made it very easy for the broader public to side against modern agriculture, and that resulted in lawsuits and eventually the sale of the company.” Enlist herbicides with Colex-D technology are the only 2,4-D products authorized and labeled for use on Enlist crops. In a letter to growers, Corteva said farmers can anonymously report the unauthorized use of non-Enlist 2,4-D products with Enlist crops. “I think the way it was presented was not good; after COVID, people are very sensitive to things like reporting on our neighbors.” Crowe described that language as “a poison pill.” Crowe shares more thoughts in the Ag Tribes Report podcast.

Regional Pain Point Report Issued – Grand Farm has released its Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report, reviewing the most important issues facing the region. It cites pest management, the evolving ag equipment business, soil health and site-specific crop management. The report said investment in these areas provides opportunities for innovation. Here’s the report.

Brian Hefty Stresses Soil Basics at Cultivate Conference – Speaking at Grand Farm’s Cultivate Conference, Hefty Seed Company CEO Brian Hefty talked about the importance of soil health. “I think it’s important to go back to the basics to say where does it all start? What’s our number one asset? At the end of the day, we’ve got to make that soil healthier because then it’s more productive, we raise more crop, and then there are more dollars for everyone, for the farmer and for industry.” Drain tiles play an important role in soil health. ” A lot of times, we see 40 percent, sometimes 60 percent erosion reduction when there is drain tile there, but an equally big factor is if you want better soil health, you have to have air in that soil to keep all those aerobic microbes alive. There’s so much we don’t understand yet about agriculture, but we’ve got to work together with our soil, and we can’t do that when we keep flooding it out.”

MN Corn Matters – In this edition of Minnesota Corn Matters, Minnesota Biofuels Association Executive Director Brian Werner highlights a new initiative for E15. Corn Matters is a presentation of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. Click here. 

GEVO CEO: Agriculture Key to America’s Energy Future – At the Midwest Ag Summit in West Fargo, GEVO President and CEO Chris Ryan emphasized the vital role agriculture plays in shaping America’s energy future. Ryan highlighted strong local support in North Dakota for developing new fuels from agriculture. “When you come to North Dakota and say you want to make a new fuel out of agriculture, you’ve got farmer support, you’ve got business leaders support, you’ve got government support, and this is a way that we can diversify our energy supply.” Ryan also discussed GEVO’s recent purchase of the ethanol plant in Richardton, North Dakota, and a partnership with Summit Carbon Solutions to inject CO2 into a major pipeline, a move aimed at sequestering carbon and advancing sustainable ethanol production.

Ag Tech Startups Face ROI Hurdles, Says Nutrien Exec – A portion of the Grand Farm Cultivate Conference agenda showcased ag tech startups and put them in touch with potential investors. Nutrien Ag Solutions Senior Manager of Digital and Agronomic Collaboration Aman Anand talked about the current ag-tech landscape and how startups are trying to get a foot in the door. Ag tech startups differ from other industry startups in many ways, but maybe none more so than their shaky initial return on investment.  “Farmers want overall return on investment, and if you’re not providing a clear ROI, it is very difficult to adopt new technology.” Despite the difficult barrier to entry for ag tech startups, Anand remains excited for the future. “Overall, I’m very optimistic because what will happen next is we already went through the installation phase, and in my mind, the future looks bright and very promising.”

New Tools Highlighted at Bushel Conference – Bushel hosted its annual Buddy Seat Conference during Ag Tech Week in Fargo, highlighting the latest digital innovations for agriculture. Bushel Director of Engineering Nathan Joraanstad outlined the company’s new product offering. “The big one this year is what’s called our Bushel Business Account,” explained Joraanstad. “A farmer can set up an account through our partner bank, the Bancorp Bank, and with that account, they get a 3.43 percent interest rate on all funds held in the account, no minimums.” At a bank, accounts are typically FDIC- insured to $250,000. With the Bushel Business Account, the FDIC limit is $5 million. For agribusinesses, Bushel also introduced innovations for their accounts payable and accounts receivable business. Bushel focuses on financial technology, using digital tools to make financial management easier and more efficient.

Dry Bean Scene – In the Dry Bean Scene, independent crop consultant Darrol Ike of Delano, Minnesota, said the stand for the dry bean crop has struggled. Click here for the Dry Bean Scene. 

Antitrust Lawsuit Moves Forward – A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission and five states against Deere & Co. The antitrust lawsuit was launched in January, alleging Deere suppresses competition for farm equipment repairs. The lawsuit contends Deere withholds repair tools and information, forcing farmers to use its dealer network for any repair options. Deere denied any wrongdoing and sought the dismissal of the case.

Smithfield-Maxwell Settle Lawsuit – Smithfield Foods and Maxwell Foods have reached a settlement in a legal dispute over a hog supply contract. The case was settled as it was scheduled to go to trial. A 25-year supply contract went south during the COVID pandemic, prompting the legal dispute.

Bunge-Viterra Deal Expected to Close Soon – Bunge has received regulatory approval from China for its merger with Viterra. The $34 billion deal is expected to close in early July.

Ten Years for KWS Research Center – The KWS Gateway Research Center has commemorated ten years of innovation. The St. Louis research facility is located next to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. In a statement, KWS said this milestone underscores the company’s commitment to scientific excellence in advancing new genomic techniques.

Vaden, Fotouhi Confirmed – The Senate has confirmed Stephen Vaden to serve as the deputy agriculture secretary. Vaden has been serving as a judge in the U.S. Court of International Trade. David Fotouhi also received the approval of the Senate to serve as the deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Fotouhi previously worked at EPA during the first Trump Administration and has been an environment and energy attorney in the more recent past.

Rivera Takes Over as NGFA VP – Effective June 30, Allison Rivera will assume the role of vice president of government and industry affairs for the National Grain and Feed Association. For the past nine years, Rivera was executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Gulleson Succeeds Lovas as SBARE Chair – North Dakota’s State Board of Agriculture and Education has a new chair. Pam Gulleson is a farmer/rancher from Rutland. Gulleson is also a director with the Multi-Partner Health Collaborative. She previously served in the state legislature, was the chief of staff for Senator Byron Dorgan and worked for the North Dakota Farmers Union. Gulleson succeeds Sarah Lovas of Hillsboro. Lovas is an agronomist for GK Technology and has been the SBARE chair since 2021.

New Hire for Meristem – Mark Purdy is the new director of product and portfolio management for Meristem Crop Performance. The Army veteran commanded and served in multiple units stateside and overseas, including tours with the 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions. After his military career, Purdy led operations and consulting for Aimpoint Research.

Retirement Ahead for Becky Peterson – Farm Credit Services of Mandan Director of Marketing and Services Becky Peterson is retiring, effective June 30. Peterson has been with FCS of Mandan since 1992. Before that, Peterson worked for John Deere. Peterson is the current North Dakota 4-H Foundation chair.

State Appointments Announced – Two members of the Center for Rural Policy and Development have been reappointed. They are Martha Castanon of the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota and Granite Falls farmer Tim Velde. New members are Maryse Birr of the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation; TeamShares President Hahn Chang; Briana Mumme of the Southwest Initiative Foundation; and American Peat Technology CEO Bradford Pieper. Governor Tim Walz also reappointed Carver County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor to the Board of Water and Soil Resources.