Derechio Hits the Region – A powerful derecho brought devastating wind, tornadoes, and widespread damage across North Dakota and western Minnesota from late Friday into early Saturday. Three people were killed in Enderlin, North Dakota, which was hit by an EF-3 tornado. Wind gusts exceeded 100 miles per hour across the region, including a 111-mph gust near Luverne, North Dakota, and 106 mph in Bemidji, Minnesota. Tornadoes were confirmed in Stutsman, Barnes, Ransom, and Cass Counties of North Dakota, destroying buildings, downing power poles, and leaving areas without cell service. A long line of rail cars was knocked off the tracks (pictured). The storms left more than 100,000 people without power across the Northern Plains. North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong has declared a statewide disaster. The declaration mobilizes state resources and allows coordination with federal agencies to support recovery efforts and infrastructure restoration. This will be a long, laborious recovery process. The devastation is heartbreaking. Yet, the Red River Farm Network is confident in the reliance found within our ag community during difficult times like this.

Harstad: Damage ‘Everywhere’ in Barnes County – Severe storms late Friday night into early Saturday morning left widespread damage across eastern North Dakota, with Barnes County among the hardest-hit areas. Barnes County Extension Agent Alicia Harstad said the sheer scale of the destruction is unlike anything she’s seen before. “Honestly, what’s probably most insane about the storm is just how widespread the damage is. Barnes County, pretty much the whole county, there’s significant damage.”  From a crop perspective, Harstad said small grains may have fared slightly better than row crops, but it’s still too early to know the full extent. “I don’t know if they’ll grow back up, but then there’s some that are pretty shredded,” said Harstad. “It’s a little variable, and for us, it seemed like most of the damage was coming from the straight-line winds.”

Storm is a ‘Game Changer’ for Farmers – The series of thunderstorms that produced multiple tornadoes Friday night covers more than 400 miles from Montana to Minnesota. At Page, North Dakota, David Thompson describes the storm as ‘game changer’ for farmers throughout the region. “Just talking to neighbors, there must be 60 irrigators that are overturned; there’s bin damage with multi-millions of bushels lost for fall storage and bin sites completely wiped out.” Debris is scattered throughout farm fields, which will be felt throughout this growing season. “There’s tin out in fields; there’s bin sites out in fields; I think guys will be finding a lot of stuff that they’ll be pulling out of their headers this fall and for years to come.” Thompson said some crops were wiped out entirely.  “We’re at such an odd point in our growing season, maybe we’ll have some stuff come back, but it is really tough to say.” Listen to the full interview. 

Millions of Bushels of Storage Lost in Storm – Cleveland, North Dakota, farmer Ryan Wanzek says his farm avoided major damage in Friday night’s storm, but the same can’t be said for others nearby. “We have some people around here who lost homes,” said Wanzek. “It was by far the craziest storm I’ve ever been through in my life.” Wanzek says several area elevators and farms were hit hard. “The local elevator in Eldridge lost two big bins for sure, and I think there’s more to be determined there,” he said. “Cleveland had a couple of roofs caved in. I heard Columbia Grain by Valley City got smoked. It has to be at least 15, 20 million bushels of storage that’s lost.” He expects the damage to impact basis levels and harvest logistics across the region.

Urea Seen as an ‘Innocent Bystander’ Caught Up in Iranian Conflict – In retaliation for the U.S. strike on its nuclear sites, the Iranian parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz. Over 20 percent of the oil worldwide is shipped through this narrow waterway. If oil is the target, StoneX Fertilizer Specialist Josh Linville said urea fertilizer will be “the innocent bystander caught up in the fight.” The decision to close the Strait of Hormuz now belongs to the Iranian Security Council. Linville said the fertilizer industry will be closely monitoring the situation.

Cyber Retaliation Possible – As Iran considers retaliation against the United States for Friday’s airstrikes, the food and agriculture sector may be a target. The U.S. based Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the Information Technology Sharing and Analysis Center have issued a joint statement urging U.S. companies to be alert for cyberattacks. Iran is known for state-sponsored ransomware attacks and malware attacks which could be a threat to infrastructure and the food chain.

Senate Parliamentarian Adjusts Big Beautiful Bill – The size and scope of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill have gotten smaller. The Senate parliamentarian has determined that certain provisions do not qualify under the budget reconciliation rules. The portions of the bill that shift costs for nutrition assistance to the states and remove SNAP eligibility for undocumented immigrants do not meet the requirements of budget reconciliation. The parliamentarian also cited a section of the bill that extends the suspension of the authority for permanent price supports. It’s not clear if that change would have on the increased reference prices for commodity programs. Senate leadership wants to complete their work on this legislation before lawmakers leave for their July 4^th break, but that has been complicated by the parliamentarian’s ruling.

Wiesemeyer: Spending Bill Setback a ‘Kerfuffle’ – S everal Republican priorities in President Donald Trump’s domestic spending bill must be removed, following a ruling from the Senate parliamentarian. That includes some farm policy language, but Pro Farmer Washington Consultant Jim Wiesemeyer says Republicans were prepared. “To me, it’s a kerfuffle. The Republicans in Congress have had backstop plans ready under the expectation that could happen. So I don’t think the increase in reference prices are in jeopardy at this time,” said Wiesemeyer. “They’re speeding against a self-deadline of July 4th to get it done, at least out of the Senate. I think it’ll take until the August recess to get it completely through.” Wiesemeyer says lawmakers on the Senate and House agriculture committees have other policy options in the works to comply with budget rules.

Ag, Biofuel Groups Praise Court Ruling – The Supreme Court has determined that the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals is the only appropriate venue for litigation on the EPA’s small refinery exemptions. This will prevent refineries from ‘shopping’ for more favorable courts to challenge EPA decisions on small refinery waivers. The Renewable Fuel Standard has national implications, and the Supreme Court ruling reinforces that. Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association issued a joint statement, saying this decision gives farmers and ethanol producers more certainty. American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings applauds the ruling and asks the EPA to take a judicious and lawful approach to these exemptions going forward.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association board member Richard Syverson talks the recent EPA decision that will create a demand for biofuels. Corn Matters is a presentation of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. Listen. 

H-2A Farmworker Announcement Made – The Trump Administration has suspended enforcement of the 2024 farmworker rule. This rule was already suspended because of a federal injunction. In a statement, the Labor Department said this decision provides clarity for farmers employing H-2A workers. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall praised the Trump Administration for recognizing problems ‘created by this complex rule.’

Immigration Raids to Continue – President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, says immigration raids will continue in the agriculture and hospitality sectors, despite earlier signals of a pause. Homan confirmed that while enforcement will focus on individuals with criminal backgrounds, farms, hotels, and restaurants will still be subject to worksite operations.  Homan emphasized the importance of legal hiring, saying there are lawful programs to bring in farm workers. He also pointed to congressional inaction on immigration reform, stating that enforcement will continue regardless.

Aggies Seek More Input on MAHA Effort – More than 250 farm, ranch and agrochemical groups are urging the Trump administration to include their input in future work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission. In a letter sent Tuesday, the groups criticized the commission’s first report for creating “unfounded fears about the safety of our food supply” and said it lacked adequate input from the agricultural sector. The MAHA Commission, launched in February and aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., suggested pesticides may pose health risks. The farm sector is calling for more transparency, public comment, and formal representation in future commission reports.

Record Ag Trade Deficit Forecast – A new report from the American Farm Bureau says the agricultural trade deficit is widening and could end up being the largest on record. U.S. agriculture has consistently operated with a trade surplus, but has imported more ag products than it exported since 2022. The trade gap is forecast to approach $50 billion.

Wells Fargo Releases Economic Outlook – According to the Wells Fargo Investment Institute Midyear Outlook, global farm commodity supplies remain sizable. Retaliatory tariffs are also seen as negative for the ag sector. The report states that tariffs create short-term inflationary pressure, and the Fed is expected to adopt a more reactive approach to monetary policy. Wells Fargo anticipates two interest rate cuts between now and the end of 2026.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets – In today’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says “crude oil is pushing hard right now because of the military action in the Middle East.” Wheat is also getting spillover support from the turmoil in the Middle East. soyoil, canola, corn and lean hogs also get attention in this week’s update. Click here. 

N Shortage – Heavy rain has raised concerns about nitrogen levels. Helena National Agronomist Derek Emerine urges farmers to consider an in-season nitrogen application. “Nitrogen is one of the hardest nutrients to manage even in a normal year, with all the ways that we can lose it, so you add in the fact that we’ve had excessive rainfall, it becomes very important.” In addition to nitrogen, there can be deficiencies with boron. “Boron’s an essential nutrient. It’s a micronutrient, but not needed in very large quantities, but it’s also leechable, just like nitrogen.so thinking about a foliar application is probably the most efficient way.” Tissue sampling is recommended to get a better handle on fertility.

Harvest Report Released – U.S. Wheat Associates has released its weekly harvest report. Less than 40 samples from Texas and Oklahoma Hard Red Winter Wheat crop have been submitted for quality analysis. The early data suggest an average test weight of 61.5 pounds per bushel and a protein of 11.6 percent.

Quality Issues Seen in the Wheat Harvest – Wheat harvest across the Southern Plains continues to lag. Iowa-based custom harvester Paul Paplow has crews spread out from Texas to Kansas. The wheat crop has been pretty good, but quality is becoming a concern due to recent rains. “They’ve got a nice crop here, a lot with the worst we’ve cut probably being 45 up to 70 bushel wheat,” said Paplow. “Quality concerns are probably the biggest issue, we’ve had some 63-pound test weight, and we’ve had some loads that went out at 44 pounds. I’m not really sure why, being in the same field, same variety of wheat.”

Fungicide Decisions – The combination of moisture, cool temperatures, and favorable dew periods at night has resulted in good wheat-growing conditions. The frequent moisture has also increased the risk of leaf diseases, such as leaf rust and stripe rust. “The good news this year is rust reports have not been as far past as Nebraska yet,” said Andrew Friskop, plant pathologist, NDSU Extension. “It is a disease that blows up from the south, so we’re in pretty low risk for rust right now. In most cases, you could probably start focusing on when you’re going to make that Fusarium head flight application.”

FHB Alert – The prospects are good for the spring wheat crop in the region, which is increasing demand for scab management. Syngenta Crop Protection District Sales Manager Marc Rinke says that may change the fungicide strategy. “This is a year to use premium brands,” said Rinke. “There’s quite a price spread as to what you can use, but like anything in agriculture, and in life for that matter, you get what you pay for. Don’t let a dollar or two scare you away from a decision on a product when that, in turn, could mean that it returns three, four, five times on that original spend.” Click here to listen to the full interview. 

NW MN Crop ‘Looks Pretty Dang Nice’ – At Roseau, Tony Brateng says the corn crop is starting to stretch out. “It’s close to knee high already; it’s growing pretty fast with this weather we’ve had the last ten days.” Brateng is also happy with his canola crop. “The early stuff is starting to bolt; there’ll be some fungicide going on here in the next week., but yeah, canola looks pretty dang nice.”

Heat Welcomed – Aside from the extreme weather, Professional Agronomy Services Agronomist Brad Guck says crops are coming in nicely in Minnesota’s Otter Tail County. “Things are looking pretty good. We’ve had a little bit colder than desired start here, and it’s been a season of ups and downs from a temperature perspective. Hopefully, the current forecast holds true and makes up some heat units and some solar radiation.”

Crop Update From Ada, MN – With a cooler-than-average start, row crops in the Ada, Minnesota area have been a little behind. “The wheat crop likes it cooler like this, so that’s coming along really nicely,” said John Brainard. Back-and-forth spring weather has forced some replants. “We ended up reseeding 160 acres of sugarbeets, we just didn’t have the stand that we wanted so, we ended up reseeding that. It was just a variety of circumstances. It was too hot and windy for a while there, and then it was too wet and too cool.”

Three Planting Seasons for Kadlec – Pisek, North Dakota farmer Darren Kadlec says this year has been a rollercoaster ride, going from extreme heat to near-freezing temps. Kadlec had three series of planting dates for his corn. “The April planting date in corn was the best date to have planted corn from a stand perspective. It may be counterintuitive, but, it’s just the way the year shook out,” said Kadlec. “There’s some really good corn in that early May stretch, but some of that last stuff I put in, we battled frost when it was coming out of the ground. That crust kinda nibbled away at the margins without a doubt.” Saline soils have resurfaced as an issue in northeast North Dakota. Weed control has gone well.

Crusting Influenced Soybean Emergence – Volatile spring weather left some soybean fields with emergence issues like crusting. “This winter we did not have as much snow cover as we used to,” said NDSU Extension Agronomist Ana Carcedo. “Thankfully, we got some moisture after, but then it cooled off, it warmed up, it cooled off, it warmed up, and after that we had heavy rains that led to having some areas of the state with some flooding and emergence problems that actually led to fields being replanted.”

Smoke Impacted Crops – There are no major concerns with the potato crop in the Northern Plains. Extension Potato Agronomist Andy Robinson says there was some yellowing of the plant leaves when the region was dealing with cool temperatures and smoke from the Canadian wildfires. “It does slow down the amount of cellular production and sometimes we may get a little less chlorophyll, so you may see a bit more of a yellowing or light green in your leaves,” said Robinson. “I think that’s what happened to a lot of plants.”

Pioneer Agronomy Update – The first post-emergence spray for corn and soybeans is underway. In the Pioneer Agronomy Report, Pioneer Field Agronomist Larry Lunder offers recommendations for weed management. Multiple modes of action and the timing of application are part of the conversation. Click here to listen to the report. 

Happy With the Hay Crop – Row crops are suffering from saturated soils in the Murdock, Minnesota area. Michael Yost is happier with the hay crop. “We got our first cut of hay done; that went really well, quality was good,” said Yost. “The tonnage was good on the first cutting, so everybody was really pleased with that. We didn’t have to deal with a lot of rain-related events in that particular week that we got it up.” Weather permitting, second-crop alfalfa will be put up in the week ahead.

Beets Took the Brunt of the Weather Volatility – BASF Business Rep Ryan Casavan covers western Minnesota north of Highway 10 and is optimistic about the small grains crop. The sugarbeet crop is another story. “First, we had the wind and hot weather that blew some of them out, we got sandblasted, and I was in some fields where there were some crusting issues. I think the sugarbeets took the brunt of the early issues with weather we had this year, but as I’m driving around, they look pretty good. There are a couple of places where the stands aren’t quite as consistent, but they’re perking up right now.”

The Sugarbeet Report – Cercospora leaf spot is a serious and destructive foliar disease in sugarbeets. In this week’s Sugarbeet Report, American Crystal Sugar Company General Agronomist Joe Hastings advocates a proactive approach to for Cercospora control. Click here to listen to the report. 

USDA Announces New World Screwworm Strategy – USDA is spending $8.5 million to create a New World Screwworm fly dispersal facility at the Moore Air Base in South Texas. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also announced a five-pronged plan to address devastating pest. This strategy includes USDA’s recent $21 million investment to remodel an existing fruit fly production facility in Mexico. This site will provide an additional 60-to-100 million sterile flies per week to stop the spread of screwworm. That’s on top of the 100 million flies already produced in Panama. USDA has also completed an in-person audit of Mexico’s animal health control measures. The screwworm has been found 700 miles from the U.S. border, which resulted in the closing of the border to Mexican cattle imports six weeks ago.

NCBA Praises USDA NWS Plan – National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein was with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for the New World Screwworm announcement. Wehrbein backs the USDA plan to eradicate this pest. “This is not going to be easy, this is not going to be quick; this is a nasty little bug that is really challenging to deal with. It is not going to go away quickly, but we have to take the proper steps and I think that’s happening.” The NCBA is emphasizing New World Screwworm is a threat to cattle health, but it does not impact the safety of the food supply.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Kaitlyn Root offers a reminder for the summer tour. Find out more by clicking here. 

A Neutral Cattle on Feed Report – Friday’s USDA Cattle on Feed report was mostly in line with trade expectations. Placements during May were at 1.89 million head and are eight percent below a year ago. Marketings during May at 1.76 million head are 10 percent below last year and total on-feed numbers of 11.44 million head are one percent less than a year ago.

Avian Flu Vaccination Plan Under Consideration – According to Reuters, USDA is considering a plan to vaccinate poultry against the H5N1 virus. The public and private sectors are working together on a plan and hope to have it ready next month. The potential impact on export markets remains one of the biggest hurdles for a widespread vaccination program.

PRRS Detections on the Rise – Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome is no longer just a seasonal issue for pork producers. The number of PRRS cases continues to increase at an alarming rate. “PRRS has definitely been increasing, which is going really against the expectations of what we see coming into the summer and warmer months, but our recent June Swine Disease Reporting System showed the increase in cases, especially in growing pigs,” said Dr. Lisa Becton, associate director, Swine Health Information Center. “The PRRS virus strain that they’re monitoring is the L1C.5. This one seems to be a predominant variant of PRRS that’s identified, and it does lead to reduced production, increased mortality, and just not great growing pigs. It’s a concern not just for growing pigs but also for our sow units.” For that variant, the number of detections in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Indiana doubled in a single month. In an interview with RRFN, Becton also provides a swine industry perspective on H5N1 and New World Screwworm. 

Hoop Barn Leads to Healthier Cattle, Better Feed Efficiency – Carl Piper’s farm near Davenport, North Dakota, was a featured stop on the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Feedlot Tour, where he showcased his fabric-covered hoop barn built in 2022. The structure, measuring 50 feet by 476 feet, includes 420 feet of feed bunk, 15-foot alleys, and a 35-foot bed pack. “We feed anywhere from 400 to 500 light feeder cattle in here every year and background them,” said Piper. “We’re in the valley here, so we’re dealing with very heavy soils that get real muddy when it’s wet. We decided to find something that was more compatible as far as feeding and easier to manage livestock in.” Piper said the hoop barn has led to healthier cattle and better feed efficiency, even holding up during severe weather.

Test Dairy Cows Before State Fair – Lactating dairy cows shown at the North Dakota State Fair must be tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The North Dakota State Board of Animal Health says the test must be done within ten days before their appearance at the fair. Avian influenza has not been detected in North Dakota dairy cattle, but this biosecurity measure is being done as a precautionary measure.

Milk Production Pushes Higher in May – U.S. milk production in May totaled 19.9 billion pounds, up 1.6 percent from one year ago. In Minnesota, milk production declined 0.4 percent. Cow numbers are down 5,000 head from one year ago. South Dakota milk output is up 9.5 percent. The South Dakota cow herd has grown 18,000 head over the past year.

Canada Takes Supply Management Off the Negotiating Table – The Canadian Parliament has passed legislation to protect Canada’s supply management system. This law would prohibit the government from making trade deals that weaken tariff rate quotas or increase import quotas on dairy, eggs, chicken and turkey products. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement is up for review a year from now, and the United States is expected to renew its opposition to Canada’s restrictive dairy import standards.

Brazil Lifts WPC Import Suspension – The Brazilian agriculture ministry has officially lifted its suspension of the U.S. dairy company, Agropur, from exporting whey protein concentrate powder to Brazil. On May 22, the ag ministry suspended one Agropur due to lab results showing protein levels below 80 percent. After quick action by the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Agricultural Marketing Service to address the irregularities, Brazil agreed to lift the suspension less than three weeks after it was imposed. Last year, the U.S. exported $83 million of whey protein concentrate powder to Brazil.

Canola Minute – Barry Coleman, executive director, 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. 

PEI Adopts Potato Wart Buy-Back Program – The Prince Edward Island government has introduced a new buy-back program for fields affected by potato wart. Landowners with diseased fields can sell the land based on independent appraisals. Once purchased, the land can no longer be farmed for potatoes. The National Potato Council remains adamant that the U.S. and Canadian governments need to take the threat of potato wart seriously. The NPC stated that taking the affected fields offline should have occurred immediately, not four years later.

Vaccine Decision Questioned – The Trump Administration canceled a $590 million contract to develop a bird flu vaccine for humans. A pair of Senate Democrats is asking Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy to explain this decision. The letter signed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said this is “a grievous mistake” that leaves the country unprepared for another potential pandemic.

Discrimination Lawsuit Filed – A Wisconsin dairy farmer is behind a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration. Adam Faust claims the government is discriminating against white farmers. The lawsuit cites the Dairy Margin Coverage program, where he is charged a $100 administrative fee, but that is waived for minority and female farmers. Faust’s USDA loans are guaranteed to 90 percent of the value, while minority farmers have a 95 percent guarantee. His manure storage system qualifies for a USDA conservation program with 75 percent of his costs eligible for reimbursement. Ninety percent of the same costs can be reimbursed for minority farmers. Faust claims these rules put him at a competitive disadvantage. Faust was part of a similar lawsuit in 2021 regarding the USDA loan forgiveness program.

More DEI Grants Cut – The Agriculture Department will terminate more than 145 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-focused awards totaling over $148 million. The list includes $575,000 to educate socially disadvantaged farmers about conservation. USDA also cut $2.5 million in grant funds, expanding access to land, capital and market opportunities for underserved producers in California’s Bay area.

E-Tour on the Docket This Week – The North Dakota Grain Growers Association is hosting Environmental Protection Agency officials this week for its annual E-Tour. The tour will be based out of Grand Forks and will visit farms, grain companies and ag processing facilities. The E-Tour is in its 31^st year and seen as a way to open the dialogue between farmers and regulators. The tour starts tomorrow and continues through Thursday.

Deadwood Hosts Ag Summit – During the South Dakota Governor’s Agricultural Summit. Governor Larry Rhoden highlighted South Dakota’s strong future in agriculture. Rhoden has been part of trade trips to Mexico, Taiwan, Japan and Israel and said the state has seen tremendous dividends from international trade.

SD Corn Comments – In South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota State University Extension Weed Specialist Eric Jones talks about the importance of weed management and the regulatory review process. Listen to the report. 

UMN Extension Highlights Cover Crop Benefits – University of Minnesota Extension will host a Cover Crop Field Day at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton on Thursday. “There are a lot of benefits you can get from having a cover crop out there,” said Liz Stahl, Extension educator. “They can help reduce soil erosion from wind and moisture retention later in the season.” The goal of the event is to help farmers develop a cover crop management system. “That’s what we’re going to highlight at our cover crop field day, setting farmers up for success.” Pre-registration and more information can be found at z.umn.edu/covercropfieldday.

Disease Management Emphasized During Small Grain Plot Tours – University of Minnesota Extension is hosting a series of plot tours and small grain disease management clinics. Extension Small Grains Specialist Jochum Wiersma says it’s a great opportunity to get the latest information on disease management. “The plot tour is not traditional because the crop hasn’t headed yet so there’s not as much to see, but we will talk about the important varieties in wheat and we’ll talk about barley as well.” Managing Fusarium head blight will be a focus. “The goal is to talk a little bit about the updated recommendations to suppress Fusarium head blight with the new nozzle recommendations that NDSU came out with, we’ll also talk about what the risk scenarios look like right now based on the weather models that we rely on to get a feel for how the weather is impacting or creating opportunities for Fusarium head blight, the way it did last year.” After today’s clinic in Fergus Falls, there will be similar events in Oklee, Humboldt and Strathcona this week.

National Ag in the Classroom Conference Underway in Minneapolis – Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is hosting the annual national Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis this week. “Regardless of what state you’re in, we really work to train educators how to fold agriculture into their work in their classrooms,” said MAITC Foundation Director Ann Marie Ward. “Our focus is not on agriculture teachers. It’s on those K-12 classroom teachers who are doing math, science, early literacy, working through nutrition and health classes, and see how agriculture really is everywhere.” The goal is to increase agriculture literacy through K-12 education. your state’s academic standards.” The national conference is underway through Wednesday.

Feeding and Fueling the World Workshop in ND This Week – The North Dakota Soybean Council and the North Dakota Corn Council are sponsoring a two-day workshop, Feeding and Fueling the World, that will focus on bringing agriculture into the classroom. EducationProjects.org Director of Education Jane Hunt says there is a need to bring ag education to the greater population. “About four percent of all students across the country take an ag-related coursework,” says Hunt. “What we’re really trying to do is reach those other 96 or so percent of kids who take biology.” The workshop is designed for middle and high school science teachers and aims to help promote ag education in the classroom. “We realize that there are a lot of misconceptions around agriculture, so what we’ve been doing is trying to get that information to teachers so they can focus on that in their classrooms.” The two-day workshop will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Casselton. More Information can be found at https://nourishthefuture.org/events.

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, Steve Pahs from the Rice Soil and Water Quality Conservation District discusses a recent survey.  Listen to the update. 

Dry Bean Scene – After a difficult spring, what does the weather look like for the rest of the summer?  In the Dry Bean Scene, North Dakota State Climatologist Daryl Ritchison provides his perspective. Northarvest Bean Growers Association past President Eric Samuelson shares an update on his dry bean crop near Crookston. Click here to listen.

Restitution Ordered in Agridime Ponzi Scheme – A Texas-based cattle marketing company must pay $103 million in restitution to customers who were defrauded by a Ponzi scheme. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission brought the case against Agridime. This company allegedly raised money from 2,100 cattle market investors in 15 states, claiming guaranteed returns of 15-to-32 percent. A North Dakota investor group was in talks to purchase Agridime and American Grazed Beef LLC, but DTN reports that sale is not happening.

Peterson Farms Seed Unveils Pingree Hub – A new transload facility in Pingree, North Dakota, is giving local growers a more efficient way to market identity-preserved and specialty crops. Peterson Farms Seed owner Carl Peterson says the facility fills a key gap. “The agricultural systems in this area and really across the country are geared to producing huge quantities of undifferentiated commodities. That leaves a gap for customers and consumers who may want something a little special,” said Peterson. The site features cutting-edge processing equipment, high-speed loadout capabilities, and room to grow. “We can unload trucks at 15,000 (bushels) an hour, we can load cars and trucks at 20,000 bushels an hour,” Peterson said. “We have about 300,000 bushels of storage here to start with, but we’ve got 60 acres, so we’ve got plenty of room to expand.”

A Pivot Bio-Taranis Partnership – Pivot Bio and Taranis have formed a new partnership to support growers in adopting sustainable nutrient management practices through the Taranis Conservation™ program. This collaboration will enable Pivot Bio’s dealer network to offer Taranis Conservation services to help growers unlock NRCS funding for regenerative practices like soil testing, nitrogen stabilizers and variable rate technology.

Corteva-Micropep Collaboration – Corteva and Micropep Technologies have entered into a multi-year research and development collaboration. Corteva invested in Micropep through the Corteva Catalyst platform last year and will have exclusive rights to apply its peptides globally across biocontrol and biofungicide applications. Micropep’s small peptides represent new modes of action.

MN Native Takes Leadership Role in Maryland – Effective August 13, Katie Zenk will be the new executive director of the Maryland Food Center Authority. Zenk is a Danube, Minnesota native who spent the past 12 years in Washington, D.C. in the private and public sector. Zenk served as a senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and was the deputy undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. She also served on the House Agriculture Committee staff and managed federal policy for Land O’Lakes.

Donkers Takes Over Leadership for MN Soybean Checkoff Program – For the first time in its 50-plus year history, the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council has its first female chair. Gail Donkers, who is from Faribault, has been on the Council since 2019. Dover farmer Ben Storm is the new vice chair. The new treasurer is Glen Groth of Ridgeway and Franklin farmer Pat Sullivan will serve another term as secretary.

MSGA Officer Team Reelected – Wells farmer Darin Johnson has been reelected to serve another term as president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. The rest of the officer team was also reelected. That’s vice president Ryan Makenthun of Brownton; treasurer Rose Wendinger of St. James and Secretary Kyle Jore of Thief River Falls.

A New Exec for NAEDA – The North American Equipment Dealers Association has named Brett Davis as its chief executive officer. Davis has had a long career in the equipment industry. Kim Rominger is retiring in August and will assist in the transition.

Gehrls Promoted – Don Gehrls is now the vice president of strategic planning for Corteva Agriscience. Gehrls has been with Corteva for nearly 12 years, serving in a handful of roles, including time as the soybean marketing lead for Pioneer.

Select Sires Hires New Communications Manager – Patti Hurtgen is the new manager of communications for Select Sires Member Services. For the past 15 years, Hurtgen has been with Hoard’s Dairyman.

Purebred Swine Industry Leader Passes – The former chief executive officer of the National Swine Registry, Darrell Anderson, has died. Anderson, 75, is a Sherburn, Minnesota native who helped bring together the breed associations to create the National Swine Registry in 1994.

Retirement for Potato Industry Veteran – Ted Kreis will retire as the administrator of the Red River Valley Fresh Potato Growers Association Co-op at the end of the month. Kreis has been in that role since 2009.