NFU Staying Engaged in Farm Bill Advocacy – The 122nd National Farmers Union Convention is underway in Scottsdale, Arizona, and National Farmers Union President Rob Larew does not want farmers to be discouraged about continuing to advocate for the next farm bill. During the State of the Farmers Union Address, Larew encouraged members to stay engaged with lawmakers in D.C. “Even when there is a middle ground, unfortunately, there’s a small group of members that are blocking that,” Larew said. “If farmers speak up, we can make the difference so that those that can find a middle ground can get a farm bill wrapped up and through the halls of Congress.” The farm bill outlook is as bleak as Larew has ever seen before, but he says NFU continues to hope senior leadership will find a way to get the legislation through.

A Double-Edged Sword – The National Farmers Union looked at the future of co-ops in local communities at their annual convention. National Cooperative Business Association President and CEO Doug O’Brien says technology can be a double-edged sword for rural communities. “On one hand, technology does tend to create an even bigger magnet for people to go to more urban areas. It’s where a lot of the tech jobs tend to be composed and some of those businesses,” O’Brien said. “On the other hand, we saw particularly during the pandemic we could see that technology could be a solution for people who want to live in rural communities.” Technology can allow for more remote work in those situations. O’Brien says one challenge for rural cooperatives is access to capital.

An Eye on Consolidation – One of the National Farmers Union’s priorities is competition within the livestock industry. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish says consolidation is spilling into the whole economy. “On a farmer level, you have three major equipment manufacturers that dominate the industry. We have that in seed, we have that in the meat packing,” Wertish said. “Not that all mergers are bad. But, you know, in 1921, Congress passed the Packers and Stockyards Act to break up, at that time it was, the five big meat packers that dominated the industry. Now we have four companies that dominate the meat packing industry and two of them are foreign-owned.” Wertish says urban areas are seeing it, too.

MFU Minute – Minnesota Farmers Union Government Relations Director Stu Lourey provides an update on the Minnesota legislative session for the MFU Minute. MFU is keeping an eye on legislation that could provide tax incentives for farmers who are water quality certified.

Early Spring May Influence Crop Mix – A small percentage of the crop acres in the region remain in flux. Gowan Northern Plains Sales Representative Marsha VanLaere says the weather may be the determining factor. “A lot of that has to do with this early spring. With some of those fringe acres, guys might decide to stay with wheat instead of switching over to corn, soybeans, canola or anything else. The only thing I’m pretty confident about is the sunflower acreage is going to be down.” VanLaere expects dry edible bean acres to increase as much as 30 percent. Farmers are encouraged to lock in crop inputs now.

Spring Planting Outlook – University of Minnesota Extension Nutrient and Water Management Specialist Lindsay Pease joined the university’s latest Nutrient Management Podcast. She says unusual winter weather could mean producers will get into the field early. “We don’t have quite as deep of a frost depth, so it’s not going to take as long for that to clear,” Pease said. Even if there are late-season snow or rain events, field conditions should bounce back quickly.

Reservoirs Ready for Spring – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says reservoirs along the Red River of the North are ready for any potential spring flooding. St. Paul District Water Management Section Chief Liz Nelsen says the reservoirs are ready for any spring snowmelt or rain event. Corps officials say they are prepared to make any necessary adjustments based on the lack of snowpack in the basin.

WASDE Report Draws Minimal Reaction – Not much changed in this month’s USDA WASDE report. Summit Commodity Brokerage partner Tomm Pfitzenmaier points to the South America crop projections as one of the few notes of interest. “The most interesting thing about the report probably was the fact that it looks like the USDA took the month off,” said Pfitzenmaier on the mostly unchanged estimates. “I mean they literally made no changes in either the corn or the soybean balance sheet. The one thing that the trade has been watching pretty closely is what the USDA was going to do with the South American crop and they did, I think, surprise the market a little bit although the market hasn’t reacted much to it.” According to Pfitzenmaier, the focus will now shift to the end of March acreage speculations.

WASDE Report As Neutral As Can Be – Following a lackluster WASDE report, Total Farm Marketing Market Advisor Brandon Doherty says it’s a bit surprising that wheat held on to gains from earlier in the day through the close of business Friday. “The U.S. numbers are just about as neutral as can be,” Doherty said. Traders will be looking to the report at the end of March for new news. “I think it’s down to weather going forward, and I think it’s down to what planting intentions look like at the end of the month.”

A Difficult Farm Economy – Margins will be tighter on the farm this year. FBN Financial General Manager Dan English cites the current economic environment. “This certainly isn’t going to be as profitable of a year unfortunately as we saw a year or two ago,” said English. “The good news is we’re expecting to see a little bit of relief on interest rates here in the second part of this year, but there’s a lot more pressure on farmers this year with higher interest rates, higher input costs and lower prices.”

Dry Bean Scene – Kelley Bean Company North Dakota and Minnesota Regional Sales Manager John Bartsch joins the Dry Bean Scene. Dry bean acres could see an increase in the 2024 growing season. Strong demand for edible beans and lower prices for other crops could drive producers toward increasing acres.

South Dakota Passes Landowner Bill of Rights – South Dakota lawmakers passed three bills intended to strengthen landowner protections while maintaining a path forward for pipeline projects. The bills passed both the state’s House of Representative and Senate and now move to Governor Kristi Noem who issued a statement indicating she plans to sign the bills.

ACA Applauds South Dakota Landowner Bill of Rights – The American Carbon Alliance released a statement congratulating South Dakota’s lawmakers on the passage of the three compromise bills that provide the nation’s first Landowner Bill of Rights. ACA CEO Tom Buis says this will have a positive impact on the agriculture industry. “The big winners are the farmers in South Dakota and all the Midwest and the ethanol plants because it’s going to help create a market for sustainable aviation fuel and higher blends in the marketplace,” Buis said. Buis says there are protections in place for landowners and that this creates certainty for entities wanting to take carbon sequestration projects like the Summit Pipeline. Listen to the full conversation with Tom Buis here.

Radke Calls Landowner Bill of Rights ‘Insulting’ – The South Dakota Legislature has passed three bills that together make up what is called the Landowner Bill of Rights. South Dakota rancher and long-time ag advocate Amanda Radke says this legislation is a slap in the face to landowners, simply paving the way for one company’s carbon pipeline. “Compromise, in this situation, is actually extortion,” Radke said. “There is no compromising on private property rights. There’s no compromise on the Constitution. So they could slap a fancy name on it so it looks good on Fox News, but the landowner bill of rights is actually just totally insulting.” Radke says landowner rights are already covered in the Constitution and encourages opponents of this legislation to continue to speak up. Hear the full interview with Amanda Radke here.

An Eye on Carbon Fuels Legislation – Low carbon fuels legislation is being watched closely in the Minnesota state legislature. CHS Director of State Government Affairs Jake Hamlin says there are no concerns right now.

“I don’t necessarily have concerns right now. I think it’s continuing to monitor bill introductions and proposals as they are considered in the committee process throughout the legislature,” Hamlin said. “Most recently this week, Senate Transportation Chair Scott Dibble had an informational hearing on the clean transportation standard. Very well attended, great conversation around the amendment that he presented, and then significant testimony by proponents and opponents related to the clean transportation standard.”

Groundwater nitrate levels are one area that has a spotlight on it by the Minnesota legislature.

Minnesota Bill Could End Classroom Poultry Hatching – Champlin, Minnesota Senator John Hoffman has introduced a bill that would ban poultry hatching in classrooms in the state. Senate File 4702 has been referred to the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee.

Poultry Hatching Ban Could Limit Student Opportunities – Introduced last week, Minnesota Senate File 4702 would ban poultry hatching in classrooms for public and charter schools. Candace Fisher hatches chicks in her zoology class each year at Bemidji High School and says banning this practice would be a disservice to students who may otherwise have limited exposure to agriculture. “I think it’s gonna be the start of limiting more of the opportunities that students would have to learn about agriculture in the classroom,” Fisher said. She believes this legislation was brought on by a concern for the well-being of the chicks. Fisher says she has contacted the author of the bill and plans to continue communicating with legislators.

MN Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association and South Dakota Corn Growers passed a resolution asking USDA to gather information on fertilizer prices from manufacturers at this year’s Corn Congress. MCGA Past President Richard Syverson says this is important information to assess the impacts of potential mergers between companies. Hear more on this week’s edition of Corn Matters.

A Focus on the U.S.-China Trade Relationship – The American Soybean Association wants improvements made to the trade title in the new farm bill. With China’s economy dealing with a slight downturn, ASA board member Ronnie Russell believes that efforts should be focused on increasing trade with the United States’ largest customer. “Right now, trade with China is down 17 or 18 percent, but we certainly want to make sure that we maintain that market.” Russell said it is important to support trade opportunities around the world, especially with China.

Out of Whack – The Red Sea and Suez Canal are not major shipping channels for agriculture. However, Scott Sinner from SB&B Foods at Casselton says the impact will be felt. “We may not have a whole lot of U.S. soy going through the Suez Canal, but because of all the shipments that are supposed to go through there are going other places that are taking up vessel space and things out of our normal shipping lanes, it affects our shipping.” When ships are directed around the southern tip of Africa or the southern tip of South America, it adds time to the process. “Our whole system is based on timing and so when that gets out of whack, the whole system gets out of whack.” Sinner is a member of the U.S. Soybean Export Council board.

USMEF Recognizes Symbiotic Relationship with Grains – U.S. Meat Export Federation Chairman and Edgerton, Minnesota farmer Randy Spronk says the relationship between corn and soybean producers is a key to success in animal protein production. Sustainability claims in the animal ag industry are greatly influenced by grain production. “We can’t say we’re a sustainable product without understanding what’s happening on the farm as we produce our grain and soybeans,” said Spronk. “They’re critical to us, and we’re able to bring more revenue back to the farm. It’s just a great symbiotic relationship.”

Potatoes Generate Dollars for the General Economy – Michigan State University has released a study evaluating the importance of exports for the U.S. potato industry and the general economy. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said this is new research and it delivered impressive results. “A little over $4.5 billion every year is generated for the United States through potato exports and over 30,000 jobs are supported from those activities.” The farmgate impact from international trade was known, but this research provided insight into job creation and the entire economic impact.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says stock markets and gold are bright spots in the markets showing a strong economy. “And I’m going to throw corn in the mix,” Martinson said. “We traded above the 20-day moving average. We’ve got the funds covering short positions and we’re going into spring so we should see some risk premium come back into these markets.” Martinson expects to see seasonal highs for corn in April and May with soybeans to follow in May and June. Chicago wheat and the dollar are seeing some weakness. Harvest pressure from Brazil is causing some cooling off in the soybean markets.

New Rule Added to Packers and Stockyards Act – USDA announced a new rule to the Packers and Stockyards Act. The Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Rule aims to provide clearer standards and protect producers from discrimination, retaliation, and deception in livestock and poultry markets. “This is going to help producers and growers who have become increasingly vulnerable to a range of practices that unjustly exclude them for economic opportunity and disadvantage them and undermine market integrity,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the new rule which will take effect in May of 2024.

A Good First Step – North Dakota Farmer’s Union President Mark Watne sees the Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Rule – a new rule to the Packers and Stockyards Act – as a good first step in helping fix some of the issues that producers and processors are facing. Watne admits there is still much work to be done, though. “We’ve ignored this situation for almost 70, 80 years,” Watne said. “We hope that we’ll see in the near future more opportunities to get more competition in the system so that farmers and ranchers get a more fair shake on what they pay for things and sell into.”

Meat Institute Opposes P&S Rule Change – The North American Meat Institute does not support the changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act. President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said these changes have nothing to do with competition, but are an attempt to apply federal control over business contracts. Potts said Congress never intended to give the government such broad authority over meat industry contracts.

Redundant New Rule – While praised by some, the new Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity rule is not without its critics. “Attempting to create a different class of producers, beyond those normal, protected classes, to give them special treatment, that was something that was concerning to us,” said National Cattleman’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane of the new rule. “Is there a line? And where is it drawn between picking a product that fits your business model and discriminating against someone in an unfair way?”

SD Corn Comments – Josh Fenton, Summit League commissioner, joins South Dakota Corn Comments this week. The Summit League and South Dakota Corn are teaming up to give veterans and military families a chance to enjoy league basketball tournaments this season. Free tickets are available through several area military organizations.

Efforts to Control Texas Wildfires Ramping Up – The second largest wildfire in U.S. history continues to ravage the Texas panhandle. “There is more control now,” said Texas Farm Bureau Spokesperson Gary Joiner. “About 45 percent of the now 1.1-million-acre fire is contained, which is much better. We were in the 10 to 15 percent containment for several days.” According to Joiner weather is finally calming and helping with containment efforts after days of heavy winds spreading the fires. Donations are being accepted. Visit texasfarmbureau.org to find out how to help.

Texas Ranchers Face Significant Losses – Texas continues to deal with the largest wildfire in state history. According to Hill County Extension Agent Andy Holloway the losses are continuing to mount for these Texas Panhandle ranchers. “The value of these cattle is at record highs so when just a 500-pound calf dies that’s over a $1,500 loss for that one calf and that doesn’t count his mother,” said Holloway. “That’s the thing, the insurance is a help but with the situation we’re in, it’s not near enough money to replace what they’ve lost.”

Agricult-HER: Katie Pinke Shares Her Passion for Agvocacy – During high school, Katie Pinke pledged she would never have a career in agriculture or advertising. Pinke also said she would never live in North Dakota. Fate had different plans because Pinke lives in western Grand Forks County and is the publisher/general manager for Agweek. She also shares her life in a regular Agweek column. “I’ve always been very raw and transparent and I think that’s important,” said Pinke. “We’re not always great in agriculture at pulling back the privacy curtain and just showing who we are, what we do and why we do it.” In her Agricult-HER interview on the Red River Farm Network, Pinke voices her respect for the men and women who gave so much to the farming business in the past and emphasizes the importance of engaging the next generation in agriculture. Watch the full interview online.

Agricult-Her: Faith, Family, and Farming – In a family of five boys and two girls, Rebecca Sip didn’t think farming was part of her future. That changed in 2017 after four of her older brothers found careers off the farm. Sip’s youngest brother Paul, sister Marissa, and herself decided they wanted to keep things going. Together with their parents, the Sip family raises corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugarbeets near Ada, Minnesota. “You do feel like when you go to the elevator, wherever, you do feel like, ‘I am the only girl here’ and you feel like everyone is watching you.” But her community has been helpful and supportive. Sip says humility has made interacting with people in the ag industry easier. “Most people, when they see you farming and they see you put your head to it, and see that you’re working, I do feel a lot of respect.” To Sip, farming is the perfect example of learning to trust God’s timing alongside her family. Catch the full interview online.

Agricult-HER: Grounded in the Agriculture Community – For the past 17 years, Bev Durgan has led the Extension program for the University of Minnesota. She took on the role when Extension was going through a reorganization. “There were a lot of people concerned about the future of Extension and whether Extension was still going to be able to serve the mission of the state and I thought it was a great opportunity for me to get Extension into the place where we should be. We should be serving the state. We need to be out there helping people solve some of these big problems.” In addition to her administrative role, Bev remains a weed scientist and teaches an undergraduate course. “I still love teaching that course, they don’t really care that I’m a dean.” Watch the complete interview. 

Agricult-HER: Lift Each Other Up – When asked, Minnesota Farm Service Agency State Director Whitney Place was reluctant to give advice. However, Place said it is important for women in agriculture to lift each other up. “There are people willing to be your mentor, be your cheerleader so seek out those people who can support you.” Her list of mentors includes University of Minnesota Extension Dean Bev Durgan, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Andrea Vaubel, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and former Commissioner Dave Frederickson. Place’s original career goal was to be a plant breeder, but an internship and input from a college professor put her on a path to government service. The full interview can be found on the RRFN YouTube Channel. 

Agricult-HER: Leah Halverson With a Nod to the Past & a Look to the Future – Leah and her brothers are the fourth generation of her family growing potatoes. This legacy began with Leah’s great grandfather, Hallie Halverson, in 1928 with ten acres outside of Forest River, North Dakota. Black Gold Farms now grows potatoes throughout the United States. After college, Leah started working at an advertising agency. Five years ago, she started her own firm called Ten Acre Marketing, an homage to her grandfather. Leah is excited about the future. “Between my daughter and my brother’s girls, eight girls are coming up for the fifth generation of our family in agriculture. For any young person getting involved with agriculture looks so much different now than it did ten or 20 years ago. There’s a need for everybody and every experience.” Here’s a link to the video interview.

Agricult-HER: ‘Failure Isn’t Fatal’ – Mollie Ficocello and her sisters, Annie Gorder and Grace Lunski, are the co-founders of Three Farm Daughters pasta. They have a family motto of ‘Failure isn’t fatal.’ “That was something our parents really instilled in us, being able to take a risk and go out and try something new because at the end of the day, if you fail, you just get back up, you dust yourself off and you try something new again.” Three Farm Daughters is a success story as a woman-owned business with its pasta available online and in supermarkets nationwide. “I feel like people like our products because they can see the farm and what we’re trying to do with a clean label and nourishing food.” Watch the video on RRFN’s YouTube channel. 

Agricult-HER: A Lifelong Passion – A life in agriculture was never a question for North Dakota FSA Executive Director Marcy Svenningsen. Growing up on her family cattle operation only fueled the passion she had for the industry and the people in it. “You know, some people look at that experience and go, ‘Boy, I don’t want anything more to do with that. I can’t wait to get off the farm.’ In my life, I loved it and I knew that’s where I always wanted to be.” Getting involved in farming as newlyweds in the 1980s was not easy. Svenningsen says that several opportunities helped keep them afloat when she took a job in Valley City. “Sometimes those things, those low points in our lives really can springboard us into other stuff.” She served on several boards for electric cooperatives and was a strong agriculture advocate through involvement in the North Dakota Farmers Union. Watch the full conversation with Marcy Svenningsen here.

Agricult-HER: Creating Footsteps to Follow – Wheaton, Minnesota farmer Jamie Beyer wanted to set an example for her daughters and show them that there was an opportunity to be involved in the family farming operation. “I realized that if I didn’t get involved in the farm, then my daughters wouldn’t either.” Beyer grew up in a rural area but started taking a more active role on the farm with her husband in 2015. She has since served two terms as Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President and now serves on the American Soybean Association board of directors. Opportunities to participate in leadership roles and trips around the world have given her a sense of pride in the work farmers put in to feed the world. Hear the full conversation here.

Belchim USA Sponsoring Live Broadcast From ISBI – Belchim USA’s Spin-Aid has a special local needs registration for use on sugarbeets in Minnesota and North Dakota. It is the only registered product containing phenmedipham for use in sugarbeets providing a post-emergence option to control kochia and lambsquarters in sugarbeets. Belchim USA is sponsoring a live broadcast from the International Sugarbeet Institute in Grand Forks on Wednesday.

Protect No-Cost Sugar Program – Sugarbeet growers from across the country are in Washington, D.C., meeting with over 300 congressional representatives over two weeks. American Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Vice President Luther Markwart says the farm bill message remains consistent. “We need to strengthen the sugar safety net and any attempts to weaken it, must be rejected.” The International Sugar Organization is projecting a deficit in sugar production, keeping prices strong. Markwart says it’s important to write policy based on more normal conditions. Click here to listen to the full interview with Luther Markwart.

New High for Beet Stock – American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock reached a new brokered high last week at $5,900 per share. Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke says there were eight brokered sales totaling 264 shares between $5,700 and $5,900 for an average price of $5,773 per share. So far this trading season, 4,422 shares have traded at an average price of $5,316 per share. Important dates to remember: April 1 is the new partnership transfer deadline; April 11 is the share transfer deadline, and April 24 is the American Crystal Sugar Company board meeting.

Join RRFN and Amity Technology at ISBI – Amity Technology has a complete lineup of equipment for the sugarbeet industry. That includes defoliators, harvesters and carts. That equipment will be on display at the International Sugarbeet Institute in Grand Forks. Amity Technology is sponsoring a live broadcast from ISBI this Wednesday.

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, Stearns Conservation District Conservation Planning Team Manager Mark Lefebvre joins Farming for the Future to discuss the importance of manure spreader calibration for nutrient management.

Crush Facilities to Expand Options for North Dakota Soybeans – North Dakota soybean producers are expected to see a significant boost with the opening of three new crush facilities. “It’s giving added value to U.S. soybeans,” said United Soybean Board Communication and Education Chair Matt Gast. Gast is excited about the new options and opportunities for American-produced soybeans that these facilities will provide. “We’re trying to find things that we can utilize that excess meal with and try to keep the value of the U.S. soybean as high as we can.”

New Crush Facilities Not Without Some Risk – Soybean meal and oil supply is likely to boom with the opening of multiple crush facilities. This rise comes with the potential risk of outweighing demand and could lead to some turmoil in the markets. “Even if the markets do get more volatile and turmoil rules, stick to the basic approaches. They still work,” said University of Minnesota Grain Marketing Specialist Ed Usset. As crush capacity increases, Usset points to a need for demand to meet these rising supply numbers. “They’re big players and I think many of these plants will survive,” Usset said. “But some of these plants that are drawn up and haven’t broken ground yet, maybe they don’t happen.”

CRP Enrollment Underway – The latest Conservation Reserve Program general signup is underway through March 29. Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux announced the enrollment at the National Pheasant Fest in Sioux Falls. Landowners enrolled 926,000 acres in the same program last year bringing the total enrolled acres for the general CRP to 7.78 million. Combined with the grassland and continuous CRP, there are 24.8 million acres in the program.

Incentives Available for Regenerative Agriculture – Truterra has a new grant program for farmers considering regenerative agriculture. Senior Manager of Programs and Grants Amber Leusink says this program helps farmers when trying a new farming practice. “Trying no-till for the first time or strip-till, or planting a cover crop can be scary,” said Leusink. “While we can’t take completely take away all of the risk, we can help with some of the financial risk.” Truterra also has an incentive program for long-term adopters. “We have these farmers that have been doing the right thing over the long-term and typically they’ve been standing out here with their hand up saying what about me? Truterra, as a commercial program, we have opportunities for these long-term adopters.”  Enrollment for this new Truterra program for farmers experienced in regenerative agriculture will begin on August 1. Listen to the interview.

Senate Passes Appropriations – On Friday, the U.S. Senate approved the six appropriation bills that were previously approved by the House of Representatives. The Agriculture Appropriations bill fully funds the Farm Service Agency’s guaranteed and direct loans and provides $2 million for a new policy research center at NDSU. It also provides more than $50 million in ag research funding for North Dakota through the Agriculture Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for research conducted by NDSU and across North Dakota.

Possible Funding for NDSU Policy Research Center – A new policy research center at North Dakota State University could be part of the next agriculture appropriations bill working its way through Congress. NDSU Vice President for Agricultural Affairs Greg Lardy says this could be a great opportunity and resource for the region. “It’s still in debate and being worked on in Congress, but we’re excited about that possibility.” There are other policy research centers at other universities, but Lardy says with North Dakota’s diverse agriculture industry, this could produce more relevant research for the region.

Resolution to Enhance Swine Traceability – U.S. pork producers approved a resolution to enhance the country’s live swine traceability system at the National Pork Industry Forum. Incoming National Pork Producers Council President and Minnesota farmer Lori Stevermer says traceability has been a priority for the industry for decades and that the standards will improve the ability to control the spread of foreign animal disease and lessen the economic impact of potential outbreaks.

Public Meetings Address Tribal Regulatory Authority – Public meetings were held in Bejou and Ogema, Minnesota regarding regulatory authority on and around the White Earth Reservation in northwest Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Agriculture Division Director for Pesticides and Fertilizer Josh Stamper spoke at the meeting outlining that tribes can impose regulations as or more restrictive than the federal government. “Tribes are sovereign nations and they have the right to self-determination. They are a sovereign government. They answer directly to the U.S. government and not necessarily the state.” Stamper says it’s important for those with questions to reach out. “I think it’s really important that if there are folks who have questions about the regulations that are being imposed, reach out. There are grower groups that are coalescing around some of these issues and the need to have clear, transparent communications with the tribes about what their expectations are for the enforcement of rules and regulations.” Click here for the full interview with Josh Stamper.

Pushing Back on Tribal Authority of Non-Member Landowners – Last spring, the White Earth Nation passed an ordinance regulating ground and surface water usage. Mahnomen, Minnesota farmer Dave Vipond obtained a permit to put in a high-capacity well from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to irrigate portions of his farm within the boundaries of the White Earth Reservation. “Because Dave did not pull that permit and disputes that they have the ability to regulate him in that way, they have now brought a lawsuit against him in Tribal Court,” said Courtney Carter, an attorney with Nolan, Thompson, Leighton and Tataryn, PLC, who represents Vipond in the case. They argue that tribal governments do not have jurisdiction over the activities of non-tribal member-owned lands on the reservation. There are two exceptions: 1) there is a contract between the tribe and the landowner or 2) there is a detrimental impact on the safety, health, or welfare of the tribe. Carter says neither exceptions apply to this case. “That’s been expanded in later case law to mean it has to be a catastrophic impact to the tribe’s well-being and not just any harm.” Vipond says he has followed Minnesota state regulations on his farm. “The tribe claims they have the authority to regulate me, but I have no voice in tribal government. So I’ve got people that are taking me to court,” Vipond said. “I’ve got no voice in their government at all, so it’s regulation without representation.” Click here for the full interview with Courtney Carter. Click here for the full interview with Dave Vipond.

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Promotion and Education Committee Chair Steve Schoenfeld provided the MFBF Minute to recap all the activities the organization is focused on during Farm Safety Week. Each day MFBF highlighted different aspects of farm safety and promoted the American Farm Bureau’s Farm and Ag Safety Training known as FAST.

A Limited Number of Contracts Available for Omega-3 Canola Production – Nuseed is contracting with farmers for its Omega 3 canola production system. North American Strategic Marketing Manager Debbie Stiles says a limited number of contracts are available. “Today, we have about 30,000 acres of contracts available so not many. If growers are interested, they should get contracted soon.” There is a difference between the Nuseed Omega 3 canola system and commodity canola. “A grower contracts it, grows it and we buy it back; we have a direct line of sight on the consumer,” said Stiles. “There’s lots of good things in the contracts, like an Act of God clause, trucking is included, it’s one of the best contracts I’ve ever seen for a grower.” This product will ultimately be used for the human nutrition market or aquaculture. Listen to the full interview.

Vive Crop Protection Offers New CLS Protection – Vive Crop Protection has a new product for Cercospora leaf spot. Chief Technology Officer Doug Baumann says trials were conducted in multiple states last year for Phobos FC fungicide. It is the evolution of a chemistry to provide enhanced protection against Cercospora leaf spot. “What we’ve done is use our Allosperse technology to make the particles of active ingredient significantly smaller compared to the industry standard,” explained Baumann. “Also, the way the spray deposit dries on the leaves, specifically compared to Proline, is much better and gives us better bio-availability, faster activity and better recoverable sugar at the end.”

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. The Getting It Right in Canola Production Virtual Meeting will be held March 12. Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman says this is a chance for producers to catch up on best practices from NDSU specialists and learn about market trends.

Mosaic Adds Biologicals – The Mosaic Company has expanded its portfolio with two new biological products, Biopath and PowerCoat. “We’re all about creating that advanced crop nutrition,” said Sherry Koch, senior technical sales manager. “Now we can also add that second component of the biologicals side; we’re trying to keep the growers more sustainable and get the best bang for their buck.”

Determine When to Spray With Xarvio Field Manager – The modern farmer utilizes a variety of technologies and machines to maximize their output. With Xarvio Field Manager they can now perfect the timing and location of spraying and planting. By utilizing new risk models, Xarvio Field Manager can help producers determine the right time to spray their fields. According to BASF Director of Digital Farming for North America Justin Gayliard, this technology can help with a variety of analyses over a variety of factors. “We’re bringing unique agronomic models that are supporting decision-making in the fields into the season,” Gayliard said. “We’re giving advanced notice to the agronomist of when disease is likely to be in the field allowing them to determine where and when to spray.” The technology is designed to work with any variety of plant crops and can work in conjunction with any brand of product for a producer’s particular crop and field.

Farming in Stereovision – Autonomous vehicles aren’t just on our roads, now they’re in our fields working and managing farms for producers. With new lines of autonomous equipment being announced almost daily, that can mean less time behind the tractor wheel and more time focusing on other areas of need for the modern farmer. But it’s an older technology – stereovision – that NODAR cofounder Brad Rosen points to as the standard for autonomous technology in farming. “Stereovision is really good for farming,” Rosen said. “It’s vibration resilient, it operates quite well in the face of dust, and it’s very accurate.” Stereovision technologies also are generally significantly cheaper than LiDAR-based techs, often five to 10 times cheaper. “The problem with LiDAR is that it’s very expensive and it’s brittle. Mechanical LiDAR usually breaks after around 7,000 hours.”

Bayer Halts Break-Up Plans – Bayer is holding off on plans to break apart the group for up to three years so new CEO Bill Anderson can focus on debt litigation, according to Reuters. There’s doubt whether enough is being done to revive the company’s finances. Last year Anderson said he was examining options to separate, spin off, or sell businesses. The drug and farm supply company will seek to strengthen the pharmaceutical development pipeline, address litigation, reduce debt, and further pursue job cuts for now.

Midwest Dairy Names New CEO – The Midwest Dairy Association has named Corey Scott their new Chief Executive Officer. Scott will begin her duties March 13 and will be transitioning from retiring CEO Molly Pelzer. Scott previously served as vice president of sales and marketing for Athian and held several leadership positions over 15 years at Land-O-Lakes.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota CattleWomen’s President Rosemary Gustafson provides information on Calving Camp, an event for young people ages 14 to 19 that will teach them about calving. The event will take place at the Shiefelbien farm in Kimball, Minnesota. Hear the details in this week’s Minnesota Beef Update.

Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Applications Now Open – The Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership class has returned from a recent trip to Panama. MARL Executive Director Brad Schloesser says the class learned about agriculture in the country and got up close with the Panama Canal. “One of the takeaways was concern over the amount of water, specifically fresh water, that comes out of Lake Gatun and that’s what raises the ships to the appropriate level to get them across the country,” Schloesser said. MARL aims to equip participants with leadership skills and foster relationships in networking that will last a lifetime. Applications for the next class are open through March. Listen to the full recap of the group’s international trip and application details with Brad Schloesser here.

Farm Toy Show Coming to Grand Forks – Fewer farm toy shows have been on the schedule in North Dakota over the last several years. Due to an increased interest following the pandemic, Nate Schleif says it’s been fun to get a show going again in Grand Forks. “Years ago there were a number of toy shows,” Schleif said. “Over time some of the fellows that were involved in that either unfortunately passed away or no one was there to take over the show.” Schleif is a co-host of the event taking place March 15-16 at the Alerus Center and says the event is a chance for young people to use creativity to get involved in agriculture. Participants can also use their displays for 4-H or FFA projects. Find more information on the Grand Forks Farm Toy Show Facebook page. Hear the full interview with Nate Schlief here.