Thompson Unveils Farm Bill Language – House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has released his farm bill text. It includes many provisions farm groups wanted, including premium support to help farmers ‘buy up’ higher levels of crop insurance. It raises reference prices and doubles the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program funding. Thompson’s bill also addresses the problems associated with California’s Prop 12, making it illegal for a state to impose standards on livestock and dairy production outside of its borders. A detailed summary is available online. Thompson plans to mark up the farm bill in his committee on Thursday.

Johnson Takes Pride in Farm Bill Plan – Regarding the farm bill, South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson said farmers wanted crop insurance protected; reference prices increased; more emphasis on working lands conservation and more international market access. “We are getting all of that done.” The nutrition title remains a sticking point. “None of the changes in this farm bill are going to take food out of the mouths of hungry Americans,” emphasized Johnson. “We know that we have an obligation to do right by hungry families. I think folks like me, who are conservatives, want safety net programs that work and that encourage people to escape poverty rather than just reside in it.”

Farm Bill Text Delivers Momentum for the Process – The Russell Group President Randy Russell has been pouring through the lengthy farm bill text. “Chairman (Glenn ‘GT’) Thompson releasing this text a very positive move,” said Russell. “It builds some momentum in a farm bill process that has been long and prolonged. We can haggle about the details, but you’ve got to step in the batter’s box and start the game before you can score any runs so I think this is positive.” In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Russell offers more details on the language included in Chairman Thompson’s farm bill. That interview can be found on the Red River Farm Network website.

‘The Hardest One Ever’ – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow has been in Congress for 28 years. She has worked on six farm bills and has been the leader for three of them. “This is the hardest one ever,” said the Michigan lawmaker. “They’re always difficult, but at this stage, we’re usually beyond the politics of nutrition and food and we’re actually negotiating the farm bill. That hasn’t happened yet.” Stabenow sounded optimistic about passing the farm bill while addressing the Rural Communities in Action event at the White House.

Stabenow, Scott Release Farm Bill Statement – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott and House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries have met to discuss their farm bill strategy. Stabenow and Scott released a joint statement, saying a farm bill is needed that holds the historic coalition together that supports the nutrition program and the farm safety net. The two leading Democrats also criticized House Republicans for “undermining” that goal by splitting the coalition that has been the foundation of past farm bills.

Dems Highlight Farm Bill Opposition – Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee released a statement, highlighting numerous groups opposed to the farm bill text released by Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson. These groups include the Union for Concerned Scientists, the Environmental Working Group and the AFL-CIO.

RRVSGA Welcomes Farm Bill Activity – Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Harrison Weber likes what he sees in the farm bill text released on Friday. It includes updates for the sugar grower, including a loan rate increase. “Right now, we’re basically operating under 2008 numbers and so that was very much appreciated,” said Weber. “We also saw a modernization of sugar storage rates in the unlikely event that sugar is forfeited through the operation of the program. Just as a reminder, sugar’s only been forfeited one time in the last 21 years and that was when Mexico unfairly dumped subsidized sugar onto the market.” The opponents to the sugar program are expected to challenge these provisions. “We’ll be ready for those attacks.”

Prop 12 Needs a National Solution – The farm bill may see some action before the end of the month in the House Agriculture Committee. National Pork Producers Council Assistant Vice President of Domestic Policy Chase Adams says agriculture needs to get a farm bill done. “Not only for the animal health priorities that we’ve always worked on with our counterparts in the barnyard, but with the challenges of California’s Prop 12 the only place to fix that arbitrary sow housing standard is going to be through the farm bill process.” Adams said this issue is far bigger than the swine industry.

Activist Groups Step Up Federal Focus – A new coalition of 15 animal rights groups has been formed to make local, state and national policy changes. The Animal Policy Alliance’s mission is to end what it sees as animal cruelty in large-scale farms. This coalition says it has had success with various state initiatives and wants to increase animal welfare regulations at the federal level.

Vilsack Advocates for a Different Approach to Farm Policy – In a speech at a rural communities event at the White House, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack delivered a farm policy history lesson. The USDA leader said the United States moved away from supply management in the 1970s to a model that encouraged farmers to plant fencerow-to-fencerow. “Since 1981 when Bob Bergland of Minnesota was Secretary of Agriculture and raised concerns about this, we’ve lost 544,970 farms,” said Vilsack. “That’s every farm today in North Dakota and South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado and in Missouri and Oklahoma.” Since the early 1980s, 151 million acres of land that was in farming has been lost. Vilsack said the Biden Administration created an entrepreneurial opportunity for farmers. It includes two components designed to bring more income to the farmer; climate-smart agriculture and local and regional food systems.

Use Executive Power to Lower Food Prices – Democratic lawmakers, led by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, want to control food prices. This group wants President Joe Biden to take executive action to address consolidation in the food and agriculture sectors. The lawmakers want the Agriculture Department, Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission to increase regulations on food businesses.

Ag Profiles for Each Congressional District Updated – The National Agricultural Statistics Service has released new agricultural data for each congressional district. American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Roger Cryan values this information. “It’s always helpful to know who the farmers are and where they are,” said Cryan. “It helps us to demonstrate to Senators and members of Congress who they’re representing and give them some indication of the problems those folks are facing so that they can better understand ways they can help.” Congressional districts in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas are at the top of the rankings for total agricultural sales. Minnesota’s 7^th District, which is served by Representative Michelle Fischbach, is ranked fourth nationwide. South Dakota’s At-Large District is #5 on this list. South Dakota is represented by Congressman Dusty Johnson. The sixth-ranked congressional district is the entire state of North Dakota, which Congressman Kelly Armstrong serves. Minnesota’s 1^st District, which covers the extreme southern part of the state, is ranked ninth on the list for total ag sales. Congressman Brad Finstad represents Minnesota’s 1^st District.

Fielding Questions – Fielding Questions is a podcast produced in collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network. AgCountry Vice President of Insurance and Commodity Marketing Education Rob Fronning said the farm bill text released Friday is “farmer friendly.” Fronning also highlights planting progress and the latest market factors. Listen to the podcast.

A Chaotic Finish – The agriculture policy and supplemental budget bill passed in both the Minnesota House and Senate. With the midnight deadline approaching Sunday night, nine bills were combined into one in the House. Majority Leader Jamie Long said the minority has a right to be heard, but the majority has the right to govern and brought the massive bill to a vote. Chaos took over with Republicans upset with the DFL majority. Amid the commotion, the combined bill passed on a 70-50 margin in the House. After adjournment, Republicans filed an ethics complaint against House Speaker Melissa Hortman for pushing the large bill through at the last minute after shutting down the debate. On the Senate side, the ag bill passed with a 36-31 margin.

Compromise Found for Ag Bill – The final agriculture bill in the Minnesota Legislature extends the Agriculture Fertilizer Research and Education Council through 2030. The House bill would have allowed AFREC to expire in 2025 and divert the 40-cent per ton fee on fertilizer purchases for a new private well water assistance program for southeastern Minnesota. The Senate wanted to extend AFREC for another ten years. The compromise bill requires the council to develop best management practices for areas where water is vulnerable to nitrate losses. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam praised the negotiation process in the conference committee. “So often in politics, we think what makes things happen is passion, but, in truth, it’s patience,” said Putnam. “This is the result of patience, grace and thoughtfulness; I’m very proud of this bill.”

Emerging Issues Dominate Ag Committee’s Time – Minnesota House Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha Vang says a large focus of her committee this session was on emerging issues, such as groundwater protection and avian influenza. Groundwater issues in the Kast Region of southeastern Minnesota dominated the Ag Committee action. Vang told the Red River Farm Network it has been a very different session. “Last year was definitely one of the most gratifying and satisfying sessions since being elected because we got a lot of work done and we got historic funding in the agriculture bill so I guess it’s hard to compare to last year.”

Compromise Found with Environment Bill – The Environment and Natural Resources bill did not include provisions involving agriculture sought by House Environment Committee Chair Rick Hansen. That includes a definition for pesticide-treated seed and a requirement that large livestock operations get an environmental impact statement. Hansen’s counterpart, Senator Foung Hawj acknowledged that action. “At the end, you kept all the agriculture elements out of this bill and making sure that we agree on environment policy only for this policy bill,” Hawj told Hansen. “I really appreciate that.” Hansen emphasized compromises were made in the conference committee. “Not everybody’s gonna be happy but as Senator Hawj said, this has been a delicate balance to bring this here.”

Environment Bill Advances – In St. Paul, the environment conference committee wrapped up its work and sent its bill to the full House and Senate. Agriculture lobbyist Bruce Kleven says critical language impacting farmers was removed from the final bill. “There was a couple definitions of pesticides that were in the House environment bill they didn’t belong there, that’s in the ag jurisdiction,” said Kleven. “Those were taken out of that conference committee (report), mostly at the insistence of Senator (Aric) Putnam, the ag chair from St. Cloud. He was pretty adamant about telling the House members, if you want to do ag policy, you do it in my bill, not yours.” A House provision that would have required an environmental impact statement for any operation with 10,000 animal units or more was also eliminated. However, the environment bill significantly increases the penalty for violating the state buffer law. “Significantly is probably an understatement. Currently, the maximum penalty you can get is $500 for a violation of the buffer law. The new language that’s in the bill increases that to $10,000.” Over the objection of major farm groups, the Minnesota environment bill changes the definition of public waters, but it doesn’t take effect until 2027.

MMPA Pleased with Environment and Ag Bills – Reflecting on the Minnesota legislative session, Minnesota Milk Producers Association Executive Director Lucas Sjostrom is satisfied. “We’re quite pleased with the environment and agriculture bills. There weren’t very many changes that affected dairy, which is good.” Sjostrom says any changes impacting the dairy sector were negligible.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson described wheat and corn as ‘hot.’ “We’ve got a forecast calling for more rains and more delays for not just the Northern Plains, but also the Cornbelt.” Crude oil is on the other side of the ledger. “It’s back under $80 per barrel.”

Beneficial Moisture – Farmers have worked between rains to sneak in some planting. “Things are moving along pretty good,” said Dave Gehrtz, district sales manager, ProSeed. “They’re getting a good start on the corn and most of the small grains are wrapped up.” Gehrtz, who is based at New Rockford, North Dakota doesn’t believe the rains have impacted planting progress. “We’re not late and the moisture helps.”

Wheat Seeding Nearly Complete for MN Farmers – Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers Association Executive Director Brian Sorenson says the crop is being set up for a good season. “The rains that we got over the last several weeks have resulted in nice soil moisture and conditions for wheat crop going forward,” said Sorenson.” The wheat that’s come up is looking great and farmers are excited.”

NDSU Pest Update – North Dakota State University Extension Entomologist Janet Knodel says the wet soil conditions are favorable for wireworms and white grubs in the region. They can cause yield losses if ignored. Knodel says another pest to be on the lookout for is alfalfa weevils which are emerging from shelterbelts and wooded areas. Alfalfa weevils are most detrimental to first cutting alfalfa. “In general, we don’t recommend insecticides, we recommend that you do an early cutting if you’re within 14 days of harvesting that field anyway.” Canola Flea Beetles are also a concern as the weather warms up. Listen to the whole interview here.

Crop Watch: Corn, Sugarbeets Off to a Good Start – CW Valley Co-op Mike Bjertness is pleased with the corn stand in his Comstock/Wolverton, Minnesota area. “The corn is just starting to poke through, but the concerns we had with the cool, wet weather were immaterial; things are looking good.” Sugarbeets were planted early into good soil conditions followed by decent moisture. Weed control is no at the top of the chore list. “We’ve been surprised with the amount of weeds pushing through on no-till ground and also the sugarbeet ground.”

‘A Fun Time of the Year’ – The Red River Farm Network Crop Watch broadcast made a stop at the Jay Nord farm east of Wolverton, Minnesota on Tuesday. At that time, the corn was in and soybean planting was close to wrapping up. “The open winter really made the soil mellow,” said Nord. “Great planting conditions; the field we’re in was mudded in two years ago late; it’s fun to plant when it is this nice.” Nord said the spring wheat and sugarbeets are also doing well. “It’s a fun time of the year to see everything coming up so nice.”

The Spring Planting Rush – As the Red River Farm Network pulled into Fergus Falls Tuesday for Crop Watch, the dust was flying and planters were rolling. Rob Fronning, who is with AgCountry Farm Credit Services, said the early-planted wheat “is up and looking really good.” Corn planting is wrapping up and area farmers have moved onto soybeans.

Working on Grain Crop and a Calf Crop – Four Hill Farms is located straight east of Barnesville, Minnesota. When RRFN made a stop at the farm Tuesday, the corn, spring wheat and sugarbeet planting was done and the end was in sight for the soybeans. “I expected the corn would have popped up sooner than it is, but it is slowly coming,” said Thompson. “It’s been a long season already because we’ve been going at it for quite a while with the early spring or lack of winter. We got strip-tilling done early which we were able to plant into.” Thompson has also been busy checking pastures for his cattle herd. “The grass is coming; it is not as good as I’d like to see it quite yet.” However, warmer weather has helped the alfalfa take off.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – Most of the early-planted corn has emerged.  To reach the yield targets for this fall, farmers are being advised to evaluate their stand, especially for the corn that has been sitting in the ground for upwards of two weeks. In the latest Pioneer Agronomy Update, Pioneer Field Agronomist Eric Lagge said the three biggest factors affecting stand establishment are environment, genetics and seed quality. “There a few key things to focus on, cold injury; seedling injury and crusting,” said Lagge. “Make sure there are no signs of cold injury, such as imbibitional chilling. With imbibitional chilling, you’ll notice irregular growth where the plant will corkscrew on itself underground.” Find out more in this week’s update.

Replanting Necessary in Southern MN – Rain has been a battle for southern Minnesota farmers trying to get fields planted. Farm business analyst Kent Thiesse estimates 95 percent of the corn and 70-to-80 percent of the soybeans are planted. Thiesse says corn emergence is the biggest problem in the area right now. “Some of the corn that was planted back in April is really struggling to emerge because of the frequent rainfall and cooler temperatures. Some farmers are looking at some replant situations in those areas. It seems to be more significant in fields that were corn last year.”

Rains Continue to Interrupt Illinois Farmers – Kaden Sweeney, who farms at Charleston, Illinois, is having trouble finding a planting rhythm. “Once the guys get everything in, it’s going to look good,” said Sweeney. “It’s been slow and steady rains, but they’ve been happening pretty frequently.”

WQC Wheat Tour Recap – The Kansas wheat tour wrapped up with a production estimate of 290 million bushels on an average yield of about 46 bushels per acre. Wheat Quality Council Executive Vice President Dave Green says the wheat crop was better than expected. “That’s the #1 thing; we had heard from people that were out here and the crop is better than what was reported to us,” said Green. “I think we were led to believe this was better than last year, but a below-average crop and I don’t think that’s true.”

A Healthy Kansas WW Crop – At Hillsboro, Kansas, Paul Penner is pleased with his wheat crop. “The wheat plant health is pretty good. I would like to see at least one beneficial rainfall just to help finish the fill stage and not stress it too much.”

A Transition to La Nina – Weather models predict a drier, warmer summer. With broader weather patterns showing a transition into La Nina, the May showers could not have come at a better time. World Weather Incorporated Senior Ag Meteorologist Drew Lerner is now focused on the shift from El Nino to La Nina. “The faster we transition from El Nino to La Nina, the higher the stakes are,” said Lerner. “So far, this transition seems to be more gradual than what was predicted.” A slower transition could lead to more timely rains this summer. Lerner serves as RRFN’s meteorologist with two ag forecasts each day.

Sugarbeet Report – In this week’s Sugarbeet Report, RRFN visits with Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative Vice President of Agriculture Mike Metzger about this year’s crop and what’s to come. Listen to the report.

Appeals Court Rules on RFS – The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. has rejected an attempt by the oil industry to overturn the Renewable Fuel Standards for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said the decision is “a win for America’s renewable fuel producers, farmers and consumers.”

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, Bruce Newhouse of BTN Farms is our guest. Newhouse was the first farmer in West Polk County who was water quality certified.  Listen to the report. 

Sustainability Hero Bridges Gap Between Farmers and Policymakers – For Corn Refiners Association Director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs Jamaica Gayle, communication with policymakers is a must for farmers. “A big challenge that we’re facing right now is that story not being told.”  Gayle wants lawmakers to understand the struggles faced by farmers. “What works for one operation might not work for another.” Gayle is a Minnesota native and the 2024 American Business Awards Climate Hero of the Year.

ITC Avances Petition Over 2,4-D Imports – The International Trade Commission will move forward with a petition from Corteva to place anti-dumping and countervailing duties on 2,4-D imports from China and India. A coalition of national farm groups representing corn, soybean, wheat, barley, durum and sorghum urged the ITC to vote against advancing this petition. National Corn Growers Association President Harold Wolle, who farms in Minnesota, said these tariffs will hurt Rural America. “Corn prices are already low and input costs have been rising. This decision will only compound our problems.” The final stage in the ITC process will happen in early 2025.

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, Northarvest Bean Growers Association Executive Director Mitch Coulter discusses the farm bill process and what it means for the dry edible bean grower. Listen to the DBS report. 

Ag Credit Survey Cites Lower Farm Income – The Minneapolis Federal Reserve’s quarterly agricultural credit survey of over 60 ag lenders cited growing pessimism. Fed Regional Outreach Director Joe Mahon pointed to declining farm income as a key contributor to that sentiment. “Seventy percent of lenders across our region are reporting farm incomes are decreasing.” Demand has risen for farm loans. Average interest rates dropped slightly for most fixed and variable loan categories with th exception of variable machinery loans, which increased slightly.

Ducheneaux Visits Minnesota – Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux was in Minnesota on Monday morning. Ducheneaux traveled to farms and county FSA offices in Minnesota. Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen highlighted some of the things they focused on. Ducheneaux got to see some of the countryside and talk about the farm bill, county programs, and planting progress around Minnesota.

Worst Geomagnetic Storm Since 2003 – While many were enjoying the Northern Lights, the solar storms caused GPS problems for many farmers. True North Equipment Precision Technology Manager Chris Kuznia said this was the worst geomagnetic storm since 2003. “Some guys were affected for the whole day and some for part of the day. Some guys will have multiple tractors in a field, one behaving fine and the other completely erratic so it caused some pretty major disruptions.” Kuznia says we could continue to see issues as the growing season continues. “The problems that we are going to see going forward are twofold. It looks like the solar maximum that we are in is going to continue throughout the year. As far as subsequent passes in a field, we are going to see some issues throughout summer and fall harvest time.”

MN Corn Matters – Corn Matters is a presentation of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. Jim O’Connell represents MCGA on the US Grains Council and talks about the values of exports during World Trade Month. Listen to the report.

USTR Issues Report on Chinese Trade – The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office has released a review of the tariffs imposed on China during the Trump Administration. The report said these tariffs had a minimal impact on the U.S. economy, but it resulted in less trade with China. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai is calling for higher tariffs on Chinese products and greater enforcement of trade rules. Meanwhile, President Biden imposed new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries and more. The Chinese government promised to retaliate against American exports.

Chinese Ag Minister Faces Corruption Allegations – China’s agriculture minister has been removed from leadership and is being investigated for corruption. In a statement, Communist Party leadership said they have “a zero tolerance” for corruption.

No Quick Resolution Expected in Labor Dispute – With a potential rail strike on the horizon, the Canadian government has started researching the impact the work stoppage would have on its economy. “During that time, no strike or stoppage can occur until the result of that analysis is finalized and released,” said Mike Steenhoek, executive director Soy Transportation Coalition. “It essentially pushes back the date of any stoppage. The two sides are unfortunately quite far apart.”

Rail Dispute Being Reviewed by Industry Relations Board – Representatives of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway are saying a Canadian rail strike or lockout is not expected to happen until mid-July at the earliest. Union workers authorized a strike that could have started as soon as this Wednesday. The Canada Industrial Relations Board is reviewing the process, pushing back any potential strike or work stoppage for 60 days. The CPKC and Canadian National are both in contract talks with the labor unions.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, NCGA Communications Director Lindy Coutts joins us to discuss the new guidelines for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits and how they will affect canola. Listen to the report. 

New H5N1 Cases Confirmed – USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has reported three more cases of H5N1 in dairy herds. Two of these outbreaks are in Michigan and one is in Idaho. There are now 49 total cases in nine states.

Positive Momentum for Class III Milk – Rabobank Senior Dairy Analyst Lucas Fuess says the cheese market has been squeezed, supporting Class III milk prices. “What I think has happened lately is a combination of weaker cheddar production coupled with very firm cheese exports,” said Fuess. “February and March cheese exports were exceptionally strong and that absorbed a lot more product than we might have expected.”

US, Canada, Mexico Cattle Producers Work Together – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and its counterparts from Mexico and Canada have signed a joint statement urging their government to re-engage in opening markets and provide science-based oversight to beef imports. Brazilian beef trade was singled out. “We have significant concerns that Brazil continues to have access to the U.S. market even though they have a repeated history of failing to disclose animal health concerns, including atypical BSE,” said Mark Eisele, president, NCBA.

CFTC Sues Agridime for Ponzi Scheme – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has filed a civil enforcement action against Agridime. The Texas-based company allegedly operated a Ponzi scheme that cheated thousands of people in at least 14 states. From 2021-to-2023, Agridime operated an online platform to buy and sell cattle that offered a guaranteed annual rate of return of 15-to-20 percent. The complaint says Agridime did not buy the number of cattle to fulfill its contracts, but used the client’s money to pay profits to other customers. Earlier this year, it was reported Agridime owed customers over $190 million, including $40 million to North Dakota investors. The CFTC is seeking restitution, civil penalties and a permanent injunction against Agridime officials.

Early Registration Deadline Approaches for MSCA Summer Tour – The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association hosts its summer tour in Thief River Falls on June 25. MSCA President Jake Thompson said there is something for everyone on the tour. “We will be looking at quite a few different stops between Didrikson Farms, DigiKey, Waage Farms, Hanson’s Dairy, Northland Community and Technical College, Greenbush Vet Clinic, and Duck’s Unlimited/Pheasants Forever.” Early registration deadline is June 1 and can be found at www.mnsca.org.

North Dakota Beef Commission May Beef Month ‘Bull-etin’ – The North Dakota Beef Commission is celebrating May Beef Month. In this update, NDBC Chair Fred Helbling of Mandan says this is the unofficial kickoff to the grilling season. Summer months are a peak time for beef demand. In North Dakota, marketing campaigns have also gone to the ballpark. “Reaching consumers where consumers gather is important,” said Helbling. “That’s why we’ve partnered with the local Northwoods League team to promote beef. This allows us to share sports nutrition information with athletes and it also allows us to attract the consumers in the bleachers.” The North Dakota Beef Checkoff has partnered with the Bismarck Larks for four years and has just started a partnership with the Minot Honeybees which is a first-ever collegiate summer league.” Listen to this May Beef Month update.

Bayer Ag Division Outperforms – Bayer outperformed its peers in a tough market in the ag business division. Overall financials are lower than last year but higher than expected. Overall sales in the ag division declined by three percent to just over $8.5 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization declined 14.2 percent mostly due to the price decline of glyphosate-based products.

JBS Beats Analyst Expectations – The world’s largest meatpacker reported first quarter net income of nearly $320 million. A year ago, JBS suffered a $290 million loss in the same quarter. The Brazilian-based company said there has been a shift in consumption from beef to pork. Domestic and international demand for pork increased. Margins in the beef division are being influenced by the current cattle cycle.

2Q Financials Released by Deere – Deere and Company reported net income of $2.3 billion for the second quarter. That’s down from $2.8 billion in the same period last year. Global sales were down 12 percent in the quarter. Demand was down in the agriculture and turf divisions, but stable for the construction market.

A New Combine Series Introduced by Case IH – Case IH has unveiled its new Axial-Flow 260 series combine. It includes subscription-free precision technology that will allow farmers to remotely view machine and agronomic data through the new Case IH FieldOps platform. The combine will be available for orders in June.

A Deal Under Consideration for CHS and West Central Ag Services – CHS and West Central Ag Services have signed a nonbinding letter of intent. If realized, West Central Ag Services, based in Ulen, Minnesota, will become part of CHS. CHS Executive Vice President of Ag Retail, Distribution and Transportation Rick Dusek says this will be a good fit.  “We are great partners with West Central Ag Services and have been for many years; a great example is a 50/50 joint venture with them on Central Plains Ag Services, headquartered out of Hannaford North Dakota.” Dusek said this system that connects farmers to the global marketplace and offers a stronger supply chain will benefit its member/owners. CHS and West Central Ag Services will take the proper steps to review all aspects of this deal before moving forward. “We’re not committing to a timeline just because we want to make sure we do the proper diligence and get into the right place so we’re not going to put a timeline out there at this point.” Earlier this year, CHS and Illinois-based GROWMARK considered collaboration, but after two-and-a-half months decided not to move forward with a merger or joint venture.

Bennett to Lead AMVAC’s U.S., Canada Business – AMVAC has appointed Mason Bennett as the vice president of its North American crop division. For the past eight years, Bennett has been AMVAC’s regional business manager in the Southeast. Bennett succeeds Scott Hendrix.

SD Corn Comments – May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week’s edition of the South Dakota Corn Comments serves as a reminder about mental wellness and available resources. Listen to the update. 

Trade Office Recognizes Goehring – The North Dakota Trade Office has presented Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring its Global Ambassador Award. This award recognizes an individual or organization that promotes North Dakota products worldwide and strengthens the relationship with global partners.

Christopherson Retiring – South Dakota Wheat Commission Executive Director Reid Christopherson officially retires next month. “It’s been ten years and that’ll come to a close on June 7,” Christopherson told RRFN. “The last ten years have just been phenomenal, probably the best work experience of my life and some great memories.” SDSU Extension Agronomist Jon Kleinjan will succeed Christopherson.

From Texas A&M to NDSU’s NCREC – Lacey Quail is the new livestock management specialist at North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center in Minot. Before joining NDSU, Quail was a research assistant in reproductive management and beef production at Texas A&M University.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council Director of Industry Relations Jon Dilworth is featured in the latest Minnesota Beef Update to talk about the beef checkoff’s involvement in FFA and urban agriculture. Listen to the update. 

SDSU Competing in Global Competition – South Dakota State University will be represented in the global Hult Prize competition in Nairobi, Kenya. The team developed a business plan to manufacture single-use biodegradable plastic bags out of soybean hulls. This competition is considered the Nobel Prize for college students with a prize of $1 million. The Nairobi event will be June 7-9.

FFA Teacher Ambassadors Selected – The National FFA Organization has named its National Teacher Ambassadors for the upcoming school year. These 64 individuals will be a resource for other ag teachers in their states. There are four teachers selected in the tri-state area. They are Bailey Hawbaker of the Stanley, North Dakota FFA, Callahan Lemar of the Grafton-Minto, North Dakota FFA, AnnaMarie Sachs of the Langford, South Dakota FFA and Sarah McClure of the Gettysburg, South Dakota FFA. “We are the advocates for the National FFA Organization,” Hawbaker told RRFN. Hawbaker is in her second year as an FFA Teacher Ambassador.

New 4-H STEM Specialist Named – Margo Bowerman has joined NDSU’s Center for 4-H Youth Development as the STEM specialist. Bowerman will lead efforts to help youth gain competence in science and engineering. She will also oversee the Next Chapter program, designed to inspire youth to continue their education after high school. Previously, Bowerman was a Regional Extension Educator for the University of Minnesota Extension and co-chaired the Minnesota 4-H STEM team.

Patrick Gottsch Passes – The man behind the RFD-TV and satellite radio’s Rural Radio 147 has died. Patrick Gottsch started his move into the broadcast business in 1991 with Superior Livestock, introducing satellite video marketing to the livestock industry. His full-time agriculture television channel, RFD-TV, was launched in 2000. In 2017, Gottsch created The Cowboy Channel, which was dedicated to western sports and the western rural lifestyle. Gottsch was 70 years old.