Negotiations Continue Over Debt Limit – President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are scheduled to meet today for negotiations on the debt ceiling. McCarthy spoke with Biden Sunday while the President was flying home from the G-7 Summit in Japan. McCarthy offered few details, but said the conversation was “productive.”

Farmers in Good Cash Position – Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Regional Outreach Director Joe Mahon says the agriculture sector is doing well. “Farmers continue to be in solid condition with strong commodity prices, strong income, and a flat rate of capitol purchases.” Farmers were in a good cash position last quarter, but the outlook isn’t so certain. “Looking forward, there’s more uncertainty and income may take a negative turn with commodity prices expected to decline.”

Pioneer Agronomy Update – During the Pioneer Agronomy Update, The Red River Farm Network caught up with Pioneer Field Agronomist Kristie Sundeen at a plot near Brocket, North Dakota. Sundeen started planting in the second week of May and some emergence has started to occur. “Our ground temperatures have really warmed up in the last five to six days which has helped.” Sundeen says the Minnesota side of her territory has better field conditions. “There were some people planting corn around the eighth and tenth of May, so there’s actually corn coming up in some fields.” You can watch the entire Pioneer Agronomy Update with Kristie Sundeen on the Red River Farm Network’s YouTube Channel. 

Ahead of Last Year’s Pace – Planting was delayed this spring, but Rothsay, Minnesota farmer Charlie Westfall says field activity is still ahead of last year. “It was getting toward the end of May when we finally got going last year and I think we got done June 3.” The early-seeded crops are doing well. “Wheat is coming up, beets are coming up and corn is close to poking through.”

Working Around Wet Areas – Frederick, South Dakota farmer Taylor Sumption says soils are still drying out in his area. After a late start, small grains are being seeded. “We’re going around wet spots in fields, but after 20 years, we’re kind of used to it. We’re primarily heavy clay soils where drainage is an issue.”

Patience Needed – University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist Jeff Coulter says early tillage in wet fields could cause corn emergence issues. “If we get out in the fields too early, it can create clogs, compaction, and cause emergence problems.”

Conditions Vary Across the Region – Dekalb Asgrow Technical Agronomist Grant Mehring is seeing vast differences in field conditions across the Northern Plains. “On the whole, we’re pretty happy to be making progress and we’re always reminding ourselves we’re way ahead of last year.” The wide-ranging field conditions may result in uneven emergence. “There are some fields that have worked up a little tough and we see some differences in planting depth.”

Crop Watch Follows U.S. Highway 281 – On Tuesday’s Crop Watch broadcast, the RRFN microphone traveled on the north-south corridor of Highway 281 in North Dakota. At Edgeley, Mike Brandenberg said his fields were wet after a recent inch-and-a-half of rain. “You’ve got to pick your fields, so it’s pretty slow.” Windsor, Terry Wanzek is trying to be patient. “We’re out cultivating, trying to dry the ground out after getting about six inches of rain in a week’s time.” Bayer Customer Business Advisor Justin Cook says the story is similar near Carrington with wet fields. You can listen to the full Crop Watch here.

Busting Weed Control Myths – There are common misconceptions about weed control. One myth links chemical usage with the creation of so-called ‘super weeds.’ Enlist Field Specialist Steve Snyder says mixing modes of action will manage herbicide resistance. “We want to use pre-emergence herbicide and tank mix partners with Enlist. Most of the time, you’ll get four-to-five modes of action to manage that weed.” Another misconception is weed control is only about killing weeds. While the goal is to kill weeds, Snyder says the reason to control weeds it to increase yields. Listen to the full interview. .

Pest Alert – Preparation for a possible increase in the insect population is underway. University of Minnesota Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist Bruce Potter says they’re expanding the network of insect trapping for black cutworms, army worms and more. “We use these to detect when moths start coming in to warn farmers. Last week, we started to pick up a lot of black cutworms, but what’s more concerning is the amount of army worms we’re finding. I’ve been looking at light traps since the 1970’s and I set a personal record of 193 in one night.”

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman reminds growers to keep an eye out for flea beetles.

Leafhoppers Impact Multiple Crops – Northwest Research and Outreach Center Entomologist Ian MacRae says the leafhoppers are common this time of the year. “It’s not unusual to see our populations move from here up into Canada.” Aster leafhoppers are not usually a problem in wheat, but they can be a vector for Aster Yellows which can be devastating for canola. It can also cause purple top in potatoes.

MN Wheat Minute – Tune in to Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers On-Farm Research Coordinator Missy Carlson in the latest MN Wheat Minute to hear about plot seeding progress.

A Disappointing Kansas Wheat Crop – Kansas Wheat Vice President of Research Aaron Harries observed a lot of wheat abandonment on the Wheat Quality Council tour. “We saw a rare pocket of decent wheat, but we’ve had a hard time finding fields we can count.”

Kansas Wheat Crop is ‘Just Bad’ – The average yield for Wheat Quality Council’s winter wheat tour was 39.7 bushels per acre. Kansas wheat production is estimated at  261 million bushels. WQC Executive Vice President Dave Green said the crop is just bad. Abandonment will remain the biggest factor. “I can’t tell if it’s 18 or 20 percent by just driving through, but there is a lot of abandonment.”

Sugarbeet Report – American Crystal Sugar Company General Agronomist Joe Hastings is offering recommendations about weed control for the 2023 growing season. Hear more in the Sugarbeet Report, presented by Amity Technology, Syngenta, H&S Manufacturing, SES VanderHave and Bayer CropScience.

Black Sea Grain Deal Extended – The Black Sea Grain Initiative has been extended for another 60 days. To gain leverage for its list of demands, Russia initially said it would not continue with the grain deal. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said outstanding issues remain, but grain and fertilizer shipments are continuing.

Russia Adopts Strategic Decision – John Stewart and Associates Principal Kevin Clausen said Russia’s short extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is a strategic decision to strain efficiency and productivity for participants in that supply chain. “It appears they’re trying to cause choke points from the length of the extension down to their inspection process.” While sanctions may pressure Russia, Clausen said it may not be very affective. “I think there’s enough relationship with China and others that are dependent on their supply to provide the support they need.” Clausen was part of a Northern Crops Institute webinar.

Ukraine Ends Export Restrictions – The Ukrainian government is removing export restrictions on a variety of ag commodities. The restrictions were imposed last year to prevent domestic food shortages during the ongoing war. The policy change is designed to bring more foreign dollars into Ukraine.

A $1 Trillion Farm Bill – The updated Congressional Budget Office baseline is confirmation the new farm bill could be the first one to top $1 trillion in spending. Total outlays for the food programs are projected at $1.22 trillion. The cost for major commodity programs are also expected to be higher due to higher support levels for the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs.

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Executive Director DaNita Murray talks about the farm bill process.

USDA Announces Disaster Aid Implementation – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has rolled out $3.7 billion in disaster assistance. The Emergency Relief Program and Emergency Livestock Relief Program is for crop and livestock producers who sustained loss from a natural disaster in 2022. Vilsack cited recent disasters, including a mega-drought, Hurricane Ian, flooding and wildfires.

MFBF Minute – Four Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation policy development meetings are scheduled across Minnesota. MFBF President Dan Glessing discusses upcoming policy meetings in this week’s MFBF Minute.

Bill Designed to Protect U.S. Ag Exports – A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced a bill to protect American food products from unfair trade practices by foreign countries. The European Union has used common food names, such as parmesan and gouda, to block U.S. products from being sold globally. South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson, Minnesota Representative Michelle Fischbach, South Dakota Senator John Thune and Minnesota Senator Tina Smith are part of the group leading this effort.

Ag Energy Coalition Opposes Budget Cuts – The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture has proposed budget cuts for clean energy programs, including the Rural Energy for America Program and the new Empowering Rural America and Powering Affordable Clean Energy programs. “This puts a lot of really critical energy development opportunities for Rural America at risk,” explained Erik Hatlestad, director, Clean Up the River Environment Energy Democracy Program. Hatlestad said the U.S. has underinvested in rural electrification for decades.

Cramer Highlights Role of Community Banks – North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer addressed the Independent Community Bankers of America Capital Summit. Regarding recent bank failures, Cramer said it is important for regulators to recognize the differences between large financial organizations and community banks. Regarding the farm bill, Cramer also spoke in favor of a robust crop insurance program.

Responding to the Threat of Foreign Animal Disease – National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Todd Wilkinson testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry. The DeSmet, South Dakota cattle producer concentrated on managing animal health risks. “The U.S. must be prepared to deal with disasters like a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. The economic consequences would be in the tens of billions of dollars.” National Turkey Federation Vice President John Zimmerman, who is a second-generation turkey grower from Northfield, Minnesota, also emphasized the need to expand Asian Influenza indemnity programs in the farm bill.

Rare BSE Case Identified in U.S. – An atypical case of BSE has been found in a five-year or older beef cow at a South Carolina slaughter plant. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said this cow is associated with a cattle herd in Tennessee. Atypical BSE is rare. It usually is found in older cattle and it happens spontaneously. USDA emphasizes the animal never entered the food chain and there is no risk to human health.

Drought, Corn Price Contribute to Cattle Market Strength – Cattle markets are seeing strength after backing off from recent record highs. Perham Stockyards owner Mitch Barthel expects this upswing to continue for a while. “This calf market should stay very strong outside of some sort of black swan event at least for two years.” The weather and corn markets are impacting the rebuilding of cattle herds. “When you get a higher corn market, you get less pounds on your fed cattle and less cows around because there’s less grass and feed.”

MN Beef Update – In the latest Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council Director of Industry Relations Jon Dilworth talks about May Beef Month promotions.

New High-Tech Feedlot Coming to North Dakota – North Dakota Livestock Alliance Executive Director Amber Wood says it’s the first of its kind feeding operation for the state. The 15,000 head beef feeding operation will be under one roof. “The manure will be pushed by automated scrapers before going into a state-of-the-art manure processing system.” The feeding system will be able to produce domestic fertilizer that will be marketed locally and shipped out of state.

Using the Power of the Sun – University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center Operations Director Michael Reese is evaluating the use of solar panels on livestock farms. “We’re placing solar panels in pastures, so not only are we producing electricity, but we’re shading cows that are grazing.” The solar panels are seen as a potential alternative source of income. “Farmers are very entrepreneurial and its really important if they provide leadership for some of these opportunities.”

A Small Increase in April Milk Production – During April, milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled 18.4 billion pounds. That’s up 0.5 percent from one year ago. In Minnesota, milk production rose 1.5 percent with 1,000 cows added to the dairy herd in the past year. Milk output in South Dakota was up 7.7 percent with the addition of 13,000 cows added to production since April 2022. California is the largest dairy production state in the country; it’s milk production declined nearly two percent over the past year.

Hay Crop Off to a Good Start – After last year’s drought, South Dakota State University Extension Forage Field Specialist Sara Bauder believes the alfalfa is looking better than expected. “Hopefully, this year we can make up for some of last year’s losses and get on a typical cutting schedule.”

Minneapolis Hosting USMEF Conference – The U.S. Meat Export Federation Spring Conference begins Thursday in Minneapolis. Everything from export priorities to the farm bill will be discussed. “The availability of beef and how that impacts the availability of exports, the West Coast port situation and Proposition 12 will be on a lot of people’s minds,” said John Herath, communications director. RRFN will report from the USMEF conference.

Corn Matters – Meat exports have an impact on corn value. Hear more from U.S. Meat Export Federation President Dan Halstrom in the latest Corn Matters. Corn Matters is a presentation of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

HPAI Confirmed in Brazil – Brazil is reporting its first cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The virus was found in wild birds and does not impact exports. When the HPAI outbreak happened, Brazil’s poultry exports grew 27 percent last year.

Walz Signs Omnibus Agriculture Bill – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the agriculture and broadband bill into law during a ceremony on a Finlayson farm. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen says the bill contains over $48 million of funding covering soil health, biofuels, livestock processing and grain indemnity accounts. One important part of the agriculture bill that Petersen noted is the grain indemnity fund. “It will help with times when we have elevator failures where farmers would get ten cents on the dollar.”

A Mixed Review for Environment Bill – The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation has mixed feelings about the final version of the environment, natural resources, climate, and energy bill. “We are happy about the $21 million over the biennium for soil health practices and that the open season wolf ban was taken out,” said Kaytlin Bemis, public policy specialist. “We are a little disappointed about the treated seed provision that will allow the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Agriculture to make rules on usage and disposal of pesticide treated seed.”

Gas Tax Increase Included in Transportation Bill – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is indicating he will sign the transportation bill passed by both chambers of the Legislature this weekend. The bill passed with a 69-61 margin in the Senate and a 34-32 margin in the House. The bill includes a gas tax increase, which is indexed to the rate of inflation. The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to adjourn today.

MFU to Provide Legislative Feedback – After the Minnesota legislative session ends, the Minnesota Farmers Union will consult with its membership. “The Legislature passes the approved funding and instructions for agencies, but then those agencies have to create programs around it,” said government relations director Stu Lourey.  “We’ll bring that feedback to programs heads to make sure those programs serve farmers well.”

MFU Minute – In this week’s Minnesota Farmers Union Minute, Minnesota Farmers Union Director of Government Relations Stu Lourey highlights the end of the Minnesota legislative session.

Corn Market Hurt by Big Supplies – USDA is forecasting a record 15.3 billion bushel corn crop. USDA Outlook Board Chairman Mark Jekanowski says the crop could be at 15.3 billion bushels. “The stocks-to-use ratio is forecast at 10.3 percent,” said Mark Jekanowski, chairman, USDA Ag Outlook Board. “By next year, we expect that to reach 15.3 percent.” Jekanowski is projecting next year’s corn price to be 27 percent below this year’s average.

Grain Stocks Drive Prices Lower – Projections are showing higher supply of corn and soybean for the next marketing year and driving corn and soybean prices lower. MinnStar Bank Senior Vice President Kent Thiesse says demand may not keep up. Spring planting progress throughout the corn belt does not seem to be helping prices. “Much of the corn belt has been ahead of normal. Even the northern corn belt of northwest Minnesota and North Dakota are catching up.” Outside of a major weather event, Thiesse says we may not see the normal price rally we usually do in the late spring or early summer. “Of course the big wild card is if drought were to start to develop.”

What’s Hot What’s Not in Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson said the cattle market is starting the week with strength. “We had a Cattle-on-Feed Report Friday that showed us we don’t have a lot of cattle in our feedlots as expected,” said Martinson. “We’re seeing a good push as far as the feeder cattle market is concerned.” Corn and soybeans have dropped below key support levels.

Explore Grain Facilities: Join NCI’s Two-Day Minneapolis Export Tour – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a two-day export tour in Minneapolis, Minnesota July 12-13. The tour provides an opportunity for those involved in agriculture to visit the grain export facilities in Minneapolis. The tour includes a tour of the BNSF Hump Yard and meetings with international trading companies. Grain elevator staff, farmers and industry professionals will learn more about exported goods handled through ports. Go online to register and get more information about the tour.

The Push and Pulls of the Soybean Market – Paradigm Futures market analyst Kent Beadle thinks the supply side of the vegetable oil market is pulling the soybeans lower. “We just haven’t been seeing the expansion that everyone thought with the refining of soy oil into renewable diesel.” The National Oilseed Processors Association crush set a record for April, even though it came in about one million bushels under expectations.

Sooner or Later– A Weather Market – Van Ahn and Company market analyst Kristi Van Ahn-Kjeseth thinks the dryness in parts of the Midwest will eventually get the attention of the trade, “Sooner rather than later, people will talk about how dry it is in key areas.” The large stockpiles of corn and soybeans are also a factor. “We’re going to battle that two-billion-bushel carryout prediction in corn for a long time.”

Dry Bean Scene – North Dakota Trade Office Deputy Director Lindsey Warner joins us to talk about the upcoming 2022 Global Business Awards Luncheon. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

New Right-to-Repair MOUs Signed – Farm Bureau has signed right-to-repair agreements with AGCO and Kubota. Similar agreements were signed by John Deere and CNH Industrial earlier this year. In total, the MOUs with these four brands represent 70 percent of the agricultural equipment sold in the United States.

Paving the Way for Corn Ethanol – New legislation was introduced that would recognize the progress corn ethanol has made. New legislation would require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency use more a modern and accurate model to assess the carbon reductions from biofuels under the Renewable Fuels Standard. National Corn Growers Director of Public Policy Kathy Bergren says removing this provision would allow corn ethanol as being categorized as an advanced biofuel. “It would remove an outdated provision in the RFS and would recognize the carbon intensity of corn ethanol has come down.” Bergren says that corn ethanol has taken to improve its carbon footprint by leaps and bounds since the RFS was enacted.

Fielding Questions – In the Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Senior Vice President of Succession and Retirement Planning Russ Tweiten discusses the need to update succession plans. High land prices have influenced potential buy-sell agreements. “What happens if there is a death today, is that buyout affordable,” said Tweiten. “If it isn’t, it is time to sit down and talk about changes.”  Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network.

Optimism Voiced in West Coast Port Labor Dispute – A tentative agreement between union workers and the West Coast ports may be at hand. The head of the Port of Los Angeles said both sides have spent a lot of time at the negotiating table and he is optimistic about a deal. The most recent contract expired in July of last year.

A Modernization Project on the Mississippi River – Stakeholders joined the Army Corps of Engineers for the groundbreaking of a new lock chamber for Lock and Dam #25 on the Mississippi River in Winfield, Missouri. This project will enable a typical 15-barge tow transporting 800,000 bushels of soybeans to move through the lock in a single pass. This 30-to-45 second process compares to the two passes seen now, taking over two hours. The project is expected to be completed in 2034.

Bunge, Nutrien to Help With Transition to Low-Carbon Farming – Bunge and Nutrien Ag Solutions have formed an alliance to help farmers adopt sustainable farm practices. Nutrien will provide crop consulting services, custom fertilizer application data collection. Bunge will contract with these farmers and manage the harvest and post-harvest commercialization. The program will begin with soybeans grown near Bunge crush plants in Iowa and Illinois. That will eventually expand to other crops and other parts of the country.

Triticale Collaboration – WinField United and Northern Star Integrated Services are expanding their collaboration to bring triticale seed genetics to the CROPLAN and Armor seed brands. The two companies have an existing relationship for forage and cover crop seed development.

PFS Invests in Farm Safety Education – Peterson Farms Seed is sponsoring its customers’ children at a series of NDSU Farm Safety Camps. Peterson Farms Seed Vice President Julie Peterson says it is important to nurture a culture of safety on the farm. “How wonderful that our customers have the foresight to make sure their kids are safe as they enter the workforce on their farm so we have offered to pay the registration fee for any of our customers.” NDSU Extension Farm and Ranch Safety Coordinator Angie Johnson is organizing the farm safety camps in Fargo, Williston and Bismarck. Peterson believes in this mission. “I don’t know what the plans are for next year, but I think it would be wonderful to expand these camps.”

Pulse Grower’s Spotlight – In this week’s Pulse Growers Spotlight, we meet with North Dakota State University pulse crop breeder Nanoy Bandillo to discuss new pulse crop technology.

Picture Perfect – A blooming sunflower field is a natural photo opportunity. That was celebrated during the North Dakota Travel Industry Conference. The National Sunflower Association received the Amplifier Award for Marketing Excellence. This award recognizes the North Dakota Sunflower Map which provided the exact coordinates of sunflower fields and updates on their bloom stages. This campaign received significant attention in traditional media and social media.

Carter to Lead Potatoes USA – Potatoes USA has a new board chairman, Mike Carter of Wisconsin. Leah Halverson of Grand Forks, North Dakota will co-chair the domestic marketing committee.

HasheiderTakes Over New Role at NCGA – Nicole Hasheider is the new vice president of marketing and communications for the National Corn Growers Association. Previously, Hasheider was NCGA’s director of crop inputs and investor relations.

WDE Hires Sponsorship Manager – Jennifer Dobbs is the new sponsorship manager for World Dairy Expo. For the past 12 years, Dobbs was the director of festivals and events for the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Stenholm Passes – Former Texas Congressman Charlie Stenholm, 84, has died. Stenholm was the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee from 1997-to-2005. Stenholm also chaired of the Blue Dog Coalition. Once his time in office ended, Stenholm was a lobbyist on agricultural interests and taught farm policy at Tarleton State University.