Memorial Day 2025 – This Memorial Day, the Red River Farm Network team takes a moment to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. No doubt, it’s a day of reflection. In Rural America, that sense of service runs deep. Many farm families have ties to the military, serving our nation while also putting food on our table. On this Memorial Day, the Red River Farm Network remembers their sacrifice and are thankful for the freedoms we enjoy every day. We are truly blessed.

“One Big Beautiful Bill” Clears House by One-Vote Margin – House Republicans passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” early Thursday by a narrow 215-214 vote, moving forward a broad legislative package tied to President Trump’s policy agenda. The bill includes tax cut extensions, increased border and defense spending, stricter Medicaid work rules, and a rollback of green energy incentives. It also raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson backed the measure, highlighting its focus on rural investment and fiscal reform. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Enhancements Made to the Farm Safety Net – The House reconciliation package makes adjustments in the farm safety net. Reference prices would increase for all covered commodities starting with the 2025 crop year. The ARC-CO and ARC-IC guarantee increases from 86 percent to 90 percent of the benchmark level and increases the maximum payment rate from ten percent to 12.5 percent. It provides an opportunity to establish additional base acres and increases the individual payment limits from $125,000 to $155,000. The loan rate for sugarbeets is raised beginning with the 2025 crop year. This bill updates Dairy Margin Coverage and extends DMC through 2031. Access to crop insurance through enhanced premium support is part of the package. Beginning Farmer and Rancher benefits are adjusted from five years to ten years. The bill, which still needs approval in the Senate, doubles the funding for market development programs and bumps up the funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initative from $80 million to $175 million.

Lies: Bill Offers Positive Changes for Ag – The budget reconciliation bill extends Trump-era tax cuts and rolls back green energy tax credits. North Dakota Farm Bureau President Daryl Lies called the legislation a win for farmers. “As far as the tax policies, the extension and increase in the death tax level are going to be pretty positive.” Lies said these provisions will provide much-needed relief and stability for the ag sector. The bill boosts commodity reference prices, Lies said that will ease some pressure on the farm bill process.

Deep Divide Over Farm and Food Programs – The House Rules Committee kicked off its hearing on the budget reconciliation bill at one o’clock in the morning and met for more than 20 hours debating its merits. Once passed at that level, the bill went to the floor and was approved early Thursday morning. Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson testified early Wednesday morning and defended the support for agriculture. “If farmers fail, we have food insecurity, which, quite frankly, is national insecurity.” Rather than dealing with portions of the farm bill in the reconciliation process, Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig said the farm bill should be passed in regular order. “I know, my chairman sitting next to me does not want to cut SNAP by $300 billion and many of the colleagues on our committee did not want to do it because they didn’t show up for debate, they didn’t want to be on the record talking about this because they know it’s incredibly unpopular for the American people,” said Craig. “We have traditionally been able to get a bipartisan farm bill from the nutrition coalition and the farm coalition, but we’re destroying that here today, folks, and it has long-term consequences for us.”

‘Catastrophic’ Impact Seen with SNAP Cuts – The budget reconciliation bill passed by the House includes nearly $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Dan Narr is the executive director of the ICA Food Shelf in the Twin Cities and describes these cuts as “catastrophic.” A record number of families depend on food shelves. “We’ve already heard from some of the food banks that they’re not going to be able to give us the supplies we need this year, we’re going to have to go out and buy more from retailers and wholesalers,” said Narr. “My costs are rising so this is a pretty significant impact.” The House bill also shifts the burden to the states, which Narr says is not sustainable. A coalition that includes agriculture and all aspects of the nutrition community will now focus on the Senate. “We have some work to do; we need to continue meeting, talking and creating a coalition together that can address this issue.”

Finstad: Budget Bill Boosts Farm Policy – Minnesota Representative Brad Finstad says the House passage of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” includes key wins for agriculture. Finstad highlighted provisions that strengthen crop insurance, extend discounted coverage for young farmers, and update reference prices for ARC and PLC programs. “Now that we’ve got a big part of the challenge with the farm bill, the nutrition title, out of the way, that’s going to allow us to hopefully get the adults in the room on a bipartisan basis and say, this is what’s left, let’s get it done.”

Support for Farm Bill 2.0 – The budget reconciliation bill includes provisions for agriculture, including a ten-to-20 percent increase in reference prices. It does not include many policy issues, including a legislative fix to California’s Prop 12. House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson says he has bipartisan support to pass a so-called ‘skinny bill’ later this year. Thompson told Politico that he believes he can rally support from Democrats for Farm Bill 2.0.

Grassley: Reference Price Change a Start – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the proposed reference price changes in the House budget reconciliation bill are a step forward, but may fall short in addressing the inflation experienced since the passage of the 2018 farm bill. While calling the updates “a pretty good start,” Grassley said he wants to speak with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman before deciding if the increases go far enough. Grassley remains critical of the bill’s payment limit structure, arguing it does not refine the “actively engaged” definition and continues to allow loopholes that benefit larger operations.

‘We Love Our Farmers’ – During the ceremony commemorating Make America Healthy Again, President Donald Trump paid tribute to agriculture. “I have to say we have the greatest farmers in the world, and we love our farmers, and we want to pay respect to our farmers and we always will,” said Trump. “We won the farmers by a lot in the election in all three elections and we won by a lot; I will never forget that.”However, traditional agriculture groups were quick to pan the MAHA report. Farm Bureau released a statement saying it is troubling that the White House endorsed a report that undermines confidence in the food system and farming practices. Farmers Union said the report disregarded the expertise of respected regulatory bodies and left farmers out of the conversation. Commodity groups, including corn, wheat, and cotton growers, also raised concerns about the MAHA report.

‘Common Sense’ – In a White House event, the Trump Administration highlighted its new Make America Healthy Again report. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. described the report as common sense. “It’s common sense that we can celebrate the innovations of modern life while also demanding fearless inquiry into ameliorating the negative effects of medication, agriculture, and environmental practices. It’s common sense that research funded by corporations deserves more scrutiny than independent studies.” The 68-page MAHA report addresses everything from childhood obesity to the use of pesticides. A follow-up report will be issued in August.

Pesticides Under Scrutiny in MAHA Report – President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again Commission released its long-awaited report Thursday, pointing to poor diets, chemical exposure, and overmedication as key drivers of chronic illness in children.  It highlights concerns about environmental toxins, calling for further research into substances like PFAS, microplastics, fluoride, and pesticides. The report also names glyphosate and atrazine, two common herbicides, with updated risk assessments expected in 2026. Farm leaders have raised concerns that the report could hurt public trust in food safety. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins responded by saying, “farmers need the tools in the toolbox to continue to feed the world, but it doesn’t mean we can’t do better.”

ASA President Calls MAHA Report a ‘Flat-Out Attack’ on U.S. Farmers – American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland voiced frustration over the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s new report, criticizing both its content and the lack of transparency behind its development. “Production agriculture didn’t really have a seat at the table, it was all done in secret behind closed doors.” Ragland took particular issue with the report’s treatment of crop protection tools like glyphosate and atrazine, saying these products have long-standing scientific support and are already reviewed by federal agencies. “This is a flat-out attack on the livelihood of the American farmer,” he said. “It’s deeply troubling and alarming that they would come up with this type of a radical report that is lacking the facts to back up what they’ve said.” Ragland urged President Trump to intervene and ensure that sound science and farmer input guide future policymaking.

MAHA Targets Added Sugars in the Diet – Sugar Association President and CEO P. Courtney Gaine is disputing the MAHA criticism of added sugars. In a statement, Gaine said added sugars currently make up 12 percent of total calories nationwide. That’s the lowest level in 40 years and near the lowest level ever recorded.

Soil Health is Included in RFK Jr. Agenda – Ahead of the release of the Make America Healthy Again Report, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Kennedy was asked about his research priorities. “I woulda want to look at the microbiomes in the soil and how that’s contributing to erosion and how the chemicals that we’re using in agriculture are sickening farmers, potentially. Are destroying the microbiome and creating a situation where the soil is running off, and where most agronomists believe that we only have 60 harvests left?” Kennedy later went on to say no one has a greater commitment to the American farmer than the Make America Healthy Again movement.

US-EU to Delay Tariff Increase – After a weekend conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President Donald Trump has agreed to delay the implementation of 50 percent tariffs on EU products. The tariffs were scheduled to take effect June 1, but a new deadline is now in place. “July 9th would be the date,” said Trump. “She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out.” Tensions escalated on Friday when Trump threatened to impose the 50 percent tariffs. The EU’s chief trade negotiator responded by saying negotiations should be based on ‘mutual respect, not threats.’  The tone quieted down on Sunday. Both world leaders described their conversation as a good call.

U.S.-Canadian Lawmakers Meet in Ottawa – A bipartisan group of senators traveled to Ottawa this past week to meet with Canadian government officials. The delegation included North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. The focus was on advancing mutual interests, including a long-standing trade relationship.

Trade Optimism – Terrain Executive Head John Newton delivered the keynote address at the U.S. Meat Export Federation Spring Conference in Fort Worth. Newton surprised many in the audience by saying he believes the Trump Administration will secure a Phase Two trade deal with China. “I think what President Trump has to do is by March of next year, he’s got to show real progress on the ‘big beautiful bill’ and really progress on trade deals, real progress on the economy,” said Newton. “Because what happens in March of next year? We’re right into the midterms and everybody in the House is going back to their districts campaigning. What do they want to campaign on? Do they want to campaign on wins or losses? They want to campaign on wins, absolutely. We’ve got about a six-or-seven month window for some of these things to get done.” Newton previously served as the chief economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee and the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Make Agriculture Great Again – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has rolled out the first policy proposals under her new Make Agriculture Great Again initiative. This plan focuses on small family farms. The ten-point agenda include the use of simple, streamlined and transparent USDA tools; reliable access to credit; labor reform and access to risk management and business planning resources.

Canola Minute – Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman says the proposed changes in the 45Z tax credit are positive news for the canola industry. Coleman calls it ‘a game-changer.’ Listen to the Canola Minute by clicking here. 

Cali EV Mandate Rejected – The U.S. Senate approved two resolutions to overturn California’s electric vehicle mandate. The California standard said all the cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state had to be powered by electricity or hydrogen by 2035. Seventeen states, including Minnesota, adopted California’s mandate. The Republican majority described the mandate as ‘regulatory overreach.’

AI and Agriculture – At a House Science Environment Subcommittee hearing on ag innovation, Corteva Vice President Brian Lutz emphasized that artificial intelligence has a growing role in crop protection product development. “AI has revolutionized discovery by allowing us to trade randomness and chance for prediction specificity,” said Lutz, “We can now model proteins and molecules with unprecedented speed and accuracy.” An expert from the University of Florida testified the U.S. is losing ground to countries like China and Japan in agricultural innovation.

MN Ag Finance Bill Approved – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed legislation funding the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Board of Animal Health and Agricultural Utilization Research Institute. “It addresses things like agricultural emergencies, like high-path avian influenza, support for E15 infrastructure, meat processing, farm to school programs; all important things that will really help our agency run well,” said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “I couldn’t be happier.” The bill also includes an additional $500,000 for the state’s farm down payment assistance program, which helps farmers purchase their first farm. Highlights also include funding for rural mental health and farm safety, wolf and elk depredation programs, the Farm Business Management program and the biofuels infrastructure grants. The ag bill takes effect July 1.

Germination, Emergence Look Good – Despite the up-and-down weather,  Rock and Roll Agronomy owner Jason Hanson is not expecting too many germination or emergence issues in the Devils Lake Basin. “If you seeded corn and beans into moisture, it didn’t take long for germination to start.” Corn is out of the ground and soybeans swelled up within 18-to-24 hours. “I think we’re gonna be fine.”

Seedling Stress Seen This Spring – At Hillsboro, North Dakota, most of the crop has emerged. “I do fear that in some areas, we may see a little bit of yellowing in corn and wheat,” reports Mackenzie Adams, sales agronomist, CHS Ag Services. “When you get sandblasted and it is 90 degrees out and it drops down to 32 degrees, you know it has been stressed.” With the amount of topsoil movement with the strong winds, there is concern about the impact on the growing point of the plant. “It may not make a difference; there may not have been enough topsoil that actually moved, but if something doesn’t look like having, let’s have a conversation about what’s going on.”

A Smooth Spring Season – The Red River Farm Network Crop Watch tour made a stop at the Jake Thompson farm near Barnesville, Minnesota. “This probably was one of the better springs we’ve had in a really long time,” said Thompson. “The ground was mellow. It was nice conditions to plant in.  We were able to hop from one thing to the next to the next to the next, to the point where we got a couple different crops in the ground with some pretty good acres and some spraying done all in a day, which is unusual.”Despite wind-related spraying delays and some winterkill in alfalfa, Thompson says the recent rain was just what fields needed after extreme heat dried out the topsoil. Thompson is president of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association.

Timely Rains – Rain came just in time to give the newly planted crops a drink in west central Minnesota. On the Red River Farm Network Crop Watch tour, Wolverton farmer Jay Nord said the timing couldn’t have been better. “We got done the day before the rain,” said Nord. “We got all the rocks picked we wanted to get picked and some other things done so we’re in pretty good shape.” The focus now shifts to weed control, but staggered planting dates are complicating the spray schedule. “We’ve got two crops of wheat; one planted early and one planted a little later so that’s going to kind of screw up the spring. We may have the grain elevator spray the wheat so we can get at the corn.”

Crop Watch: Excellent Planting Progress Before the Rain – Spring fieldwork has moved quickly in western Minnesota. During the RRFN Crop Watch broadcast, CW Valley Co-op General Manager Mike Bjertness said a stretch of dry, workable weather allowed farmers to make significant planting progress before the latest round of rain moved in. “Spring progress marched a long for three to three and a half weeks and we’ve got about 95 percent of the crop in. There’s just a few beans left to go.” Bjertness, who is based at Comstock, said strong spring winds made spraying difficult and caused some minor stand issues, but overall crop conditions are looking strong.

Two-Week Window Allowed Crop to Get Planted – The crop in western Minnesota is ahead of schedule. During Crop Watch, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Insurance and Customer Education, Rob Fronning said farmers took advantage of a two-week window of hot, dry weather to get the majority of seed in the ground. “The most recent rains that we received here had it been a week earlier would have been really bad,” said Fronning. “For the most part, a lot of people are wrapped up. There are isolated cases where they may have been a little wet, but this moisture was needed.” Fronning is based in Fergus Falls.

An Update From East Grand Forks – At East Grand Forks, Rhonda Larson had her wheat, sugarbeets, and most of the corn planted before the recent wet weather. Once the fields dry, weed control will be on the chore list. “Yeah, it’s kinda funny. We didn’t see a lot of weeds before the rain. I think the ground was still plenty cool, even when we had those hot days, it still didn’t generate any weeds. They’ll be coming now, though. They’ll be coming like crazy.”

Early Crops Hold Strong Despite Weather Swings – Extreme weather swings have not derailed early crop progress in west central Minnesota. Peterson Farm Seeds Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson reported from near Fergus Falls, saying the cold snap largely spared crops from frost damage. “I was a little worried about getting some frost, but we stayed warmer as a whole from what I’ve seen so that’s a good thing.” While the recent wind did cause some minor damage with soybeans sheared off and corn showing signs of wear, the crops have now hardened off amid cooler 40-degree temperatures. Looking ahead, Swenson noted that weed control is the next major concern. “The biggest thing is how quickly the weeds are going to come..”They really started popping up in the last week, but they’re not growing a whole lot with these temperatures.”

Cutworm Feeding Reported – According to the just-released NDSU Crop and Pest Report, cutworms have been reported in southwestern North Dakota feeding on canola. With warm weather on the way, cutworms are expected to be more active. Scouting is recommended. “Early detection is really important; they do more damage the larger they get,” said Jan Knodel, Extension entomologist. When spraying insecticides for cutworm control, NDSU Extension recommends applications be done in the evening when cutworms are actively feeding.

An Adjustment in the Weed Management Plan – Nearly all of the crop is planted in the Wyndmere, North Dakota area in the southeastern corner of the state. After two-to-four inches of rain this past week, Carson Klosterman says the focus now shifts to post-emergence weed control. “There were probably plans for pre-emerge, but the way the wind was blowing and the three hot days after Mother’s Day and before all this rain started didn’t allow that to happen,” said Klosterman. “We’ll need a number of good days to get things dry so everybody can get out and do post emerge spraying.”

Pioneer Agronomy Update – In the Pioneer Agronomy Update, Pioneer Field Agronomist Kristie Sundeen said waterhemp and kochia continue to be a problem, making pre’s a must. A reminder for canola growers, crucifer and stripe leaf beetles have already been seen. Click here to listen to the report. 

NASS to End State-Specific Reports – Starting Friday, the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service will stop publishing state and region-specific reports. The state-level data will still be available, but only in the national releases and through the NASS Quick Stats database.

Dry Bean Scene – In the latest Dry Bean Scene, NDSU Plant Pathologist Sam Markell talks about what growers should be looking for early in the season. Click here.

Section 32 Purchase to Include Dry Beans – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced USDA’s intent to purchase up to $67 million in fruits, vegetables and fresh seafood for food banks and nutrition assistance programs. The Section 32 purchase will include $14 million of Great Northern beans.

Minnesota Turkey Industry Faces $112 Million Loss from AMPV – A newly released study shows avian metapneumovirus caused more damage to Minnesota’s turkey industry in 2024 than the high-profile avian influenza outbreak. “Nearly double the amount of birds were lost to avian metapneumovirus than there were to highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Executive Director Ashley Kohls. Kohls said the disease doesn’t qualify for the same government response as avian influenza. “There are some indemnity types of programs to help kind of bridge the gaps of when they have to depopulate a flock to when they can put in another flock, that doesn’t exist with avian metapneumovirus.” The industry lost an estimated $112 million last year, and Kohls said short-term support is needed until vaccines become widely available.

Emergency HPAI Vaccine Strategy Sought – South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging her to develop an emergency plan to vaccinate cattle against highly pathogenic avian influenza. Rounds said that the strategy should include the stockpiling of vaccine.

Slow, Slow Expansion Happening in the Cattle Herd – According to CattleFax Chief Executive Officer Randy Blach, fed cattle supplies remain tight. “We’ve got more hooks than we have cattle to fill those hooks. And we see that not only at the fed cattle level, but we see it at the non-fed level as well,” said Blach. “Non-fed cow and bull slaughter has declined significantly, as you would expect. We’re stabilizing the herd from a lack of harvest of the cows; we’re seeing very gradual, slow, slow, slow expansion, but it does look like, when we look back, January of 2025 will be the low end of the beef herd.” While supplies are tight, Blach said the prices seen today in the cattle market are market-driven. Blach was part of the U.S. Meat Export Federation spring conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Hoeven Pushes Cattle Market Reforms – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven used a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing this past week to push for stronger cattle market protections and expanded trade opportunities. Hoeven emphasized full enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and highlighted the success of his Cattle Contract Library pilot program in improving price transparency. Hoeven also called for the removal of trade barriers and renewed support for mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef. Hoeven extended an invitation to USDA research nominee Dr. Scott Hutchins to visit North Dakota, spotlighting the state’s role in precision ag development and the new Agricultural Risk Policy Center at NDSU. The center will support farm policy research and economic analysis alongside similar institutions across the country.

Class Action Status for JBS Settlement – An $8.5 million settlement with JBS has received preliminary approval as a class-action lawsuit. This case was brought by R-CALF USA, individual ranchers and the National Farmers Union. The case filed in 2019 alleges antitrust violations by JBS, Tyson, Cargill and National Beef. The litigation with the other three companies is ongoing. Cattle feeders eligible to participate in the JBS settlement must submit claims by mid-September.

MN Beef Update – In the Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt discusses their participation in the Urban Ag Day. Click here. 

Nuetral COF Report – Friday’s USDA cattle on feed report came in close to pre-report expectations. The number of feedlot cattle was down two percent from a year ago. Placements and markets were both down three percent. “That’s reflective of the fact that we’ve had really strong fed steer prices and supportive wholesale beef prices,” said USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell. “We’re still seeing pretty strong demand for beef.”

Milk Production Edges Higher – U.S. milk production rose 1.5 percent in April. In South Dakota, milk output rose 9.2 percent from one year ago. South Dakota dairy farmers added 16,000 dairy cows to the state herd in the past year. Minnesota milk production increased by less than one percent while cow numbers declined 4,000 head.

Ag Equipment Sales Decline – Ag equipment sales took a hit last month with U.S. tractor sales down more than 13 percent and combine sales falling more than 48 percent year-to-date. The sharpest decline came from the 100-plus horsepower tractor segment.

Fielding Questions – The Fielding Questions podcast is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network, focusing on the issues of farm financial management, markets and more. In this week’s podcast, RRFN Farm Broadcaster Jamie Dickerman talks with AgCountry’s Scott Anderson about the young and beginner farmer program called “Starting Gate”. Click here to listen to the podcast.

Court Highlights Autonomy of Fed Board – President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s monetary policy. However, the Supreme Court seemed to defend the independence of the Federal Reserve Board. In a ruling that gave Trump the authority to remove agency leaders without cause, the court also said the Fed is different. The High Court called the Fed “a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity.’

Farm Labor Report Updated – Farms hired 637,000 workers during the first full week of April. That’s up three percent from the same week in 2024. According to a new USDA report on farm labor, farmers paid their workers an average gross wage of $19.52 per hour.

An Investment in Grasslands Restoration – Ducks Unlimited is expanding its efforts to restore grasslands in South Dakota due to a grant of more than $787,000 from the Bush Foundation. The plan is for farmers and ranchers to restore 25,000 acres of grassland through the Working Grasslands Partnership.

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, Jen Schaus, environmental outreach coordinator, MDA, talks about continuous living crop grants. Listen here. 

Swift Coulee Channel Restoration – A major restoration effort is underway in northwest Minnesota withe the Middle Snake Tamarac Rivers Watershed breaking ground on the Swift Coulee project in Marshall County. SWCD Administrator Mori Mahar said this project restores nearly ten miles of a long-neglected natural waterway, resolving a decades-old conflict between landowners and state authorities. “”It will meet the requirements from the DNR and also meet the drainage needs for the landowner.” Phase One includes four miles of channel restoration. The second phase of the project, which is dependent on the availability of funding, is expected to be complete in 2027.

Trade Mission Uncovers New Soybean Opportunities – Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Executive Director Joe Smentek recently returned from a USDA-led trade mission to Hong Kong. Smentek said the trip showcased significant demand for food-grade soybeans and sustainable aviation fuel. Interest in sustainable aviation fuel was especially strong. Despite the optimism, Smentek noted ongoing concerns about misinformation from environmental groups. “Their hesitancy really came from environmental groups spreading myths about ethanol and spreading myths about using vegetable oils and agricultural feedstocks as not being as carbon friendly as they actually are.”

BND Releases Annual Report – The state-owned Bank of North Dakota finished 2024 with assets of $10.8 billion, an increase of nearly seven percent from the previous year. It had net income of more than $200 million, up from $193 million in 2023. The agriculture loan portfolio increased by $61 million with Bank of North Dakota funding and renewing $244 million of loans. Farm and Ranch Loans led the way with $183 million, followed by Established Farmer Real Estate Loans, which funded $24 million for farmers and ranchers.

Titan Machinery Releases Quarterly Financials – Titan Machinery is reporting a quarterly net loss of $13.2 million on first quarter revenue of $594.3 million. Gross quarterly profit was reported at $91 million. Titan Machinery CEO Brian Knudson said the performance was better than expected given the weak farm economy.

Titan Machinery Acquires Two SD Dealerships – West Fargo-based Titan Machinery has completed its acquisition of Farmers Implement and Irrigation with stores in Watertown and Brookings, South Dakota. Farmers Implement is a New Holland dealership. The price of this transaction was not announced.

CNH Industrial & Starlink Sign an Agreement – CNH Industrial has signed an agreement with Starlink to provide satellite connectivity to farmers. This is seen as beneficial, especially for farmers utilizing precision agriculture practices. Case IH and New Holland are CNH brands. Starlink is owned by SpaceX, which was founded Elon Musk.

Deere & Company Acquires Sentera – John Deere has acquired a remote-based precision agriculture and imagery company called Sentera. Sentera is based in St. Paul and produces technology allowing drones to fly over fields at high speeds and still generate high resolution images. Deere plans to integrate the Sentera tools into its existing technology offerings.

Nufarm to Review Seed Business – Nufarm is falling far short of its revenue goals for its omega-3 business. As a result, Nufarm has hired an outside firm to review all options, including the sale of its seed and traits platform. That would include its Omega-3 Canola Production System in places like North Dakota and Montana. Nufarm is reporting first-half net profits of $19.2 million American dollars. That’s down 40 percent from a year ago.

New Ownership for Ceres Ag – Kansas City-based Bartlett plans to acquire Ceres Global Ag for over $140 million. Ceres is based in the Twin Cities with ten locations in Minnesota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is also part of three joint ventures in Minnesota and North Dakota. Ceres is known for its merchandising of durum, oats, spring wheat and canola.

Farmer-Focused Nutrition – Crop nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all effort. Earlier this month, Darren Dillenbeck joined BW Fusion as its CEO. Most recently, Dillenbeck was president of FMC North America. In an interview with RRFN, Dillenbeck said BW Fusion hopes to capitalize on 30-plus years of biological research and agricultural technology to drive farm productivity. “We look at this as a perfect opportunity for us to show the efficiency, to show the return, and make sure that the dollars you’re investing aren’t going to waste or, aren’t just being bound up in the soil,” said Dillenbeck. “There’s a lot of dollars invested every year in crop nutrition, seed, seed treatment and crop protection. It may not always be the best value, may not always be the best return and that’s where the agronomy team can really help sort that out.” For a farmer, Dillenbeck said the ROI happens through education. Click here to listen to the interview. 

Pivot Bio to Transition Headquarters to the Midwest – Pivot Bio is exploring options to move its global headquarters from Berkley, California to the Midwest. Several opportunities are being considered. The company is also planning to establish a Center for Research, Development, Innovation and Operations in the Midwest to serve its customer base. In 2018, Pivot Bio became the first company to launch a microbial nitrogen product. In addition to North America, Pivot Bio is doing business in South America and Africa.

Ribbon Cutting for Syngenta Biologicals Site – Syngenta has opened its new state-of-the-art biologicals production facility in South Carolina. Company officials said the new site will help Syngenta meet current and future demand in the biostimulant market.

New Ownership for Specialty Soybean Company – After seeking bankruptcy protection two months ago, a specialty soybean company has new ownership. Benson Hill, which is based in St. Louis, was founded in 2012. It is known for developing specialty soybeans for specific uses, such as ultra-high protein. The new owner,  Confluence Genetics, said it will be a “leaner, innovation-driven leader in soybean trait development.”

Ag Committee Advances Lindberg, Westhill – The Senate Agriculture Committee has advanced the nominations of Luke Lindberg to be USDA’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs and Devon Westhill to be the assistant secretary for civil rights. Lindberg is a South Dakota native and served as the CEO of South Dakota Trade.

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee Chair Tiffany Kobbermann has details on a social media photo contest. You can hear the update here. 

Appointments Announced – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced a large slate of state appointments. Paul Hansen of Plymouth and Jefferey Lindeman of Shafter will join the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council. Hansen works for Land O’Lakes and Schafer is a longtime agriscience teacher at Chisago Lakes. Walz also reappointed two individuals to the Rural Finance Authority; Eric Sannerud of Milaca and Carol Anderson of Foley. Sannerud is the CEO of a specialty hops business. Anderson is a farmer.

Wahpeton State Legislator Passes – North Dakota State Representative Cynthia Schreiber-Beck has died. Schreiber-Beck has been in the state legislature for ten years and served on the agriculture committee. Schreiber-Beck, 70, operated Tri-State Aviation in Wahpeton and she served as the executive director of the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association for nearly 40 years.

Berg Recieves Fulbright Scholarship – NDSU Animal Sciences Associate Professor Erika Berg received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to travel to teach and study in Iceland. Berg will develop curriculum in equine-assisted services during the spring 2026 semester. She also plans to establish research connections.

Doane Takes on New Role – Michael Doane is the new chief commercial officer for Regenified. a regenerative agriculture business. Most recently, Doane was the global managing director for The Nature Conservancy. Previously, Doane was the director of sustainable business solutions at Monsanto and executive director of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers.