Stabenow Unveils Her Farm Bill – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow said it must be a bipartisan bill to get a farm bill done. When unveiling her farm bill plan, the Michigan senator said she had three major goals; keeping farmers farming, keeping families fed and keeping rural communities strong. The bill enhances crop insurance “for small farmers, for specialty crops as well as large farmers.” The commodity title includes a minimum of a five percent reference price increase for all crops. Traditionally, dairy and sugar policy is in the crosshairs during a farm bill debate. Stabenow is taking steps to strengthen both titles. “The Dairy Margin Coverage program seems to have worked really well, the biggest concerns we heard about was with smaller farms; they go to tier 1 basically,” said Stabenow. “We also update some things for sugar around loan rates.” Listen to the Stabenow news briefing with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Farm Bill on the Way to the House Ag Committee – House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson will mark up the farm bill May 23. After the release of Thompson’s bill Wednesday, Ranking Member David Scott rejected the proposal saying it includes poison pill policies with “an untenable funding scheme.” In a briefing with farm broadcasters, Thompson said that complaint is disingenuous. In a briefing with farm broadcasters, the Pennsylvania lawmaker said he is willing to pass the farm bill out of his committee with just Republican votes. “I’ve got a number of different options of getting to the House floor. The process through the House has yet to be determined but I’m confident that I will find a successful pathway.” Listen to the news briefing.

Senate Bill Holds Ag Coalition Together – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow emphasized bipartisanship when she released her new farm bill. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith said the Stabenow bill can hold the big agriculture coalition together. There are a lot of similarities between the House and Senate farm bill proposals. The exception would be the approach to nutrition spending in the House bill. “Which they know the Democrats aren’t going to do and I think they have to get through that and just appreciate that they can’t pass a bill that has those kinds of cuts,” said Smith. “I don’t think they have the Republican votes in the House to pass their proposal even without Democratic support. We have to get serious and understand what we’re dealing with here and come to an agreement.” The interview with Senator Smith can be found online.

FARMER Act Gains Traction on the Hill – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven has support for his FARMER Act, which would help farmers ‘buy up’ to higher levels of crop insurance coverage and improve the Supplemental Coverage Option. Hoeven said crop insurance was designed for a state like Iowa with 99 small counties, all of which are a similar size. “In states like, I’ll just pick a few at random, North Dakota, Arkansas, and Texas, where you have big counties, that’s a problem,” said Hoeven. “I believe we can continue to work to improve crop insurance in that way from an actuarial standpoint. When you’re talking about the farmers’ #1 risk management tool, it’s paramount that we get that done to pass the farm bill.”

Move IRA Conservation Funding to the Farm Bill – Nearly $20 billion was set aside for conservation in the Inflation Reduction Act. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman wants to fold those dollars into the farm bill. “People could gobble that up and use it for something else so I’d like to put it in the farm bill and create new base.” Boozman said the $20 billion conservation investment in the IRA was put together without input from the stakeholders. “That came out of the White House so I want to combine it,” said Boozman. “I want to be very clear, I don’t want to take those dollars and put those into risk management tools; I’m going to put them in conservation, but let’s discuss how it’s done.”

Congressional Calendar Complicates Farm Bill Timeline – National Council of Farm Cooperatives President and CEO Chuck Conner has seen his share of farm bills and said this is the most partisan farm bill he has ever seen. Conner, who was the USDA Deputy Secretary during the George W. Bush presidency, said this farm bill process needs to start. “Even if it’s a partisan process, get a bill that people can begin to look at, start marking it up in committee, and get us started,” said Conner. “You can’t finish something that never starts, so we’ve got to start.” Timing is critical for this important piece of legislation. “Congress is in session so few days between now and the end of the year so few days; it’s a presidential election year, you’ve got party conventions and they’re never in session during any of those kinds of periods and it’s just going to be hard to get done with the farm bill.”

CBO Budget Score is ‘the Hammer’ Needed for the Farm Bill – The math for the farm bill gets more complicated if something doesn’t happen in the month ahead. American Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Vice President Luther Markwart says Congress is now dealing with a budget baseline established in May of 2023. “If we go beyond May of this year you’re going to get a new baseline and that will be essentially less resources to write a farm bill so that is going to be the hammer that pressures people to move on this thing.” Work is happening at the staff level and House Agriculture Committee Chair Glen ‘GT’ Thompson plans to move on the bill before Memorial Day. This is a big complex bill, but I think they are likely farther along than what you would think; I’m excited to get this thing done and finished and across the line.”

Bipartisanship is a Farm Bill Must – With the hyper-partisan environment in Congress, it is difficult to find compromise on any legislation. American Farm Bureau Federation Director of Government Affairs Joe Gilson says compromise is a must for the farm bill. “In the House Ag Committee, if we have a party-line vote, I think it’s going to be very difficult for Speaker Johnson to even bring it to the House floor,” said Gilson. “The Republicans have a majority of one, two, or three seats depending on the day. A bipartisan bill will be essential to get this across the finish line in the House.” Gilson believes agriculture needs more funding for Title I and improvements to crop insurance. The interview can be found at this link.

Farm Bill Passage May be Delayed Until After the Election – National Farmers Union Vice President of Advocacy Mike Stranz is looking forward to the markup of the House farm bill later this month. “What we’ve seen from the House is that whenever there’s a major piece of legislation that needs to pass, it’s been bipartisan,” said Stranz. “That’s how the Republican caucus breaks down right now and where the Democrats are willing to step in.” The stars must align for a compromise version of the farm bill to pass. “It might be the lame duck when we see further movement on a compromise farm bill.” Learn more about the NFU’s farm bill priorities in the full interview.

Farm Bill: A Long and Arduous Process – National Association of Wheat Growers Vice President of Policy Jake Westlin remains hopeful about passing a farm bill this year. “As you get farther and farther into the calendar year, it gets more challenging. There’s a path forward; it can be long and arduous and each farm bill is a little different but we remain optimistic and hope to see some legislative text in the coming weeks.” Westlin said NAWG’s top priority is protecting crop insurance in this farm bill debate.

Advocating for Pork Producers – With the farm bill dominating the focus in Washington, D.C., National Pork Producers Council President Lori Stevermer is committed to advocating the needs of the swine sector. “It’s an important bill to us,” said Stevermer. “The funding for the animal health part of it; national labs, veterinary stockpile, vaccine bank and so forth, we just really want to be ready and make sure that we’re able to advocate like we should.” Stevermer, who farms at Easton, Minnesota, said NPPC is also looking for a federal solution to California’s Proposition 12 initiative.

Vilsack: Agriculture is ‘in the Game’ – The Biden Administration has issued the long-awaiting guidance for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack gave farm broadcasters a preview of the updated GREET model Tuesday, saying climate-smart agriculture reduces greenhouse gases. “In other words, agriculture’s foot is in the door; we’re in the game.” Three climate-smart practices are cited to qualify for the tax credits: no-till, enhanced efficiency fertilizers, and cover crops. “The reason we’ve got those three is because we’ve had them for a while and we know how to measure the impact and effect of them,” said Vilsack. “That’s the work that we’re going to be doing over the next six or seven months where we can showcase an ability to verify and report the results.”

A ND No-Go for GREET Cover Crop Provision – American Soybean Association President Josh Gackle said the short growing season and unpredictable fall weather in his home state of North Dakota make the Treasury Department Sustainable Aviation Fuel crop requirement next to impossible for farmers in the region. Gackle said employing both no-till and cover cropping is contrary to what Mother Nature will allow. “It will create additional demand; the downside is some of the requirements might create some disparities across the country.” Gackle points to the different growing climates throughout the country as a primary reason why the one-size-fits-all guidelines don’t work. “When it comes to no-till, cover crop or complete no-till, that might work in some parts of the country but may not work as well here in the Northern Plains.”

MCGA Disappointed in GREET Model Guidance – The Treasury Department guidelines for sustainable aviation fuel tax credits concentrate on the standalone blenders credit or 40B provision. “The guidance in the model that was announced is for a tax credit that expires at the end of 2024,” said Amanda Bilek, senior public policy director, Minnesota Corn Growers Association. “The real focus is on the next round of credits which starts January 1, 2025.” The Clean Fuel Producer Credits expire at the end of 2027 and Bilek said the Administration needs to make changes or the opportunities for corn to qualify as a feedstock will be limited.

Broader Options Needed – Sustainability and carbon emission reduction remain important for agriculture. Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode feels there should be more opt-in options with the new SAF guidelines. We feel that there needs to be recognition of the amazing diversity of American agriculture and the need to have tailored approaches to advancing sustainability as farmers understand like nobody else.”

SAF Has Great Potential, But Administration Needs to Get the Policy Right – Ethanol has carved out an important market for on-road fuel usage, but new opportunities are on the horizon with sustainable aviation fuel. According to Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley, SAF has the potential to be a 30 billion gallon per year market. “There’s a lot of investment on the sidelines today,” said Bliley. “President Biden talked about 95 percent of sustainable aviation jet fuel coming from America’s farmers, but we really need to see this policy come into place correctly.” After Tuesday’s SAF tax credit announcement, Growth Energy released a statement saying the all-or-nothing approach “may ultimately limit innovation and make farmers, blenders, and producers less, not more, likely to invest in emissions-reducing technologies.”

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, AgCentric Executive Director Keith Olander joins Farming for the Future. Olander outlines the farm financial data showing that water-quality-certified farms averaged a higher net income, every year over the last five years. 

White House Defends Climate Funding – Nearly $20 million was set aside for conservation in the Inflation Reduction Act. There are different ideas on Capitol Hill, including proposals to fold that money into the farm bill. White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi emphasized the IRA is a new source of revenue for farmers. There are a lot of conversations on Capitol Hill about the use of these climate funds. “Some of them are putting on the table a question of whether a U-turn is line,” said Zaidi. “Not only is a U-turn not in line, we should be accelerating in the direction of giving farmers increased market access in a space that is massively expanding where the U.S. has to lead and that’s providing essential revenue to sustain family farms.”

Strong U.S. Economy Responsible for Farm Trade Deficit – U.S. agriculture exports have been increasing over the past 25 years, topping at $196 billion in 2022. That’s up from $63 billion in 1997. At the same time, the U.S. is importing more farm products than it exports. The Red River Farm Network asked Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip about the trade deficit and he pointed to the value of the U.S. dollar. “Our economy has boomed and we came out of the pandemic strong and we have a lot of trading partners that haven’t,” said McKalip. “China’s economic woes have been deep; they’re a #1 import destination for our products so some of those things that need to be worked out.”

Biotech Wheat on the Way – Biotechnology and gene-editing are seen as a way to deliver high-yield stability to the wheat business. U.S. Wheat Associates Director of Trade Policy Peter Laudeman said this technology is on the horizon. “You’ve got this company out of Argentina, Bioceres that’s bringing GMO HB4 wheat to the market,” said Laudeman. “They’ve already commercialized in Argentina but would like to bring that to the U.S. and Australia. They’re going through the U.S. regulatory process right now. ” The U.S. wheat industry supports the commercialization of biotech wheat as long as it is done the right way and doesn’t upset export markets. Listen to the full interview.

Organizations Chosen for Climate Corps Training – USDA has selected 28 groups to train young people about climate-smart agriculture. The USDA Working Lands Climate Corps is described as a pathway to a career in conservation, climate-change and rural development. The organizations hosting the Climate Corps include the Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and the Nature Conservancy.

El Nino is Fading Fast – Long-range forecasts are leaning towards a drier summer. “Some of that has to do with the transition from El Nino to La Nina which is happening as we speak,” said Brad Rippey, USDA meteorologist. “El Nino is fading fast and La Nina’s on the way; that tends to be a drought maker for the country as a whole. Perhaps as early as this summer, we’ll see drought encroaching from the west back across the Great Plains.”

Flooding Cuts into Crop Size in Southern Brazil – The Brazilian government is reporting 78 deaths from the severe flooding in its southernmost state of Rio Grand do Sul. Water has overtaken major cities. Advance Trading Research Director Cesar Cruz estimates at least 15 percent of the soybeans will not be harvested. “Even those who can maybe harvest something, they’re going to have a quality issue,” said Cruz. “Also, logistics, there are bridges that are collapsed, roads are flooded so people can go to places such as the port.” El Nino is being blamed for the intense flooding in southern Brazil and the drought in the center part of the country.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson points to wheat as a strong point in the markets. There is some weakness in the wheat futures this morning, but Martinson said this market still “has strength underneath it.” Soybeans are taking a bearish turn to start the week.

Rain Delay – Dairyland Seed District Sales Manager Keith Rekow says many farmers in parts of eastern South Dakota were able to get some planting in before rains hit this past week. “In the dairy areas south of Watertown some guys got about three days of work in and got some corn punched in, but then they got three inches of rain and that settled them back.”

Welcome Moisture – The southern Red River Valley is going through its wettest spring in years. Keith Alverson, who farms at Chester, South Dakota, is happy with the moisture. “For the first time since 2019 we’re gonna go into the planting season with a full soil (moisture) profile and so that’s got us excited.” Alverson said farmers in the area are taking advantage of the great soil conditions and started planting between the rains. “There’s a varying degree of how aggressive the guys were pushing. There’s even a few people that are done with corn.”

Growing Like Weeds – Farmers in the Washburn, North Dakota area made decent planting progress before the rains. Dakota Agronomy Partners agronomist Sheldon Laib says weed control will begin as soon as field conditions allow. “Producers want to get their sprayers going because they’re starting to see weeds grow,” said Laib. “They’re looking at the pre-burndowns before planting to get things done that way.”

Enlist + Liberty Interview #2 – When making postemergence soybean herbicide applications, farmers are asked to consider preemergence residual timing, weed height, soybean growth stage and the weather. Enlist Field Specialist Steve Snyder is featured in the second interview in our series with a focus on controlling kochia. Listen to the report. More information is also available online.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – In the latest Pioneer Agronomy Update, Pioneer Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner said the mild winter has increased the potential for insect pressure and fungal diseases. “With the cooler start, the seed is going to be sitting in the soil a little bit longer and it gives the pathogens and insects an extended period to attack the seed.” In these situations, Sinner said fungicide and/or insecticide seed treatment will pay dividends, “resulting in the full healthy stands we want to see in the spring.”

Labor is a Choke Point for Ag Transportation – Transportation challenges continue in agriculture. Agricultural Retailers Association President and CEO Daren Coppock says labor is the choking point. “There just aren’t enough people out there willing and qualified to do the kind of work that needs to be done,” said Coppock. “Part of it will be finding folks that maybe aren’t traditional ag people and get them interested in moving to the country and doing these kinds of jobs.” Automation of the process at the farm and warehouse level would also be part of the solution. Coppock admitted political attempts to ease some of the workforce issues have not seen much success. The interview with Coppock can be found online.

H-2A Updated Rule Takes Effect in June – The Labor Department has announced changes to its H-2A program to provide more protections for agricultural workers. Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jose Javier Rodriguez said the new rule is mutually beneficial for farm workers and employers.”Our investigation activity has shown that farm workers in the H-2A program are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. “The purpose of these rules is to protect both U.S. workers and foreign workers.” The Labor Department is providing access to legal services to prevent retaliation. Steps are also being taken to prevent human trafficking.  “There are those bad actors using the system, but to enhance protection we’re making it clear that that that the employer should not be holding the farm workers’ travel documents.” These regulations take effect June 28. 

MN Corn Matters – Resources are available for those dealing with farm stress. Minnesota Department of Agriculture Senior Advisor Meg Moynihan joins Corn Matters to discuss this important topic. Corn Matters is a presentation of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. 

Rail Strike Possible North of the Border – Canadian rail workers have voted overwhelmingly to strike. This would impact the Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National rail companies in Canada. The labor unions in the United States work under a different agreement. The strike could happen as soon as May 22.

Leader Thune Would Remain on Ag Committee – South Dakota Senator John Thune has been the Senate Minority Whip since 2021 and is a candidate to replace Senator Mitch McConnell as the Republican leader at the end of the year. If successful, Thune said he would remain a member of the agriculture committee. “I would expect to stay active on the committees, but for sure on ag,” Thune told farm broadcasters. “It’s our #1 industry and I’ve always viewed my work here, first and foremost, as being a good representative for my state.”

Sugarbeet Report – In this week’s Sugarbeet Report, American Crystal General Agronomist Joe Hastings reports a majority of the beets have been planted. “Early planting equals a lot of positive yield potential.” Hastings said the moisture will help activate the pre-emergence products.

Fielding Questions – In the Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Market Education Specialist Cody Didier reviews planting progress and its impact on the market. Didier also emphasizes the importance of a marketing plan. Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network.

H5N1 in Beef? – The H5N1 virus has been identified in dairy cattle in nine states. USDA limited the interstate movement of dairy cattle and implemented mandatory testing. In a meeting with farm broadcasters, USDA Undersecretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jennifer Lester Moffitt was asked if it was safe to assume the virus is also in the beef herd. “The information and data that APHIS has at this point is only positive in dairy cows,” said Lester Moffitt. “As  we do more mandatory  testing and gather more information, hopefully, we will be able to get a better understanding of what’s happening across the landscape in other states and across livestock.” Moffitt emphasized there is no evidence of a live virus in pasteurized milk. Cooking ground beef to the proper temperature is also recommended.

A Setback for Lab-Grown Meat – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed legislation banning lab-grown meat in the state. In a statement, DeSantis said his administration will continue to support local farmers and ranchers.

Patience Needed – Turning cattle out to pastures too early will influence grass conditions later in the season. “Hold back as long as you can because if you nip the grass off now, you’ll have stunted growth later on,” said Dr. Gerald Stokka, livestock stewardship specialist, NDSU Extension. Parasite and fly control should also be delayed. “It’s not going to do the cow any good; you wasted that dose and may in turn contribute to resistance that might occur with some of these parasites.”

Colostrum Source Matters – For a healthy start, calves need to begin nursing soon after birth. “It’s important that they get that colostrum to them within that first six hours and no later than 12 hours,” explained Beth Doran, field beef specialist, Iowa State Univesity Extension. “For every hour passes after six hours, their immunity could be compromised.” If colostrum is not available from the mother, Doran suggests going to other cows within the herd. “Right now, we’re looking at the bovine avian influenza viruses out, I don’t recommend going to another herd to get it.” If that scenario is not possible, the nod goes to a colostrum replacer from the local farm supply store.

A Smoother Calving Season – For Binford, North Dakota rancher Megan Overby, calving progress is close to 80 percent complete. “We start calving at the beginning of April and try to wrap up by mid-June,” said Overby. “We may be seeing just a tick of scours, but nothing like we were battling last year with sickness.” This past week’s rain helped replenish the soil moisture. It also brought mud to the area. “Of course, a year ago today we were still dealing with snowbanks. This year, there’s a little bit of mud, but at least we’re able to get them out on dry, green grass and we not have to keep them up in the lot.”

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council Communications Director Ashley Wulf highlights May Beef Month this week. Listen to this week’s MN Beef Update.

The North Dakota Beef Commission ‘Bull’etin – The North Dakota Beef Commission is celebrating May Beef Month. According to Executive Director Nicole Wardner, different demographics are being targeted, including children from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade. “We have our Junior Beef Reader’s Challenge and that’s challenging kids to continue reading as school wraps up, but also find books that are about beef and raising cattle so they know where their food comes from.” Retail promotions are also taking place throughout May Beef Month. “We have a promotion with the North Dakota Grocer’s Association where they will be hosting a bunch of different grilling events (and) samples.” New beef cuts are being featured in these grocery store events statewide. Throughout this month, RRFN is featuring weekly updates on the May Beef Month activities. Listen to the interview. 

R.D. Offutt Farms Files Lawsuit Over White Earth Nation Water Rule – R.D. Offutt Farms is going to court to challenge the new White Earth Nation water ordinance. This ordinance gives the tribe jurisdiction over all water use on the reservation and within five miles of the reservation. It applies to non-tribal members, private landowners and all water users who have existing water permits from the State of Minnesota. The White Earth permitting fees are 30 times more expensive the Minnesota DNR permits and the approval process could take up to three years to complete. The lawsuit claims the White Earth Nation has adopted an ‘unproven regulatory system that will impact Minnesota farmers.’

Stray Voltage in the Courts – The Minnesota Milk Producers Association has filed a request to the Minnesota Supreme Court to participate in the Clay View Dairy case as an amicus curiae. The goal is to clarify the statute of limitations for stray voltage claims filed in the state. MMPA is advocating for a six-year statute of limitations rather than the current two-year statute of limitations used by most courts.

Ag is Vulnerable to the Court Process – The EPA Herbicide Strategy is designed to reduce the potential environmental impact from the use of crop protection products for over 900 listed and endangered species. “We have to get ahead of this problem because there’s so much vulnerability in the courts that we don’t want to be in a situation where a farmer loses a tool in the middle of the growing season because a court struck it down,” said Rod Snyder, director of agriculture and rural affairs, EPA. “We need to get in control of our own destiny and make sure that we’re complying with the law and meeting these standards,” Snyder said EPA has not complied with the Endangered Species Act when registering pesticides for decades. The agency has been on the losing side of this issue in the courts. Snyder said work has been done to help farmers meet the standards.”In some cases, the maps that we have from the Fish and Wildlife Service are probably overly broad. We can refine those to actually look at where the habitat really exists so that we’re not applying these regulations here they aren’t really needed.”

2,4-D Duties Under Consideration – The Commerce Department has initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations against China and India over 2,4-D. The International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its preliminary determination by May 20 and the Commerce Department’s preliminary determination will be made by the end of June. The National Corn Growers Association stressed these duties would impact farmers already facing high input costs.

Canola Minute – Changes are coming for canola crop insurance planting dates. Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman says starting in 2025, planting dates will allow for additional time to get the crop in the ground. Hear more details in this week’s Canola Minute.

Environment Bill Moves to the MN Senate – The Minnesota House passed the environment and natural resources supplemental policy and finance bill with a 68-63 vote. For agriculture, it calls for an Environmental Impact Statement for livestock operations with more than 10,000 animal units. There’s also a provision that bans the planting of corn on state land. For decades, farmers would grow crops on state land and leave some of the crops for livestock. Altura Republican Steven Jacob was disappointed, saying “this was a good program for farmers, for hunters and most of all, it’s good for wildlife.” The bill now advances to the Senate.

Ag Included in a Bigger Budget Bill – The Minnesota House agriculture bill is folded into the supplemental budget bills for climate, energy and commerce. An amendment dealing with the public option for health insurance sidelined this omnibus bill last week. The amendment was approved in the Ways and Means Committee Friday and was sent back to the floor.

Veg or Grain? – Potatoes will remain classified as a vegetable, not a grain. A change was under consideration as an amendment to the USDA’s dietary guidelines. Maine Senator Susan Collins received a call from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack with the news. Collins was among the lawmakers opposed to the change. Collins said the reclassification would have sent a misleading message to consumers.

Growing Leaders – The recent South Dakota Soybean Genesis Leadership Program brought together industry professionals to increase exposure to soybean production. “It opened people’s eyes to things going on in the ag industry today,” said Bruce Haines, director, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. “It was just a great way to bond with a lot of people from different parts of the industry.”

College Curriculum Hinders Job Placement at NRCS – The Natural Resources Conservation Service is struggling to fill jobs across Rural America. NRCS Chief Terry Cosby cites the college curriculum as a problem. “Most college campuses have dropped classes out of their curriculum that are important to us, mainly soils courses,” said Cosby. “What we’re finding is that when they’re graduating from college, they don’t qualify to come work for us because they don’t have a soils course. It seems to me that anyone that’s in agriculture, a foundational course would be soils; you have to understand that because that is the backbone of farming and what we do.”

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, Midwest Dry Bean Coalition President John Berhold talks about the work of the new group, promoting and advocating dry edible beans around the world.

Well Grounded – The Well Grounded podcast is a presentation of Acres and Shares and the Red River Farm Network. In this edition, our guest is Bryon Parman, agricultural finance specialist, North Dakota State University, who breaks down the annual land values survey. Land values are at record highs, driven by strong farm income in 2022 and 2023. “There was a lot of cash sitting out there and that was driving those prices higher.”

A Difficult Quarter in the Fertilizer Industry – The fertilizer company, CF Industries, had first-quarter net earnings of $194 million. One year ago, CF had first-quarter net earnings of $560 million. The severe cold in January and some unplanned maintenance were a disruption this past quarter. Sales volumes were similar to the first quarter of 2023.

Corteva Net Income Declines – Corteva’s net income was down 30 percent in its most recent quarter, dropping to $419 million. Overall sales were down eight percent. Net sales declined 20 percent in crop protection and grew two percent in seed.

Syngenta Sales Down 20% in First Quarter – The Syngenta Group had first-quarter sales of $7.4 billion, down $1.8 billion from the first quarter of 2023. Sales have continued to be impacted by destocking in the crop protection sector as distributors and retailers further reduced inventories. Crop Protection division sales declined 24 percent to $3.2 billion. Syngenta Seed sales dropped eight percent to $1.4 billion.

Valmont Reports 1Q Results – For Valmont Industries’ first quarter, net sales declined eight percent to $1 billion with operating income up 11 percent at nearly $132 million. The ag business segment, which includes irrigation equipment, had sales of $259 million, down 22 percent year-over-year.

Quarterly Financials Released by ADM – Archer Daniels Midland is reporting fiscal year 2024 first-quarter earnings of $1.3 billion. That is down 24 percent from the first quarter of 2023. ADM’s Ag Services and Oilseeds segment is reporting an operating profit of $864 million during the first quarter. That’s down 29 percent from a year ago. ADM says its Ag Services sub-segment operating profit was down 33 percent from a year ago primarily due to the stabilization of trade flows leading to lower global trade.

GrainCorp Net Income Takes a Hit – Net income plummeted during the first half of year for the Australian grain handling company, GrainCorp. Profits total $57 million Australian, down more than 75 percent from one year ago. Shipping volumes have taken a hit across eastern Australia. Supply chain issues are also a problem.

AGCO Sales Fall Off – AGCO is reporting fiscal year 2024 first-quarter net income of $168 million on net sales of $2.9 billion. Net income is down 27 percent year-over-year. Net sales are down 12 percent from the first quarter of 2023. North American net sales are reported at $729.6 million, down 21 percent from a year earlier. AGCO says North American tractor sales were down nine percent and combine sales were down 17 percent.

Net Income Drops 17% for CNH Industrial – CNH Industrial reports net income of $402 million in the first quarter. That compares to $486 million in the same quarter last year. In North America, the lower horsepower tractor sales volumes were down 15 percent. The sales for tractors over 140 horsepower declined two percent. Combine sales were off 17 percent. .

Strike Averted at Fargo CNH Plant – Union workers at the Case New Holland plant in Fargo ratified a new contract over the weekend. The previous contract expired April 28 and a strike was threatened. This facility manufactures tractors and loaders for agriculture and construction.

MFU Minute – Minnesota Farmers Union Operations Director Glen Schmidt details how to register for the MFULeadership Camps in this edition of the MFU Minute.

SAF Tax Credits, Pipeline Influence Outlook for Gevo – Gevo ended the first quarter with sales of $3.9 million. That compares to $4.06 million one year ago. The Colorado-based company plans to tap into the sustainable aviation fuel market with a Lake Preston, South Dakota plant. The fate of this project rests with the carbon tax credits and access to the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. In a call with investors, Gevo officials said Lake Preston is the most attractive site for producing SAF, but other sites are being investigated.

Big Iron Farm Show Adds Construction Equipment – Construction equipment is being added to the farm exhibits at the Big Iron Farm Show. This addition is also resulting in a name change. This year’s Big Iron Farm and Construction Show will be held September 10-12.

NCBA Promotes Johannes – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has promoted Sigrid Johannes to senior director of government affairs. With the promotion, Johannes will take on responsibilities for lab-grown meat, cattle health and welfare, food safety and animal disease traceability.

Bean to Serve Beet/Cane Industries – Casey Bean has joined the American Sugar Alliance as its trade consultant. Most recently, Bean served as an agricultural counselor with the Senior Foreign Service at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.

Freeman Succeeds Folland on Northern Crops Council – Paul Freeman has replaced Kris Folland as the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council representative on the Northern Crops Council. “We grow better quality soybeans up here and we’re always looking for new markets and that expanded both NCI and all the properties,” said Freeman. Freeman, who farms in Pope County, looks forward to joining NCC to promote innovation in the industry.

A Move From BASF to CropLife America – CropLife American has selected Jeff Blackwood as its vice president of government relations. For more than a decade, Blackwood has been the policy lead for the BASF agricultural solutions business. Before BASF, Blackwood worked on Capitol Hill.

Turner Moves to Pivot Bio – Pivot Bio has named Chris Turner as its Chief Commercial Officer. Previously, Turner was the head of the U.S. Crop Science division for Bayer.

Endres Retires – As of May 1, NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center Cropping Systems Specialist Greg Endres retired. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Endress reflected on his 40 years with NDSU Extension. The growth of the soybean industry in North Dakota is a career highlight. “In the 1980s and early 90s, we had very low acreage; soybeans were a specialty crop,” said Endres. “It’s been fun to be involved with the growth of soybean acres and production in the state starting in about the mid-90s and continues to be a very major crop for us now.”

Minnesotan Selected for National Leadership Program – The American Farm Bureau Federation has selected ten individuals nationwide for its Partners in Advocacy Leadership class. PAL is designed to help farm leaders solidify their roles as advocates for agriculture. There is one representative from the region; Amanda Durow of Minnesota’s Dakota County.

Mullen Participates in LEAF Leadership in the Field – The Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation has announced 18 participants for its inaugural class of the Leadership in the Field program. Bernie Mullen of H&S FreshPak at Hoople, North Dakota is the participant from the region. LEAF is a leadership immersion program organized by the National Potato Council.