USDA Undersecretary Northey Learns About Yield and Quality Losses – During his visit to the Red River Valley, USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey heard from farmers dealing with an unprecedented harvest season. Northey said crop insurance is especially challenged in a year like this when quality problems are seen in addition to production issues. “Each crop is a little different and there are pieces here that we need to consider how the problem carries on,” said Northey. “The production from each year goes into a formula and what you guarantee in future years. This has an impact on crop insurance guarantees for the next ten years.” The short-term and long-term impact of these issues will be considered. Northey joined Senator John Hoeven, Senator Kevin Cramer and Governor Doug Burgum for a meeting in Argusville and Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson for a meeting in Moorhead.

Perdue Addresses Disaster Aid for Northern Plains Farmers – North Dakota’s request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation is approved for 47 of 53 counties in the state. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue addressed the request with the Red River Farm Network. “I talked with Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring on Thursday and he told me about 90 percent of the counties were impacted by the latest snow and flood.” Now Minnesota’s Secretarial Disaster Designation request needs approval. Perdue couldn’t commit to a timeline on turnaround. The recently passed disaster provision is capped at $3.2 billion and Perdue says there are several disasters to address across the country. Perdue recognized the prevent plant and flooding in the Northern Plains. “We know there are farmers who couldn’t get sugarbeets and potatoes out of the ground,” said Perdue. “For disaster aid, we’ll go the insurance route first. The challenge will be while the money was capped, the time period was all through 2019. We’ll have to see if the money matches up with the demand.”

Goehring Spends Time with Perdue in Mexico, Discusses Disaster – The Red River Farm Network spoke with North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring about the secretarial disaster declaration. The designation makes resources available for North Dakota farmers and ranchers facing weather-related challenges. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says it implements access to certain federal programs. “It will open up low-interest federal money so there might be an opportunity if people are feeling the pressure to restructure debt.” Prior to approval, Goehring was with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in Mexico on a trade mission.  Hear the story.

Disaster Designation Requested for 12 Minnesota Counties – A Secretarial disaster designation has been submitted for 12 northwest Minnesota counties. The request was sent to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue by Governor Tim Walz on Thursday. The letter asks for the federal assistance to help recover from recent weather events and agricultural losses. Last week, Governor Walz declared an emergency executive order that lifted restrictions for drivers hauling propane and liquid fuels.

MN Congressional Delegation Backs Disaster Declaration Request – The Minnesota Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday in an effort to get a Secretarial Disaster Declaration for Minnesota farmers. In the letter, the delegation offers support for Governor Tim Walz’s request and note the above average rainfall for the state. Lawmakers also say the Red River reached levels normally seen during the spring thaw. As a result, the harvest has slowed or stopped altogether. Read the letter. 

Walz: Problems Will Likely Extend into Next Spring – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has requested a secretarial disaster designation for a dozen counties in the northwest corner of the state. Walz told the Red River Farm Network that the crop losses are a significant issue this fall, but the problem will likely extend into next spring. “We are going to see flooding, that’s two seasons back to back where it will be very challenging.” The current farm situation differs from the 1980s, but Walz recognizes many farmers have refinanced operating loans for multiple years. Will lenders be asked to consider loan forbearance? “We have not officially asked that question,” says Walz. “A group of ag lenders showed me that on some farms farmers aren’t going to breakeven at $5.10 corn; others can make it at $2.65. This year, that band of those who can make it is getting narrower and more difficult.” Walz spoke at the Minnesota Ag & Food Summit Thursday in Minneapolis.

A Crop Insurance Decision Could Have Long-Term Implications – For crop insurance purposes, the farmer’s risk is based on ten years of production history. With the significant quality losses in wheat, Dickinson farmer Ed Kessel says there are long-term ramifications. “I could have a 60 bushel crop out there, but RMA reduces the crop down to 30 bushels due to quality. It is a horrible issue especially for younger farmers that don’t have proven yields that high. There’s some farmers that will make the decision to take a small payment and lose this yield or do I carry this yield forward and have it for the next ten years.” Kessel highlighted this issue when meeting with state and federal officials on Friday at Argusville, North Dakota.

ND Corn Farmers Want Harvest Flexibility from USDA – The majority of corn is standing in North Dakota. North Dakota Corn Growers Association President Randy Melvin, who farms at Buffalo, says the weather will determine how much more can be harvested. “One of my concerns talking to producers is they’re going to wait until spring to harvest. There are also propane issues in other states and some feel this could be an issue in North Dakota adding to the tough harvest.” The final harvest date for corn and soybeans is December 10. Melvin says the NDCGA is asking for more flexibility from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). “We’re asking the RMA to work with producers on a case-by-case basis. If farmers need to wait until spring for harvest, work with them on that. We have another month until the deadline and farmers should keep in touch with their crop insurance agent.”

NDGGA Questions Malt Barley Crop Insurance Formula – Two years ago, the Risk Management Agency began offering a malt barley endorsement. This year is the first time that policy is being tested and problems are evident. Without a futures market for barley, North Dakota Grain Growers Association First Vice President Dennis Haugen says the quality adjustments are based on the Chicago wheat market. “The formula they use for calculating yield loss is extremely complicated and we think there is an easier way.” Haugen says it will be a long winter for growers with a lot of malt barley not making grade.

HOS Requirements Waived in ND for Hay and Livestock Hauling – North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has signed an executive order waiving hours-of-service requirements for commercial vehicles hauling hay and livestock. An October blizzard, record fall rains and cold temperatures have resulted in a shortage of feed supplies to sustain livestock herds. This 30-day waiver will allow truck drivers to move more hay supplies in greater volumes and shorter times to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers.

Fall 2019 is “Like a Stuck Record” – For both farmers and ranchers it has been a battle this year. Shayne Isane of Badger, Minnesota says the challenges started at wheat harvest and haven’t stopped. “Managing both the crops and cattle is like a stuck record. We struggled with the silage and putting up high quality hay, but I do believe we’ll be okay on feed supplies. We feed a fair amount of beet pulp, so we’ll have to see how that supply is.” On a brighter note, Isane was able to wean calves last week. That’s due to the freezing temperatures which is firming up the ground. “That’s a good accomplishment.” Hear the story.

Sugarbeet Harvest Ends for Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative – Single-digit temperatures ended sugarbeet harvest for the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative. Vice President of Agriculture Todd Geselius says the cooperative pulled the pin on this year’s harvest Thursday morning. “We had been below freezing for a few days and it finally caught up with us.” Geselius says growers were able to harvest nearly all the harvest-able acres. “We did really well. We think there could be 1,000 to 1,500 acres left in fields or more. About 97 to 99 percent of the sugarbeets are harvested.” Phone and text messages from American Crystal Sugar Company and Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative indicate sugarbeet harvest will continue in the respective growing areas as long as frozen dirt chunks don’t get too severe.

Relentless Weather Prolongs the ND Silage Harvest – Farmers and ranchers are still battling Mother Nature, trying to finish silage harvest. “I’d say we have a nice crop, tonnage has been good, but it’s just getting too dry,” says custom harvester and Lakota, North Dakota farmer Kim Swenson. The rain and snow were relentless during the height of silage season in September and October, making most fields impossible to drive across. “It’s just been an awful fall. We did rig my brother’s manure spreader up for silage, which has been a big help.” In a typical year, Swenson is done chopping by now and back home focusing on corn and soybean harvest. That isn’t the case this year, which is proving to be challenging. Swenson hopes to wrap up silage any day now and switch to earlage. Hear the story.

Harvey, ND Farmers Dealing with Yield Losses and a Wet Crop – The soybean and dry edible bean harvest is the focus right now for Harvey, North Dakota farmers. The Arthur Companies agronomy manager Travis Larson says yields are acceptable, but some of the bean crop is getting left in the field. “Soybean yields have been good, but some was lost due to the snow. The edible beans are dealing with discount issues with smearing and discoloration.” Most of the corn has made it to maturity, but it is wet. “Farmers have been pleased with the yield. Originally they were nervous about test weight, but that has been okay as well after slowly drying corn down.” Hear more in this interview.

Decent Corn Harvest Near Wyndmere, ND – Near Wyndmere, North Dakota, Carson Klosterman is harvesting corn. “The moisture has come down a little bit since we started the second week of October. Yields are all over the place. All in all, everyone has been pretty happy.” Klosterman says corn moisture varies from 22 to 24 percent. In October, corn moisture was in the upper 20s and lower 30s. Corn is going through the dryer. In addition, Klosterman’s early corn was hauled to Hankinson Renewable Energy. “There was an incentive with zero basis on that early corn.”

Stuck in a Harvest Rut – Ruts, water, mud and muck; those are all common themes surrounding this year’s harvest season. According to University of Extension Educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes, the number one way to prevent problems is to not enter fields when it’s wet. This year is an exception because farmers didn’t have that choice. “The focus then shifts to minimizing ruts,” says DeJong-Hughes. “Reduce your axle load and try to reduce your tire pressure as much as you can.” NDSU Soil Health Specialist Abbey Wick has been fielding questions on these topics as well. Right now, Wick says the top agenda item is to get the crop out of the field. “We know there is probably going to be more prevented plant next year, so come up with some plans now. Direct seeding is going to be big. Choosing shorter-season crops and then planting a cover crop after is one option,” says Wick. Hear the full story.

MFU Minute – The Minnesota Farmers Union state convention is just around the corner, taking place November 22-24 in Minneapolis. Get the details from MFU President Gary Wertish in the this report.

Logistics Impacting Propane Availability in Northern Plains – Propane availability is getting tighter in the Northern Plains. CHS Ag Services Energy Department Manager Jim Corbett says propane supplies remain adequate, but logistics are the bottleneck. “There’s not enough trucks to deliver the demand of propane. The supply is staying up, but on the verge of running short,” says Corbett. “Terminals have lines of up to 30 trucks. Everyone wants a timely delivery. It’s tough to keep everyone operating and not shutting down.” A change in the propane delivery method a few years back is also causing some supply delay. “We are more railed in now, which makes the supply harder to get here, instead of using a pipeline. The demand with the shortage tightens up the situation.”

An Extremely Wet Fall for ND – North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network Director Daryl Ritchison says many areas of the state already had their wettest autumn on record, because September and October were out of the norm. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, North Dakota had the wettest September on record this year. Precipitation averaged 5.69 inches, beating the previous record set in 1941 by one inch. October was also wet, averaging 2.32 inches of precipitation, but Ritchison says it’s not the wettest on record. “It’s the 13th wettest October on record for the state. For temperature, the NCEI put it as the eighth coldest October on record.” There were three key events that made this fall especially tough. Two of those were in September and the weekend of October 11 was the third. Listen to the story.

USDA Lowers Wheat Supplies in November Report – USDA lowered wheat supplies, reduced domestic use and lowered ending stocks in the November Supply and Demand report. USDA reduced wheat supplies 42 million bushels on updated production estimates in North Dakota and Montana, where a significant amount of acreage went unharvested. USDA lowered wheat ending stocks by 30 million bushels to 1.014 billion bushels. The season average farm price is reduced by ten cents per bushel to $4.60.

Lots of Changes for Corn in November USDA Report – There were lots of changes for corn in the November USDA Supply and Demand report. USDA lowered corn production estimates to 13.66 billion bushels. Last month’s estimate was 13.77 billion bushels. Corn yield is forecast at 167 bushels/acre, lower than trade expectations. Total Farm Marketing Senior Market Advisor Naomi Blohm says that part of the report was bullish. “What was bearish is USDA lowered the demand category for everything including ethanol demand. The net result is lower ending stocks than last month.” USDA did not change soybean planted acres, harvested acres or yield. U.S. soybean production is estimated at 3.55 billion bushels. Soybean yield is forecast at 46.9 bushels/acre. “They reduced the amount of soybeans needed for crush. That’s the only reason why soybean ending stocks increased,” says Blohm. “I also think the soybean yield will come down, but we’ll have to see what happens in the December USDA report.”

USDA Forecasts Production Declines for Minnesota – Difficult weather has taken a toll on Minnesota’s crop. Corn production is expected to be down nine percent from last year and soybean production is down 18 percent. At 170 bushels per acre, the average corn yield is down 12 bushels from last year. Soybean yields average 45 bushels per acre, down four bushels. Minnesota sugarbeet production is down 15 percent and potato production is down four percent.

Corn/Soybean Output Takes a Hit in South Dakota – According to USDA, South Dakota’s corn and soybean production will decline significantly this year. Corn production is down 24 percent with the average yield forecast at 151 bushels per acre, down nine bushels from last year. Soybean production is down nearly 40 percent. The soybean yield is estimated at 43 bushels per acre, down two bushels from 2018. South Dakota’s spring wheat production declined 36 percent.

USDA Adjusts North Dakota Production – North Dakota’s soybean production is forecast to be down 23 percent from last year, while corn production is expected to increase five percent. North Dakota’s average soybean yield was put at 33 bushels per acre in Friday’s report, down two bushels from last year. The corn yield is forecast at 142 bushels per acre, down 11 bushels from 2018. North Dakota’s barley production is estimated to be 12 percent higher than last year. Other commodities will see declining production with durum production down 40 percent; spring wheat down eight percent; sugarbeet production down 27 percent and potato production down 12 percent.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi is attending the Ag Bankers Conference in Dallas to start this week. Grisafi highlights banker attitudes in this morning’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets.

Rabo AgriFinance 10-Year Outlook Shows More Pressure for Ag – In its latest 10 year outlook, Rabo AgriFinance Senior Grain and Oilseed analyst Steve Nicholson says the U.S. will continue to increase production and the trade war will have an impact, especially on soybeans. “Upwards of $2.50 per bushel can be attributed to things outside of the balance sheet of soybeans,” says Nicholson. “We’re shooting ourselves in the foot. African swine fever is making an impact, too.” On the flip side, Nicholson says soybean crush margins are good. “The expansion of soybean crush facilities are good for soybeans and U.S. soybean demand. There’s a 75 percent probability in 10 years that the national average soybean prices will be $9.60 or lower.” Corn and wheat prices will be pressured by an oversupply, flat domestic usage and increased global trade competition. Without any change in ethanol policy, Rabo AgriFinance predicts feed usage will overtake ethanol as the demand driver for corn. “We look at what’s happening with the livestock and continue to see good growth and export business there,” says Nicholson. “This will be good for corn.”

Dry Bean Scene – The biennial meeting of the Bean Improvement Cooperative took place in Fargo, North Dakota November 4 and 5. Disease resistance and nutrition were two talking points among researchers, organizations and other in attendance. Get the details in the Dry Bean Scene, made possible by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, FMC, SRS Commodities, UPL and Central Valley Bean Cooperative.

BIC Meeting Brings a Worldwide Presence to Fargo, ND – Over 150 researchers, organizations and bean industry professionals representing 12 countries gathered in Fargo, North Dakota for the Bean Improvement Cooperative biennial meeting. North Dakota State University plant pathologist Julie Pasche says the last time this meeting was held in Fargo was 2001. “There are both different challenges and the same challenges in bean production across the world. We learn from those challenges.” Phil Mikals, a dry bean research geneticist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, is the current BIC president. Miklas says disease resistance is a top talking point “A lot of these diseases are world wide. For diseases that are a problem in the U.S., the expertise may be in South Africa or somewhere else.” Another area is nutrition. “In the last ten years, bean have shown to have health benefits beyond just fiber and folate.” Listen to the full story.

MFP Payments Coming Soon – The Trump Administration has authorized the second tranche of Market Facilitation Program payments, which will be made later this month or in early December. “I full expect the November payments to be distributed,” says Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer. The third traunche of MFP payments are anticipated in early 2020. “I don’t see any reason not to distribute them. Even if the U.S. were to get an agreement with China, it’s only phase one and it is going to take time to implement; up to two years, if not longer.”

Cramer Discusses Trade Issues with President Trump – President Donald Trump and North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer discussed the U.S. and China trade talks via phone on Thursday night. “President Trump never overplays his hand with China; neither does China.” Cramer sees cautious optimism for a trade deal. “You don’t know when the next negative move will happen, but right now, I think Trump feels momentum and rightfully so.”

Moore: Getting USMCA to Starting Line is Key – A big step toward ratifying the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement is for the White House to send implementing legislation to Congress. That hasn’t happened yet. American Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice-President Dale Moore says conversations between the Trump Administration and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s working group are going well. “Right now, we’re holding our breath in hopes the package will move forward. We are confident when the House Speaker brings it up for a vote it will pass,” says Moore. “The key is getting it to the starting line.” Moore is uncertain if the agreement can be ratified by Thanksgiving. “My gut tells me it will move more efficiently than the time table may suggest. Getting something done by Christmas would be good as well. If we get it done this year, it will be a victory.”

Upbeat Forecast for U.S. Meat Exports – The U.S. Meat Export Federation is “pretty upbeat” about the export markets for beef, pork and lamb. Beef exports are expected to increase by five percent in 2020. Pork exports conservatively could grow by 13 percent. At their strategic planning conference in Arizona, USMEF officials said pork exports to China are up despite a 72 percent tariff. If a trade deal is successful, pork exports could increase rapidly.

MN Beef Update – Rocking K Ranch, run by the Kuschel Family at Nimrod, Minnesota, was recently featured in a farm feature video from the Minnesota Beef Council. Becky Church, council communications director, shares more in the Minnesota Beef Update.

Stronger Milk Prices Provide Hedging Opportunities – November Class III Milk futures have move above $20 per hundredweight. Kluis Commodities market analyst Jacob Burks sees that $20-plus price as a psychological level for dairy producers. “This has been too little, too late for some of these dairies,” he says. “There have been tough times in the dairy market.” Burks says its good to see some black ink for dairy producers, with hedging opportunities through 2020.

Labor Challenges Discussed at NMPF Meeting – At the National Milk Producers Federation annual meeting in New Orleans, dairy farmers were challenged to take a proactive role in farm policy. NMPF Milk Chairman Randy Mooney, who farms in Missouri, addressed the immigration issue. “Immigration is not a large farm issue; it’s not a small farm issue; it’s a dairy farm issue,” said Mooney. “I had the worst year on my farm last year that I ever had. It wasn’t necessarily about economics. I had a labor problem and economics don’t make a bit of difference if you don’t have anybody to do the work.” Mooney advocated for an immigration bill that is moving through Congress. In addition to the NMPF, this meeting included the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association.

TransFARMation: Advocating for Mental Health – Bryan and Sarah Klabunde farm in Minnesota’s Mahnomen County. Bryan is vice president of Minnesota Farmers Union and Sarah is a nurse and mental health advocate. The pair participated in a recent safeTALK training hosted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Health. The goal of this half-day workshop is to prevent suicides in our ag communities. In this edition of TransFARMation, Bryan and Sarah share their experience and offers insight into dealing with a very stressful harvest season.

Industrial Hemp Remains Illegal in South Dakota – Despite USDA’s release of regulatory guidelines for industrial hemp, the crop will not be grown legally in South Dakota. Governor Kristi Noem issued a statement, saying she remains opposed to industrial hemp because of the impact on public safety and the ability to enforce drug laws. Noem said USDA’s action does not preempt a state’s ability to adopt stronger rules or ban hemp production.

Arcadia Biosciences Advance High-Fiber Wheat – Arcadia Biosciences has secured its first purchase commitment for its high-fiber wheat. Bay State Milling is the exclusive North American commercial partner for use in its HealthSense brand. Arcadia Biosciences also announced the successful harvest of its GoodWheat non-GMO wheat varieties on 4,000 acres across five states, including North Dakota.

Canola Minute – In the latest Canola Minute, Flavor, Quality and American Menus is the focus. Hear more from Northern Canola Growers Associate Director Sheri Coleman in this update.

CHS Finishes FY19 with Higher Net Income – CHS finished fiscal year 2019 with a net income of $830 million, up from $776 million one year ago. The bottom line was helped by improved market conditions its refined fuels business. CHS also saw increased equity earnings from its investment in CF Nitrogen fertilizer. “It really played a key role in much of our trade area,” said Jay Debertin, president/CEO, CHS Inc. “River conditions really prevented barges from moving on the river the way you’d expect. We took extraordinary steps to get product off barges and into rail cars and trucks to get them into our trade territory.” Margins were pressured by ongoing weather and trade issues, particularly in the grain and agronomy business.

Nutrien Expects Demand Improvement in ’20 – Nutrien is reporting third quarter net income of $141 million. Nutrien President and CEO Chuck Magro said the results were impacted by short term market softness. However, the fertilizer company expects fundamentals to improve and 2020 will be a strong year for crop input demand.

A Digital Collaboration – BASF and WinField United are working together on a new digital project. With this effort, there will be a single sign-on connection from WinField United’s ATLAS platform to the BASF xarvio platform. Over time, growers and retailers will be able to synchronize data between the two digital platforms, combining agronomic information into one place.

Fantini Acquired by North Dakota Company – Drayton, North Dakota-based Hamilton Systems has purchased an Italian company that manufactures corn and sunflower headers. Hamilton Systems has been the North American distributor for the Fantini With this acquisition, Hamilton now owns the Fantini company and it’s factory in Italy.

Erickson Implement Purchased by Devils Lake, ND Case IH Dealer – Case IH dealer High Plains Equipment of Devils Lake, North Dakota has purchased Erickson Implement in Carrington. The former owner of Erickson Implement Bob Erickson was looking to retire, which opened the acquisition opportunity to High Plains Equipment owner John Swenseth. Employees at the Carrington location retained their jobs and the equipment lineup will remain the same. This will be the third location for High Plains Equipment, with another dealership located in Harvey.

Banks Takes Over as Tyson Foods President – Tyson Foods Board of Directors named independent board director Dean Banks as president of the company. Banks will report to CEO Noel White and oversee the company’s business segments. Banks will remain a member of the Tyson Foods board and will be considered a non-independent director. Banks previously was part of the leadership team for X, the research and development arm of Alphabet Inc., formerly known as Google X.

MN Corn Matters – Safety during harvest is the main message from the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center. Hear from UMASH outreach coordinator Megan Schossow in this edition Corn Matters, made possible by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

Schiefelbein is the New Angus Association President – Don Schiefelbein is the new president of the American Angus Association. The Kimball, Minnesota rancher is co-owner of Schiefelbein Farms, consisting of more than 1,000 registered Angus females, a 7,500 head feedlot and 4,600 acres of cropland. Schiefelbein was selected for the role during the 2019 Angus Convention earlier this week in Reno, Nevada. Also elected were California rancher David Dal Porto as vice president and Nebraska rancher Jerry Connealy as treasurer. Listen to the story with Schiefelbein.

Purath Angus Farm Honored – Purath Angus Farm of Red Lakes Falls, Minnesota was honored with American Angus Association Century Award at this year’s convention in Reno, Nevada. Gary and Patty Purath are the fourth generation on the farm, which was founded in 1914. Also receiving the honor was Spring Cove Ranch of Idaho.

Birdwell Elected Hereford Association President – Oklahoma rancher Joel Birdwell was elected president of the American Hereford Association during the annual meeting in Kansas City. Birdwell succeeds retiring president Pete Atkins of Tea, South Dakota. Also stepping into new positions are Mark St. Pierre of California as vice president and Bill Goehring of Iowa, Whitey Hunt of Georgia and Becky King-Spindle of New Mexico serving on the Hereford board of directors.

SD Hereford Breeder Receives Award – Thirteen cattle producers were recognized as American Hereford Association Golden Breeders for 50 years in the Hereford business. Included on that list are Ollerich Brothers Herefords of Parker, South Dakota, who were recognized during the association’s annual meeting in Kansas City.

AgriGrowth Honors for Torgerson – Minnesota AgriGrowth has presented its Distinguished Service Award to Dave Torgerson. Torgerson retired in March after 30-plus years as the executive director of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers and Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council. For those that know Torgerson, it wasn’t a surprise when he gave the credit to others. “I don’t think I personally deserve (the award), but to me it is a reflection of all the board members that gave their vision, dedication and commitment; and for all the staff that worked for growers to serve and make a difference.”

NDSU Announces VP of Agriculture Finalists – North Dakota State University is filling its Vice President for Agriculture position and four candidates are finalists for the job. Those candidates include NDSU Extension Interim Director Greg Lardy, NDSU Animal Science Department Professor Eric Berg, U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Andrea Travnicek and Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors Interim Executive Director Bret Hess. Each finalist will be featured in open forums held November 18 and 20 and December 2 and 16 at the Memorial Union. Those unable to attend in person can view the forms online.

MFU Membership and Outreach Director Passes Away – Minnesota Farmers Union Membership and Outreach Director Bruce Miller passed away over the weekend. Miller joined the MFU team in 2007. He grew up on a dairy farm in central Minnesota and had a passion for family farmers and rural communities. In a statement, MFU President Gary Wertish said Miller dedicated his life working for social justice, building relationships across Minnesota and he will be deeply missed.