Homecoming – The National Association of Farm Broadcasting is celebrating 80 years during this week’s annual convention in Kansas City. The ‘Homecoming’ theme is quite appropriate with farm broadcasters and industry stakeholders coming together for our annual trek to Kansas City and the Westin Crown Center. Former Red River Farm Network Farm Broadcaster Carah Hart planned this year’s meeting and put together an excellent program. Join RRFN for our coverage on-air, online and in social media this week.

Two-Pronged Approach to Fund the Government – To avoid a government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson is proposing a two-point spending bill. Funding for USDA, Transportation and a few other areas would be extended until January 19. The continuing resolution for the rest of the federal agencies would expire in early February. The House could vote on this proposal as soon as Tuesday. In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has scheduled a procedural vote this afternoon on a placeholder bill for a temporary spending bill.

One-Year Farm Bill Extension Likely – House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to avoid a government shutdown includes an extension of the current farm bill by one year. The four leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committee Committees released a statement Sunday saying they were able to come together to avoid a funding lapse for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty for farmers and ranchers. The Democratic and Republican leaders of the ag committees said this extension is not a substitute for passing a five-year farm bill and they remain committed to getting it done next year. Seventeen pages of the 32-page continuing resolution focused on the farm bill extension.

Diverse Group Calls on Congress to Pass the Farm Bill – More than 100 farm and food groups are working together on a campaign called ‘Farm Bill for American Families.’ These groups are calling on Congress to pass a farm bill in a timely basis. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall was part of an event at the National Press Club and admitted it will be difficult to get the farm bill done before the end of the year. To get the legislation done right, Duvall said these groups support a short-term extension.

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Carolyn Olson talks about shaping policy for the next year in this week’s MFBF Minute.

NDSGA Takes Message to DC – The North Dakota Soybean Growers Association spent time on Capitol Hill this past week. The focus was on renewable fuels, but NDSGA Executive Director Nancy Johnson said the farm bill was also an obvious discussion point. “No one is just quite sure when it’s going to be moving forward to the next step and voting on it.” Leadership is moving toward an extension. “Chairman ‘GT’ Thompson is certainly anxious to keep things moving so we can get a farm bill in place.”

Boosting Competition in Specialty Crops – In a Thursday briefing, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small highlighted USDA’s support for the specialty crops sector. “We’ve launched a number of initiatives and programs to increase competition for producers of all sizes to boost market access for their product.” Small said this new Specialty Crop Competitiveness Initiative will promote trade while enhancing sustainability.

Crop Varies by Region – The corn harvest is in the final stretch in northwest Minnesota.”A lot of pleased farmers out there,” said Pioneer Territory Manager Jerod Hanson. “The yields have been very good, above average, and they’re happy to have the crop they have given the amount of moisture we had for the summer.” It is a differnet scenario in western North Dakota with Pioneer Field Agronomist Larry Lunder saying the recent snow added to the frustration. “Not only is the corn wetter than we’d like in most cases, but there are also bad roads that trucks are on trying to get to fields.” Overall though, Lunder says it’s one of the best corn crops he’s seen. “There’s a tremendous dryland corn crop out there, I’ve seen anywhere from 140 to 180 bushels per acre which is really strong in western North Dakota.” In the southern Red River Valley, Pioneer Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner says a few sunflowers are left and about 40-to-50 percent of the corn is still standing.” Corn yields have varied widely with Sinner reporting a range of 150-to 220 bushels an acre.

Chipping Away at Corn Harvest – BASF Technical Service Representative Ken Deibert says harvest progress is coming along after the snow melted off. “There was quite a bit of progress last week after the snow melted off, but I don’t know if sunflowers are quite ready yet.” According to Deibert, there’s been some reports of corn root worm damage in fields this year. “If you look, there’s been reports around south-central, south-east North Dakota. Corn root worm hasn’t been reported much in the past though.”

Working on Corn at Colfax, ND – Near Colfax, North Dakota, Jared Haverland is close to wrapping up his corn harvest. “Coming into fall, we didn’t know what things were going to look like just because it was so dry, but everything looked very good.” Weather delays have been minimal. “A couple of those little snow events only held us off for a couple days. We had to shuffle some dry corn around but we’re right back in it.”

Difficult Dry Down – U.S. Custom Harvesters Vice President Paul Paplow has crews continuing to pick away at corn harvest along the Iowa/Minnesota border and in South Dakota. “It’s been a challenge to get the corn to dry down out in South Dakota, but they’ve got a really good crop out there.” Harvest has gone well with limited weather delays. “All the snow is gone and the weather warmed up now; everything’s going good again.”

Peterson Farms Seed: Evaluating Yield Data – There are important ‘do’s and don’ts’ when evaluating yield data. Peterson Farms Seed Precision Systems Agronomist Nolan Berg says there are tools available to make the best field comparisons. Listen to the update.

A Second Wave of Harvest – GK Technologies agronomist Sarah Lovas is seeing a second wave of fall field work happen. “Based on how quiet my phone got there for a few days, I kind of thought we were going to be finishing up for the year.” Temperatures took a turn and look favorable this week. Lovas has started making soil fertility recommendations and ditching maps once again. There is quite a bit of corn left in her area from western North Dakota to northwest Minnesota.

A Waiting Game – According to Bayer Customer Business Advisor Adam Sip, the last blast of winter weather caused harvest delays in east central North Dakota and west central Minnesota. “I’ve had several plots that have been punted on three or four times. A month has gone by with little progress and it’s irritating for everyone.” Sip says some farmers are fortunate to be done with harvest and fall fieldwork while others have crops left in the field. Yields have been better than expected. “I don’t know how many times I’ve heard from guys that don’t know where it came from. It’s certainly a huge blessing.” There are areas where yields came up short that received less than three inches of rain throughout the season.

House Task Force Seeks Reform for H-2A Program – A House Agriculture Committee task force is recommending changes to the H-2A visa program. Their interim report cites a rule implemented by the Labor Department in January that increased the minimum wage rates for these foreign workers. Nearly 80 percent of the employers surveyed said administrative delays prevented H-2A workers from starting on a timely basis.

Adverse Wage Effect Rule Called ‘Off Target’ – National Coalition of Agricultural Employers CEO Michael Marsh is working to turn back a Department of Labor ruling that requires an employee to be paid the base wage for the highest paying task they perform for the duration of their contract. The purpose of this rule is to encourage hiring of local and domestic labor before using the H-2A program. Marsh said low unemployment numbers make it difficult for those looking for labor. “It’s hard to imagine you’re having an adverse effect on a domestic worker when they don’t even apply for the job.” While the petition will take time to work its way through the courts, Marsh says Congress could take action. “If there is no adverse effect, there is no need for an adverse effect wage rate.”

H-2A Rule Has Local Impact – Warren, Minnesota farmer Denise Olson employes two H-2A workers each year on a contract from March 1 through December 31. A new Department of Labor rule on the adverse effect wage rate will go into effect on January 1. If this new rule remains in place, Olson said it would cost her tens of thousands of dollars more per year in labor costs. “To put it mildly, this program could just become unaffordable. There’s no way you would just spend that kind of money to get exactly what you already have.” Thief River Falls, Minnesota farmer David Gary has his 82 year old father is still working on the farm due to the labor shortage. “He can’t retire because he’s our main guy and we can’t find anybody to take his place. Without H-2A, we’re going to suffer.” Gary describes the local labor force as extremely scarce. “There’s not enough population to serve all the jobs and the workforce is exhausted in the Upper Midwest.”

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Marine Corps Veteran Sam Nelson shares his thoughts on Veteran’s Day.

California’s Glyphosate Warning Label Blocked – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a permanent injunction, finding it unconstitutional to force Bayer and other ag companies to include a warning label for glyphosate. California’s warning label would link the use of glyphosate to cancer, which plaintiffs called “false and misleading.” The National Association of Wheat Growers was the lead plaintiff. Thirteen other organizations, including the North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Agri-Business Association, National Corn Growers Association and U.S. Durum Growers Association, participated in the lawsuit.

Glyphosate Ruling is ‘a Win for All Farmers’ – The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit prohibited California’s Proposition 65 warning requirements related to glyphosate. National Association of Wheat Growers Executive Director Chandler Goule says the permanent injunction is a win for all farmers who use glyphosate. “This permanent injunction will make sure we do not have to put a misleading or false label that said glyphosate was used in the production system.” Goule is pleased science prevailed in this legal decision. “There’s 40 years of safety records that say glyphosate is safe.”

Beet Stock Values – According to Acres & Shares broker Jayson Menke, there were three brokered American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock sales last week totaling 80 shares between $5,500 to $5,600 with an average price of $5,518.75 per share.

Consumers and Farmers Weigh in on Ag Issues – There are wide gaps in perceptions between farmers and consumers. That’s according to a survey conducted this past spring by Nutrien. The largest divide between farmers and consumers is in environmental stewardship. When asked if farmers use more chemicals than necessary, there is a 45-point difference of opinion between production agriculture and consumers. Fifty-five percent of consumers have an overall negative top-of-mind perception about agriculture. Nutrien Director of Sustainability Program Management Sally Flis said the survey also found common ground between farmers and consumers. “Both consumers and farmers see agriculture as a key piece for going forward with a sustainable future,” said Flis. “It’s an interesting overlap that shows we have some ground to start in a common place when we’re talking with farmers and consumers about agricultural production.” Flis is hopeful this study will encourage farmers to tell their story.

A Bearish S/D Report – The USDA supply and demand report delivered higher-than-expected corn and soybean yields. Corn production totaled 15.2 billion bushels with an average yield of 174.9 bushels per acre. Soybean production climbed to 4.1 billion bushels with yields averaging 49.9 bushels per acre. Traders had been expecting soybean yields to be unchanged to slightly lower.

Fielding Questions – In the latest Fielding Questions podcast, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Marketing and Education Rob Fronning recaps the latest WASDE report and talks about the market reaction. Fielding Questions is a collaboration between AgCountry Farm Credit Services and the Red River Farm Network.

Even With Erratic Weather, Brazilian Production Rises – CONAB is forecasting Brazilian soybean production at 162.4 million metric tons, up more than five percent from last year. “They increased the area 110,000 hectares from last month,” explained Soybean and Corn Advisor President Michael Cordonnier  Brazil is faced with localized flooding in the southern part of the country and dry conditions in the north. Argentina’s weather is improving but corn acreage is down. “They planted 10-to-12 percent less than what we thought they would; I think they’ll switch some of those acres over to soybeans.”

Corn Matters – 10,000 Drops Craft Distillers Co-Owner Jake Hvvistendahl talks about his partnership with local corn growers. Hear more in the latest Corn Matters, brought to you by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

Little War Premium Unless Conflict Expands Beyond Israel and Palestine – The war between Israel and Hamas appears to be contained to their region. NDSU Extension Crops Economist Frayne Olson says the war hasn’t had an impact on the U.S. grain market yet. “I want to be very clear about that, so far we haven’t seen any risk premium show up in the corn or wheat markets.” Olson is watching to see if Iran becomes involved in the conflict, which could lead to increased volatility in the region. “That’s when we’ll see the grain markets respond with concerns about product flow.”

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson said soybeans and soybean meal are “lukewarm,” helped by Chinese buying interest and South American weather. Martinson said cattle put in a brutal week in the past week, suffering significant losses.

Biden and Xi to Meet in San Francisco – President Joe Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week in San Francisco. This rare face-to-face meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. This is Xi’s first visit to the United States in six years. Trade will likely be part of the discussion.

Market Access Sought in WTO Ministerial – Ahead of next year’s World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, 30 major U.S. farm organizations have asked the Biden Administration to take a proactive approach to agricultural trade negotiations. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the groups said the U.S. should “pursue achievable, short-term goals while laying the groundwork for a more ambitious, long-term effort to reform the agricultural trading system.” The WTO ministerial event will be held in the United Arab Emirates in late February.

U.S. Soybeans Heading to China – China was back big in the market Tuesday, making the largest single-day purchase of U.S. soybeans in at least three months. China bought 600,000 metric tons or ten cargoes of soybeans for shipment out of the PNW and Gulf. The sale is welcome news after a recent downturn in U.S. export business to China.

MN Delegation is Down Under – A trade delegation led by Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz is in Australia for an eight-day trade mission. Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said this is a multi-track trade mission. “We probably have 40 or 50 people on it in total and we have different tracks,” said Petersen. “There’s a medical track, a business track and an agricultural track.” The agriculture delegation includes soybean growers, dry edible bean growers, Minnesota Farmers Union and the University of Minnesota Extension.

Biden and Xi to Meet in San Francisco – President Joe Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week in San Francisco. This rare face-to-face meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. This is Xi’s first visit to the United States in six years. Trade will likely be part of the discussion.

Shapiro Delivers a ‘Big Picture’ Look at Ag Issues – For decades, the United States was the sole global superpower. In the view of geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro, the shift has been made to multipolarity without a dominant global power. In this environment, Shapiro said U.S. agriculture needs a more focused trade policy with countries who share its interests. “So China is probably not a long-term partner from us on a trade or economic basis; our interests are just not in common,” said Shapiro. “Neither is a country like Mexico, which is already angry at us for a lot of different reasons or Japan. We need to solidify relationships with those countries that we know are not hostile to American interests but still want to import American goods.” Shapiro, who is a partner with Cognitive Investments, has a mixed view regarding biofuels. “If we haven’t fixed global hunger, why we’re taking calories and putting them into fuel? Especially when we’re awash in natural gas, we could be building nuclear reactors, there’s solar and wind. The idea of growing crops for energy when you have plenty of other energy sources, there’s cognitive disconnect there that I can’t work out.” In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Shapiro said he remains incredibly optimistic about the next five to ten years. Shapiro spoke Thursday at the Ag and Food Summit in Minneapolis.

Register for NCI Market Update Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Market Update webinar on Wednesday at 8 AM. This webinar will feature Kevin Clausen, a Principal at John Stewart and Associates, who will discuss the WASDE report. This webinar series focuses on providing new market insights on commodities and trading to those across the globe. Go online for more information and to register.

Interest Rate Concerns – The results of the annual ag lender survey were released at the Agricultural Bankers Conference. Farmer Mac Chief Economist Jackson Takach said the survey showed a slight shift in the biggest concern for lenders. “Interest rate volatility became the number one concern that ag lenders reported facing their institution.” Lender competition and credit quality were found to be less important. According to lenders, liquidity and farm income are the biggest concerns for producers.

This Isn’t 1985 – American Bankers Association Ag and Rural Bankers Committee Vice Chair Caleb Hopkins is seeing the cost of interest becoming a become a bigger part of the balance sheet. “Producers have not experienced operating rates as high as they are today. You look at a million dollar operation, that interest expense is going to more than double.” Comparisons have been made to the farm crisis days of the 1980s, but Hopkins said there are more tools today to mitigate risk. “Crop insurance programs are much more robust and revenue guarantees have climbed to give producers opportunities to manage that risk.”

Ag Economy Barometer Shows October Increase – The CME Group/Purdue University Ag Economy Barometer rose four points this month to a reading of 110. The survey asked farmers about their concern about farm policy. Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture Director Dr. James Mintert is surprised to see the concern level has remained low. “I think that could be a reflection of the fact that we’ve had relatively strong prices and as a result the farm safety net hasn’t been as big of a player.” The survey showed land value expectations have continued to rise. Mintert says this is due to the expectations of non-farmer investment demand and inflation.

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman provides an update on canola’s role in the renewable fuels industry.

Advocating for Tax Credit for Renewable Fuel From Methane – The National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas want to see the continuation of a tax credit for renewable natural gas. The RNG tax credit was part of the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote agriculture’s role in addressing climate change. The support for the tax credit is in response to pressure from environment and animal rights activist groups to end the tax incentive for RNG produced from livestock manure.

Farming for the Future – Hear about an upcoming soil health event in December with Minnesota Soil Health Coalition Executive Director Mark Gutierrez in this week’s Farming for the Future, brought to you by Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

National Pork Board Highlights Sustainability – National Pork Board Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr spoke at the Agricultural Bankers Conference in Oklahoma City, highlighting the tools available to evalute sustainability and the impact on the swine industry and agriculture. The Pork Cares Farm Impact Report helps farmers share their story with legislators, companies interested in carbon offsets or consumers. “Here’s real data that shows how they are making improvements or what their outcomes are.” This data can also be used in a big picture approach. “We can roll that data up and then we can share our sustainability story from the entire industry.”

Fall Soil Testing Coming to a Close – Agvise Laboratories Soil Scientist John Breker says fall soil testing is pretty much wrapped up for the year. “Overall, I would say 90 percent of the soil sampling activities for the fall have already been completed.” According to Breker, the soil profile has contained higher-than average nitrate content. “The drought became a very large fiend this summer. Because of that, we saw higher levels of residual nitrate after crops like wheat and corn.”

AURI Update – Join the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute at a roundtable focusing on renewable hydrogen. Hear more in the latest AURI Update.

MN, CA, TN and NC Join Agri Stats Lawsuit – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and three other AGs have joined a federal lawsuit against Agri Stats. The Justice Department claims Agri Stats knowingly produces benchmarking data that helped meat processors artificially control supplies and prices. Ellison described that as “uncompetitive behavior.” California, Tennessee and North Carolina are also part of this lawsuit. In a statement, Agri Stats said these allegations are “baseless” and the company would vigorously defend itself in court.

Proposed Wastewater Rule Draws Criticism – The National Pork Producers Council, North American Meat Institute and U.S. Poultry and Egg Association met with representatives of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to voice concerns over EPA’s proposed wastewater rule for meat processing facilities. This potential regulation is being reviewed by OIRA is expected to require meatpackers to install significant upgrades to their wastewater management systems. During the meeting, NPPC Chief Legal Strategist Michael Formica emphasized pork producers are dealing with the worst economic crisis in a generation and can’t afford the potential loss of markets due to regulatory pressure.

Evaluating the Risk of Feral Pigs in MN – The Minnesota DNR is working with the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and the Board of Animal Health to review the threat of feral pigs near the U.S.-Canadian border. The public will be able to provide input in an online meeting Tuesday. The state’s review will be shared with the Minnesota Legislature next year.

Milk Marketing Order Hearing Process to Resume – Testimony on the pricing formula for Federal Milk Marketing Order reform will resume November 27. The hearings outside of Indianapolis were recessed October 11. This process began in late August. The milk marketing orders have not seen significant reform in more than 20 years.

‘Butter’ Days Ahead for the Dairy Industry – A new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange said there is tremendous upset potential for domestic butter demand. That’s on top of the significant growth in domestic butterfat production over the past ten years. While milk consumption is down, CoBank is seeing a bright future for premium butter and butter spreads. The report said more consumers are favoring full-fat dairy foods over reduced fat options.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Director of Industry Relations Jon Dilworth gives an update on the Top of the Class program in this week’s Minnesota Beef Update.

Beef Producers Invited to Participate in NDBC Meetings – For the third consecutive year, the North Dakota Beef Commission is hosting producer meetings. “We’ve had a lot of good feedback from these,” said Nicole Wardner, executive director, NDBC. “This is an opportunity for the producer board of the Beef Commission to share about the projects and investments that they’re making.” Wardner said these meetings are also an opportunity for beef producers to share their ideas and opinions. The NDBC producer meetings will be November 28 in Golden Valley and November 30 in Carrington.

Dry Bean Scene – Northarvest Marketing and Communications Director Jed Brazier reminds growers about the 49th annual Bean Day on this week’s Dry Bean Scene. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, Sharpen Fungicide from BASF, SRS Commodities and Heads Up Plant Protectants.

Hours of Service Restriction Sparks Concern – North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reconsider its decision to restrict governors’ ability to waive hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers. The FMCSA tightened the maximum waiver from 30 days to 14 days. Burgum said the change impacts agriculture’s ability to respond to emergencies “without having to slog through a sea of bureaucratic red tape.” In the last two years, Burgum issued HOS waivers for CDL drivers hauling propane, gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil and additional orders for those hauling ag inputs, fertilizer, hay, water and livestock.

Leveraging AI Technology in Agriculture – The Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday to consider the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture. Academic and technology industry leaders will testify. Dr. Jose-Marie Griffiths, president, Dakota State University, is one of the witnesses. DSU is located in Madison, South Dakota.

Technology at Work – Farm Credit Services of Mandan hosted an agriculture technology event that looked at artificial intelligence, drones and and the Bushel app. FCS of Mandan Director of Marketing and Services Becky Peterson said the conference was designed to teach farmers and ranchers how technology can make routine tasks more efficient. Technology advancements have also impacted the Farm Credit System. “We’ve invested quite a bit into our online banking program,” said Peterson. “We’re starting to get quite a few of these high tech advancements for some of our younger and more busy producers.”

Winterizing Farm Equipment – Preparing equipment for winter storage is top of mind as farmers finish harvest and fall tillage. New Holland Manager of Product Marketing Aaron Booth recommends creating a checklist, beginning with any repairs that need to be done. “This time of year is a really good time to work with your local dealer,” said Booth. “They’re often running service specials, inspection deals and they’re trying to keep their mechanic service bays full through the winter so it’s a really good time to get that machine in.” The checklist should then shift to the normal winterizing procedures. The list would include clean-up, checking fluid levels, servicing and evaluating the battery.

Structural Changes Coming for Bayer – Bayer’s new chief executive officer, Bill Anderson, is considering structural changes for the company. That could include separating the agriculture business from Bayer’s pharmaceutical and consumer health business. Anderson also plans to streamline operations by eliminating several layers of management. Bayer suffered a third quarter loss of $4.9 billion in U.S. dollars. That compares to $583 million in profits one year ago. In the Crop Science division, sales of corn seed and traits rose 21 percent. Fungicide sales were up 16 percent and the soybean seed and traits business increased nearly 16 percent. Herbicide sales declined more than 17 percent, which was impacted by lower prices for glyphosate products after an exceptionally strong prior year.

Bayer-Microsoft Updates Strategic Partnership – At the Agritechnia trade show, Bayer announced an update to its strategic collaboration with Microsoft. New connections are designed to deliver secure data exchange between Climate FieldView and original equipment manufacturers to increase the usability of the farm machinery information. It also includes remote sensing for in-season crop identification of key cash crops, such as corn and soybeans.

CHS Achieves Record Net Income for FY2023 – CHS finished the fiscal year with net income of $1.9 billion, up from $1.7 billion for FY2022. This is the highest earnings in the history of the nation’s largest cooperative. As a result, CHS intends to return $730 million in cash patronage and equity redemptions to its member cooperatives and farmer-owners in the upcoming year. Strong meal and oil demand delivered higher earnings for its soybean and canola processing business. However, margins were down for wholesale and retail agronomy products with prices down considerably from historically high prices in the previous year. CHS’ energy segment had strong earnings, helped by positive market conditions for its refined fuels business.

3Q Loss for Mosaic – The Mosaic Company reports a net loss of $4 million in the third quarter. That compares to net profits of $842 million in the third quarter of 2022. Mosaic officials said the company is well positioned for the second half of 2023 and 2024.

Small Quarterly Loss for Corteva – For the third quarter, Corteva had a net loss of $321 million. In the same quarter last year, there was a loss of $331 million. Overall seed sales rose seven percent, helped by an increase in North American corn sales. For the crop protection division, net sales declined ten percent. Sales volume was down in North America and Latin America influenced partially by a delay in farmer purchasing decisions.

CNH 3Q Financials Released – CNH Industrial reports quarterly net income of $570 million, up from $559 million in the same quarter in 2022. Record margins were seen in the company’s agriculture business segment. CNH also announced a restructuring plan which will include a five percent cut in its salaried workforce and a 10-to-15 percent reduction in total workforce expenses. CNH brands include Case IH and New Holland.

New Combine Launched at European Farm Show – New Holland Agriculture has unveiled its new CR11 combine at the Agritechnica farm show in Hanover, Germany. The combine has a grain tank with a capacity of 567 bushels and can be unloaded in under 100 seconds. It also features a new residue management system with a new chopper and chaff spreader.

Raven Introduces Precision Agriculture Enhancements – Raven Industries is highlighting its new CRx+ Guidance Kit at the Agritechnica show. This is a scalable and customizable combination of guidance receivers, steering innovations and enhanced in-cab displays.

FMC Launches New Combination At-Plant Product – FMC has launched a new insecticide/biofungicide premix crop protection product called Ethos Elite LFR. This product is labeled for corn, soybeans, canola and more and utilizes two FMC proprietary biological strains for broad spectrum control against early season diseases and soilborne pests. Ethos Elite LFR will be available on a limited commercial basis for the 2024 crop season with a complete launch in 2025.

Honig Takes on New Role – Lance Honig was named the acting chair of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics board. Honig has been the crops branch chair since 2008. He replaces Joe Parsons, who has been appointed NASS associate administrator.

From NAWG to Broadband Trade Group – Mariah Wollweber has joined USTelecom/The Broadband Association as its senior director of communications. Most recently, Wollweber was the director of communications and partnerships for the National Association of Wheat Growers.

Spronk Leads USMEF – Edgerton, Minnesota pork and grain producer Randy Spronk is the new chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Spronk is a past president of the National Pork Producers Council and Minnesota Pork Produces Council. A cattle rancher from Nebraska, Steve Hanson, will serve as chair-elect. The vice chair is Jay Theiler, executive vice president with Agri Beef. David Bruntz of Nebraska is the secretary/treasurer.

Appointments Made to USB – USDA has announced the appointment of four new members on the United Soybean Board. In addition, 15 farmer-leaders were reappointed. Lawrence Sukalski of Fairmont, Minnesota and Todd Hanten of Goodwin, South Dakota were among those reappointed to another term on the soybean checkoff board.

Schiefelbein Honored at Ag and Food Summit – Don Schiefelbein, who is a partner in Schiefelbein Farms at Kimball, received the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council’s Distinguished Service Award. Schiefelbein Farms is the largest seedstock cattle operation in Minnesota and one of the largest in the nation. Schiefelbein spoke about the need for a unified ag industry. ‘this whole industry needs a whole lot more of getting along. We have so much in common, yet it seems like we try to figure out those few things that we disagree on, but this industry is going to be so healthy if we get together and go in this direction.” Schiefelbein is past president of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Associaiton and American Angus Association.

AgriGrowth Council Elects Slate of Directors – Six current Minnesota AgriGrowth Council board members have been re-elected. They are Mark Davis of Davis Family Farm, Jake Hamlin of CHS, Hillary Myers of Cargill, Rob Orsten of R&R Family Farms, Beth Schnell of Sparboe Companies and Matt Wohlman of Land O’Lakes. Newly-elected board members are Geraint Powell of Rosen’s Diversified, Jim Roberge of Compeer Financial, Jaime Goehner of ADM, Tom Rabaey of General Mills and Chuck Tryon of Bushel Boy. Veteran board members Tom Rosen o Rosen’s Diversified and Steve Peterson of Peterson Farms did not seek re-election.

Mogck Re-elected to Angus Board – Five members of the American Angus Association board of directors were re-elected. That list includes Charles Mogck of Olivet, South Dakota. Mogck is a third-generation Angus breeder.

Minnesotan Elected to American Agri-Women Officer Team – Kathy Goodyke of Crookston has been elected to serve as treasurer of the American Agri-Women. The election took place at the organization’s conference in Sacramento.

Wogsland Humbled by NDSU Harvest Bowl Recognition – Former North Dakota Grain Growers Association Executive Director Dan Wogsland is the 2023 NDSU Harvest Bowl Agribusiness Award recipient. “I am so grateful and I am so humbled,” said Wogsland. “It’s all due to everyone in agriculture and everyone in North Dakota and my family and my friends, I am so deeply, deeply gratified and I just appreciate it so much.” Wogsland farmed for 27 years and served 16 years in the North Dakota Legislature. Before retiring earlier this year, Wogsland spent 19 years in leadership with the North Dakota Grain Growers Association. In addition, 55 county agriculturalist award honorees were recognized Friday night.

New Extension Sugarbeet Specialist Named – Eric Branch is the new sugarbeet specialist in a joint appointment with North Dakota State University Extension and University of Minnesota Extension. Branch is an Alexandria, Minnesota native with his education completed at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University.