A Weekly Update from the Red River Farm Network
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Giving Thanks – Thanksgiving Day is on the schedule this week. As you sit down to the family table for the holiday meal, give thanks to America’s farmers. Farming is never easy. Mother Nature, up-and-down markets and regulatory pressures all have their impact. Despite those challenges, you’re working around the clock to food on our table, clothes on our back and fuel in our tank. At the Red River Farm Network, we’re blessed to work for some of the best farmers in the world. We thank you for your hard work and dedication.
CR/Farm Bill Extension Signed into Law – President Joe Biden signed the continuing resolution, giving lawmakers until January 19 to pass funding bills for Agriculture/FDA, Transportation/Housing and Urban Development, Military Construction/Veterans Affairs and Energy/Water. Eight other funding bills face an early February deadline. This stopgap spending bill also includes the one-year extension to the farm bill.
Advocacy Concern – With the one-year extension of the farm bill, North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne is worried that a lot of the advocacy work may be lost. “The good news is we have some predictability for what farmers and ranchers can sign up for next year. The bad news is we put a lot of work into ARC and PLC reference prices, crop insurance, and developing livestock programs so we hope that doesn’t get lost in the meantime.” Watne is hoping the farm bill can be addressed before the elections take over as a priority. “Hopefully, we get it far enough along, so that we don’t have to extend it again.”
CCC Money Cited as a Farm Bill Solution – According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the farm bill has been held up by a money problem. “The reason we don’t have a farm bill now is in large part because they can’t figure out how to pay for reference prices.” During an appearance at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention, Vilsack said a farm bill will not be finalized until the reference price issue is resolved. In his view, there are no other places within the farm bill to tap for the $2 billion needed each year for this update. The use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds was suggested. “What does the CCC do today? Well, gosh, it pays ARC payments; it pays PLC payments; it pays CRP payments so what’s the reluctance in using that asset that’s available?” asked Vilsack. “Until they come to that realization, I think we’re gonna be waiting awhile for the farm bill.”
Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, RRFN visits with Midwest Council on Agriculture Executive Director Allison Stock as she gives an update on Farm Bill progress. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, Sharpen Herbicide from BASF, SRS Commodities, and Heads Up Plant Protectants.
The End of Harvest is in Sight – RCM Ag Services market analyst Steve Wagner is plugging away with his corn harvest. “I’m hoping to be done this weekend, but there’s fewer and fewer of us out there.” Wagner is located in southeastern Minnesota and says the weather has been perfect for harvest. That wasn’t the case for the entire growing season. “If you’re on dry land and the soil doesn’t have any depth to it, you’re struggling with yields.”
Pockets of Corn Left to Harvest – Pioneer Strategic Account Manager Cole Ehrlin says harvest in central to eastern North Dakota really progressed in the last week, but there’s still corn standing. “We’ve had a few customers finish up, but there’s pockets that have quite a bit of corn left to come off.” Dry down has been slow with moisture levels finally coming down. “It seems a lot of the corn is coming off between 18-20 percent which is actually ideal now.”
Finishing a Fantastic Crop At Hazelton – Hazelton, North Dakota farmer Mike Appert was able to get back in the combine with the return of better weather. “Soybean and corn yields have been close to record large for our area,” said Appert. “All the crops in general have been really good this year.” Disease pressure was low due to relatively dry conditions. A wet period in August caused some head rot in the sunflowers, but nothing devastating. “There was a little white mold in the soybeans, but that’s what happens when you have good soybeans.”
The Tail End of Corn Harvest – South Dakota Soybean Association President Kevin Deinert farms near Mount Vernon and says there’s just a few spots with crop standing in the area. “I’d say soybeans are pretty well finished and corn is just on the tail end, probably about 90 percent done.” Fall fieldwork continues. “There’s a lot of strip tilling going on and we’re doing fall spraying to get ready for next spring.”
Phenomenal Yields – For Erskine, Minnesota farmer Brady Lee, the yields seen this year were some of the best he’s seen in his farming career. It was still a grind. “We had a few small pesky rain showers and some wet, sloppy snow that hung around for a week-and-a-half.” Lee says it was nice to get decent weather again to get things wrapped up. Weather delays helped the Lee catch up on fieldwork. “We’re just a two-man operation so if the combine is going, everything else is standing still.”
A Marathon, Not a Sprint – Peterson Farms Seed Regional Agronomist Kelsey Stumvoll says farmers around Garrison, North Dakota are starting to wrap up harvest. “This year has not been a sprint, it’s been a marathon,” said Stumvoll. “Guys have been fighting the snow, fighting the mud, but they’re getting the corn and sunflowers off.” Stumvoll credits modern genetics for much of this season’s yields.
A Delayed Dry-Down – Harvest continues along in the tri-state area of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. DuWayne Bosse, who farms at Britton, South Dakota and leads Bolt Marketing, says harvest is taking a long time. “The moisture of the corn has been coming off around that 20 percent and it takes time to dry and elevators are backed up as well.” The fall weather has not been ideal for getting the corn to dry down. “I think we made it to maturity, but the relative humidity is not allowing it to dry down.”
From Wet to Dry – Despite a wet start to harvest, Spiritwood, North Dakota farmer JP Lueck says it dried up quickly. “Overall, we’re about average as we were short a little rain during the season.” Lueck’s marketing plan changed this fall with the opening of the new soy crush plant. “Normally, we’ve went to local elevators, but this year it’s different with the Spiritwood crush plant available.”
Bins Are Full – Columbia Grain grain merchandizer Tyler Stegman says there has been a good window of weather that’s conducive to harvest. “There’s a lot of full bins in the countryside and everyone’s got the same problem of finding a place to store it.” According to Stegman, there are still a few quarters of soybeans left to harvest in the Arvilla, North Dakota area.
Compressed Harvest Season Slows Rail Activity – According to Alton Grain Terminal grain department manager Cory Tryan, rail logistics has been a little slower than usual with the compressed harvest pace. “There’s been a lot of cars sitting around. I would have to say cars are about three-to-five days later than a typical fall.”
Proactive, Not Reactive – BASF Technical Marketing Manager Kim Tutor says 2023 was generally a low-disease year. However, there were pockets of heavy disease pressure. That includes parts of the Northern Plains with white mold, septoria and cercospora. “There are three things you need for disease infection; a host, the pathogen and the right environmental conditions,” Tutor told RRFN. “All it takes is a change of the weather and boom, all of a sudden you’ve got disease.” Tutor recommends being proactive rather than reactive. Fungicide solutions recommended by Tutor are Veltyma for corn, Revytek for soybeans, Priaxor and Sphaerex for wheat.
Beet Stock Values – Quiet week on the American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock trading front. “We’re at a point where there haven’t been any new shares hitting the market at any of the brokerages,” said Jayson Menke, Acres & Shares broker. “As of late Friday, there were two broker listings for 50 shares each at $6,000. Those shares have been out there for a few weeks with no takers.” For the trading season which started in early August, 2,268 shares have been brokered in a range of $5,000 to $5,600 per share for an average price of $5,103.22 per share.
WOTUS is Back in the Courts – The Waters of the United States rule is back in the courts. The Biden Administration finalized its WOTUS rule in September after the Supreme Court ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency. Twenty-four states have filed an amended complaint at the federal court in Fargo, claiming the amended rule violates the Clean Water Act. The states also allege the EPA removed the significant nexus text in making wetland determinations without a public comment period. Two other states filed a separate complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. These states want the WOTUS rule vacated and sent back to the EPA.
EPA Draft Policy to Protect Endangered Species – James Callan Associates CEO Jim Callan is keeping a close eye on a proposed strategy from the Environmental Protection Agency. This plan would establish a list of species that would be impacted by herbicides and propose mitigation strategies. “The problem is it has this efficacy points system that’s hard to follow and would cause problems for those who have subsurface drainage requiring them to retain it.” EPA has indicated it wants to implement the strategy by May of next year.
Corn Matters – University of Minnesota Extension Crops and Soils Educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes talks about the Soil Management Summit. Hear more in the latest Corn Matters, brought to you by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.
Concern Over ERP 2022 – A coalition of 140 farm groups has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about two new provisions to the Emergency Relief Program. The concerns deal with a progressive payment factor used to prorate payments and the methold used to limit the premium refunds to ‘underserved’ producers. Neither provision were in the 2020 or 2021 ERP programs. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven also sent a letter to Vilsack regarding the recent changes.
USDA Invests in Beginning Farmers – USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced an investment of $27.9 million across 45 organizations to benefit beginning farmers and ranchers. The investment is part of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.
MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau board member Shane Isane talks about their annual convention in the latest MFBF Minute.
Biden and Xi Meet in California – President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, met in San Francisco Wednesday. This meeting was held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. Biden and Xi spoke about traditional issues, including agriculture, trade and the economy. The pair also discussed artificial intelligence, climate change and the crisis in the Middle East.
The Domino Effect – South American weather forecasts have the attention of the grain trade. “The strange thing is if we’ve got a problem in soybeans because of South America, that dominoes down to the corn as well,” said Preston Zacharius, market analyst, Abbott Futures. “The market is overexaggerating based on weather reports.”
What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets – In the latest edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says South American weather is the driving factor in the markets. “They did get rain, but it wasn’t in all the right regions and it wasn’t that much.” This is a short market week and Martinson says that can result in big price swings.
Watch the Funds – The funds are 700 million bushels short on corn and 550 million bushels short on wheat. U.S. Commodities broker Don Roose advises growers to watch the fund activity. “When we opened up trade to the large speculators, 1,200 contracts was maximum, then we went to 3,000, 6,000, 12,000 and then it went unlimited,” said Roose. “You really need to know from a producers standpoint when the big funds get in and out of the market because it explodes both ways very quickly.”
Lowered Tariffs Should Help Fertilizer Prices – Tariff changes could save farmers money on fertilizer for the upcoming year. The U.S. Department of Commerce made a decision to significantly lower duties placed on phosphate fertilizers imported from Morocco. National Corn Growers Association Director of Public Policy for Trade and Biotechnology Nancy Martinez says the tariffs reduced import rates from 19.97 percent to 2.12 percent. “NCGA has been very vocal about what the high tariffs are doing to fertilizer prices across the country.” Martinez hopes this change will provide savings to farmers while giving them better access to scarce inputs. “Fertilizer is 30-to-40 percent of input costs to farmers, so those price increases are obviously not sustainable.”
River Levels Improve – A webinar hosted by the National Integrated Drought Information System and NOAA painted a more positive outlook for the Mississippi River this fall. Two different models are showing that water levels should be on the rise. Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center Hydrologist Jeff Graschel said the lower part of the river shouldn’t see water levels as low as earlier this year for the next month. “We do anticipate that we’re not going to see the record low levels we saw back in October.” More extended forecasts also show improvement. “As we go through November we should be rising in the next several weeks to a month.”
Seeking Clarity in Meat Labeling – Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer has reintroduced the Real Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully (MEAT) Act. This proposal would require plant-based proteins to clearly display the word ‘imitation’ on their labeling. “It’s time to end the deceptive propaganda of plant-based protein products that deliberately confuse consumers by mimicking beef and pork,” said Fischer.
No Big Surprises in COF Report – There were 11.9 million head of cattle and calves on feed on November 1. That’s up two percent from one year ago. Marketings declined three percent and placements rose four percent. In Friday’s USDA report, the placements figure was down four percent in South Dakota and down 17 percent in Minnesota.
A Slip in the Market – Hub City Livestock co-owner Steve Hellwig says new-crop calves are being pushed through sale barns at a steady pace. “The runs have been around 4,000 (head) or more and there’s still some yearlings around.” Hellwig says yearling prices have softened in the last few weeks after futures fell. “The slip in the market dropped the yearling cattle from $8 to $6 to $5 this last week.”
MN Beef Update – In the latest Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Kaitlyn Root talks about their upcoming convention in December.
Cattle Markets See Seasonal Trends – Perham Stockyards and Tri-County Livestock owner Mitch Barthel reports the cash cattle price is following the futures market and a seasonal pattern lower. Barthel says buyers will wait until the ground freezes and crops are in the bin to fill their lots. “Once we get the northern concrete set in so we can bed pens and cattle are haired up and healthy around the first or second week of December, you’ll see a jump in this market.”
The ‘Need to Know’s’ for Backgrounding – Many ranchers delayed weaning to November and December after switching to April-May calving. NDSU Extension Livestock Specialist Karl Hoppe says the most important thing after calves get weaned, is getting them to eat. “Cattle will be apprehensive towards unfamiliar feed.” According to Hoppe, there’s two philosophies to background calves; delaying marketing until a different time of year or increasing the value of the animal through lower cost of gain. “The cost of gain this year is less than last year. The price of corn makes it attractive for feeding cattle, even with high calf prices.”
NCI Future of Feeding Webinar Coming Up on Wednesday – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a Future of Feeding webinar Wednesday at 9 AM. This webinar will feature Hans Stein, a professor of nutrition in the Division of Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois. Stein will focus on Weanling Pigs Fed Diets Containing High-Protein Corn Co-Products. This webinar series focuses on using innovation in the processing of animal food, the equipment being used and using grains from the region for co-products. Go online for more information and to register.
A Thanksgiving Pardon – A pair of Minnesota turkeys will receive a presidential pardon today on the South Lawn of the White House. National Turkey Federation Chairman Steve Lykken, who is president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store in Willmar, will make the presentation. The birds are named Liberty and Bell and will live out the rest of their lives at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus.
MFU Minute – Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President Anne Schwagerl joins us to talk about their annual meeting and the process of setting policy. Hear more in this week’s MFU Minute.
Expanding Trade Down Under – Governor Tim Walz hosted the first Minnesota trade mission to Australia. Minnesota Soybean Growers Association President Bob Worth called it an eye-opening experience. “The agriculture sector in Australia raises nothing but wheat and basically anything non-GMO. They raise zero soybeans and zero corn and feed their livestock wheat meal.” Worth says Australia’s non-GMO agriculture approach would be a challenge.
Dealing With Inflation Becomes a Tricky Issue During an Election Year – During the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention, Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi spoke about the impact of rising interest rates. “People didn’t realize interest rates could go up so there’s 15 years of bad habits and if you’re in your 30s and you’re farming, you don’t actually realize what’s happening,” said Grisafi. “They’ll know more when they go to renew (their operating loan) this year.” Inflation is seen as an ongoing issue. “For the Fed to do what they need to do to nick inflation, I don’t think they’d ever be willing to do that during an election year. To truly tame inflation, they have to nuke it and they’re not going to do that for many reasons.”
Fed Study Shows Stable Financial Situation – Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Regional Outreach Director Joe Mahon discussed regional economic conditions during a webinar this past week. Based on a recent study by the Fed, farms in the region are in stable condition. “The financial condition is generally stable, compared to a year-over-year basis.” The study showed capital expenditures for farms are down this year. “Surprisingly, there’s fairly stable loan demand with steady repayment rates.”
Interest Rate Influencers – The Federal Reserve has aggressively raised interest rates since last year. NDSU Extension Ag Finance Specialist Bryon Parman says interest rates can increase without the Fed’s influence. “There are a lot of other factors in the market like treasury yields that can influence interest rates more directly,” said Parman. “Simple supply and demand for loans can drive interest rates higher too.”
More Normal Conditions Forecast – Agricultural Economic Insights Managing Partner David Widmar says farmers should be prepared to return to a more normal year following a time of record farm income. “At some point, we’re going to see incomes come off these record highs,” said Widmar. “That doesn’t mean there’s a crisis brewing, but there’s always a painful adjustment.” Is this situation similar to the 1980s. “One of the key differences is we’re using debt in different ways. Variable interest rates were much more common then.” However, Widmar still encourages producers to update their business models to reflect increasing and more unstable interest rates.
SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, Farm Credit Services of America Regional Vice President Austin Havlik talks about ‘Growing On’, being held at various locations around South Dakota.
Green Bison Holds Ribbon Cutting for Soy Crush Plant – The Green Bison soybean crush facility held its official ribbon cutting last week in Spiritwood, North Dakota. The plant started receiving soybeans September 18th. Green Bison President Mike Keller said the plant is not quite at full capacity. “Our capacity is 150,000 bushels of soybeans a day. We’re currently not at full capacity, but we do have storage on site that handles more than our capacity.” Keller says the plant produces soy oil, a soybean hull pellet, and soybean meal. “The soybean pellet will be used more so locally, just because it’s a smaller percentage of our overall product while the meal will be broader in reach.”
A Partnership to Power Renewable Diesel – Marathon Petroleum and Green Bison have a partnership in place where the soy oil from the Spiritwood soy crush plant will be used to make renewable fuel. Marathon Petroleum Vice President of Portfolio Optimization Reid Smith said the demand for a cleaner fuel product will keep the renewable fuels industry powered. “Diesel demand is growing around our country so renewable diesel feeds that demand growth in a cleaner way.” The partnership is designed to keep soybeans in the state where they were produced. “Some of the biodiesel and renewable diesel will be used in North Dakota to fuel tractors and trucks.”
The First Load of Soybeans – Wimbledon, North Dakota farmer Mike Clemens is a longtime supporter of value-added processing, including the new Green Bison soy crush plant at Spiritwood. “Everybody knows I like to be involved in projects, and I’ve helped with a few ethanol projects and crush facilities in the past.” The crush plant started taking soybeans in mid-September and Clemens’ soybeans were the first to go through the plant. “My grandson, Jack, came with me to bring in the first load of soybeans and I told him ‘you’re going to be hauling here for the next 50 years.’. It’s going to be good for our farm and for the state of North Dakota.”
Boosting Basis – North Dakota Soybean Council Vice Chairman Rob Rose farms near Wimbledon, North Dakota won’t ship his first beans to the new Green Bison crush plant until next year. “I’m hoping as a farmer that it will boost the basis level up and help us be more competitive in the PNW.” Rose’s harvest went well with only one or two rain delays. “The yield in my area was impressive. We got accused all summer of hogging the rain, but for the most part, the crop was really good.”
Adding Value to Meal – Volga, South Dakota-based Houdek is developing fermentation technology to aid digestibility and efficiency of soybean meal and other plant-based products. Vice President of Technology Jeremy Javers explains one of the things that makes them different is the type of fermentation they apply. “We transform these plant-based meals into more value-added products.” The process adds value by adding a prebiotic compound into the feed, concentrate the protein to a higher percent and by using a fungal fermentation process. To hear the full interview click here.
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. Centra Sota Cooperative Lead Environmental Specialist Amy Robak talks about soil health practices on this week’s Farming for the Future.
Animal Ag Water Quality Subcommittee Nominations Open – The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the creation of an Animal Ag Water Quality Subcommittee. EPA Agricultural Advisor Rob Snyder said this is in response to the denial of two petitions to overhaul the Clean Water Act permitting program. “We didn’t feel we had sufficient information to grant the petition and what the environmental groups were requesting.” The subcommittee will include a diverse group of stakeholders including producers, universities, environmental groups and other industry representatives with the goal to improve water quality outcomes from animal agriculture. Nominations are open through January 2nd 2024.
Minnesota Study Looks at the Economic Benefits to Conservation Practices – Environmental Initiative and its partners have published a study on the return of investment of conservation practices. AgCentric Executive Director Keith Olander says the study is based on ten Minnesota farms. “We look at their engagement in environmental practices, measure soil loss and different impacts on the environment as it relates to the economics.” This study is unique in its conservation analyzations. “I get kind of excited about this kind of study, because it’s the first time we see the farm business management economics directly compared to greenhouse gas, carbon loss, or soil erosion.”
NDFB Delegates Concentrate on Private Property Rights – Private property rights once again dominated the policy session at the NDFB Annual Meeting. “The foundation of our organization is based on that and a lot of the discussions go back to what you can do with your property, how you can handle your property and how you should be able to set up your property for passing it off to the next generation,” said Daryl Lies, president, NDFB. Lies will serve another two-year term as president. Monango rancher Val Wagner was elected as vice president. Wagner has been on the NDFB board for the past three years and previously served on the American Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee and Young Farmer and Rancher Committee.
Numerous Issues Heard During MFBF Resolutions Process – Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing head a wide range of topics on the delegate floor, ranging from the use of solar panels on prime farmland, beginning farmer tax credits to chronic wasting disease. “You never know what you’re going to hear on that delegate floor. When I am having those conversations with lawmakers, I know where the pulse of our membership is.” Looking ahead, the farm bill is on the radar. “The foot is on the throttle,” said Glessing. “When you get into a presidential year, politics come into play. Our goal is to get an updated farm bill in the first quarter of next year.”
Interest Grows in Policy Development in South Dakota – South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation Senior Regional Manager Lowell Messman said policy development draws great interest at the annual meeting. “It seems to have had a little bit of a resurgence in South Dakota. The past couple of years we’ve had a record number of delegates.” Resolutions included changing state brand laws and carbon pipelines.
Consolidation and Climate Change – According to Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President Anne Schwagerl, corporate consolidation and climate change were among the issues addressed at the annual convention. “That anti-monopoly work is always front-and-center for our members.” After a late, wet spring was followed by a drought across Minnesota, Schwageral said farmers are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
From A to Z – Pioneer has launched its new Z-Series soybean varieties. “We’re just stepping up performance across the board,” explained Liz Knutson, soybean marketing manager, Pioneer. “I’ll use agronomics as an example, we’re bringing more Peking varieties forward and in maturity groups where we have not seen Peking varieties before.” There will be a limited release in 2024 with more opportunities to grow the newest soybean series in 2025. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Knutson said more details about the Z-Series will be available during Commodity Classic.
BASF Introduces xarvio SeedSelect – This novel soybean seed variety placement technology is based on an algorithm resulting from plot data, local soil conditions and variety-specific characteristics. xarvio SeedSelect is part of xarvio FIELD MANAGER, an advanced crop optimization platform used by ag retailers to make field-specific agronomic recommendations.
CHS to Return $730 Million in Cash Patronage and Equity Redemptions – CHS finished the fiscal year with a record net income of $1.9 billion, up from $1.7 billion in the 2022 fiscal year. CHS President and CEO Jay Debertin says the co-op plans to return $730 million in cash patronage and equity redemptions to its farmer-owners. No two years are the same, but Debertin is optimistic. “Interest rates are at levels not seen before for those who are new to the business. At the same time, commodity prices are relatively strong, input prices have reset and there is still great demand for protein in the world.” Listen to the full interview.
CHS Foundation Awards $4.3 Million in Grants to FFA – The CHS Foundation has provided grants worth nearly $4.3 million to the National FFA Organization. The funds will provide scholarships for FFA members attending conferences and contests, introduce students to careers through the workforce development program and support the National Association of Ag Education in attracting ag teachers and building strong teaching programs. This is the largest gift made in the CHS Foundation’s 75-year history.
Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Communications Specialist Lindy Coutts talks about curriculum Northern Canola Growers Association developed for teachers.
Vculek Selected for Potato LEAF ’24 Class – The Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation has selected its 2024 Leadership Institute class. There is one member of the class from the region, Katie Vculek of Crete, North Dakota. The ten-day training program will be held February 21-March 1.
A Promotion for Moeller – Ryan Moeller of Fargo, North Dakota is WinField United’s new product manager for sunflowers, wheat and peas. Moeller has been with WinField United for nearly 21 years.
Hart to Succeed Gill as NAFB President – Joe Gill’s term as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting wraps up at the end of the year. Gill is the farm director at KASM, Albany, Minnesota. Carah Hart of Brownfield Ag News will succeed Gill. Hart previously served as a farm broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network. The 2024 NAFB president-elect is Jeff Nalley of the Cromwell Ag Radio Network. DeLoss Jahnke of RFD Radio Network is the newly elected vice president. The West Region vice president is Stephanie Hoff of Midwest Farm Report.
Boyer Named Farm Broadcaster of the Year – The National Association of Farm Broadcasting recognized Lorrie Boyer as the Farm Broadcaster of the Year. Boyer is the farm director at KSIR Radio, Fort Morgan, Colorado, The Horizon Award, which honors the achievement of farm broadcasters with less than five years of experience, went to Corryn La Rue. La Rue is with California Ag Today/Ag Info Network in Walla Walla, Washington.
Hatch Surprised With Distinguished Service Award – Gardner Hatch received the NAFB’s Dix Harper Meritorious Service Award. Hatch is with Woodruff and is a longtime supporter of farm broadcasting. That includes two years of service on the NAFB Board of Directors.
Hall of Fame Honors – The National Association of Farm Broadcasting inducted Mike Perrine and Mike Murphy into its Hall of Fame. Perrine owns MP Ag Radio in Troy, Illinois and previously worked for AgriTalk and WKAN Radio. Murphy retired after more than five decades with KSUM/KFMC Radio in Fairmont, Minnesota. Reflecting on the Hall of Fame Induction, Murphy said “this is something that only happens once in a lifetime, but it will be a memory for me for the rest of my life.” The RRFN team congratulates Mike and Mike for this well deserved recognition.
MFU Award Winners Recognized – The Minnesota Farmers Union honored Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam and House Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha Vang with its Service to Agriculture Award. The Distinguished County Leader Award went home with Mike Orbeck, Alan Teich and Nancy Dahlin-Teich. The Dedicated Service to Farmers Union honor was given to Lee Johnson and the Jim Tunheim family. Kelsey Love Zaavedra was recognized as the MFU’s Rising Star.
Awards Presented During MFBF Convention – During the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting, former State Representative Rod Hamilton and former Randolph FFA Advisor Ed Terry were presented with the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. The FFA Advisor of the Year is Stacy Fritz of Chatfield and former farm business management instructor Kevin Dahlman was recognized with the Post-Secondary Agriculture Educator of the Year Award. Dr. Eric Mousel from the University of Minnesota North Central Research and Outreach Center was named the Extension Educator of the Year.
RRFN Farm Broadcaster Named MFBF Ag Communicator of the Year – During the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in the Twin Cities, Red River Farm Network Farm Broadcaster Whitney Pittman was honored as the MFBF Ag Communicator of the Year. Before joining RRFN last year, Pittman worked for MFBF and R & J Broadcasting. Pittman remains involved in the family cattle operation at Bagley, Minnesota.
Last Week’s Trivia-‘The tribe has spoken’ is an iconic line from the CBS reality show, Survivor. Rick Robinson of First State Bank is the winner of our trivia contest. Runner-up honors belong to Ramsey County farmer Paul Becker, Norm Groot of Monterey County Farm Bureau, Ron Claussen of Ag Media Research and Ron Dvergsten of Northland Farm Business Management. The ‘first 20’ rounds out with Keith Finney of Tharaldson Companies, Jim Altringer of Dakota Plains Ag, Kristal Rick of MAGNO Seed, Bob Lebacken of RML Trading, Crookston farmer Ron Lanctot, Al Wimpfheimer of Simplot, Mohall farmer Gene Glessing, Kevin Schulz of The Farmer, Pisek farmer Ernie Barta, retired feedlot officer Al Langseth and Kevin Praska of Stone’s Mobile Radio.
This Week’s Trivia-Turkey meat contains an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is often blamed for a post-meal symptom. What is it? Send your answer to don@rrfn.com.
RRFN Upcoming Events | |||
November 28, 2023 - November 29, 2023 | SD Cattlemen’s Association Convention and Trade Show - Watertown, SD | ||
November 28, 2023 - November 29, 2023 | NDAA Agribusiness Expo - Fargo ND | ||
November 28, 2023 | ND Beef Commission Producer Meeting - Golden Valley, ND | ||
November 30, 2023 | Crary Ag Full Pod Event - Fargo ND | ||
November 30, 2023 | MN Canola Symposium - Roseau, MN | ||
November 30, 2023 | ND Beef Commission Producer Meeting - Carrington, ND | ||
November 30, 2023 - December 1, 2023 | SD Farmers Union State Convention - Huron, SD | ||
December 1, 2023 - December 3, 2023 | North Star Classic - Valley City, ND | ||
December 2, 2023 | ND Hereford Ass’n Meeting and Sale - Valley City, ND | ||
December 4, 2023 - December 5, 2023 | ND Township Officers Association Annual Meeting | ||
December 5, 2023 | Design your Succession Plan - Carrington, ND | ||
December 7, 2023 - December 8, 2023 | CHS Annual Meeting - Minneapolis, MN | ||
December 7, 2023 - December 8, 2023 | UM Soil Management Summit - Alexandria, MN | ||
December 8, 2023 | ND Red Angus Ass’n Annual Meeting and Banquet - Bismarck, ND | ||
December 8, 2023 | ND Simmental Ass’n Annual Meeting - Mandan, ND | ||
December 8, 2023 - December 9, 2023 | MN Lamb and Wool Producers Annual Conference - Alexandria, MN | ||
December 9, 2023 | ND Stockmen’s Foundation Stockmen’s Ball | ||
December 9, 2023 | ND Red Select Sale - Mandan, ND | ||
December 9, 2023 | ND Simmental Ass’n Classic Sale - Mandan, ND | ||
December 12, 2023 - December 13, 2023 | ND SBARE Public Input Forum | ||
December 13, 2023 - December 14, 2023 | Prairie Grains Conference - Grand Forks, ND | ||
December 14, 2023 | Succession Planning Workshop - Bismarck, ND | ||
December 15, 2023 - December 16, 2023 | ND Farmers Union Annual Convention - Bismarck, ND | ||
December 15, 2023 - December 16, 2023 | MN State Cattlemen’s Association Annual Convention - Alexandria, MN |
Contact RRFN | Don Wick (701) 795-1315 |
Randy Koenen (701) 795-1315 |
Tyler Donaldson (701)-795-1315 |
Jamie Dickerman (701)-795-1315 |
RRFN Affiliate Stations | |||
Aberdeen, SD – 105.5 FM | Ada, MN – 106.5 FM | Bagley, MN – 96.7 FM | Bemidji, MN – 1300 AM |
Benson, MN – 1290 AM | Bismarck, ND – 1270 AM | Bismarck, ND – 1270 AM | Casselton, ND – 103.9 FM |
Crookston, MN – 1260 AM | Devils Lake, ND – 103.5 FM | Fergus Falls, MN – 1250 AM | Fosston, MN – 1480 AM |
Glenwood, MN – 107.1 FM | Grafton, ND – 1340 AM | Jamestown, ND – 600 AM | Langdon, ND – 1080 AM |
Mahnomen, MN – 101.5 FM | Mayville, ND – 105.5 FM | Roseau, MN – 102.1 FM | Rugby, ND – 1450 AM |
Thief River Falls, MN – 1460 AM | Wadena, MN – 920 AM | Warroad, MN – 92.5 FM | Worthington, MN – 730 AM |
FarmNetNews is a production of the Red River Farm Network. RRFN is based in Grand Forks, North Dakota and provides news to farmers and ranchers across Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.