Drought Hampers Barge Movement – The river shipping system is being plagued by low water on the Lower Mississippi River. “The water is so low in some spots they’re not able to take barges tied together three wide, they’re having to go down to two,” explained Joe Barker, commodity broker, CHS Hedging. “If normally you would have a 3×4 tow of barges, you only have a 2×4 tow of barges and you’ve lost 5,000 bushels per barge. You’re losing 40-to-45 percent of how much you’re able to tow up and down the river at a time.” Gulf exporters have reportedly pulled offers for October and November due to the uncertainty with shipping. Basis has been affected in the area.

Barge Backup – Despite low-water restrictions on barge loads, the U.S. Coast Guard is reporting at least eight groundings of barges this past week. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is dredging the Mississippi River in several locations and placing limits on the number of barges that can be towed. Dozens of barges were stuck near Lake Providence, Louisiana last week that shut down river traffic in both directions. That was cleared on Friday.

Mississippi River Slowdown Not Having Big Impact on Local Basis Yet – Widening basis at the Mississippi River has not made a big impact on basis for the six grain elevators followed by the Red River Farm Network yet. Spring wheat basis is mostly unchanged from last week ranging from 50 to 90 under the Minneapolis December futures contract. Corn basis is unchanged from last week ranging from 35 to 60 cents under the December futures contract. The soybean basis is also unchanged ranging from 30 to 55 cents under the November futures contract.

Fertilizer Delays Expected – Barge companies are starting to declare force majeure as the Mississippi River levels continue to drop. TStoneX Group Director of Fertilizer Josh Linville says that’s going to delay fertilizer coming north. “This is a situation that couldn’t have happened at a worse time.” It takes time to move crop nutrient products through the system. “If you load a barge in the Gulf of Mexico and moving it north, some of these terminals take two-to-four weeks to get to and at that time the fall fertilizer season is right in front of us.”

A Different Dynamic – AgMarket.net market analyst Jacob Burks says the struggle to get grain moved down the Mississippi River is impacting grain demand. “With the river being so low, we’re having difficulties to get Gulf bids to be aggressive.” The wide basis at the Mississippi River is beginning to impact basis across the Cornbelt. “Rail is competing with barge to get product to the Gulf.”

Russian-Ukrainian War Accelerates – The conflict in Russia and Ukraine is escalating and it is impacting the markets. Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling the explosion of the bridge connecting Russia and Crimea an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, Russian missile attacks hit Kyiv and four other major Ukrainian cities over the weekend. The Russians are reportedly targeting power plants, bridges and other civilian infrastructure.

What’s Hot, What’s Not – The Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated over the weekend. In this week’s editon of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says the tensions between Russia and Ukraine is driving grain markets higher to start the week. Corn, soybeans and wheat are all closing in on major resistance levels.

Recession Risk – The Federal Reserve had an unscheduled closed-door meeting this past week. This session coincided with the release of a report from the United Nations that said the rapidly rising interest rates puts the global economy at risk for recession. The Fed raised interest rates five times in the past year, moving the benchmark rate to three percent-to-3.5 percent. The UN agency said the Fed’s action may be “too drastic.”

Managing the Three-Headed Dragon – Virginia Tech Professor Emeritus David Kohl says it takes solid financial knowledge to manage the three-headed dragon of price volatility, higher input costs and rising interest rates. “If it’s not well managed, that will take liquidty, profit and equity off the balance sheet, but those with a high business IQ will actually put profit, liquidty and equity on the balance sheets.” Over the rest of this decade, Kohl said “the better will get better and the worst are going to fall behind.” Good relationships are also key during tough times. Kohl was a speaker at the North Dakota Ag Credit Conference.

Inflation Disrupts Farm & Food Sector – The Federal Reserve Banks of Minneapolis and Kansas City are co-hosted a virtual symposium to discuss food costs and the long-term outlook. During the forum, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Vice President Nathan Kauffman said the current increase in food and commodity prices is similar to what happened in 2013. “Price surges are usually driven by severe production disruptions,” explained Kauffman. “Occasionally, price surges are driven by demand growth, like in 2013, where we saw rapid economic growth in China and the establishment of biofuel policies in the U.S.” Land O’Lakes President & CEO Beth Ford was also part of the conference and said farmers are feeling the impact of high input costs. “Transportation, trucking, rail, and warehousing are all facing interruptions that are driving up prices.”

OPEC+ to Cut Oil Production – Beginning in October, OPEC and its allies will cut oil production by two million barrels each day. Total Farm Marketing Senior Market Advisor Naomi Blohm says this cut is significant and higher than traders expected. “It also adds another level of uncertainty, especially as the war with Ukraine and Russia continues,” Blohm told RRFN. “If there’s any additional supply disruptions, it makes the case for higher priced energy and higher priced energy can lead to higher priced ethanol and corn. This is a story to watch.”

Look at the Big Picture – Brock and Associates President Richard Brock says the markets have more to worry about than fuel prices. “In the soy complex, many people are tied up as true believers in the renewable diesel market; more soy crush plants will come online,” said Brock. “That’s fine, but Brazil already ramped up their soybean production to offset all of those plants.”

Trade Ambassador Challenges Status Quo – The Administration’s top trade official is calling for a fresh approach. U.S. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai went to Twitter Friday, saying traditional free trade agreements has significant costs, including fragile supply chains and a concentration of wealth. Tai went on to say this has led many people to take a hostile view of trade and globalization. Due to economic insecurity, COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Tai said the Biden Administration is “re-examining” its approach to trade.

Commodity Groups Oppose Possible Mexican Investigation – Twenty farm groups have asked the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office to reject an attempt by some lawmakers to establish a Section 301 investigation into fresh produce imports from Mexico. In a letter to USTR, the ag groups said this investigation would undermine the relationship with an important trading partner and increase the risk for retaliation. The organizations signing off on the letter represent corn, soybeans, wheat, dry beans, dairy, pork and other commodities.

Brazil Starts to Plant Soybeans – While U.S. farmers are harvesting corn and soybeans, Brazilian farmers are starting to plant. Corn and Soybean Advisor President Michael Cordonnier says soybean planting is at least ten percent complete. Brazil is expected to hit another record for corn and soybean production. “If Brazil plants their soybeans on time, which they’re doing right now, that means the Safrhina corn goes in good as well. If it’s normal weather, they’ll have big crops in Brazil. In Argentina, not so much.”

Pricing the 2023 Crop – Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi said farmers seem to be reluctant to protect themselves by pricing the 2023 crop. “The price you’re getting now is much higher than the price you’ll get in a year so it tricks you into thinking that the 2023 price isn’t that great of a price,” explained Grisafi. “If history repeats itself, you’ll look back and say you should’ve gotten more aggressively sold, but we’ll see. There’s never been a time like this and we’re living day by day as the news events unfold.” Grisafi is featured in the latest edition of ‘the Bull Pen.’ This is a monthly look at the markets and can be found on the Red River Farm Network YouTube channel.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – Corn harvest is still a few weeks away for many armers in northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Pioneer Field Agronomist Marc Cartwright says impact of the recent freeze is minimal. “The corn is really close to black layer, if not already achieved black layer.  There’s been good finishing conditions to help the corn stand and dry down if weather allows.” Watch the interview.

Full Harvest Campaign Starts for American Crystal – American Crystal Sugar Company’s full sugarbeet harvest campaign kicked off on Wednesday. At noon, several factory districts went into a heat shutdown for 12 hours. Ada, Minnesota farmer John Brainard feels good about harvest so far. “Tonnage is good, slightly above average. We don’t have the sugar reports back yet.” In Hallock, Minnesota, Dan Younggren is also harvesting sugarbeets. “Harvest is going remarkably well for as much precipitation as we’ve had. It’s sticky and gummy, but overall, it looks like a great harvest on the northern end of the Red River Valley. Sugar content is good as well.”

Beet Stock Value – “American Crystal Sugar Company beet stock trading has started at the strongest level in trading history,” says Jayson Menke, Acres & Shares broker. There were 100 shares brokered in September at $4,300 per share. Last week there were 104 shares brokered between $4,400 to $4,500 per share. During the fall to spring trading season, Acres & Shares tracks brokered sales and provides a cumulative perspective on the thinly traded market.

Good and Bad – Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman says the harvest results vary. “We continue to hear both terrific yields and some areas of concern. Southwest North Dakota has generally disappointing yields, Kenmare through Minot had terrific yields.” The dry weather this summer has affected more than just the U.S. crop. “In Canada, we’re hearing lower-than-expected yields,” said Coleman. “Earlier this summer they were talking about a 20 million ton crop and now they’re estimating around 18.5 million tons.”

Below Expectations – Rolette, North Dakota farmer Ryan Pederson is still rolling with canola harvest. “Canola has been extremely varied for us this year with a lot of it below expectations.” Pederson thinks crop rotation played a big role in determining yield. “If it was canola two years ago, we’re seeing a huge reduction in yields versus if it was canola four years ago.”

Canola Minute – In the latest Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman announces their new partnership with the annual Prairie Grains Conference.

Too Much Water Early, Not Enough Late – The wet start to the growing season in the Minot area did more harm than good. “We had a lot of drown-outs,” reports Chad Rubbelke. On the flip side, a lack of moisture limited yield potential for Rubbelke’s soybeans. “We had a drying out period at the end of July and through August. We were really hoping for a shot at good yields, but the soybeans just didn’t turn out.”

Soil Moisture Needs a Recharge – South Dakota State University Extension State Climatologist Laura Edwards says the Aberdeen airport only measured .11 of moisture in September. “Most of central and eastern South Dakota had less than 25 percent of their average moisture for September.” It’s a turnaround from the spring when it was a time of too much moisture and prevent plant. “We aren’t replenishing soil moisture we’ve used throughout the season to grow the crop. We could be starting the next growing season with drier conditions than we’d like to see.”

First Fields Deliver Hope – Wimbledon, North Dakota farmer Mike Clemens broke into his soybeans this past week and was pleasantly surprised. “Of course, the first field you start harvest on is the one that dried out the fastest so you aren’t typically happy with it, but we were very surprised when we got into it.” Despite not seeing much moisture since early July, Clemens has high hopes for his corn crop. “The corn looks pretty good, but we did have a little rain shower that came through in mid-August that put the top end on the corn. I don’t know if it’s the new varieties but the corn really hung in there and I think we’re going to get at least average yields.”

Unforeseen Soybean Yields – In the Fergus Falls, Minnesota area, Lance Peterson is plugging away at his soybeans. “Soybean moisture ranges from 11-to-12 percent. There are chewy stems, but things have improved.” Yields are decent. “We’ll land on either side of 40 bushels per acre. We missed a lot of rain, but the yields are better than I was expecting.”

Harvest Rolls Along ND’s Cannonball River – Solen, North Dakota farmer Woody Barth has checked soybeans off his list. “We finished soybeans up this week and we’re happy with the yield, it was about at our APH even with the lack of rain.” Barth will be starting on corn harvest in the next few days. Sunflowers struggled with the lack of moisture. “They went 50 days without moisture, so it probably took a little bit of yield off.”

Fielding Questions: A Harvest Update – There’s better than expected soybean yields as harvest continues across the Dakotas and Minnesota. AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Insurance and Customer Education Rob Fronning says most of the later planted corn reached maturity. “A lot of the farmers I’ve talked to are talking about 60 pound test weights. That tells me the crop finished and we made it through black layer. We’re talking 18 to 20 percent moisture.” Fronning says farmers may be saving on bin space for corn. “The futures market isn’t showing a large carry. That tells me the market really wants the crop right now. Producers are watching basis bids. There’s good basis bids in parts of the region.” Hear more in the latest Fielding Questions podcast episode.

Oh Dusty Days – Soybean yields are at risk due to dry conditions. Pods can split open and drop beans on the ground before harvest. University of Minnesota Extension Regional Soil Educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes says combine fires could be another problem. “Farmers have been reporting that they need to blow out the combines and engines to prevent dust build-up.” DeJong-Hughes says the crop is showing its resiliency. “With some of our plots, we were around 35-to-45 (bushels per acre): it’s better than we expected with the lack of rain we’ve had.”

Northern Plains Gets Drier – Dry conditions across South Dakota and Minnesota worsened in the last week while North Dakota conditions stayed consistent with the previous week. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows extreme drought is now on the map in the southern part of Minnesota. Abnormally dry and severe drought conditions are moving further north and along the western edge of the state. In South Dakota, extreme drought also worsened in the southeast. Abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions remain in northeastern South Dakota. North Dakota has severe and moderate drought conditions, along with abnormally dry conditions across the entire state.

SCOTUS Takes a Closer Look at Wetlands and WOTUS – How is adjacency defined when it comes to navigable waters under the Clean Water Act? In Monday’s oral arguments at the Supreme Court, that was a question debated frequently between the Justices to lawyer Damien Schiff. Arguing on behalf of the petitioner, Schiff said the term ‘near adjacency’ cannot justify the agency’s statutory jurisdiction. “The text of the statute says if it’s not even a water, it can’t be regulated. The plain meaning of water based on dictionary definitions is streams, creeks and rivers, but not wetlands.” Schiff noted wetlands are regulated, but not all wetlands resulting in a lack of clarity. In the second hour of oral arguments, Acting Solicitor General Brian Fletcher said a test is still needed to determine which additional waters are covered. Justices asked Fletcher how a reasonable person is supposed to know within a watershed whether or not their land is adjacent to Waters of the United States. A Supreme Court response to the case is expected by the end of the calendar year. Hear the story.

NDGDA Testifies Before Surface Transportation Board – North Dakota Grain Dealers Association Past President Mark Hovland testified before the Surface Transportation Board in favor of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. “Freight rates in North Dakota are some of the highest in the country when compared to similar hauls out of states with more freight options,” said Hovland. “We feel this action will strengthen competition between those carriers which will improve the economic condition for all North Dakota rail shippers regardless of what carrier they are on.” Hovland, who manages the Fessenden Co-op Association, said this merger will have an impact on rates and service. “It should simplify things and hopefully save you some time and cost.”

More Margin Protection Tools Sought – Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member John Boozman are asking USDA to expand its margin protection tools to help offset high input costs and volatile commodity markets. The ag committee leadership specifically asked for options for additional commodities. The Risk Management Agency is also being asked to increase risk management education.

Renewable Diesel Demand Driving Soy Crush Expansion – The U.S. has the capacity to crush 2.2 billion bushels of soybeans each year. With new facilities being built across the country, Rabobank Senior Grains and Oilseed Analyst Owen Wagner says crush capacity is expected to grow 30 percent in coming years. “That would be the biggest investment in new crush capacity in probably more than one decade.” The anticipated growth in soybean oil-based renewable diesel also means more soybeans are needed for domestic crush. To meet the demand, Rabobank says the U.S. would need to stop exporting whole soybeans while planting 17.9 million additional soybean acres. That would be 21 percent larger than the current crop, just to satisfy the growing biofuel demand.

WTO Predicts Trade Downturn – The World Trade Organization is forecasting a significant decline in global trade growth next year. Growth is forecast at one percent, compared to a previous estimate of 3.4 percent. The WTO director-general urged member-countries to avoid trade restrictions to counter supply chain problems.

NCI Hosts Southeast Asia Wheat Value Workshop – The Northern Crops Institute hosted a Southeast Asia Contracting for Wheat Value Workshop this past week. Participants came from Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, along with representatives from the U.S. Wheat Associates. In addition to training about wheat, flour and dough quality, the group was able to visit a farm near Valley City and a grain elevator at Casselton. For more information regarding upcoming courses at NCI or to register for them, visit to https://www.northern-crops.com/course.

MN Wheat Minute – In this week’s Minnesota Wheat Minute, Minnesota Wheat On-Farm Research Network Project Lead Chris Matter previews some projects that will be discussed at the Prairie Grains Conference.

Egyptian Wheat Mills Shut Down – Due to a dollar shortage, Egyptian importers have been unable to pay for wheat that is stuck in their ports. A total of 700,000 tons of wheat has not been released by customs. With this wheat unavailable, 80 percent of the mills producing bread, pasta and other wheat products have shut down. Egypt is typically the world’s number one importer of wheat.

Have Land Values Topped Out? – Pifer Auction President Kevin Pifer says the amount of cash in the market is starting to deteriorate. As the rising interest rate environment continues, the interest in land purchases will decline. “I’m not going to say we’ll see a downturn in land values, but people may lose interest at these values.” Land can still be a good investment. “Land is on everyone’s minds when it comes to 301 land exchanges. They may sell an apartment building in Minneapolis and do an exchange into farmland. It’s a good asset to have, building the balance sheet.”

Preparing for Fall Land Auctions – More land sales happen during the fall. Wells Fargo Bank Lead Agricultural Economist Michael Swanson says this is the time of year when cash rents are up. “It’s kind of ironic that the last crop off the farmland that you own can be almost sentimental. But we do see fall as being a busy time because cash rents are up for negotiation.” Swanson says interest rates and commodity prices are driving up land values. “Land prices and inflation don’t move together. The ag economy is not really tied to the GTP number that we hear about. But, interest rates and crop prices are the two biggest drivers.”

Policy Discussed on the Sidelines of Cattle Tour – The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association hosted their All Breeds Cattle Tour and focused on herds in the central and eastern portions of the state. NDSA President Jason Leiseth said the organization has been busy preparing for events and the upcoming farm bill discussions. “A couple of things we want to make sure happen is to ensure programs like Livestock Indemnity Program, feed assistance programs, and Livestock Disaster Program are reflective to what’s happening in the field.”

Genetic Investment Paid Off During Drought – Tour chairperson Kelly Hanson owns and operates Triple H Simmentals with his family near Hannaford, North Dakota. “The All Breeds Cattle Tour helps people see other operations and gives them ideas on how they can improve their own livestock operations.” Triple H Simmentals sells registered cattle in their annual sale along with backgrounding their steers and second string heifer calves. Hanson says their genetic investment paid off on easy fleshing cattle during the drought. “We found out what our cattle could really eat when they were stuck with cattails, CRP hay, and very little silage,” said Hanson. “This year has been a godsend with the amount of forages we have put up. I don’t want to see another year like last year, but it showed that our cattle can perform on poor forages.”

Livestock Producers Struggle with Labor Shortage – Olson Hereford Ranch co-owner Carl Olson says the combination of crops and livestock keeps them busy year-round. “We preg-checked about 200 females this year and farm just under 3,000 acres,” explained Olson. “We’ve been struggling to find a farm hand to help us; labor shortages can be felt even out here on the farm.” Olson Hereford Ranch was the first stop of the day at the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s All Breeds Cattle Tour.

Dust Pneumonia-An Increasing Risk for Livestock – The lack of moisture in the last few months has livestock producers on alert for signs of dust pneumonia in their cattle. NDSU Extension Veterinarian and Livestock Stewardship Specialist Gerald Stokka says the combination of dry conditions and dehydration could lead to respiratory problems in the calves. “Dehydration worsens defense mechanisms so a combination of dust and dehydration lead an overwhelming exposure of matter in the lungs.” Stokka says dust pneumonia could lead to a more serious infection. “In addition to the dust, there’s now organisms that can make their way to the lung tissue where an infection could take place.”

MN Beef Update – In this week’s Minnesota Beef Update, Royalee Rhoads talks about the new video series “Make the Most of your Meal”.

Promoting Gut Health – Amlan International was part of the World Dairy Expo trade show for the first time this past week. Amlan Director of Global and Strategic Communications Reagan Culbertson says the company has a unique mission. “We are focused on sustainability and providing a natural product to go into natural food,” said Culbertson. “We know that that’s what consumers are demanding these days, clean food, and we have a product that can help with that.” Amlan markets a natural mineral that helps the dairy cow absorb bacterial toxins and mycotoxins to promote gut health. “Like a giant conveyer belt, the cow eats it, it absorbs stuff and all the bad stuff goes out the rear end,” explained Dr. Mark Herpfer, research director. “It kind of scrubs unwanted substances from the gastrointestinal tract.”

Greetings from Tokyo – Energy and agriculture were top of mind as a delegation from North Dakota traveled to Japan last week. The group was led by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Fargo, North Dakota-based Genesis Feed Tech CEO Peter Schott stayed a few extra days in Tokyo. “Japan likes doing business with people in North Dakota.They like the quality of commodities out of the north. These people want to see the supply chain improved to have a closer relationship of who they’re buying from.” Genesis Feed Tech has a software platform that looks at the nutritional characteristics of animal feed for global buyers. It highlights the benefits of buying higher quality soybeans, corn or other products from the United States. Working with the U.S. Soybean Export Council, Schott is familiar with many countries, but Japan is new territory. “It’s fun to see how that’s received in a country like this.”

Sioux Falls Pork Project Gains Support of Soybean Association – The South Dakota Soybean Association has approved a contribution of $125,000 to defeat a proposed ban on new slaughter facilities in Sioux Falls. Wholestone Farms, which is producer-owned, wants to build a hog slaughter plant in the city. A group called Smart Growth Sioux Falls does not want the project to be built. POET is one of organizations opposed to the Wholestone Farms project.

Bill Introduced to Improve Livestock Disaster Improvement Act – South Dakota Senator John Thune introduced the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act. The Bipartisan legislation would improve the effectiveness of multiple programs that assist farmers and ranchers after adverse weather events. The legislation would also provide USDA with direction on how to improve the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is a trigger for certain disaster programs. Thune called it “a common-sense update to disaster programs to assist farmers and ranchers when they need it the most.”

Wolf Forgiveness Bonus Program Adds Sheep Payments – A Minnesota-based non-profit wolf advocacy organization, Howling for Wolves, has expanded the Wolf Forgiveness Bonus Program to include lamb and wool producers. The program makes livestock producers who suffered a suspected predator loss and choose not to engage a trapper will be eligible for a payment. Producers could receive payments of $200 for four month or younger lambs, $300 for four months and older, or $500 for a registered ram or ewe. Payment levels for cattle producers remain at $600 per calf and $750 per adult bovine.

MFU Minute – In the Minnesota Farmers Union Minute, President Gary Wertish highlights topics at a meeting with Minnesota Ag Commissioner Thom Peterson.

USDA Announces Cooperative Agreement with North Dakota – The USDA announced they will reward $400 million through a cooperative agreement with North Dakota under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. Through LFPA, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture can purchase and distribute locally grown and produced food for underserved producers. USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Moffitt calls it an “economic opportunity for farmer and producers to increase access to fresh and healthy food that will work to improve supply chain resiliency and increase local food consumption.”

NDFB, NDFU Opposed to Term Limits – North Dakota Farm Bureau and North Dakota Farmers Union are working together in opposition to a ballot initiative seeking term limits. The constitutional ballot measure would limit the time in office for a governor or state legislator. NDFB President Daryl Lies says it is already difficult to maintain representation for rural issues. “We believe we should have the opportunity and freedom to vote for our choice, not for someone who was just put on the ballot because the other guy hit a subjective date and is no longer able to do it.” Lies says there is a common misconception about this term limits measure. “This has nothing to do with limiting on the federal or congressional level and people, I think, believe in term limits because of what we see going on in Washington, D.C.”  North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne said term limits put more power into the hands of professional lobbyists and career bureaucrats.

Funding for Grain Storage – Grain producers in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Kentucky, have the option of a new USDA program to help rebuild on-farm grain storage. South Dakota Corn Growers Association Executive Director DaNita Murray says the program is a response to the derecho in the Upper Midwest and the tornadoes that plagued Kentucky this past year. “You can literally track the derecho across the map. That’s really where USDA pinpointed a storage shortage for grain. There’s not a lot of details on the program yet, but the USDA has indicated it would be a cost-share program.”

Palmer amaranth Identified – Palmer amaranth has been confirmed in three new sites. There was one single plant in Kidder and Williams Counties and two plants found in Stark County. All sites are being monitored.

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, Northarvest Bean Growers Association President Eric Samuelson tells us about a USDA dignitary visit. The Dry Bean Scene is brought to you by SRS Commodities, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, and BASF.

October is Co-op Month – The theme for National Co-op Month is ‘Co-ops Build Economic Power.’ This has been a national recognized celebration since 1964 when Agriculture Secretary Orville Freeman, who was a former Minnesota governor, proclaimed October Co-op Month. A cooperative is a business organized, owned and controlled by the people who use its services. This message is brought to you by the North Dakota Farmers Union and Associated Milk Producers, Inc. and its Dinnerbell Creamery.

Canola Added to Prairie Grains Schedule – The Northern Canola Growers Association Canola Expo will now become part of the Prairie Grains Conference in Grand Forks. In addition to the group’s annual meeting, there will be educational presentations about canola.

Modest Damage to Mosaic Facilities – The Mosaic Company is reporting modest damage to its facilities in central Florida due to Hurricane Ian. The company expects phosphate production to be down 200,000-to-250,000 tons. That will be split between the third and fourth quarter of the year. Repairs are expected to be completed over the next one-to-two weeks. In addition to production problems, Mosaic faces port and rail closures.

Viterra-Gavilon Deal Completed – Viterra has closed on its stock purchase of the Gavilon grain and ingredients business. The deal is worth more than $1.1 billion. Viterra officials said the acquisition makes it one of the largest grain origination businesses in the world.

Meatless No More – After two years in operation, JBS USA is shutting down its U.S. plant-based food business. The meatpacking company will put its focus on its plant-based business in Brazil and Europe.

AURI Update – Octoberfest is almost here. Join the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute to learn more about the brewery sector in Minnesota. Learn more in this AURI Update.

New Herbicide Approved for Wheat – The Environmental Protection Agency has approved BATALIUM-AMPED herbicide in wheat. The UPL crop protection tool features three modes of action and is described as “a simple solution in one product to control all problematic weeds in wheat.” UPL expects to have a supply in place for the 2023 growing season.

A Rebranding for Northern Plains Potato Growers Association – The Northern Plains Potato Growers Association is now doing business as the Northland Potato Growers Association. “We sat down and looked at the history of the organization,” explained President Donavon Johnson. “The NPPGA started as the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association and that changed to the NPPGA . Northland indicates more of our growing area.” Johnson said the rebranding incorporates the different components of the business, including seed, fresh and process growers.The Northland Potato Growers Association received a USDA Specialty Crop grant to help fund the rebranding.

Bushel Names New CFO – Kevin Donalds has joined Bushel as its chief financial officer. Most recently, Donalds was the vice president of finance for Granular. Bushel is a software technology company based in Fargo that focuses on developing solutions for the grain supply chain.

Rose to Oversee Deere Logistics and Supply Management – Deere & Company appointed Justin Rose as its president of lifecycle solutions, customer support and supply management. Rose succeeds Marc Howze who will become senior advisor to the Office of the Chairman. Rose is joining Deere from Boston Consulting Group, where he served as a senior partner and managing director.

Delaney Takes DC Job With Walmart – Patrick Delaney is the new director of federal government affairs for Walmart. Delaney has been the director of external affairs for the Senate Agriculture Committee. Before that, he was the communications director when Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson chaired the House Agriculture Committee. Before his time on Capitol Hill, Delaney was involved with policy communications for the American Soybean Association.

Ready to Tackle Unfinished Business – Eden Valley, Minnesota farmer Tom Haag has taken over the presidency of the National Corn Growers Association. Haag says there is unfinished business with the farm bill and ethanol. In a press conference, Haag also addressed the U.S. challenging Mexico’s import ban on corn. “The ban started out with only food-grade corn. As we get deeper into this, it gets tougher, because it might ban GMO corn going into livestock feed.” According to the USTR, Mexico is not living up to the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “If this is what Mexico signed in the agreement, we would have every right to push USTR for a lawsuit.”

Palmquist to Retire – Mark Palmquist has announced his plans to retire as CEO for United Malt. Palmquist has been on the job for nearly three years. Previously, he served as the managing director and CEO and GrainCorp and as chief financial officer and executive vice president for CHS.

Northarvest Bean Growers Award Scholarships – The Northarvest Bean Growers Association awarded $2,000 scholarships to two North Dakota natives; Skyler Jo Uglem of Northwood and Juan Cronquist of Gilby. Both scholarship recipients attend North Dakota State University. Uglem is pursuing a degree in psychology and pre-medicine, and Cronquist is majoring in Agribusiness and finance. Northarvest Bean Growers Association has awarded two scholarships annually for the past six years. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, a parent or grandparent must be a current grower member of the NBGA.

Being a Good Neighbor – Friends and neighbors of former Towner County, North Dakota farmer Doug Dulmage are showing up to lend a hand with harvest. FMC Territory Manager Bill Conner says it started with wheat and flax harvest in September. This past week, it was all about the soybean harvest. “There were anywhere from six-to-ten combine, countless semis, grain cart drivers and people showing up offering to run a combine.” Conner said Dalmage knew so many people through social media, farming and his seed business and they were devastated by his tragic death. Conner said the community always shows up for others. “That’s what we do, we’re a community. We have our differences, but at the end of the day, we can have a beer and get along.” Dalmage was murdered while combining wheat in late August. Three others were killed in the murder-suicide. Photo credit: Bill Conner