DTN Poll: Rural Voters Lean Red – According to a poll of rural Americans by DTN, nearly 70 percent of the respondents support former President Donald Trump. The Pulse of Rural America poll found another 19 percent support Vice President Kamala Harris and nine percent were undecided. Regarding national issues, 43 percent cited the national debt and budget deficit as their biggest concern. Seventeen percent of the responses are worried about Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland. The election is just eight days away.

Potential Ag Secretary Picks in Another Trump Administration – Speculation about cabinet positions in a Trump or Harris administration has already surfaced. According to Politico, another Trump presidency could bring familiar faces to the agriculture secretary job. Contenders would include Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Indiana farmer and former ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture Kip Tom and former USDA undersecretary and current CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Ted McKinney.

Democratic Contenders for USDA Post – If Vice President Harris moves to the Oval Office, Politico said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack could remain in that role. Vilsack is already one of the longest-serving cabinet officials in decades, but has not ruled out the possibility. USDA Deputy Secretary Tochitl Torres Small and California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross are also contenders.

Running Out of Time – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is sounding the alarm over the farm bill. “We’re quickly running out of time this fall for this Congress to come together to address the farm bill in a bipartisan way,” Vilsack said in a call with the American Farmland Trust. “Either we have a real bipartisan deal on this on a new farm bill or at a minimum an extension of the existing farm bill.” The 2018 farm bill expired a year ago but was extended until the end of last month. Most of the farm programs have funding through the end of this calendar year but would be reverted to permanent law in January. That would send price supports back to the parity levels from the 1938 and 1949 farm bills. “Frankly, the longer we wait, the harder it is to get this done.”

Chester, SD Harvest Finishes Strong – Corn harvest is complete for many around Chester, South Dakota. “Overall, I think people are pleased with their corn crop,” says Keith Alverson. “We were worried about it finishing but we had a beautiful September and October.” Alverson says the fall has saved a lot of hours on the corn dryer. The soybeans were an average crop this year.

Wet Corn Delays Grygla Harvest – Corn harvest is still underway for Grygla, Minnesota farmer Todd Stanley. “We’re up against some pretty wet corn now, the last we combined was 24 percent so we quit for a while.” Stanley expects to combine some corn in the spring rather than fighting with a dryer this year. “It’s yielding really well and the quality is good.” The soybean crop was impressive “I do not know where the yields came from.” Stanley says his area had a lot of water this summer, including seven inches during one rain event.

Corn Was a Pleasant Surprise – Dairyland Seeds District Sales Manager Chad Birchem says farmers have been pleasantly surprised by yields in his west-central Minnesota territory. “There were good corn yields everywhere,” said Birchem. “In some places, the soybeans were good and in some places they weren’t. It just had shallow roots and it never developed anything. We dried out in August/September and the beans gave up. They just quit early.” With the continued lack of substantial rains, Birchem recommends the use of drought-tolerant genetics next year. Click here to listen to the full interview.

Nonstop Harvest Season – Harvest has been chugging along for Paul Anderson of Coleharbor, North Dakota. “We have had a 30-day green flag run. We only took two days for the crew to rest between soybeans and corn.” Anderson said corn test weights were admirable and the soybean only lost the top end yield when the crop started to get too dry.

Wind and Drought Take a Toll – Harvest is mostly wrapped up around Hazen, North Dakota. “A lot of the later season crops have been hurt by a big windstorm more than a week ago,” said John Weinand who saw many ears drop from drought-stressed corn. The dryness has caused issues for the winter wheat crop that is turning brown. Weinand is hoping for rain before the ground freezes.

Above Expectations – On the whole, the bushels are there with this year’s corn crop. Dekalb Asgrow Technical Agronomist Grant Mehring said yields are 20-to-30 percent above expectations. “That has caused some levels at the elevator and storage level. This is very dry corn.” Crown rot and stalk rot have compromised stalk quality. Mehring sees that as a learning opportunity. “You have a great corn crop that may have a little bit of a weaker stalk complex, what is the best thing we can do?” said Mehring. “The best thing we can do is a fungicide with that herbicide, spraying a herbicide a little later and put on a fungicide like Delaro Complete from Bayer on at V4 of V5, you’re going to have a much stronger stalk. That probably would have been what would have helped this.”

Bushels Are Down Across the Board – Southwestern Minnesota farmers are parking the combine after a stressful growing season. “Yields are definitely poor across the board,” said Bill Gordon, Worthington, Minnesota. “Some guys maybe had a decent field or two, but with the zeros from the early water we had, it really hurt the yields.” There has been one surprise. “What’s amazing about the year is the quality of the crop. The corn is coming in at 50-60 pound test weights.” Fall tillage is happening although the ground is exceptionally dry and tough on the equipment this year.

One of the Better Corn Crops in Years – Jamestown, North Dakota’s Terry Wanzek has finished harvesting soybeans and pinto beans. “We had a few fields that didn’t do that well, but it was mostly from the hail.” In the soybean fields spared by the hail, yields ranged from upper 30s to the 50-bushel range. Wanzek said the corn turned out better than hoped. “It’s looking really good, probably one of the better crops we’ve had in a few years.”

Corn Harvest Nears Completion for Thykeson – Portland, North Dakota farmer Ross Thykeson is working on the corn harvest. “Things are going pretty smooth, pretty dry. It’s anywhere from 15 to 18 (percent) moisture and there are good bushels out there. Storage is starting to get tight.” In August and early September, there were worries about the corn making it to maturity. Thanks to late-season GDUs, that hasn’t been a concern. “You can’t ask for a better fall, it’s just been so much more relaxing not fighting with Mother Nature.”

Crop Shows Promise Despite Weather Woes – Wishek, North Dakota farmer Adam Bettenhausen is finished with his harvest. “The top end came off with the finish we had, but all in all, I can’t complain. We had a really wet spring and a wet summer, but just an even drier finish.” Bettenhausen said his sunflowers didn’t finish as strong as he would have. “Most of the stuff we’ve done so far has been over a ton, which typically if you can get over a ton, we’re pretty happy with that so nothing to complain about for sure.”

Working on Sunflowers – Regent, North Dakota farmer Josh Greff says his corn turned out well. “Considering we haven’t had rain since early August, we were afraid our corn was going to be really light, but it was actually a good weight and pretty good yield.” Greff is now working on his sunflowers. “We got a late start, the stalks are pretty green yet.”

Ideal Weather Leads to Record Canola Production – Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman says the harvest conditions were almost perfect. “There was some late canola that got hit by excessively high winds in early October so that wasn’t good for growers getting hit by that, but for the most part the crop did very well.” USDA is forecasting the average canola yield at 1,880 pounds, which would be about up by 70 pounds from last year. “They increased the number of acres planted in the state from their June estimate to a record 2.15 million acres were planted in the state this year. That’s the first time we’ve eclipsed 2 million acres”

Regroup for Next Year – Harvest is close to wrapping up for the Devils Lake area. The focus now shifts to 2025. “I have some guys putting on some herbicide this fall planning for next year, but most people are just going to regroup,” said Jason Hanson of Rock n’ Roll Agronomy. “Because of the wet year, we’re getting a lot of ditching done.”

Rural Mainstreet Index: Financial Condition Weakens – The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index took another dip in the past month. This is a survey of rural bank CEOs in a ten-state region. Roughly 61.5 percent of the bankers said the farm financial situation in their area deteriorated over the past six months. October loan volume remained strong while farmland values declined. More than 85 percent of the bankers surveyed said former President Donald Trump would most support the rural economy.

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – Are you looking for a career change? The Red River Farm Network posts job opportunities on our website. The Beltrami County FSA and Kittson County FSA offices have fantastic opportunities available today. November 12 is the application deadline for both positions. Visit the RRFN site for more details.

Optimism Amid Adversity in Fertilizer Business – Phosphate facilities near Tampa Bay narrowly avoided disaster when Hurricane Helene veered off its expected course. StoneX Vice President of Fertilizer Josh Linville says the good fortune was still offset by losses in fertilizer production. “Between Helene and Milton, expectations are a few hundred thousand tons of production were lost.” At the same time, U.S. farmers were harvesting a larger-than-expected corn crop. “On the one hand that’s more cash inflow. That also means more phosphate nutrient removal from the soil that needs to be replaced if you expect the same crop next year.”

A Threat to Global Food Security – United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer believes Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports and grain shipments are a threat to global food security. Recent attacks have delayed a shipment of vegetable oil to the World Food Program in Gaza and impacted grain shipments to Egypt and southern Africa. Grain shipments have continued since the 2022 invasion, but the recent bombings have pushed insurance coverage for cargo vessels to extreme levels.

Mexico Seeks Food Self Sufficiency – Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is promoting a self-sufficiency food initiative. Mexican farmers will be paid a guaranteed price to grow the corn needed for tortillas. Incentives are also in place for Mexico to increase domestic dry bean production by 30 percent in six years to replace bean imports. Northavest Bean Growers Association Executive Director Mitch Coulter says Mexico is an important market for U.S. dry beans. “Mexico is one of our top five markets always for North Dakota, Minnesota, and really the U.S. bean market,” said Coulter. “When you start to press self-sufficiency in their marketplace, you have to question whether that’s even possible. A year ago they had a drought in Mexico and they really relied on U.S. product for a lot of commodities. Not sure that’s even a possibility.” Coulter said agriculture benefits from free and open trade. “We want to stay away from tariffs; we want trade agreements and try to get away from the protectionism.”

Two Nations Participate in Tri-National Accord – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and its counterparts in Canada issued a joint communique highlighting the importance of international trade and food security. Topics addressed also included animal disease, water management, sustainable farm production and ag technology. Mexico did not participate in the Tri-National Agricultural Accord meetings in Virginia.

From Flooding to Drought – For the third year in a row, low water levels are affecting the transportation system. Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek is surprised after the wet conditions early in the season. “We had a considerable amount of precipitation throughout much of the Midwest in the spring and into the early summer and significant flooding in parts of the Midwest in late June, early July, but then once we started hitting the middle of July, the spigots got turned off.” Lower water levels mean less barge capacity, which turns into higher shipping costs. “What we see overwhelmingly within agriculture is those costs get passed onto the farmer because if we try to pass that increased cost onto a customer, they’ll just elect to purchase more soybeans from elsewhere so they end up passing them onto the farmer in the form of a more negative basis or a wider basis.”

Busy Days Ahead for the Market – Comstock Investments market analyst Joe Camp says the recent sideways trade will only be here for a short time. “We know how quickly we’re approaching this month of November, the election month,” said Camp. “It’s not just the November 5th election that week, it’s also the central bank meeting a couple of days later deciding on interest rates again and it’s the November crop report that Friday.”

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 puts cattle and the Dow in the ‘hot’ category. Soybeans are on the other side of the ledger. Listen to the update.

Winter Forecast – The Dakotas and western Minnesota may be looking at below-average temperatures this winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlook calls for an equal chance of above or below-average snowfall in December, January and February for most of the region. However, a portion of Minnesota can expect slightly higher-than-average snowfall.

Farming for the Future – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Red River Farm Network and the Linder Farm Network to provide information on soil health events and topics. This week, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition Executive Director Mark Gutierrez talks about the premier Soil Health event December 3-4 in Mankato. Listen to the update. 

Brazilian Planting Lags Behind Last Year’s Pace – Brazil’s wet season was delayed, but much-needed rains have now been seen. Soybean and Corn Advisor President Michael Cordonnier says the drier conditions pushed the planting far behind schedule. “I think the bigger issue is corn because in Brazil, 75 percent of the corn is planted as a double crop after soybeans. If soybean planting is delayed that delays the planting of the second crop of corn. The more that corn gets delayed in planting, the lower the yield prospects for the second crop of corn.”

Dry Bean Scene – Northarvest Bean Growers Executive Director Mitch Coulter joins this week’s Dry Bean Scene. Coulter provides a recap of the dry bean harvest and discusses other issues facing the dry edible bean grower. Click here to listen to the report.

Dietary Guidelines Called ‘Out-of-Touch’ and ‘Elitist’ – U.S. consumers are not eating enough vegetables, but the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee advises Americans to eat fewer starchy vegetables. The National Potato Council said this conclusion is not supported by nutritional science and will only confuse consumers. Meat groups had a mixed reaction. The National Pork Producers Council praised the committee’s recommendation to increase protein intake, but also said plant proteins cannot replace animal proteins. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is upset with the recommendations. The recommendations highlighted at its preview meeting included a move away from high-quality proteins like beef and replacing it with beans and lentils. In a statement, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane said this was one of the most ‘out-of-touch, impractical and elitist’ dietary proposals in history.

Lingering Impact From Wildfires – Nearly 140,000 acres were impacted by the wildfires in North Dakota. The fires are all contained, but burning restrictions remain in place. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring expects lingering effects from the fires. “Some of the livestock buyers have said they don’t really want to buy cattle out of those areas simply because they’re afraid of pneumonia setting in at a later date or feed efficiency issues, you just don’t have cattle at peak performance when they’re struggling healthwise.” Goehring said he has had ‘fruitful’ conversations with the Farm Service Agency about the ongoing impact on livestock. “They’re going to continue to address these issues knowing that health concerns can be an issue weeks and months afterward.” The USDA Livestock Indemnity Program offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses over normal mortality due to adverse weather such as wildfires. A list of resources is available online.

Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund Gets a Boost – ExxonMobile has contributed $100,000 to the Out of the Ashes Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund. This fund was established by the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association and North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation to assist in the recovery effort. Approximately 100,000 acres were burned in the fires earlier this month. Losses include livestock, pasture and farmsteads. Donations can be made online.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt joins this week’s Minnesota Beef Update to recap the recent Minnesota Beef Expo. Listen for the report.

Calves Coming to Town – Calves are just starting to pour into the Bagley Livestock Exchange for the fall run. “Ninety percent of them are coming right off the cows, unweaned,” said co-owner Billy Bushelle. Demand is being seen for replacement heifers, which is much earlier than normal. “We might be just on the first baby-steps of rebuilding the herd.” Even if cattle producers begin to rebuild their herds now, Bushelle said it will still be another three years before that meat is in your supermarket. “We’re going to see one of the longest upsides of this market that we’ve even seen in history.”

Calf Prices Remain Strong – At this year’s Outlook Conference for Ag Lenders, NDSU Livestock Economist Tim Petry spoke about the current state of livestock markets. The calf marketing season is just starting. “Calf prices are very similar to last year as all cattle prices are higher, except cows, thanks to beef cow slaughter being down 16 percent.” Feeder calf prices are very similar to last year’s record high levels. Petry thinks producers should consider backgrounding cattle this year. “Feed prices are low this year and our budget so far is showing that there’s money to make in backgrounding for those that do it.”

Beef Ruled Out as Source of E.coli Outbreak – The McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been blamed for the health issue in 13 states. The beef was not the issue, but McDonald’s is still waiting for the test results on its onions. Taylor Farms, which supplied the onions from its Colorado location, said it hasn’t found any traces of E.coli pathogens in its testing.

A Dairy Renaissance – Dairy Management Inc. President and CEO Barbara O’Brien believes the dairy industry is experiencing a ‘renaissance.’ Speaking at a national dairy meeting in Phoenix, O’Brien cited increased consumer retail spending and volume sales for dairy products. The millennial generation is driving the growth. In the year ahead, O’Brien said the dairy checkoff is refining its reputation strategy to target thought leaders and consumers.

Making Every Drop Count – The dairy industry is standing tall against the threat of H5N1 and farm bill delays. National Milk Producers Federation Chairman Randy Mooney made that point at the joint annual meeting for NMPF, National Dairy Board and the United Dairy Industry Association. Changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order and strong dairy margins were also discussed. Attendance totaled 750 people for the Phoenix event.

SD, MN, ND Milk Production Totals – Milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled 17.5 billion pounds in September, up 0.2 percent from a year ago. South Dakota milk production is up nearly eight percent. Minnesota’s milk output is down two percent. In the past year, South Dakota dairies added 16,000 cows and Minnesota milk cow numbers declined by 9,000 head. In the past quarter, North Dakota averaged 9,500 head of dairy cows. Those numbers will change soon with Riverview Dairy planning to build a 25,000 cow dairy farm near Hillsboro and a 12,500 head dairy farm north of Wahpeton.

Adding Value Through Cows – North Dakota’s animal agriculture industry will see a boost with the two proposed Riverview Dairy farms into the state. NDSU Extension Bioenergy Economist David Ripplinger sees room for bioenergy growth, as well. “Bio-methane is a co-product. We’re always looking for ways to have value-added agriculture in the state and animal agriculture is certainly a part of that, even more so on the dairy side which has been in decline in recent years.”

Ag Lenders Learn About ND’s Expanding Livestock Industry – At this year’s Outlook Conference for Agricultural Lenders, NDSU Extension Livestock Development Specialist Jon Biermacher spoke about the future of the livestock industry in North Dakota. “Riverview Dairy is opening two dairy farms in the state soon. The one that’s proposed for Hillsboro is huge. It’s 25,000 cows, all under confinement. The other one’s half (at Abercrombie) with 12,500 cows.” The new dairy operations will provide plenty of opportunities for farmers in the state. “We did a little work to try to calculate the value of feed they would need for both sites. Some quick calculations put it somewhere between $75 (million) and $100 million in feed, depending on what prices are each year. So that’s a lot of feed.”

CARB to Vote on Manure Digester Incentives – Activist groups, including Friends of the Earth, are taking aim at the anaerobic manure digesters on California dairy farms. Since 2011, these dairies have been eligible for state incentives for using this technology. However, the environmental groups claim the availability of these manure digesters promotes the expansion of large-scale dairy farms. The California Air Resources Board is also considering additional regulations for methane emissions.

Ready to Change the World – At the National FFA Convention opening session, National FFA Advisor Dr. Travis Park said the FFA can have a lasting impact. “You’ve arrived in Indianapolis ready to change the world. For other organizations, that may be a tall order but we are not other organizations. We are FFA and changing the world, developing leaders who will change the world is what we do.”

New Officer Team in Place – The new National FFA president is Thaddeus Bergschneider of Illinois. The other five members of the officer team are from Ohio, Kentucky, California, Georgia and Wisconsin. They were selected from 37 candidates seeking national office.

Sundeen Earns National Proficiency Award – Rockford (Minnesota) FFA member Cole Sundeen earned the national proficiency award for landscape management. “It’s such a humbling experience, when I started out in seventh grade I never thought I would make it to this point.” Sundeen has grown his supervised agricultural experience from doing minor lawn tasks to managing a lawn mowing crew to being responsible for planting and caring for plants at a local landscaping company. Sundeen is also the current Minnesota State FFA treasurer.

Representing MN with a Purpose – Minnesota FFA State Sentinel Tori Gunderson is excited to be a delegate at the National FFA Convention. Gunderson, who is part of the Grand Rapids FFA chapter, is passionate about the work underway to ensure the future of FFA is inclusive. “Especially as we move into full affiliation, which means that anybody who takes an agricultural education class is automatically enrolled in FFA.”

Connecting at the National Level – South Dakota FFA State Reporter Hailey Kizer is glad to be at the National Convention and Expo. Although delegation work is her primary role, Kizer really enjoys getting to meet up with old and new friends throughout the convention. “I absolutely love seeing all the different members and how excited they are to be here because National Convention is a truly exciting experience.”

A Focus on Mental Health – Gettysburg, South Dakota FFA member Bobbi Eide competed in the social science portion of the National FFA Convention Agriscience Fair. “I studied mental health concerns in production agriculture and found out that farmers are less likely to reach out for mental health support through counseling hotlines and other things compared to the general population.”

Unlocking a Career Path in Agriculture – Agriculture delivers countless career opportunities for the young men and women in the FFA. Options include production agriculture, biotechnology, finance, marketing and communications. “If you are a student and love living in a small town, we can find ways to help you stay in your community, or you may want to try a new location, you could work at our headquarters,” said CHS Manager of Talent Acquisition Lauren Bucci. “It is the best of both worlds.” In addition to the National FFA Convention, CHS is looking for future employees at the post-secondary level. “We go to two-year universities and technical schools, we go to four-year universities; and we’re really looking to identify those next leaders for our organization.” Bucci praised the FFA for the amount of students fully engaged and dedicated to agriculture. CHS is a key sponsor of the RRFN coverage of the National FFA Convention. Listen to the full interview with Bucci.

American Degree Has Special Meaning for Lawson – For Jayma Lawson, getting the American FFA Degree is special for her and her Verndale (Minnesota) FFA chapter. “I am the first one from our chapter in over 35, 40 years (to earn the American Degree; it’s an accomplishment I never thought I would get.” Lawson is attending the University of Minnesota-Crookston seeking a degree in Agriculture Education.

Vannurden Receives FFA VIP Award – One of only seventeen individuals nationwide to receive the VIP Citation from the National FFA Organization was North Dakota’s own Doug Vannurden. “It was awesome, it was a lot of fun. It is my honor to be representing North Dakota, I’m humbled.” Vannurden was an FFA advisor for 11 years in Beach, North Dakota and served as North Dakota FFA executive secretary for 23 years. Vannurden is the third person from North Dakota to receive this honor.

Minnesotan Honored With FFA Alumni Award – The National FFA Alumni and Supporters presented its Outstanding Achievement Award to Fred Troendle of the St. Charles, Minnesota FFA Alumni chapter. Troendle was instrumental in co-founding the President’s Circle Leadership Program.

Competing in Ag Sales – The South Prairie FFA Chapter at Minot, North Dakota competed in the ag sales competition at the National FFA Convention. “Our entire team prepared a sales presentation for a judge,” said Joshua Lindbo. “It was basically like talking to your boss about sales.” There was also an evaluation of a customer service call and a test. “I always love ag sales; it’s one of my favorite competitions in FFA so getting the chance to compete in the national contest is something I will never forget,” proclaimed Brylee Beeters. Natalie Becker said FFA has prepared her for the future. “I think it definitely improved my public speaking skills; I’m so thinkful for this organization because it really got me out of my shell.”

A Way of Life for This FFA Member – Eldon Blume, Redfield, South Dakota, has a Supervised Occupational Experience in FFA that is a part of his daily life. Blume was a poultry proficiency finalist at the National FFA Convention and Expo. “I raise chickens for eggs. I started with 125 chickens, now I’m up to 300. I deliver the eggs to grocery stores and restaurants weekly.” To prepare, Blume said he went into the competition with a clear mind and tried his best with what he knew from his own poultry farm.

MN FFA Duo Takes First in Agriscience – Ava Cox and Grant Slininger of the Rockford FFA chapter, took first place in Division II of the Agriscience Fair: Social Science competition. “I couldn’t believe it, I looked over at Grant and thought there was no way we just did this,” says Cox, happy to have worked with her cousin, Grant. “This is my second year at the National FFA Convention. I think it’s a great time to learn new skills and have an overall fun time,” says Slininger.

Encouraging Young Members in FFA – Adreanna Kaas was the only delegate from Minnesota who is not currently a state officer. Her delegate session focused on creating opportunities for the 5-8^th graders in FFA. “If they start young they’re more likely to choose an ag-based career,” says Kaas, who did not grow up in agriculture herself. “Now I’m a vice president of my chapter (Milaca FFA), and I love every minute of it.”

Property Rights Case Goes to ND Supreme Court – The North Dakota Landowners Association is appealing to the Supreme Court in a lawsuit over the underground storage of CO2 and property rights. The group claims the process used by the North Dakota Industrial Commission is unconstitutional. The issue has implications for Summit Carbon Solutions and its pipeline from ethanol plants in five states for storage in North Dakota.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. The Northern Canola Growers Association invites everyone to attend its Annual Canola Expo being held in conjunction with the Crop Outlook & International Durum Forum at the Grand Hotel in Minot on November 6 and 7. Listen to the report. 

Ag Companies Earn Automate ND Grants – The North Dakota Development Fund received $5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to create a grant program to address workforce shortages. A handful of agriculture companies have received money from the Automate ND program. That list includes the Dairy Dozen of Milner, which received a $500,000 grant for a milking robot, automated manure collector and automated feed pusher. Agri-Cover of Jamestown received $283,000 for robot arms and autonomous carts for the production of roll-up and hard covers for trucks. Richardton-based Amber Waves received $142,000 to automate a wash bay for its hopper bottom grain bins. A $28,500 grant went to Blue Flint Ethanol of Underwood to automate the ethanol production process.

U.S. Tractor and Combine Sales Fell in September. – Tractor sales are down more than 19 percent from one year ago. The sale of 4WD tractors declined 15 percent, while 2WD tractors dropped more than 19 percent. Year-to-date, 4WD tractor sales are up nearly two percent and 2WD tractors declined nearly 14 percent. According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the sale of combines were down over 40 percent in September. Year-to-date combine sales are down over 21 percent.

Acreage Reporting by the Inch – To encourage urban and small-scale innovative farming practices, the Farm Service Agency is implementing increased flexibility for farm programs. With this plan, acreage as small as two-and-a-half by two-and-a-half inches is allowed. Crops grown in multi-level or vertical production systems were cited as an example. USDA has urban service centers staffed by FSA and NRCS personnel in 17 major cities.

USDA Pushes Cross-Boundary Habitat Protection – The USDA announced a department-wide effort to support connectivity of wildlife habitat on working landscapes through the management of National forests and voluntary conservation assistance on private agricultural lands. “Many wildlife in the U.S. depend on large landscapes for their conservation. And they don’t care where the fence is between forest service and working lands or tribal lands or other lands,” says Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “So we have to work across boundaries.” Bonnie says working collaboratively is vital to ensure an incentive-based approach can happen.

A Positive Development for E15 in California – California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a directive to the California Air Resources Board to expedite a move toward E15. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor praised Newsom’s support for the 15 percent ethanol blend, saying it can lower fuel costs. POET Senior Vice President Joshua Shields said this policy also reinforces California’s support for air quality and public health.

A Legacy of Innovation – NDSU Pesticide Program Specialist Andrew Thostenson is set to retire at the end of the month. Heading into the final weeks of his tenure at NDSU, Thostenson took time to look back at how much pesticide use in agriculture has changed since taking over the position nearly 30 years ago. “We are vastly better at applying pesticides just because of the technology that we have to bear now.” Thostenson insists the biggest impact on the industry is the rise of pesticide resistance. “When I was starting out here at NDSU, resistance to herbicides was well known, well documented, but it wasn’t as widespread and pervasive as we see today. The rise of resistance has really driven us to do things that I couldn’t even imagine doing 30 years ago. Nowadays, you’re really not in the league unless you’re applying a three-way tank mix of pesticides with different modes of action to try and get out at this resistance issue.”

AURI Update – The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute hosts an ag innovation podcast with Dan Skogen that discusses Minnesota agriculture. The newest episode will air on November 6th showcasing new research on three different market opportunities; goat meat, small dairy processing, and specialty oil seed processing. Click here to hear more. 

Revolutionizing the Retail-Farmer Experience – Syngenta Crop Protection and Taranis have a multi-year deal to partner on artificial intelligence-powered agronomy solutions. Syngenta Digital Solutions Marketing Manager Meade McDonald said this platform makes it possible for ag retailers to make field-level agronomic recommendations without going to the field. “This technology won’t get necessarily remove growers or retailers from the field completely, but it’s absolutely going to revolutionize how retailers call on growers and it’s going to improve the operational efficiency for retailers and growers in a whole new way.” In addition to the agronomic information, there is a conservation platform to help farmers access funding for their conservation practices. The Syngenta-Taranis partnership will focus on corn and soybeans in the Midwest, including Minnesota and the Dakotas, in 2025. After that, the plan is to expand to other crops and geographies.

Next Gen Liberty Herbicide Approved – BASF has received EPA registration for its Liberty ULTRA herbicide powered by Glu-L Technology. This is the next generation of Liberty herbicide and can be used on glufosinate-enabled corn, soybean and canola acres.

Tolvera Provides Additional Flexibility – Corteva has introduced a new herbicide for wheat, durum, and barley. Tolvera features two modes of action and a new active ingredient to handle difficult weeds like kochia,  waterhemp and foxtail. Product Manager Drew Clark said Tolvera gives farmers additional flexibility. “Specifically in the Red River Valley, Tolvera is going to give growers more flexibility in making planting decisions,” said Clark. “Tolvera allows a reduced crop rotation of nine months back to most major crops including lentils, peas, soybeans, potatoes, and canola giving growers the freedom to rotate to the crop that best improves their profit potential the following year.” Tolvera will be available for the 2025 growing season.

EPA OKs NovaGraz For Pasture Weed Control – Corteva Agriscience has announced the EPA has approved NovaGraz herbicide. “Most producers rely on white clover and annual lespedeza in their pastures,” said Morgan Bohlander, range and pasture portfolio lead. “These legumes can provide forage quality for grazing and haying and offer nitrogen-fixing capability that enhances soil fertility and health. Without effective broadleaf weed control, the harm that weeds cause to forage production and quality can outweigh the benefits that these legumes provide.” NovaGraz will be available for the 2025 application season, pending state registrations.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council board member John Magas joins this week’s Corn Matters to discuss the checkoff process. Market development is an important part of that checkoff investment. Click here to listen.

Specialty Seed Acquisition – Brookings-based Millborn Seeds has acquired Kaste Seed. Kaste Seed is based in Fertile, Minnesota and specializes in native grass and wildflower seed production. Kaste Seed staff will remain in their current roles and will become part of the Millborn Seeds team.

Sugarbeet Supply Deal Struck – American Crystal Sugar Company and Minn-Dak Farmers Co-op have an agreement in place where Minn-Dak will acquire some beets from ACSC. In a text message, Minn-Dak Vice President of Agriculture Mike Metzger said he could not comment about the percentage of ACSC’s unharvested acres that it encompasses.

3Q Profits for Valmont Industries – Valmont Industries is reporting third quarter operating income of $125.7 million. That compares to a loss of more than $24 million in the same period last year. The agriculture division represents 26 percent of Valmont’s net sales and is dominated by center pivot and linear irrigation equipment. Sales were down 11 percent year-over-year.

Lindsay Corp Finishes Fiscal Year – Lindsay Corporation reports net income for fiscal year 2024 of $66.3 million. That’s down from $72.4 million one year ago. President/CEO Randy Wood said lower grain prices hurt overall profitability on the farm, but the North American irrigation business has been resilient.

Advancing H5N1 Cattle Vaccines – USDA has approved safety trials for two companies developing an H5N1 cattle vaccine. One of the companies that are part of the field trials is being done by South Dakota-based Medgene.

Correction – In a story highlighting Cattle Business Weekly’s Top Ten Industry Leaders Under 40, RRFN regrettably listed a name incorrectly. Sam Twedt is the Red Angus breeder from McHenry, North Dakota on the list.

Giordano, Jagels to Receive USMEF Honors – The U.S. Meat Export Federation will present the Michael J. Mansfield Award to former National Pork Producers Council lobbyist Nick Giordano. This award recognizes individuals who have advanced U.S. trade relations. USMEF will also recognize Nebraska farmer Mark Jagels with its Distinguished Service Award. Jagels chaired the USMEF board in 2014-2015. The awards will be presented at the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference on November 7.

Bobb to Receive Agribusiness Award – The NDSU Harvest Bowl Agribusiness Award recipient is former BNSF Railway executive  Steve Bobb. Bobb is a Richardton, North Dakota native. He spent 37 years at BNSF, including the past 11 years as the executive vice president and chief marketing officer. The agribusiness award will be presented at the Harvest Bowl dinner November 15.

Krause Continues Service to the Dairy Industry – During the National Milk Producers Federation/National Dairy Board/United Dairy Industry Association meetings in Phoenix, a Minnesota farmer was elected 1^st vice chair for UDIA. Charles Krause is part of a sixth-generation dairy farm family at Buffalo.

Senate Ag Committee GOP Hires New Communications Lead – The Senate Agriculture Committee Republican Caucus has a new communications director. Sara Lasure is succeeding Patrick Creamer, who is retiring. Lasure is a Wisconsin native and has been on Arkansas Senator John Boozman’s office staff for over ten years.

Landeis Moves to Anheuser-Busch – Katelyn Landeis has accepted a barley agronomist role for Anheuser-Busch, serving northeast North Dakota. Landeis has been the Grand Forks County Extension agent.

Ag-Chem Equipment Founder Passes – A leader in the precision agriculture business has died. Al McQuinn, 93, founded Ag-Chem Equipment Company in Jackson, Minnesota in 1963. Innovations developed under McQuinn’s leadership include the Terra-Gator and RoGator. AGCO purchased Ag-Chem Equipment in 2000.