‘Not One Big Globalized World Any Longer’ – In recent memory, the United States was the one dominant power in the world. Before that, it was the U.S. and Russia. Geopolitical risk analyst Jacob Shapiro kicked off the Next 5 Years Conference by saying we are now in a time of multi-polarity with rising and falling economies. “It is important to think about where change is happening the most,” Shapiro told RRFN. “For me, it is in those rising countries like Mexico, India, Brazil, Turkey (and) Indonesia, those are the places where change is happening the most rapidly.” Listen to the interview.

FCA Offers Mixed View of Farm Economy – In its quarterly economic report, the Farm Credit Administration said 2023 net farm income will be down sharply from last year. Falling commodity prices, high input costs and low government payments are all part of the story. However, financial ratios remain positive. Farmland values remain strong, but the report cites a possible peak in land prices.

A Wakeup Call – The Federal Open Market Committee will make another interest rate decision this week. Innovus Agra President Bret Oelke said the issue for farmers goes beyond the percentage rate increase. “We’ve pushed ahead enough income and we’ve prepaid for enough expenses that nobody is going broke this year.” To manage taxes, farmers may decide not to pay off their operating line of credit before the end of the year. “Now, all of a sudden, we’ve got an increasing volume of capital that we’ve needing and we’re probably paying twice what we were three years ago for operating line interest rates. That’s going to be the wakeup call.” In that scenario, Oelke said farmers will experience $40-to-$50 per acre interest costs for short and intermediate credit. Watch the entire seminar.

Crude Prices Reach Ten-Month High – Crude oil prices have topped $90 per barrel, which is a ten-month high. Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi said there is some positive news for the farmer with the high energy prices. “For the average consumer, it stinks,” said Grisafi. “For those of us in the grain industry, because we can take all the grains and turn them into some form of alcohol or fuel, I like higher crude prices. It would be a lot worse if we had $40 crude and these lower grain prices.” Grisafi was part of Wednesday’s market outlook forum at the Big Iron Farm Show.

The Energy Sector in a Time of Transition – The United States is transitioning its energy policy from a volume-based Renewable Fuels Standard to the low-carbon fuel standards. Larry Lemaster is with a company called Elevar Partners and was part of the Next 5 Years Conference. Lemaster said the ethanol industry overbuilt. “We’ve got 17.5 billion gallons of capacity and today there is about 14 billion gallons of demand.” Ethanol is now transitioning to a low carbon fuel. “We’re also seeing a lot of news about carbon capture sequestration which, if successful and completed, will lower the carbon intensity of ethanol.”

USDA Addresses Aviation Fuel Tax Credits – USDA is making $400,000 available to fix the greenhouse gas emissions model so aviation fuel produced from corn-based ethanol is eligible for tax credits. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made that announcement during a conference hosted by Growth Energy. A decision on the modeling issue will be made by the Biden Administration before the end of the year.

Ribbon Cutting Postponed – Today’s ribbon-cutting for the Green Bison Soybean Processing plant in Spiritwood has been postponed. An explosion and fire at the Archer Daniels Midland facility in Decatur, Illinois occurred just over a week ago. Members of ADM’s leadership team remain focused on that incident and are unable to participate. The startup of the Green Bison facility is continuing on schedule. Green Bison is a joint venture between ADM and Marathon Oil.

More Competition for Soybeans – The new soybean crush plant at Spiritwood will begin processing soybeans on Wednesday. Kristi Van Ahn, who is with Van Ahn and Company, was part of a market outlook panel discussion at the Big Iron Farm Show. Van Ahn said the Green Bison Soy Processing project will provide more competition for soybeans. “If there’s a cush facility that wants to utilize one-third of every bean grown in North Dakota, your elevators are going to have to try a little bit harder to get those beans that go to the PNW.” In the short-term, Van Ahn said the soybean meal produced at Green Bison can be exported or shipped to areas with more swine production.

Register for NCI’s Next Market Update Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is hosting a market update webinar on Wednesday at 8 AM. This webinar will feature Allison Thompson, commodity broker/market analyst, The Money Farm. This webinar series focuses on providing new market insights. For more information about the webinar and to register, For more information and to register, go online.

A Change for Soybean Marketing – The development of the soybean crush business in the region will influence local basis levels. West Central Ag Services grain merchandiser Randy Zimmerman was part of the Red River Farm Network market outlook forum Thursday and said this new market will require fresh thinking. “The farmer may have to change his mentality on how he’s going to market beans,” said Zimmerman. ” Typically, the farmers in our trade area like to move their beans at harvest, they can get some cash to pay some bills in the fall. That mentality may have to change and they’re (crush plants) are going to have to pay the farmer to get those beans so they will store them.”

An Eventual Shift in Acreage Expected – Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson believes the new soybean crush plants in North Dakota will influence the acreage mix. “I think we’ll see an increase in bean acreage, especially when you look at it in the eastern parts of North Dakota and western parts of Minnesota. Corn will always be competitive. I think the acres will come at the expense of wheat and barley.” During the Red River Farm Network market outlook panel, Martinson was asked if the additional soybean meal will help grow the livestock industry in North Dakota. “I really don’t; that’s because of our climate and because we’ve got to ship the animals so far to get them to a processor or a packer, I think that will eliminate some of the desire to build the livestock business here.”

A New Oilseed Crush Plant Coming to SD – South Dakota Soybean Processors will hold a groundbreaking event for its new crush plant on Tuesday. The Mitchell, South Dakota facility will have the ability to crush soybeans, sunflowers, canola and camelina. The plant is expected to be operating by the fall of 2025. Crush capacity is 100,000 bushels per day.

Gas-Powered Vehicles Get a Boost from Congress – The House passed legislation to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing Clean Air Act waivers for state policies that ban or limit the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks. The bill is in response to California’s ban that takes effect in 2035.

Corn Ending Stocks Up in September Report – USDA increased its corn production estimate and 2023/2024 corn ending stocks in its supply/demand report. Corn production is forecast at 15.1 billion bushels with an average yield of 173.8 bushels per acre. Last month, average yields were estimated at 175.1 bushels per acre. U.S. ending stocks totaled 2.22 billion bushels for 2023-2024 while the trade expected a 2.13-billion-bushel figure. For soybeans, the report forecast production at 4.14 billion bushels, down from 4.2 billion in August. The average soybean yield was put at 50.1 bushels per acre, down from 50.9 bushels per acre last month.

Yields Will Likely Push Lower – Reflecting on Tuesday’s USDA supply/demand report, Gulke Group President Jerry Gulke said the government still has time to massage these numbers. “We had such hot weather in May and June, especially in Illinois,” said Gulke. “For the first time in 40 years, I thought I wouldn’t have a corn crop. The uneven corn didn’t pollinate and come back good as the rest of the crop; we have fields with 200 bushel corn and some that’s 140 (bushels per acre.)” It may be January before those issues show up in the USDA reports. Watch the full seminar.

SD Corn Comments – In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Corn Executive Director DaNita Murray talks about price outlooks for corn and soybeans.

A Fun Time of the Year – During the Big Iron Farm Show, bushels were a frequent topic of conversation. Proseed District Sales Manager Dave Gehrtz said positive reports have come in for wheat, dry beans and other crops. “We have some phenomenal potential coming for corn and same thing with soybeans,” Gehrtz told RRFN. While there are areas that are dry, optimism remains. “We had the heat units, we’re getting natural drydown and the soybeans are synessing the way they should be; this is a fun time of the year.”

Timely Harvest Recommended – Variabiity was the norm across the area during the past growing season. There are wide differences in planting dates, moisture and field conditions. Pioneer Field Agronomist Eric Lagge is advocating a timely harvest strategy, especially for the early-planted corn. “The longer it stays out there, the more susceptible it is to wind and things like that,” said Lagge. During the Big Iron Farm Show, Pioneer was highlighted the new PowerCore and Vorseed Enlist corn. “On the soybean side of things, we have a launch on November 3 for a new class of soybeans that we are releasing; a lot of new exciting things going on within the Pioneer pipeline.”

Silage Harvest Moving Quickly – Kelly VonWahlde says silage chopping is underway for her family’s Clay County, Minnesota dairy farm. Some corn being harvested for silage has seen drought stress and the crop is variable. “For silage, moisture is mostly hanging in there, but there are definitely parts of the field that are drying down more than you would like.”

Early Harvest Near Stephen, MN – On his farm near Stephen, Minnesota, Peter Hvidsten is impressed with early crop yields despite a lack of rain in his area. Wheat and dry beans were better than expected. The soybean harvest is early and corn is in various stages of production. “We had an average planting date, but the hot, dry weather over the summer pushed it ahead a good seven-to-ten days.” Corn harvest is still a few weeks away for Hvidsten.

Dry Bean Harvest Stretches Out – Weather has slowed the dry bean harvest. “We’ve had a couple showers, fog and cloudy days.” said Dean Nelson, Hatton location manager, Kelley Bean Company. Nelson reports the pinto bean harvest is about 75 percent done and black beans are 40 percent harvested. Outside of some split beans, Nelson said the crop has been in good condition. “The general profile of beans may be a bit smaller because of the dryness we’ve had during the growing season.”

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, Northern Canola Growers Association board member Pat Murphy talks about canola harvest progress.

An Optimistic Potato Harvest – NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Potato Agronomist Andy Robinson says preliminary potato yield reports are good. “It’s developed really well. I’m hearing things are looking above average.” The weather has been cooperative with temperatures helping to dry things out.

Continuing Resolution Vote Expected – Two groups within the House Republican Caucus have reportedly reached an agreement to pass a continuing resolution and avoid a government shutdown. South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson and North Dakota Congressman Kelly Armstrong are included in the handful of lawmakers that put together this deal. This deal is expected to go before the House Rules Committee today and come to the floor for a vote later this week. It remains unknown if there will be enough votes to pass legislation to keep the government funded. The farm bill also expires at the end of the month, but the spending bills are the priority.

Ag Spending Bill Advances in Senate – The Senate is working through a handful of spending bills. Funding for USDA and the FDA is tied in with legislation dealing with military spending, transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to allow debate on the so-called minibus appropriations bill. Several amendments have been introduced, including one that would drastically change the commodity checkoff programs.

NASDA Updates its Policy – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has adopted policy action items, including a fix for gaps in federal disaster programs. At the NASDA annual meeting in Wyoming, the state agricultural leaders endorsed clear labeling for cell-based meat products and policies to adopt a farmers’ right to farm.

Seeking a Fair and Updated Farm Bill – The Minnesota Corn Growers Association is asking lawmakers for a fair and updated farm bill. That includes an updated safety net. “The farm bill is based on 2012 cost of production and those costs have increased sharply,” said Marlene Dufault, field district manager. “The ARC and PLC are programs that are vital for Minnesota; we also support federal crop insurance and increased funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development programs.”

Farm Bill Nears Deadline – Hundreds of National Farmers Union members attended a D.C. Fly-In last week. South Dakota Farmers Union Policy Committee Chairman Hank Wonnenberg said an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill is likely. “They’re still shooting for getting a farm bill drafted by the end of the calendar year, but honestly, they didn’t sound very optimistic.” Lawmakers are looking at cutting funding, but want to protect certain programs like crop insurance. Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President Anne Schwagerl also participated in the Fly-in. She is hopeful lawmakers will maintain the bipartisan nature of the farm bill. “For all of the other zoo-like things happening in Washington D.C., I remain pretty hopeful. We’ve built a coalition across both sides of the aisle to get something done that supports family farmers.”

NDFU Takes Its Message to DC – The timing of the National Farmers Union Fly-in coincided with a chaotic time in the Capitol City. The farm bill expires at the end of the month and a government shutdown is on the table. Regarding the farm bill, North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne said it is important to have a dual option between ARC and PLC and reference prices that reflect inflation and current commodity prices. “Along with that, we worked on country-of-origin labeling and spent quite a bit of time talking about a competition title which would challenge some of the folks trying to corner a market.” Watne cited the consolidation of the meatpacking industry, the fertiizer industry and transportation.

Renewed Energy for Animal Agriculture – The North Dakota Legislature passed incentives earlier this year to grow animal agriculture in the state. Livestock development was also part of the conversation at the Next 5 Years Conference in Moorhead. “It’s gotten renewed energy and vigor for a lot of reasons, said Ty Eschenbaum, managing partner, A1 Development Solutions, “From biosecurity and economics to the desire to diversify, throw in a couple crush plants kicking out more co-products and add carbon credits and what they do for access to manure; it has really hit a boiling point.”

Prairie Farms Stops Processing Milk at Bismarck – Bismarck-based Prairie Farms shut down its milk bottling facility and has transitioned to a distribution-only facility. The Milk Producers Association of North Dakota released a statement, saying “the announcement came as a complete surprise and shocked everybody in the dairy industry, including dairy producers and plant employees affected by this decision.” The North Dakota dairy farms are working together to support their peers who lost their milk market and are in danger of losing their livelihoods.

USDA Announces Milk Loss Program – Following widespread weather-related disasters, supply chain issues and volatile markets, USDA has announced Milk Loss Program assistance for eligible dairy farms. MLP assistance helps offset losses is for the dairy farmers who dumped milk due to weather impacted delivery or storage in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Beef Council Communications Director Ashley Kraemer talks about the ‘Build Your Base’ in this week’s Minnesota Beef Update.

Use Puts to Protect Cattle Prices – Cattle prices have been in a steady upward trend for months. At the same time, corn prices have been declining. “The market is telling the cattle producers to get ready to hold back heifers and that will help put the last push in cattle prices for the next one or two years,” said  Bryan Doherty, senior market advisor, Total Farm Marketing. “I still get concerned about the economy; with energy prices up, I get concerned food prices will get to a point where they will tip over because of a lack of demand.” During Wednesday’s RRFN market outlook forum, Doherty said the cattle industry has a demographic problem. “The average cow-calf operator is about 59 years old and you’ve got to get a younger generation into the cattle industry and I don’t know if the economics are there.”

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson said the cattle market is very strong. “We continue to reach all-time records on an almost daily basis.”

La Nina Shifts to El Nino – La Nina is out and El Nino is in. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey made that point when speaking on the Red River Farm Network stage at the Big Iron Farm Show. This should change weather patterns for key areas of crop production in both North America and South America. “We do expect a wetter weather pattern for Argentina and southern Brazil.” El Nino impacts North America by creating a strong southern jet stream that should help places like Oklahoma and Texas come out of drought. The northern jet stream becomes weaker meaning a more mild, dry winter in the northern U.S. “By spring, we could be short on moisture, especially in areas that are currently experiencing drought.” Listen to the full seminar with Brad Rippey on RRFN’s Big Iron Farm Show 2023 YouTube playlist.

Dealing With Fertilizer Market Volatility – During Wednesday’s RRFN seminar, StoneX Vice President of Fertilizer Josh Linville emphasized the need to look for marketing opportunities when locking in fertilizer prices. It can be useful to think of purchasing inputs in terms of a ratio of bushels/output, to dollars spent on fertilizer. “This summer that ratio was exceptionally low, we hadn’t see a ratio that low in over a decade.” Regarding logistics, Linville said retailers have invested in building bigger and more storage facilities to cut shipping costs. “It’s like building a church for Christmas and Easter. You’re building these sheds for November and March or April.” Click here to watch the full seminar: The Fertilizer Market: Where is it Going?

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Public Policy Director Amanda Bilek talks about a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding aviation credits. Hear more in the latest Corn Matters, brought to you by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

No Relief in Sight for Low River Levels – Low water levels on the Mississippi River have slowed barge movement. The Money Farm commodity broker Allison Thompson is concerned about grain movement on the river. “Last year we had the same issue but we ended up getting hurricanes coming through that really relived that issue,” said Thompson. “If you’re looking at the hurricane season right now, it doesn’t look like we’re going to be getting relief so it could end up being a longer term issue than we saw last year.” Thompson joined RRFN for Thursday’s market outlook seminar. It can be seen online.

Limited Activity Seen for ‘Humanitarian Corridor’ – Two ships arrived in Ukraine over the weekend and are expected to be loaded with wheat for African and Asian markets. This is part of the temporary ‘humanitarian corridor’ to move grain on the Black Sea and avoid a Russian blockade. Five ships have been able to leave the Port of Odessa using this corridor, which follows the coast near Romania and Bulgaria.

U.S.-India Announce Tariff Reduction – The United States and India have reached an agreement to lower tariffs on U.S. turkey exports to India. Tariffs will be lowered from 30 percent to five percent. “For too long, high tariffs have prevented American turkey farmers from exporting their products to India,” said Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Store-Versus-Sell – Northland Community and Technical College Farm Business Management Instructor Betsy Jensen joined RRFN on Tuesday at Big Iron for the market outlook panel. Jensen says when it comes to selling or storing this year’s crop, Jensen said it may make sense to sell soybeans at harvest if farmers are short on storage. Wheat is a different story. “The carrying charge for soybeans is minimal,” said Jensen. “Selling wheat is kind of the end of the world. If you can find somewhere to store wheat, I would; corn is in the same boat.” Jensen is concerned with spring wheat yields higher than expected, that farmers are going to want to re-own delivered bushels. “Congratulations on selling your over-run, but I think we have to let those bushels go.” You can watch the full market panel here.

Drought Concern Voiced at Grassroots Level – County Farm Bureau meetings are underway throughout Minnesota right now. Minnesota Farm Bureau District DIrector Shane Isane is attending many of these meetings and said drought is a frequent topic. “Our particular area has been very dry this summer,” reports Isane, who farms at Badger, Minnesota. “We’re seeing the effects of it now, especially with our livestock. We started feeding our cattle a couple weeks ago so that’s going to eat into our hay supply and we’re concerned about that.” Isane emphasized MFBF is a grassroots organization with members developing policy.

AIC Celebrates Phase One – The Ag Innovation Campus at Crookston held the grand opening for phase one of the project Thursday. Minnesota Soybean CEO Tom Slunecka said new soybean uses mean better premiums for local farmers. The crush plant is set to crush 240 tons of soybeans a day. “Those beans will be bought at a better price because basis is less affected and meal will be sold to local livestock producers.” The next phase will include infrastructure updates to include an office complex with meeting, education, and collaborative space. Phase three includes building research space.

RRFN Forum: Ag Law and Taxes – A myriad of legal issues have faced agriculture in recent years, including Supreme Court decisions on WOTUS and Proposition 12. An ever-changing tax code is also the norm. Roger McEowen, professor of agricultural law and taxation, Washburn University School of Law, addressed these topics Tuesday at Big Iron. Large farms that can qualify for more than one government payment limit should consider a general partnership. “FSA has a rule that says if your operating entity has any kind of liability limitationy, like a C Corp, an S Corp or LLC, you get one payment limit regardless of how many payments you’re eligible for,” said McEowen. “Lets say you are eligible for $500,000 of payments and you’re going to have to spread it across all of the owners of the business.” A general partnership can extend payments to the different entities and maximize the government payments. However, McEowen said every family situation is unique and that must drive the process. Watch the entire forum online.

H-2A Rule Change Proposed – New H-2A rules have been proposed by the Labor Department that “would strengthen protections for farm workers.” The proposal would make it easier for labor unions to contact and work with guest agriculture workers. It also protects H-2A workers from retaliation if they meet with labor groups. Safety measures and language dealing with the recruitment of H-2A workers are also part of the proposal.

Settlement Reached Over Endangered Species and Pesticide Registration – On behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department has resolved litigation covering over 1,000 pesticide products. The Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network filed a complaint in 2011 claiming EPA was violating the Endangered Species Act when it registered pesticide active ingredients. The settlement includes the development of mitigation measures for listed species that are particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposure and the development of a herbicide strategy that addresses the potential impact on hundreds of ESA-listed species.

Are Potatoes Vegetables? – The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee hosted a hearing last week regarding the classification of potatoes. “One of the big issues is the question of whether or not potatoes should be re-classified as something else,” said Kam Quarles, CEO, National Potato Council. According to Quarles, the GDA’s decision will affect consumer mentality for the next few years. These are intended to be the 2025 guidelines.

Have We Peaked? The Latest in the Land Market – An attractive, highly productive piece of farm ground may attract prices similar to last fall. However, farms with a few blemishes or a lower productivity index score may see values at a lower level. Farmers National Company Sales Manager Troy Swee said a lack of inventory is helping land prices hold. “The number of sales compared to 2021 and 2022 is not there,” said Swee. “It’s hard to keep up that level of sales we had for that same period of time.” Kyle Nelson, who is based in Fargo for FNC, described the land market as ‘chaotic.’ “It all comes down to motivation and opportunity.” Farmers National Company hosted two seminars in the RRFN building during Big Iron callled ‘Have We Peaked? The Latest in the Land Market.’ Click here for the Monday forum and here for the Tuesday session.

A Post-Harvest Prep for Next Season – Once harvest is done, there is an opportunity to prepare for ’24. “This is the best time of the year as the crop comes off to go and look at the job the planter did,” said Troy Amundson, Premium Ag Solutions. “We always talk about walking the fields in the spring after planting, but in reality, most of us don’t have the time to do that with the spraying starting as soon as we’re done planting.” That evaluation will prepare farmers for what will happen next year and serve as a reminder to optimize the seeding process. Amundson said Precision Planting is making a move into the sprayer business, “giving us the ability to retrofit a sprayer to the latest, greatest technology like we’ve done for years with the planter.” PAS is a Precision Planting premier dealer at Hitterdal, Minnesota and was part of the Big Iron Farm Show,

Consistent Nitrogen at the Roots – Nitrogen is one of the farmers most expensive crop inputs. Territory Sales Manager Evan Twedt says the Pivot Bio microbes adhere to the roots of the plant, making nitrogen available to the crop throughout the growing season. “We’re somewhat unconventional compared to some of the synthetic nitrogen fertilizers that people have been applying in the past, our microbes are what is feeding the  nitrogen to the corn plants throughout the growing season. Twedt said the Pivot Bio products don’t volaitize or leach, which is another advantage.

Data-Driven Decisions – AgCountry Farm Credit Services has an exclusive analyzer tool to provide data-driven decisions for margin protection and crop insurance. “Does a margin protection policy work one of our producers? Does a standard crop insurance policy work better?” asks Joel Lysne, insurance specialist. “In today’s environment, more tools have been added to the toolbox to deal with the amount of risk involved in farming and all the input costs.” Lysne was part of a presentation Thursday at the Big Iron Farm Show. It is available online. AgCountry also hosted seminars Tuesday on using crop insurance as a marketing tool and Wednesday on today’s prices and the impact on the succession and retirement plan.

Avoiding Yield Loss – In many cases, spotty rains resulted in uneven stands this season. “People are telling me there are short soybeans, but they have a lot of pods,” said Tim Nelson, Crary Industries. “It’s a good time to get an air reel or wind system so you can get all of that crop into the combine.” High velocity air keeps the crop moving quickly into the header, back to the auger and reduces shatter loss. With early harvest underway, Nelson said the Crary products are available if growers identify yield loss by poor feeding or shatter loss during the early harvest.

AURI Update – Join the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute for a hemp-erosion field day. Hear more in the latest AURI Update.

Harvest Time for Sugarbeet Research Trials – SES VanderHave’s proprietary research trial plots are being harvested. “We’ve got some experimentals that appear exciting,” said Nick Revier, regional sales manager. “We also have our cycospora trial where we are testing new genetics that will complement some of the genetics currently being used in the (Red River) Valley.” Revier cited the company’s genetic diversity can reduce the risk of resistance.

ECO: Improving Soil Productivity – According to North Dakota State University, over 90 percent of farms North Dakota are experiencing reduced productivity due to saline soils. Jim Erickson, who owns Erickson Custom Operations, said that productivity can return. “We learned about bringing soil back to health again, dropping salt, allowiing the natural nutrients to come back alive again with Calcine,” said Erickson. “It’s the return on investment where they get soil that they’ve been struggling for years.” Calcine is a mix of proteins, enzymes, and acids that facilitate the removal of salt from the soil, improving the soil structure, water and nutrients. More information is available online.

Soil Warrior Highlights ROI During Big Iron – Soil Warrior Regional Sales Manager Tanner Schuldt sees strip tillage as a game changer for the farmer. “It reduces potential input costs and ultimately prevents all that soil from blowing across the landscape in the wintertime.” One goal is to eliminate trips across the field by having flexible options available on one chassis. “That is real money coming off your input costs with the potential to use less fertilizer and place that fertilizer where that plant is growing, not to mention the numerous soil health benefits.”

Developing Agricultural Leaders – Minnesota Farm Bureau and the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers hosted their agricultural leadership network group this past week in the Fargo area. The group made stops at Northern Crops Institute and Grand Farm. “It really focuses on leadership development and networking with other people in our industry,” explained MFBF Northwest Membership and Marketing Specialist Kayla Mistic. The group also spent time at the Big Iron Farm Show and participated in a media training event with the Red River Farm Network. MFBF will be back in the Fargo/Moorhead area this winter for its Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Promotion Conference.

Agweek Special Report to Focus on Economic Development – During this past year, Agweek has been doing a special report on a hot topic in agriculture. “The one we’re working on right now is on rural and ag economic development,” said Jenny Schlecht, director of ag content. “We’re checking in with some of the smaller towns and what they’re doing to keep business alive,  it’s fun to see these small towns stay relevant and keep people engaged.” Agweek will also have special coverage from the Big Iron Farm Show in Agweek magazine, Agweek TV and Agweek digital platforms.

Defending the Legacy – There is a difference between a tax preparer and a tax strategist. Freedom Finance Group CEO Marissa Nehlsen said a tax preparer simply takes a customer’s information and prepares the return and a tax strategist provides options “on how to build weath for retirement and how to cut the IRS out of the deal.” During the Big Iron Farm Show, Nehlsen also spoke about farm transitions and estate planning. “What do I need my spouse or my kids to know, to learn and to do? You automatically do things on your farm and ranch every single day that are on auto-pilot and they need to know, learn and do.” Action steps were provided. The Freedom Financial Group seminars were held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the RRFN building.

Patronage and Equity Distribution Plan Announced – CHS plans to return $730 million in cash patronage and equity redemptions to its owners in 2024. This is part of the cooperative’s commitment to sharing profits with its owners.

Grand Farm Anchor Tenant Announced – AGCO will be an anchor tenant for the Grand Farm Innovation Campus near Casselton, North Dakota. AGCO plans to build a 300 acre operation called Dakota Smart Farm at Grand Farm. The focus will be on the development of farming practices to create a sustainable farm with precision ag technologies and retrofit solutions for existing machinery. Fargo-based Appareo Systems, which is owned by AGCO, will lead the Dakota Smart Farm.

New Drone Policy – The Federal Aviation Administration has given its approval for beyond visual line of sight drone flights for uAvionix. These flights will use North Dakota’s first-of-its-kind UAS system called Vantis. Trevor Woods, who leads the Northern Plains UAS test site in Grand Forks, said this is “a significant advance in the evolution of UAS policy, redefining what’s possible in the skies of tomorrow.”

Summit Pipeline Permit Denied – Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline was denied a permit by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission with a 3-0 vote. The $5.5 billion dollar project was set to cross five states including North Dakota and South Dakota to transport CO2 emissions from 34 ethanol plants. Summit now has the option to revise and resubmit its proposal.

Rob-See-Co Launches Forage Division – Rob-See-Co has announced the establishment of its new forage division. The new division is being led by Scott Harris, who’s previous experience was with Masters Choice, a Rob-See-Co company. Amy Hoy, with 30 years of forage experience, will lead the silage portfolio.

Time for Genetic Testing – With the U.S. cow herd at a turning point and retention rates expected to increase, Zoetis Strategic Account Manager Kevin Milliner says it is the perfect time to utilize genetic testing. “This is a prime opportunity utilize it as a tool to grow and develop those herds, especially in parts of the country that have been blessed with with good moisture and moderate temperatures,” said Milliner. “Make sure that the animals that we’re adding into the herd, whether it’s replacement heifers or current cow inventories, have the horsepower to do what the producers want them to do to meet their goals.”

Job Opportunities in Agriculture – Check out the Job Opportunities tab on the Red River Farm Network website. Spring Creek Ag is an established Pioneer Seed Agency located southwest of Valley City and has a newly-created position to manage the growing crop protection side of the business. Go online for more details.

Farm Rescue Receives Support From Corteva – Corteva Agriscience and Pioneer raised more than $87 million for Farm Rescue. The support came from an auction at a kickoff event in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Farm Rescue is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance, including planting or combining, for farm families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster.

Homegrown Giving – ACH Seeds Crystal Brand Sugarbeet Seed is donating a total of $60,000 to local organizations in each of its growing regions. The Homegrown Giving program is supporting the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Schools FFA Alumni to expand student learning and West Central Area Schools in Barrett, Minnesota to produce and donate food to the needy.

Student Membership Available From NDFB – NDFB has launched a student membership program. Young people interested in agriculture can now join NDFB and gain access to member benefits and content specific to their needs.

Dry Bean Scene – Columbia Grain Larimore location Manager Cody Michael talks about harvest progress in this week’s Dry Bean Scene. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, Sharpen Fungicide from BASF, SRS Commodities and Heads Up Plant Protectants.

MACA Awards Presented – The MidAmerica CropLife Association presented its most coveted award, the Dean Roy Achievement Award to Aaron Locker of Helm Agro. Gowan USA President Steve Petersen received the Industry Vision Award and MACA Ag Academy Program Coordinator Michelle Kiper was presented the Ambassador of the Year Award. Eric Snodgrass, who is the principle atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions, was honored with the Educator of the Year Award. WHO Radio Farm Broadcaster Bob Quinn received the Ruth White Media Award.

Kleven Joins NDSC Staff – The North Dakota Soybean Council has hired Craig Kleven as its director of industry relations. Most recently, Kleven was the agricultural education state supervisor and executive secretary for North Dakota FFA. This is a newly created position for the NDSC.

Voegele Joins AURI Team – Jennifer Voegele is the new director of marketing communications for Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization and Research Institute. Previously, Voegele worked for Fortier Public Relations and Midwest Dairy.

ND 4-H Foundation Welcomes Drummond to Staff – The North Dakota 4-H Foundation has named Chloe Drummond as its board coordinator and relationship specialist. Drummond is a Fargo, North Dakota native. Most recently, Drummond was a retail sales manager for REI in Arizona.

4-H Livestock Program Manager Named – South Dakota State University Extension has appointed Sami Nordmann as its new statewide 4-H livestock program manager. Nordmann is a SDSU graduate and has coordinated county and state livestock shows.

NAMA Honors Svec, Rathai and Saylor – The National Agri-Marketing Association has announced its Professional Development Awards of Excellence winners. Laura Svec of Corteva is being recognized for marketing. Kenna Rathai of broadhead will receive the public relations award and Jennifer Saylor of JL Farmakis is the sales award winner.