The Calm Before the ‘Real Storm’ – Global strategist Jacob Shapiro kicked off the Next 5 Years Executive Conference, saying it will be a time of great volatility. That is not necessarily a bad thing. “I’m actually pretty optimistic about the next five years,” Shapiro told RRFN. “When you get beyond the next five years, I get a little bit scared.” While there is opportunity in the short-term for U.S. agriculture, it is not coming from China. Shapiro sees more prospects from in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. “It looks like the U.S. and China are on a collision course,” said Shapiro. “When you look at previous eras where you have rising and falling powers like we have right now it usually ends in some kind of cataclysmic conflict. The last true multipolar era was the 1890s that ended with World War I and World War II; unfortunately, that is the trajectory we’re on.” Shapiro said the next two years will be “the time to buckle your seatbelts” for higher energy prices. Listen to the full interview.

Putin and Xi Collaborate – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for a face-to-face meeting in Uzbekistan. In addition to security issues, the two leaders agreed to cooperate more on trade and agriculture.

ND Farm Leaders Outline Policy Priorities – Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman joined North Dakota Senator John Hoeven for a farm bill roundtable Friday in Fargo. The feedback was familiar; do no harm to crop insurance, maintain the sugar program and invest in agriculture research. “Whatever changes we make need to be additions to the farm bill acts we’ve been working under, keep them as amendments,” said Pete Hanebutt, director of public policy, NDFB. “We need to work on risk management tools and after that, we should maintain funding for adequate USDA staff and resources.” North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne would like to see a more permanent disaster program. “It will come down to what dollars are available in the baseline.” Hear the story.

Preparing for the ’23 Farm Bill – Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman is committed to passing the next farm bill in 2023. “This is about giving the farmers stability, the reassurance they’ll have, the programs they need so they can go to the bank to borrow the money they need to move forward.” Boozman offered one caveat during his visit to Fargo. “If the administration throws out a bunch of crazy stuff, we’re simply not going to go down that path.” Conservation and climate will play a role in the next farm bill. Boozman said there’s no guarantee the additional conservation money from the Build Back Better bill will be included in the next farm bill. Hear the interview.

Enhance Livestock Disaster Programs – Mother Nature has taken North Dakota farmers and ranchers on a wild ride in recent years, including a drought and April blizzards. During Friday’s farm bill roundtable, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Executive Vice President Julie Ellingson asked the senators to preserve and enhance livestock disaster programs. “There are opportunities in the Livestock Forage Program to remove arbitrary language to correct some errors relating to contract growers in the beef realm,” said Ellingson. “There also needs to be continued work on the Livestock Indemnity Program that looks at subsequent diseases resulting from those adverse weather conditions that may not happen at the time of the storm, but are a direct result of the storm. There needs to be clarity.”

Groundwork Laid for Next Farm Bill – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven recognizes the disaster programs must be improved and be more responsive. “We’ll build those enhancements into the livestock piece of the next farm bill,” says Hoeven. “That’s going to be the kind of ground work that’s going to help us make enhancements in the farm program. Same thing on the crop insurance side, with ARC and PLC improvements.”

Emergency Relief Program Phase Two Coming Soon – Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux tells the Red River Farm Network the second phase of the Emergency Relief Program and the Emergency Livestock Relief Program will be rolled out at the same time, likely this fall. The details of phase two of ERP builds off of phase one. “The first part of Phase One we used information from the Risk Management Agency, the second part of Phase One included assistance with non-insured disaster assistance program indemnities through FSA.” As these two components were rolled out, USDA learned it had a 2019 cause of loss that continued into 2020, but it was only categorized as a 2019 cause of loss. “That didn’t help and that’s the third part of Phase One.” Ducheneaux says prevent plant issues are expected to be addressed at the same time. Watch the FSA Forum from the Big Iron Farm Show.

NFU Represented on Capitol Hill – More than 220 National Farmers Union members were in Washington, D.C. this week for their annual legislative fly-in. In addition to time on Capitol Hill and USDA, Farmers Union members met with the top antitrust official at the Justice Department. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish says competition is a serious issue for farmers. “With the supply chain shortages, the high price of fuel and fertilizer, a lot of that goes back to the consolidation within those industries and that must be addressed.” Wertish said farm bill priorities were also discussed. “We think there should be a permanent disaster program so when you get into the various disasters around the country you’d have a policy in place for funding.”

A Farm Bill Wish List for MN Soybean Farmers – The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers and discuss key policy issues. MSGA President Bob Worth says Minnesota farmers would like to see more money invested into the Title 1 farm bill program. “We have not put more money in the next farm bill in many years. We want to see a bigger pool of money used for agriculture.”

Minimal Threat of an Early Frost – According to Nutrien Ag Solutions Principal Atmospheric Scientist Eric Snodgrass, the October weather forecast looks good across the Northern Plains. “There’s no evidence that tells me farmers will have a slow harvest.” Hear more from Snodgrass in the weather outlook forum. 

Consistent Wheat Quality – West Central Ag Services Territory Sales Manager Clyde Kringlen is happy with the wheat harvest. “One grower said over his three week harvest, the quality stayed the same with the first load as the last load.” Soybean harvest is rapidly approaching. “It seems to be changing each day.”

Corn Harvest Coming ‘Fast and Furious’ – Golden Harvest Corn Portfolio Manager Andy Ackley is looking forward to seeing the early harvest results. “It seems like we’ll have a nice, long fall and that’s great for grain fill.” Ackley is optimistic about the yield potential.

Good News, Bad News – Despite a very late start to the planting season, most of the corn across the Northern Plains will likely reach full maturity. “The bad news is I don’t know if we’ll have a lot of drying time behind that to give us really good drydown after we do reach maturity,” said Jesse Moch, field agronomist, Pioneer. With the uptick in sunflower acres in the region, Moch tells RRFN desiccation time is fast approaching. “It is hard to have perfect timing with desiccation; I’m always looking at the weather.” If rain is in the forecast, more glyphosate will be part of the plan. If there is sunshine and heat, Moch would switch up the mode of action.

Canola Minute – In this week’s Canola Minute, hear an update on canola harvest.

Better Than Anticipated Yields in North-Central ND – Newburg, North Dakota farmer Nathan Boll finished harvesting his barley two weeks ago. “It’s been an excellent crop with yields in the mid 90’s and quality is good.” Boll said his early canola yields are better than he expected. “We’ve only done one piece of canola that had some hail damage, but it was still north of a ton per acre so I’m hoping the rest of the canola is that range or better.”

Don’t Be Long for Two Crop Years – With volatile markets, Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi warns farmers not to be long with two crops. “If you produce a 2022 crop and you’re going to farm in ’23, I don’t want you to be long with both of those.” If growers are long for both crops, they will be vulnerable to a financial crisis. “We could go from the best of times to the worst of times.” Grisafi participated in the RRFN market forums on Tuesday and Thursday.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race – Grain market volatility can be paralyzing at times. Northland Community and Technical College Farm Business Management Instructor Betsy Jensen says slow and steady wins the race. “Farmers have to keep making the sales, accepting they won’t be selling at the high.” Basis levels are good for both corn and soybeans. “It’s enticing right now to deliver off the combine, take the cash and run.” Jensen was a panelist in the first market outlook forum at the Big Iron Farm Show.

More Time Needed to Evaluate Crop Potential – In these early stages of the harvest, AgCountry Farm Credit Services Vice President of Insurance and Customer Education Rob Fronning says there is an expectation for a lower-than-expected yield compared to USDA forecasts. More will be known as harvest picks up the pace. “If there are any big surprises, the markets are going to move.” Watch the session.

Facing Competition From South America – The United States is looking at trendline yields for soybeans while Brazil is expected to significantly increase its soybean planted acreage. “If they do have this big crop, our window to be competitive in the export market is relatively tight,” explains Frayne Olson, crops economist, NDSU Extension. “By the time we get to late January and middle February, China and a lot of the world is going to switch to the Brazilian crop.” Argentina is surprisingly selling a lot of soybeans in the export market now. “They are our competitor in soybean exports when they normally wouldn’t be,” said Randy Martinson, president, Martinson Risk Management. “Their farmers have held onto their beans for so long that because their currency is worth northing, but the government is now forcing them to sell beans adding to our competition.” Watch the RRFN market panel.

Currency Values Affect Grain Trade – The value of the U.S. dollar remains strong. At the same time, the Brazilian currency remains weak. “It is a double-edged sword,” said Kristi Van Ahn, Van Ahn and Associates. “It is making that foreign product that much cheaper and if we have supply chain issues our product is not available and there’s a much cheaper option.” Innovus Agra owner Brett Oelke says the dollar has been interesting to watch. “We’ve seen increases in commodity prices as the dollar has come up and that doesn’t typically happen.” Oelke says that will eventually change as markets rebalance. Investors typically trade emerging markets and commodities in tandem. Global Analytics and Consulting President Mike Zuzolo believes that may change. “I think they’ll be a lot more particular this time around as long as the dollar keeps going higher and I think they’ll stay energy-centric.” Van Ahn, Oelke and Zuzulo were featured in the RRFN market outlook forum on Wednesday.

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 says the value of the U.S. dollar is one of the few ‘hot’ stories. The expected interest rate hike is one of the considerations. “It looks like there could be some spillover and the recession won’t just be a U.S. issue.”

Tentative Labor Agreement Reached with Railroads – U.S. railroads reached a tentative agreement with labor unions on Thursday. The agreement gives rail employees a 24 percent wage hiike over a five-year period and pays $11,000 immediately once it’s adopted. There will be no work stoppage during the vote ratification process. A strike would have challenged supply chains even more. The National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates encouraged a quick ratification. President Biden also issued a statement.

Vilsack Responds – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the tentative agreement between rail companies and union leaders is “a win for American workers, farmers, ranchers and consumers.” Rail workers will receive more pay and an enhanced benefit package. Rail movement will continue. “As farmers begin to harvest, they can do so with the confidence products will get to markets without the interruption.”

Rail Reliability Concerns Remain – The agriculture industry has taken a collective sigh of relief with the tentative agreement between the railroads and labor unions. Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek says reliability concerns remain. “This is the time we really need to underscore the need to improve (the freight rail system), particularly as we get further and further into the harvest season.”

Shipping Costs Increase – Transportation costs for moving farm commodities to the Pacific Northwest continues to rise. According to the USDA Grain Transportation Report, year-to-year PNW transportation costs rose 18 percent for corn and 16 percent for soybeans. The increase is due to higher trucking and ocean freight rates.

UN Seeks Fertilizer Supply Solution – The United Nations has proposed the resumption of Russian ammonia exports to ease the global shortage of fertilizer. With this idea, Russian-owned ammonia would be sent by pipeline to the Ukrainian border where it would be made available to the export market. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy told Reuters he would only support this proposal if Russia returned Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Product Supply Situation Should Improve for ’23 – Product shortages were a reality this past year. Glyphosate and glufosinate are two prime examples. Wilbur Ellis District Sales Manager Chris Wharam believes that situation will improve this year. “A major contributor to the glyphosate tightness in 2022 was the hurricane combined with China not producing as much as material as they tried to clean up the environment ahead of their Olympics,” Wharam told RRFN. “I think it will be quite a bit better here in 2023.” Wharam anticipates the availability of glufosinate to be better than this past year, but supplies will still be tight. Wharam was one of the panelists discussing supply chain logistics at the Big Iron Farm Show.

Communication Between the Farmer and Retailer is Critical – Due to supply chain problems and product shortages, farmers are making crop input decisions earlier than ever. CHS General Manager Jason Edwards said ag retailers want to know the farmers’ plan as soon as possible. “Even if you’re not ready to pull the trigger on today’s prices and feel it is to your advantage to wait, still communicate the tons to your cooperative or retailer because the market says at the end of fertilizer season we want to be sweeping out the corners of the fertilizer warehouses so if you don’t speak for those tons, there is the possibility those tends won’t be there.” Helena Territory Manager Thad Meister said this past year was like no other. Crop protection products were being delivered throughout the winter season. “It definitely made spring easier and it would be nice if it would continue down that road because it would take a lot of stress out for people throughout the supply chain. There would not be as many calling at five o’clock at night saying they need this tomorrow.” Edwards and Meister were part of a supply management forum in the Red River Farm Network building at the Big Iron Farm Show.

USDA Invests in Climate SMART Projects – USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion for 70 projects in the first Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities funding pool. Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Agriculture’s Regenerative Transformation) projects include a market-based program with Truterra to increase adoption of climate-smart farming practices to produce grain and dairy products. The National Pork Board is the lead partner in an effort to advance sustainable farming practices within the feed supply. Another example would be a Dairy Farmers of America pilot project using the cooperative business model to capture the financial benefits at the farm level. South Dakota State University received $80 million to create marketing opportunities for bison and beef producers who use climate smart ag grazing and land management practices. . Read the full list.

Biotech Executive Order – President Joe Biden issued an executive order asking agencies and departments to increase the use of bio-based products and identify barriers to ag tech. USDA, the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have 180 days to identify areas of gaps in the federal regulatory system for biotech. One hundred days later, the agencies must submit a plan to implement reforms.  USDA is also expected to write a separate report on ways to use biotech and bio-manufacturing for food and agriculture.

Follow the Science for Pesticide Approval – Environmental Protection Agency Agriculture Advisor Rod Snyder visited the Big Iron Farm Show during the North Dakota Grain Growers Association’s E-Tour. In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Snyder said the agency is committed to following the science with the pesticide approval process. “We understand how critical it is to keep tools in the toolbox for farmers to respond to a whole host of challenges in production agriculture,” said Snyder. Snyder also met in a roundtable with North Dakota agriculture officials this past week, hearing about the pesticide approval process, product bans, the Waters of the United States, biofuels and more.

ND Grain Growers Association Hosts E-Tour – The North Dakota Grain Growers Association has hosted federal EPA officials for an annual E-Tour for nearly 30 years. During a stop during the tour this past week, the Red River Farm Network spoke with NDGGA Executive Director Dan Wogsland. Hear the interview.

MCGA Call to Action – The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the registration of atrazine. “We are asking farmers to submit comments to the EPA to tell them how crucial atrazine is to the farming operation,” said District Field Manager Marlene Dufault, Minnesota Corn Growers Association. The EPA is accepting public comments until October 7. The call-to-action can be found online.

GOP Lawmakers Ask for 30×30 Response – Minnesota representatives Michelle Fischbach, Pete Stauber, Tom Emmer and Brad Finstad are looking for more information from the Biden Administration on its 30×30 plan. Republican lawmakers sent a similar request more than a year ago and there has been no response. This proposal would conserve 30 percent of the country’s resources by 2030, but few other details are available. The lawmakers said this is “a federal land grab” that will hurt farmers, miners and loggers.

Dry Bean Scene – Northarvest Bean Growers Association board member Cordell Huebsch hosted the USDA agricultural attache this past week. The Dry Bean Scene is brought to you by SRS Commodities, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, and BASF.

An Opportunity Market – Farmers National Company real estate salesperson and appraiser Kyle Nelson sees strength in the land market. “I think opportunity is driving motivation to purchase land. Right now, we’re still seeing optimism and interest rates aren’t deterring interest yet.” Watch the first land market value seminar at Big Iron.

Record Farm Income – The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute expects U.S. net farm income to reach a record $148 billion this year. That’s twice the level seen just five years ago. FAPRI says the high commodity prices will buffer the largest ever year-to-year increase in farm production costs.

NCI Hosts The Next 5 Years Executive Conference – The Northern Crops Institute hosted The Next 5 Years Executive Conference this past week in Moorhead. The purpose of the conference was to provide an educational setting for the 80-plus attendees to explore what the future of agriculture looks like in the Northern Plains region. The conference featured four speakers. The speakers were Jacob Shapiro, who presented on Geopolitics and Its Impact on Agriculture; Nelson Neale, who presented on Navigating the Future of Agriculture; Allison Nepveux, who presented on Global Sustainability Policies, and David Ripplinger, who presented on Energy Transition in Agriculture. NCI would like to thank all the conference sponsors and participants for making this event possible. To learn more about future conferences, courses, webinars and more, visit www.northern-crops.com.

A Shared Vision and Strategy for Succession Planning – AgCountry Farm Credit Services agribusiness consultant Russ Tweiten says it’s important to have a shared vision and strategy in succession planning. “Don’t hesitate to tap into experts to help in the process; look for someone to quarterback your plan.” Tweiten says the most difficult part of succession planning is when there are no clear goals and people aren’t on the same page. “The strategy to get there may differ, but the vision should be the same.” Watch the discussion.

Another Interest Rate Hike Expected – The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee is scheduled to begin a two-day meeting on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to end with another increase in interest rates. Analysts are forecasting another 75 basis point increase. If that happens, it will be the third consecutive interest rate increase.

Corn Matters – The Minnesota Corn Growers Association attended the Big Iron Farm Show. Hear more in Corn Matters.

Build Your Farm Transition Plan – Transitioning the farm from one generation to another is not an easy task. Freedom Financial Group CEO Marissa Nehlsen advocates a holistic approach. “There are really four core areas that we look at; tax, legal, risk and wealth management,” explained Nehlsen. “There is also a fifth one and that is the family dynamic; what are doing to make sure our families still come together to eat dinner together when this is done.” Nehlsen presented forums Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Red River Farm Network building, providing resources and communication tips for succession planning.

Closing Date Approaches for Margin Protection Policy – Margin Protection Insurance is an area-based policy that considers farm input costs, including fertilizer, fuel and interest rates. “It protects you from that squeeze in the margins,” said Bethany Rentz, Ihry Insurance agent. “We can put the numbers into our calculator to give you a better idea” when working on the 2023 risk management plan. The closing date for the margin protection policies is September 30.

MN Beef Update – In this week’s Minnesota Beef Update, National Cattlemen’s Beef Board member Jeri Hanson talks about beef promotion investments.

Excitement Ahead in the Cattle Market – USDA’s supply/demand report shrunk the projected corn supply, influencing the price of feed moving forward. However, there is room for optimism. “We’ve had a big issue with drought in the last two years and we’ve had a record beef cow slaughter so the numbers continue to tighten,” said Bryan Strommen, market analyst, Progressive Ag Marketing. Strommen was included in the Tuesday RRFN market outlook forum at Big Iron.

Update Sought for WTO Dispute Settlement System – The seven leading industrialized nations hope to have a functioning dispute settlement system under the World Trade Organization by 2024. The G7 trade ministers released a joint statement, saying the WTO needs to reflect the need for transparency, fair competition and the rule of law.

Addditional Scrutiny for Foreign Investments – President Joe Biden has signed an executive order, providing increased scrutiny for the investments made by foreign countries in U.S. agriculture. It includes additional factors for the reviews made by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. This issue has generated controversy in the region with the proposed Fufeng corn milling project in Grand Forks.

Sending MN Soybeans to Taiwan – The Taiwanese government has signed letters of intent to purchase $2.76 billion of Minnesota corn and soybeans. The announcement was made Thursday in St. Paul with Governor Tim Walz and Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen included in the ceremony.

Ag Innovation Campus Construction Continues – According to Ag Innovation Campus Chair Mike Skaug, progress is being made with the Crookston facility. “The equipment will start being delivered in October. It will take four-to-six months to get that totally in and ready to go,” said Skaug. “We’ll be working with the grain receiving facility at the same time we get the concrete done. Steel installments will happen throughout the winter.”

MN Wheat Hosts Virtual Wheat Marketing Seminar – Minnesota Wheat CEO Charlie Vogel says the virtual wheat marketing seminar went well last week. Now that harvest is wrapping up, attention shifts to the Prairie Grains Conference. Hear the quick interview.

Walz Releases Comprehensive Climate Action Plan – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has launched a plan to address climate change. The framework calls for increased availability for electric vehicles and a buildout of the infrastructure for charging EVs. It also incentivizes the investment in renewable fuels and advanced biofuels. The Walz plan permanently protects and restores wetlands through conservation easements and wetland banking. There is support for farmers to sequester carbon, improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by managing fertilizer and livestock nutrients.

Fall Weed Control Options – There are options available for managing the weeds left over from the growing season. “Sharpen is a great tool to help,” said Katie Strathman, BASF technical service representative.  Residual herbicides are important. “They help us by reducing the competition we have when we come back to make a post application, layering residuals later in the season can help going into crop canopy and harvest.” Strathman reminds farmers to be thinking ahead about and securing chemical needs for next year. There are still supply chain challenges and inflation is also playing a role in the cost of products. Hear the story.

Capture More Bushels – As the soybean and dry edible bean harvest begins, Crary Industries’ Tim Nelson stress the importance of efficiency. “If growers want to save two-to-three bushels per acre, put on an Air Reel or (Crary) Wind System on and get it,” says Nelson. “As you combine beans, there’s a high pressure stream of air that helps move the crop into the header. All of that shattering on the sickle will move it into the combine so you get the extra yield.” Hear the interview.

Precision Agriculture Extends Beyond Corn and Beans – Planter performance affects the productivity of the farm. That philosophy goes beyond the traditional corn and soybean grower. “We’ve been able to show that the specialty crop market is very relevant,” said Troy Amundson, precision agriculture specialist, Premium Ag Solutions. “Singulation on edible beans (and) singulation on sugarbeets; we’ve proved over the years the better job we can do planting, the better result we’lll have at harvest.” Premium Ag Solutions, which is based at Hitterdahl, Minnesota, is a Precision Planting  premier dealer. Premium Ag Solutions, which was part of the Big Iron Farm Show, specializes in planter customization. “If you can dream it on a planter, we will do it.”

Farmers Mutual of Nebraska Continues to Grow – There’s been substantial growth in markets for Farmers Mutual of Nebraska. Regional Manager Steve Hostert says that bodes well for the company as they get ready to celebrate a milestone anniversary in South Dakota. “This January marks our 25th year in South Dakota; we are the largest insurer of farms in Nebraska and South Dakota.” Farmers Mutual of Nebraska began offering policies in North Dakota in 2020. Hear the story.

Managing Rural Stress – Last month’s triple murder-suicide in a wheat field south of Cando, North Dakota heightened the awareness of mental wellness within the ag sector. During an interview on the Red River Farm Network, therapist Becky Kopp-Dunham and NDSU Extension Specialist Sean Brothersen said resources are available to help farmers and ranchers. “USDA has provided funding to NDSU Extension and Together Counseling that makes counseling support available at limited cost or no cost,” said Brothersen. Tele-therapy is available so counseling can be done in the cab of the pickup rather than making a trip to a large city.

Educating the Next Generation – Cass County Farm Bureau members hosted an on-farm visit with 150 second graders from Moorhead’s Ellen Hopkins Elementary at a farm near Glyndon, Minnesota last week. “We’re here to educate to make sure people know food doesn’t comes from a grocery store, it comes from a farm,” said Lori Aakre. “Farmers produce a lot more than produce as well.” Hear the interview.

CHS Shares Profits With Owner-Members – CHS plans to return $1 billion in cash patronage and equity redemptions in calendar year 2023. This will be the largest cash distribution in CHS history.

A Cost-Cutting Move – Due to inflation and significantly higher raw material costs, Corteva Agriscience plans to lay off five percent of its global workforce. The company will no longer do business in 35 countries, but will concentrate on core countries, like the U.S., Brazil, Canada, India and Western Europe.

ACSC and Union Employees Come to Terms on New Contract – American Crystal Sugar Company and its union employees have a new four-year labor contract. The deal includes an increase in wages and vacation time and increases in the pension payout.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant to be Developed in SD – Lake Preston, South Dakota will be the home of a $1 billion sustainable aviation fuel plant. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said this is the largest economic investment in state history. Gevo Inc. is developing the Net-Zero 1 project.

Collaboration Agreement for Syngenta Seedcare and Bioceres – Syngenta Seedcare is the exclusive commercialization distributor of the Bioceres biological seed treatment productions worldwide. Under a long-term research and development collaboration, the companies will work together to accelerate registration of products in the pipeline and develop new biological solutions.

SOURCE Expands to New Crops – Sound Agriculture’s SOURCE product will expand beyond corn and soybeans to support wheat, cotton and alfalfa. Three years after its launch, SOURCE is now used on more than one million U.S. acres. As a fertilizer replacement product, SOURCE activates both nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilizing microbes to provide nutrition to the root zone.

Addressing Wheat Stem Sawfly Losses – Montana BioAgriculture received USDA grant funds to develop genomic tools to deal with wheat stem sawfly and Fusarium head blight. A natural fungus is being licensed to develop a commercial product.

Making Plans for ’23 Big Iron Farm Show – Attendance for this year’s Big Iron Farm Show returned to pre-COVID levels. “It was phenomenal this year; we couldn’t ask for better weather,” said Cody Cashman, general manager. Plans are already underway for the 2023 Big Iron Farm Show. “We’re going to grow Big Iron as quickly as we can; we’re going to work on traffic flow for our vendors and adding construction equipment to Big Iron.” The trade show will be held September 12-14, 2023.

MACA Elects ’22-’23 Leadership Team – The Mid America CropLife Association has elected a new officer team. Joe Olson of Helena Agri-Enterprises is the new president. Jaime Yanes of Albaugh is vice president and Michael Lehman of AMVAC is secretary/treasurer. Rodney Schmidt of Bayer CropScience is the immediate past president.

Farm Equipment Trade Group Hires New Communications Manager – Gina Clark is the new communications manager for the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. Previously, Clark worked for Bayer, Enterprise and SSM Health.

A Promotion for Bettin – Tyler Bettin is now the assistant vice president of producer services for the National Pork Producers Council. Bettin has been the NPPC producer services director for the past four years. Previously, Bettin had a similar role with the Iowa Pork Producers Association. Bettin is a native of southwest Minnesota.

Leddy Joins Aberdeen Law Firm – Kiera Leddy has accepted a position as an associate attorney with Siegel, Barnett & Schultz, Aberdeen, South Dakota. Leddy is a Stockholm, South Dakota native and was a 2015-2016 state FFA officer.

New Role for Moch – Jesse Moch is the new District Sales Lead for Pioneer Seed in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Moch has been with Pioneer for the past nine years, including time as a field agronomist and field operations manager.

MN Broadcasters Honored – Five individuals were inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame over the weekend. The honorees include Linder Farm Network President Lynn Ketelsen and former WCCO Radio personality Dave Lee. Ketelsen is a past president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and a member of the NAFB Hall of Fame. Lee spent 32 years at WCCO and is a Hatton, North Dakota native.