Your Source for Markets, Weather and Farm News – According to Aimpoint Research, more than half of the farms nationwide have 20 or more radios. Think about it. There’s a radio on the kitchen counter, in the shop, in the pickup, combine and every tractor. Markets, weather and farm news are available when harvesting, hauling grain to town or working on a piece of equipment in the farm shop. Farm radio is part of the daily routine. The Red River Farm Network delivers 90 minutes of farm programming per day on local radio stations across North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. RRFN programs are also available online. When your business or organization want to reach the RRFN audience, contact Don Wick, Jay Rehder or J.L. Farmakis.

Government Funded Through December 20 – President Joe Biden signed a three-month spending bill Thursday, preventing a government shutdown. The House and Senate passed the continuing resolution a day earlier. House Speaker Mike Johnson initially sought a six-month extension, but did not have enough support within his caucus for that bill.

Farm Bill Deadline – The 2018 farm bill expires as of midnight tonight. Crop insurance and federal nutrition programs are considered permanent law and are not affected. Certain programs end immediately, including the Market Access and Foreign Market Development trade promotion programs and the Specialty Crops Block Grants program. There will be no new enrollments in the CRP, but technical assistance is available. If farm bill action isn’t taken before January 1, permanent law kicks in and the government would need to pay parity price. For field crops, like corn and wheat, those prices wouldn’t happen until the 2025 crop is harvested making it extremely unlikely. However, price supports for milk and honey would begin in the New Year. Milk is the commodity that gets most of the attention, with parity prices at just shy of $50 per hundredweight.

Still Time for a Farm Bill – The stopgap spending measure allowed the government to avoid a shutdown. Minnesota Farm Bureau is pleased Congress passed the continuing resolution. “That being said there is still some time this year in the lame duck session to hopefully pass some sort of a new reauthorization for the farm bill,” says Loren Dauer, public policy director, Minnesota Farm Bureau. “It’s an election year and because of that, it takes a lot of the oxygen out of the room right now. We’re still pushing for that reauthorization after the election is done.”

GOP Lawmakers Ask for Farm Bill Vote in ’24 – A coalition of 140 Republican House members is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a vote on the farm bill before year’s end. This letter places the blame on House Democrats, claiming they are standing in the way of progress on the farm bill. The House Agriculture Committee passed its farm bill in May, but there have not been enough votes to bring the legislation to the floor.

Farm Bill Vote is Possible After the Election – Before lawmakers returned home to campaign, American Soybean Association President Josh Gackle was encouraged by the farm bill negotiations. “There’s certainly a lot of pressure being put on by Chairman (Glenn ‘GT’) Thompson in the House Ag Committee to get a bill through on the House side,” said the Kulm, North Dakota farmer. “I know he has reached out and got a letter sent the leadership of the House and Speaker (Mike) Johnson to try and move something through during a lameduck session on a full five-year reathorization.” Gackle hopes to see similar action in the Upper Chamber. “The delay right now has been trying to get something from Chair (Debbie) Stabenow on the Senate side to get an actual bill moving forward.”

An Incentive for Congress to Act – Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Secretary Kyle Jore is cautiously optimistic about the passage of the farm bill before the end of the year. Jore says the busy legislative calendar may help push the farm bill over the finish line in the lame-duck session. “They’ve got the appropriations bill coming up, a tax bill that they’ve got to look at and the thought is if they can get this off their plate, maybe they can actually focus on some of that other stuff so I think that might be enough incentive.” Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman has suggested the need for a farm assistance package in addition to the farm bill. Jore, who farms at Thief River Falls, says that may complicate the farm bill process. “We keep saying to them please don’t do ad hoc, we really just want a farm bill. When you start holding that out there as a band-aid, why can’t we just heal the wound?”

An ‘Interesting’ Lame Duck Session Expected – In addition to the looming farm bill deadline, ad hoc financial assistance for farmers has been discussed on Capitol Hill. “The American Farm Bureau Federation put out a letter asking for disaster assistance to help producers for assistance to get through to the next farm bill,” said DaNita Murray, executive director, South Dakota Corn Growers Association. “It’s a very ambitious list and is asking a lot.” Murray sees the possibility of the farm bill being piggybacked on other legislation. “That may include another continuing resolution to fund the government. I am not sure what that looks like. I do know, however, that that lame duck will be very interesting to watch.”

Election Year Impacts – The lame-duck session after the election is bound to be busy, making it more difficult to pass a farm bill.  Jim Callan, president, James Callan Associates, believes House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership sincerely want a new farm bill. The election also has ramifications. “Some folks think if Vice President (Kamala) Harris is elected, Democrats will want to wait until next year,” said Callan. “If President (Donald) Trump is elected again, Democrats may have a desire to pass the farm bill this year. Politics aside, folks want to get it done by the end of this year. Democrats and Republicans, that’s the desire.”

Farm Bill in ’24 – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s newly elected board of directors is urging Congress to pass a farm bill this year. The group unanimously passed a resolution in favor of the timely passage of a comprehensive and bipartisan farm bill. The resolution includes references to recent extreme weather events, high input and interest costs and supply chain disruptions.

Ag Innovation Campus Closes – The Ag Innovation Campus at Crookston, Minnesota has ceased operations. “The goal was to build a production facility at which both private companies and researchers could work on innovative soybean production technologies,” explained Eric Ahlgren, AIC board counsel. “We got a long way there, but the funding really wasn’t there to continue.” Last month’s fire impacting a portion of the facilities proved to be the final blow.  Ahlgren told RRFN an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors has been made that will allow secured parties and others to recover funds. The goal is to sell the facility with hopes the new owner will use it for soybean processing.

The AIC Investment – Questions remain with the closure of the Ag Innovation Campus soybean crush facility in Crookston. The concept began six years ago, followed by a $1 million investment in a feasibility study funded by the Minnesota soybean checkoff program. Construction began in 2021 and the $24 million plant began processing soybeans nearly one year ago. At an event in January of last year, Plant Manager Bill Paulsen spoke to the Red River Farm Network about the project. “This was an exciting project from the get-go. There’s nothing else like this. This is a research facility that wants to have a crush facility. It’s a non-profit company but they want an efficient running crush facility that operates the same as everybody else that’s crushing beans.” In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature approved $5 million within the omnibus agriculture bill for the Ag Innovation Campus. Another $750,000 was awarded in 2023. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development invested $452,000 from its public infrastructure grant program. Other major investors in the project include the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and Farmers Union Enterprises. Funding for AIC primarily came from loans advanced by AgCountry Farm Credit Services.

COVID, Uncertain Biodiesel Policy and a Fire – Tom Slunecka serves as the chief executive officer for Ag Management Solutions, which provides association management services to groups like the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Wisconsin Soybean Growers Association and the Specialty Soy and Grains Alliance. Slunecka is also CEO of Minnesota Soybean and the Ag Innovation Campus. Slunecka said the AIC project was originally going to be co-located with the Epitome Energy soybean crush plant which would have provided some cost savings. In 2022, Epitome Energy suspended its plans for the Crookston location and is still working on the development of a crush plant at Grand Forks. “It’s been a very interesting last three or four years,” said Slunecka. “When COVID first happened, everything kept moving forward but then there was a delay in parts and availability in labor. The doubling of the cost of the project due to COVID really started to put a lot of added pressure that nobody had or could have anticipated.” Slunecka said the soybean crush industry has also been hurt by the uncertainty over renewable biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Crush plant profitability is at a 20-year low. The final nail in the coffin was a fire that happened a month ago that damaged a small portion of the plant.

An Impressive Crop – Soybean harvest is just starting for Haven Farms Harvesting in Pierre, South Dakota. Jeremy Haven is impressed with the soybeans. “We got a good (two inch) rain which helped the beans fill out.” Haven also likes what he is seeing with his corn. “To have a pretty good wheat crop and then turn around and have a good fall crop in the same year; that’s kind of a bonus.”

Many Soybean Fields Still ‘Too Green’ – Koep Harvesting owner Austin Koep has done some limited soybean harvesting, but most of the fields are still a bit too green. “They’re pretty hit and miss, a lot of them are really green. Another two weeks and they’ll all be going pretty good, I think.” Koep’s crew returned home to Wendell, Minnesota after finishing the wheat harvest in the western Dakotas. “The wheat was really good, other than in the southwest corner of North Dakota, they didn’t have enough rain to finish it.”

Soybeans are Turning – Near Blanchard, North Dakota, James Aarsvold is hoping to get pinto bean harvest complete before transitioning to his soybeans. “We have some later pinto beans coming that have some hail damage so they’ll be a while before we actually finish them.” There is a lot of yellow in Aarsvold’s soybean fields, who credits the maturity to the unusually warm September. “We still have a ways to go to drydown of course, but overall it looks like it’s going to be a pretty good harvest.”

‘Mother Nature Took Care of Us’ – Soybean harvest is beginning in the Lake Preston, South Dakota area. “I’m hoping to get a 50-to-55 (bushel per acre) average but we’ll see when we get in there,” said Paul Casper. “Mother Nature took care of us through the summer so we’ve been pretty lucky that way.” The wet spring cut into the acres planted. With the corn remaining, Casper does not expect anything exceptional.

Nearing the Finish Line – Aneta, North Dakota farmer Scott Huso says the soybeans are just about ready for harvest. “We haven’t harvested any soybeans yet. We’re keeping a close eye on them because they went from staying green a little longer than expected to all of a sudden they’re just dropping leaves like crazy, especially with this warm weather.” September weather helped the corn catch up on GDUs. “The corn has really come around in the last couple of weeks so I’m not nearly as concerned about the corn making it.”

A Story of Three Crops – Northeastern South Dakota is a story of three different crops. Some acres were planted early, others had a more normal planting date and there is the late-seeded crop. Bob Metz reports the soybeans are starting to come off. “Fifty (bushels per acre) is a nice crop. You hear guys 50-55 and there’s a few fields down in the mid-40s for those earlier planted beans.” Due to the variability within the fields, Metz needs to pick and choose where to run the combine and what needs a few more days to mature.

Almost Ready – According to Dairyland Farm Seed District Sales Manager Keith Rekow, the corn is almost ready for harvest. “We’re doing well on the corn side and just getting going on the southern part of North Dakota. We’re looking really good here in South Dakota. We’re looking great on maturity on up to I-94 off to Highway 200.” The soybean harvest has had a slow start. “A little rain shower came through and slowed things up. They’re getting going on the North Dakota side in Dickey and Sargent counties.”

September Saved the Corn – Peterson Farms Seed Lead Agronomist Rick Swenson is hearing good things about the soybean yields. “A lot of fives and even some sixes in front of them so far. With the forecast and the way the wind and the heat are today, there’s not going to be many soybeans left in some areas here in another week.” Swenson says September weather saved this year’s corn crop. “A lot of the corn got planted late and this is really helping that catch up. I’m not worried about anything that was planted in May.”

Pioneer Agronomy Report – Soybeans should be harvested between 13 and 14 percent moisture. In the latest Pioneer Agronomy Report, Field Agronomist Kristie Sundeen said soybeans harvested below 13 percent moisture can result in less weight at the elevator and have a bigger impact on the bottomline than typical drying discounts. “Soybeans dry very quickly after reaching maturity. At full maturity, 95 percent of the pods have reached their full pod color and from this point, there are only five-to-ten good drying days needed before harvest.” Begin checking moisture levels before all of the leaves have dropped off of all of the soybeans. Click here to listen to the full report.

A Late Season Boost – After a wet spring delayed planting for much of the tri-state area, Pioneer Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner says the corn crop has nearly caught up on heat units and is nearly ready for harvest. “I think we’ve been very fortunate with the long fall with nice warm temperatures we’ve had all through September to help this corn make it the maturity and black layer stage.” The early soybean harvest results are described as good to above average. “I’ve heard anywhere from 40-bushel beans on some lighter ground, all the way up and into the 70s.”

Beets Need Cooler Weather – Sugarbeets near Crystal, North Dakota have had good yields during the pre-pile harvest. Paul O’Toole is hoping for root temperatures to drop by the time the beet harvest starts. “I would guess right now they’re too warm.”

30 Ton Crop Anticipated – The sugarbeet campaign is scheduled to start Tuesday, but the temperature could be a factor. “The staff at American Crystal Sugar is going to be looking at the root temperature. Whenever that root temperature gets below 55 degrees, we can pile a good healthy product for the winter,” says Brent Baldwin, president, Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.  “We’re looking at roughly a 30-ton crop and the further into October we get, these beets aren’t going to quit growing.”

Soil Sampling Season – Compared to commodity prices, fall fertilizer costs are not ideal. University of Minnesota Nutrient Management Specialist Daniel Kaiser sees soil testing as a good option. “It’s good to know some information before you’re making some of those decisions.” Soil sampling comes with a cost but when compared to other methods of management techniques, Kaiser says “soil testing wins every time.”

Efficiency is the Name of the Game – For GK Technologies, harvest season is the time of year to create zoning for variable rate technologies. “We do that from various data sources and we put those data sources together to help us understand where the field might act similarly or differently from a productivity standpoint,” says Sarah Hall-Lovas, agronomist, GK Technologies. Making reasonable yield goals for specific zones in fields can help farmers be more efficient. “Based on that, we can reduce that overall input cost and apply inputs to a level that makes sense.”

USDA Releases ’23 Potato Production Report – The final production totals for the 2023 potato crop are out. In North Dakota, potato production totaled 26.4 million hundredweight, up 21 percent from 2022. Minnesota production totaled 19 million hundredweight, down one percent from the previous year. USDA reports the value of potatoes sold from North Dakota last year totaled $376 million. In Minnesota, that figure is $267 million. The value of the crop was up more than 40 percent from the previous year for North Dakota growers and up 13 percent in Minnesota.

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, we get an update on the dry bean harvest from regional farmers: Paul O’Toole of Crystal, North Dakota, James Aarsvold of Blanchard, North Dakota, and John Mages of Belgrade, Minnesota. Listen to the Dry Bean Scene.  

Peterson Farms Seed Production and Profit Series – In the Production and Profit Series from Peterson Farms Seed, PFS Precision Systems Agronomist Nolan Berg highlights of biologicals. Biologicals are a big buzzword in the ag industry right now. Berg sees three ways to categorize this term. “You’e got bio-stimulants, bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticides,” said Berg. “The bio-stimulants are the products we’ve had forever; the bio-fertilizer is some of the big players that are doing nitrogen creation or nitrogen availability or phosphorus availability.” Learn more online.

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – In this edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets, Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson cites the stock market as a bullish story. “Dow Jones and S&P 500 have traded at all-time highs again, gold is also flirting with all-time highs.” Rallies have also been seen in corn and soybeans. Wheat prices are struggling, hurt by poor export demand. Listen to the report.

State-by-State Farm Profitability Detailed – Economist John Newton, who is now the executive head of Terrain, has released a state-by-state report on farm profitability. North Dakota had the biggest downturn in the Midwest and Northern Plains for gross farm income last year, dropping 12 percent. Gross farm income was down eight percent in Minnesota and down two percent in South Dakota. Farm expenses were high nationwide, including an uptick of four percent in North Dakota, up seven percent in Minnesota and down one percent in South Dakota. When adjusted for inflation, net farm income declined a massive 38 percent in North Dakota, down 43 percent in Minnesota and just four percent in South Dakota. Newton is the former economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee and had a similar role for Farm Bureau and the National Milk Producers Federation. Terrain is provides economic analysis for AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of America, American AgCredit and Frontier Farm Credit.

ERP Payments Recapped – The Farm Service Agency paid out $2 billion of the $3.7 billion allocation under the Emergency Relief Program for 2022. According to a new dashboard detailing the ERP payments, Texas received the most money at $447 million. In this region, South Dakota farmers received $178 million. The total was $115 million for North Dakota and $65 million for Minnesota.

Auction Season – Broker and auctioneer Bob Pifer has a busy auction season lined up. “We probably have about 15, 20 more sales this year than the last previous years.” Land values have remained stable. “We haven’t really seen any drop,” said Pifer. “If it’s marginal land maybe it’s gone down a little bit and a little bit tougher to sell, but if it’s still good crop land it’s still holding its values.” Pifer, who is in the Grand Forks office for Pifer’s Auction and Real Estate, says they’ve actually had record sales in parts of North Dakota where there was pent-up demand for the land.

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. Mikalya Tabert is a regenerative farmer in the Red River Valley and a mentor with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition. This week, Tabert talks about her approach to conservation. Click here to listen to the report. 

E15 Proposal Introduced – A bipartisan group of House members have introduced legislation calling for year-round access to higher blends of ethanol. The sponsors include Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig and South Dakota Republican Dusty Johnson. Under current law, there are limits on the availability of 15 percent ethanol blends during the summer. The EPA granted waivers in recent years, but a more permanent solution is being sought.

Canola Minute – Here’s the latest Canola Minute from the Northern Canola Growers Association. This week, Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman joins us. The U.S. Canola Association submitted comments to the Secretary of Treasury stressing the importance of a safe harbor provision for biodiesel and renewable diesel made from canola oil. Click here to listen to the report. 

Delta’s SAF Milestone – Delta Airlines made history with its first sustainable aviation-fueled flight out of Minnesota. The SAF was created from camelina, a cover crop grown in Minnesota and North Dakota. Delta is planning to make the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport the first to use all SAF rather than classic fuel in its flights.

Corn Matters – Minnesota Corn Growers Association board member Todd Wentzel joins this week’s Corn Matters to discuss the EPA strategy to mitigate insecticide effects on endangered species. Listen to Corn Matters.

Rail Shipments Suspended – Two major U.S. railroads have suspended grain shipments to Mexico. BNSF and Union Pacific claim Mexico’s largest rail company cannot handle the current demand. Mexico’s Ferromex rail network has faced congestion and lengthy delays. Ferromex connects the U.S. railroads at the second and third busiest rail crossings into Mexico.

Port Strike is Imminent – The East Coast and Gulf port strike is expected to begin tomorrow. The U.S. Maritime Alliance claims the union refuses to negotiate. These ports handle about half of the country’s ocean shipments. If union workers walk off the job, it will be the first coast-wide strike in 47 years. President Joe Biden is not expected to step in to prevent a strike.

Ag May Seed Ripple Effect From Port Strikes – Labor disputes are leading to logistical issues at harvest time. North Dakota Grain Dealers Association Executive Vice President Stu Letcher says the strike at the Port of Vancouver and the looming strike on the East Coast and the Gulf may not have a direct impact on Upper Midwest, but a ripple effect is likely.  “If there’s a disruption at the Gulf or some of the East Coast ports, that could potentially push grain to another port. That creates more congestion and kind of focuses the traffic to different areas of export or it may just create a backlog where elevators aren’t able to move grain.”

Another Labor Dispute North of the Border – Grain terminal workers on Canada’s west coast went on strike this past week. This labor dispute affects six grain terminals at the Port of Vancouver which is an important link for the movement of Canadian canola, wheat and barley worldwide. Over half of Canadian grain moves through these terminal elevators each year.

AURI Update – AURI’s Agricultural Innovation Center provides technical and business development assistance to value-added agricultural processes. Many resources and webinars are available online. Listen to the report. 

Low Water Levels Reported in Brazil – The drought in Brazil has shut down grain shipments on the Madeira River. Water levels are so low commercial navigation is not possible. The Madeira River is a key route from parts of Mato Grosso to the export terminals in northern Brazil.

G7 Ag Ministerial Wraps Up – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was part of the G7 meetings over the weekend in Italy. Vilsack joined ag ministers from Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Japan and the United Kingdom. “We’re very encouraged by the consensus and the synergy between what the U.S. is doing on a variety of fronts and what the G7 has suggested needs to be done in order to continue to approach the challenge of dealing with global food security, increasing agricultural production and at the same time making sure that small and mid-size farming operations can succeed, not just in the U.S. but around the world.” Vilsack was also part of bilateral talks with other ag ministers. That includes meetings with Japanese leaders about expanding trade for potatoes and sustainable aviation fuel. Trade protocols for beef and pork products were part of the discussion with European officials.

Farmers Union Participates in G7 Event – The National Farmers Union was represented at the G7 Agricultural Ministerial meeting in Italy. National Farmers Union Rob Larew, North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne and Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish met with other ag leaders to discuss global farm policy.

A Seasonality in the Cattle Trade – The seasonality of the markets seems to be weighing on cattle sales at Lake Region Livestock in Devils Lake, North Dakota. “I think the cow market will maybe get a little better as we get out after the first of the year, just kind of a normal market,” said Chris Plummer, owner, Lake Region Livestock. “I think we might have hit that high in that cycle that we’re in.” Plummer suggests ranchers get ahead of the game with Livestock Risk Protection or other risk management tools.

UN Takes Action on Antimicrobial Resistance – The United Nations General Assembly approved a declaration to step up global efforts to fight antimicrobial resistance. The UN puts the focus on stewardship programs and strengthens the role of veterinarians on the farm. There had been proposals to mandate a reduction in antimicrobials and limits on the use of certain antibiotics in animal agriculture. The National Pork Producers Council praised the UN decision.

No Big Changes in Quarterly H & P Report – The supply of hogs nationwide increased a half-percentage point over the past three months. The breeding swine inventory declined by just over two percent and there was an increase of less than one percent for the number of hogs kept for marketing. Those totals were within trade expectations. According to USDA’s quarterly hogs and pigs report, an average of 12.1 pigs were saved per litter. That’s up from 11.6 pigs per litter last year.

Turkey Production Takes a Downturn – The number of turkeys raised in the United States this year is forecast at 205 million, down six percent from 2023. Minnesota is the top state in the nation for turkey production with 33.5 million birds. That’s down 13 percent from a year ago.

A Science-Based Approach to Avian Influenza Control – RSM Consulting Veterinarian Kay Russo is seeing a wide range of avian influenza cases nationwide and places the blame on a delayed government response and a lack of monitoring and control. “It’s been severely under-reported because essentially there’s no structure around it.” Russo cites the recording of poultry contaminations by USDA-contracted groups as proof it can be done. “It’s a routine monitoring and they monitor them for ten days-post depopulation looking for symptoms. There’s nothing like that on the dairy side, but something needs to be done.” In a webinar from the American Association of Avian Pathologists H5 Task Force, recommendations included a consistent risk-based national disease control strategy, vaccines and more resources, such as veterinary services, lab capacity and capital.

Incentives Proposed to Move Away From Large-Scale Animal Agriculture – A group of East Coast Democratic lawmakers has introduced legislation that would pay large-scale livestock farms to transition into specialty crop production or pasture-based livestock operations. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, North Carolina Representative Alma Adams and Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern want to use existing funds from the Inflation Reduction Act for this proposal. Climate-smart agriculture policies supported by the environment and animal welfare sectors are the foundation of this bill.

Relief for Organic Dairies – USDA is making $58 million available to organic dairy farmers to help offset market volatility, transportation costs and an unstable feed supply. Organic dairy farmers will be able to apply for this assistance through the Farm Service Agency starting on today.

A Win for Local Meat Processing – The Lakes Community Cooperative meat processing facility will receive $530,000 federal grant to double its capacity. Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, made the announcement. The multi-species processing plant is located in Perham.

SD Corn Comments – Lauren Roling, a McCook Central FFA member, is featured in this week’s South Dakota Corn Comments. Roling highlights her work within the FFA. Click here to listen to the report. 

AI Tool Available From Syngenta – The Syngenta Group has added new artificial intelligence technology to its CropWise program. This system provides agronomic expertise, including seed placement, predictive modeling and disease management. CropWise AI is available to select customers in the U.S. and Brazil.

Aussie Deal Made Between Viterra and Cargill – Viterra is acquiring five grain handling facilities from Cargill in Australia. The deal is subject to Australian regulators. The price tag for the acquisition was not announced.

MACA Elects 2024-2025 Leadership – AMVAC’s Michael Lehman is the new president for the Mid America CropLife Association. John Oesch of Nutrien Ag Solutions was elected vice president and Aaron Deardorff of Syngenta Crop Protection is secretary/treasurer.

Kusel Moves to NFU – Chase Kusel is the new director of communications for the National Farmers Union. Previously, Kusel worked for Curious Plot, Woodruff and the National FFA Organization.

PAL Program Goes to Washington D.C. – The American Farm Bureau selects ten agriculture professionals to participate in its Partners in Advocacy Leadership program every two years. The two-year program provides participants with education and high-level skills to become better advocates in their communities, ag organizations, and government. CoBank Relationship Manager Amanda Durow spent time in Washington D.C. this past week as part of the PAL program. “We started in Gettysburg where we learned about leadership from a battlefield. Then we spent some time in D.C. talking with members of USDA about agriculture and policy.” Durow, who also farms at Hastings, Minnesota, said the skills learned will help her to support American farmers on a larger scale. “Working in farm credit, I want to leverage this opportunity to make a bigger impact on farmers.”

MFBF Minute – Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Membership and Marketing Director Robin Kinney joins this week’s Minnesota Farm Bureau Minute to discuss the benefits of membership. Listen to the report.

Grand Farm Welcomes Nick Sinner – Nick Sinner has been named the facilities manager for Grand Farm, overseeing operation and maintenance for multiple sites including those in Fargo and Casselton. Sinner spent nearly five years with Northern Crops Institute as a program manager. Previously, Sinner was president and CEO of the Minnesota-South Dakota Equipment Dealers Association, executive director of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association and executive administrator of the North Dakota Barley Council.

Reflecting on a Lifetime in the Seed Business – After 20-plus years with Peterson Farms Seed, Sales Manager Mike Larson is retiring. Larson is known as the ‘go-to’ person for corn and during a PFS open house Thursday night said he has seen incredible advancements in corn genetics. Larson has worked side by side with Carl and Julie Peterson for the past two decades. “I couldn’t have picked a better couple to come to work for and with, they do things right or they don’t do it at all,” said Larson. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard as far as quality. The corn genetics people have also become good friends of mine. It’s relationships, it’s what life’s all about.”

Goerhing Joins NASDA Board – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture held its annual meeting this past week and elected the new officer team. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring will serve as the Midwestern representative on the NASDA board. Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward will serve as the president.

Honors for Commissioner Petersen – Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen has received the University of Minnesota Distinguished Friend of Extension Award. Dean Bev Durgan made the presentation at the Extension conference in Bloomington.

Place Exits FSA, Joins UM – Whitney Place made the move to the University of Minnesota Extension where she is the new director of government relations and agriculture outreach. Most recently, Place was the State Farm Service Agency director. Before that, Place was the Minnesota Department of Agriculture assistant commissioner.

NAMA Honors – The National Agri-Marketing Association has announced its Professional Development Awards of Excellence. Erin Kolstad of G & S Business Communications is the honoree for marketing communications. The public relations award will go to Sandra Mason of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and Cheri Knoy of Farm Progress will receive the sales award. The awards will be presented at the NAMA Fall Conference in Minneapolis October 14-16.

A Winning Tradition at WDX – The University of Minnesota has repeated as the top team in the National Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo. Team members are Sarah Hagenow of Rio, Wisconsin; Megan Ratka of Cold Spring, Minnesota and Megan Meyer of Rollingstone, Minnesota.