Reporting Agriculture’s Business for 25 Years – The Red River Farm Network is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and made a stop at KZTK in Casselton, North Dakota this past week. Thanks to 103.9 FM – The Truck for your commitment to agriculture and your partnership with RRFN. The entire lineup of RRFN radio affiliate stations can be found online. In the week ahead, RRFN will be on the road for field day activities. We are also busy planning for the 40th Annual Big Iron Farm Show. RRFN is moving to a new location for the September 15-17 trade show to accommodate social distancing with our forums. Go online to see the full schedule of our daily forums.

Select ND and SD Counties Can Hay/Graze Cover Crops Early – USDA’s Risk Management Agency is opening up haying and grazing of cover crops on prevent plant acres to September 1 for 42 counties in the Dakotas. This response follows letters sent from North Dakota farm groups, noting the backlog in livestock numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and large amount of PP acres in the state due to excessive flooding. The 23 qualifying North Dakota counties include: Barnes, Cass, Grand Forks, Nelson, Steele, Stutsman and Wells. There are 19 qualifying counties in South Dakota, including Brown, McPherson, Marshall, Roberts and Beadle counties. Read the press release.

USDA Extends CFAP Deadline, Adds Commodities – USDA has extended the application deadline for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to September 11. The list of eligible commodities was also expanded, now including all sheep. Only lambs and yearlings were eligible previously. USDA is also releasing the remaining 20 percent of CFAP payments to farmers and ranchers with approved applications. Moving forward, producers applying for CFAP will receive their full payment as applications are approved. Get more details.

Hoeven and Northey Discuss Options For ND Farmers – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven and USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey have discussed the financial challenges facing farmers and ranchers. Hoeven urged Northey to utilize the $14 billion in CCC funding and the remaining Coronavirus Food Assistance Program money to help the agricultural community. Hoeven also urged USDA to finalize the quality loss program that’s part of WHIP+.

ND FSA Welcomes More Time to Implement Programs – The delay in the fourth COVID-19 relief package is giving county Farm Service Agency offices more time to work on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. “We’re thinking just hold off on another program until we can check the box on getting some of these others done,” said Brad Thykeson, State Executive Director, North Dakota Farm Service Agency. More than 60 percent of eligible North Dakota producers have signed up for CFAP. Starting Monday, the FSA will initiate the remaining 20 percent payments to farmers. The sign-up deadline is also extended to September 11, giving farmers more time to apply. This also means programs, like the WHIP+ program, may continue to be pushed back. “There is no deadline on the WHIP+ program yet; it’s just gotten shelved,” said Thykeson. “Producers should visit with their local lender to tell them money is coming, but the FSA is overloaded right now.” Hear the full interview on CFAP, prevent plant and the WHIP+ program.

AGI Changes May Make More Farmers Eligible for CFAP and MFP Payments – The Farm Service Agency has made changes in the way it calculates a farmer’s adjusted gross income. USDA’s approach on certain farm wages and dividends has changed. As a result, more farmers may qualify for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and Market Facilitation Program payments. Farmers who were previously denied because of the AGI limit should contact their FSA office again.

Lawmakers Ask U.S. Government to Enforce USMCA Dairy Provisions – On Thursday, a bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. government urging them to enforce provisions in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council are showing support for the effort. The letter addressed Canada’s administration of its dairy Tariff Rate Quotas and the full and transparent elimination of Class 6 and 7 milk pricing system.

US-China Trade Talks Postponed – The scheduled trade talks between the U.S. and China this past weekend were postponed. A scheduling conflict was cited. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He were going to review the first six months of the phase one trade agreement. President Donald Trump was asked about China Friday. “We’ve done very well in our trade deal, but I feel differently about China than I ever felt.”

Corn Crop in Minnesota’s Clay County is in Good Shape – Beau Jacobson, who farms at Hitterdal, is feeling good about his crop. “We were actually behind on GDUs coming into the end of June, but we’ve come on strong and crop development is great.” It may not be a record, but Jacobson is expecting an above-average soybean crop. As we finish this year’s crop, Jacobson says it is not too soon to make plans for next season. Drainage should be part of that decision-making process. “It is a struggle in this economic environment to spend the working capital on tile, but it is one of the top paybacks for the farm.” Jacobson operates Premium Ag Solutions, which features Precision Planting, 360 Yield Center, Channel Seed and more.

Pioneer Agronomy Update – Corn rootworm damage can make it difficult for the plant to take up moisture and nutrients. A weak root system also makes the crop vulnerable to wind events. Pioneer field agronomist Clyde Tiffany says corn rootworm damage is more common on fields with corn-on-corn. “People have to think about managing that, whether it is an insecticide or rotation,” said Tiffany. “If you have long-term continuous corn, you probably want to break it. Putting soybeans in there will stop that western corn rootworm for a few years.” If farmers see lodging, Tiffany recommends digging up roots and wash them off. Roots should be healthy and bright. Tiffany was featured in the latest Pioneer Agronomic Update.

Optimism for the Corn Crop – At the Elbow Lake, Minnesota, the corn crop has been helped by hot, humid conditions. At Red River Marketing, Leah Johnson is very optimistic about the corn. “Based on our 30 year average accumulated GDUs, we’re 150-plus heat units ahead.” The harvest season could be very different from last year. “With the maturities that we raise around here, in that 90-to-a little over 100 day, we’re going to have a lot of corn that is at physiological maturity by Big Iron and it is going to be exciting to think about harvesting corn before the ground freezes.”

Leaf Blight and Bean Leaf Beetle Popping Up in NE SD Fields – The corn growing in northeastern South Dakota is making good progress, but DEKALB Asgrow Technical Agronomist Jeff Fuls says there’s been some disease pressure. “We’re seeing a lot of leaf fungus like northern corn leaf blight and common rusts. The stalks look healthy so far, but typically, stalk rots set in later and we’re holding out to see what happens.” When it comes to the soybeans, Fuls says there is higher pressures of bean leaf beetle showing up in fields. “Around Watertown, we’ve seen higher pressure for the pest and we haven’t seen much for aphids yet.” Aerial applied fungicides can help manage the pest. Hear the story.

Crop College – Have you heard of Goss’s Wilt? This bacterial disease is starting to show up in corn across the Northern Plains. Peterson Farms Seed President Carl Peterson talks more about the disease and hybrid selection in this week’s edition of Crop College. This program presented by Peterson Farms Seed.

Straight Line Winds Damage Farms Across IA – Iowa farms were impacted by 90-to-100 miles per hour straight-line winds the week of August 10. National Corn Growers Association President and Minden, Iowa farmer Kevin Ross said the storm impacted their farm, but most of the major corn damage was further east. “Southwest Iowa wasn’t hit nearly as bad as the central part of the state,” said Ross. “There are a lot of flattened corn fields and tons of damage to grain bins and farms across the way.” Farmers are assessing damage and crop insurance will kick in. “This is a devastating storm in already tough times for agriculture.”

Derecho Hits Iowa Hard – The cleanup continues across portions of the Midwest from the hurricane-force winds that hit the region one week ago. USDA is estimating nearly 38 million acres of farmland were impacted by the derecho, including 14 million areas in Iowa. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is seeking $4 billion in federal disaster assistance.

Dry Bean Scene – In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, get a crop update from the Benson, Minnesota area. This program on the Red River Farm Network is made possible by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, BASF, SRS Commodities and Johnstown Bean Company.

It’s Been a Dry Summer in Western Kansas – It’s been a dry summer on the Kansas/Colorado border. “We ran out of moisture,” said Eric Purvis, who farmers near Weskan, Kansas. “The corn and milo are hanging in there, so far, but we are sure short on rain compared to last year.” Purvis was part of the virtual Wheat U and Sorghum U seminars hosted by the High Plains Journal. New technology and traits was also part of the conversation. “A big thing is getting wheat to have a higher value to the end user, such as protein quality for milling and baking. That has been a big focus our farm; finding wheat varieties that meet those standards.”

NW MN Spring Wheat Harvest Just Beginning – At Oklee, Minnesota, the spring wheat harvest is just beginning. “There are a few people that have cut a few acres,” said J.J. Johnson, who is a sales representative with Helena Agri-Enterprises. “There are certain areas in the south with a little more cut. Yield-wise, I think it’s been all over the board.” Johnson also discusses the soybean crop. Hear the story.

With Rye Harvest Complete, Barley Harvest is Next – Daisy, North Dakota farmer Jim Broten is finished with rye harvest. It was an average crop. “I thought the rye may be a little bit better, but the heat shortened heads up a bit. We’re on the low end of the yields at 40 bushels an acre.” Broten says the barley is a little too wet. “The main head is ripe, but some of the tillers are awfully dry and some of the heads are a little green.”

Canola Minute – This time of year is perfect for farmers to be scouting for clubroot in canola. Learn more from Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman in the latest Canola Minute.

ACSC Projects a 28.5 Ton Beet Crop – Pre-pile sugarbeet harvest begins this week for American Crystal Sugar Company. General agronomist Joe Hastings says the latest root samples indicate a crop better than 28.5 tons per acres. The plan is to start the factories on August 20. Each factory district will need beets on the ground ahead of that. “The factory yards will be going and a few in the outside site and growers can contact their agriculturalists with questions.”

Good Sugarbeet Crop Forecast for Minn-Dak Growers – Sugarbeet pre-pile harvest officially began on August 10 for growers in the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative. Board member and Wyndmere, North Dakota farmer Carson Klosterman says there’s a good sugarbeet crop growing in the area. “There’s estimates of 28 to 29 tons for the factory average. Pre-pile harvest is starting on the early side due to two reasons: the good crop and to get more sugar made for the low production of the 2019 crop. We don’t pre-pile until August 18 or 19.” A few good things happened during the growing season to help the crop. “The sugarbeets came up awful early. We probably got our first ones in around April 23. I don’t remember it being very warm right away, but there was good moisture to help. The crop also has a good stand, which will help carry the average a bit and a good stand equates to good, recoverable sugar.”

Weather Impacting Southern-Minn. Pre-Pile Harvest – Pre-pile sugarbeet harvest began August 10 for the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative. Vice President of Agriculture Todd Geselius says weather is dictating the progress. “Storms coming across the area have slowed the progress.” Rain delays were the norm for the first week of the pre-pile campaign, but better harvest conditions are in the forecast.

More Favorable Harvest Weather in the Forecast – The weather outlook for the remainder of August is favorable for crop development and the fall harvest outlook isn’t too bad for the Northern Plains, either. “There’s going to be the kind of warmth needed to bring the crops along and offer pretty favorable row crop conditions and finish out wheat harvest,” said Bryce Anderson, senior agricultural meteorologist, DTN. Looking further ahead at the heart of fall harvest, Anderson anticipates better weather for the northern and western Corn Belt. “The pattern this coming fall season is showing a warmer, dry trend. I think that will be a better situation for getting harvest taken care of and I think farmers will benefit in different ways with better soil conditions to support machinery, not as much stranded crops and more.”

Potato News – Black Gold Farms CEO Eric Halverson talks about the chip potato harvest outside of the region, along with an update on the potato crop in the Red River Valley. Potato News is made possible by Corteva Agriscience, Bayer, Sipcam Agro and BASF’s Provysol fungicide, the new standard for early blight.

USDA Forecasts Larger Corn and Soybean Yields in August Report – As expected, USDA’s August Supply and Demand Report has the U.S. corn yield pegged at 181.8 bushels per acre. The soybean yield estimate of 53.3 bushels per acre is slightly higher than pre-report trade estimates. The 2020 U.S. ending stocks for corn are estimated at 2.75 billion bushels, within the range of trade guesses. Soybean carryout is estimated at 610 million bushels, also with the range of trade estimates. Wheat ending stocks are within trade estimates at 925 million bushels.

Large U.S. All Wheat Production Expected in 2020-21 – In the August crop report, USDA raised 2020/21 wheat production by 14 million bushels to 1.84 billion bushels as increased hard red spring and durum production more than offset lower winter wheat production. USDA lowered food usage slightly to 962 million bushels and raised exports by 25 million bushels. Offsetting supply changes resulted in ending stocks being lowered 17 million bushels to 925 million bushels. If realized, this would be the lowest wheat ending stocks in six years. USDA lowered the season average farm price 10 cents to $4.50 per bushel on lower corn prices and reduced wheat price expectations for the remainder of the year.

Grain Prices Expected to Struggle in a Move Higher – Following a mostly neutral August Supply and Demand Report, Utterback Marketing President Bob Utterback expects grain prices to struggle to move higher. “Seasonally, if we do continue to decline, I think we’ll still put an August low in. Then, the markets will bounce around,” says Utterback. “Once the grain bin doors shut in November, we’ll firm back up, but we aren’t going a long ways up. Mostly because there’s such large inventories.” The market outlook is flat. “I don’t think you can assume demand is going to explode and eat us out of this problem. We’ll have to eat through this; I don’t think you can get a supply management program put in place by spring 2021, even if you have a change in administrations,” says Utterback. “I think it would be spring of 2022 at the earliest. Putting that together, it’s a pretty flat market outlook.”

Soybean Demand Offers Hope for the Market – S&W Trading market analyst Andy Shissler is hopefull after seen the new crop demand in Wednesday’s USDA report. “I think we’ll see stronger exports than what’s being reported. I think there will be lots of switching from unknown destinations as we get closer into the fall.” There’s been several recent flash sales of soybeans to unknown destinations or China, but nothing is final until it’s paid for. “It’s been really characteristic when China has an import program the futures rally up against them when they price it. That would start in October, November, December or January,” says Shissler. “We usually see a really strong seasonal price move when China has a program into year-end. All of that stuff has to be paid for and when that happens, that’s usually the big component of price in the market.”

What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets – Outside markets at all-time highs, political drama and a massive wind storm are all factors in the trade. Advance Trading Risk Management Advisor Tommy Grisafi has details in this week’s edition of What’s Hot, What’s Not in the Markets.

Crop Price Could Trigger PLC Payments – NAU Country Vice President of Farm Services Rich Morrison says the average crop prices the USDA gave in Wednesday’s supply and demand report will trigger Price Loss Coverage payments, if confirmed. “The government lowered the market year average estimate on corn on Wednesday to $3.10. If realized, that would be 60 cents below the PLC trigger price for next year. That marketing year begins on September 1 and runs through August 31. As of right now, we’d be forecasting a 60 cent PLC payment on corn, $1 on wheat and even a nickel on soybeans. If prices stay where they’re at, we’ll be looking at some money.”

What a Difference a Year Makes – The size of the North Dakota crop is vastly different than last year. Nearly 6 million acres went into soybean production this year in the state. The average soybean yield is forecast at 36 bushels per acre, up 4.5 bushels from 2019. Corn acreage declined 30 percent in the past year. The average yield is projected at 155 bushels per acre, up 24 bushels from last year. Spring wheat yields are forecast at 48 bushels per acre, up one bushel from a year ago. The dry edible bean numbers are dramatic. The harvested acreage devoted to edibles is up 40 percent from last year. Across all classes, yields are projected to average 1,800 pounds per acre. That’s up 400 pounds from last year. North Dakota sugarbeet production is expected to be up 36 percent from last year. The average yield is estimated at 28.5 tons per acre.

Record Corn Yields Predicted in Minnesota – USDA is forecasting Minnesota corn yields to average 197 bushels per acre, an increase of 24 bushels from last year. If that is realized, it would be the highest Minnesota corn yield on record. The average soybean yield in Minnesota is projected at 51 bushels per acre, seven bushels higher than last year. Overall spring wheat production is expected to be down eight percent from 2019. Minnesota’s spring wheat yield is forecast at 58 bushels, up one bushel per acre from last year. Minnesota sugarbeet production is estimated at 12.2 million tons, up a whopping 45 percent from last year.

SD Crop Production Should be Up Significantly From ’19 – Based on August 1 conditions, South Dakota’s 2020 corn crop is forecast to be up 47 percent from last year. A record large soybean crop is also on the way with production expected to be up 76 percent from a year ago. The average corn yield is forecast at 167 bushels per acre, up 23 bushels from last year. A record soybean yield of 50 bushels per acre is anticipated, up 7.5 bushels from last year. Spring wheat yields expected to reach 47 bushels per acre, up two bushels from last year. South Dakota’s spring wheat production is projected to be up 41 percent from last year.

Tour to Evaluate Yield Potential in SD Today – The western leg of the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour begins started in Sioux Falls this morning and will end up in Grand Island, Nebraska tonight. The western tour director Jeff Wilson expects to see a good crop in southeastern South Dakota. “USDA has rated South Dakota with record high yields for corn and soybeans. We should see some pretty good crops; we’ll measure them and see how that contributes to the national yield.”

RRFN Crop Tour Presented by Pioneer – The Red River Farm Network will survey crop conditions across the region with our annual crop tour. The RRFN Crop Tour Presented by Pioneer begins Monday, August 24, in the Carrington, North Dakota area. Our caravan will move through eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota throughout the week. You’ll find special reports on-air, online and in social media.

DTN Digital Yield Tour Projects Large U.S. Crops – In the 2020 digital yield tour with DTN, Gro Intelligence is forecasting a national average U.S. corn yield of 183.9 bushels per acre, more than two bushels per acre above the USDA’s August estimate. However, this estimate doesn’t account for last week’s damage from Derecho. The estimated corn yield for Minnesota is 200 bushels per acre. “There’s the potential for record corn yields and really phenomenal conditions in Minnesota,” said Katie Dehlinger, farm business editor, DTN/Progressive Farmer. South Dakota’s corn yield estimate is 174 bushels per acre. The national soybean yield estimate is 53.1 bushels per acre, with Minnesota’s yield at 52 bushels per acre and South Dakota’s soybean estimate at 49 bushels per acre. Both are slightly above the USDA’s August estimates.

Using Technology to Project Crop Size – Main Street Data is looking for record corn yields this year, hitting 183 bushels per acre. That’s above USDA projections, but is credited to the optimal weather conditions during pollination. Vice President of Ag Markets Tim Davis says the Main Street has access to the Machinery Link combine leasing business. “We have the calibrated harvest data from 7 million acres over a seven-year period and that data was collected very meticulously; we feel like we have the largest and most accurate harvest data set in the nation.” In addition to crop forecasting, Main Street Data evaluates soil moisture and the stage of crop development. “We tie that in with 20 years of weather history from IBM. We cross weather history with our yield data for a very accurate forecast.” This system evaluates every county in the nation. The numbers are updated twice a day with each new weather forecast.

Satellite Imaging Playing a Role in August Yield Tour – Analyzing crop data to estimate yields is what Gro Intelligence and DTN/Progressive Farmer did in their August yield tour. Gro Intelligence Senior Vice President of Agribusiness James Heneghan says the data is more than just satellite imaging. “We take a look at satellite data to gauge crop health in this point in the production cycle for corn and soybeans. Then, we look at our own crop models we have at the county level, then we roll it up to the state level and share the data.” Ground truthing is key for accurate yield modeling. “That’s one thing that’s been happening with the tour. We like to have our data confirmed on the farm.”

High Prevent Plant Acres May Not Make a Big Dent – The prevent plant numbers aren’t getting as much attention on a national scale as they did last year. University of Illinois Agricultural Economics Professor Scott Irwin says even though it’s not 19 million acres, a near nine million acres of prevent plant is still a big deal. However, Irwin says those acres won’t make a big dent in the U.S. crop. “We are going to have good yields overall in the U.S., but it’s enough that maybe corn and soybean acreage could be two million acres lower than expected,” explains Irwin. “That could help us shave off a bit of our surplus, maybe 50 to 100 million bushels in corn and 50 million in soybeans. That makes a difference to supply and demand tables, but it doesn’t fundamentally change whether you’re in a surplus situation or not.”

FSA Confirms Large 2020 Prevent Plant Acres in Dakotas – In their first prevent plant estimate of 2020, the Farm Service Agency says there are nearly nine million prevent plant acres across the country. North Dakota has the most at more than 2.57 million acres. The majority of those acres are corn prevent plant at 1.76 million acres and soybean prevent plant at more than 510,980 acres. South Dakota is second on the list with more than 1.24 million acres, the majority in corn prevent plant.

Still Working Through Prevent Plant Claims – Prevent plant was the story for growers in the Red River Valley this year. Countryside Insurance Agency crop insurance agent Jennifer Otteson is still working through prevent plant claims, though she expected more claims filed. “Farmers pushed at the beginning of June and got lot of things planted they didn’t think would get planted. However, there is a lot of prevent plant ground from the central Red River Valley west toward Carrington.” The crop that did get planted in the central Red River Valley looks nice. “I’m just praying we don’t get big storms as we get into full grain harvest so we can get the crop out of the ground.”

MN Beef Update – Minnesota Ag in the Classroom offers a wide variety of resources for both teachers and parents. Hear from Minnesota Beef Council business manager Katie Davis, who is also a MN Ag in the Classroom board member, in the latest Beef Update.

Be Aware of Blue-Green Algae Blooms – Hot weather increases the risk of cyanobacteria development, also known as blue-green algae. Toxic levels of blue-green algae blooms have been in the headlines frequently this summer. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has posted advisories for lakes, dams and creeks in more than ten counties this summer. Several of these high levels blooms have triggered water advisories for recreationists and resulted in livestock deaths. “The cause of cyanobacteria is nutrient buildup within waterbodies, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus,” says Miranda Meehan, livestock stewardship specialist, NDSU Extension. “There are way livestock producers can reduce those nutrient levels, lowering the risk of blue-green algae blooms in the future.” Hear more in this RRFN story.

Advisory Committee Reviews Dietary Guidelines – The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is taking testimony on proposed changes. The National Milk Producers Federation was pleased dairy remains its own category and does not allow the inclusion of plant-based drinks or foods. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the recommendations should identify beef as a lean meat option, recognizing cuts like sirloin. The committee also heard from organizations about its proposal to lower the amount of added sugars in the diet from less than ten percent of total calories to less than six percent.

MFU Minute – Not much was expected out of the third special session of the Minnesota Legislature. Get the details from Minnesota Farmers Union Government Relations Director Stu Lourey in the MFU Minute.

Investigation Continues into Mysterious Seed Mailings – USDA is working with their Chinese counterparts to investigate the mysterious packages of seed that arrived in the U.S. in recent weeks. China is helping to identify the source of these packages. USDA believes many of these packages were part of a scam that generated fake orders. At the same time, efforts are being taken to prevent similar shipments in the future.

MN Lawmakers Meet for Short Special Session – Minnesota lawmakers convened for the third special session of 2020 last week. Not much work was done on the tax bill, Section 179 conformity or a bonding bill. As long as Governor Walz maintains emergency powers for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Legislature will meet again in September. “We plan to launch a full-scale political attack on the Section 179 issue to see if it can get done,” said State Representative Dan Fabian. “Full implementation of Section 179 conformity costs $230 million. That winds up being lost revenue to the State of Minnesota, but that’s already been calculated into the budget. At minimum, we need to take care of purchases made in 2018 and 2019.”

Pickup Sticker Price Goes Up if MN Adopts California Rule – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is proposing to adopt California’s vehicle emissions standards. Minnesota Auto Dealers Association President Scott Lambert says the standards will be made by the California Air Resources Board. Rather than going through the legislative process, this rule is being promulgated through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Lambert says this rule will impact the farmers’ ability to buy trucks. “We would expect vehicles to be about $2,000 more on average. Minnesota farmers cannot go to North Dakota and buy a truck and bring it back and register it in Minnesota; the rules don’t allow that so you can’t avoid that cost.”

Parade of Champions: Larissa Overlie –

Clontarf Haymakers 4-H and Benson, Minnesota FFA member Larissa Overlie has been open to showing different species of animals throughout her many years in the two organizations, including equine, goats, dogs and pigs. This year, the line-up is different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We didn’t get pigs to show, due to the markets and processing. The same with goats. However, I’m still doing horse and dog projects. The Swift County fair is doing a horse show. We have to follow guidelines including six feet apart and if you’re closer, wearing a mask.” Overlie will start college at the end of the month, attending Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota. Listen to Larissa’s interview here. This Red River Farm Network effort is sponsored by AgCountry Farm Credit Services, NDFB, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Grain Growers Association and Association Milk Producers, Incorporated.

Parade of Champions: Jacob Arnold – Jacob Arnold of Esmond, North Dakota recently graduated from Maddock High School. Throughout high school, Jacob was involved with 4-H, FFA and Farmers Union. The Arnold family raises Black Angus cattle and showing livestock has always been one passion for Jacob. It was a disappointment when the North Dakota State Fair was cancelled. “I had a market steer I was really excited about showing this summer,” he says. “I’ve put a lot of money, time and commitment in general into my project. Everyone who shows livestock puts a lot of effort into preparing their animals for the show season.” Hear more from Jacob in this Parade of Champions interview. This Red River Farm Network effort is made possible by AgCountry Farm Credit Services, NDFB, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Grain Growers Association and Association Milk Producers, Incorporated.

FCA Releases Annual Report on Young, Beginning and Small Farmer Loans – The Farm Credit Administration has released its annual report on the performance of the young, beginning and small farmers in its portfolio. For the entire farm credit system, the dollar volume of outstanding loans increased 6.3 percent. For the young, beginning and small farmers, volume increased from 3.3 to 4.6 percent. The number of loans made in 2019 increased nearly five percent for the entire system. The number of loans for young farmers rose nearly six percent. For small farmers, that number increased seven percent and eight percent for beginning farmers.

Potash Sales Influence Nutrien’s Financial Report – In its latest quarterly report, Nutrien reports net income of $765 million, down from $858 million one year ago. Potash sales volume increased in the United States with a more normal spring. However, potash sales outside of the U.S. declined 40 percent due to lower Chinese demand.

JBS’ 2Q Beats Industry Expectations – JBS is reporting net income of $629 million for the second quarter. That’s nearly twice as high as analyst expectations. COVID impacted beef, pork and poultry sales. However strong Brazilian beef exports to China helped boost the final numbers.

TransFARMation: Dairy Farmer Experiences COVID-19 Firsthand – Clarissa, Minnesota dairy farmer Patrick Lunemann has his own personal experience with the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the Long Prairie community in Todd County was experiencing a high number of cases. “We did have a couple of confirmed cases at our dairy farm. I believe it was more than just those two and I believe I had it,” explains Lunemann. “I didn’t get a test, but I had the same symptoms at the same time as the two that tested positive. Therefore, I went through the appropriate quarantining practices.” It is difficult to work through the COVID-19 crisis, Lunemann adds. Getting the works done was an issue, especially since labor is generally a challenge in agriculture. “When we’re milking basically around the clock, you need people to fill those shifts. Losing even a couple people creates a big hole in the schedule. It was not easy.” Hear more from Lunemann in the latest TransFARMation episode.

MN-Torgy Wheat Variety Released – The University of Minnesota has released a new hard red spring wheat variety called MN-Torgy. MN-Torgy features a combination of yield, protein, straw strength and disease resistance. This variety is named in honor of Dave Torgerson, the former executive director of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers and Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council.

Three Farm Daughters Break Down Barriers Between the Farm and the Consumer – A Grand Forks company called Three Farm Daughters is bringing a nutrient-dense wheat flour to market. President and co-founder Mollie Ficocello says this new business has a keen understanding about food production from the field to the pantry. There’s a passion for agriculture and healthy eating. “We’ve all participated in the farm and now being wives, moms and consumers ourselves, we wanted to bring the farm to the home.” The family grows GoodWheat wheat varieties from Arcadia Biosciences that will deliver food staples with higher nutritional characteristics. The immediate focus is on high fiber, less calories and less gluten. The first product from Three Farm Daughters will be a refined, non-enriched wheat flour, which will hit the market in September. Initially, the products will be sold through e-commerce.

MN Corn Matters – The Nitrogen Smart Program training can now be taken online. Learn more from University of Minnesota Extension Educator Brad Carlson in Corn Matters, an update from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

Hazlett Returns to Indiana – The senior advisor for rural affairs at the White House has accepted a job as the senior director of government relations and public affairs at Purdue University. From 2017-to-2019, Anne Hazlett was the assistant to the secretary for rural development at USDA. Before that, Hazlett was legal counsel for the House and Senate agriculture committees.

MFBF Leader on the Ballot – Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap is one of two remaining candidates for the Blue Earth County Board. Paap received 34 percent of the vote, leading the way among the five primary candidates. Good Thunder hog farmer Paul FitzSimmons tallied 29 percent. Fitzsimmons operates Protein Services, a swine management firm in five states including Minnesota and North Dakota.

engAGe: Taking Leadership Opportunities – The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the education model for the University of Minnesota Extension program. “Extension has always been flexible; a lot of our faculty and educators spend a lot of time on the road doing programs,” said Bev Durgan, dean, University of Minnesota Extension. “Transitioning to work from home with no face-to-face meetings has been a challenge, but I also think it’s a great opportunity. We are using technology like we never have before, reaching audiences in ways we never have before.” The mix of in-person meetings paired with technology will likely become the new norm. “People are very busy. Traveling a half hour to one hour for a meeting may not be as efficient as a tech meeting and people are getting used to this.” Hear more from Durgan about leadership and her career in the latest episode of engAGe: a series for women in agribusiness, presented by Ag Country Farm Credit Services.

Precision Agriculture Position Hired – North Dakota State University has a new precision agriculture specialist on staff. David Kramar will be based at the Carrington Research Extension Center. Previously, Kramar worked for Southern Oregon University and Minnesota State University-Moorhead.

SD Corn Comments – Farm families and technology truly do go hand in hand. Find out more in the latest Corn Comments, a production of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

SD and ND FFA Members Named 2020 Star Award Finalists – The National FFA Organization has announced the 2020-star award finalists and two are from the Northern Plains. Wishek, North Dakota FFA member Cole Ketterling is a finalist for the American Star Farmer. Salem, South Dakota FFA member Cole James Schock is a finalist for the American Star in Ag Placement. The finalists and winners will be announced at the virtual 93^rd National FFA Convention in October. Read the full list of finalists.

New Princess Kay Crowned – The latest Princess Kay of the Milky Way was crowned Wednesday night in a private ceremony. Brenna Connelly from Olmsted County will represent the Minnesota dairy industry for the next year. Emily Benrud of Goodhue County and Maggie Molitor of Stearns County were selected as runners-up. The State Fair isn’t happening, but the dairy princesses are still having their likeness sculpted out of a 90 pound block of butter. That annual tradition is being made available online.