In this Edition
PWHL Minnesota Lifts Walter Cup as League's First Champion with Game 5 Win over Boston
2024 MCPR Annual Golf Outing Registration Open!
MCPR Updates
- ‘Still Ongoing’: Planting Neither Swift nor Easy for much of Minnesota
Capitol Corner- State
- Minnesota Legislative Wrap-up: Farm Organizations Weigh in on the Wins and Losses of the ’24 Legislative Session
Capitol Corner - Federal
- Trump Guilty of All Charges in Hush Money Trial
- TFI Achieves Significant Success with Inclusion of Key Farm Bill Policies
- Republican-led Farm Bill Clears House Panel, but Faces Slim Odds Ahead
- Farm Bill Markup Aftermath
Industry Related News
- Why Late-planted Corn Can Still Yield Well
- NGFA Details the Dangers of a Canadian Rail Stoppage
- 4 Reasons To Think Twice Before Skipping An Adjuvant In The Tank
- Truterra’s Three Year Total: $21 Million to Farmers
- CropLife Retail Week: RDO Equipment’s Erin Hightower on Ag Technology Onboarding
- Grand Rapids, Minn., Trio makes Minnesota FFA History
Partner News/Announcements
- U of MN Extension - Field School for Agricultural Professionals
- Announcing the University of Minnesota Extension Cover Crop Academy
- Message from ARA: Ask Congress to Pass Bipartisan Farm Bill Now
- Five Years Of Data Reveal Higher Profitability For Ag Water Quality Certified Farms
- Funding available to Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts for Soil Health Delivery
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PWHL Minnesota Lifts Walter Cup as League's First Champion with Game 5 Win over Boston |
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After a championship-winning goal was overturned in Game 4, Minnesota beat Boston 3-0 in the deciding game to bring the first Walter Cup to the State of Hockey. |
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Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield (26) takes the trophy to her team after defeating Boston to win the PWHL Walter Cup. Photo Credit: Mary Schwalm, AP
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2024 MCPR Annual Golf Outing Registration Open! |
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Wednesday, August 7th 2024
The 2024 MCPR Annual Golf outing will be held Wednesday, August 7th at The Wilds Golf Club, located in Prior Lake, MN.
Registration and lunch at the The Wilds Golf Club will begin at 10 AM. After lunch the shot gun start will take place at 11 AM. Dinner and awards will conclude the days event.
Pricing:
Single Registration: $220 per golfer includes: golf, cart, lunch, dinner, refreshment ticket and raffle ticket.
Foursome Registration: $880. Includes same as above for each golfer.
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‘Still Ongoing’: Planting Neither Swift nor Easy for much of Minnesota
As the calendar flips to June, the vastness of planting progress in Minnesota is about as wide as the state itself. Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR) board members gave us some insight on how their region stands on planting progress.
In the southeast region of Minnesota, farmers enjoyed an early spring with fertilizer being applied as early as mid-March.
“There were three planting windows that farmers got most of their crop in: mid-April, later April and then in May,” said Doug Becher, retail sales agronomist with Brevant Seeds and a seed representative on the MCPR board.
Becher estimates that about 95-98 percent of corn and 90-95 percent of soybeans are planted in his region. Some have been replanted due to cold and precipitation, and recent hailstorms will cause some beans to be replanted.
This region is a bit ahead of the entire state’s average, according to the May 28 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Crop Progress & Condition Report. Corn planted was at 89 percent, with 85 percent emerge. Seventy-two percent of soybeans are planted, with 31 percent emerged. These numbers are a day or two behind last year’s progress but a few days ahead of the five-year average. Small grains planted are ahead of last year and the five-year average, with 90 percent barley, 95 percent of oats and 96 percent of wheat planted in the state.
Weekly rain events and wind have made herbicide applications challenging for farmers in the western Minnesota, reports BASF Business Representative David Voller.
“Most of the emerged crop is very good but farmers are still trying to finish soybean planting. A few areas will have some Prevented Plant acres,” said Voller, who also serves on the MCPR board as a crop protection representative. “Dry bean planting is still ongoing.”
Central Minnesota has experienced similar wet conditions, where MCPR Director Andy Oeding of Nutrien resides. The wet conditions affect the ability to plant and will continue to cause problems for crops establishing stand and for growers trying to get into fields to control weeds, sidedress nitrogen and/or cut their first crop of alfalfa. Oeding expects some, but hopefully limited, acres of PP in his area.
Although Mother Nature has already presented challenges for Minnesota farmers, growers remain optimistic for a successful 2024 growing season.
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Minnesota Legislative Wrap-up: Farm Organizations Weigh in on the Wins and Losses of the ’24 Legislative Session
Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session wrapped up under what some might call disarray, but the state’s Farmers Union and Farm Bureau give the legislators a passing grade for the work achieved on behalf of farmers.
“At the end of the day, I would say it’s a pretty successful session for agriculture and for Farm Bureau’s priorities,” says Dan Glessing, Minnesota Farm Bureau president and a Waverly-area farmer.
Stu Lourey, Minnesota Farmers Union government relations director, says despite this session being a supplemental year, “I don’t think we could have taken for granted that we got an agriculture budget this year. The agriculture department was already funded.”
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Trump Guilty of All Charges in Hush Money Trial
Former President Trump was found guilty on Thursday on all 34 felony counts in his New York criminal trial, making him the first-ever former U.S. president to be a convicted felon.
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TFI Achieves Significant Success with Inclusion of Key Farm Bill Policies
On Friday, May 17, House Agriculture Committee Chairman “GT” Thompson released the 2024 Farm Bill discussion draft, titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. The draft and summaries are available on the House Agriculture Committee website. A markup of the bill occurred on Thursday, May 23, with the committee approving the Farm Bill early Friday morning in a 33-21 vote, including 4 Democrats in favor.
TFI and member companies spent thousands of hours advocating for key policies in the bill. Notably, out of the seven TFI farm bill legislative initiatives prioritized in 2022, five were incorporated into the base text in some form. Fortunately, the Fertilizer Research Act of 2023, which called for the USDA to conduct a second fertilizer report similar to an Iowa State study, was not included. The included policies are:
Streamlining TSP Provisions (Title II, Sec. 2501): Directs USDA to designate certified crop advisors as Technical Service Providers and prioritize their use for nutrient management plans.
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Republican-led Farm Bill Clears House Panel, but Faces Slim Odds Ahead
The proposal fractures the two parties in a way that’s “impossible to achieve the votes to become law,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said.
The House Agriculture Committee advanced the Republican-led farm bill draft early Friday morning, although the massive $1.5 trillion spending package faces a tough road ahead as Democrats slam proposals that interfere with climate and food assistance funding.
The bill cleared the House committee on a 33-21 vote following a raucous 14-hour hearing. Democratic amendments to claw back Republican proposals around climate, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Commodity Credit Corporation failed on party lines.
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Farm Bill Markup Aftermath
MARKUP AFTERMATH: In case you (somehow) missed it, House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson’s (R-Pa.) farm bill advanced out of committee with a 33-21 bipartisan vote before the holiday weekend.
Though four committee Democrats joined Republicans (calling the bill a “first step”), the bill’s path forward is uncertain as the already-extended Sept. 30 deadline nears.
As we wrote after Thursday’s markup, the ongoing fight will likely grow increasingly bitter given partisan fighting over nutrition and climate policies.
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Why Late-planted Corn Can Still Yield Well
Corn Illustrated: Don’t write off late-planted corn. More than planting date influences yield.
Corn yield potential begins declining if planted after a certain date in early May, depending on whose data you examine. “Every agronomist worth his salt knows that is fact,” says Bob Nielsen, retired Purdue Extension corn specialist.
So, how does Nielsen explain the results of the 2023 Ohio State University Battle of the Belt corn planting date comparison project? The highest yield at the western Ohio site came from corn planted in late May. Yields were over 240 bushels per acre.
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NGFA Details the Dangers of a Canadian Rail Stoppage
ARLINGTON, Va., May 21, 2024 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) urged the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to take action to avert a rail strike or lockout in comments submitted May 21.
Shutdowns or slowdowns of rail-dependent facilities would result “in harmful consequences for Canada’s agricultural producers and industry as well as domestic and global food security,” NGFA said.
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4 Reasons To Think Twice Before Skipping An Adjuvant In The Tank
Mark Glady, an agronomist with WinField United, highlights how crop inputs encounter numerous hurdles on their journey from tank to leaf.
“High-quality adjuvants act as crucial facilitators, ensuring inputs reach their intended target and maximize activity, ultimately boosting ROI potential,” Glady says. “The active ingredient is what kills the weed, but if it can’t get to the site of action, it can’t do it’s job.”
From his territory across southwest Minnesota, Glady reports there are four key reasons to put an adjuvant in the spray tank:
- Enhance Efficacy
- Preserve Potency
- Target Precision
- Optimize Uptake
“Just putting on more of the herbicide isn’t the answer,” Glady says. “Full rates need to be used with the appropriate adjuvants to ensure the herbicide is delivered to the plant.”
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Truterra’s Three Year Total: $21 Million to Farmers
Truterra has announced over three years, since it introduced its carbon program, the company has paid more than $21 million to farmers for the sequestration and reduction of over 1.1 million metric tons of carbon
“Our carbon program is gaining momentum as a leader among farmers and retailers. Our differentiated approach matches agronomics with economics to help farmers make sustainable practice changes,” said Truterra President Jamie Leifker. “What’s more, these carbon assets could help organizations with sustainability goals who choose to make agriculture part of their toolkit of solutions. Truterra will continue to focus on creating new markets for farmers and retailers, while helping them make the best agronomic, economic and sustainable decisions for their operations.”
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CropLife Retail Week: RDO Equipment’s Erin Hightower on Ag Technology Onboarding
In this episode of CropLife Retail Week, Erin Hightower of RDO Equipment talks about the experience for growers when onboarding technology and what tech providers can do to improve it. Erin also shares valuable insight, tips, and troubleshooting on precision technology in her CropLife column here.
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Grand Rapids, Minn., Trio makes Minnesota FFA History
This marks the first time three students from the same chapter will serve on the same state officer team.
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READY TO LEAD: The 2024-25 Minnesota State FFA officer team took the gavel to close out the recent state convention, ready to lead the organization for the next year: Lauren Stoel (left) Kaiya Grossman, Natalie Clemenson, Victoria Gunderson, Cole Sundeen and Emma Braford. KEVIN SCHULZ
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Partner News/
Announcements
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This hands-on, in-field program emphasizing crop and pest management diagnostic skill-building will help you enhance your troubleshooting and crop management skills.
Features:
- A two-day program taught in the field with real world scenarios.
- Hands-on activities examining current insects, diseases and crop management.
- Small learning groups.
- Each subject is led by experienced instructors offering personalized instruction and small group activities.
- Certified Crop Advisor CEUs offered.
The first-day program focuses on core principles in agronomy, entomology, weed and soil sciences to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. The second day builds on this foundation with timely, cutting-edge concurrent sessions that participants can select from across all four major agronomy disciplines.
- Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 - Wednesday, July 31, 2024
- Location: Plant Growth Facility and Greenhouses, University of Minnesota
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Announcing the University of Minnesota Extension Cover Crop Academy
Do you work with farmers who want to use cover crops but are struggling to incorporate them into Minnesota’s short growing season? Are you striving to help producers build soil health systems that are agronomically and economically successful? If you want to learn more about using cover crops to help address crop production challenges, join us for the University of Minnesota Extension Cover Crop Academy.
The UMN Extension Cover Crop Academy is a hybrid, year-long, statewide course for crop advisors, consultants, educators, agency personnel, and ag advisors who work with cover crops in coops, ag retailers, lending institutions, non-profits, soil and water conservation districts (SWCD) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices. This unique opportunity will take a deep dive into cover crops and will be tailored to Minnesota cropping systems and conditions.
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For more details and to register, go to https://z.umn.edu/CCAcademy. Register by June 10, 2024 to reserve your spot for one of three locations: Waseca, Crookston, or Lamberton.
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Message from ARA: Ask Congress to Pass Bipartisan Farm Bill Now
Take action in just a few minutes using ARA's grassroots advocacy tool to send a message to your lawmakers in Congress asking them to vote in favor of the bipartisan Farm Bill that was passed out of the House Agriculture Committee last week.
ARA encourages you to add your own reasons for why a 2024 Farm Bill is important to your business before sending your message.
ARA Member Priorities in Farm Bill
Here are just a few of the ARA public policy priorities included in the bipartisan bill that passed out of the House Ag Committee:
- Crop Insurance updates
- Technical Service Provider (TSP) reforms
- Language ensuring that EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and State Lead Agencies have the exclusive role in regulating pesticides
- Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act language to reaffirm EPA’s risk-based role regarding pesticide regulation
- Codifying a plant biostimulant definition
- Listing of potash and phosphate as critical minerals
- Additional funding for ag research
ARA thanks members like you for your work to highlight these key issues and supporting our collective work in Washington.
Maintain our momentum by sending a message to your member of Congress and make your voice heard as a constituent! When ARA members unite and speak up in a unified voice, lawmakers on Capitol Hill listen.
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Five Years Of Data Reveal Higher Profitability For Ag Water Quality Certified Farms
Farmers also saw other improved financial metrics compared to non-certified farms
May 29, 2024
Farmers enrolled in the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) have higher profits than non-certified farms, according to five years of data from the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence.
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Funding Available to Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts for Soil Health Delivery
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is preparing to provide each soil and water conservation district (SWCD) in the state with grant funding to support soil health delivery. A total of $6.4 million is available to Minnesota SWCDs.
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Follow MCPR on Social Media! |
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Are you following MCPR on social media? Make sure you like and follow us so you don't miss out on events, what's happening with our members and the latest news impacting Minnesota’s agricultural retail sector!
Does your organization or company have news or a press release that you would like to share with the MCPR’s membership? If so, please contact MCPR - lee@mcpr-cca.org.
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Minnesota Crop Production Retailers | P: 763.235.6466
www.mcpr-cca.org
601 Carlson Parkway, Ste 450, Minnetonka, MN 55305
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