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Election Day is Tuesday!
If you haven’t already voted, make a plan to vote! Democracy works best when people vote!
· MN Secretary of State: Polling Place Finder
· Minnesota Public Radio: 2024 Voter Guide
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Certified Crop Advisers exams
The next exam window is coming up fast and registration is now closed for exams that will be offered in a window from Oct. 30 through Nov. 11. This will be the last testing window in 2024.
Exam registration will open on Jan. 2, 2025, for exam dates available on Feb. 5-19, 2025.
For the 2025 schedule, please see the CCA website: https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/exams
Benefits of becoming a CCA include: enhanced marketability to employers, increased income potential, raised reputation in the community and opportunity for advancement.
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Industry leaders to discuss smart spray technologies at Short Course
Keep up to date on the latest smart spray technologies this winter.
The Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR) is offering a panel of industry leaders at the CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show on Dec.10-12 at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.
“We are pleased to have a panel of industry experts discuss smart spray technology and its implications for ag retailers and consider potential opportunities to work with growers to offer new products and services,” said Lee Helgen, executive director of MCPR.
This panel called “Smart Spray Technologies: Innovations and Impacts for Ag Retailers” will dive into the questions around the use of this technology and how it’s transforming agriculture.
Full story.
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MCPR Short Course sessions highlight disease issues and future risks
Learn more about disease issues from this past year, future disease risks and how to treat them during the 2024 CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show sessions Dec. 10-12 at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel.
Following the wet summer of 2024, Dean Malvick, professor of plant pathology at the University of Minnesota, will lead a session titled “A Recap of Corn and Soybean Disease Problems in Minnesota for 2024 and Future Risks.”
In addition, Michael Wunsch, plant pathologist at the North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center, will host a session called “Optimizing White Mold Management in Soybean and Dry Beans with Fungicides” on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Full story.
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Senator Stabenow “holds the keys” to the Farm Bill getting done in 2024
From The Daily Scoop
According to Washington-based sources, Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) holds the key as to whether a farm bill can be completed this calendar year.
The unknown is whether Stabenow can work out a deal with the other farm bill players–Senate Ag ranking member John Boozman, House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and House Ag ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.). Some say that could be at least possible after elections.
Full story.
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Everything farmers need to know about the FARM Act in Congress
From AgWeb
With farmers up against tight margins and continuing to wait on a new Farm Bill, the Farm Assistance and Revenue Mitigation (FARM) Act has been introduced to Congress to help offset some of that financial pressure.
Full story.
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Soy growers alarmed after glufosinate-P registration restrictions tightened as EPA moves ESA goalposts
From CropLife
The American Soybean Association is expressing concern after the U.S. EPA imposed additional restrictions on farmers — a move that seems to have followed adverse comments from environmental groups. A new registration for glufosinate-P was announced October 18; however, EPA lagged in releasing the final label for that registration. The label is finally available, and with its public posting, additional, unwarranted restrictions are evident.
Full story.
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Export uptick brings hope to grain markets
From Brownfield
There’s some hope among farmers the recent uptick in corn and soybean export sales will improve prices.
Bryan Biegler farms in southwest Minnesota.
“It’s been nice seeing this little bump coming up here, certainly going to need a little higher prices just to cover input costs for next year.”
Full story.
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Snodgrass concerned drought conditions could worsen
From Brownfield
An atmospheric scientist is concerned drought conditions could worsen over much of the Midwest.
Dr. Eric Snodgrass with Nutrien Ag Solutions says there are two strikes against a large region of the Corn Belt that’s become extremely dry.
“Low soil moisture that’s throughout the Great Plains to the Midwest all the way to the Great Lakes, one of the driest falls on record. And the other strike against us is this weak La Nina.”
Full story.
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How drought’s grip on the Mississippi River is already costing farmers
From The Daily Scoop
For the third consecutive year, historically low water levels on the lower Mississippi River are impacting the supply chain. While it isn’t translating into lost export business for the U.S., it’s having a negative impact on basis levels as higher transportation costs are passed on to farmers in the form of lower cash prices.
Full story.
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Fertilizer spreader innovations abound going into 2025
From CropLife
It’s no secret what’s driving the overall agricultural marketplace going into the 2025 growing season, says Andy Unverferth, Marketing Manager at Unverferth Manufacturing: “Virtually everyone is watching their costs right now.”
For equipment manufacturers such as Unverferth, this market desire has spurred plenty of new developments across the board for spreaders. As proof of this trend, market observers need look no further than the summer and fall equipment trade shows. Usually, many of the highest profile equipment innovations at these events for ag retailers tend to be in the area of self-propelled sprayers. In 2024, however, spreader innovations led the way.
Full story.
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Treasury Dept. finally releases guidance on the sustainable aviation fuel 40B tax credit
From The Daily Scoop
The Treasury has specified that those using the 40BSAF-GREET 2024 model to calculate emissions reduction percentages must now use the October 2024 version of the model. This update addresses a calculation issue in the previous April 2024 version, specifically related to catalyst inputs for Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) SAF pathways.
Full story.
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Agronomist urges caution reading soil tests
From Brownfield
An agronomist says the dry field conditions might influence soil test results.
Dan Ritter with Dairyland Seed in Indiana tells Brownfield it will be important to test soil for nutrients so farmers know what fields need and where they can save money, but don’t be surprised if the test results don’t seem right. “One caution this year as you look at soil tests is it’s extremely dry. That can affect your soil test, so if you’re comparing this soil test from three, four, or five years ago, it might not sync up as well.”
Full story.
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Syngenta’s mission to be “brave, bold and innovative” in the digital and crop protection space
From The Daily Scoop
Syngenta recently shared an inside look at several of the company’s large multinational business units. As a result, an underlying theme rang clear: the company’s emphasis on continued product innovation to help growers raise a healthy crop in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible.
Full story.
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3 things to know about testing and repairing nurse tanks
From The Daily Scoop
Following the nurse tank safety advisory issued earlier this year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), you may find yourself needing to perform additional testing and repairs on a nurse tank. Read the full story for three things to know.
Full story.
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Phosphate production resumes after hurricanes
From Brownfield
The Mosaic Company says it’s phosphate mining and production in Florida has resumed at most sites after being struck by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Josh Linville with Stone X says getting that production back is important. “Not only from the location perspective, but the calendar timing perspective.”
Full story.
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MN Corn sustainability journey detailed
Minnesota corn farmers are committed to maintaining sustainability in their farming operations while ensuring financial viability. To support them in that journey, Minnesota Corn works to ensure producers have the resources, information, flexibility and support necessary to implement the practices that work best for their respective operations.
In a presentation last Wednesday to the Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources (BWSR), Minnesota Corn Executive Director and CEO Adam Birr and Senior Public Policy Director Amanda Bilek outlined this sustainability journey.
Full story.
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USDA launches new fertilizer dashboard
From FarmWeekNow
A new online dashboard brings together a variety of regularly updated fertilizer transportation data.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service recently launched the Fertilizer Transportation Dashboard to help build resilience in the agrifood supply chain by providing needed visibility into transportation markets through publicly available data.
Full story.
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The ABCs of ESA: Exploring the EPA’s herbicide strategy webinar
Join an expert panel for an interactive discussion on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final Herbicide Strategy and its impact on farmers, ag retailers, and suppliers.
Learn about mitigation measures to reduce pesticide movement from treated fields, compliance and enforcement of the Herbicide Strategy, and the roles ag retailers and suppliers are playing to support farmer-customers.
Register here.
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