Beef Checkoff Referendum Rejected
Minnesota beef producers narrowly rejected a proposed 50-cent increase to the state beef checkoff. The vote was 380-to-377, with the increase denied by a three-vote margin. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture handled the statewide referendum. The current beef checkoff rate…
Small Decline in Farmland Values
Farmland values showed signs of softening in the first quarter of 2026 after several years of historically strong growth. “I don’t want to oversell the decline and you can see that it was kind of mixed depending on where you…
‘Anti-Business’ Proposals Failed in St. Paul
The Minnesota legislative session wrapped up, concluding the second year of the biennial budget cycle. Minnesota Business Partnership CEO Kurt Zellers says most major budget items were approved last year, making this session largely focused on policy and infrastructure. Zellers…
Right-to-Repair Settlement Proposed
A federal court has given its preliminary approval to John Deere’s proposed antitrust settlement with farmers. The proposed $99 million settlement would go to the farmers who filed right-to-repair lawsuits against Deere. These farmers took legal action in 2022, claiming…
Farm Rescue Reaches Major Milestone
Farm Rescue has reached a major milestone, completing its 1,300th family assistance case since the organization was founded in 2005. The milestone case took place near Selfridge, where volunteers helped the Froelich family with spring planting following a series of…
More HPAI Cases Confirmed in Minnesota
Minnesota poultry producers are facing additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza after USDA confirmed 2 more commercial flock infections in Becker County on May 15. One case involved more than 17,000 commercial turkey breeder replacement hens, while a separate…
Winter Camelina Interest Expands
A new report from Minnesota-based MBOLD is highlighting growing interest in winter camelina as farmers across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest look for alternative crops that can improve profitability and sustainability. The report, developed through MBOLD’s Protein Catalyst initiative…
Welcome Intern Toby Njos to RRFN Team
The Red River Farm Network welcomes Toby Njos as an intern. Njos is from a family cattle operation at Bowman, North Dakota and is a communications student at the University of North Dakota. Njos is honing his skills in ag…
Beef Checkoff Referendum Rejected
Minnesota beef producers narrowly rejected a proposed 50-cent increase to the state beef checkoff. The vote was 380-to-377, with the increase denied by a three-vote margin. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture handled the statewide referendum. The current beef checkoff rate…
A Breakthrough for U.S. Beef
U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom says the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing delivered a breakthrough for the US beef industry after China agreed to restore access for hundreds of US beef plants. “This is great news. It’s…
NAWG Hires Policy Manager
Ross Bodine has joined the National Association of Wheat Growers as its policy manager. Before joining NAWG, Bodine served as a government relations intern with CropLife America.
‘Anti-Business’ Proposals Failed in St. Paul
The Minnesota legislative session wrapped up, concluding the second year of the biennial budget cycle. Minnesota Business Partnership CEO Kurt Zellers says most major budget items were approved last year, making this session largely focused on policy and infrastructure. Zellers…
Cold Temps Slow Crop Emergence
The prolonged cold temperatures increased concerns about stand establishment. BASF Technical Service Representative Dan Melaas said fungicides and seed treatments help crops withstand cold stress and early-season disease pressure. “Products like Revytec or Veltyma (fungicides) do a very good job…
Northern Plains Railroad Presents Safety Award
Northern Plains Railroad recognized North Prairie Ag’s Nekoma Elevator with its annual safety audit award. NPR is making a charitable contribution to a community organization on behalf of the Nekoma Elevator.
A Breakthrough for U.S. Beef
U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom says the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing delivered a breakthrough for the US beef industry after China agreed to restore access for hundreds of US beef plants. “This is great news. It’s…
Trump-Xi Summit Boosts Beef Trade
A major breakthrough for the U.S. beef industry came out of last week’s Trump-Xi summit in Beijing after China agreed to restore access for hundreds of U.S. beef processing plants. U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom says…
Beef Affordability Debate Builds
Strong cattle prices continue to support the livestock sector, but growing uncertainty about consumer demand and future policy direction is leaving many producers cautious about expanding herds. The Gulke Group Founder Jerry Gulke says volatility in the cattle market is…
What’s Hot What’s Not in the Markets
China trade news sends soybeans back into the “hot” category this week on What’s Hot, What’s Not with Randy Martinson of Martinson Ag Risk Management. Randy breaks down the overnight rally tied to new Chinese ag purchase commitments, why wheat…
Markets Take a Dynamic Turn on Chinese News
The Chinese government indicates it will buy at least $17 billion in U.S. agricultural products each year through 2028. “Chinese press is reporting they have a commitment for X amount of grains and when we first heard the number, we…
White House Highlights Trade Success
A White House fact sheet released Sunday recapped the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi. It calls for the creation of a U.S.-China Board of Trade and a U.S.-China Board of Investment to manage bilateral trade and investment…
Chinese Government Releases Post-Summit Statement
The Chinese commerce ministry released a statement over the weekend regarding the U.S.-China summit. It said the two sides agreed to a plan to increase trade with tariff reductions. China confirmed the purchase of U.S. aircraft, but did not provide…
Welcome Intern Toby Njos to RRFN Team
The Red River Farm Network welcomes Toby Njos as an intern. Njos is from a family cattle operation at Bowman, North Dakota and is a communications student at the University of North Dakota. Njos is honing his skills in ag…
A Breakthrough for U.S. Beef
U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom says the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing delivered a breakthrough for the US beef industry after China agreed to restore access for hundreds of US beef plants. “This is great news. It’s…
NAWG Hires Policy Manager
Ross Bodine has joined the National Association of Wheat Growers as its policy manager. Before joining NAWG, Bodine served as a government relations intern with CropLife America.
‘Anti-Business’ Proposals Failed in St. Paul
The Minnesota legislative session wrapped up, concluding the second year of the biennial budget cycle. Minnesota Business Partnership CEO Kurt Zellers says most major budget items were approved last year, making this session largely focused on policy and infrastructure. Zellers…
Cold Temps Slow Crop Emergence
The prolonged cold temperatures increased concerns about stand establishment. BASF Technical Service Representative Dan Melaas said fungicides and seed treatments help crops withstand cold stress and early-season disease pressure. “Products like Revytec or Veltyma (fungicides) do a very good job…
Northern Plains Railroad Presents Safety Award
Northern Plains Railroad recognized North Prairie Ag’s Nekoma Elevator with its annual safety audit award. NPR is making a charitable contribution to a community organization on behalf of the Nekoma Elevator.
Right-to-Repair Settlement Proposed
A federal court has given its preliminary approval to John Deere’s proposed antitrust settlement with farmers. The proposed $99 million settlement would go to the farmers who filed right-to-repair lawsuits against Deere. These farmers took legal action in 2022, claiming…
Cold Temps Slow Crop Emergence
The prolonged cold temperatures increased concerns about stand establishment. BASF Technical Service Representative Dan Melaas said fungicides and seed treatments help crops withstand cold stress and early-season disease pressure. “Products like Revytec or Veltyma (fungicides) do a very good job…
Pioneer Agronomy Update
In the Pioneer Agronomy Update, Pioneer Field Agronomist Eric Lagge said significant planting progress has been made, even with the recent strong winds. “We finally started to see some measurable GDU’s last week with most areas picking up 70-to-80.” The…
Farm Rescue Reaches Major Milestone
Farm Rescue has reached a major milestone, completing its 1,300th family assistance case since the organization was founded in 2005. The milestone case took place near Selfridge, where volunteers helped the Froelich family with spring planting following a series of…
Winter Camelina Interest Expands
A new report from Minnesota-based MBOLD is highlighting growing interest in winter camelina as farmers across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest look for alternative crops that can improve profitability and sustainability. The report, developed through MBOLD’s Protein Catalyst initiative…
Cold Stress Raising Replant Questions
Cold temperatures lingering across the Northern Plains are creating additional challenges for growers trying to establish crops this spring. BASF Technical Service Representative Dan Melaas says delayed emergence and uneven stands are becoming more common as repeated cold snaps slow…
Historic El Nino Possible
Nutrien Principal Atmospheric Scientist Eric Snodgrass says a developing El Nino pattern could move into unprecedented territory later this year, creating uncertainty for crop production and summer weather patterns. “We’re already in El Nino. It’s not something that’s still coming.…
Chinese Fry Exports Raise Concerns
The National Potato Council is urging the Trump administration to take stronger trade action against rapidly expanding Chinese frozen french fry exports, warning the surge is disrupting major export markets traditionally supplied by the United States. The potato industry says…
Beef Checkoff Referendum Rejected
Minnesota beef producers narrowly rejected a proposed 50-cent increase to the state beef checkoff. The vote was 380-to-377, with the increase denied by a three-vote margin. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture handled the statewide referendum. The current beef checkoff rate…
A Breakthrough for U.S. Beef
U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom says the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing delivered a breakthrough for the US beef industry after China agreed to restore access for hundreds of US beef plants. “This is great news. It’s…
More HPAI Cases Confirmed in Minnesota
Minnesota poultry producers are facing additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza after USDA confirmed 2 more commercial flock infections in Becker County on May 15. One case involved more than 17,000 commercial turkey breeder replacement hens, while a separate…
Pushback Seen on Potential Reduction in Beef Tariffs
Nearly a week ago, President Trump indicated he would sign an executive order to temporarily reduce tariffs on imported beef. Farm-state lawmakers pushed back, and the action was later delayed. High beef prices have been a frequent talking point for…
MN Beef Update
It is May Beef Month. In the Minnesota Beef Update, Minnesota Beef Council Business Manager Heather DeLong talks about Beef Month promotions. Click here.
Farm Measures Remain Stalled at Capitol
The Minnesota legislative session is entering its final week and Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen says there’s still a lot of work to be done. “It’s a bit of a mixed bag for agriculture, at the moment. We did pass the…
Ranch Profits Mask Difficult Year for North Dakota Crop Farmers
NDSU Extension’s latest Agriculture by the Numbers shows a stark contrast in net farm incomes between Red River Valley farms versus Northern Plains farms outside the valley. Extension Ag Finance Specialist Bryon Parman says much of that comes from the…
Beef Checkoff Referendum Rejected
Minnesota beef producers narrowly rejected a proposed 50-cent increase to the state beef checkoff. The vote was 380-to-377, with the increase denied by a three-vote margin. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture handled the statewide referendum. The current beef checkoff rate…
Small Decline in Farmland Values
Farmland values showed signs of softening in the first quarter of 2026 after several years of historically strong growth. “I don’t want to oversell the decline and you can see that it was kind of mixed depending on where you…
‘Anti-Business’ Proposals Failed in St. Paul
The Minnesota legislative session wrapped up, concluding the second year of the biennial budget cycle. Minnesota Business Partnership CEO Kurt Zellers says most major budget items were approved last year, making this session largely focused on policy and infrastructure. Zellers…
Winter Camelina Interest Expands
A new report from Minnesota-based MBOLD is highlighting growing interest in winter camelina as farmers across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest look for alternative crops that can improve profitability and sustainability. The report, developed through MBOLD’s Protein Catalyst initiative…
Trump-Xi Summit Boosts Beef Trade
A major breakthrough for the U.S. beef industry came out of last week’s Trump-Xi summit in Beijing after China agreed to restore access for hundreds of U.S. beef processing plants. U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom says…
Beef Affordability Debate Builds
Strong cattle prices continue to support the livestock sector, but growing uncertainty about consumer demand and future policy direction is leaving many producers cautious about expanding herds. The Gulke Group Founder Jerry Gulke says volatility in the cattle market is…
Pushback Seen on Potential Reduction in Beef Tariffs
Nearly a week ago, President Trump indicated he would sign an executive order to temporarily reduce tariffs on imported beef. Farm-state lawmakers pushed back, and the action was later delayed. High beef prices have been a frequent talking point for…
