Despite the setback in the Senate Agriculture Committee, the National Potato Council remains optimistic. Congress can finish a new farm bill this year. “I think there’s still an opportunity, maybe multiple opportunities, to get a farm bill to the President’s…

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Bozeman is frustrated after the farm bill failed to advance. The Arkansas Republican blamed Democrats for blocking the bill over disagreements involving SNAP cost sharing, saying farmers are paying the price. “Right now, if you’re…

The Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program has announced its 14th class. MARL  Executive Director Brad Schlosser is pleased with this diverse group. “We are really delighted to have 27 individuals from across the state of Minnesota that span from…

The farm bill came up short in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Farm Bill 2.0 failed to get enough votes to move forward. Differences remain over the handling of SNAP. The Senate Democrats want a two-year delay for the states to…

South Dakota native Luke Lindberg has a full year under his belt as the USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. His goal has been to turn market access into market share. Lindberg said that’s happening. “The trade deficit…

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is the Democratic candidate for governor, said she is running on a pro-growth agenda. “That means new domestic markets for your crops. That means new international markets so we can get more trade deals, but I…

Army veteran and longtime business executive Kendall Qualls believes Minnesota has become an anti-business state and radical change is needed. The Republican candidate said he, as an outsider, can get the job done. “The question next is this: can we…

New World Screwworm activity is waning. USDA has confirmed a total of 45 infestations since the start. The latest USDA dashboard shows just five active cases remaining. Meanwhile, technology is providing another way to monitor cattle herds. Hylio CEO and…

The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition’s Leopold Conservation Award Tour showcased more than innovative grazing practices. It also highlighted the value of collaboration between producers, Extension, and conservation organizations. NDSU Extension Livestock Specialist Karl Hoppe says tours like this expose…

Despite the setback in the Senate Agriculture Committee, the National Potato Council remains optimistic. Congress can finish a new farm bill this year. “I think there’s still an opportunity, maybe multiple opportunities, to get a farm bill to the President’s…

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Bozeman is frustrated after the farm bill failed to advance. The Arkansas Republican blamed Democrats for blocking the bill over disagreements involving SNAP cost sharing, saying farmers are paying the price. “Right now, if you’re…

The first barley and wheat fields are starting to come off in northeastern North Dakota. At Devils Lake, Eric Aasmundstad said a small amount of the crop has been harvested. “Most guys are just finishing up spraying wheat to kill…

Recent rains have helped some crops in northeastern North Dakota. St. Thomas farmer Brent Baldwin says moisture is becoming increasingly important as soybeans and sugarbeets move through key development stages. “We caught rains early in June, but it’s getting dry…

The Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program has announced its 14th class. MARL  Executive Director Brad Schlosser is pleased with this diverse group. “We are really delighted to have 27 individuals from across the state of Minnesota that span from…

South Dakota native Luke Lindberg has a full year under his belt as the USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. His goal has been to turn market access into market share. Lindberg said that’s happening. “The trade deficit…

StoneX is projecting a bigger U.S. corn crop than USDA estimated last month, adding fresh pressure to the grain market. The private analytics firm raised its national average corn yield estimate to 184.8 bushels per acre, up from USDA’s July…

The market firm, Linn & Associates, is out with its official corn yield estimate for 2026. Their forecast for corn production is 15.8 billion bushels with an average yield of 181.2 bushels per acre. That compares to USDA’s latest estimate…

The cattle market is showing renewed strength after last week’s recovery, while grain markets remain under pressure. Martinson Ag Risk Management President Randy Martinson says tight cattle supplies and strong demand continue to provide solid support for the livestock sector.…

Russia is stepping up security for commercial shipping in the Black Sea after a series of drone attacks on vessels and port infrastructure tied to the war in Ukraine. Russian officials say they’re also developing alternative cargo routes to keep…

The United States and Japan have stepped in to prop up the Japanese currency.  The yen recently dropped to a 40-year low against the dollar, prompting this intervention. A coordinated effort like this is extremely rare. The last time it…

Cargill and the union workers at its Fort Morgan, Colorado beef processing plant have a tentative agreement to end their labor dispute. Cargill locked out workers after union members in late May after union members rejected the company’s last contract…

New World Screwworm activity is waning. USDA has confirmed a total of 45 infestations since the start. The latest USDA dashboard shows just five active cases remaining. Meanwhile, technology is providing another way to monitor cattle herds. Hylio CEO and…

The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition’s Leopold Conservation Award Tour showcased more than innovative grazing practices. It also highlighted the value of collaboration between producers, Extension, and conservation organizations. NDSU Extension Livestock Specialist Karl Hoppe says tours like this expose…

The Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program has announced its 14th class. MARL  Executive Director Brad Schlosser is pleased with this diverse group. “We are really delighted to have 27 individuals from across the state of Minnesota that span from…

Agriculture, energy, and technology will take center stage at the Next 5 Years Conference on September 10th in Fargo. The executive conference will examine the major forces expected to shape agriculture over the next five years. Minnkota Power Cooperative President…

Dealerships have struggled to move new farm equipment. However, “used demand has been holding in there.” AgDirect Territory Manager Tate Moser is seeing a different scenario for used farm equipment. “Used values are trending upward as we work through the…

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with AGs from four other states and the Federal Trade Commission, reached a major ten-year antitrust settlement with John Deere. The settlement, which was secured a month ago, gave farmers and independent businesses the…

Soybean Checkoff success stories were highlighted at the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council exhibit at Farmfest. “We’ve sponsored soy-based tires with Goodyear and that was our biggest success story, and Skechers Shoes used the same technology,” said Gail Donkers,…

The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition’s Leopold Conservation Award Tour showcased more than innovative grazing practices. It also highlighted the value of collaboration between producers, Extension, and conservation organizations. NDSU Extension Livestock Specialist Karl Hoppe says tours like this expose…

The first barley and wheat fields are starting to come off in northeastern North Dakota. At Devils Lake, Eric Aasmundstad said a small amount of the crop has been harvested. “Most guys are just finishing up spraying wheat to kill…

Recent rains have helped some crops in northeastern North Dakota. St. Thomas farmer Brent Baldwin says moisture is becoming increasingly important as soybeans and sugarbeets move through key development stages. “We caught rains early in June, but it’s getting dry…

Hot, dry weather was the rule when canola was flowering. Pioneer Field Agronomist Kristie Sundeen expects to see the impact at harvest time. “Last year we had low acres, but really, really good yields,” said Sundeen. “I expect production’s probably…

Moisture has been in short supply in the Mahnomen, Minnesota area. “I’d say 90 percent of the acres in our immediate area look surprisingly good, but the combine will tell a bigger story,” said Blair Hoseth. Hoseth started his small…

Moisture remains uneven from field to field, but Roseau farmer Richard Magnuson says timely rains did help. “Overall, everything looks pretty good,  maybe a little bit of concern with canola blooming and filling when we had all those hot days…

NDSU Extension Sugarbeet Pathologist Eric Branch is cautiously optimistic about the beet crop. “We, of course, had some replanting, so some beets are behind because of that, but we’ll have to see what we get for moisture throughout August.” The…

The animal health company, Zoetis, reports second-quarter revenue of $2.5 billion. That’s flat with last year. Net income totaled $691 million. Companion animal product sales declined 11 percent, while livestock product sales increased 23 percent.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has named its 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award Program regional winners. There are two operations from the tri-state region included among the seven finalists. They are Feikema Farms of Luverne, Minnesota and Stomprud Angus Ranch of…

The owners of the Agri Star Meat and Poultry plant in Postville, Iowa, plan to rebuild after a fire destroyed much of the facility last week. This is one of the largest kosher meat-processing plants in the country, specializing in…

Cargill and the union workers at its Fort Morgan, Colorado beef processing plant have a tentative agreement to end their labor dispute. Cargill locked out workers after union members in late May after union members rejected the company’s last contract…

South Dakota State University Extension Feedlot Management Specialist Warren Rusche is monitoring the extreme heat’s impact on the state’s cattle. “It’s been pretty stressful, and in some cases, I’m hearing reports of mortality and death loss in central South Dakota…

North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Chief Brand Inspector Corby Ward has been appointed as a director of the International Livestock Identification Association board. The ILIA is dedicated to the promotion, administration and enforcement of livestock identification and inspection laws.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and the Minnesota Farm Bureau are encouraging members to contact lawmakers in support of Senate Bill 1306. The legislation would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act and return management authority to state…

Despite the setback in the Senate Agriculture Committee, the National Potato Council remains optimistic. Congress can finish a new farm bill this year. “I think there’s still an opportunity, maybe multiple opportunities, to get a farm bill to the President’s…

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Bozeman is frustrated after the farm bill failed to advance. The Arkansas Republican blamed Democrats for blocking the bill over disagreements involving SNAP cost sharing, saying farmers are paying the price. “Right now, if you’re…

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s effort to advance a new five-year farm bill stalled Thursday after lawmakers failed to reach agreement on changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In the hearing, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven urged lawmakers to support…

The farm bill came up short in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Farm Bill 2.0 failed to get enough votes to move forward. Differences remain over the handling of SNAP. The Senate Democrats want a two-year delay for the states to…

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with AGs from four other states and the Federal Trade Commission, reached a major ten-year antitrust settlement with John Deere. The settlement, which was secured a month ago, gave farmers and independent businesses the…

Dave Vipond, Mahnomen, was part of Tuesday’s roundtable discussion with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. To improve USDA reports, Vipond wants better data acquisition and the ability to get that information back out to farmers in a meaningful way. “The most…

To put it simply, an abundance of political candidates filled the Minnesota Farmfest grounds. “There’s some pretty tight races here, and with the primaries happening, there’s going to be a lot of competition here,” said Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Past…