In this Edition
Thinking about becoming a Certified Crop Advisor?
Capitol Corner- State
- The House Ways and Means Committee (4/25/24)
- Minnesota Senator Wanted Late Father’s Ashes When She Broke into Stepmother’s Home, Charges Say
Capitol Corner - Federal
- Aid Finally Set to Flow as Senate Clears $95.3B Emergency Bill: Action Ends Monthslong Stalemate over Whether to Provide More Money for Ukraine War Effort
Industry Related News
- 5 Smart Farming Insights from America’s Largest Ag Publication
- Vegetable Canning Sector Faces Challenges From Imports, Tariffs
- USDA Now Requiring Mandatory Testing and Reporting of HPAI in Dairy Cattle as New Data Suggests Virus Outbreak is More Widespread
- The Scoop Podcast: Corral The Controllables In Agronomy
- Are Farmers Protected From PFAS?
- Planning Your Next Growing Season? RDO’s General Manager Outlines Three Best Practices
- How to Adjust Your Fertility Practices for No-Till and Cover Crops
- La Nina Transition Could Bring Moisture To Corn Belt
Partner News/Announcements
- 2024 Annual CropLife Ag Tech Awards of Excellence — Nominations Are Now Open
- U of MN Extension - Field School for Agricultural Professionals
- Announcing the University of Minnesota Extension Cover Crop Academy
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Thinking about becoming a Certified Crop Advisor?
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The Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Program is established as a benchmark for agronomy professionals that provides base-level standards for agronomic knowledge through a national and regional testing process and raises those standards through continuing education. Being certified emphasizes credibility and recognizes that you are committed and experienced in what you do.
When you become certified, you join more than 13,000 of your peers in the largest, most recognized agriculturally oriented certification program in North America that validates your commitment. The CCA program’s professional standards are widely respected by industry, academia, and government agencies and are referenced in statutes.
The goal of the program is to enable agriculture as an industry to meet its environmental stewardship objective. Get the recognition, opportunities, and respect you deserve.
2024 Quarterly Exam Calendar
Exam Registration Dates: Register and pay for the exam(s) of your choice.
- June 19th to July 15th
- September 25th to October 21st
Available Exam Dates: Exams will be conducted during this time frame.
- July 24th to August 5th
- October 30th to November 11th
NOTE: Exam Registration is only available during the dates listed above, and only for the next Available Exam Date. For example, if you want to take your exam in the July 24th to August 5th exam period, you would register in the June 19th to July 15th period.
- Download the free performance objectives at the links below that list all of the potential subject matter areas that the exams could cover. They are designed to help guide your study and continuing education.
- International CCA Exam Performance Objectives - List of potential subject matter areas on the International CCA Exam.
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The House Ways and Means Committee (4/25/24)
- HF3763 (Vang) Agriculture Supplemental Budget Bill.
Note: HF4177, HF3763 and HF5295 will be merged into one Climate & Energy, Agriculture and Commerce budget bill package using HF4975 as the primary vehicle.
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Minnesota Senator Wanted Late Father’s Ashes When She Broke into Stepmother’s Home, Charges Say
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother’s home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, of Woodbury, was arrested early Monday at the home in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes. The arresting officer wrote in the complaint that he heard Mitchell tell her stepmother “something to the effect of, ’I was just trying to get a couple of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.’”
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Aid Finally Set to Flow as Senate Clears $95.3B Emergency Bill: Action Ends Monthslong Stalemate over Whether to Provide More Money for Ukraine War Effort
The Senate cleared a war funding package Tuesday night for President Joe Biden’s certain signature, capping a six-month struggle over Ukraine aid that divided GOP lawmakers, delayed Western weapons deliveries and gave Russia some breathing room in a military offensive against its neighbor.
The 79-18 vote to aid Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan came as a show of solid bipartisan support for a measure that had deeply divided Republicans in both chambers for months. The House passed the $95.3 billion package Saturday in the form of four individual bills that were combined for Senate action.
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5 Smart Farming Insights from America’s Largest Ag Publication
As part of its Smart Farming Week Takeover back in March, Farm Journal surveyed the most technology forward farmers in its subscriber community, gathering responses from a large sample of row crop farmers and livestock producers.
The ag media company – recently named one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies – hosted a webinar to talk through some findings from the data, as well as recent trends and forward-looking statements in the ag tech segment.
Here are five insights that stood out:
- INSIGHT #1: FARMERS TARGET THESE FOUR TECHNOLOGIES
- INSIGHT #2: AGE IS MERELY A NUMBER
- INSIGHT #3: RETROFIT IS A SOUND STRATEGY
- INSIGHT #4: TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY TRACK TOGETHER
- INSIGHT #5: SOMETHING BIG COULD BE ON THE HORIZON
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Vegetable Canning Sector Faces Challenges From Imports, Tariffs
The president of the Midwest Food Products Association says the U.S. has become a net importer of food, and it’s hurting processors and farmers.
Jason Culotta tells Brownfield the recent announcements of ConAgra’s Bird’s Eye frozen foods plant in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and the Del Monte canning plant in Markesan, Wisconsin are not the only planned shutdowns. “We have another canning plant that’s being closed in Washington state. A large ooperation in Delaware as well.”
Culotta says the industry is seeing some slower times, and on the canning side, the real issue has been the cost of the metal can ever since the 2018 beginning of former President Trump’s 20% tariff on foreign steel. “Our industry has been seeking now for six years to get relief for tin plate, which is about 2% of that overall U.S. steel market consumption, and we’ve not been able to make headway.”
Culotta says in Minnesota and Wisconsin, vegetable processors expect to plant about 10% fewer acres this year.
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USDA Now Requiring Mandatory Testing and Reporting of HPAI in Dairy Cattle as New Data Suggests Virus Outbreak is More Widespread
USDA is now ordering all dairy cattle must be tested prior to moving the animals across state lines as a way to help stop the spread of HPAI H5N1 impacting dairy herds across the country. This comes after a lab at Ohio State University detected genetic material of the virus in 38% of retail milk samples they’ve tested, data that also suggests the current outbreak is being underreported.
In a new Federal Order announced on Tuesday, USDA says in an effort to protect the U.S. livestock industry from the threat posed by highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, there are a number of actions being taken with federal partners to limit the spread.
The following measures go into effect immediately:
- Prior to interstate movement, dairy cattle are required to receive a negative test for the Influenza A virus at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory.
- Owners of herds in which dairy cattle test positive for interstate movement will be required to provide epidemiological information, including animal movement tracing.
- Dairy cattle moving interstate must adhere to conditions specified by APHIS.
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The Scoop Podcast: Corral The Controllables In Agronomy
As an agronomist and crop consultant with Nutrien Ag Solutions, Jeff Kloucek says working out in the field is where he enjoys his job the most. While the weather was the biggest challenge last year, Kloucek doesn’t expect too much of a reprieve from that unknown this year.
However, he and the team in Nebraska and South Dakota are focusing on what they can control. And shares more in The Scoop Podcast:
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Are Farmers Protected From PFAS?
A lawyer says the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent classification of two forever chemicals as hazardous substances could have a significant impact on the agricultural industry.
Minneapolis-based Stoel Rives Environmental Partner Thomas Braun tells Brownfield farmers and agribusinesses could be held responsible for potential perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) contamination.
“The most common scenario being a farmer that permits the land application of biosolids from a wastewater treatment facility,” he says. “Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in this new rule, farmers could be responsible for cleaning up PFOS releases connected to the land application of those biosolids, even though they had nothing to do with the PFAS and those biosolids.”
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Planning Your Next Growing Season? RDO’s General Manager Outlines Three Best Practices
While farmers never have an off-season, those of us working in the agriculture industry are often behind a desk instead of a wheel during the winter months. This is the time for farmers to consider market predictions and review last year’s growing season’s data to inform their decision-making when the planting season is only a few months away. We all understand that this short planning period is vital for the continued success of any operation. Many farmers have already taken advantage of opportunities to onboard a digital farm management system to connect multiple machines to a cloud-based platform, but new technology means the landscape is constantly changing.
To help farmers identify areas of opportunity in the coming year, I’ve discussed agriculture technology trends with RDO Equipment Co.’s precision agriculture team to identify best practices. If you’re a farmer looking to future-proof your operation, consider integrating these three best practices.
- Best Practice #1: Install Equipment and Software to Collect Data
- Best Practice #2: Check Each Machine’s Modem to Ensure Connectivity
- Best Practice #3: Use John Deere Work Planner to Set the Schedule and Check Progress
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How to Adjust Your Fertility Practices for No-Till and Cover Crops
Government incentives aimed at mitigating climate change are almost sure to motivate you, and your landlords, to move toward no-till and cover crops. That’s the reason for our series of stories aimed at helping you convert to vertical farming systems, where those practices perform best.
As you prepare to plant your first crop in a vertical environment, whether it’s one field or a whole farm, keep in mind the 4Rs of fertilizer management — right product, rate, time and place — might be different from traditional horizontal, full-width tillage systems.
Residue might hamper phosphorus uptake. Surface cover slows soil warming. As a result, soils that test adequate to high in phosphorus might be deficient early in the spring.
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La Nina Transition Could Bring Moisture To Corn Belt
An atmospheric scientist says the transition to the La Nina weather pattern is underway.
Matt Makens tells Brownfield he’s expecting the current southern storm flow to shift to the central and northern crop growing states. “As we go through the next four to six weeks, we’re going to see a favorable transition of getting some water here for the early part of the (growing) season.”
He says this could help improve soil conditions across the Corn Belt. “We do have really substantial soil moisture issues across Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, parts of Nebraska, but we’ve seen really wet weather on the opposite side out by Ohio. They’ve had too much water and some flooding concerns.”
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Partner News/
Announcements
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2024 Annual CropLife Ag Tech Awards of Excellence — Nominations Are Now Open
Ag technology products and practices have been enhanced and improved over the past two decades in large part by the work of innovative and driven individuals and organizations. The CropLife Ag Tech Awards of ExcellenceSM, program sheds light on some of the most important people and programs that have helped agriculture realize the full benefits of technology to improve agronomy, efficiency, and stewardship in crop production. This awards program is part of the Global Ag Tech Initiative.
How To Nominate
The nominations for the 2024 CropLife Ag Tech Awards of ExcellenceSM are now open. The deadline to submit is Friday, May 10.
To nominate someone, please click on the “Nominate now” link and complete the submission form in any of the categories listed below. You can nominate someone for more than one category.
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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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Minnesota Crop Production Retailers | P: 763.235.6466
www.mcpr-cca.org
601 Carlson Parkway, Ste 450, Minnetonka, MN 55305
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