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On behalf of the MCPR Board of Directors and staff, we hope you enjoyed the Labor Day weekend and found time to connect with family and friends. With the State Fair wrapping up and kids heading back to school, we can feel the seasons beginning to shift from summer to fall.
Thank you for your ongoing support for MCPR. We are excited about the upcoming short course and trade show Dec.10-12. We greatly appreciate your partners at the University of Minnesota who are helping plan the event. We will try out a few new activities, including After Hours Casino Night on Wednesday evening and added networking opportunities with several special interest groups over lunch. We are also excited to offer expanded content around leadership, technology, conservation programs, and a legislative panel. Mark your calendars and make a plan to attend the 2024 CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show!
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Save the Date: MCPR’s Short Course and Trade Show
The Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR) are continuing to formalize the agenda for the organization’s 2024 Short Course and Trade Show. The annual conference returns Dec. 10-12, 2024, at the Minneapolis Hilton hotel.
Pre-registration, which includes a $50 discount, is now available online.
All programming, including the trade show and the new After Hours Casino Night, hosted by the Minnesota Certified Crop Advisors, take place at the Minneapolis Hilton.
This year’s Short Course and Trade Show features technical service training, dynamic speakers, networking opportunities and a full trade show floor.
Full story.
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Wild rice harvest photo courtesy of Rick Walker | |
Crop update: Small grains harvest continues
Small grain producers in Minnesota are continuing the 2024 harvest despite a few roadblocks put up by Mother Nature in mid-August.
“There was a lot of rain that delayed harvest,” said Rick Walker, chair of the Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR).
According to USDA’s Aug. 26 Crop Progress Report, more than half (54%) of Minnesota’s spring wheat crop is harvested with about 82% reported as good-to-excellent conditions and protein levels around 12-14%. Walker, a senior sales manager for West Central Ag Services, said he anticipates that, weather permitting, most growers will finish spring wheat harvest by early September.
Full story.
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It’s a pork chop on a stick and a vanilla shake for Tim Walz at the Minnesota State Fair
From AP News
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz munched on a pork chop on a stick and washed it down with a vanilla shake Sunday as the Minnesota governor and his family visited his home state fair.
Full story.
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The national debt under Trump and Harris
From Axios Markets
Donald Trump's campaign promises would send the national debt soaring much faster than Kamala Harris' would, per two new analyses from the Penn Wharton Budget Model.
Both of them increase the deficit relative to the current baseline.
Full story.
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Biden-Harris Administration partners with farmers to expand innovative domestic fertilizer production
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is partnering with American business owners to expand innovative domestic fertilizer production, creating jobs in rural communities and strengthening local economies. The Department is awarding $35 million for seven projects in seven states through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), which is funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation.
Full story.
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Special Counsel Smith files new indictment in Trump’s Jan. 6 case
From Minnesota Reformer
Adjusting for the U.S. Supreme Court’s sweeping presidential immunity decision last month, U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday filed a fresh federal indictment alleging former President Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election in his favor.
In a superseding indictment filed in the late afternoon, Smith emphasized the private nature of Trump and his co-conspirators’ alleged conduct and omitted allegations that Trump pressured Department of Justice officials to overturn election results.
Full story.
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Federal Reserve indicates interest rate cuts are coming soon
From Brownfield
A senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City says interest rate cuts are expected soon.
“Price stability is one of the mandates of the Federal Reserve, but the other mandate is full employment at the same time, we’re seeing inflation come down,” Courtney Cowley says. “We are starting to see some, some slight increases in unemployment indicates to policymakers that it may be time to start lowering interest rates.”
She tells Brownfield this is good news for farmers.
“They could start to see lower interest rates on any new loans that they need to take out or if they refinance or on the loans that they pay on their operating expenses or on new land purchases or new machinery,” she says.
Full story.
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Farmer pursues fresh challenge to White Earth Nation over Minnesota tribe’s water rules
From Minnesota Star Tribune
A farmer says the White Earth Nation does not have authority to stop him from pumping river water to irrigate land he owns within the reservation — marking the second federal lawsuit to challenge the tribe’s latest water rules.
The Ojibwe band counters that it’s trying to safeguard the water that supports wild rice and other resources that tribal members hunt, fish and gather.
Full story.
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Agronomist calls 2024 growing season very unique
From Brownfield
An agronomist suggests the 2024 growing season has been quite unique.
Tony Lenz covers Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota for Stine Seed and says he’s expecting a wide range of corn and soybean yields this fall.
Full story.
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Nutrien opens fertilizer storage terminal
From Powder & Bulk Solids
Nutrien has opened a new greenfield fertilizer terminal in Randolph, Minn. The new 40,000-sq.-ft warehouse is just 13 miles south of Minneapolis.
Aligned to the company’s strategy to optimize its NPK distribution network and provide improved access and efficiency for customers and growers, this terminal will significantly reduce cost-to-serve for its upstream business in this agricultural market by providing dedicated in-market storage and additional flexibility.
Full story.
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Bayer unveils new FieldView hardware
From CropLife
Bayer has unveiled FieldView Drive 2.0, a small plug-and-play device that farmers can use to connect, monitor and record activities across different farm equipment types and brands. An upgrade over the previous generation, FieldView Drive 2.0 provides more processing power, data storage, and in-field connection stability to improve how farmers connect with digital solutions and gather data during planting, spraying, and harvest activities.
Full story.
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RDO Equipment adds AI-Powered ARA precision sprayer to product lineup
From CropLife
Ecorobotix, a company specializing in AI-driven agricultural technology, has formed a dealer partnership with RDO Equipment Co., marking a major expansion into the U.S. market. Through this collaboration, Ecorobotix’s innovative ARA ultra-high precision sprayer will be available at select RDO locations nationwide.
Full story.
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U of MN Extension – MN Crop News
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CFANS Mentor Program Information Session | What's it like to be a mentor?
Each year the University of Minnesota College of Food Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) Mentor Program, hosted by the CFANS Alumni Society, matches approximately 200 students and post-docs with alumni and industry professionals who share valuable career insights and guidance. Through this award-winning program, students and post-docs explore possible career paths, learn how to build their professional networks, and enhance their professional skills. Join a virtual session to learn about this year's program details, mentor expectations and hear from past mentors on why they are a part of the program and why they choose to mentor a CFANS student. These sessions are open to returning and new mentors. Zoom link information will be sent out prior to the session.
Register here.
Learn more about the CFANS Mentor Program here.
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EPA announces voluntary cancellation for the pesticide Dacthal
On Aug. 28, following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s emergency suspension of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), the agency is initiating a process to cancel all products containing DCPA. On Aug. 19, 2024, EPA received a letter from AMVAC Chemical Corporation (AMVAC) stating its intent to voluntarily cancel the remaining pesticide products containing DCPA in the U.S., and subsequently announced it intended to cancel all international registrations as well.
Full story.
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EPA publishes new resources on bilingual pesticide labeling
The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5) requires the safety and health portions of pesticide product labels to be translated into Spanish. Spanish is the primary language for most American farmworkers.
Beginning Dec. 29, 2025, product labels on restricted use pesticide products and agricultural use products with the highest toxicity will be required to bear Spanish language translations for the health and safety sections.
Full story.
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Minnesota Crop Production Retailers 1020 Innovation Lane, Mankato, MN 56001
(763) 235-6466
mcpr-cca.org
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