BENTON AG Plus
Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, November 21, 2020
Serving rural Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties
Farmers confident about favorable fall harvest Benton County growers have potential record-breaking year BY JAKOB KOUNKEL | STAFF WRITER
mitigated snow-laden damages. Lentner is not the only person partaking on an exceptionally good harvest season. Rick Robak, an Oak Park resident who owns 350 acres of farmland and has only one strip of corn left to combine, said this has been a historically good year for farmers like him. Robak, with his wife, Linda, grows corn, soybean, oats and hay, on his beef farm. “This was actually almost a perfect year,” Robak said. “We got the crops in early in a timely fashion, and the crops did good this year. And, we got to harvesting earlier than normal.” Lentner and Robak said the warm summer and favorable precipitation contributed to high-quality yields. Although, Robak was initially concerned the sudden snowfall was an indicator that the weather was too good to be true. “Well, when that snow came, it looked like we’re going to be in the same boat as the last couple years, but
PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
Charlie Lenter, who farms with his dad Fred Lentner, holds his youngest son, Chett, 2, as son Chase, 5, leans against harvested corn stalks Nov. 13 at their farm near Oak Park. The Lentners finished harvest with good yields and mostly conducive weather for completing fieldwork.
then it melted,” Robak said. “You’re bundled up, and then you’re wearing a T-shirt.” The early snowfall did create a short-term problem
for both farmers. Corn stalks, bale them, and the added which some farmers use precipitation delayed that as bedding for livestock, process. have to be completely dry before farmers can chop and Harvest page 2B
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FOLEY – As a year unlike any other continues, Benton County’s farmers are likely to look back on this year fondly – at least through the lens of their operations. It has been a good year for farmers like Fred Lentner, who farms 140 acres of corn, soybean and hay, on his 60cow dairy near Oak Park. “This year is pretty good, like, very good,” said Lentner. “Yields are really good. … This would probably be one of your best years in your last five to eight.” Inclement weather seasons over the last few years created problems for farmers across Minnesota. For instance, heavy rain coupled with freezing temperatures made for difficult harvesting seasons in which some farmers were still taking crops out of the ground as late as December. The weather this year, though, was nearly perfect, save for a surprise early snowfall in October that briefly stalled progress – only for Mother Nature to rebound with 70-degree temperatures the next week that mostly
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BENTON AG
Page 2B | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
Harvest from front
Even the most recent heavy snowfall is coming too late to significantly impact crop yields. Most farmers have their crops out of the ground, said Nathan Drewitz, University of Minnesota Extension educator for Benton, Stearns and Morrison counties. “Yields have been pretty good so far this year,” he said, noting recorded corn yields as high as 200 bushels per acre. Although the United States Department of
Agriculture will not have statistics on this year’s harvest until as late as April 2021, Drewitz is confident the favorable weather will be reflected in the yield averages. In 2019, the Benton County average for corn was 154 bushels per acre, and over the last 10 years, it stands at 142 bushels per acre. “We’re looking at being well over that this year,” Drewitz said. “It seems like things are looking pretty good out there from a corn perspective.” As for soybean, Drewitz has been hearing anywhere from 50 to 70 bushels per acre, which he said would also be
PHOTOS BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
Rick Robak herds cows out of the barn Nov. 17 at his farm near Oak Park. Robak’s crops are used to feed his herd for the year.
well above the year over year average. In looking back on the 2020 harvesting season, Robak said he will look on it graciously. Even though it is not the best year he has ever had, Robak will net yields better than a typical year, and as icing on the cake, corn prices have been trending upward in the Chicago Board of Trade, he said. Lentner agreed. “The yields on corn, soybeans and hay was Rick Robak uses a skidloader to clean out the barn Nov. 17 at his farm near Oak Park. A timely harvest season very good,” Lentner
allowed Robak more time to also focus on other tasks on his farm.
said. “They’re probably some of our better yields in 27 years.” Lentner and Robak have two things left on their plates for the season: tillage and deer hunting – the latter being one of the many perks of finishing harvest early.
Charlie Lentner grinds corn to feed livestock at his dad’s farm near Oak Park Nov. 13. Grinding up the corn makes it easier for livestock to eat and digest the feed.
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BENTON AG
Page 6B | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
The economic future of agriculture Pandemic, markets to affect 2021 outlook BY JENNIFER COYNE | STAFF WRITER
markets, this year has been quite unprecedented Between a global presidential election and for farmers across pandemic, heightened turbulent international Minnesota. And with much of these issues carrying over into the new year, 2021’s outlook PEOPLE...PRODUCTS...KNOWLEDGE... for agriculture is unique. “There is concern but also bright spots, and not all uncertainty has been terrible for agriculture,” said Tanner Ehmke, manager of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division. Ehmke presented, “2021 Macro and Ag Economic Outlook,” at the virtual Minnesota Ag and Food Summit hosted To help serve your seed, by AgriGrowth Nov. 5. application, fertilizer, precision Much of 2020 has been defined by the and AgChem needs. quickly developing global pandemic that the novel coronavirus has caused, and since its Stop in or give us a call beginning, agriculture for more information! has been an industry at the center of the troubles. Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC “Markets hate uncertainty and 16250 HWY 10 NW that’s precisely what Royalton, MN COVID-19 brings,” Ehmke said. “It’s been said many times that COVID-19 is the
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economy. How ever the Food to Families COVID-19 goes, so Food Box Program, goes the economy, and said Ehmke. To date, that’s no new news to the government has agriculture.” purchased over $1 billion In early spring, in dairy products, most m a r k e t s of that being plummeted fresh cheese. as processing “ T h a t ’s could not all lifted Class adjust to the III prices to way in which new highs,” food was E h m k e needed to be said. “When consumed but purchases go have since away, we could rebounded, possibly be Tanner Ehmke and arguably dealing with soared, with an oversupply more people as production eating at home and is up, animal units are restaurants reopen for up, and if the food dine-in service. service sector is still The economist gave struggling.” an example of the dairy For vitality in 2021, industry. Half the cheese the dairy industry will consumed in the United have to adapt to this States is consumed in foreseeable long-term restaurants, said Ehmke, dilemma. and the loss of the food Other commodities service sector earlier have fared differently, this year brought cheese relying on the export prices to a 20-year low. markets. Then, prices rebounded “There are to record highs. fundamentals driving Prices are expected the markets, but not to remain at record levels all commodities have until December when the performed the same United States Department this year,” Ehmke said. of Agriculture will round “They’re not all rising in up its last purchase of tandem to say we’re in
the age of inflation like in 2008.” Soybeans have rallied this year with purchases from China as Brazil’s inventory is exhausted and future production is not guaranteed with a looming threat of La Niña. “China’s hog herd is being rebuilt, and they’re demanding more feed,” Ehmke said. “They’re buying when the U.S. dollar is on sale and Brazil is not. It’s the same story for corn.” As of the Nov. 5 presentation, corn exports were up 214%, soybeans up 190% and grain sorghum up 899%, all mostly being supplied to China. “This is the perfect example of the power one country can have on a single market,” Ehmke said. “When China decides to move a market, they move it.” The Asian country is also buying animal protein, mostly pork and some poultry.
Markets page 7B
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SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 | Page 7B
Most of us have never heard of the “We wanted to ask whether there 100th meridian that divides the dry really is such a divide, and whether it’s western plains from the rich agricultural influenced human settlement,” Seager land to the east. said. In 1878, geologist and explorer Seager and his team determined the John Wesley Powell was exploring the boundary is real and climate change is western United States when he noticed causing it to migrate east, expanding a climatic boundary between the humid the dry part of the country. Studying eastern states and the dry, hot western data collected since 1979, he found the regions. divide has shifted closer to the 98th The Business Powell wrote, “Passing from east meridian, some 140 miles east. of Farming to west across this belt, a wonderful His findings were also backed by by Roger Strom transformation is observed. On the climate models projecting the line will east, a luxuriant growth of grass is seen. Passing continue migrating toward the Atlantic, likely westward, species after species of luxuriant grass moving an additional two to three degrees by and brilliant flowering plants disappear and the the end of the century, having a big impact on ground gradually becomes naked with bunch agriculture. grasses here and there.” As a result, Seager predicts major changes Based on his findings, he determined the in farming as the drying moves eastward. He 100th meridian runs through Mexico to Texas, said over time, farms further east will have to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and consolidate and become larger in order to remain the Canadian province of Manitoba, and ends at viable. Farmers will also have to decide to change the North Pole. crops or irrigate as more land will become better Now 140 years later, as a result of global suited for rangeland and wheat with fewer acres warming, Powell’s line is moving. When that will support corn, soybean and other water Richard Seager, a climate scientist at Columbia intensive crops. University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, “There’s no point in sticking your head into was looking at a world map of population density, the sand, or into the tilled earth, about this, these he too noticed the big change west of the 100th changes are going to be happening,” said Seager, meridian as homes, roads and vegetation begin to summarizing his research. disappear. … just sayin’.
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To boost the United States economy this year, the Federal Reserve stepped up in an unprecedented way and resumed quantitative easing on interest rates. At the same time, the government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act which
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provided financial assistance to business owners across every sector and consumers. “The United States economy is going to be sucking wind and on-its-knees struggling for a while,” Ehmke said. “Another CARES package would be a win … a weak dollar is bullish on ag commodities.” Since net farm income bottomed in 2016, it has steadily returned and will shape the agriculture landscape in the coming year. “Is this because farmers have more money in the bank from the marketplace? Not so much,” Ehmke said. “This is a story carried by the United States government.” Ehmke estimated that over one-third of
net farm income is in the form of government payments. The Market Facilitation Program and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program are two examples of federal assistance carrying the farm economy. While helpful, the programs are no solution for the viability of an agriculture enterprise. “We can’t expect this behavior going forward,” Ehmke said. “We’re already hearing concern about the price tag of COVID-19. It could be reasonable to assume those payments and programs would decline, if not completely go away.” Ehmke said there are record-high levels of farm debt coming from operating loans, meaning many farm businesses are
borrowing from the future to pay for the present. The difference between today and the 1980s is that federal interest rates have remained very low and land values across Minnesota have been resilient and stable. As farm expenses have remained consistent, and market variability is inevitable, farmers should continue to find ways to operate with few inputs going into the next year. “There’s stress but not like we’ve seen,” Ehmke said. “It’s a different time and forcing us to think we’ll be in this situation for quite some time. Regardless, the lowcost producer always wins.”
FSMA Produce Safety Rule trainings Registration open for winter classes ST. CLOUD — Beginning in December, University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and other partners will host 100% virtual Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule grower trainings. This virtual training course is for produce growers and those interested in UNIVERSITY OF learning about produce safety, MN EXTENSION good agricultural practices and the KATIE DREWITZ FMSA Produce Safety Rule. These courses are led by a team of MDA staff, UMN Extension staff, and experienced fruit and vegetable growers. If your farm is not excluded or exempt from the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must complete a training that uses FDA-recognized curriculum or equivalent. This course will satisfy this requirement. If you are unsure if your farm is covered by the rule, reach out to an extension office or visit www.extension.umn.edu. While training is required for farms covered by the Produce Safety Rule, all growers interested in learning about produce safety, GAPs and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule are encouraged to attend. Learning about and implementing produce safety practices can help protect your farm and business, can help you get a GAP audit if needed, and helps keep our food safe and healthy for all. There are four dates to attend this training. – Dec. 15, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Jan. 12-13, 2021, 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Feb. 9, 2021, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. – March 13, 2021, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. The registration deadline is two weeks before each class date or until full. Registration is required, and you can register at www.psp.tix.com. Registration includes training materials (mailed to you in advance) and a certificate of course attendance. In order to receive the certification, participation for the entire training is required. These requirements include that all attending individuals must have a webcam, two-way audio (speakers and microphone), reliable internet and will be required to have the web-cam on during the full course of the training. This is to verify participants’ presence and participation. Training participants are eligible to receive a certificate of completion. Farms covered by the rule only need to have a responsible party complete training once to meet the FSMA Produce Safety Rule’s requirements. If you have questions specific to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule visit the MDA Produce Safety Program page, call 651-539-3648 or email producesafety.mda@state. mn.us. You can also reach out to your extension educator. Residents in Stearns, Benton and Morrison counties can call 320-255-6169, Ext. 1 or email wins0115@umn.edu.
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Page 8B | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
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