Benton Ag Plus - September 4, 2021

PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL

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SERVING RURAL BENTON, MORRISON, MILLE LACS AND KANABEC COUNTIES UNTIES

Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, September 4, 2021

Latest rainfall is drop in the bucket Too little too late for grain, yet precipitation brings hope for forage

BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER

Rain.

It has been a welcome site in central Minnesota over the past two weeks.

But, it may be too late to make a difference in the immediate lives of agricultural producers.

“For our corn crop, it’s too late,” said Adam Johnson, a master crop advisor for Centra Sota Cooperative. “The biggest bene t will be to the hay elds and pastures. Maybe we’ll nally get some growth in the pastures, so growers won’t have to do as much supplemental feeding and maybe the rain will give guys one more cutting of alfalfa so they get a little more forage before winter.”

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Rain page 3B

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Benton County ADA A donates cooler to high school

dairy

BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER

FOLEY – With the new school year approaching, students at Foley High School will be welcomed back with a new feature to their lunch program.

High school students have the option to incorporate more dairy into their diets because of a donation from the Benton County American Dairy Association’s dairy farmers.

“We’re excited about the fact that we’re going to reach so many kids and families, and let them know about dairy,” said Pat Boyle, treasurer for Benton County ADA. “We’re going to get them to drink more milk, and hopefully, they’ll develop lifelong habits that are passed on for generations. This could be a win-win for everybody.”

The county dairy board donated one upright, reach-in refrigerator to the Foley High School in Foley.

In working with the school’s child nutrition director, the group of dairy farmer representatives provided an outlet for the school to have more dairy products and foods with dairy on them available for students.

“We are a big farm-toschool district, and milk is con-

PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL

Foley Public Schools Superintendent Paul Neubauer (front, from left), cook manager Lori Landowski, Benton County Dairy Ambassador Heidi Montag, Benton County Dairy Princess Emily Schreindl and Foley High School Principal Shayne Kusler; (back, from left) school board members Becky Howard and Stephanie Rudnitski, Benton County American Dairy Association members Pat Boyle and Lawrence Thell, school board members Ken Anderson and Sharon Kipka and child nutrition director Cheryl Pick stand in front of the dairy cooler donated by the Benton County ADA Sept. 1 in the cafeteria at Foley schools. The cooler will allow students additional dairy options.

sidered a part of that with it going from the farm to these milk cartons in 48 hours,” Cheryl Pick said. “When (Boyle) reached out asking if we could use a cooler, that gave us the chance to offer kids cheese sticks, yogurt, even salads with cheese on them.”

Pick is the child nutri-

tion director at Foley Public Schools. She has been with the department for 21 years.

The cooler is located in the cafeteria and displayed in a way that students can pick and choose which foods they want to incorporate into their meals.

Food options will include triedand-true dairy products, such

as milk cartons, cheese sticks and yogurt cups, as well as fruit parfaits, and sandwiches and salad with cheese included.

“We’re offering grab-andgo meals that kids can use,” Pick said.

Dairy page 3B

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Free for students at the Foley School District’s open house Sept. 1 were dairy products like string cheese, milk, yogurt and ice cream.

Students grabbed their refreshments from the cooler that was donated by the Benton County American Dairy Association.

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USDA announces pandemic assistance for timber harvesters, haulers

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The U.S. Department of AgriculPayments will be based on the appliture is providing up to $200 million to cant’s gross revenue received from Jan. provide relief to timber harvesting and 1, 2019, through Dec. 1, 2019, minus timber hauling businesses that have exgross revenue received from Jan. 1, 2020, perienced losses due to the coronavirus through Dec. 1, 2020, multiplied by 80%. pandemic as part of the USDA PandemFSA will issue an initial payment equal ic Assistance for Producers initiative. to the lesser of the calculated payment Loggers and truckers can apply for asamount or $2,000 as applications are apsistance through the USDA Farm Serproved. A second payment will be made vice Agency through Oct. 15. The Panafter the signup period has ended based Farm Service demic Assistance for Timber Harvesters upon remaining PATHH funds.

Agency News and Haulers program is administered by The maximum amount that a person

by Ryan Brunn, FSA in partnership with the U.S. Forest or legal entity may receive directly is executive director Service. $125,000. for Benton and Mille Lacs counties The Consolidated Appropriations Loggers and truckers can apply for PATHH beginning by completing form Act 2021 authorized this critical assistance for the timber industry. Timber harvesting and FSA-1118, Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesthauling businesses that have experienced a gross rev- ers and Haulers Program application, and certifying enue loss of at least 10% during the period of Jan. 1, to their gross revenue for 2019 and 2020 on the ap2020, to Dec. 1, 2020, compared to the period of Jan. plication. Additional documentation may be required.

Visit farmers.gov/pathh for more information on how 1, 2019, to Dec. 1, 2019, are encouraged to apply.

To be eligible for payments, individuals or legal to apply.

Applications can be submitted to the FSA of ce entities must be a timber harvesting or timber hauling business where 50% or more of its gross revenue is at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. derived from one or more of the following: Contact your local FSA of ce at 320-968-5300, – Cutting timber.

Ext. 2. People can also call 877-508-8364 to speak – Transporting timber.

– Processing of wood on-site on the forest land directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assis(chipping, grinding, converting to biochar, cutting to tance. smaller lengths, etc.).

Beginning farmers tax break available Credit for land, equipment expenses to start practice ST. PAUL – A tax credit for the sale or lease of land, equipment, machinery and livestock in Minnesota by beginning farmers is available through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Rural Finance Authority.

To qualify, the appliPersonalize ride! cant must be your a Minnesota

resident with the desire to start farming or who began farming in Minnesota within the past 10 years, who provides positive projected earnings statements, who has a net worth less than $862,000, and who has enrolled in or has completed an approved nancial management program.

The farmer cannot be related by blood or marriage (e.g., a parent, child, grandparent, grandchild or sibling) to the person from whom he or she is buying or renting assets.

The farmer must provide most of the labor and management of the farm.

The tax credit for the sale or lease of assets can then be applied to the Minnesota income taxes of the owner of the agricultural land or other as-

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Three levels of credits are available: – 5% of the lesser of the sale price or fair market value of the agricultural asset up to a maximum of $32,000.

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The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit is available on a rst-come, rstserved basis. Applications must be received by Oct. 1.

Interested farmers should note they can also apply for a separate tax credit to offset the cost of a nancial management program up to a maximum of $1,500 per year for up to three years.

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Page 4B | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2021| SAUK RAPIDS HERALD

BENTON AG

Tips for a safe silage harvest

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE

Tammy and Calvin Beumer operate Lone Pine Farm in Morrison County near Hillman. The Beumers are this year’s Morrison County Farm Family of the Year.

Family is everything Morrison County couple humbled to receive annual award

for Beu mers

BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER

HILLMAN – Calvin Beumer has made it a tradition of sorts to take his grandchildren to Farmfest, but attending this year’s event was more meaningful than any other.

Calvin and his wife, Tammy, and their family were recognized as the 2021 Morrison County Farm Family of the Year at Farmfest Aug. 3-5 in Morgan.

“Almost the whole family made it down for the awards ceremony,” Calvin said. “It was very exciting and quite surprising that we were named the county’s farm family. There are so many good farmers, dairy farmers, in our area, so it’s quite an honor we were chosen.”

Calvin and Tammy milk 85 cows on their Morrison County farm near Hillman. They also raise a cow-calf herd of Red Angus, operate

Calvin Beumer (left) talks with Steve Pekarek, of Sunrise Ag Cooperative, after receiving a load of sawdust Aug. 27 at the farm near Hillman. Beumer serves on the board of directors for the area cooperative.

a chicken barn for Pilgrim’s Pride and farm 600 acres of corn, soybean, oat and hay.

In the Beumers’ 40 years of farming, they have also raised four children – Allen, Stacy, Leann and Kari – and are watching their 13 grandchildren grow up with opportunities to be on the farm.

“When the kids were young, we always tried to encourage hard work and show how it does pay off,” Tammy said.

“When we all worked together, we could get

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the job done and then go play. Now, the grandkids are seeing that.”

For the majority of the Beumers’ farming career, Tammy has taken care of the youngstock on the farm.

Calvin milks the herd morning and night in the couple’s double-5 parallel parlor. Together, Calvin and Tammy take care of the eldwork.

“It’s just us two here every day,” Tammy said.

“We make sure the dayto-day tasks are done.”

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This year has been different. Drought stress has stunted the development and yield of the corn in central Minnesota. Typically, my windshield holds acres of wide, bright green leaves. Instead, what I see in my counties are clearly UNIVERSITY OF stressed elds. Due to the MN EXTENSION progress of the crop, some producers are planning for DANA ADAMS silage harvest within the next couple of weeks as corn dries down to the desirable moisture content for silage. This article will have several reminders to keep in mind during the frantic nature of harvest time.

Let’s start our discussion with bunker silos.

Bunker silos are feed storage systems where feed is piled up to 20 feet high in long piles, sometimes contained by side walls. The size of these structures varies by the size of the operation, but they have similar hazards in common. When creating and packing a silo, the goal of the operator is to drive their truck or tractor over the pile quickly and pack the silage in the pile tightly. This is done to obtain the optimal oxygen-free environment for fermentation. In order to get that optimal compaction, a progressive wedge is formed during ling of the silo in order to provide a safe slope. When building your silage pile, follow the 3-to-1 rule.

This means that for every 3 feet of width, there should be no more than 1 foot of height, thus minimizing risk of roll-over.

Many large beef or dairy operations may utilize dump trucks to haul forage to the silo. Alongside the straightforward overturning during unloading, operators are encouraged to be mindful of the increased instability when raising the truck bed during unloading. Dump trucks become less stable as the bed is raised. Additionally, tire ruts from previous loads, and a random gust of wind, all on an uneven surface, add to that instability. Operators are encouraged to be mindful of where their machine’s center of gravity is, and to keep it between the frame rails of the truck’s frame.

One of the rst things that should be on your mind is only having experienced people operating equipment. These environments are full of large, fast-moving machinery. Experienced operators at the helm of harvest equipment will ensure a safe and fast harvest when time is of the essence. Now is also the time to make sure all harvest machinery have rollover protective structures and seat belts to ensure the safety of operators. These pieces of safety equipment will literally save lives and should be operational when machinery is used.

Requiring equipment operators to remain in their vehicles can minimize risks and prevent them from being run over. If one or more dump trucks are being used to haul silage around the horizontal bunker, establish a procedure before making the pile to minimize risk of collisions. This procedure will encourage mindfulness and patience by all on site. Another tip is to have workers wear brightly colored safety vests or T-shirts to increase their visibility in or around the work zone.

Construction and harvest machinery is also infamous for being fascinating to children and visitors. Make sure to keep visitors and children out of all farm work zones. It is also important children should never be allowed in the silage making area.

A good rule of thumb for safety around a silage pile is adults should not be closer to the silage face than three times the piles height. For example, if the pile is 15 feet high, you should be no closer than 45 feet from the front of the pile. These practices will promote a safe environment for farm members and staff.

Harvest is an exciting and turbulent time on any operation. Use the tips shared in this article to allow your family and employees to have a safe season.

Residents of Stearns, Benton and Morrison counties can direct questions to my email at adam1744@umn.edu or call 320-255-6169, Ext. 3.

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grees. Allen and his wife, Heather, manage the chicken barn, while Leann and her husband, Chad, raise the beef herd on their farm nearby. Both Stacy and Kari have full-time jobs off the farm but make frequent visits to their childhood home.

“Stacy has two sons who are out here quite often,” Calvin said.

“We even have cameras hooked up in the maternity pen that they can watch those cows from their house.”

Family has always been a central focus for the Beumers.

“We spend a lot of time together as a family,” Calvin said.

The Beumers rst built a chicken barn so Tammy could stay at home with the children and help with bookwork for the various farming enterprises.

Beumers page 5B

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SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 | Page 5B

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The Beumer family – Andy Poster (front, from left), Jack Poster, Brooke Pietrzak and Gage Beumer; (middle, from left) Sophie Latterall, Zach Latterall, Luke Pietrzak, Reed Beumer, Blake Pietrzak, Molly Poster and Veda Beumer; (back, from left) Chad Pietrzak, Leann Pietrzak, Kari Latterall, Harper Latterall, Calvin Beumer, Tammy Beumer, Allen Beumer, Heather Beumer, Avery Beumer, Stacy Poster and Jed Poster – accept the Morrison County Farm Family of the Year award at Farmfest Aug. 3-5 In Morgan. Not pictured is Kari Latterall’s husband, Nate.

Beumers from page 4B “We know why we’re tired every night,” said Tammy, jokingly, who grew up on a dairy and poultry farm near Pierz.

Calvin and Tammy farmed with Calvin’s parents, the late Edmund and Mary Beumer, before taking over in 1983.

Over the years, the couple has replaced buildings on the family’s 1937 farm site, developed farmland and improved the genetics of the dairy herd all while maintaining Calvin’s dad’s vision of farming ahead of the times.

“I think Dad would be satis ed to know what we have here and what we’ve been recognized for,” Calvin said. “He was quite a progressive dairyman. He put in the rst parlor in the area.

When I was 1 year old, him and Grandpa put in a bulk tank and switched to a cooperative that would pick them up.”

Tammy agreed.

“I think (Edmund) would be proud,” she said. “He did a lot of tractor driving even later in age.”

Today, the Beumers’ herd can be traced to the six cows that were the foundation of Lone Pine Farm. The Beumers continue to breed from an elite group of bulls, using A.I. to develop key characteristics in the herd.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE

Tammy Beumer beds calf pens Aug. 27 at her farm near Hillman. Beumer is responsible for the youngstock on the 85-cow dairy.

The Beumers have had the opportunity to share their breeding successes with people across the dairy industry.

“We were a part of a young sires program, and one of our cows was pictured for the ABS bull magazine,” Calvin said.

“They brought visitors from Australia and Spain to see this cow. It was fun.”

More recently, the Beumers have celebrated birthday parties on the farm, and their grandchildren spent a year building a fort that withstood the winter. The youngest generation also

helps Tammy with calf chores and picking rock in the spring time.

“This is such a great place for grandkids,” Tammy said.

In addition to the efforts the Beumers have made to make family the center of their farming lifestyle, Calvin and Tammy also generously support their community.

Calvin has served on the Farm Service Agency committee as well as the Milaca school board; he currently serves on Sunrise Ag Cooperative’s board of directors and is involved in many capacities at St. Rita’s Catho-

lic Church. The couple is also members of the Hillman Swampstompers Snowmobiling Club.

“I’ve only been so involved because Tammy is able to take care of things at home,” Calvin said.

Tammy agreed.

“I think we got that from our parents,” she said. “It’s how we grew up. We were shown to give back to the community.”

Through the good times and more challenging times of farming, the Beumers have always relied on the goodness of the people who surround them. And in receiving the farm family of the year award, they are humbled by people’s perception of them.

“We’ve always tried to treat people how we want to be treated,” Tammy said. “I think we can say we’re pretty proud that we’ve strived for that and people think of us that way.”

“I think Dad would be satis ed to know what we have here and what we’ve been recognized for. He was quite a progressive dairyman.

He put in the rst parlor in the area.

When I was 1 year old, him and Grandpa put in a bulk tank and switched to a cooperative that would pick them up.”

- Calvin Beumer

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Page 6B | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2021| SAUK RAPIDS HERALD

BENTON AG

BENTON AG Plus

We want your

feedback!

Please help us by sharing your thoughts on the Star Publications would like our readers to share with us their insight on how we can improve. We strive to below template or by emailing us directly at natasha@ engage our readers in every issue and are setting goals saukherald.com. to continue telling the stories of our area agricultural community.

We greatly appreciate your readership.

1. What topics do you most enjoy reading about in Benton Ag Plus? ____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Is there a type of livestock you feel is missing from our coverage? If so, what? ___________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What non-livestock topics do you wish we covered more of?

(Farm succession planning, regulatory changes, crop disease, etc.) ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. We cover Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties and some areas of Stearns and Sherburne.

Of those counties, is there an area you wish to read more about? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Do you know of a farm family in your community that we should feature? Why? (Please include contact information if you feel comfortable doing so.) __________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Additional thoughts? ________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Please send comments to: Sauk Rapids Herald, 2 Second Ave. S. Suite 135 Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 Or, email them to natasha@saukherald.com

SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 | Page 7B

BENTON AG

Producers encouraged to take annual survey Questions on best management practices for corn, soybean ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to take part in its annual pesticide and fertilizer survey. This year, the survey will focus on best management practices for corn and soybean farmers. The survey will be mailed with a follow-up phone call for non-responses. The data helps the MDA track the awareness, adoption and use of nitrogen and pesticides BMPs and provides guidance to education and research programs.

The mailed survey was sent to the 7,600 Minnesota farmers selected for this project. Farmers who have not returned their questionnaire by mail will be

contacted by phone in mid-September.

The survey is conducted for the MDA by the United States Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service from their regional of ces in Missouri.

Minnesota farmers may be getting calls from multiple agencies and companies conducting a variety of surveys this time of year, but the information gathered from this survey is critical for research and educational purposes.

If you have questions about the MDA’s annual survey, or if you wish to view results of previous surveys, visit the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/ pesticidefertilizersurveys. Producers can also call the MDA at 651-261-1993 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

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With the drought affecting most of formation that can be used to decide whether Minnesota this summer, we will most likely to plant alfalfa. see the effects in next year’s crops. This is Here are just a few herbicides and their especially important when looking at crop replant or rotational intervals: rotation and what herbicides were applied – Atrazine: There are no restrictions. over the summer. As the drought continues, – Callisto: 10 months. the potential reduction in herbicide break– Dual Magnum: 4 months. down is a concern.

– Laudis: 10 months.

Keep in mind microbial degradation – Outlook: 11 months. is the primary method by which herbicides – Resicore: 10.5 months.

University of break down in the soil. Soil temperature – Surestart or TripleFlex: Spring after MN Extension and soil water are two of the most imporapplication and when annual rainfall or irristudent intern tant factors in this process. Our hot and gation is less than 15 inches on soils with less

by Emily Hansen dry conditions will slow down this process than 2% organic matter. This crop should not causing the potential carryover risk. For many of our be planted until 18 months after treatment. crops, this can cause issues; for alfalfa, which we expect – Warrant: Can rotate the next spring following the will last more than two years, this is a huge concern. This previous year’s application. is why it will be important to check herbicide labels and If a producer is dealing with carry over issues sigplan the crop rotation accordingly. ni cant enough to warrant replanting, rotating to a less There are seven factors that will determine the risk sensitive crop for a year may be advised. It may also be of carry over to crops. They are chemical half-life, rate of recommended to replant alfalfa in late summer. Ideal herbicide applied, application date, soil characteristics, seeding was between Aug. 1-15. Keep in mind the above rainfall, sensitivity of rotational crop and the growing carryover risk factors when determining if it is safe to conditions following planting in the spring. replant alfalfa. If the alfalfa stand is not totally lost, conMany of these factors are completely uncontrollable. sider other forage options such as seeding different grass What can be done to minimize carryover risk is to pay species into the alfalfa stand. Another option is to reseed attention to the sensitivity of the crop to previous her- alfalfa in the spring only if the alfalfa stand was estabbicides applied. Rotation to a different crop that is less lished the year before. If not, then alfalfa is not an option. susceptible will help minimize potential risk. To help If you have questions on the above information, determine this risk for alfalfa, look at many of the crop email ndrewitz@umn.edu or call 608-515-4414. rotational replant intervals listed on the labels of any herTo receive future events, educational programming bicides previously used. While this isn’t always perfect, and agronomic updates, sign up at z.umn.edu/tricountyit can be a good indication and will provide valuable in- signup.

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IAL! SEPTEMBER SPEC me ® ulated to help overco ® CRYSTALYX Brigade is form with weaning, shipping, nutritional stress associated ® period. Brigade is fortified grouping and the breeding high levels and e minerals, with electrolytes, organic trac for: d intende of vitamins and minerals

pping

• Calves at weaning or shi • Show calves • Stressed calves • Replacement heifers & cows (45 days before breeding)

320.968.7864 OAK PARK Co-op Creamery 16623 Ironwood RD NE, Oak Park, MN Store hours: M-F 8 to 5 & Sat 8 to 12

BA35-1B-RB

404 County Road 50 • Avon, Minnesota 56310 South Side of I-94

320-356-2412 • www.midsotatrailersales.com Roto Tillers

Enclosed Trailers

Rock Wagons Augers

Aluma Utility Trailers

Grapples

BA23-tfn-TV

Varieties of Trailers Serving Central MN since established in 1971 (49 years in business) TEAM “A QUALITy ITy L A U Q SELLING ” T N E M EQUIP

Get the job done right this SPRING!! Stop at Midsota Trailer Sales!

“Remember, if you’re going to be HAULIN you need to be CALLIN, Midsota Trailer Sales in Avon!”