Calendar of Events

Visit www.TheLandOnline.com to view our complete calendar & enter your own events, or send an e-mail with your event’s details to editor@thelandonline.com.

Nov. 29 —Farmland Rental Workshop — Hutchin-

son, Minn. — Topics include local historic and projected farmland rental rate trends, current farmland values and sales, and a worksheet that will help determine a fair rental agreement. Contact Dave Bau at bauxx003@umn.edu or (507) 360-0664.

Nov. 30 — Farmland Rental Workshop — Will-

mar, Minn. — Contact Dave Bau at bauxx003@umn. edu or (507) 360-0664.

Dec. 2 — Rural Forum: Weathering the Extremes

from Farm to Main Street — Mankato, Minn. — GreenSeam’s annual reception and dinner event connecting public leaders and a wide range of attendees from the agricultural sector, such as producers, manufacturers, educators, researches, and more. This event is a great opportunity for conversations about key issues facing the rural economy, as well as brainstorming potential solutions. Contact GreenSeam at info@greenseam.org or (507) 385-6672.

Dec. 8 —Farmland Rental Workshop — Litch-

field, Minn. — Contact Dave Bau at bauxx003@ umn.edu or (507) 360-0664.

Dec. 8 —Farmland Rental Workshop — Olivia,

Minn. — Contact Dave Bau at bauxx003@umn.edu or (507) 360-0664.

Dec. 9 — Agricultural Market Situation and Out-

look Webinar — Online — Hear from North Dakota State University Extension economics specialists on a variety of timely issues related to agricultural markets. Contact david.ripplinger@ndsu.edu.

Dec. 10 — Crop Management Input Seminar —

Hutchinson, Minn. — Topics include weed control; improving fertilizer return on investment; managing corn rootworm; and markets. Contact Karen Johnson at ande9495@umn.edu or (320) 484-4303

Dec. 11 — FEAST! Festival — Rochester, Minn. — 100 regional food businesses on display. Most use locally-grown ingredients. Contact Elena Byrne at elena@rtcinfo.org or (608) 712-8340

Dec. 14 & 15 — Soil Management Summit —

Mankato, Minn. — The Summit features presentations and Q&A sessions with researchers, farmers and agricultural advisors, information from sponsors and conversations with farmers experienced in different soil health practices. Contact Jodi DeJong-Hughes at dejon003@umn.edu

Jan. 21 & 22 —Farm Couple Retreat — Faribault,

Minn. — Learn about creative communication skills, personality differences, and resources to help each couple reach their goals and attain better management of the stresses of farming and family relationships. Learn how to communicate with your partner and children more effectively and enjoy a mini-vacation as a couple from the farm. Contact Leah M Bischof at leahbischof@gmail.com or (320) 4290611.

Feb. 4 & 5 — Farm Couple Retreat — St. Cloud,

Minn. — Contact Leah M Bischof at leahbischof@ gmail.com or (320) 429-0611.

Feb. 11 & 12 — Farm Couple Retreat — Thief

River Falls, Minn. — Contact Leah M Bischof at leahbischof@gmail.com or (320) 429-0611.

Feb. 15 & 16 — 2022 Minnesota Pork Congress

— Mankato, Minn. — The state’s largest swine-specific trade show features exhibits, seminars and networking. Contact Lauren at lauren@mnpork.com.

March 23 & 24 — Midwest Poultry Federation

Convention — Minneapolis, Minn. — Contact Lara Durben at ldurben@midwestpoultry.com or (763) 284-6763.

Stanislawski: Farmers will continue to persevere

By DICK HAGEN

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

MINNEAPOLIS — Strolling around the Minneapolis Convention Center on Nov. 4 at the Minnesota Ag and Food Summit, I corralled Harold Stanislawski — always a good interview. Stanislawski is the Agricultural Utilization Research Harold Institute (AURI) Business Stanislawski Development Director and one of my favorite ‘off the cuff’ guys. To break the ice, I started off with a powder-puff question like this one: What’s ahead for the Minnesota hemp industry?

I, and many other ag writers, have been writing with jangling ecstasy what the rebirth of this oncefabled crop might add to the future of Minnesota agriculture.

“One of the biggest projects right now is the Erosion Control Mat program with the Minnesota Department of Transportation,” Stanislawski revealed. “That program is all about using hemp in hydro-mulch erosion control mats and erosion logs. This is a three-year project funded by LCCMR (Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources ) funds from the state of Minnesota. If proven successful, this could open a pretty good market for hemp fiber.” “We are fortunate in Minnesota,” Stanislawski went on to say. “We have three erosion control companies in our state and another close by in Wisconsin. I think we are working with some of the finest private sector folks in the industry. Plus working with Minnesota Transportation Department engineers and Riley Gordon in our AURI lab makes this a goodlooking project at this stage.”

I asked Stanislawski about any new developments in the hemp-crete product arena. “We intend to soon be working with a building project in the FargoMoorhead area,” he said. “They’re talking a tiny home made out of hemp-crete. I don’t have dimensions, but this will be a live-in home in the downtown Fargo-Moorhead area. So lots of things continuing with this crop.”

The ag economy is always a bumpy road — none so more than the past couple of years. Stanislawski’s take on what’s ahead is brimming with positive tones. “Yes, some challenges in the supply chain these days,” he admitted, “but come spring, we’ll be planting another crop and we’ll harvest another crop. And we’re going to get through current malarkey with some battles here and there. But we’ll get through it … because we have too! That’s the American spirit.”

“I’m a firm believer the innovative abilities of rural America will always carry us through. We’re going to work our way through these current issues … even improve on the good things we’re doing right now.”

I knew Stanislawski wouldn’t duck around a tough question, so I asked him if there is still a future of imitation meats? “I think branded meats — from local, sustainable farms — have a bright future. We’re involved right now in mobile meat slaughtering where you can do slaughtering right on the farm with state and federal inspection — both poultry and meats. Poultry we already have a viable network in place; and soon we hope to launch a project with one of our beef collaborators. And yes, USDA inspectors are right there on site.”

With that I let Stanislawski go on his way, confident he and AURI will be developing more new products and markets in the future; and we’ll have more to talk about next time we meet. v

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