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Calendar of Events
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America, Compeer Financial’s corporate giving program, is offering 123 scholarships to students this year. High school seniors who have an agriculture or rural background, or plan to major in an agriculture-related field at a college, university or technical school are encouraged to apply.
Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,500 for educational tuition expenses. Qualified applicants must live in Compeer Financial’s 144-county territory and have a 3.0 grade point average or higher. Recipients will be selected based on academic achievement, agricultural and community organization involvement and essays. “The high school scholarship program aims to encourage students’ commitment to pursuing a career path in agriculture – it’s a signature investment in the future,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “Our goal is to contribute to the future of agriculture across our territory, which includes metro areas where more and more students are interested in exploring careers in agriculture. We hope to inspire those students as they pursue their future careers.”
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Students can find the scholarship application at compeer.com/scholarships. Applications can be emailed to scholarships@compeer.com; mailed to P.O. Box 1219, Lakeville, MN 55044; or submitted in person at a local Compeer Financial office. The deadline for applications is March 15.
This article was submitted by Compeer Financial. v
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.
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.
Feb. 16 — Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops —
Online — Tar spot of corn - status and options: Plant pathologists Dean Malvick and Nathan Kleczewski will provide information based on up-to-date research to help optimize crop management strategies for 2022. Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming.
Feb. 16 — Nitrogen Smart Program — Dassel,
Minn. — Learn sources of nitrogen for crops; how nitrogen is lost from soil; how to manage nitrogen in drainage systems; Minnesota’s nitrogen fertilizer management plan; and practices to refine nitrogen management. Contact Adam Austing at aausting@ umn.edu or (763) 682-7381.
Feb. 17 — Small Grain Workshop — Slayton,
Minn. — Workshop will focus on production agronomics, variety selection and economics. Also includes an open forum discussion on related topics and on-farm experiences. Contact Melissa Runck at (507) 8366927.
Feb. 18 — Small Grain Workshop — Cold Spring,
Minn. — Workshop will focus on production agronomics, variety selection and economics. Also includes an open forum discussion on related topics and on-farm experiences. Contact Nathan Drewitz at (608) 515-4414
Feb. 18 — Small Grain Workshop — Benson,
Minn. — Workshop will focus on production agronomics, variety selection and economics. Also includes an open forum discussion on related topics and on-farm experiences. Contact Scott Lee at (320) 760-6129.
Feb. 21 — Carver County Dairy Expo — Norwood
Young America, Minn. — Trade show and breakout sessions with a dairy tract, farm transition tract and crop tract. Contact Colleen Carlson at trax1042@ umn.edu or (507) 521-3540.
Feb. 22 — Produce Safety Rule grower training
— Online — Learn about produce safety, good agricultural practices and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Register at www.mnd.state.mn.us/fsmatraining. Contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at (651) 5393648.
Feb. 22 — Cover Crop Seminar — Faribault, Minn.
— Panel of experienced farmers will discuss interseeding, diverse cover crop mixes, full season forage and grazing cover crops. Contact Land Stewardship Project at (612) 722-6377.
Feb. 22 — Gardening From The Ground Up:
Nutrient Management — Online — Join Extension educators to discuss how to best manage your fertilizer, soil and garden in extreme weather conditions. Contact z.umn.edu/GardenUp.
Feb. 23 — Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops —
Online — Small grains management update: Extension small grains specialist Jochum Wiersma will provide information based on up-to-date research to help optimize crop management strategies for 2022. Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming.
Feb. 24 & 25 — USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum
— Online — Program includes 30 breakout sessions. Topics include climate mitigation and adaptation; production innovations; trade and global markets; a commodity outlook; supply chain resilience; and equity and inclusion. Register at usda.gov/oce/ag-outlook-forum.
Feb. 25 — Data-driven Dairy Cattle Management
— Online — Dairy herd manager Chris Szydel will share his experiences using a dairy cattle health monitoring system and how it has changed management practices on the dairy farm. Contact Alex Scanavez at alex.scanavez@altagenetics.com
March 2 — Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops —
Online — Soybean gall midge - knowns and unknowns: Extension pest management specialist Bruce Potter, Extension soybean entomologist Bob Koch and research assistant Gloria Melotto will provide information based on up-to-date research to help optimize crop management strategies for 2022. Register at z.umn. edu/strategic-farming.
March 5 — Gardening Education Day — St.
Joseph, Minn. — Breakout sessions include perennials, flower design, garlic, food safety in the garden, orchids and hydroponics. Keynote speaker is director of operations at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Vendors will be on hand with products. Contact Stearns County Extension at (320) 255-6169 ext. 1.
March 9 — Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops
— Online — Getting ready for corn insects in 2022: Extension integrated pest management specialist Bruce Potter will provide information based on up-todate research to help optimize crop management strategies for 2022. Register at z.umn.edu/strategicfarming.
March 10 — Whole Farm Resiliency Planning for
Specialty Crop Growers — Online — Webinar format will include a video interview with an LSP member farmer followed by a live Q&A session. There will also be an opportunity for peer-to-peer dialogue. Contact Nick Olson at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org
March 16 — Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops
— Online — Can we store carbon in a production ag system? State soil health specialist Anna Cates and Extension water quality educator Jodi DeJongHughes will provide information based on up-to-date research to help optimize crop management strategies for 2022. Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming.
March 16 & 17 — Produce Safety Rule grower
training — Must attend both days to satisfy FDA requirements. Learn about produce safety, good agricultural practices and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Register at www.mnd.state.mn.us/fsmatraining. Contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at (651) 539-3648.
March 18 — Sustainable Farming Association
annual conference — St. Joseph, Minn. — Session topics include garlic production and marketing; examples of winter feeding; pastured pork and poultry production; conservation resources; elderberry and hazelnut production and marketing; climate change; and winter greenhouses. Contact Katie Feterl at katie@sfa-mn.org
By DICK HAGEN
The Land Staff Writer Emeritus
MANKATO, Minn. — While hanging out at The Land booth on Jan. 20 at the MN Ag Expo, I had the chance to meet Eli Hochstetler from Utica, Minn. Hochstetler is a goat farmer. Being naturally snoopy, I was curious why a goat farmer was at a corn Eli Hochstetler and soybean conference. I sensed a story opportunity and Hochstetler was gracious enough to answer a few questions.
Hochstetler has been raising goats for four years since moving here from Ohio. “We’re now milking 60 head, by hand, but we also raise meat goats too … some 30 nannies. So right now we have about 300 goats including the babies.”
The Hochstetlers have eight children and five can help with the milking. “We milk 60 goats in about an hour,” he said, adding a good goat will produce about eight pounds of milk a day. Some of Hochstetler’s goats are into their eighth lactation. “It’s a five month pregnancy,” Hochstetler said, “so numbers can multiply fairly rapidly. We put the billies (malegoats) in with the nannies (female goats) in July; the babies come late December or early January. So right now, babies are two weeks of age.”
With a lot of mouths to feed, the Hochstetlers right now have over 100 babies on bottles for a few days until they are back being nursed by the mothers.
In addition to the milking, managing the herd is quite an undertaking. “We keep all the nannies for replacement,” Hochstetler explained. “The billies we wether (castrated male goat) and sell at 60 to 80 pounds hanging weight on the rail to Geneva Meats in Geneva, Minn. (just off Interstate 35 between Albert Lea and Owatonna).
Hochstetler said when the nannies no longer give enough milk, much like a cow dairy farm, away they go. “A guy at Millville is paying $1.75 a pound for culled nannies — which is great!” he said. “You can’t afford to milk a goat if she’s not milking 4 pounds.”
As a dairy goat novice, I asked Hochstetler what is the dressing percentage on a dairy goat? “Dairy goats only do about 42 to 45 percent,” he replied. “Meat goats will hit 50 to 55 percent.”
So what’s the tastiest cut of goat meat? “I don’t eat goat, so I don’t even know!” Hochstetler chuckled. “They’re too spendy for me to eat!”
He added that customers come directly to his farm and buy off the hanging rail. “Yes indeed, that’s a growing business.”
Hochstetler said there are 14 Amish farms with goats in the Utica area. To maintain organic status, his herd requires a special feeding program. “For organic, we have to provide 30 percent pasture and only organic feeds — so lots of paper work. I buy 50 percent of my hay; all of my corn. I only have 23 acres. I’d like to have more acres and I’d like to grow to 110 goats … so that’s our goal. We milk in an older facility; but are building a new parlor that will accommodate 44 milkers.”
Interested in trying goat meat at your table? Check the Geneva Meat Market at (507) 256-7214. v
Canola proving to be a worthy contender in crop rotation
By DICK HAGEN
The Land Staff Writer Emeritus
The Past is your Lesson; the Present is your Gift; the Future is your Motivation.
Those choice words mostly direct my life these days (plus occasional nudging by my wife). But that’s why my one-day visit (Jan. 20) to the MN Ag Expo in Mankato, Minn. was such a gift.
The Expo drew lots of folks, so lots of interview opportunities … such as Ed Walsh of Roseau, Minn. (11 miles Ed Walsh from Canadian border).
“We grow canola and rye grass,” Walsh told me. Both crops are now generating good income. “Yes, both creating more interest too,” Walsh added.
It was dry in Walsh’s part of the country in 2021. ”Very dry — we only got half a crop. It didn’t rain until after we finished harvesting. But we got a pretty good recharge in September; so it looks like we’ll be good to go this spring,” he said.
I asked Walsh about the renewed interest in rye. “Rye flourished — despite our droughty season,” he explained. “Blue grass seed is maybe a better income crop; but seed is getting expensive. Rye grass seed is cheaper. Most rye seed is grown in state of Washington … with producers getting $1 per pound — which is phenomenal with 800 to 1,000-pound yields.”
Walsh also informed me rye is usually underseeded with wheat — though sometimes bare-footed into wheat stubble. “It’s drill-planted in six-inch rows. It’s a quick-growing crop with harvest in late July to early August. Usually, a growth regulator is applied so the rye crop doesn’t get too tall. It’s a thick, hard grass to cut so you need a good swatter to get it ready for combining.”
“Yes, I’ve raised canola for years,” Walsh continued. “Mine is a vegetable oil producing variety which I market through Bunge. It has a very high flash point which makes it excellent for food items. We get good
yields — with proper fertilization 2,000 to 2,500 pounds per acre. However, west to Langdon, N.D. area there’s a ‘honey spot’ where 4,000-pound yields are common. They’d rather raise canola than soybeans!” Walsh looks to continue with canola and rye again in 2022; but also some oats. “I got a $5 contract, so oats got added to our agenda this spring too. I couldn’t ignore that opportunity.” v Cold and snow didn’t stop the fun
TABLE TALK, from pg. 7
For Mom, I’m certain there were days when she would just as soon have sold us to the highest bidder rather than let us come in and make all that mess in the basement.
There was once a simpler life, before all the organized activities kids have today, that didn’t require parents to drive kids anywhere. Those cold winter weekends of playing in the snow and cold were some of the most winter fun I can remember … and
just with my siblings. As farm kids—without even having watched many Christmas movies then, we all knew better than to put our tongues on the frozen flagpole at school — even if someone triple-dog-dared us. There were probably some frosty gates around the farm that could tell the rest of that story. Karen Schwaller brings “Table Talk” from her home near Milford, Iowa. She can be reached at kschwaller@evertek. net. v SFA conference moves date to March 18
With safety and being able to meaningfully connect in person as top priorities, the Sustainable Farming Association has made the decision to move the date of its annual conference to March 18.
The conference venue will remain the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph.
For those already registered, your registration transfers to the new date. Contact Jason Walker at jason@sfa-mn.org if you need to cancel your registration. A refund will be issued.
SFA’s current Conference COVID policy will remain in effect.
This article was submitted by the Sustainable Farming Association. v
By TIM KING
The Land Correspondent
SAUK CENTRE, Minn.
— When a representative of his local elevator approached Gene Loxterkamp during last fall’s
Harvest, Loxterkamp was all ears.
Loxterkamp farms with his son north of El Rosa, Minn. — a small Stearns County community. The rep told Loxterkamp, who is a long-time customer, that fertilizer prices had been going up and he expected the trend to continue into the new year. He encouraged Loxterkamp to book his 2022 fertilizer as soon as possible.
“The price was already going up last fall, so we went ahead and ordered our urea then,” Loxterkamp, who doesn’t use anhydrous ammonia, said. “We usually order our fertilizer at the end of the year.”
Fertilizer suppliers made a lot of visits like the one to the Loxterkamp farm last summer and fall.
“We started selling in June and July,” said an elevator representative. “We are now about 85 percent booked.”
According to the source, prices had softened a little in mid-January. He quoted a spot price for urea of $895 per ton on Jan. 19. That compared to a price of $859 at the end of November, according to ag analyst Kent Thiesse.
Thiesse said the November price was a 140 percent increase over the price a year earlier.
Loxterkamp’s elevator said phosphate was selling for $875 per ton — which was actually down from the $911 Thiesse reported in late November.
Fertilizer prices historically follow rising corn prices, according to the
University of Minnesota. The relationship is so reliable that University of Minnesota researcher Jeffery Vetsch uses it in a nitrogen rate calculator to advise farmers on the best economic nitrogen rate for corn.
“I compared prices of both over the last 14 years and the period from 2011 through 2015 had strong corn prices and generally high nitrogen prices,” Vetsch said. “There is often a lag; as one rises before the other and may decline before the other. Also, 2019 follows that pattern. The only year that doesn’t is 2020 when corn prices had a spring/summer rally and nitrogen and most fertilizer prices were at very low levels throughout the year.”
The Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University found the same relationship in a study called, “Economic Impact of
Higher Fertilizer Prices on AFPC’s Representative Crop Farms” which was released in mid-January.
“As part of this study, we conducted a historical analysis going back to 1980 and found that fertilizer costs tend to go up when corn revenues increase,” wrote Professor Joe Outlaw of the Center. “Notably, these prices tend to go up exponentially even after accounting for natural gas prices and higher demand.” The exponential increase in prices has caused some rumbling in Minnesota and Iowa farm circles; and have caused some waves along the Potomac in Washington DC. “I write to call on the Justice Department to investigate concerns raised by America’s farmers about possible anti-competitive activity and market manipulation in the fertilizer industry,” Iowa’s Senator Charles Grassley wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Dec. 15. “I have heard numerous concerns from Iowans and member organizations expressing concerns that fertilizer companies are colluding and unfairly raising the price of their products.”
By Jan. 19, Sen. Grassley had not heard back from the attorney general and has taken no further action on the matter, according to
Megan Behrends, Grassley’s assistant press secretary.
If there were market manipulation by fertilizer companies, it would be extremely difficult to separate it from a myriad of factors — such as skyrocketing natural gas prices, trade barriers, Covid slow-downs, and last winter’s breakdown of the electrical transmission system in Texas which caused fertilizer plants in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma to shut down temporarily. Across the Atlantic, European wholesale gas prices surged as much as 700 percent this year; and in mid-January, the European benchmark was 570 percent higher than at the start of 2021, according to the Reuters news service. Large amounts of natural gas are required to produce nitrogen and those sky-high gas prices caused a number of European fertilizer plants to shut down this fall and early winter. Because of production cuts, European farmers were scrambling to buy nitrogen products at high prices. But by early January, Reuters reports, some European plants were coming back on line because high nitrogen prices made producing it profitable — even in the face of high natural gas prices.
See FERTILIZER, pg. 11
By DICK HAGEN
The Land Staff Writer Emeritus
MANKATO, Minn. — At the MN Ag Expo in Mankato on Jan. 20, I was visiting with Minnesota Corn Growers Association Director John Swanson. Our conversation started about the new Ag Innovation Center now under construction in Crookston, Minn. But Swanson’s comments took a quick turn to Minnesota’s fertilizer predicament. “Phosphates are a real concern to Canada,” Swanson noted. “Conversely, going south down the Mississippi River, nitrogen is the big question mark. Canadian folks think phosphates discharged into the north-flowing Red River are a problem. And the algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg pretty well confirm that is true. I have a good friend in Canada. He’s a good researcher, but strongly disagrees with Minnesota’s policy of ditches with grassways. So to answer his questions about Minnesota famers discharging phosphates into the Red River, I think we need some answers.”
“And that’s part of what this Ag Innovation project will tell us,” Swanson returned to the subject. “Grasses break down phosphate and phosphate moves in water.” At this time, Swanson is unsure how long it might take to gather information from the Crookston campus. “This project only starts to answer that question because it’s really based on the amount of tile drainage being implanted into our prairie soils. Monitoring tile drainings at the Crookston station will be the detection system.”
“Most waterway systems now require a berm to prevent rain water from sloshing topsoil into the waterway,” Swanson went on to say. “Minimizing these topsoil losses is important to the farmer, and to the total environment. That’s our best soil. It’s our future and vital to continued food production for all humanity.”
Swanson lives in Mentor, Minn. He started farming in 1971 after military service. His farm was home-
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steaded in the 1860s by his great grandfather and a sixth-generation grandson is next in line.
John says the operation is about 2,500 acres with corn, soybeans, sunflowers and wheat in a rotational mix of a broadleaf and a grass crop. “Diversity of crops does two things: It lets you break up the normal cycle of insects and diseases; plus it enables you to use different herbicides — which avoids herbicide resistance building up in your soils. Plus, broadleafs and grasses are great to rotate because they have quite different problems. We should probably have more than the four-year cycle on these four crops; but financially that doesn’t work very well.”
Swanson expects soil moisture this spring vs. last year to be “Way better! Last season prior to August we had 6 inches total including snow. So last season was the poorest crop I’ve seen in my 40 years of farming! This year we’ve had almost 12 inches from the end of August to freeze-up at the end of November.”
“Agriculture for me has been a most interesting career,” Swanson concluded. “Now it’s rewarding to have grandsons asking lots of questions about this most dynamic industry — Minnesota agriculture.” v
FOLEY, Minn. — Growers in central Minnesota should plan to attend the 2022 central Minnesota crop and pest management updates. This year, sessions will be looking back at issues from 2021 and forward to what that means for 2022.
There will be three locations covering topics important to the region and specific location.
On March 3 in Cold Spring, Minn., Dean Malvick will discuss tar spot and SDS management; Dave Nicolai will cover waterhemp and barnyardgrass management; Ken Ostlie will take on corn rootworm management; Ed Usset will share his insights on grain marketing; and Taylor Becker rounds out the day speaking on nitrogen management.
Many of the same topics will be featured on March 10 in Dassel, Minn. Nicolai will handle the subject of tar spot and SDS management; Debalin Sarangi will discuss waterhemp and barnyardgrass management; the corn rootworm management session will be led by Anthony Hansen; grain marketing insights will come from Nathan Hulinsky; and Becker returns to talk about nitrogen management.
Two additional topics will be included in the March 17 session in Little Falls, Minn. In addition to Malvick presenting on tar spot and SDS management, Sarangi speaking on waterhemp and barnyardgrass management and Hansen reprising his corn rootworm management presentation; Jochum Wiersma will give a small grains update and Troy Salzer will talk about annual covers for forages.
Lunch will be sponsored at each location and preregistration is required for lunch and to help with planning. Presentations at all three sites will begin at 10 a.m. and sessions conclude at 1:30 p.m.
To preregister, visit z.umn.edu/ CentralMNCropUpdates.
This article was submitted by Nathan Drewitz, University of Minnesota Extension. v
Fertilizer future hinges on Chinese
FERTILIZER, from pg. 10
To complicate the production side of the equation, China — which is the world’s largest producer of nitrogen — has cut back on many industrial operations in an effort to have blue skies during the Winter Olympics.
“A lot depends on what the Chinese do,” a representative from Loxterkamp’s elevator said.
The United States is the world’s second-largest nitrogen producer; but still imports large quantities of it. What happens in China and Europe will have a major impact on the lives of farmers here.
Increased demand for nitrogen, beyond what had been forecasted, is also affecting prices.
“Expectations for the newest 2021-22 fiscal year moved from original estimates of 189 million metric tons to 195.6 mmt — an increase of 3.5 percent. The gap of expected demand between July 2020 and November 2020 is the shortage of supply that production plants are working to make up and fulfill,” Shelby Myers and Veronica Nigh, economists for the Farm Bureau, wrote in mid-December.
Minnesota or Iowa farmers who have yet to book fertilizer are cautioned against waiting for further price softening.
“We’re expecting a March price spike; so farmers should lock things in or at least most of it now,” a source said. “There are some product shortages now. Another factor is transportation. Shipping on both trains and trucks is way behind.”
He went on to say next summer should see prices which are more friendly for farmers’ pocket books. As a result, elevators are going to want to get rid of every last ton of their high-priced inventory. v
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By DICK HAGEN
The Land Staff Writer Emeritus
MANKATO, Minn. — A visit with Harold Stanislawski is always a good visit. Stanislawski is Project Director at Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI). And that is why Stanislawski is always a good visit: he’s always in Harold the know it seems on what’s pending Stanislawski in new agricultural ventures in Minnesota.
I caught up with Stanislawski at the MN Ag Expo on Jan. 20 and he agreed to field a few questions.
The Land: In these tumultuous times, is agriculture going to survive the topsy/turvy economic squeezes currently occurring?
Stanislawski: There are always challenges in agriculture; but in my visits with farmers here at the Ag Expo, I’m certain once again all Minnesota’s farm land will get planted again this spring. Yes, we’re much aware of positive markets trends for virtually all Minnesota farm products — both grains and livestock. And also the continuing increase in input costs as well. But at the end of the day, there’s reason for optimism in agriculture for 2022.
The Land: More corn or more soybeans planted this new season?
Stanislawski: Many are asking the question. My response is, I think much the same as last year. Sure, there likely will be some changes on individual farms; but most farmers will stick with the same strategies that worked for them last year — both agronomically and sustainably.
The Land: Will there be enough nitrogen?
Stanislawski: A most frequent question this winter, perhaps exasperated by the huge increase in nitrogen costs. But I expect nitrogen will put applied as needed for their particular situations. Farmers are very smart. They know what happens if plant food becomes limiting. They’re tuned into their own cost/ price scenarios … often on field-by-field basis. So I suspect even with higher prices for 2022 corn and soybean crops, these guys won’t chisel down their nitrogen applications just to save a few dollars on their production costs They’ll likely find other ways to farm smarter. Sure, like most farmers, I’m optimistic about 2022 … plus good moisture recharge in most areas.
The Land: Was there enough tillage last fall so spring tillage won’t likely be an issue?
Stanislawski: In my area of Ottertail County and western/northwest Minnesota, pretty much all the tillage got done. Fields are in good shape. Come spring, everyone will be ready to roll.
I’m seeing more and more farmers into precision agriculture. For some, that even means on-the-go adjustments of planting rates. All inputs into the soil are very precise these days. I’m speaking of genetic traits of their seeds; depth of planting; ground speed of their planting rigs.
And up here, lots more tiling also … squeezed along by the increasing costs of farm land. But also guided by common sense: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Today I sense more farmers striving to increase the productivity of their existing acres rather than competing against each other in that seemingly eternal quest of more land. Expanding isn’t always the answer. Making the best of what you already have is definitely the thinking of wise farmers today.
The Land: My last question: you’ve stayed tuned in to new crops for Minnesota — especially hemp, which used to be fairly prevalent even in Renville County. In Olivia, we have Prairie Producers with Tim and Paul Seehusen talking about constructing a hemp processing facility. What’s ahead for hemp?
Stanislawski: As we so well know, end users are the key to that crop’s future … and more and more products come into the market from various components of this remarkable crop. But as more entrepreneurs develop more uses, I would say hemp too will evolve into a vibrant sector of our Minnesota agricultural economy. v
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Things to remember before and after severe weather events
In December, Minnesota was hit with tornados, strong winds, and severe thunderstorms rarely seen in the winter months. This prompted many questions from concerned horse owners, including should they turn horses out or keep them inside when tornados and strong winds are predicted.
Unfortunately, the answer is: it depends. There is no “right answer for all,” and no option is without risks. In general, if horses are kept in a semi-rural environment with multiple buildings and little natural cover, a sturdily-constructed barn may provide the most shelter from flying debris.
Of course, if the barn is directly in the path of the tornado, or collapses, horses may be trapped inside. In this situation, remove or secure anything that can become a flying projectile (e.g. pitchfork).
If horses are kept in a more rural area with good fences and natural cover, they may be better off outside and may be able to flee from the storm. However, horses can become entrapped in fencing, or can pose a public safety risk if fences are down and they become loose.
Regardless of the time of year, here are a few other things to consider as you prepare for tornados and straight line winds:
Be weather aware and sign up for free weather notifications. Being informed provides the best chance of preparing accordingly.
Personal safety must be the priority. If severe weather is imminent, all people should take cover. Only try and move animals if you are not at personal risk. Otherwise, seek shelter. Stressed behavior may make moving horses much more difficult and put individuals in harm’s way.
Identification of animals is important. The most permanent means of identification is a microchip. Alternatively, using luggage tags woven into the mane, adding a phone number to the horse via livestock paint, or including a phone number using permanent markers on hooves may help in recovery. Keep copies of your horse’s identification papers and photos in several locations and in waterproof containers. If your horse is missing, contact your local law enforcement, animal control, and/or animal response teams. Social media is another great way to ask for assistance in locating a missing horse.
Avoid leaving halters on unless they are breakable as animals may become entrapped.
Most animals (and people) are injured due to flying debris. Take care to ensure debris around your farm is minimized. Move trucks and trailers to open areas where trees would not fall on them. Fill water tanks ahead of severe weather in case of power outages and ensure you have at least a three day supply of hay, feed and medications. Finally, ensure your horse is up to date on its tetanus vaccination.
Keeping your first aid kit up-to-date and stocked can help provide your horse with immediate assistance. Other items needed during an emergency include extra halter and lead ropes, a pocket knife, a flashlight with fresh batteries, leather gloves, and repair items (e.g. chainsaw, wire cutters, duct tape).
Once the weather has cleared, carefully inspect your horses for injuries. Check all fences for damage and look for, but do not approach, downed power lines. Clear paddocks and fields of debris and for insurance purposes, take pictures of damage.
This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v
