Calendar of Events

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

Nov. 28 — What is a Fair Farm Rental Agreement — Owatonna,

Minn. — Workshop will share examples, factsheets and worksheets to determine a farm rent price reasonable for both parties. Contact Claire LaCanne at lacanne@umn.edu or (507) 3300447.

OTHER DATES AND LOCATIONS:

Nov. 28 — Faribault, Minn.

Nov. 29 — Gaylord, Minn.

Nov. 29 — Hutchinson, Minn.

Dec. 2 — Preston, Minn.

Dec. 2 — Caledonia, Minn.

Dec. 7 — Litchfield, Minn.

Dec. 7 — Buffalo, Minn.

Dec. 8 — Blooming Prairie, Minn.

Dec. 8 — Elko New Market, Minn.

Dec. 15 —Willmar, Minn.

Jan. 12 and Jan. 26, 2023 — Online

Nov. 29-30 — Women in Ag Leadership Conference — Ames, Iowa — With nearly 30 speakers to be in attendance, “Together We Lead” is the theme of the sixth annual conference. Contact Madeline Schultz at schultz@iastate.edu or (515) 294-0588.

Nov. 30, Dec. 1 — Integrated Crop Management Conference — Ames,

Iowa — Workshops will provide crop production professionals with information and research updates on the past growing season and the tools to prepare for 2023. Contact ANR Program Services at anr@iastate.edu or (515) 294-6429.

Dec. 1 — Annual Dairy Discussions

Seminar —Orange City, Iowa — This year’s focus is on cybersecurity issues for food producers including farmers, manufacturers, and processors. Contact Fred Hall at fredhall@iastate.edu or (712) 737-4230.

Dec. 1 — GreenSeam’s 39th Rural

Forum —Mankato, Minn. — This year’s topic is Global Partnerships: Integrating People, Businesses, & Governments. For more information, please visit https:// greenseam.org/forum22.

Dec. 3 — State National Farmers Organization Convention — Olivia,

Minn. — Some issues expected to be discussed will be the next farm bill, consolidation in agricultural markets, food security in dairy and livestock industries, and Country of Origin Labeling. Contact John Zschetzsche at johnzschetzsche@ outlook.com.

Dec. 8 — Private Pesticide Applicator Continuing Instruction Course —

Hampton, Iowa — Topics to be covered include: Personal protective equipment, Safe handling, Storage of pesticides, and Pests, pest management and pesticides. Contact Traci Kloetzer at tkloetze@ iastate.edu or (641) 456-4811.

Dec. 9-10 — Minnesota Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show —

Willmar, Minn. — The 2022 convention will feature MSCA’s annual Cattlemen’s College series with timely topics and speakers. Other highlights include MSCA and MN Cattlewomen annual meetings, live & silent auctions, setting 2022 legislative priorities, and networking opportunities. For more information, visit www. mnsca.org/events/convention.

Dec. 10 — Dairy Goat Management Seminar —Orange City, Iowa — This year’s focus is on goat health, feeding, and milk marketing. Contact Fred Hall at (712) 737-4230 or fredhall@iastate.edu.

Dec. 15-16 — Soil Management

Summit — St. Cloud, Minn. — Learn how heavier, colder soils aren’t necessarily the challenge they’re made out to be. Hear from long-time, reduced tillage and cover crop farmers as they share their experiences. Contact Jodi DeJongHughes at dejon003@umn.edu or (320) 235-0726 ext. 2006.

Jan. 3 — Crop Advantage Series —

Sheldon, Iowa — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists will provide updated management options and recommendations on crop production issues. Meeting will also include continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers and pesticide applicator recertification. Contact ANR Program Services at anr@iastate.edu or (515) 294-6429.

OTHER DATES AND LOCATIONS:

Jan. 4 — Storm Lake, Iowa Jan. 10 — Okoboji, Iowa

Jan. 11 — Webster City, Iowa

Jan. 12 — Cedar Falls, Iowa

Jan. 13 — Mason City, Iowa

Jan. 24 — Le Mars, Iowa

Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31, Feb. 7 and 14 — Annie’s Project — Owatonna, Minn. — Course topics will include financial reporting, human resources, legal, market risk and production metrics. Contact Claire LaCanne at lacanne@umn.edu or (507) 444-7691.

Jan. 18-19 — MN Ag Expo —

Mankato, Minn. — Learn what researchers are discovering about new uses for corn. The Expo will also include learning sessions focused on carbon credits, nitrogen, state regulations, and the 2023 farm bill. Contact MN Ag Expohttp://mnagexpo.com.

Jan. 26, Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, and Mar. 2 — Annie’s Project - Education for

Farm Women — St. Cloud, Minn. — Course topics will include financial reporting, human resources, legal, market risk, and production metrics. Contact Anthony A. or Dana Adams at (320) 255-6169.

Feb. 2 — Private Pesticide Applicator Continuing Instruction

Course — Hampton, Iowa — Topics to be covered include: Personal protective equipment, Safe handling, Storage of pesticides, and Pests, pest management and pesticides. Contact Traci Kloetzer at tkloetze@iastate.edu or (641) 456-4811.

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By TIM KING and the Red River Valley of the Dakotas The Land Correspondent and northwestern Minnesota has a well-

MANKATO, Minn. — TruSoya, a high established infrastructure to preserve oleic soybean developed collaboratively the identity of a new soybean. by the University of Minnesota, the “For the past 50 years, the Soybean Minnesota Soybean Research & Council has funded much of the research Promotion Council, and the United for food grade soybeans in that area,” Soybean Board, came one step closer to Nill said. “Minnesota, largely in the Red commercialization in the summer of River Valley, has the most acreage in 2022 when Tom Frisch, a Dumont, Minn. identity preserved food grade soybeans area farmer and vice chair of MSR&PC, of any state in the county.” harvested 160 acres of the new bean. Companies in the Red River Valley,

“The beans look phenomenal,” Frisch such as Brushvale, routinely pay farmtold the Soybean Council at a field day ers a premium for contracts to grow on his farm in August. “There was a thousands of acres of identity preserved need for someone to grow TruSoya and it varieties of specialty soybeans for foods worked for me to fill the gap. I believe which contained as its lipid (vegetable oil) source one such as tofu, miso and natto. that if we all do our part, we can help advance agriculture.” of the three oils. They then sacrificed the mice and conducted autopsies on them. The companies work closely with the farmers, from planting to delivery to the elevator, to grow a top

High oleic soy beans have grown in popularity since The result was that the cardiovascular system of quality crop of identity preserved soybeans, Nill said. their commercial introduction in 2012 because their the mice fed conventional soybean oil had high levels They have as much interest in identity preservation oil provides a trans-fat-free replacement for partially of life threatening plaque buildup. The mice fed as the farmers. hydrogenated oil thereby making them heart health friendly. “U.S. soybean farmers have lost food-oil demand annually since the onset of mandatory trans-fat labeling,” writes the United Soybean Board at its website. “High oleic soybeans offer U.S. farmers an PLENISH, a high oleic soybean, had reduced but modest levels of plaque. The mice fed TruSoya oil had the healthiest blood vessels with almost no plaque build-up. The NIH scientists recently published their findings in the International Journal of Molecular “The elevators for these beans are so clean you could eat off the floor,” Nill said. TruSoya, with its relatively short maturity date, will fit nicely into the well-developed identity preservation infrastructure. opportunity to gain nine billion pounds of that Sciences. Their results were also highlighted at Nill says new oilseed crops such as TruSoya often demand for soybean oil from food, industrial and Frisch’s August field day. fail because of the cost of going from small bench size export customers.” Kim Nill, Director of Market Development at MSR&PC, says that TruSoya does offers the cardiovascular health advantages of other high oleic varieties already on the market. He also points out that Most of Frisch’s TruSoya harvest will be sent to Chile to be grown out and harvested in the southern hemisphere’s summer growing season to further increase the quantity of the seed. Brushvale Seeds, of Breckenridge Minn., will continue to increase the oil pressings to large industrial quantities of oil. MSR&PC’s Agricultural Innovation Campus, currently under construction near Crookston, will remove that stumbling block for TruSoya and other oilseed crops being developed. University of Minnesota soybean breeders, primarily seed in our summer of 2023 and will eventually The campus will include an intermediate size Dr. Aaron Lorenz, took TruSoya to an even higher release the TruSoya seed for commercial production. crushing and oil extraction facility and Nill expects a level of heart health with the encouragement of their Nill encourages farmers — especially those in the portion of Frisch’s 2022 TruSoya harvest will be the partners at the MSR&PC. Red River Valley area — to contact Brushvale Seeds first seed to be run through the plant when it is comThe University of Minnesota bred the TruSoya to not only be high in oleic acid, a fatty acid known to if they are interested in exploring contracts to grow TruSoya. pleted in the first half of next year. The meal created from that crushing will be fed to benefit heart health as well as other aspects of Preserving the identity of TruSoya seed is critical trout which are being raised in aquaculture ponds. human health, but to have a one-to-one balance of to the success of the new variety. Brushvale Seed has Ongoing research suggests that the high omega-3 in two other fatty acids important to human health, a long history of identity preservation of soybeans the meal can be passed on to the trout. v omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (linolenic acid), according to Nill.

Those unique properties brought TruSoya to the attention of biomedical researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

“We got a call out of the blue from NIH asking us to send two soy oils to them,” Nill said. “They wanted us to send oil from conventional soy beans along with TruSoya oil.”

The NIH fed the conventional and TruSoya oil, along with oil from the CORTEVAS herbicide-resistant high oleic soybean PLENISH, to three groups of specially-bred laboratory mice that mimic the human lifecycle during their short life. The mice, known as humanized or LDLR deficient mice, were fed a diet Water quality publication for pork producers AMES, Iowa — Understanding water quality and The publication reviews elements and substances how to interpret water test results is valuable for commonly assessed in a water quality test. It also producers, managers and consultants. explains recommendations and research results for Water Quality in Swine Barns – How Do We Define It? highlights the parameters pork producers should focus on when testing drinking water in pig barns. specific substances, the impact on pig performance and at what level producers should use mitigation strategies. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach swine specialist Matt Romoser hopes the content can help producers better understand what their water Download the three-page pdf publication IPIC 204 at no charge from the Iowa State University Extension store. test results mean. It also can help when troubleshoot- This article was submitted by Iowa State University ing production issues, and determining which situa- Extension and Outreach. v tions need corrective actions to improve water quality.

Photo submitted This photo was taken at the Frisch field day in August. Tom Frisch is standing second from right.

I don’t know about you, but I’m already missing seeing all the purple flowers of July and August! The fall weather is making me nostalgic for watching all the new blooms of native plants each week in the summertime. One purple flower that always catches my eye is that of a thistle. It’s mostly the non-native thistles that catch my eye, though it is always a fun “treat” to stumble upon a native thistle.

In Minnesota, there are several species of thistle that are native to the state. The native thistle species are great pollinator plants and are often overlooked in restoration plantings. The simplest way to distinguish between native and nonnative thistles is by touch: you will be able to touch native thistles without hurting too much! Though, this is not the only distinguishing characteristic, so be sure to do some additional research. Check out the Xerces Society for a guide to native thistles in the United States.

Perhaps more widespread are the nonnative thistles, of which we also have several species in Minnesota — including the plumeless thistle, Carduus acanthoides.

Plumeless thistle is a biennial species, meaning it grows in two-year lifecycles. Its first year after germination is spent gathering resources as a basal rosette. A basal rosette is a great adaptation for survival, exhibited by many weeds and native plants alike. The outspread leaves shade out competition, grab drops of rain, and absorb the maximum amount of sunlight for a plant to later send up a flower. Plumeless thistle blooms in its second year. It is perhaps the spiniest thistle in the state, and in its second year, has deeply lobed leaves that are up to eight inches long with sharp winged spines all along the leaf margins.

Plumeless thistle is closely related to another nonnative thistle, the nodding or musk thistle (C. nutans), though the flowers are a third of the size. Stems of both species differ from native thistle species because they are very spiny as a result of the leaf bases attaching directly to the stems and extending downward, often referred to as “spiny wings”. Touching the stem of both plumeless and nodding thistles without heavy gloves for protection is never a good idea! Flowers of nodding thistle are

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Industrial hemp applications now being accepted

ST. PAUL — Online applications are now open for anyone wishing to grow or process hemp in Minnesota in 2023. A license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is required for individuals and businesses.

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2023, and a license is good for the 2023 calendar year. Those actively growing hemp plants indoors past Dec. 31, 2022, must renew their license before expiration at the end of the year.

The application can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp. Along with the online form, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.

Growers are required to complete a Farm Service Agency 578 form for all hemp varieties and locations planted. This must be submitted no more than days 10 after planting to the county FSA office (or offices) where the hemp is grown.

Growers are responsible for submitting a planting report and harvest report to the MDA.

A grower license no longer includes one regulatory sample for pre-harvest THC testing. Each official regulatory sample collected by MDA will cost $100.

License fees will remain the same. The minimum cost of a grower license is $400. A processing license is a minimum of $500.

The MDA will continue random inspections of processor locations.

Questions should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn. us or (651) 201-6600.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v 2-3 inches in size, and disk-like, while flowers of plumeless thistle are smaller and tear-dropped in shape at 1 inch in size. Flowers of plumeless thistle occur singularly or in clumps of two to five.

Plumeless thistle is detrimental for grazing agriculture, can disrupt the native ecosystem, and is listed as a Prohibited Noxious Weed on the Control list in Minnesota. Landowners should actively scout for plumeless thistle on their properties and prevent plants from going to seed and spreading. For more information, and additional identifying characteristics and photos, visit www.mda.state.mn.us.

This article was submitted by Maggie Barnick, Minnesota Department of Agriculture v

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Many central Minnesota farms and homesteads have poultry on their property. With winds howling and the temperature dipping steadily lower, bird owners may ponder if their birds are ready for winter.

Water is always important to all forms of livestock, and that pattern persists in poultry. It’s important in digestion, temperature regulation, and incidentally in egg production. (Eggs are 70 percent water.) Each bird will generally drink about one quart of water for every pound of feed they eat. Birds should have access to fresh water daily, which on days regularly below freezing can be a challenge. Heated bases for waterers and highly-insulated water containers can assist in keeping warm water unfrozen for several hours. (Rubber pans can also be employed to easily remove ice

Birds will consume a considerable amount of feed — especially to keep warm in the cold. High-energy feeds (for example, grain and oilseeds) can be used to supply extra energy. Be mindful to not oversupply, as excess energy can result in feather-pecking. (To stop this behavior, consider using a balanced feed.) An underappreciated focus of chicken management is coop ventilation. Chickens water consumption inevitably leads to waste. This waste manifests as moist droppings; and with insufficient ventilation, results in wet litter which can produce harmful ammonia for the chickens and even the caretakers. These damp conditions can even increase incidences of respiratory diseases. Large birds and large flocks can produce enough body heat collectively to not warrant additional ventilation. Small birds will most likely need some assistance. Poor ventilation can result in reduced egg production, increased feed consumption, frostbitten tissues, and overall, very uncomfortable birds. Be sure your coop has dry, deep bedding, insulation and adequate ventilation.

Safety is routinely cited as a concern when considering supplemental heat. Barn fires are startlingly real. When evaluating heat sources, great care should be taken to keep them clean, dust free, and shielded from the flock.

Regardless of flock size, ventilation should be evaluated, allowing fresh air in, and moist air out, without creating a draft.

After addressing your flock’s food needs, water consumption, and shelter, there are still demands which need to be tended to. Lighting plays a role in dictating a chicken’s laying cycle. This becomes very apparent in the winter when natural light significantly decreases. Hens typically lay eggs when days are long (spring and early summer), molting and stopping laying eggs when day length shortens (fall and winter).

For those interested in collecting eggs when the weather is a little cooler, artificial lights can be used to make the day length the necessary 14 hours (starting around Sept. 1). Consider using supplemental lighting and a timer in the morning before sunrise. This strategy supports chickens’ poor vision in the dark, avoiding a chicken being stranded on the floor overnight that could result from evening light. The light should not be overly bright (excessively bright lights can increase incidences of pecking), with an appropriate brightness of one to three foot-candles. A good guideline to follow: You should be able to read a newspaper in an appropriately lit pen.

Many small-scale chicken owners can forget about flock safety until animals are directly threatened. This aspect of animal management should not be forgotten because many hungry predators clearly remember these waiting chicken dinners. Ventilation openings can be an open door for predators to access your birds. These openings should be covered with sturdy wire or screens. Not only chickens, but stored feed may be on the menu. Pest proof your animal’s water sources and feed against rodents, wild birds and predators with secure containers. Preventing them access will pay dividends — not only in flock safety, but towards quality biosecurity for your flock.

This article was submitted by Dana Adams, University of Minnesota Extension. v Women in Ag Leadership Conference announced

AMES, Iowa — “Together We Lead” is the theme of the sixth annual Women in Ag Leadership Conference organized by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The conference takes place Nov. 29-30 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames, Iowa.

Nov. 29’s events run from 1-8 p.m. Attendees can choose from five campus tours including the horse farms, poultry farms and feed mill, agricultural and biosystems engineering, student innovation center, and a steam tunnel and history tour. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., Nov. 30’s events continue through 4 p.m.

Session topics include leadership, managing your cyber ecosystem, the new rules of remote work, agricultural carbon credit markets, strategic planning, and unconventional health tips.

The cost to attend is $90 for adults and $45 for students. A limited number of attendance scholarships are available by emailing schultz@iastate.edu.

For more information, visit the conference website at https://www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag/ or contact Madeline Schultz at schultz@ iastate.edu or (515) 294-0588.

This article was submitted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. v