The Land - April 28, 2023

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City girl no longer

“I get a little nervous if I’m an hour from the nearest Target.”

This is not a quote one would expect to hear from Minnesota’s top ag teacher; but it is her unique perspective which distinguishes Haley Madson. Earlier this month, Madson was named the 2023 recipient of the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher Award. This annual award recognizes teachers for their creative efforts to integrate agriculture into their classrooms to increase agricultural literacy.

Equally intriguing is the fact Madson is a first-grade teacher at St. Anne’s School in Le Sueur, Minn. Tucked in the Minnesota River valley, Le Sueur is steeped in agriculture history as the birthplace of Green Giant Canning Company. But Catholic grade schools are not known as agriculture educational hotbeds. Madson’s award may have changed that perspective.

To its credit, St. Anne’s School has a history of integrating the farming community into its curriculum. Green Giant’s ag research fields are a stone’s throw away from the school and many of the 140 kindergarten through fifth grade students have farming connections. Madson is keenly aware that when she first started teaching there, the teacher was often the ag student.

“My dad grew up on a farm,” Madson said. “I’ve always been around animals, but I’ve always been a city girl.”

By Paul Malchow

She came to St. Anne’s in 2017 and has always taught first grade. “I was told when I came here the first graders hatch chicks every year,” Madson related. “I thought to myself, ‘That won’t be happening!’ In 2018 I hatched my first chicks.”

True to tradition, about a dozen eggs arrive each spring and are incubated in the first grade classroom of 20 students. “The setup was pretty crude in the beginning,” Madson confessed, “but we have a real nice incubator now that even turns the eggs. I know more about hatching chicks than I ever thought I would!”

Madson said the chicks rarely hatch during school hours, but the result is exciting for the students nonetheless. “We only keep (the chicks) here a few days because they’d be kind of on their own over the weekend. They’re so cute when they’re all fuzzy, but when their real feathers start coming out they’re kind of ugly,” she laughed. “I’m glad they’re not here very long.”

An admitted accidental advocate for agricultural education at St. Anne’s, Madson uses her lessons to inspire students to think about how deeply agriculture impacts their lives from a young age.

A native of Edina, Minn., Madson first came to the valley as an elementary education major at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. “I always saw myself as a teacher,” she admitted, “but ag was never on my mind.”

9 — Agriculture benefits by having women on board.

10 — Farm Bureau hatches chicken education program.

“I want my students to realize that when learning about agriculture, they will be using reading, math, social studies, and science skills,” she says. “There is a connection between agriculture and animals, the economy, the environment, technology, and overall way of life. It is important to give students opportunities to explore those connections starting in elementary school.”

“We’ve germinated seed,” Madson said, listing off some of her class’s projects. “We planted beans

Haley Madson

Another round of the shameless, senseless SNAP fights

Early last November, two months before Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania’s Glenn Thompson, the incoming chairman of the House Ag Committee, laid down an old GOP marker as one of his upcoming committee goals.

The soon-to-be-anointed ag boss, as previously noted in this space, “believes SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, needs ‘work and job training’ requirements ‘for certain beneficiaries.’”

By Alan Guebert

“Yes, that old ‘no work-no SNAP’ idea,” I wrote, “rejected in the 2018 Farm Bill debate, will likely see its reprise under Thompson.”

And it did on April 17, reported Politico, when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy outlined “broad moves to restrict food assistance for millions of lowincome Americans” as a key element in his “new debt limit negotiating proposal” with the White House.

Truth be told, betting that House Republicans will push for deep cuts to SNAP, the old Food Stamp program, every year (any year, really) is like guessing the rooster will crow at dawn. It’s a slam dunk; bet the farm.

Many of McCarthy’s Republican allies in Congress, however, welcomed his SNAP trial balloon like it was a Chinese spy balloon. “I’m sure it won’t be easy,” said John Thune (S.D.) the number-two Republican in the Senate.

Wall Street, McCarthy’s chosen site for his big deficit/big budget speech, yawned at its no-surprise contents. The three major stock indices — the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 — each ended the day with sleepy, 0.3 of one percent gain.

Capitol Hill pros, however, weren’t as disinterested. One “GOP Senate aide,” Politico noted, “...was less diplomatic [than Thune]: ‘I mean, Godspeed… We’re going to live in reality over here” in the Senate, he offered.

Moreover, “Senate Democrats have said such measures are dead on arrival in the upper chamber” and, to ensure it, they will also have the “...help of key Senate Republicans.”

They won’t be the only Republicans running from Speaker McCarthy’s pruning saw. “Taking a tough line would please the most conservative GOP members,” Politico explained, “but alienate Republicans from swing districts, and vice versa.”

Currently, there are 18 House Republicans who hail from congressional districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020. Given McCarthy’s paper thin, five-seat House majority, anything that threatens the reelection of a handful of them threatens McCarthy’s debt and budget proposals — as well as his political future.

And everyone — McCarthy, his swing district members, the White House, and Congressional Dems — know it.

Which goes to the heart of what McCarthy hopes to do with his SNAP-cutting gambit: Since the House GOP has no workable plan to raise the nation’s debt ceiling or pass a 2024 federal budget, McCarthy is dancing, buying time while his caucus cobbles together plans to challenge the White House on both fronts.

It’s a high-wire act in a hurricane.

First, McCarthy faces a fast-approaching, midJune deadline to pass a debt ceiling plan. Second, amid constant White House needling, he also needs a 2024 budget plan. Third, Dems hold both the upper hand and upper chamber in debt and budget talks and will kill any House plan deemed too restrictive. Also, few House and Senate leaders

Compelling characters make ‘Silver Alert’ an entertaining read

You can have whatever you want.

So g’wan: buy a new car … heck, buy three of them. Have a vacation home on both coasts and two overseas. Get a new wardrobe for every day of the week, rings for your fingers and toes. Go ahead, go wild. You can have whatever you want — except, in the new book “Silver Alert” by Lee Smith, you can’t have your life back.

When Herb Atlas opened the door of his Key West villa, he couldn’t believe his eyes. His step-daughter had hired a teenager — a kid, actually — to take care of his wife, Susan.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

She’d been a real looker not so long ago, his Susan was. Charming and funny, everybody loved her. Then early-onset Alzheimer’s made Susan an unrecognizable, wild-haired woman Herb barely knew.

But here this kid who said her name was Renee was doing Susan’s nails and she had Susan calm, quiet, and not rat-a-tat-tatting. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Herb liked this girl right off. When she dropped her wallet and he saw an ID card with another name on it, he didn’t even care that she was probably lying.

He tipped her a couple $100 bills and he couldn’t wait to hire her again.

Two hundred bucks! Dee Dee practically skipped

“Silver Alert: A Novel”

by Lee Smith

c.2023, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

$27.00

224 pages

mouthed, once-proud man who hates the fact he’s aged, and he rails against it. Dee Dee is an under-educated backwoods girl who longs to fulfill her own promise and overcome her awful past. Their separate, but entwining, stories are the kinds away from Mr. Atlas that afternoon, thinking about the things she could buy. She decided not to go back to the pink trailer just yet; she didn’t want to run into Tony because she was done with that life. Dee Dee liked the new work she’d been chosen to do, and she liked Susan, too.

Herb should’ve known an intervention when he saw one; even his nephew, Ricky, was there. His extended family didn’t get together for the fun of it, after all. Then again, an 83-year-old man doesn’t get scary-sick every day, either, nor does he willingly give up everything he knows and has worked hard for, before taking one last grasp at life... Let’s be honest: the old elderly-person-and-caregiver-flee-in-a-classic-car plot is suddenly everywhere — overused, almost overdone. Set it aside, though, if you can, and “Silver Alert” is a wonderful little novel.

What helps is that author Lee Smith’s two main characters are very appealing. Herb is a foul-

you can’t wait to return to while you’re spending time with the rest who make this novel truly fun: among others, there’s an insufferably uppity doctor and his wife, a no-nonsense lesbian couple, a career-woman daughter, an absent son, poor Susan, and Ricky, a cool-headed voice of reason who’ll make readers wish they knew someone like him.

If you’re up for a fast read with a great story-line and somewhat of a surprise ending, ignore the trope and reach for “Silver Alert.” You can get it whenever you want.

Look for the reviewed book at a bookstore or a library near you. You may also find the book at online book retailers.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in Wisconsin with three dogs and 10,000 books. v

Madson’s award comes with a trip to Orlando, Fla.

today. We’ve made homemade ice cream. We made flour and will make bread out of it. We’ll make our own butter. In the future we hope to have a classroom garden so students can see how the changing seasons affect the farm.”

St. Anne’s utilizes the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s “Agriculture in the Classroom” program and its Ag Mag publications. (Ag Mag was

featured in the March 31 issue of The Land.) It was through the Ag in the Classroom website where Madson applied for her award. “I told everyone, ‘I’m going to win this!’” she said. “I have all of these people to help me.”

In addition to submitting a few essays, Madson’s application was accompanied by a letter from a member of the Le Sueur community which Madson speculates helped her selection a great deal. “I found out (of her award) in December, but I couldn’t say anything until it was officially announced.”

Madson will receive a $500 stipend and have up to $1,500 of her related expenses paid to attend

the National Agriculture in the Classroom conference this June in Orlando, Florida.

Since her arrival in Le Sueur, this “city girl” has been enjoying life in rural Minnesota. She’s ridden shotgun in a combine during harvest and works with a local sweet corn grower during the summer. “I had no idea I’d fall in love with the community,” Madson declared. “People have been so willing to help me.”

All Minnesota licensed K-12 educators who creatively integrate agricultural concepts into nonagricultural education classroom settings are eligible for the Outstanding Teacher Award. Applications are reviewed by a committee of MAITC Foundation board members, who select the recipient each winter.

“It’s not rocket science,” Madson shrugged. “I just want to teach things they can understand at such a young age.”

Paul Malchow is the managing editor of The Land. He may be reached at editor@TheLandOnline.com. v

LAND MINDS, from pg. 2

No good deed goes unpunished: Calamity in the haymow

It’s been a couple of years now, so I suppose I can finally oil my knitted eyebrows and the corners of my mouth to allow them to relax … so the scowl doesn’t become permanent.

What we can learn from Dorothy and the Tin Man:

so all we had to do when the guy got there was load the bales. I hadn’t been in the haymow in some time; but I knew where the designated hay was and which door to toss it out of, so all was good. Until it wasn’t.

TABLE TALK

It started out so innocently, as these things always do. Someone was going to come to get hay one afternoon. My husband was going to be gone, so he asked if I would help this guy when he got there by tossing the bales out of the haymow — thinking it’s good to try to prevent accidents with guests coming to the farm. He gave me the details for the exchange of bales and cash, and that was that.

By Karen Schwaller

I saw the bales my husband told me about, but out of my own curiosity I walked over to another area to see if there were any nicer-looking bales in that pile.

And that’s when it happened.

With no audible haunting music to warn me, I stepped around the pile to get a look from the back side, and with that first step to the right I found there was no floor underneath my

I went over to the barn a little early,

SNAP support is vital

GUEBERT, from pg. 3

believe delaying the debt fight until 2024, a presidential election year, is a good idea.

There’s another new reason, too: Nearly every farm and commodity group — even the most politically conservative of them — keenly understands it must give SNAP its fullthroated support if farmers hope to influence a favorable 2023 Farm Bill.

That simple fact was on display “at a farm bill listening session” in “an upstate New York district” April 14 where, reported Politico, “local farmers, food bank operators and anti-hunger advocates urged lawmakers to defend and even expand current

SNAP programs.”

Importantly, one of the witnesses was the “vice president of the New York branch of the American Farm Bureau Federation” who “told the lawmakers… not to think of SNAP as a ‘city thing,’ noting that the program is a key lifeline to low-income Americans in rural areas where food insecurity ‘is higher than it’s ever been.’”

That’s wise advice for any wannabe successful politician — Republican or Democrat.

The Farm and Food File is published weekly through the United States and Canada. Past columns, events and contact information are posted at www. farmandfoodfile.com. v

BWSR pollinator habitat grants

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is once again accepting applications for grants for the Lawns to Legumes program. This program aims to increase habitat for at-risk pollinators in residential settings across the state by providing people with cost-share funding, workshops, coaching and gardening resources.

Applications will be accepted through

June 30. Notifications about funding decisions will be sent to project applicants in July.

For more information on Lawns to Legumes, visit https://bwsr.state.mn. us/l2l.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. v

foot—and down I went like a sack of 60-year-old potatoes.

I landed on my neck and shoulder, on the floor below the haymow, in the sheep poop, and with loose hay raining down on top of me. I remembered my legs landing last.

I laid there a minute, trying to figure out what had just occurred. I got up slowly to my knees, brushed the hay off of my shoulders, then crept up (finally feeling my age) and finished brushing the sheep crap off of my jeans.

Looking around, I wondered if anyone had borne witness to that ill-timed misfortune.

With a kink in my neck and a stabbing shoulder now, a guy coming for hay, and no one else there to help him; what was I to do, but get back up there again? So I climbed the ladder up to the haymow and got right back in the saddle again (so to speak).

This time — with nothing around to clear the path to the hay pile — my legs and toes were used like sonar guidance, and extended about five feet ahead of me with every step.

I tossed the bales out the door, feeling a little less invincible.

When the guy arrived, something must have seemed amiss because he carried on a nice conversation, but continued to look at me as if something about me was obviously odd.

I get that look often.

We visited briefly, he paid for his bales and we both got in our vehicles

and left.

When I got back to the house and saw myself in the mirror, my hair was a fright, there was hay in it, and I still had sheep poop on my shoulder.

John Denver sang about “Sunshine on My Shoulders.” Of course, you might know that my version would croon about something else on my shoulders.

When my husband got home I told him what happened, and he said he covers the holes in the haymow floor with loose hay before winter so the barn will stay warmer during lambing season — which is a great idea … if the holes are marked for those not privy to that information.

To my surprise (and at my grandmotherly age), my swollen and painful collarbone and shoulder weren’t broken — nor was anything else. Hooray for being raised on the farm where we ate ice cream almost every day after school and drank whole milk at every meal.

My chiropractor said, “You’re lucky you didn’t break your neck.”

I thought to myself, “…my neck might not be broken, but with this secret insulation plan, our home just might be.”

Seems like it’s taking a while for that oil on my face to work.

Karen Schwaller writes from her grain and livestock farm near Milford, Iowa. She can be reached at kschwaller@evertek.net v

Cattle or hogs, Peter Mouw always thought big

Almost every day a promotional catalog, flyer or post card arrives in our mailbox. They actually outnumber the garden catalogs we have received this year. Their frequency doesn’t quite match the political season mail; but at least the advertisements on these bulls are the real thing. And I don’t mind getting these bull sale notices.

Cattle farmers are doing a fantastic job of letting us know what they have for sale. It’s interesting to read about their farms and families; and to learn about what they are doing to improve distinctive characteristics of their chosen breed of cattle.

Several years ago, at an antique store, my farmer and I unexpectedly found a livestock production sale catalog for a man who worked at bringing size into animals. The date for his sale was Wednesday, June 23, 1920 at his farm near Orange City, Iowa. The farm is one we pass by often on our way to town.

Peter Arien Mouw was one of the first settlers in Sioux County, Iowa. He was born on March 17, 1852 at Epe, in the province of Gelderland of the Netherlands. He was 20 years old when he and his parents came to the new settlement of Orange City.

FROM MY FARMHOUSE KITCHEN

By Renae B. Vander Schaaf

thought he was crazy when he purchased a Hereford bull and three cows for $1,000. He bought them because they were the largest he could find. He not only wanted size and scale, but demanded quality in the livestock he raised. He called his cattle Big Type Herefords.

In December of 1903, Peter Mouw exhibited a bull, Harvey IV, at the Chicago fourth annual International Display of Live Stock Exposition. Harvey IV was an eight-year-old Hereford bull. The bull weighed 2,865 pounds and was quite the talk of the exposition as it was the largest bull there.

Another Hereford bull Mouw raised was Taft Giant. (I suspect in honor of our 27th president, William Howard Taft, who happened to also be a large man weighing in at 350 pounds.) Taft Giant was born Dec. 1, 1913 — the year President Taft left office. The bull weighed over 2,800 pounds but is described as an animal with smoothness and quality despite its immense size.

the bleachers were not in use, they could be pulled up towards the ceiling.

On the south side of the building was a place for visitors to get food. A food counter was exposed when a half door was opened up. This building is now gone.

A large barn built in 1914 still stands on the farm. Mouw hired Harm Kiel of Sioux Center to build the 56-by-80-foot barn with a 48-foot high peak. There were stanchions for 22 cows, stalls for 18 horses and box stalls for smaller animals. The barn was built for just under $4,000.

He made his home on 80 acres just north of the town. I wonder if it was he who planted the cottonwood trees on the south edge of the property. Only a few still remain today. They were always a landmark for me when as a young girl, I rode along with my father to haul cattle to the Sioux City stockyards. It was almost a half-way mark.

This Iowa farmer was a man not satisfied with the status quo of livestock. He wanted his livestock to excel. He worked to improve his purebred Hereford cattle. He took his father’s advice seriously, “As long as you sell in pounds, deal with pounds.” The locals

Taft Giant was listed in the Peter Mouw & Co Big Type Herefords catalog. The herd bull was Anxiety Wilton. The name definitely references the quality in Mouw’s Herefords, as the bull Anxiety 4th 9904 is known as “The Father of American Herefords.” Anxiety Wilton was born March 2, 1919. His grandiose ancestor Anxiety 4th came to America from England in 1881. To the Mouw purebred operation, the bull was useful in enhancing the hindquarter muscle thickness, which was just one of his good qualities. Interestingly enough, this Anxiety 4th bloodline is still highly valued in the Hereford breed.

The sales book not only contains information about the farm, the animals for sale, but also a map to help you reach Orange City. He also conveniently gave a train schedule to aid anyone who didn’t care to make the distance with a horse and wagon or walk — like I would have been able to.

On the farm, Mouw had one building where the sale was held. Bleachers were on the east and west side with an open alley between to show the animals as they were auctioned off. When

His interest in pigs apparently began when a visitor to his farm made fun of his grade hogs. He had good cattle, yes, but his pigs? Well, they certainly were a disgrace according to Mr. Ross from Marcus, who offered him a way to improve his swine operation by trading four of Mouw’s pigs for two of his Poland China bred gilts.

As those Poland China offspring out-performed his own stock, he sold most of what he had at the Chicago stockyards and returned home with a few Poland China sows. He began to envision a new type of hog. A few years later, in 1889, he became serious about the Poland China breed. He purchased three animals as his foundation stock, Orange King, Illinois Maid and Illinois Maid 2nd. He saw in these animals the qualities that he wanted in his livestock: a propensity to grow and to finish into a large animal at an early age.

Large is hardly the correct adjective to use. His swine were the first to attain a world’s record of having a boar weigh 1,000s (yes, you read that correctly). One thousand pounds, definitely fitting well into Peter Mouw’s

Peter Mouw

Harvey IV

The “Peter Mouw & Co. Big Type Herefords” catalog from 1920

Cholera nearly wiped out Mouw’s herd twice

FARMHOUSE KITCHEN, from pg. 6

big type vision!

With his inbred streak of Dutch stubbornness and steadfastness, he stayed with his idea of a larger size animal. Poland China breeders didn’t like his animals at first, so most of his sales were to local farmers. Many farmers in Sioux County benefited by his work to have an animal that knew how to grow well and was thrifty.

A good businessman with a splash of showmanship in his personality, Mouw showed his animals with confidence. Whether at a county or state fair, or even with sales at his farm, he knew what the Poland China breed could achieve. But it took a while for others to see that the improvements he had bred into his hogs were useful.

In fact, his big type Poland China hogs were made fun of. At the St. Louis World’s Fair (probably 1904), his hogs (which looked like giants when compared to the regular stock) were regarded as a joke. That is, until Oct. 4, 1917. Mouw had advertised one of his boars, Gerstdale Jones, as one of the greatest boar he had ever owned since Chief Prince.

Buyers speculated Gerstdale Jones would sell for the incredible price of $5,000. But when it sold for $6,600 (a world record at the time), the agriculture world could hardly ignore how the big type pigs

were replacing the “hot bloods” which had been popular.

The story is told of when Mouw participated in the Illinois State Fair. The judge was not awarding any of the Mouw animals any premium — nor giving them any attention. Mouw said to the judge in his Dutch accent, “I guess you do not like my hogs.” He took a big roll of money from his pocket before he said, “but the farmers do.”

It took 30 years before his hard work paid off. During that time, cholera nearly wiped out his herd twice. At times he was deeply in debt, he faced many discouraging times and mockery by his peers, yet he prevailed. Finally things began to change for the better. He was getting the sales he needed and the recognition of having good breeding stock.

It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for the farm to put an animal in a crate, bring it to town, load the crate on a train and ship to the buyer’s railroad station closest of their choosing.

There were many advertisements in papers by other sellers of breeding stock who claim their genetics could be traced back to a Peter Mouw animal.

That should come as no surprise as Peter Mouw would eventually become known as the “father of the big types.” Many Poland China bloodlines can

still be traced by to these hogs raised in northwest Iowa. He was respected by all livestock producers for the improvements he made to their livelihoods.

Mouw was 70 years old when he died on a Sunday morning, May 15, 1922. As usual, he had gone out to do his chores. This time when he opened the barn door, he was knocked down and trampled by his horses hoofs as they came rushing out.

Stephen De Jong, his son-in-law and farming partner, found him alive though mortally injured. Despite the best of care, he soon died with a prayer on his lips.

Although there are no descendants who walk the land where Mouw’s boots left an imprint, many of his descendants follow in his footsteps of walking with the Lord. They have been — and are — a blessing and encouragement to me and others.

Thanks to: “History of the Poland China Breed of Swine” by Davis, Joseph Ray; Duncan, Harvey Samuel, 1882-, Peter Mouw’s great-grandson Earl DeJong and his family for their help in writing this essay.

Renae B. Vander Schaaf is an independent writer, author and speaker. Contact her at (605) 530-0017 or agripen@live.com. v

Letter: Work with local legislators on new Farm Bill

To the Editor:

Every five years, Congress approves a new Farm Bill. The current bill will expire Sept. 30, and we have an enormous opportunity for farmers and rural community members to make their voice heard as this important piece of legislation is being drafted.

The Farm Bill is comprised of 12 titles, ranging from conservation programs to food security programs. it touches virtually every corner of food and agriculture systems in our communities and due to its vast scope, needs to gain support from both urban and rural elected officials across the country.

As a crop and livestock farmer, I recently had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. along with members of the Land Stewardship Project to meet with Minnesota congressional

representatives to talk about changes I would like to see in the Farm Bill. Among top concerns for my family and fellow farmers is making sure the new generation of farmers has access to land. Currently, the average age of farmers exceeds that of most other occupational groups. In Minnesota, for example, the average age of farmers in the state in 2017 was 58 years old.

During our visit, we stressed the importance of constructing a Farm Bill that seeks to narrow that age gap. In addition, starting a career in agriculture today can be very difficult considering not only the high cost of land but also the volatility farmers are experiencing due to extreme weather events brought on by a changing climate. The Farm Bill must bolster programs that help to promote conserva-

tion and mitigate the effects of climate change. By targeting support to beginning farmers, along with incentivizing conservation practices across farming operations, we can encourage more young people to enter the farming field and help solve the impending environmental crisis that climate change will bring.

Agriculture can play an important role in combating climate change, but legislators have to act now. The 2023 Farm Bill must prioritize this issue, while at the same time targeting sup-

port for young people choosing to farm, and slowing the rate of consolidation. This will benefit our rural communities and businesses.

Please take the time to reach out to our Minnesota congressional delegation. Ask them to support LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill platform (landstewardshipproject.org/farmbill2023), along with our “farmers for climate action” priorities!

Thank you.

Darrel Mosel Gaylord, Minn.

Our current healthcare system punishes the poor

The healthcare market is unique. This month’s column will explore some of that uniqueness. Most of us know there are major problems in U.S. health insurance and healthcare. If we hope to solve those problems, we need to understand how the current market works.

HEALTHCARE FOCUS

I’d like to look at three aspects of the healthcare marketplace. 1. Is there an appropriate role for deductibles and copays in health insurance? 2. Is there useful choice in our healthcare insurance and care systems? 3. Is there effective price competition?

By Mark Brakke

According to the CIA World Fact Book, the United States is 48th for life expectancy. That is correct. 47 countries in the world have longer life expectancies than the United States. At least some of this gap is due to delay in seeking care due to no insurance or poor insurance.

tively treated. Second, because the plan they bought is the least expensive and has the highest deductibles and copays, they may very well have expenses they cannot afford and will become indebted or even bankrupt.

ter bet than trying to grab market share via lower prices. That is why $25 worth of insulin is being priced at $300.

Consider televisions. The television market is both complex but also optional. The consumer has many choices. Small TV or large? Broadcast TV or cable? One streaming network or multiple streaming networks? Watch a little or watch a lot? As television broadcasts are a source of news and entertainment, one also has the option of not using it and getting one’s news and entertainment free from radio and the public library.

Contrast that with healthcare. Very few people want to use medical care. People want to be healthy and able to work and play. Think about the common existence of copays and deductibles in health insurance. When copays and deductibles were put in health insurance policies, the rational was the presence of the copay or deductible would prevent overuse of the medical insurance. Ask yourself: Does that make sense? Your physicians will tell you they want to see you at the beginning of an illness, not after you have been ill for weeks or months. Why? Many medical problems are most easily treated at the beginning of the illness. Delay in diagnosis and treatment may mean a less effective treatment and an increased risk of permanent disability or death.

Careful analysis shows that copays and deductibles make medical insurance less effective. People avoid care as they are trying to avoid medical expense and medical debt and in the act of delaying care they often cause themselves permanent harm. A variety of studies demonstrate this. For example, look at life expectancy.

Next let’s look at choice — real choice. At times the insurance industry pushes back on our desire for rational, affordable health insurance by saying effective changes would limit choice. What choice are they referring to? Healthcare costs in Australia are half that of the United States; but Australians life expectancy is 14th in the world, not 48th like ours.

Let’s look at another measure of the effectiveness of healthcare, maternal mortality (deaths related to pregnancy). Australia has three deaths per 100,000 pregnancies. The United States has 21 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies. Looking at other prosperous countries, one finds similar results. Their healthcare costs are far lower than ours while their healthcare outcomes are better.

Unfortunately, we cannot buy Australian health insurance the way we might buy a foreign-made motor vehicle. In fact, choice has been increasingly restricted in the United States as a result of the creation of healthcare systems and the contracts between those systems and insurance companies creating networks. Some of the health insurance options lock the patient into a network of hospitals and clinics; sometimes preventing the patient from seeing the best or most convenient doctor.

Another example of unhelpful “choice” is the creation of tiered insurance plans. We are offered the choice of bronze, silver, gold or platinum insurance. Bronze costs the least and platinum costs the most. Why is this bad? People with low incomes typically buy the cheapest plan. When they get sick they are reluctant to go to the doctor because their insurance has poor coverage. When they eventually get so sick they cannot avoid care, there are two problems. Sometimes their problem can no longer be effec-

It is not reasonable for people who have the bad luck to become seriously ill to then have the burden of huge medical debt. Sensible health insurance should cover all serious illness without the risk of bankruptcy.

Finally let’s look at competition. After being a practicing physician for 41 years and studying the healthcare literature on business practices, I am sorry to tell you price competition in the medical industry is almost nonexistent. Hospitals merge with potential competitors and become large systems. Hospitals buy physician clinics and control pricing in both the hospital and the clinic. Pharmaceutical companies buy competitors to avoid competition. When there are potential competitors, as in the insulin market, the manufacturers have decided that high prices on their market share is a bet-

The healthcare market is unique. The failure to recognize this fact and restructure the market for the benefit of the consumer has led to the current situation where the United States has the highest healthcare costs in the world by a factor of two; while we have the worst outcomes compared to other prosperous countries. If we continue to treat healthcare like an optional consumer product, we will continue to have a healthcare situation which is unduly expensive and brings financial ruin to many.

Mark Brakke is a retired family practice physician. He cared for patients in Coon Rapids, Minn. for 41 years during which time he was on the boards of directors of two health insurance companies. He currently is on the board of the educational non profit Health Care for All Minnesota (HCAMN.org). v

Grants support technical assistance to emerging farmers

ST. PAUL — A new grant opportunity for organizations supporting emerging farmers is now open for applications through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Rural Finance Authority.

The Emerging Farmer Technical Assistance Grant is available to those who provide technical assistance services to emerging farmers in Minnesota. Grant funds can also be used by these organizations to pay up to 65 percent of emerging farmers’ premium expenses for up to two years under the USDA Micro Farm Crop Insurance program.

“Access to culturally appropriate technical assistance is a top need for Minnesota’s emerging farmers,” says Patrice Bailey, assistant commissioner at the MDA. “This grant is an important tool to support farmers across the state in overcoming disparities and barriers to opening new pathways to agriculture.”

Technical assistance consists of helping farmers with financials, business planning, record keeping, regulations,

land access, marketing, applying for state and federal programs, and/or other farm business needs.

Emerging farmers include farmers who are American Indian or Alaskan Natives, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, members of a community of color, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, or any other emerging farmers as determined by the commissioner of agriculture.

Applications for the grant are due by 8 a.m. on June 26. The RFA will award $540,000 in one-time grants through a competitive review process, with a maximum award amount of $100,000 and a minimum award amount of $10,000. Decisions are expected in July.

For more information and to access the application materials, visit https:// www.mda.state.mn.us/business-devloans-grants/emerging-farmer-technical-assistance-grant.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v

Agriculture not lacking for leadership opportunities

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer

The 2023 Women’s Agricultural Leadership Conference was held on April 12 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minn. This year marked 25 years since Robin Kinney and Doris Mold first formed a committee to promote women’s leadership and involvement in agriculture. At that time, according to the Census of Agriculture, the percentage of women as primary farmers was 8.6 percent. Now, it’s over 30 percent.

The first session of the day, entitled “Making Our Future Sterling,” highlighted experiences from four women in agriculture and was a motivating kick-off to the day. Christine Leonard, dairy farmer and owner of her cheese business, The Grater Good LLC, credited the generations of women who have opened doors for others to follow. She discussed that the question is no longer can women do this job, but rather what job do we, as women, want to do. Leonard emphasized the importance of helping those who show interest in ag, but may not have the background or a starting point

Janelle Skibicki, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for AgCountry Farm Credit Services, spoke of her early days when she didn’t have as much work experience as some of her male counterparts. She initially questioned what she could add, but reasoned “I have a voice.” With the demeanor that can rally a room, she firmly stated, “We are at the table.”

Skibicki also shared a past situation involving tra-

ditional stereotypes. During a work event among men, she was singled out to cut the cake to be served. With a clear-cut voice, she stated to the attendees at the conference, “We don’t cut the cake.”

Andrea Vaubel currently serves as Deputy Commissioner with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and was also part of the panel. She discussed correcting the idea some may have that “I didn’t grow up on a farm; agriculture’s not open to me.” Vaubel emphasized the value of bringing in a more inclusive set of women, as well as the importance of lifting our voices. With a laugh she let the audience know she was going to share some lyrics from Taylor Swift, and they proved to be impactful.

“Never be so kind, you forget to be clever. Never be so clever, you forget to be kind...Never be so polite, you forget your power. Never wield such power, you forget to be polite.”

Rounding out the panel was Madilyn Smith, a current college undergrad at the University of Minnesota. The importance of diversifying is one farmers hear

often. Smith discussed the value in “diversifying ourselves.” She shared her thoughts on how different settings can aid us in having different thoughts, and that our identity isn’t just one thing. “We’re all agriculturists, but what else are we?” she asked.

After this session and again in the afternoon, attendees could choose from a number of offerings covering a variety of topics such as the 2023 Farm Bill, Continuous Improvement in Agriculture, Ag and Fertilizer Market Updates, and Podcasting. Later, there were also mini sessions held to give information about an assortment of subjects including Annie’s Project, Crop Insurance, Farmer Veteran Coalition of Minnesota, Dairy Cattle Genetics, and Minnesota 4-H.

At least two FFA advisors in attendance brought along some of their middle school and high school students to experience the event. With the rest of the attendees, the students were dispersed throughout the hall, and also participated in the breakout sessions, roundtable discussion, and networking activities.

The conference also included a presentation for the recipients of the 21st Agricultural Mentoring Awards, and a second panel was held to discuss the power of mentorship. The panelists were Emily Krekelberg, Sheryl Meshke, Juanita Reed-Boniface, and was moderated by Doris Mold. Mold began by emphasizing that mentoring doesn’t have to do with the differ-

11

Photos by Laura Cole

Women from throughout the midwest gathered at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on April 12 to attend the 2023 Women’s Agricultural Leadership Conference.

Newly-hatched chicks teach children about life

By DICK HAGEN

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

The community transit bus (and its very accommodating driver, Jim Hanson) took my wife and I and a few others on a short trip from the retirement center here in Northwood to the NorthwoodKensett Elementary School for a very special learning experience recently.

Excited third-grade youngsters were bubbling around us. We were about to learn the birthing process of newly-hatched baby chicks. Yes, lots of chattering from students. They told us about fertilized eggs cracking open revealing the justborn baby chicks! Little did we know that baby chicks have a special beak given to them solely for the purpose of pecking away at the shell during their “birthing” process. This special beak then falls away and the chicks’ regular beak takes over. Some of the students were already naming their new friends.

Their class had received six fertilized eggs. The eggs were placed in a small incubator so the students could keep a watchful eye over the entire process. We were informed incubation is only a 21-day process.

We were shown a special display depicting the growth of the baby chick inside the egg throughout the 21-day incubation process.

But once hatched, learning is quick for these squiggly, soft little creatures. Standing up is first priority; then picking up tiny morsels of feed. It’s a joy to listen to the third graders telling us how quickly baby chicks fit into their new world. And that’s the new life adventure for these students too! It was a great experience for us elders also as the students carefully covered the table with plastic and gently placed a few of the baby chicks in front of us. The chicks were cute, soft and chirpy while the students were taking great joy in explaining everything they had learned. The interaction of the youngsters and we elders was absolutely priceless.

Nine-yearold Lucian explained, “They’re shy at first, but pretty soon they are running around. We gave each chick a name. I called one of them Jeff because he’s the fast one. Another we called Tricky because it was always making faces at the other chicks.”

Added Iihlynn, Lucian’s classmate, “They’re such cute little creatures. And quick learners too. I could see changes in the days we have had to observe them.”

“We named another one Flappy Bird because he would jump around, flap his wings and try to fly,” added Lucian who also mentioned they named another one after a famous basketball player.

Commented Teresa Stehn with the Worth County Farm Bureau “Ag in the Classroom” program — who helped coordinate this unique learning experience, “Yes, this is certainly better than if they were reading books about the birth of baby chicks.”

Stehn also mentioned the ‘kiddie barn’ at the Worth County Fair. “Working with the local Farm Bureau, we set up a special Ag Learning Center at the fair. Each day at the booth we have a local farmer telling

Photos by Dick Hagen Third graders at Northwood-Kensett Elementary School jockeyed for position for a birds’ eye view of newly-hatched chicks.

Lucian, Iihlynn and the author.

Mentors are vital in establishing careers

CONFERENCE, from pg. 9

ence in age or a power dynamic, but rather the relationship itself. Reed-Boniface elaborated that each person within a mentorship can benefit from each other. She also shared that not only children, but professionals, too, are successful when they have a supportive person in their lives.

Meshke encouraged the concept of establishing a personal board of directors, and stated it’s critical to ask questions and listen in order to have a successful exchange. Krekelberg shared personal experiences of valued mentors that she could trust and who also gave her space to try out ideas. Sometimes she was successful, but she highlighted the importance of having mentors who allowed her to fail, as well. Krekelberg also reminded the attendees

conference. Connolly’s presentation dealt with continuous improvement in agriculture.

Calendar of Events

that there is “more room outside the box than in it.”

While the conference allowed for women to talk about challenges unique to them and included discussion about gender injustices that occur, speakers also acknowledged the skills and talents both men and women bring to agriculture, as well as the appreciation they have for the men in the industry who have encouraged them. As a matter of fact, the conference is open to anyone who is interested in promoting women’s agricultural leadership.

The conference concluded with an option to tour the Arboretum’s Red Barn and crop plots. It was a day full of opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired. And no one was tasked with the job of cake cutting.

Students tour crop and livestock farms

CHICKS, from pg. 10

the kids about different aspects of farming and answering many questions. Each youngster also gets a little bag of goodies with items representing their learning experience about farming for that day. Sometimes the project involves making ice cream in a bag.”

Stehn talked about additional learning events sponsored by Worth County Farm Bureau. There are tours for the students to crop and livestock producing farms; Farm Safety Day which covers all aspects of staying safe on a farm; and Ag Week for grades 1 through 7.

The students are also taught about interesting things such as a “Tootsie Roll”! They break down a Tootsie Roll to show the kids how many ingredients in this tasty little treat actually come from a farm. Then they can track some of those ingredients right down to an Iowa farm. I guess that would make quite a difference every time these kids enjoy a Tootsie Roll.

Working with other area teachers and farmers, Stehn also arranges virtual tours. Through our modern era of technology, the students have the virtual experience of riding in a combine with the farmer while harvest is in progress. What a great way to give a number of students the nearly real feel of riding in a large piece of farm equipment!

Back to those newly-hatched chicks: students have only a couple hours remaining with the chicks. Then a local farmer takes these chicks to his farm where Jeff, Tricky and Flappy Bird will freely roam for a long life.

So it was a great learning experience — even for an elderly like me. I’m now 89 and guilty of thinking my ‘learning days’ are history! But this brief encounter with a bunch of excited young children (and newly hatched chicks) was a delight. So the good Lord willing, I’ll likely try a few more new experiences should the opportunity occur!”

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.

April 29 — Land Access: Are You Ready? Workshop — Rosemount, Minn. — Attendees of this Land Stewardship Project workshop will engage in participatory activities as well as hear directly from local farmers about the creative land access methods they have used to secure land tenure. There will also be resource people on hand to provide guidance and understanding about a variety of related topics. Contact Karen Stettler at stettler@landstewardshipproject.org or (507) 458-0349.

April 29 — Minnesota River Valley Master Gardeners Spring Workshop — Mankato, Minn. — Sessions include Tips for Growing Tomatoes, Trees and Shrubs for a Changing Climate, and Discovering the Beauty of Usefulness of Native Plants. Contact U of M Extension Office for Blue Earth County at (507) 304-4325.

May 5 — Sheep and Goat Workshop: Pasture Rejuvenation — Preston, Minn. — Pasture and feeding directly impact meat, milk and production quality of sheep and goats. Learn how to create the best possible environment on your farm. Contact Katie Drewitz at (507) 951-6609.

May 6 — Sheep and Goat Workshop: Youth Education Series — Preston, Minn. — Following the Fillmore County 4-H sheep and goat weigh-in will be a youth educational series consisting of three rotations: Veterinary Medicine – What 4-Hers need to know, Housing Requirements for Sheep and Goats – Working with what you have, and Showmanship and Show Ring Preparation. After this series, there will be a youth showmanship contest. Contact Fillmore County Extension Office at (507) 765-3896.

May 30 — Farmers Night Out: Calf Management — Albany, Minn. — The program will begin with a meal and then proceed to a farmer panel of calf managers. They will share successes they have had, areas of growth, and tips and tricks they have learned. Contact Dana Adams at adam1744@umn. edu or (320) 204-2968.

Laura Connolly, Continuous Improvement Manager for CHS Inc., was one of the many presenters at the

High feed prices, slumping income won’t deter cow buying

This column was written for the marketing week ending April 21.

The spring flush is upon us, but farm milk tanks are not exactly bulging. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s preliminary data shows March output at 19.8 billion pounds, up 2.1 billion from February, but only 90 million pounds or 0.5 percent above March 2022, and less than the 1.1 percent increase in February.

MIELKE MARKET WEEKLY

The 24-state March total, at 18.9 billion pounds, was up 1.9 billion pounds from February and up 0.6 percent from a year ago. The February 50-state total was revised up 51 million pounds, while the 24-state total was revised up 48 million pounds.

By Lee Mielke

Milk output in first quarter 2023 totaled 56.8 million pounds, up 1 percent from 2022, with cow numbers at 9.42 million, up 20,000 from fourth quarter 2022 and 40,000 more than first quarter 2022.

Farmers have added cows, however, despite the high feed prices and falling milk income. Cow numbers totaled 9.435 million, up 6,000 head from the February count which was revised up 12,000 head, 28,000 more than in January, and up 31,000 from a year ago. This makes for the largest dairy herd since August 2021. The 24-state count was also up 6,000 from February and 44,000 above a year ago, largest since July 2021.

Output per cow averaged 2,099 pounds, up 3 pounds or 0.1 percent from March 2022.

California, battered by heavy rains and flooding in February and March, saw March milk drop to 3.6 billion pounds, down 75 million pounds or 2 percent from a year ago. Output per cow fell 45 pounds, far outweighing the 1,000-cow increase. Wisconsin output totaled 2.7 billion pounds, up 11 million pounds or 0.4 percent from a year ago, thanks to a 15-pound gain per cow offsetting the loss of 4,000 cows.

Texas was up 4.7 percent, thanks to 17,000 more cows and a 45-pound gain per cow. The fire at a dairy near Dimmitt on April 10 claimed some 18,000 cows. The cow loss will register in next month’s report. However, milk output may or may not, as milk in the state was already being dumped due to the excessive supply.

Idaho milk was up 3.1 percent on 15,000 more cows and a 15-pound gain per cow. Florida again registered the biggest loss, down 5.5 percent, on 7,000 fewer cows, though output per cow was up 30 pounds. Michigan was up 2.9 percent thanks to a 25-pound gain per cow and 8,000 more cows.

Minnesota was up 1.2 percent on a 20-pound gain per cow and 1,000 more cows. New Mexico was down 4.4 percent on 14,000 fewer cows. Output per cow was up five pounds New York was up 2.1 percent on 10,000 more cows and 10 pounds more per cow.

Oregon was down 2.6 percent on a loss of 3,000 cows. Output per cow was unchanged. Pennsylvania was off 0.2 percent on a loss of 1,000 cows. Output per cow was unchanged. South Dakota was up 7 percent, thanks to 13,000 more cows offsetting a 10-pound loss per cow. Vermont was down 0.9 percent on a 10-pound drop per cow. Washington State was down 1.6 percent on 5,000 fewer cows. Output per cow was up five pounds.

StoneX reported that milk components improved in March after being weak in January and February. Combined fat and protein was up 0.7 percent from last year after being up just 0.3 percent in February.

HighGround Dairy observed, “With heavy livestock slaughter through the first three months of 2023, it is surprising that the U.S. milking herd continues to grow.”

Dairy culling continues to outpace that of a year ago. The latest Livestock Slaughter report shows an estimated 306,100 head were sent to slaughter under federal inspection in March. This is up 39,600 from February and 8,900 or 2.3 percent above March 2022.

The week ending April 8 saw 61,700 head go to slaughter, down 5,100 from the previous week, but 800 or 1.3 percent more than a year ago. Year-todate, 933,200 cows have been culled, up 33,400 or 3.7 percent above a year ago. StoneX points out

that, so far this year, only two weeks of slaughter were below year-ago levels.

“Beef supplies in the United States are tight,” says HighGround Dairy, “and after spring flush, when production drops, farmers may be even more motivated to send lower-producing cows to processing plants to manage expenses against lower milk prices and higher feed costs.”

The USDA’s monthly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook projects U.S. milk cows will average 9.400 million head, 10,000 higher than last month’s forecast. The annual milk-per-cow projection was lowered 10 pounds from last month to an average 24,335 pounds per head.

The International dairy market looked a little more promising on April 18 as the Global Dairy Trade auction weighted average surprised the trade and reversed four successive declines, jumping 3.2 percent and the first GDT gain since Feb. 7.

Traders brought 50.1 million pounds of product to market, down from 52.5 million on April 4, and the average metric ton price advanced to $3,362 U.S., up from $3,227.00 on April 4.

All products offered moved higher led by skim milk powder, up 7 percent after falling 2.5 percent on April 4. Whole milk powder was up 1 percent following a 5.2 percent downfall. GDT cheddar was up

See MIELKE, pg. 13

Poster competition now open

The public is invited to participate in the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2023 Poster Competition, with posters featuring the 2023 Summit theme of “BE Dairy –Boundless Potential … Endless Possibilities.”

The Summit, to be held October 16-19 in Chicago, is dairy’s premier annual gathering and brings together more than 1000 dairy sector leaders from over 35 countries.

As an important part of knowledge exchange at the IDF WDS, all accepted posters will be displayed during the Summit and considered for the IDF WDS 2023 poster award. The U.S. Organizing Committee welcomes all types of posters including case studies, research, and commercial projects.

The winner of the Poster competition will receive a prize of $1,000. In addition, plaques will be present-

ed to the winners of each of the seven poster categories which represent IDF’s major workstreams: Safety & Quality – Microbiology; Safety and Quality – Chemistry and Composition; Nutrition and Health; Animal Health and Farm Management; Dairy Technology; Environment and Sustainability; and Marketing and Economics.

Poster abstracts must be submitted online by June 1. For submission forms, abstract guidelines, and other information, visit https://idfwds2023.com/ idf2023/posters.

Poster candidates will receive an email notification of poster abstract acceptance by July 1, with final poster submissions due in pdf format by Sept. 1

This article was submitted by the International Dairy Federation. v

Tight margins limit herd increases

MIELKE, from pg. 12

5.7 percent after jumping 3.8 percent. Butter was up 4.9 percent after falling 3.3 percent, and anhydrous milkfat was up 4.7 percent following a 7.2 percent plunge on April 4.

StoneX says the GDT 80 percent butterfat butter price equates to $2.1332 per pound U.S., up 10 cents after losing 6.8 cents on April 4, and compares to Chicago Mercantile Exchange butter which closed April 21 at a pricy $2.40. GDT cheddar, at $2.0006, was up 11 cents, and compares to April 21’s CME block cheddar at a bargain $1.75. GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.259 per pound, up from $1.1699, and whole milk powder averaged $1.4012 per pound, up from $1.3846. CME Grade A nonfat dry milk closed April 21 at $1.1650 per pound.

Analyst Dustin Winston reports, “North Asian purchases — which includes China — Middle East, European, and North American purchases exceeded year-ago levels. The Middle East was the only region to increase purchase volume from both the last event and last year. Southeast Asia purchases faded in this event, falling from both last year and last event levels.”

HighGround Dairy cautioned, “The auction was not direction setting, with likely short term demand arriving from Middle Eastern buyers driving this upside surprise. This result will also add more confusion to the already volatile skim milk powder market, which HighGround Dairy expects to correct at the following auction.»

Speaking in the April 24 “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast, Rabo Bank Senior Dairy Analyst Lucas Fuess said milk output in the Southern Hemisphere is winding down seasonally as New Zealand fared a little better than anticipated; but Australia’s output is down. He added that the European Union is in its spring flush (like the United States), but EU output was up 0.5 percent in February. He says the gains will continue; but we might see some declines in the back half of the year. He also questioned the climb in U.S. milk cow numbers as tight margins take their toll on U.S. farms.

Cooperatives Working Together cooperatives accepted four offers of export assistance this week that helped capture sales of 229,000 pounds of cream cheese. The product is going to customers in Asia through June.

CME block cheddar fell to $1.745 per pound April 20 (the lowest since Sept. 1) but closed the next day at $1.75. This is 2.5 cents lower on the week, fourth week of decline, and 64.25 cents below a year ago when it peaked at $2.3925.

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Class I milk price up from April, but well below last year

The barrels reversed three weeks of loss, and finished at $1.5525, up 4 cents on the week, 81.75 cents below a year ago, and 19.75 cents below the blocks.

Sales totaled 29 cars of block (the highest weekly sum since the week of May 31, 2021) plus a whopping 85 loads of barrel, highest since Dec. 16, 2017. There were 26 traded on April 19 alone — the highest one-day total since June 21, 2018. The previous week saw 47 sales and April 21 was the fifth time this year that over 20 loads were traded in a single session.

The cheese market was encouraged this week by an announcement that McDonalds will enhance its burger lineup by adding more cheese. The trial will begin on the West Coast.

Meanwhile, Midwest cheesemakers continue to report widely available milk, according to Dairy Market News. Mid-week spot milk prices remained from $11 to $4 under Class. Cheese demand is “steady to strong,” says Dairy Market News, but there is some near term concern regarding inventory levels.

Varietal cheeses have strong to steady demand from western retail and food service purchasers. Inventories through April remain sold out for some. Asian demand is reported as strong by some while others say Asian purchasers are buying from other sources. Milk volumes are plentiful, enabling maximum to strong production schedules.

Cash butter climbed to $2.4025 per pound on April 19 (the highest in four weeks), but closed April 21 at $2.40. This is up 7.25 cents on the week but 26.75 cents below a year ago, with 16 sales reported for the week.

Central butter demand has softened seasonally the past few weeks, says Dairy Market News. Churning is still very busy though cream was less available this week. Multiples ticked up and some expect further cream price increases near term.

Cream is plentiful in the West, with strong to steady cream demand continuing as cream multiples moved higher this week. Strong to steady but-

ter production continues. Butter is moving well, with a steady pull on inventories. Export demand is steady to lighter due competitive prices from European and Asian markets, however, Canadian purchases increased this week.

After falling to $1.1225 per pound on April 17, CME Grade A nonfat dry milk found itself at its lowest price since Feb. 24, 2021. GDT reversed that the next day and the powder closed April 21 at $1.165. This is up 3.5 cents on the week, but 59 cents below a year ago, with seven sales put on the board for the week.

Continued pressure on Class III futures due to weakness in product prices was the culprit behind declining spot margins,” the Margin Watch stated, “with spot cheddar blocks and whey powder prices dropping to one and two-month lows. While Class IV prices have held up comparatively better with butter prices in a well-established trading range, spot non-fat dry milk is holding steady at a two-year low.

— Margin Watch

Dry whey slipped to 35 cents per pound on April 17 (the lowest since Jan. 31) then headed back up to 38.25 cents on April 19, but closed April 21 at 36.25 cents, unchanged on the week but 27.25 cents below a year ago. There were 35 sales on the week, down from 47 the week before.

The May Federal order Class I base milk price was announced at $19.57 per hundredweight, up 72 cents from April but $5.88 below May 2022. It equates to $1.68 per gallon, down from $2.19 a year ago. The five-month Class I average stands at $20.12, down from $22.81 a year ago and compares to $15.70 in 2021.

Fluid milk sales were back to their old ways in February. The USDA’s latest data shows packaged sales totaled 3.4 billion pounds, down 3.2 percent from February 2022, following a 0.6 percent slippage in January. A general rule of thumb says a 4 percent decline in fluid milk sales means about 1 percent of milk nationally will end up in manufacturing instead of in the jug.

Conventional product sales totaled 3.1 billion pounds, down 3.1 percent from a year ago. Organic products, at 218 million pounds, were down 3.2 percent.

Whole milk sales totaled 1.2 billion pounds, up 0.1 percent from a year ago, up 0.7 percent year-to-date, and represented 34.3 percent of total milk sales for

the two months. Skim milk sales, at 173 million pounds, were down 8 percent from a year ago and 7 percent below a year ago.

Total packaged fluid sales for the two months amounted to 7.2 billion pounds, down 1.8 percent from 2022. Conventional product sales totaled 6.7 billion, down 2 percent. Organic products, at 476 million pounds, were up 1 percent, and represented 6.7 percent of total milk sales for the period.

One more positive note: the March 16 Daily Dairy Report says, “Sales of lactose-free and low-lactose milks are growing even more rapidly than plantbased alternatives. These milks include longstanding brands like Lactaid, as well as the newer ultrafiltered, nutrient-dense, high protein milks such as Fairlife and to a lesser degree the much newer A2 milks. While technically not low-lactose, A2 milk, which contains only the A2 protein, have been shown to prevent some symptoms for those who suffer from lactose malabsorption.”

Dairy margins were mixed over the first half of April, weakening in nearby periods while holding steady further out on the curve, according to the latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC.

“Continued pressure on Class III futures due to weakness in product prices was the culprit behind declining spot margins,” the Margin Watch stated, “with spot cheddar blocks and whey powder prices dropping to one and two-month lows. While Class IV prices have held up comparatively better with butter prices in a well-established trading range, spot nonfat dry milk is holding steady at a two-year low.”

The Margin Watch detailed February export data, the uptick in April 18’s GDT, and referenced the minimal changes for corn and soybean domestic balance sheets in the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. “Traders await the May report next month which will feature the first newcrop balance sheets for the upcoming 2023-24 crop year. Planting progress has begun across the U.S. Midwest with favorable weather over the first half of April,” the Margin Watch concluded.

The USDA’s latest Crop Progress report shows 8 percent of U.S. corn has been planted, as of the week ending April 16, up from 3 percent the previous week, 4 percent ahead of a year ago, and 3 percent ahead of the five-year average.

The report shows 4 percent of the soybeans are in the ground, 3 percent ahead of a year ago and 3 percent ahead of the five-year average. Late snow last week in the Midwest was delaying planting in a winter that doesn’t seem to want to end.

Lee Mielke is a syndicated columnist who resides in Everson, Wash. His weekly column is featured in newspapers across the country and he may be reached at lkmielke@juno.com. v

MILKER’S MESSAGE

Many different parties have a stake in new Farm Bill

The 2023 crop year will be the final year for the current Farm Bill, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2023, unless there is an extension. Farm Bills are one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation passed by Congress — with programs ranging from farm commodity programs to food and nutrition programs, from conservation programs to rural development programs, and several more.

FARM PROGRAMS

over 1,000 pages in length, and contains 12 separate Titles which cover a multitude of programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

What are the key issues in the Farm Bill for farm organizations and commodity groups?

By Kent Thiesse MARKETING

In many cases, finalizing a Farm Bill can be quite controversial — both along political party lines and geographical differences — with members of Congress wanting to protect the farm, food, conservation and economic interests of their state.

When Congress went on its Easter break in early April, it seemed like we are at “halftime” in the Farm Bill debate. Both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have been holding hearings related to the new Farm Bill, and most farm organizations and other interest groups have weighed in on their ideas and proposals. However, at this point, there has not been a formalized Farm Bill put forward by either body of Congress.

Following are some key questions commonly raised regarding passage of a Farm Bill:

What is a Farm Bill and why is it so important?

When most people hear of a “Farm Bill,” they think of the commodity programs and payments that affect crop producers. Some people may be aware crop insurance and conservation programs are included under the Farm Bill’ and some are knowledgeable that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food stamps are part of the Farm Bill legislation. However, very few people outside of government officials and policy experts are aware the Farm Bill also covers funding for rural fire trucks and ambulances, export promotion, international food aid, forestry programs, agriculture research and extension education at land-grant universities, and school lunch programs. The current Farm Bill passed in 2018 was

Most crop producers and ag lenders will highlight a sound working crop insurance program as the “centerpiece” for a solid risk management plan in a farm operation. Most crop insurance premiums are subsidized at a rate of 60-65 percent by the federal government as part of the Farm Bill. Some members of Congress and some organizations are calling for some changes and modifications to the current Federal Crop Insurance program, while most farm organizations are lobbying to keep the current program. Many farm organizations would like to see a continuation of current crop commodity programs, offering a choice between the county revenue-based Ag Risk Coverage (ARC-CO) program, or the price-only Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. Some commodity groups are pushing for increased crop reference (guaranteed) prices in the next Farm Bill, given the current higher crop input costs. The dairy margin protection program and sugar support programs are also included under the commodity title of the Farm Bill.

What role does the SNAP program play in passing a Farm Bill ?

The Nutrition Title, which includes the SNAP program (food stamps), the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program, and school lunch program, will probably be debated more than any other Title during Farm Bill hearings in 2023. The Nutrition Title will account for over 80 percent of annual federal spending allocated under the next Farm Bill and affects every Congressional District in the United States. Several billion dollars were added to the Nutrition Title budget base as part of Covid relief legislation and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Some members of Congress would like to separate the Nutrition Title from the Farm

Bill. However, most agriculture policy experts warn funding for ag commodity programs and crop insurance could become much more difficult if the SNAP program and the other nutrition programs are removed from the Farm Bill.

What role will climate change initiatives have on the new Farm Bill ?

Climate change and carbon sequestration have definitely been part of Congressional Farm Bill discussions up to this point and will likely be referenced in the final version of a new Farm Bill. Most farm organizations would like to see these “climate-smart” initiatives be implemented on a voluntary basis through existing programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. However, other groups and some members of Congress would like these initiatives become established requirements for receiving Farm Bill benefits through crop insurance and commodity programs.

What is the “CBO Baseline” and what role does that play in passing a new Farm Bill?

Three times each year, the Congressional Budget Office releases projections for federal spending on Farm Bill-related programs … estimates for the current federal fiscal year (ends on Sept. 30) plus the next ten years through the 2032-33 fiscal year. The current CBO estimates (released in February) are being used to set budget parameters for the new Farm Bill.

Increasing funding in specific titles in the Farm Bill beyond the CBO

baseline can be quite difficult for Congress, unless there are budget reductions in some other aspects of the Farm Bill. Some members of Congress would like to reduce the estimated overall federal budget outlay over the next 10 years for the Farm Bill, below the CBA baseline projections.

What is the estimated cost of the new Farm Bill ?

The current CBO baseline estimate for Federal budget expenditures over the next ten years (2024-2033) is $1.5 trillion, or an average of $150 billion per year, which would become the first trillion dollar Farm bill in in history. The projected baseline budget is 65 percent higher than when the last Farm Bill was passed in 2018, which had an estimated 10-year CBO baseline of $860 billion, or an average $86 billion per year.

What is the projected breakdown of spending in the new Farm Bill?

The current CBO estimate for expenditures over the next ten years (2024-2033) for the various titles in the Farm Bill are: Nutrition Title — $1.2 trillion (82 percent of total) or $120 billion per year (76 percent of total in 2018); Crop Insurance Title — $97.1 billion (7 percent of total) or $9.71 billion per year (9 percent of total in 2018); Commodity Title — $61.8 billion (4 percent of total) or $6.18 billion per year (7 percent of total in 2018); Conservation Title — $57.5 billion (4 percent of total) or $5.75 billion per year (7 percent of total in 2018); and all other Titles — $19.5 billion (less than 1 percent of

See

pg. 17

Grain Outlook Line to buy corn is very short

The following marketing analysis is for the week ending April 21.

CORN — We were treated to choppy trade early in the week in the corn market before bearish influences overwhelmed traders. An absence of fresh export sales, fund selling, and variable Midwestern weather pushed July prices to their lowest since late March. The December contract took out last month’s low and was nearly 25 cents off this week’s high. Early week strength came from weather that ranged from a winter blizzard to heavy rains with cooler temperatures.

More noise from Russia about not extending the Black Sea grain agreement beyond the May 18 expiration date added to supply uncertainty. Russia wants sanctions lifted to make it easier for them to sell their grain, fertilizer, etc. to customers. Russia interrupted grain inspections over the weekend before resuming them on April 18. The uncertainty over this region stays heightened. Some EU countries were halting the importation of cheap Ukrainian grains that were dampening grain prices. Poland reached an agreement where Ukrainian grain could transit through the country, but not unload the grain. Other countries were working through their plans. The EU was also preparing a plan to supplement payments to farmers in bordering states who were hurt by Ukrainian imports.

I will stay with my assumption that U.S. planting will proceed at an average pace. It’s estimated that as of April 23 U.S. corn planting will reach 15-20 percent complete. As of April 16, corn planting was 8 percent complete. Remember last year that by May 1 Minnesota had no corn planted, Illinois was 7 percent planted, and Wisconsin was 1 percent planted. All went on to have record yields.

The 90-day forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released this week didn’t forecast any growing season obstacles. Brazil’s safrinha corn crop is essentially planted with favorable weather in the short-term forecast. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange pegged Argentina’s corn harvest at 15 percent complete vs. 27 percent complete on average.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture did not announce any fresh daily export sales flashes and

Cash Grain Markets

grain and fertilizer to global customers. The current agreement ends on May 18.

Flooding in the Corn Belt has closed and will close portions of the mid- and upper Mississippi River; but Gulf values are not indicating there is any panic for supplies.

Uncertainty over what the Federal Reserve will do with interest rates at their May meeting was also cited as pressuring prices.

For the week, May corn fell 3 cents to $6.63.25, July plummeted 20.5 cents to $6.15.25, and December was 12 cents lower at $5.48 per bushel.

A little December corn history: since 2000, the time frame from January to November before expiration, the high was in May five times and in June five times.

the weekly sales report had the lowest old crop sales figure in 14 weeks. Weekly sales were 12.3 million bushels for old crop to bring total commitments to 1.5 billion bushels. This is 33 percent behind last year when the USDA is expecting a 25 percent decline in year-on-year exports. New crop sales were 16.6 million bushels with total commitments at 95.4 million bushels vs. 132.4 million bushels last year by this date. New crop sales were almost non-existent at 100,000 bushels. New crop total commitments are just 65 million bushels compared to 373.4 million bushels on the books last year.

Weekly ethanol production was up 6.8 percent for the week at 1.02 million barrels per day which was an eight-week high and a new record for this week. Ethanol stocks were up 165,000 barrels at 25.3 million barrels. Margins fell by 8 cents to 31 cents per gallon. Gasoline demand was at a nine-week low at 8.52 million bpd.

After recent economic reports, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange FedWatch estimates there is an 83 percent chance the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates 25 basis points at their May meeting.

A United Nations report this week predicted India could surpass China as the world’s most populous country by the middle of this year. India is estimated to have 1.43 billion people by July.

Outlook: A lack of demand was felt this week without any new sales announcements. The May/ July corn inverse continued to grow this week, reaching 48.5 cents for a new contract high. Cash and futures have converged so this may be the high point. Many locations have already moved their bids vs. the July.

The Black Sea grain initiative remains in doubt with Russia crying “foul” that sanctions have not been lifted to allow it easier for them to sell their

SOYBEANS — Soybeans jumped higher out of the gate to begin the week, only to be stymied by midweek as Brazil’s soybean and meal basis slid lower and on a lack of demand interest. Weakness was also seen in the soy products. Soybean prices posted new lows for the month late in the week.

Brazilian soybeans are headed to the east coast of the United States. It was reported that 79,000 metric tons of soybeans would be shipped from northern Brazil to the United States between now and May 1. Brazil’s soybean basis has crumbled to 19-year lows, according to a research center at the University of Sao Paulo.

Weekly export sales were dismal and below the lowest estimate at 3.7 million bushels — the lowest in four weeks. Total old crop commitments at 1.85 billion bushels are 12 percent behind last year. The USDA is forecasting a 6.6 percent decline in year-onyear exports. China imported 4.8 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in March, up 43 percent from last year. China’s bean imports from Brazil in March were down 42 percent from last year at 1.67 mmt due to Brazil’s slow start to harvest.

The BAGE put Argentina’s soybean harvest at 16.2 percent complete vs. 42 percent. They dropped soybean production by 2.5 mmt to 22.5 mmt. The USDA is at 27 mmt. Argentina’s growers have been slow to respond to the soy dollar exchange rate. In the first four days of the program, as of April 17, they have sold an estimated 442,000 metric tons vs. 1.1 mmt being sold in the same time slot of the previous program.

The March National Oilseed Processors Association report was better than expected with 185.8 million bushels crushed compared to estimates for 183.4 million bushels. This was the highest crush on record for March and the highest in five months. Soyoil stocks were 1.85 billion pounds compared to the 1.867 billion pounds estimated.

Outlook: U.S. soybeans are not competitive on the world stage and prices are a reflection of that situation. There are expectations Brazilian soybean

Remember anhydrous safety this Spring

ST. PAUL — Many farmers and applicators will soon apply anhydrous ammonia (NH3) prior to planting or sidedress after planting. Even with a rush against time and the weather, safety should never be compromised. Accidents involving anhydrous ammonia have proven how dangerous and deadly the chemical can be when not handled properly.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is providing the following tips to farmers and applicators so they can safely apply anhydrous ammonia: Always wear appropriate goggles and gloves. Never wear contact lenses.

Be sure to have a clean, adequate emergency water supply of at least five gallons.

Exercise caution when making connections and disconnections as if lines contain anhydrous ammonia.

Stand upwind when connecting, disconnecting, bleeding lines, or transferring NH3. Also, close, bleed, disconnect, and secure valves and transfer lines when taking breaks or disconnecting lines, and be sure to handle hose end valves by the valve body. Position equipment away and downwind from homes, people and livestock.

Safety is also key to those maintaining anhydrous ammonia equipment. Never assume NH3 lines are empty, always wear proper protective equipment, and have access to safety water.

When towing a nurse tank down the road, drive sensibly. Do not go any faster than 30 miles per hour, display a slow-moving vehicle emblem visible from the rear, and be sure the tank is secured to the tractor or truck with two separate, independent chains which supplement the hitch pin/clip.

If an accident or spill occurs, immediately call 911 and then the Minnesota Duty Officer at (800) 4220798 or (651) 649-5451.

More safety, storage and transportation information can be found on the MDA’s website at www.mda. state.mn.us/nh3.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v

Soybean Research Network offers free newsletter

DES MOINES — As the spring planting season has started in some areas, the Soybean Research and Information Network (SRIN) is providing soybean

farmers insights, timely information and infographics to help them optimize profit. While maximizing yields is always connected to additional revenue,

Little talk of Farm Bill extension

THIESSE, from pg. 15

total or $1.95 billion per year (1 percent of total in 2018). It should be noted an additional $34.7 billion (2 percent) was allocated to conservation programs as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

What if a new Farm Bill is not passed this year?

If no agreement can be reached on a new Farm Bill by the end of 2023, an alternative may be a oneyear extension of the current Farm Bill for 2024 to allow continuation of the programs under the current Farm Bill. This would maintain programs which may be discontinued without a new Farm Bill, or an extension of the current Farm Bill. This would also allow time for Congress to work out differences between various versions of a new Farm Bill. There have been one-year extensions in the past prior to the final passage of recent Farm Bills.

What is the likelihood of passing a new Farm Bill in 2023?

The Congressional Agriculture Committee leadership in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House has been very committed to having a new Farm Bill completed by the end of 2023, with very little talk of an extension to the current Farm Bill. There are still a lot of hurdles to clear before a new Farm Bill is finalized and approved by both houses of Congress, and ultimately is sent to President Biden for final approval. This will likely need to happen by the end of 2023 or very early in 2024 to make it possible for the new legislation to be implemented for the 2024 crop year. Ultimately, there will likely be a compromise reached, and a new five-year Farm Bill will be passed. However, given the political division that currently exists in Congress, a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill is certainly a possibility by the end of 2023.

Kent Thiesse is a government farm programs analyst and a vice president at MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal, Minn. He may be reached at (507) 726-2137 or kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com.

Soybean futures looking weak

NYSTROM, from pg. 16

imports into the United States will continue to be attractive.

The weather may slow planting, but with today’s equipment it’s too early to be trading late planting. Funds were net sellers this week, but they are still holding a modest net long position. The July and November soybean contracts made fresh lows for the month with a poor ending to the week.

For the week, May soybeans tumbled 17 cents to $14.83.5, July fell 18.25 cents to $14.49, and November declined 16.25 cents to $12.85.25 per bushel. May meal was down $14 at $445.70 and May soyoil was 26 ticks lower at 53.40.

Weekly price changes in May wheat for the week ended April 21: Chicago wheat was 20.75 cents lower at $6.61.75, Kansas City plunged 38 cents to $8.40.75, and Minneapolis crumbled 29.25 cents to $8.47 per bushel.

SRIN is also focused on other research funded by the soy checkoff to drive additional value opportunities to U.S. soybean farms.

According to Cate Newberg, manager of the SRIN program, those research areas can range from offering a soybean planting date guide to research about soil management, pest control and seed selection.

“Soybean farmers know that successful soybean planting is about far more than dropping seeds in the ground and hoping for rain,” Newberg said. “Thanks to farmer-funded research, a number of other factors are coming into focus, including soil health, the use of cover crops, reducing tillage, using biologicals and adding organic matter. Today’s research is showing that great soybean crops have their roots in a holistic approach to managing the crop, starting at and before planting season.”

Research highlighted on the SRIN website (www. soybeanresearchinfo.com) and in the free weekly SRIN email newsletter also is focused on threats to the soybean crop — including pests such as soybean aphids, spider mites, nematodes and whiteflies.

Seed selection is another critical factor for soybean farmers. The SRIN’s research has shown that choosing the right seed can make a significant difference in yield potential. Farmers should consider factors such as disease resistance, maturity, and yield potential when selecting soybean seeds, according to Newberg.

The monthly SRIN newsletter helps soybean farmers stay up-to-date on the latest research in which they invest through the soy checkoff. A subscription to the free newsletter can be requested by visiting https://soybeanresearchinfo.com/check-in-on-checkoff-research.

This article was submitted by the Soybean Research and Information Network.

Random prize drawing will be held on August 4, 2023 from all cards received by then. No purchase necessary.

Rural Finance Authority offers zero-interest loans

2023 Subscription Form

Please complete the form below.

Sign and date, include your check and put it in the mail. I own or operate 80+ acres of Minnesota and/or Northern Iowa ag cropland, raise 25+ head of livestock or am actively involved in agribusiness.

Full Year Voluntary Subscription:  $49  Other

I do not qualify but would like a one-year subscription. Full

Important – Please check all boxes that best match your farming operation.

ST. PAUL — The Rural Finance Authority Board has declared an emergency for all 87 counties in the State of Minnesota in response to this winter’s excessive snow and winds. This makes zero-interest Disaster Recovery Loans available for Minnesota farmers whose operations have sustained physical property damage or loss of livestock since January 2023.

“The RFA Board’s declaration is an important step in helping Minnesota farmers affected by the extreme weather we’ve experienced this winter,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “I encourage those who have endured damages to explore these zero-interest loans, especially if you were not insured or were underinsured.”

The Disaster Recovery Loan Program offers affordable financing to clean up, repair, or replace farm structures and replace livestock that may have been destroyed due to high winds and the weight of snow, sleet, and ice this year. The funds are available to farmers for expenses not covered by insurance. Eligible farmers will work with their local lender to secure the loans from the RFA.

More information, including full eligibility requirements, can be found at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/disasterloan.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v

New grain marketing tool launches

Stewart-Peterson Inc. recently announced the launch of Grain Market Insider, a newly created grain marketing newsletter. This new service will provide grain farmers with a trusted, rules-based approach to market commentary and actionable advice.

Grain Market Insider was created to provide farmers of all sizes with roughly five actionable cash grain recommendations per crop year, to allow even the best producers to improve their marketing decisions. Grain Market Insider will provide transparent, concise recommendations, along with an explanation on why those recommendations are suggested. The service includes easy to interpret signals, market summaries, weather, and more; all while removing the confusion from looking through multiple reports.

The information provided is backed by extensive research and will be delivered three times daily, in both emails and text message alerts. The service will also provide a handful of options recommendations each crop year.

“We are extremely proud of the newly created Grain Market Insider, along with the hard work and research our team has put into this project,” shared Scott Stewart, President and CEO of Stewart-Peterson. “Grain Market Insider is everything farmers need to

know and nothing more. The recommendations are easy to understand and are backed by 20 years of historical data.”

“We took the time to survey farmers to understand what they truly want to know, and also what they didn’t want,” explained Stewart. “We hope this to be a resource farmers will truly use and rely on. Grain Market Insider was developed with the farmer in mind throughout the entire process.”

Stewart-Peterson has been a farmerfirst company for over 35 years.

“Stewart-Peterson has a history of providing dependable tools farmers can trust, and Grain Market Insider is a true example of that,” said Brad Peterson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“We believe that most farmers are great producers and do a good job marketing as well,” explained Peterson.

“Our goal with Grain Market Insider is to conquer that final frontier and help even the good marketers become great.”

To learn more about Grain Market Insider, visit www.grainmarketinsider. com

This article was submitted by StewartPeterson Inc. v

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PARTS JD 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 55, 50 Series & newer tractors, AC-all models, Large Inventory, We ship! Mark Heitman Tractor Salvage 715-673-4829

Tillage Equip

FOR SALE: International 30’ vibrashank field cultivator, 3 bar tine harrow, near new 7” sweeps, $2,750. 651-503-5087

Classified line ads work! Call

507-345-4523

Spraying Equip

FOR SALE: 2006 Rogator 1074 SP sprayer, 3900 hrs, 1100 gal S/S tank, 80/90’ booms, 3 way nozzles, Raven SCS 4000 monitor, 5 shutoffs, JD ATU, very nice, $45,000. Road Boss 24’ triple axle trailer w/ 2000 gal tank, pump, inductor & chemical tanks. Both always shedded. Must see. Lamberton MN 507-828-1963

FOR SALE: Hardi high wheel sprayer, 80’ hyd fold, 3 way nozzles, 1000 RPM power shaft, got a rinse tank, a wash tank, updated monitor. Retired. 507-822-2188

FOR SALE: 2000 Hardy 500 gallon sprayer, 40-45’ Falcon boom, inductor 90 gallon rinse tank, always shedded. Cologne MN 952-466-2006

TEXKOTA SHEEP AND GOAT WALK THRU PANELS

These panels range from 4' to 1 0' in length. Typically we only stock 5'. Any size is available through special order in even foot increments.

The gate is filled with 4"x4" stockade panel 36" tall. The overall height of the gate is 50" and the frame is 7'. The walk through panels weigh approximately 12 lbs./ft This panel is framed with l" pipe and filled with 4"x4" stockade panel, unlike many competitors using concrete reinforcement panels.

ADVERTISING NOTICE: Please check your ad the first week it runs. We make every effort to avoid errors by checking all copy, but sometimes errors are missed. Therefore, we ask that you review your ad for correctness. If you find a mistake, please call (507) 345-4523 immediately so that the error can be corrected. We regret that we cannot be responsible for more than one week’s insertion if the error is not called to our attention. We cannot be liable for an amount greater than the cost of the ad. THE LAND has the right to edit, reject or properly classify any ad. Each classified line ad is separately copyrighted to THE LAND. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

TRACTORS

NEW NH T4.75, T4.90, T4.120 w/loader On Order

NEW NH Workmaster 60, 50, 35’s/loaders On Order

NEW NH 25S Workmasters ...…......…. On Order

NEW Massey Tractors ........................... On Order

NEW Massey 4710 w/loader ….......... COMING

NEW NH Boomer 40w/loader ….......… On Hand

3-New Massey GC1725 ……..................... Just In

’16 Massey 4608 rops w/loader …............. $39,900

Massey 1652/cab/loader …….......………. $37,900

’21 NH T7.260 ……….............………… $169,000

’19 NH T8.320 1100 hrs ……..…...…… $189,500

’18 NH T4.75 w/loader .............................. $52,500

’17 NH T4.75 w/loader ……..................… $51,000

’12 NH T9.560 2200hrs ……..........…… $249,000

TILLAGE

Sunflower 4610 9-24 …….............…… COMING

DMI Tigermate II 46.5 w/bskt ….....….…. $32,000

DMI Tigermate II 40.5 w/3bar ….…......… $25,900

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

NEW NH L318/L320/L328 wheeled units ....... On Hand

NEW NH C327/C337/C345 track units .......... On Order

NH L228 low hours ............................................ $44,900

HAY TOOLS

New Disc Mowers - 107,108,109

New Disc Mower Cond. - 10’, 13’

New Wheel Rakes - 10,12,14

New NH Hay Tools - ON HAND

Frontiern WR1010 wheel rake …….............……… $5,950

PLANTERS

JD 7200 12-30 w/LF ………........................…… $21,000 ’12 White 8222 w/liq ……..………...…………. $42,500 Taking 2023 New Spring Orders

COMBINES

NEW Geringhoff chopping cornhead Call ’02 Gleaner R62 …...............................……… $53,500 ’02 Gleaner R62 ……………...................……. $35,000 ’94 Gleaner R72 ………….......................…… $27,000 Gleaner R65 ……...............................…….. COMING Geringhoff parts & heads available

MISCELLANEOUS

NEW Salford RTS Units ........................................ Call NEW Unverferth Seed Tenders .............................. Call NEW Westfield Augers .......................................... Call NEW REM VRX Vacs. .......................................... Call NEW Hardi Sprayers ............................................. Call NEW Riteway Rollers ........................................... Call NEW Lorenz Snowblowers ................................... Call NEW Batco Conveyors ......................................... Call NEW Brent Wagons & Grain Carts ....................... Call NEW E-Z Trail Seed Wagons ................................ Call NEW Rock Buckets & Pallet Forks ...................... Call Pre-Owned Grain

Have an upcoming Auction?

Hay & Forage Equipment

FOR SALE: 900 NH chopper w/ heads, always shedded, excellent condition, $12,000;

(2) 14’ metal Chopper Boxes, always shedded, 1 is H&S 501, 1 is, Meyers 500, $3,500/ each. 612-508-6171

For Sale

Turn-Key Equestrian Facility with Beautiful Acreage

20.20 ± acres of Land & Improvements

5 Bedroom 4 Bathroom Ranch-Style Home Horse Barn Facility with Insulated Riding Area, Tack Room, Office, and Lounge. Includes 8 Large Indoor Stalls with Additional Outdoor Boarding Available.

Located 2 miles north of Mankato, Blue Earth County, MN

For property brochures, contact Hertz at 507-345-LAND (5263) WWW.HERTZ.AG

151 St. Andrews Court #1310, Mankato MN 56001

LIVE & ONLINE BIDDING ON HOBBY FARM/HORSE RANCH EQUIPMENT

MARING LLC

We Sell the Earth & Everything On It.

Auction Location: 33504 Warsaw Trail, Cannon Falls, MN 55009

Saturday, May 6, 2023 • 9:00 a.m.

COMPLETE DETAILS & BIDDING AT:

www.maringauction.com

JD 4240 & 4020 W/LOADER

JD 4240, 8997 Hrs, Quad, 3 Hyd., 3 Pt., 540/1000 PTO, Aux. Fuel Tank, 480x80R38, Very Clean; JD 4020, Syncro, 18.4x34, 2 Hyd., 3 Pt., 540/1000 PTO, Fenders, Workmaster 800 Hyd. Loader; JD Draw Bar, Center Link, Front Fenders

2 PLACE HORSE TRAILER, SADDLES AND TACK

‘94 W&W Tandem Axle Horse Trailer, 2 Place; (4) Western Pleasure Saddles; (4) Hanging Barn Fans; Assortment of Horse Tack

JD 468 ROUND BALER, 835 MOCO, HAYING EQUIPMENT

JD 468 Round Baler, 1 Owner, Silage Special, Kicker, Net/Twine, 1000 PTO, Monitor, 4’x5’, 4810 Bales, ; JD 835 MoCo, 1 Owner, 1000 PTO, Center Pivot, Discbine, 11’ Cut, Excellent; Mott 3 Pt. Offset 78” Flail Mower, 540 PTO; Meteor 87” SB87D-BK Snowblower, Double Auger, Hyd. Spout, 540 PTO; NH 130 Single Axle Manure Spreader, 540 PTO; JD 3 Pt. Disc, 13’; Brillion SS961 8’ Sure Stand 3 Pt. Seeder; JD F350A 3 Bottom Plow, Coulters, Hyd. Lift; 8’ Pull Type Field Digger; Farm Hand Single Axle Manure Spreader; (5) Flat Bed Hay Wagons w/Gears: (2) 8’x16’, (3)8’x14’; JBM Round Bale Hauler, 8 Bales, 22.5 Tires, Excellent; (2)3 Pt. Bale Spears; 24’ Bale Conveyor; (3) Horse Hay Feeders ; Round Bale Feeder; 2022 2nd Crop Hay Small Squares, 150 Bales, No Rain; 8’x4’ Chicken Coupe

Grain Handling Equipment

Grain Dryer SuperB brand, model SD250V, LP, single phase, working condition, 8”x22’ fill auger, 6”x10’ unload, $5,000/OBO. 952-451-2315

Livestock Equipment

FOR SALE: Common sense wire winder, smooth and barbed wire rollers, like new, used only once, $1,350. 320-304-2418

Wanted

All kinds of New & Used farm equipment - disc chisels, field cults, planters, soil finishers, cornheads, feed mills, discs, balers, haybines, etc. 507438-9782

WANTED: 38’ or 40’ aluminum Jet grain trailer, will consider Wilson, Timpte or Dakota. 507-276-5733

Livestock

FOR SALE: Black Angus bulls also Hamp, York, & Hamp/ Duroc boars & gilts. Alfred (Mike) Kemen 320-598-3790

Sell your livestock in The Land with a line ad. 507-345-4523

Cattle

POLLED HEREFORD BULLS, yearlings and 2 year olds, low birth weight, high performance, semen tested and delivery available. Jones Farms, Le Sueur, MN. 507-317-5996

Please support the advertisers you see here. Tell them you saw their ad in The Land!

'21 POLARIS XP1000 NORTHSTAR, (3)BANKS DEER STANDS

‘21 Polaris XP1000 Ranger NorthStar

Ultimate Crew, Ride Command, A/C, Heat, Nav, AM/FM Bluetooth Radio, Winch, Elec. Windows, Power Steering, Road/Turf & AT Tires, 2165 Miles, 337 Hrs,; (3) Banks Stump Deer Hunting Blinds: 1 & 2 Person Blinds

BOBCAT 751 SKID STEER

Bobcat 751 Dsl Skid Loader, 1508 Act One Owner Hrs, Aux. Hyd., Hand Controls, Cab, 60” Material Bucket, Very Clean ; Set of Hand Controls for Bobcat 751 Skid Loader; Skid Loader Bale Spear

SHIPPING CONTAINER, LAWN & GARDEN ITEMS

Shipping Container, 20’x8’x8.5’; Fimco 25 Gal Sprayer, 12V, 10’ Booms; 250 Gal. Poly Tank, Fits in Pickup Box; 15” Wagon Tires; 62” 3 Pt. Scarifier; JD 190cc Push Mower ; 3 Pt. Broom; 4’x8’ Utility Trailer; Acreage 44” Pull Type Mower; Cushman Truckster, Onan Gas, Hyd. Dump Box, 5818 Hrs; Rigid Pull Type Spreader; American Stove Co. WWII Stove; Avalon Parlor Wood Burning Stove; Agri Fab 17 Cubic Ft Lawn Trailer; Torch Set w/Tanks; (50) Commercial Stacking Chairs

’46 FORD COUPE, ‘30 CHEVY TRUCK

‘46 Ford Coupe, 2 Door, Flat Head 6 Cylinder, Title; ‘30 Chevy 1 Ton Pickup

Vincent & Cynthia Cockriel

OWNERS/SELLERS

MARING AUCTION, LLC.

PO Box 37, Kenyon, MN 55946 507-789-5421 • 800-801-4502

Matt Maring Lic# 25-28

Kevin Maring Lic# 25-70

Adam Engen Lic# 25-93

Andrew Hamilton Lic# 50-128

Registered Polled Hereford yearling bulls for sale. Have had all shots, poured and semen tested. Halter broke and broke to lead. Fantastic growth EPD’s!

Swine

FOR SALE: Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, cross bred boars, and gilts. Top quality. Excellent herd health. No PRSS. Delivery available. 320-760-0365

Spot, Duroc, Chester White, Boars & Gilts available. Monthly PRRS and PEDV. Delivery available. Steve Resler. 507-456-7746

Miscellaneous

PARMA DRAINAGE PUMPS

New pumps & parts on hand. Call Minnesota’s largest distributor

HJ Olson & Company 320-974-8990 Cell - 320-212-5336

REINKE IRRIGATION

Sales & Service

New & Used

AKC REG. COCKER SPANIEL

PUPS. NEW Big Litters! 50% OFF!!! Shots & wormed. 920-563-3410 Mornings.(#268588) (mcn)

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Sheep

Will deliver. Klages Herefords, Ortonville, MN. 320-273-2163(H) 605-8800521(C)

550 ewe lambs from OPP tested negative flock. 605-864-8811 or 605-997-2060

For your irrigation needs 888-830-7757 or 507-276-2073 www.thelandonline.com

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This

week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Staff Writer Laura Cole.

Goofy or not, goats please a crowd

In 2008, Diane Bisch wanted “just one” goat. Today, she and her husband, Mark, along with Mark’s sister, Joyce Miller, own and operate the Goofy Goat Farm outside of Madison Lake, Minn. There is more than one goat at the farm.

Mark stated the current herd of 65 is all cross bred, mostly a Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy cross. “I always had a love for them,” Mark commented. He had goats for a couple of years when he was 10 or 12 years old.

When the pandemic began in 2020, they noticed an increase in people stopping to look at the goats. Mark estimates they currently have about 200 visitors a week. Many come locally, but some drive from locations such as Owatonna, Rochester and Sleepy Eye.

The Goofy Goat Farm is open seven days a week during daylight hours, free of cost. Picnic tables and a playset with swings and a slide are outside of the pen. Diane encourages visitors to bring a blanket if they’d like to sit inside the enclosure with the goats.

“People get a lot of enjoyment,” Diane stated.

Mark and Diane have names for all of the goats, although visitors tend to come up with their own monikers. Toddy Casper, a recent visitor with his brother, Georgie, named a few after some of his favorite athletes: Kevin Fiala, Jared Spurgeon, and Justin Jefferson. Of spending time with the goats, Toddy remarked, “I think it’s a lot of fun.”

It’s rewarding for Mark to be able to bring happiness to others. “I want people to come here to be themselves and relax,” he said.

The farm has been a site for many schoolrelated field trips. It’s important to Mark that children learn fundamentals such as where their food comes from. “We gotta get back to basics,” he stated. “They can get a small concept of it here and then take it and run.”

The location is certainly a peaceful environment to listen to the sounds of nature and watch the goats interact. Once food comes into the picture, the goats’ demeanors tend to shift from tranquil to enthusiastic. They like to eat! Mark shared that some of the goats’ favorites are greens, crackers and cereal.

Visitors can bring food for them (no meat, please); or, for a quarter, they can purchase feed from the available machines. Guests can even bring their Christmas trees after the holidays for the goats’ enjoyment. Mark noted they avoid eating anything that would harm them.

In a neighboring pen, there are also donkeys and horses. For safety, visitors must stay out of their enclosure. Mark and Diane plan to have their sheep join the location in the near future.

It’s currently kidding season at the farm. Between April 19 and the first of May, 30-40 does are expected to give birth. There are also plans for a Goat Yoga session to be held on May 13 as part of the 2023 Governor’s Fishing Opener event being held in Mankato. The proceeds will go to a non-profit organization.

The Goofy Goat Farm is located at 23802 610 Avenue, Madison Lake, Minn.

Toddy’s advice: “Bring some salad.”

Madison Lake, Minn.

BeforeREPAIR VS. REPLACE

Why would you spend money to replace an existing metal roof when it can be rejuvenated to look and perform like new?

HOW IT WORKS:

1. The roof is thoroughly cleaned.

2. Fasteners are tightened. Missing fasteners are replaced. Sealant is applied to any fasteners that are no longer watertight.

3. Seams and flashing are treated with sealants, reinforcements and fabrics.

4. If needed, a primer is applied to increase adhesion.

5. The elastomeric basecoat is applied.

6. The elastomeric topcoats are applied.

ADDED BENEFITS OF METAL ROOF RESTORATION:

• Restoring the roof is less expensive and less disruptive than replacing the roof

• Seals deteriorated fasteners

• Restores wind resistance

• Treats and controls rust

• Seals seams and flashings

• Improves building aesthetics

• Reduces metal roof movement

• Repairs hail or mechanical damage

• Limits tear-off and waste generation

• Can be recoated in the future