In terms of parenting, I’m currently in the season of chauffeur. It’s a word I struggle to pronounce and a job I sometimes struggle to enjoy.
In the early years of baby boogie classes, it was always at the moment we were supposed to be heading out the door that I was instead searching frantically for the right colored leotard or a missing ballet shoe … and always, my keys.
There can be opinions about the nature of today’s organized sports. I get it. It’s very often my daughter’s interests that shape the schedule; her practice times determine when (so therefore, what) dinner will be. And while maintaining a balance is vital, so is learning valuable lessons. My dad learned grit and tenacity from moving outhouses. His granddaughter learns them through pirouettes and arabesques. He wouldn’t choose either option, but I know which one she would.
By Laura Coleents. We’re finally seeing green grass again, flowers are blooming, even the sky looks happier.
Springtime concerts, recitals and banquets are pretty common occurrences to begin the end of the school year procession. I’m on year 9, I think, of attending my daughter’s spring dance recital. Her ballet company has a theme each year and each group plays a part to tell the story. At every performance there are a few exuberant waves to loved ones from the littlest dancers costumed as puppies, clouds and piglets. Each year there’s at least one bashful bluebird or bunny who needs a helping hand to brave the stage. The audience wants to cheer to let them know they’re doing great, but instead we smile as loudly as we can in encouragement as not to spook the small woodland creature.
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Being in Minnesota, there’s a fair amount of leaving a warm house to head into the cold and drive in the dark. Living outside of city limits, there’s also plenty of waiting in parking lots. And somewhere before, after, or in between practices brings the task of figuring out an evening meal.
But perspective impacts a whole lot. “It’s a charmed life, considering” is something I’ve written while parked and waiting in the driver’s seat as a kind of literary thwack upside the head. When it comes down to it, those drives often turn out to be one of my favorite parts of the day. Talking and laughing about random nonsense is one of our greatest strengths as a mother/daughter duo. And there is really no greater sense of pride than when someone of a younger generation appreciates a song or two from your own time and beyond. While my daughter has made a worthy effort to keep me up to speed with the present, I, in exchange, have made sure she’s acquainted with Isaac, Taylor, and Zac from my era of music, and John, Paul, George, and Ringo from my parents’.
It’s always nice to hear when she “doesn’t hate” a song from the ‘90s or 2000s. Sometimes there’s a moment of panic. “This isn’t Hanson, is it?” As long as I say it’s not, the head bopping can safely resume.
At some point, after countless frozen walks to and from the car, temperatures begin to rise, and snow — in true Minnesota goodbye fashion — finally bids us farewell.
I’ve only ever lived in the Midwest, but I’d guess this time of year is more welcomed here than anywhere else. Besides the promise of summer vacation on the horizon, the last dirt snowbanks have left the store parking lots. Elementary students are done shoving snow pants into lockers. Middle schoolers who refuse to wear winter coats no longer have to hide their shivers from exasperated par-
It’s during those quick few minutes on stage when “the why” really dawns. Why we add chaos to the calendar and pay the bills that come with it. Happiness plays the leading role, and also there is progress, pride and accomplishment. It’s something that’s all their own. The year’s worth of 45 minutes here and 60 minutes there transform into things like character and fortitude. Maybe for you, it’s not a recital that resonates, but rather the hard work behind county fair preparation or FFA competitions. Maybe even moving the outhouse.
It’s not with every life situation that you get two hours in auditorium seating or bleachers to reflect. Sometimes you don’t realize your child isn’t really a child anymore until you can’t remember the last time something was. The last held hand to cross the street. The last held hand just because. Do you ever hear a video recording of a tiny little voice and wonder when in the world did that change?
After the curtain falls, I always rise from my seat believing the sacrifices to be worth it. The challenge, I know, is to fight through the normalcy throughout the rest of the year and to be thankful for it. Every spring I look back and say, “That wasn’t that bad.”
We made it through the cold and the ice. I often tell myself I should have done more with my time. But (un)lucky for me, it’s a guarantee there will always be a long winter coming up to try again.
When my daughter was really little, with not as much vocabulary, I’d often end the night asking her, “Happiness?” and she’d respond, “Happiness.” The days are longer; hope is dancing through the air. Happy Spring, everyone.
Laura Cole is the staff writer of The Land. She may be reached at lcole@TheLandOnline.com.
Long before the arrival of ATVs, UTVs, and even color TVs, the most-used implement on the southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth was our own two feet.
Everyone from my parents to Uncle Honey to the hired men walked everywhere every day without complaint or, as often was the case for my brothers and me, shoes.
My mother walked more than any of us. For decades, she was on her feet from before dawn until well after dark cleaning, cooking, canning, baking and doing laundry. You name it, Mom did it on her feet … and in a hurried, keep-up! pace.
Dad probably walked as much but his stride was less urgent. His day began with a starlit, 300-yard walk to
the milking parlor and, after two hours of backand-forth shuffling between cows (alongside the farm’s born shuffler, herdsman Howard) Dad walked home for breakfast.
After that it was work, work, work and walk, walk, walk.
Noon dinner and a brief nap broke Dad and Mom’s on-their-feet routine.
Then, right at 1 p.m., an afternoon of more working and more walking ensued until 4, when Dad would walk back to the house for a “lunch.” Ten minutes later he was walking to the dairy barn for two more hours of the milking parlor shuffle with ever-shuffling Howard.
Harry and Jackie Hoch of Hoch Orchard and Gardens are in the process of securing successors for their established orchard and cider business in La Crescent, Minn. In the meantime, they are beginning to downsize farm operations, including reducing livestock on the farm.
In their continued efforts to give beginning farmers an advantage, the Hochs are planning a livestock giveaway contest to rehome their lamb and pork breeding stock.
Renewing the Countryside, Marbleseed, Sustainable Farming Association, Land Stewardship Project and Practical Farmers of Iowa are teaming up to hold a regional contest to rehome three pastured/orchard pigs (two sows and a boar) and 12 sheep (11
ewes and one ram).
Eligible candidates must live in relatively reasonable distance to the Hoch’s farm in southeastern Minnesota and have relevant livestock knowledge, experience and infrastructure, as well as adequate pasture to sustain the animals. Winners are expected to continue raising the awarded animals on pasture using organic methods.
Applications must be submitted by May 15 and can be found at https:// www.farmlandaccesshub.org/hochorchard-gardens.
Winners will be announced May 19 and animals must be relocated within the first week of June.
The article was submitted by Renewing the Countryside. v
Finally, around 7 p.m., Dad would make another quiet, alone walk home to another quiet, alone supper.
Those walks ended in the late 1960s when, after nearly 20 years of farming, Dad bought a used Ford pick-up truck. It had two purposes: to carry an equally-used pick-up camper a couple of times a year and to carry Dad to and from the dairy barn daily.
It was a mid-1960s plowhorse, not a 2020’s bejeweled showhorse. It had a bent tailgate, a clattering, six cylinder engine, and a three-speed-on-the-tree transmission. Its air conditioning was two hand-cranked windows; its power steering was your two arms; and its spring-filled bench seat sported the finest, cracked blue vinyl Detroit ever sold.
My brothers and I followed Dad’s cue. As we approached our mid-teen years, each of us traded our growing feet for rubber tires, gasoline engines, and the rush of wind through our crew-cut hair.
Oldest brother Rich acquired a highmileage Cushman motor scooter. It was fat-tired, primer gray, and almost impossible to start. Still, when running, it was a dream machine to any farm boy.
Shortly thereafter, second-oldest David purchased a solidly-built, homemade go-kart. It sat about four inches off the ground, a real hazard on our crowned rock road, but its baby Briggs & Stratton engine pushed it past 20 miles per hour.
It inspired me to weld together a short-lived duplicate — short-lived because Dad preferred his garden tiller engine on his garden tiller.
I soon out-machined everyone, though. Through an advertisement in Boys’ Life magazine, I bought (for only $69!) a sparkling blue, factory-made minibike. The purchase included a frame, wheels, handlebars, hand throttle, chain, centrifugal clutch, and the promise of unparalleled freedom.
Mom was furious I had purchased a “deathtrap” without her permission. For days, she predicted I would break my arm or neck — “Or both!” — the first time I rode it. I assured her that nothing of the sort would ever happen.
Then, on my maiden voyage across a frozen soybean stubble field, I crashed. Hard.
My arms and neck were fine; my pride and the minibike’s right handlebar were in pieces. Somehow I got the broken machine back to the farm shop without Mom’s notice. There, David, a better welder than me, tacked the deathtrap back together.
That minibike, again as good as new, ended my farm walking days forever. Better yet, I explored every back road, field road, and road shoulder — all without a license for the minibike or myself — within 15 miles of the farm.
Two years ago, my speedy, twowheeling days ended for good with a crash on my bicycle to make me, again, a full-time walker.
Pride, it’s said, comes before a fall. True enough, and it’s usually feet that come after it.
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
As Minnesotans, one of our most valued, culturally important resources is our natural public lands. Whether you enjoy strolling along an urban floodplain forest or turkey hunting at a favorite wildlife management area, people across the state find diverse ways to cherish these spaces. Realizing the importance of natural public lands, communities across Minnesota have supported funding to improve and expand these landscapes. These protected and restored natural public lands provide valuable habitat for wildlife. They also offer quality outdoor experiences such as hiking, hunting, bird watching, kayaking, and fishing for current and future generations.
Unlike some parts of Minnesota, the Cannon River watershed doesn’t have an abundance of public land. About 97 percent of the land is privately owned and primarily used for agriculture. However, many landowners in the Cannon River watershed have a strong conservation ethic and want to leave a lasting environmental legacy by permanently protecting the natural habitats of the region.
Through the Cannon River Watershed Habitat Protection and Restoration Program, these conservation-minded landowners have revitalized opportunities to leave a lasting legacy with their property. This program, a collaboration between the non-profit organizations Clean River Partners, the Trust for Public Land, Great River Greening, and in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, was formed to increase publicly accessible lands and restore habitat in the Cannon River watershed.
Last year, local landowners worked with the Trust for Public Land and the DNR to add 138 acres to the Prairie Creek WMA near Dennison, Minn. and open the new Medford WMA — 153 acres of land that includes over a mile of Straight River shoreline near Medford, Minn.
Initially within this partnership, TPL works with landowners to reach a land purchasing agreement and transition the property into the public domain. “We couldn’t do this habitat conservation work without help from our outreach partners at Clean River Partners. The overlapping conservation efforts
of our organizations are critical for achieving ecological integrity within the Cannon River watershed,” said Nick Bancks, Project Manager for the TPL.
When landowners and TPL reach an agreement to transfer land ownership, the Minnesota DNR can then begin to work with organizations like Great River Greening to restore habitat on these newly
protected areas. Restoring habitat leads to greater biodiversity, increased ecological function, and improved outdoor experiences for people in these natural spaces.
The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed in 2008, established the Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF) to enhance and conserve natural habitats. In the Cannon River watershed, the OHF has been a crucial resource for the Cannon River Watershed Habitat Protection and Restoration Program. Since 2011, this Program has created eight new WMAs and a new Aquatic Management Area (AMA). It has also expanded seven WMAs and a Scientific Natural Area (SNA). These efforts have permanently protected more than 2,900 acres of high quality habitat within the Cannon River watershed. Ecological restorations and enhancements that began in 2018 have improved over 330 acres, with 1,100 more acres of habitat improvements underway.
If you own land and are interested in learning how to best protect the valuable habitat on your property, contact Clean River Partner’s Conservation Program Manager Alan Kraus at alan@cleanriverpartners.org.
To learn more about Clean River Partners and their habitat preservation work, visit www.cleanriverpartners.org. v
ST. PAUL — Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2023 have additional time to apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The deadline to apply has been extended to May 31 to accommodate all potential applicants that are waiting on legislative action on cannabis. To date, over 230 people have applied for an MDA hemp license.
Those interested in applying for a license will need to complete a paper application available at hemp.
mda@state.mn.us. Along with the paper application, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. All paper applications must be postmarked by May 31 to be accepted.
Questions about the MDA’s Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or (651) 201-6600.
This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v
Sunday mornings in our home are bustling as everyone gets ready for church. Eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth and hair, and trying to find matching socks is most definitely tricky in our house. Doing it all within a halfhour period is extraordinary.
But doing it all without anyone shedding a tear or getting angry would be a miracle we’re still praying for.
One particular Sunday morning, I was giving instructions to my younger children, attempting to get them all up to tempo so that we could leave on time — while attempting to brush my teeth. Once I finished waving my toothbrush around like an insane maestro and returned to the bathroom, I could see my youngest child hiding in the shower.
I asked him to come out and finish getting ready for church. From his reflection in the mirror, I could
tell he was acting rather sheepish. I asked him what was wrong and immediately his chin began to quiver, and he became weepy — yet he insisted that he was fine. Again, I asked him what was the matter. He responded by trying to hide deeper within the shower.
I sat on the bench in my bathroom, positioned so I could look at my son. He moved toward me with his hands covering his face and told me he had an accident. I wrapped him in a hug, reassuring him I was not angry. I helped him get cleaned up, and we happily continued our day.
Later on, I contemplated the earlier incident and became sad. I felt sad that my son thought he had to hide. Indeed, he was embarrassed, but what caused him to hide? Was he afraid of how I might react?
My thoughts then turned to a Bible passage I
ST. PAUL — Minnesota educators looking for unique summer professional development opportunities are invited to explore Minnesota Ag in the Classroom’s Summer Teacher Tours. Four tours will be offered this June and July in different regions of the state, providing educators with multiple options to experience Minnesota agriculture in action.
“From touring a turkey farm to adventuring in the North Woods, this year’s Summer Teacher Tours are sure to provide a number of memorable agricultural experiences for educators to bring back to their classrooms,” said Sue Knott, Minnesota Ag in the Classroom Education Specialist.
The four tours being offered this summer include:
A Day in the Life of a Farmer (June 20): This tour offers the opportunity to explore different teams that a farmer relies on to do their job well, including financing, equipment selection, and ethanol production. The day ends with time for connection at a local winery.
It’s a Mystery Tour! (June 21): This tour will showcase the unique and diverse parts of north central Minnesota. Be ready for hands-on experiences and a little cruise to wrap up your adventures in what many call the North Woods.
Finding Food for All (July 12): Join MAITC on a visit with Second Harvest Heartland and Open Cupboard to learn how nonprofit organizations keep their communities fed.
Harvest of the Month (July 20): This farm to fork teacher tour will allow educators to gain first-hand knowledge and experience with every step of the farm to school process. Attendees will meet thirdgeneration turkey farmers at Ferndale Market, see how animal proteins are processed at Lorenz Meats, and dig into fruit and veggie production at Waxwing
Produce Farm.
Tours are open to any K-12 educator, regardless of previous agriculture knowledge or experience. The registration deadline is June 1.
For further details on each tour and to register, visit the Summer Teacher Tour webpage at https:// mnagmag.org/teacher-tours/.
This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v
know well from Genesis. Adam and Eve were in the garden and had just eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had directly told them not to. Picking up the story in chapter 3:9, we read, “The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”” Adam and Eve were afraid, embarrassed by their nakedness, and hid. Sounds familiar. My son was afraid and embarrassed, so he hid.
I was then hit squarely: I do exactly the same thing. I become embarrassed and hide — from my family, peers, and God. I hide behind a veneer, showing that I have everything together. I present the best version of myself and hide my jealous, prideful, or greedy imperfections. I hide because I am afraid and embarrassed. If my family, peers, or God saw the imperfections, would they still choose me?
The answer was lying in how I responded to my son and in how God responded to Adam and Eve in the garden. A resounding YES! Yes, I still choose my son! We worked together to clean up the accident and moved on! God, in his grace, provided Adam and Eve with clothing, and they moved on!
Friends, there is no need for us to live behind a veneer. Let’s begin peeling off the front and exposing the imperfections rather than hiding them. Let’s live as those who are no longer afraid or embarrassed but as people who know we are created, chosen, and loved by God.
Whitney Nesse is a sixth-generation livestock farmer who is deeply rooted in her faith and family. She writes from her central Minnesota farm. v
“Nothing compares to hands-on learning. Textbooks cannot replicate in-field learning experiences.” — Megan Roberts, Ed. D., Executive Director of Minnesota State Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence.
Certain topics lend themselves better than others to traditional classroom learning styles. Agronomy, plant and soil science are more effectively learned and experienced in a real-world, outdoor environment. We at Farmamerica couldn’t agree more, which is why we have been exploring collaborative research opportunities with non-land grant higher-education universities and colleges to help their students and researchers have access to in-field experiences.
into a holding pond downstream before traveling further in the Le Sueur River Watershed.
Discovery Farms Minnesota is a farmer-led initiative to gather real-world water quality information from different farming systems across Minnesota. Their goal, stated on their website discoveryfarmsmn.org, is to provide “practical, credible, site-specific information to enable better farm management.”
provides scientific results to help farmers and landowners make more informed decisions on how to manage water movement and nutrient applications on their farms.
Farmamerica hopes everyone in the GreenSeam benefits from partnerships like this one. Through webinars and in-person field days, events, and demonstrations of controlled drainage systems, we hope to help interested parties understand the benefits and operation of water drainage management systems.
Farmamerica is Minnesota’s 45-year-old agricultural interpretive center. Located near Waseca, Minn., Farmamerica utilizes historic buildings, modern ag exhibits, and over 200 acres of farmland to connect Minnesotans to the evolving story of agriculture. Through partnerships, field trips, guided tours, and public events, Farmamerica strives to help Minnesotans discover that the agriculture industry is part of the solution to the food, fiber, energy, and environmental challenges we face today.
Farmamerica is a Water Quality Certified Farm through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, with endorsements for wildlife and integrated pest management. A portion of its its acreage is utilized by Crystal Valley for their agronomic and seed genetic research. Over 100 of those acres recently became a Discovery Farm Minnesota site where new controlled drainage structures will help students, farmers, researchers and consumers understand the impact and benefits of managing the timing and amount of water discharged by agricultural drainage systems.
The Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center helped secure grant funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service to install over 20 miles of drainage tile, four controlled drainage structures, and four automated monitoring stations on 114 acres of Farmamerica farmland. This new tile system connects to the recently updated Waseca County Ditch 19 tile system which drains
Currently, on-farm data is being collected in real time from five other Minnesota farms. But none are tracking controlled water drainage in southern Minnesota. Farmamerica will now serve as an elite demonstration and evaluation site for drainage water management (controlled drainage) in the GreenSeam. The public can monitor the quantity and quality of water leaving these farms online at mda.onerain.com/dashboard/list.
The data collected will illustrate the effectiveness of controlled drainage in southern Minnesota cropland. It will also show how proper tile drainage can slow the flow of excess water into streams and rivers and prevent surface runoff. In addition, the data
Research results will help Farmamerica and other farmers make best management decisions. It also helps agency leaders, legislators, and consumers understand the basics of tile drainage.
Last but not least, this partnership provides inperson research and learning experiences for high schoolers, higher education students, and professors in the GreenSeam — developing future talent for the region.
Jessica Rollins is Farmamerica’s executive director and serves on the GreenSeam Regional Branding and Promotion Committee. She may be reached at jrollins@farmamerica.org. v
Composting manures is becoming an increasingly popular choice for farmers. By composting their manure, they can reduce the amount of material they have to spread, stabilize the nutrients in the waste, and reduce manure odors.
“Manure is a valuable nutrient source that supplies both macro and micronutrients for plant uptake,” said Chryseis Modderman, University of Minnesota crops extension educator and manure management specialist. “It also increases soil organic matter, which leads to better soil structure, water holding capacity, and microbial activity. In addition, there are sustainable benefits of using composted manure over raw manure, such as decreased transportation costs, fewer pathogens, weed seeds, reduced nutrient pollution, less odor, and increased organic nitrogen content.”
Working with Mary Keena at North Dakota State University, Modderman hosted manure composting workshops and created educational videos with support from a $50,000 NCR-SARE Research and Education grant. These videos included lectures, applied composting procedures, interviews with the producer cooperators and tours of their operations, and an interactive diagnostic video where participants identified compost problems and decided how to correct them.
The videos are available on YouTube at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WSef0lHAQo
This article was submitted by Marie Flanagan, North Central Region SARE. v
University of Minnesota Extension Educator Cindy Hale will present a webinar on buying and selling cottage foods at farmers’ markets later this month. The free webinar will be from noon to 1 p.m. on May 25. Attendees will learn about what they can expect to see at spring farmers’ markets, with a special emphasis on cottage foods, those baked goods, pickles, jams and jellies, and other treats made by local farmers and food makers. For more information and to register, visit z.umn.edu/farmers-market-webinar.
Hale is a food safety educator in the food systems program. She develops food safety programming and provides education across the state to empower all Minnesotans to engage fully in their local food system.
This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v
Aspiring chefs, culinary professionals, or someone who enjoys cooking are invited to take part in a competitive, national competition of culinary creativity.
America will vote for its favorite recipe online for the $250 People’s Choice Award. One finalist will win a chance to compete in the 2023 World Food Championships.
May 13 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Sherburne County — Elk River, Minn. — The plant sale will be held at Sherburne County Fairgrounds, and will include over a hundred Hosta plants in multiple varieties from Missouri. Contact Quincy Sadowski at quincy@umn.edu or (320) 255-6169.
May 17 — Strategic Farming: Field Notes — Online — The Strategic Farming program will address your crop-related concerns in a weekly, research-based webinar with specialists in the field. Register at z.umn.edu/ strategic-farming.
Upcoming dates and topics:
May 17 - Corn & Soybean Planting
May 24 - Alfalfa and Early Season Insects
May 31 - Cover Crop Termination
May 20 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Stearns County — St. Cloud, Minn. — The plant sale will be held at St. Augustine’s in St. Cloud. Veggies and perennials will be available. Contact Quincy Sadowski at quincy@umn.edu or (320) 255-6169.
May 20 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Morrison County — Little Falls, Minn. — The plant sale will be held at the Morrison County Government Center parking lot. Contact Quincy Sadowski at quincy@umn.edu or (320) 255-6169.
May 25 — Honey Beekeeping Field Day — Clearwater, Minn. — This workshop will demonstrate the steps for a proper hive inspection, give timely information to keep your colony healthy, and more. Contact Katie Lee at katielee@ umn.edu.
Additional dates and locations:
June 16 - Barnum, Minn.
June 16 - Duluth, Minn.
June 24 - Faribault, Minn.
May 27 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Houston County — La Crescent, Minn. — The plant sale will be held at the La Crescent Community Building. Perennials, annual flowers, vegetable plants, houseplants and more will be available for purchase. Contact Katie Drewitz at wins0115@umn.edu or (507) 725-5807.
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.
June 3 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Benton County — Sauk Rapids, Minn. — The plant sale will be at Sauk Rapids Middle School Parking Lot. Individuals will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Contact Quincy Sadowski at quincy@umn.edu or (320) 255-6169.
June 14 — Hickory Hill Farm Tour
— Hospers, Iowa — This annual family-friendly event will include a dairy farm tour, free meal and activities. There will be opportunities to see where cows are milked, where they are housed and fed plus learn about the dietary role of milk and dairy products. For more information about the open house, visit wiadairy.com or “Western Iowa Dairy Alliance” on Facebook.
MINNEAPOLIS – The final day of the 94th Minnesota FFA Convention saw a new slate of state officers installed to lead the organization as the event concluded.
The newly installed 2023-24 Minnesota FFA state officer team includes President Katelyn Ketchum of Lewiston-Altura; Vice President Tyler
Ratka from the ROCORI chapter; Secretary Alison Murrell, Braham; Treasurer Mason Grams of the Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart chapter; Reporter Miriana Eiden, Buffalo; and Sentinel Mackenzie Kuschel, Sebeka.
This article was submitted by Minnesota FFA. v
The Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council is looking for contestants in the annual “Get Wild with Wild Rice” recipe contest. All recipes must be original creations and must feature the only cereal grain native to North America – wild rice.
Submitted recipes go head-to-head in a taste test conducted by culinary specialists. Participants have four opportunities to win. Up to 16 finalists will be selected to have their recipes published and win prize packs. A grand prize of $500 will be awarded. In September, National Rice Month,
The deadline for recipe submissions is June 12. Culinary creations need to include a quarter-cup of cooked wild rice per serving and at least one sponsor product from Just Bare, Minnesota Beef Council, Minnesota Pork Board, and Northern Canola Growers Association.
Visit mnwildrice.org for full contest details.
This article was submitted by the Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council. v
ALBANY, Minn. — When Steve and Cheryl Schlangen decided to build a solid manure storage stacking slab, they saw it as a benefit to both their farm and the Backes Lake subwatershed their farm is in.
The Schlangens milk 60 cows and raise 200 acres of crops near Albany, “We used to haul manure in the summer and find a place to stack it,” Steve said. “There’s a lot of bedding in dry manure; but there’s also a fair amount of liquid in it and we wanted to catch some of that run-off. Besides, you can’t get anything to grow for several years in the field area that you stack manure.”
So, with the technical and financial assistance of Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District, Steve and Cheryl designed and built a concrete manure stacking slab. The slab has three walls to hold the high-nutrient liquid the Schlangens wanted to capture.
Now the manure and bedding from young stock and dry cow housing can be carefully stored during the summer and strategically spread in the fall. That approach leads to a more efficient use of nutrients; and that, in turn, can help protect the watershed’s waters.
“Farmers that use the storage capacity of their stacking slabs to time the manure applications to crop land when conditions are right cannot only get a bigger bang from their manure but prevent run off into surface waters,” Mark Lefebvre, Conservation Planning Team Manager for Stearns County SWCD, says.
“The stacking slab allows them to store manure and use it to apply the nutrients at the right source, rate, time and place,” according to the SWCD. To manage liquid manure from the dairy barn the Schlangens use low-disturbance manure injection to ensure the manure’s nutrients are incorporated in the soil to reduce runoff risks.
To inject that liquid manure, Steve experimented with power take-off shaft speeds ranging from 1,000 down to 540 rpm to see if he could apply manure at variable rates in his fields.
“I finally tried a hydraulic motor that helps me control the application rate,” he said.
Schlangens work hard to use the nutrients they put on their field efficiently so as to get the best yields with the least run-off. That’s why they chose to go with a grid soil sampling program rather than the less expensive zone sampling.
“With zone soil sampling they take a lot of tests and aggregate them to get a composite across the entire field,” Steve said. “With grid sampling you get a better picture of what you need, how much you need, and where you need it. Grid sampling shows you where you need nutrients and how much. The spreader for applying fertilizer has four different boxes and they apply NPK at variable rates where and how much is needed. To do that they use a digitized map created when grid samples were taken.”
Steve and Cheryl work with a certified crop advisor to make sure their soil sampling data get used efficiently. Steve says since he started using grid soil sampling six or seven years ago, his fertilizer use has decreased and his yields have gone up.
“I tried it one field at a time,” he said. “Before I did grid sampling there were some places not doing well and I wondered why. Now I can see those areas show up with the grid sampling map and we know how to
correct them.”
The Schlangens have a crop rotation that generally runs three years of alfalfa, two of corn, and one year of soy beans.
“I find that soybeans mellow the soil and make a good seed bed,” Steve said. “Soy manages dry weather well and the roots seem to break up the hard pan.” When grid soil samples are pulled, Steve includes pH in as part of the analysis. That allows him to have that information digitized and used when he’s applying lime in advance of alfalfa planting.
“You might think the whole field needs lime; but if you sample, you may learn some areas don’t need any,” he said.
Alfalfa is started under a nurse crop of barley or, sometimes, triticale. Steve green chops and feeds that forage.
“The old dairy rotation used to include oats for grain, but you need a combine to harvest that,” he said. “A lot of years the oats will lodge before its ready to combine.”
In November 2021, Steve and Cheryl were chosen by the Stearns County SWCD to be the outstanding conservationists for the year. Noting the couple had been on their farm since the mid-1980s, the SWCD honored them for their efforts to keep nutrients out of the surface waters of the watershed.
“This farm also is where the Schlangens have established a long history of conservation work that most recently has included cover crops, vegetative buffer strips, grassed waterways, water-and-sediment control basins, reduced tillage, and no till,” the SWCD stated while presenting the award.
In 2022, more than three decades of conservation farming practices resulted in the Schlangens being selected as one of four farms in the nation to receive a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
“This year’s winners exemplify how forward-thinking and regenerative efforts across the entire supply chain (for dairy products) have led to positive results and what it means to be an environmental solution,” said Barbara O’Brien, CEO of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
Steve is also the chairman of the board of the Associated Milk Producers, Incorporated. v
Winter’s finally finished, field work is in full swing, and the livestock exhibition season has begun. Like most Minnesota agriculturalists, I enjoy the summer’s county fairs and their animals … and, of course, the ultimate competition exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair’s youth and open-class swine shows. It’s terrific to see so many folks who’ve worked hard to bring the best pigs in the Midwest to compete in classes with optimum quality peers.
My recent work has focused on disease preparedness and pig farm biosecurity, and it always comes to mind when I’m attending livestock shows. Of primary importance is that exhibitors return to their animals at home without bringing along a disease. For this reason, the messages of meticulous biosecurity and careful monitoring of animals’ health are integral parts of exhibitor education.
A core element of Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) education is biosecurity on the pig premises. Folks who raise pigs want to keep diseases out of their farms. If a disease does break out in their herd, the want to keep it from spreading throughout all the pigs there. To practice ultimate biosecurity, producers, caretakers and exhibitors of pigs are challenged to establish the habit of following specific protocol as they move about the farm.
Limit visitors and vehicle traffic to only those who have a reason to be there. Never allow unsupervised visitors. Ask all non-farm workers and visitors to sign the farm visitor log. Require downtime away from pigs or pig facilities — including harvest plants, livestock markets and exhibitions. Create a barrier to disease entry including showering in/out, washing hands, changing to dedicated farm clothing, coveralls and footwear, and/or wearing disposable coveralls and footwear. Avoid taking food into animal areas.
Isolate new or returning animals to the farm. Temporarily isolate all incoming pigs separate from the animals already on the farm. The ultimate iso-
and groundhogs are all attracted to spilled feed, manure and mortalities. Use fencing, bird netting or other materials to keep birds and other pests out of the barn.
By Diane DeWittelation situation would be a quarantine facility which is separate or remote from the existing herd. Recommended isolation times range from 14-30 days to ensure the new or returning pigs can be watched for signs of disease. When conducting daily chores, take care of the isolated pigs last. Use the isolation period as a time to observe and test for diseases and to vaccinate and acclimate new animals.
Clean, disinfect and dry facilities and equipment. Thorough cleaning requires removal of all bedding and manure, washing with hot water (preferred) and an appropriate detergent formulated for livestock use. Facilities should be cleaned and disinfected between populations of pigs. All equipment that touches pigs should be cleaned and disinfected after use. This includes sorting boards, floor mats, and any show equipment used. Disinfectants should be used only after cleaning and applied according to label instructions. Facilities and equipment should be allowed to dry after cleaning and disinfection. Drying can occur either by direct sunlight, passage of time, or use of an additional heat source.
Control movement of wildlife, rodents, pets and pests. Keep the family dogs and cats away from the pigs. It’s easy for a free-running pet to bring disease organisms into the barn. Do not rely on cats for rodent control. Control rodents with a systematic and regularly serviced bait program. Exclude wildlife from the barn area. Raccoons, opossums, skunks
Dispose of mortalities in a timely and complete manner. Compost mortalities if possible. Use a rendering service if composting isn’t available. Remember that rendering trucks can transmit disease, so establish a way to keep the truck off the farm premises.
Biosecurity is as important on a 4-H swine member’s half-acre as it is on a 2,500-sow pig farm. Disease control and awareness materials have been provided for Minnesota 4-H pig exhibitors in the past, and it’s always a good practice to review them. For information regarding biosecurity for exhibition swine, visit https://z.umn.edu/BiosecurityExhibitionSwine. Basic biosecurity for tagging 4-H swine is available at https://z.umn.edu/BiosecurityTaggingSwine.
Minnesota swine exhibitors can find specific 4-H pig enrollment, participation and deadline information on the University of Minnesota’s 4-H website: https://extension.umn.edu/projects-and-more/4-hswine-project.
U of M Extension educators annually provide 4-H exhibitors with details of how to keep their animals healthy, and how to prevent and reduce the spread of diseases to their 4-H projects. An important practice repeatedly highlighted is washing hands with soap and water. The minimum recommendation is scrubbing hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, or about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday.”
See SWINE AND U, pg. 14
Hollister Family Farm is dedicated to healing the land, keeping their livestock in optimal health, and providing their customers with a quality meat product.
Abe Hollister, along with his wife, Brea, and their five children, ages 10-18, implement adaptive grazing practices to care for their livestock and land. They graze both cattle and sheep on a total of 160 acres south of Brainerd, Minn.
“Our main enterprise is grass-fed beef,” Hollister said. They sell their beef, as well as lamb, direct to customers. The opening line on the farm’s website is “Healthy land, healthy cattle and healthy people — all connected.” They also state the meat from their livestock is free of added hormones, animal by-products, and other unnecessary fillers.
Hollister Family Farm was named Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District’s Outstanding Conservationist for
Abe Hollister looks to impart a respect for the land to his and wife Brea’s five children.
Grazing
cattle on the same land
like to eat.
which led them to be named North Central Minnesota’s finalist for the 2021 Conservationist of the Year award through the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Melissa Barrick, District Manager for Crow Wing SWCD, said the Hollisters were deserving of the recognition because of their own conservation practices and also their outreach efforts to other farmers.
Such accolades are impressive — maybe even more so considering neither Hollister nor his wife came from an ag background.
Around 2001, Hollister began working for a business installing agricultural fencing all over central Minnesota. The business was ran by Kent Solberg, who became Hollister’s mentor. Among Solberg’s ventures, he is a consultant for both Understanding Ag and Sustainable Farming Association.
During the 3-4 years of his work travels, Hollister recalled feeling saddened to see empty and abandoned farms. “I felt called to livestock, to care for the land,” he remarked. The idea of not just taking from the land, but also giving back resonated with him. Hollister was able to live and learn on Solberg’s grass-based dairy operation before starting his own business.
As this picture shows, not only do Hollister’s paddocks supply his animals with feed, they also provide habitat for wildlife.
Hollister originally began with 10 acres. He now owns 40 acres, rents an additional 80, and also utilizes 40 acres owned by his in-laws.
The 40 acres Hollister purchased had previously been heavily tilled for a number of years. With time, he has witnessed firsthand the healing of the land and has enjoyed seeing wildlife come in due to the change in farming practices.
HOLLISTER, from pg. 10
“The cool thing about the Hollisters is they started small and just kept trying to get the farm to where they wanted it to be,” Barrick stated. The Crow Wing SWCD applauded the farm’s transformation in their nomination paperwork detailing, “Now soil has organic matter, additional topsoil, water retention ability, and underground root systems and channels filter water into the ground.”
Beginning a new career path had its challenges. “It’s not an easy thing. If you’re a new farmer, you have to be creative,” Hollister stated. “I couldn’t do what my neighbors were doing.” He stated the process takes time, hard work and sacrifice. The opportunity to gain knowledge from others has benefited Hollister and he recommends to anyone starting out in the industry to do the same. “It’s nice to have that community to learn from one another.” He commented that “context matters,” elaborating that each piece of land and each situation is different, but there is information to be gleaned from others and can be applied as able.
Barrick highlighted Hollister’s efforts to strengthen a peer to peer community. Crow Wing SWCD worked with Hollister around 2019 to figure out a way to communicate with the ag community and learn more about their needs. As part of a collaborative effort with various conservation-minded partners, including Happy Dancing Turtle, they sent out postcards to ag classified landowners in the Pine River Watershed as a means to find out more about their concerns and thoughts about conservation. Hollister then followed up with the landowners, and the partners of the project were able to provide resources as desired. “It definitely helped us get connected to people.” Barrick said. This partnership resulted in Crow Wing SWCD, along with Cass SWCD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Baxter field office, to be named
the recipient of the 2020 National NACD/NRCS Earth Team Award.
Barrick also stated that Hollister has shared his experiences with other farmers through seminars and field days with the Crow Wing River Basin Forage Council, as well as participated in a YouTube video discussing soil health created by the Crow Wing SWCD.
In Minnesota, every county besides Hennepin and Ramsey counties have at least one Soil and Water Conservation District. Iowa has a SWCD in each county, with two in Pottawattamie County. Barrick stated their goal is to work hand in hand with landowners. “There’s a lot of opportunity to have
funding or resources to help them with their farm goals,” Barrick stated. “We’re here and we’re available.”
Hollister explained that by practicing adaptive grazing, he makes decisions based on observing what is and is not growing in the paddocks. Hollister aims to rotate his cattle every day to a different paddock, and sometimes rotates them multiple times a day. He uses step-in posts with a hightensile electric fence wire around the perimeter. The sheep are usually moved every other day using a portable electric net.
Galloway, British White, Tarentaise, and Aberdeen/ Lowline Angus currently make up Hollister’s herd of 25 brood cows and their calves, plus 25 yearlings. He prefers a more compact cow that will perform well on grass, and enjoys having a variety of breeds and colors.
The flock of 10 ewes and their lambs are Katahdin, a hair breed that Hollister stated sheds out in spring.
The livestock graze on perennial grasses, as well as clover. Around November, Hollister begins bale grazing for the winter. He purchases the hay and sets round bales 30 feet apart.
“Our main way to fertilize is bale grazing,” he stated.
He has found that a lot of weeds come up the first year after bale grazing, and so he has the current task of trying to suppress some of those annuals. Hollister dedicates about five acres to cover crops each year. This year, he has planted barley
and buckwheat, hoping they’ll outcompete some of the less desirable plants.
Hollister has also used cover crops under the brassica umbrella such as turnips and kale, as well as yellow blossom sweet clover, which improves nitrogen levels.
Hollister additionally implements the concept of high-stock density grazing, moving 500,000 to a million pounds of animal per acre for a short amount of time. If there’s a weed issue, he states he can put his livestock in the specified area for an hour. They may eat 30 percent of the plant, and will also trample the rest. Hollister added the sheep can grow meat from grazing broadleaf weeds, and so he states he’s learning to value those, as well.
Hollister pointed out the importance of being faithful in the work, and that adaptability is key. He also discussed that a new farming strategy might not work one year, but because of factors that vary, such as moisture, sticking with the tactic might bring success the next year. “You’re going to make mistakes,” Hollister remarked. “That’s a good teacher, too.”
As a father and husband, Hollister places emphasis on the business being named Hollister Family Farm and gives recognition to the entire unit. He believes some of the skills to be acquired through farming include economics, caretaking, and work ethic. A hope Hollister has for his children is that they will be stewards of the land “wherever they land.”
To learn more about the Hollister Family Farm, to contact them, and to view their ordering options, visit their website, hollisterfarm.com. v
County
By LAURA COLE
The Land Staff Writer
Corey Hanson knows there’s nothing he can do to move along planting but keep an eye on the current conditions and the forecast ahead. As of May 1, the weather in Gary, Minn. has been around the 50s with a strong north wind. “If you’re out of the wind, hey, it feels pretty nice,” Corey stated.
“Our gravel roads are starting to wetten up and soften up,” Corey said. He reported there has been less frost than usual, but was still seeing sections of snow — including along field edges, anywhere from six inches to a foot. “Really all that has got to go.”
He anticipates being able to get in the fields between May 7-13 and stated area sugar beet farmers may be planting the first weekend of May. Last year, Corey was kept out of the fields until May 20. “We don’t play in dome stadiums,” he remarked.
A 2017 From the Fields reporter, Corey continues to grow corn, beans, wheat, and alfalfa on 900 acres. Corn and beans are the bulk of the crop. Over the
years, he has decreased the amount of wheat from 250 acres to about 150, and he continues to grow alfalfa on about 100 acres. Corey still manages his cattle operation, estimating about 80 beef cows.
A lifelong farmer, Corey works on the land his father, Floyd, purchased in 1966. At 90 years old, Floyd continues to be involved in the operation, as does Corey’s brother, Craig. “As a kid growing up, it was more of an oat, wheat, barley farm,” Corey noted. He recalled their corn was grown
more for the cattle and soybeans were “something to entertain yourself mostly.”
Providing leadership is a quality Corey takes pride in. He is currently president of the Norman County Soybean/Corn Growers Association, on the state board for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, and chairman of his local township. Corey is also on the board of directors for the Minnesota State USBC (United States Bowling Congress) Association. While Corey is remaining patient with the later start to planting, he acknowledged the crunch time that it creates isn’t as ideal. “All the time in the middle is compacted up,” he stated.
With any free time he’s allowed, Corey enjoys spending it in the great outdoors, hunting or fishing. A favorite pastime is visiting friends in western Wyoming; and of course being with his family which includes his wife, Julie, and daughter, Randi. v
For Nick Pooch in Pope County, April 25-May 5 is a usual target time frame to get in the fields; but he joins the company of many farmers who have been delayed due to Mother Nature. While Pooch is a bit concerned, he states he didn’t get out until May 25 last year and couldn’t complain with the good results he had.
Nick farms 1,500 acres near Farwell, Minn. and
also has a beef cattle operation. He and his brother, Austin, are business partners on farming ground that was their grandfather’s. They are fourth generation farmers, as the Pooch family originally began farming near Lamberton, Minn. Nick and Austin’s father, Vernon, continues to help on the farm.
The family grows corn, wheat, oats, alfalfa, as well as soybeans for seed for Gold Country. “We always put a lot of seed plots in,”
Nick stated. He estimated about 10 percent of their acres go toward experimenting with different variables on corn and bean plots. “There’s a lot to be learned from that,” he remarked.
Nick described the soil quality at Pooch Farms as “heavy, heavy black dirt.” But 20 miles east it takes on a “sugar sand” quality.
He predicted he won’t be in the fields until mid to later-mid May and will be one of the last guys in the field. With having cattle, he stated he’s able to plant corn later to use for silage.
The operation feeds 750 beef calves to finish annually and also backgrounds about 300-400. “I’ve been sober from Holsteins since 2015,” Nick quipped. He started with Holsteins back in his 4-H days, and worked with them for “12 long years.” He reported the current herd is 80 percent black Angus, with a few red as well as white faced cattle.
A benefit to the operation is Nick’s wife’s vet tech education. Kris does the calf chores and completes
By LAURA COLE
The Land Staff Writer
David and Angie Tauer are the owners of Tauer Dairy, located in Brown County. On 400 acres of land, they implement double cropping, mainly growing alfalfa and corn, as well as some winter rye for spring forages. David reported the yields all go back into feeding the herd.
The dairy operation consists of 250 Holstein cows. “We raise all the replacements for the dairy herd,” David stated. Tauer Dairy was recognized as Brown County’s 2022 Farm Family of the Year for their contributions to agriculture and their community. The family has also been involved with the Adopt A Cow program through Discover Dairy.
David is the third generation to work on the family’s century farm. Always a dairy operation, David stated about 30 years ago they also had some hogs and chickens, but have since been replaced by more cows.
His parents are still active contributors, and now, so are David and Angie’s two children, Ruby (age 11), and Adam (age 9). Angie is a middle school science
teacher and is also involved in various ag promotion ventures.
“When it’s not farming, it’s family,” David said.
Tauer Dairy employs five fulltime and five part-time employees. They have hosted many interns from around the world through the University of Minnesota MAST program. Currently, they have two interns through MAST from Colombia and India. They also have one Japanese intern through an agricultural program out of Washington State.
As of May 4, David stated he feels like he’s on schedule. He was able to apply liquid manure once the fields dried out and get some seeding done. He reported the field conditions are good and described his soil quality as a pretty heavy black soil.
Last year, David’s start date was a bit later, May 7, and he recalled “things worked out just fine.”
Due to last fall’s dry conditions, unfortunately, none of the rye that was seeded germinated, so this spring tasked David with finding a different option for forages as replacement. While he’s previously experimented with sorghum in the past, he decided to seed in oats on one of the fields totaling 25 acres. He’ll use the other 45-acre field for corn with plans to plant by the end of the first week of May. David will resume planting rye this fall. He will also replace 45 acres of alfalfa with oats and a new crop of alfalfa.
“Forecast looks good,” David reported. “We’re in good shape.” v
The Land Staff Writer
Jim Hagen hails from Winnebago County, Iowa, within the Prairie Pothole Region. He farms corn and soybeans on 3,000 acres along with his dad, Gordon. Last year brought great results for Jim and Gordon. “It was a bumper crop for us.”
Located the farthest south of the From the Fields reporters, Jim started planting corn on April 28 and finished on May 1. Jim spent the following day getting ready for beans, which have an anticipated May 5 start date.
Gordon began farming in 1959, and over the years he has continued to purchase land. Jim shared it’s become a hobby of his father’s to acquire new land and improve it. As the Prairie Pothole Region is known for its shallow wetlands, Jim stated all of their acres are tiled.
In Jim’s early adult years, he attended college for a year and also lived in Sweden for four months as an
exchange student. He stated the Swedish farms were smaller and the farmers raised a lot of hogs. Being at the same altitude as Alaska, the crops mainly grown were small grains.
After Jim returned home, a neighboring farm went up for rent, and he has continued to farm ever since.
Jim lives just a quarter of a mile from Gordon who is 84 years old. Jim said of his father, “He’ll never quit.” (It appears dedication is in the Hagen blood. Gordon’s cousin is The Land’s Staff Writer Emeritus, Dick Hagen.)
One of the changes Jim said he’s seen over time is that 50 years ago, farmers plowed everything. On their operation, they mostly utilize a chisel plow for minimum tillage. “You don’t see that dirt move as much,” he commented.
Traveling did not stop after Jim’s stay in Sweden. He and his wife, Christy, try to take a big trip once a year. Recently they spent time in South America, traveling from Argentina and up the coastline to the
Amazon River. Jim has been to a variety of other places outside of the country including Korea, Myanmar (previously Burma), and Germany. He has also visited every state in the United States except Alaska — so perhaps that will be a future adventure.
When a trip isn’t on the horizon, Jim describes life as pretty “low key.” For the past 10 years, he has also been driving for Cavalier Coaches providing transportation for a variety of parties including college sports teams and Chanhassen Dinner Theater attendees. v
Random prize drawing will be held on August 4, 2023 from all cards received by then. No purchase necessary.
SWINE & U, from pg. 9
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Pig health is critical, and when a medical condition requires treatment, it’s important that a veterinarian be part of the equation. In PQA+ education, the concept is referred to as having a VCPR — a veterinarian, client, patient relationship. Within a VCPR, the client is the swine exhibitor, and the patient is the pig. Even a small seasonal “herd” of show pigs benefits from the medical expertise of a veterinarian to help with medical decisions.
Any kind of medical treatment of the pig requires record-keeping. Medical records need to include seven key pieces of information: Date of treatment; Identification of animal treated; Medication administered and amount used; Route of administration and who treated the pig.
It is also important to record the withdrawal time of the medication (prior to harvest). Withdrawal time is the amount of determined time the medication is out of the pig’s system and the meat is safe for human consumption.
These records must be kept for 12 months following treatment of the pig. If medication is used in the pig’s water, or it is given medicated feed, the record of that treatment is also required to be kept for 12 months.
All of these medication practices are in place to ensure that pigs will be kept at optimum health and if they are given medication, their meat will be safe to eat, without worry of drug residue in the carcass.
Minnesota’s 4-H swine enrollment date is May 15, and all pigs who will
be exhibited this summer — not only in 4-H but in FFA and open shows — are identified with permanent notches in their ears. Ear notches are the industry identification standard. Each notch represents a particular number, and by adding up the notches in the left ear and right ear, the pig’s specific ID number can be determined. My colleague Sarah Schieck Boelke has produced a terrific video to refresh exhibitors’ ear notch-reading skills, and it can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XWAzvHf97MA
This summer’s local and regional pig shows, and the Minnesota State Fair are terrific places to view livestock competitions and visit with old friends. Exhibitors should watch for any changing health issues in their pigs, including coughing, diarrhea, fever or blisters. If a pig shows any of these signs, contact a veterinarian immediately.
Producers visiting the fairs must be diligent about changing clothes and footwear before returning to the pigs at home. Any site where unrelated animals congregate is a place for potential disease pickup. Thorough handwashing during and after a visit to the fair can destroy disease organisms and reduce the chance of taking a disease back home.
Don’t be surprised if you hear “Happy Birthday” being sung at the sink!
Diane DeWitte is an Extension Educator specializing in swine for the University of Minnesota Extension. Her e-mail address is stouf002@umn. edu v
POOCH, from pg. 12
the bookkeeping. Nick and Kris have three sons ages 9, 4, and 1, and Austin and his wife, also have three children.
postal regulations.
The children in both families stay busy with 4-H. Nick and Kris’ oldest son, Blake, shows calves and sheep, and Nick credited Blake with feeding his cattle 365 days a year. Austin’s chil-
dren along with a neighbor also show animals.
Nick is involved with the Pope County FSA Committee. As a member of the Glacial Ridge Cattlemen’s Association, he has grilled many steaks at various events. The extended Pooch family was recognized in 2022 as Pope County’s Farm Family of the Year. v
This column was written for the marketing week ending May 5.
Farm milk prices are climbing but have a ways to go to hit profitability for most U.S. dairy farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the April Federal order Class III benchmark at $18.52 per hundredweight. This is up 42 cents from March but $5.90 below April 2022. The four month average stands at $18.46, down from $22.04 a year ago, and compares to $16.40 in 2021.
Late morning on May 5, Class III futures portended a May price at $16.56; June, $17.03; July, $17.79; and August at $18.52, with a peak of $19.40 in November.
“With on-farm expenses at all-time highs, many dairy producers are bracing for their worst losses since the 2009 dairy crisis,” the Daily Dairy Report somberly concluded. “Eventually, pain on the farm will result in weaker milk production and rising prices. But today, by all accounts, milk is abundant, and prices remain low.”
The April Class IV price is $17.95, down 43 cents from March, $7.36 below a year ago, and the lowest Class IV since October 2021. Its four-month average is at $18.80, down from $24.31 a year ago, and compares to $14.14 in 2021.
Feed prices showed some relief in March, according to the USDA’s latest Ag Prices report; but another drop in the All Milk price pulled the milk feed ratio to 1.56. This is down from 1.58 in February, the lowest since August 2021, and compares to 2.02 in March 2022. The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a ration consisting of 51 percent corn, 8 percent soybeans and 41 percent alfalfa hay. In this case, one pound of milk would only purchase 1.56 pounds of dairy feed of that blend.
The All Milk Price average fell for the fifth month in a row, slipping to $21.10 per hundredweight, down 50 cents from February, after losing $1.50 the month before, and is $4.50 below March 2022.
Alfalfa hay averaged $267.00 per ton, up $1.00 from February and $39 per ton above a year ago.
The March cull price for beef and dairy combined continued to climb, averaging $95.70 per cwt., up $6.20 from February, after gaining $7.80 the month before. Its $11.00 above March 2022 and $24.10 above the 2011 base average.
Quarterly milk cow replacements averaged $1,720 per head in April, unchanged from January, but $150 above April 2022. Cows averaged $1,655 per head in California, down $165 from January, but $215 above a year ago. Wisconsin’s average, at $1,840, was up $30 from January and $130 above April 2022.
The lower feed costs are partly due to China. The April 28 Daily Dairy Report points out China has cancelled orders to buy U.S. corn. “Through April 20, before the cancellations, Chinese commitments to buy U.S. corn were 39 percent lower than at this point last year and 63 percent less than in April 2021.” Corn exports to other destinations are also down, according to the Daily Dairy Report
Dairy economist Bill Brooks, of Stoneheart Consulting in Dearborn, Mo., says, “Income over feed costs in March were below the $8 per hundredweight level needed for steady to increasing milk production for the second month in a row. Input prices backed away from all-time record high prices in March, but all three commodities were in the top two for March all time. Feed costs were the highest ever for the month of March and the eighth-highest all time. The All-Milk price was just outside the top 40 at the 43rd highest recorded.”
Looking at 2023, milk income over feed costs, using April 28 Chicago Mercantile Exchange settling futures prices for Class III milk, corn, and soybeans — plus the Stoneheart forecast for alfalfa hay, are expected to be $8.03 per cwt., a loss of 46 cents vs. last month’s estimate. “2023 income over feed would be close to the level needed to maintain or grow milk output, but down $3.96 per cwt. from 2022,” says Brooks.
Dairy margins improved modestly the second half of April as a sharp decline in projected feed costs more than offset weaker milk prices, according to the latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC.
“The milk market continues to be pressured by abundant cheese inventories combined with lower cash trade in the spot market,” the Margin Watch stated. It detailed the large quantity of cheese sold at the CME, the March Milk Production and Cold Storage reports and concluded, “Feed prices declined sharply as increasing corn export cancelations by China and a large second corn crop out of Brazil pressure the market.”
CME cheese prices started May hesitating. The blocks fell to $1.6625 per pound on May 2, then climbed the next day to $1.69, but closed May 5 at $1.6125. That’s down 7.5 cents on the week, the sixth consecutive week of decline, the lowest they’ve been since Nov. 5, 2021, and 73.75 cents below a year ago.
The barrels fell to $1.5575 on May 2, hit $1.5850 May 3, but closed May 5 at $1.53. This is 6 cents lower on the week, 85 cents below a year ago, and 8.25 cents below the blocks. The week’s CME sales totaled 34 of block and 31 of barrel.
Midwestern cheesemakers report mixed demand to Dairy Market News. Milk availability remains
wide open with mid-week spot milk prices ranging $11 to $4 under Class and offers reportedly growing.
Plant downtime continues to play its part in keeping milk available, according to Dairy Market News.
Cheese demand from Western food service and retail is strong to steady, with reports of tight inventories. Some report stronger export sentiment with recent spot price decreases. Demand from Mexico and South America is strong to steady, while an uptick in interest for additional fourth quarter bookings from Asian purchasers is indicated. Cheese vats are running strong with plentiful milk.
Cash butter climbed to a May 5 finish at $2.445 per pound. This is up 9.25 cents on the week, but 19.5 cents below a year ago, with 14 sales reported on the week.
In what may be a first time occurrence, USDA released a revised March Cold Storage report on May 1 after it made no revisions to the February data in its April 25 report. Feb. 28 total cheese stocks were reduced 9 million pounds and the butter inventory was lowered 1 million. March estimates were left unchanged.
Midwest butter demand and churning were busy this week, says Dairy Market News. Demand has not ebbed despite some expectation of bearish pressure on markets due to reported supply increases. Plants are still working through readily available cream at similar prices to previous weeks. Milkfat component levels from the farm are “keeping cream supplies somewhat hearty,” says Dairy Market News
Cream demand is strong in the west and some butter manufacturers report plants are more balanced with regional cream supplies compared to Class IV needs. Cream multiples moved higher this week. Churns are operating at strong schedules with some at max capacity. Contract sales are steady and retail demand is strong to steady, with some upticks reported. Upticks from Canada is indicated, says Dairy Market News, but “demand is on the steady to light end of the spectrum.”
Grade A nonfat dry milk lost 1.75 cents on May 1, but May 2’s GDT jump started a recovery which climbed to $1.1975 per pound on May 5. This is up 2.25 cents on the week, highest since Feb. 27, but still 54.25 cents below a year ago. There were 13 sales on the week.
Dry whey closed Friday at 32.75 cents per pound, down 2.5 cents on the week and 25.75 cents below a year ago, with a 54 sales put on the board for the week.
The week ending April 22 saw 60,800 dairy cows head to slaughter, up 500 from the previous week and 4,400 head or 7.8 percent above a year ago. Year to date, 1.05 million head have been culled, up 43,300 head or 4.3 percent above a year ago.
The following marketing analysis is for the week ending May 5.
CORN — Early this week, old crop corn tried to stabilize while new crop struggled with favorable planting weather and absent fresh demand. Many world markets were closed on May 1 for a May Day holiday.
Outside market weakness also pressured prices at times. Energy markets fell hard early in the week as did equity markets. The big move came mid-week when a drone attacked the Kremlin! Russia said it came from Ukraine. Ukraine said it wasn’t them. There was reportedly limited damage to the Kremlin. There was some speculation someone within Russia who doesn’t agree with the war in Ukraine could be behind it. Russia said they reserve the right to retaliate.
And in the “you can’t make this stuff up” category, at the 61st Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Turkey, a Ukrainian member struck a Russian official in the face after the Russian tore the Ukrainian flag out of his hand. This single event likely doesn’t affect the grain talks, but where does the Black Sea grain corridor agreement actually stand?
Grain movement out of the Black Sea is slowing as shippers slow or halt incoming ships on the uncertainty of whether they will make it out if the agreement is terminated. Usually, three to four vessels per day are inbound, but that has slowed to two vessels per day. It is usually a nine-day period from entering to exiting Ukrainian ports.
At this writing, results from a May 5 meeting with the grain deal participants weren’t known, but ideas were not optimistic the deal will be extended — unless Russia sees signs of their issues being met. One of the major blocks is Russia’s exclusion from the SWIFT banking system which makes it easy for buyers to purchase Russia’s grain and fertilizer.
July corn posted a key reversal higher on May 3 after trading to its lowest since January 2022 in response to the huge wheat rally and dollar sell-off after the drone attack. This broke a streak of nine lower closes out of the previous 10 days. The December contract also traded to its lowest since January 2022
slightly bearish as it rose by 9,000 barrels per day to 976,000 bpd. Stocks fell 943,000 barrels to 23.36 million barrels. Net margins improved a nickel to 47 cents per gallon. Gasoline demand fell by 893,000 bpd to 8.6 million bpd. Brazil is studying the possibility of raising the mandatory ethanol blend to 30 percent. It currently is 27.5 percent.
China unloaded a 53,000 metric ton corn cargo from South Africa this week with another 55,000 metric tons on its way. This was more than China has sourced from South Africa in all the previous volumes! In the last 10 years, they have imported just 37,800 metric tons of South African corn. The purchase was reportedly made a couple of months ago when South Africa was competitive. South America now has the honor of the cheapest origin. China seems to be expanding its options for sourcing corn. Last year, they reached an agreement to import Brazilian corn.
Grain prices are effective cash close on May 9. *Cash grain price change represents a two-week period.
before bouncing higher. This helped to cut weakness stemming from favorable planting weather and a lack of any fresh export sales announcements.
Brazil’s safrinha corn outlook is promising with good weather as their crop reaches the halfway point in development. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange stated they may have to lower Argentina’s corn crop estimate of 36 million metric tons with harvest at 20 percent complete with early yields disappointing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is pegging Argentina’s corn crop at 37 mmt.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates 25 basis points to 5-5.25 percent this week after their meeting. This was expected and baked into the market. Their remarks were interpreted that new hikes may be paused for a while and there’s a possibility of a rate cut by September.
Weekly export sales were on the low side of expectations after China’s recent cancellations. Weekly old crop sales were net cancellations of 12.4 million bushels. China has just 2.9 mmt of U.S. corn left on the books for this marketing year compared to 5.8 mmt last year. Old crop sales are down 35 percent from last year with total commitments at 1.501 billion bushels. The USDA is looking for a 25 percent decline in year-on-year exports. We need weekly sales to average 15.7 million bushels to hit the USDA’s 1.85 billion bushel target. This may be difficult with Brazil on its way to a record corn crop. New crop sales were 4.8 million bushels, bringing total commitments to 100 million vs. 195 million last year. China was on their May Day holiday until May 4 when they returned to see their corn market set new contract lows at an equivalent to $9.64 per bushel. Brazil’s corn for July was reportedly trading at a $35 per ton discount to the U.S. Gulf.
The weekly ethanol production was neutral to
As of April 30, U.S. corn planting was 26 percent complete, right on average. The average for U.S. corn planting for May 7 is 42 percent complete and is estimated to hit 45 percent or higher. Illinois was 40 percent complete vs. 29 percent average, Iowa 29 percent complete vs. 34 percent average, and Minnesota 5 percent complete vs. 23 percent on average. Corn emergence was 6 percent vs. 5 percent on average.
As of May 1, Brazil’s first corn crop was 80 percent harvested and Argentina’s was 20 percent complete. Argentina is behind the 32 percent average. The BAGE warned they may have to lower their 36 mmt corn production forecast due to disappointing early yields. The USDA has Argentina’s corn production at 37 mmt.
Outlook: A wild week in the agricultural markets this week with unexpected developments in the Black Sea region. A weaker dollar also provided support, but planters rolling across the Midwest were and will continue to be a limiting upside factor. We need to see some export demand. We didn’t have a daily export sales flash this week. The May 12 World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report will be our first official glimpse at the 2023-24 balance sheets. Trade estimates have not hit the street yet.
For the week, July corn rallied 11.5 cents to $5.96.5 and the December contract was 7 cents higher at $5.34.75 per bushel.
In the last five years, December corn has tended to rally in the first half of June; but in the last two years, the December contract high for the May-June time frame was in early May.
SOYBEANS — Soybeans took a jump higher to begin the week in old and new crop. After a spike lower early in mid-week trading, soybeans rebounded higher on the drone news and extended the gains into the weekend. July soybeans traded to their low-
The International dairy market saw more good news on May 2 as the Global Dairy Trade weighted average rose 2.5 percent following the 3.2 percent jump on April 18. Traders brought 51.3 million pounds of product to market, up from 50.1 million on April 18, and the average metric ton price climbed to $3,506 U.S., up from $3,362.
The gains were led by whole milk powder, up 5 percent, following a 1 percent advance on April 18. Skim milk powder was up 1.5 percent after jumping 7 percent last time. Buttermilk powder inched 0.8 percent higher. GDT cheddar was up 4.5 percent after jumping 5.7 percent last time, and butter was up 2.4 percent following a 4.9 percent advance. The one decline was on anhydrous milkfat, down 2.4 percent, after advancing 4.7 percent in the last event.
StoneX Dairy Group says the GDT 80 percent butterfat butter price equates to $2.1893 per pound U.S., up 5.6 cents after gaining 10 cents on April 18, and compares to CME butter which closed May 5 at a pricey $2.4450. GDT cheddar, at $2.069, was up 6.8 cents, and compares to May 5’s CME block cheddar at a bargain $1.6125. GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.2641 per pound, up from $1.259, and whole milk powder averaged $1.465 per pound, up from $1.4012. CME Grade A nonfat dry milk closed on May 5 at $1.1975 per pound.
Dustin Winston reports, “Quantity offered in this auction fell by roughly 500 metric tons while purchase quantity grew by roughly the same level. North Asian purchases grew from the last event’s levels, but were down from a year ago.”
Betty Berning, contributing dairy economist with HighGround Dairy,
NYSTROM, from pg. 16
est since late March while the November contract traded to fresh lows since just late April before the recovery.
Weekly export sales were within expectations at 10.6 million bushels to bring total commitments to 1.86 billion bushels. This is down 13 percent from last year when the USDA is projecting a 6.6 percent decline. We need to average weekly sales of 6.5 million to reach the USDA’s 2.015 billion bushel forecast. The March National Agricultural Statistics Service Oilseed Crush report was larger than expected at 198 million bushels. This was a record for the month and the second-largest for any month. Soyoil stocks were 2.388 billion pounds vs. the 2.414 billion pounds estimated.
U.S. soybean planting as of April 30 was 19 percent complete, nicely ahead of the 11 percent average. Illinois was 39 percent planted vs. 15 percent average; Iowa was 16 percent complete vs. 15 percent on average; and Minnesota was 1 percent complete vs. 8 percent on average. Soybean planting was tied with 2021 as the fastest pace on record. The average soybean planting for May 7 is 21 percent complete.
As of May 1, Brazil’s soybean harvest was 95 percent complete. Brazil is feel-
ing the effects of a record crop with storage deficits apparent. Argentina’s was 36 percent complete vs. the average of 64 percent complete, according to the BAGE.
Outlook: Soybeans posted a wide trading range this week; but, in the end, didn’t move out of consolidation. Weakness in meal which traded to its lowest since December 2022 lent general pressure to soybeans. However, soyoil provided support on a strong energy market and palm oil market. If corn planting continues to move forward unimpeded, there is less likelihood of acres switching to soybeans.
For the week, July soybeans jumped 17.25 cents to $14.36.5 and the November was 16.5 cents higher at $12.80 per bushel. July meal was 6.30 per ton lower and the July soyoil surged 2.66 cents higher.
In the last five years during the MayJune time frame, November soybeans have tended to rally in the first half of June.
Weekly price changes in July wheat for the week ended May 5: Chicago wheat up 26.5 cents to $6.60.25, Kansas City soared 56.75 cents to $8.33, and Minneapolis rallied 32.25 cents to $8.36 per bushel. v
Now” broadcast she’s a bit skeptical of the rise in powder. Demand is weak globally, she said, and the buying came primarily from Asia, particularly on whole milk powder, as perhaps there isn’t as much available.
When asked about the U.S. breakeven milk price, Berning said it depends a lot on whether you are buying feed. The range is $18 on the low end to the mid $20s if purchasing feed. Last year, farmers were able to pay down some debt or defer some income, she concluded. “Bankers seem willing to work with farmers despite milk prices being below breakeven; but it’s not fun when you feel squeezed.”
U.S. dairy exports fell in March from a year ago on a volume basis. However, HighGround Dairy points out that historically speaking, exports were in the top three, just behind 2022.
In politics, the National Milk Producers Federation submitted its proposal for modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Order system to the USDA this week. NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern stated, “Dairy farmers and their cooperatives need a modernized Federal Milk Marketing Order system that works better for producers. By updating the pricing formulas to better reflect the value of the high-quality products made from farmers’ milk, by rebalancing pricing risks that have shifted unfairly onto farmers, and by creating a pathway to better reflect processing costs going forward, we are excited to submit this
plan as a path toward a brighter future for dairy.”
Upon official acceptance, USDA will have 30 days to review the plan and decide whether and how to move forward with a federal order hearing to review the plan, according to NMPF.
The plan calls for updating dairy product manufacturing allowances contained in USDA milk price formulas, discontinuing the use of barrel cheese in the protein component price formula, returning to the “higher of” Class I mover, updating milk component factors for protein, other solids and nonfat solids in the Class III and Class IV skim milk price formulas, and updating the Class I differential price system to reflect changes in the cost of delivering bulk milk to fluid plants.
NMPF will also pursue two other components outside of the hearing process, that don’t involve changing federal order regulations. They would extend the current 30-day reporting limit to 45 days on forward priced sales on nonfat dry milk and dry whey to capture more exports sales in USDA product price reporting. NMPF also seeks to develop legislative language for the farm bill to ensure the make allowance is regularly reviewed by directing the USDA to conduct mandatory plant-cost studies every two years.
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
BLUME FARMS & CATTLE is looking for a hard working full time farm hand. General ag and cattle experience recommended. Ability to operate heavy equipment & drive semi if possible. Must be able to feed & check cattle health. This position will have weekend hours, generally every other. Wages will be based off meeting criteria & experience of candidate. This position holds many opportunites for the right person. English speaking is appreciated. Contact Adam today at 507-360-6934
FOR RENT: 20 acre horse pasture w/ creek/trails, barn & house also. Kimball area 320-221-1872
WANTED: Land & farms. I have clients looking for dairy, & cash grain operations, as well as bare land parcels from 40-1000 acres. Both for relocation & investments. If you have even thought about selling contact: Paul Krueger, Farm & Land Specialist, Edina Realty, 138 Main St. W., New Prague, MN 55372. paulkrueger@edinarealty.com (612)328-4506
OPEN Pollinated Seed Corn. Produces more high quality silage on less acres than hybrid. $67/bushel plus shipping. High feed value grain. borriesopenpollinatedseedcorn.com 217-857-3377 or 217-343-4962
Glyphosate 5.4 totes, $17.75 Gen Liberty totes, $41.95; Enlist 1 totes, $46.95. Surestart 2 totes, $44.95. We ship most everywhere & all tote prices include Free Delivery to your farm or business. Please call or text for all your chemical needs. Phone 612-210-3685
SILO
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Stormor Bins & EZ-Drys. 100% financing w/no liens or red tape, call Steve at Fairfax Ag for an appointment. 888-830-7757
June 13, 2023
Excellent Soil Productivity with 95.50 Soil CPI
Quality County & Private Tile Outlets
Only registered bidders may attend
For Sale
160 ± Acres Farmland
$2,252,140
Large Tract of 155.32 ± Tillable Acres
Strong Yield History with 92.80 Soil CPI
Part of Co Ditch 85-A & Co Ditch 124 Tile Outlets
Norfolk Township, Renville County, MN
For property brochures, contact Hertz at 507-345-LAND (5263) WWW.HERTZ.AG
151 St. Andrews Court #1310, Mankato MN 56001
FOR SALE: NH 455 7’ wide trailer type mower; Cunningham hay conditioner; 1960 630 JD tractor, factory 3pt hitch; 1993 Ditch Witch trencher, 4’ digging depth, leveling blade on front to dig trench, brand new chain on trencher part. 952-594-9936
FOR SALE: 45’ Mandako land roller, 42” diameter 5/8” thick roller, 3” bearings, excellent shape, $32,500. 320-981-2000
FOR SALE: AGRI - speed hitch, like new, 28” Caldwell fan and heater, 28” Caldwell fan, like new. 320583-3131
FOR SALE: JD 845 row crop cultivator, 12R30”, rolling shields, low acres, always shedded, excellent condition, $5,500. 507-276-3772
Farm Equipment
FOR SALE: 1000 gallon ($1,200) and 500 gallon ($850) S/S tanks on trailers.
320-894-4489
FOR SALE: Blue Jet 28% side dresser, 12R30”, wheel driven pump. Hector MN.
320-212-4462
NECO U-Trough Auger, 20’ long. 2HP Baldor motor. Includes 2 covers. Used indoors until recently.
$595/OBO. 507-420-4848
We buy
Salvage Equipment
Parts Available
Hammell Equip., Inc.
(507)867-4910
Tractors
FOR SALE: 8 F12 Farmalls, $300 to $600 each, and one F14 Farmall, $600. 651-686-8247
FOR SALE: JD 70 diesel with pony start, SN 7024331, and a JD 80 diesel SN 800053. 320-905-2536
FOR SALE: 8680 Massey, 2011, 4000 hrs, 320HP, asking $135,000. 320-221-3789
NEW AND USED TRACTOR 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
WANTED: Old John Deere 2 Cylinder tractors running or not, and parts. 507-380-4380
Spraying Equip
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
Please recycle this magazine.
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: New Holland 1034 stack liner, very good condition, always shedded. Make an offer. 507-227-2602
FOR SALE: Snowco bale elevator, 50ft. 507-227-3003
FOR SALE: Common sense wire winder, smooth and barbed wire rollers, like new, used only once, $1,350. 320-304-2418
FOR SALE: Auto head gate, round bale feeder, postswood & steel. 612-380-4005
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
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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
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FOR SALE: Black Angus bulls also Hamp, York, & Hamp/ Duroc boars & gilts. Alfred (Mike) Kemen 320-598-3790
FOR SALE: British White Yearlings, steers and heifers. 507-530-0208
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
Your ad could be here!
507-345-4523
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!
Will deliver. Klages Herefords, Ortonville, MN. 320-273-2163(H) 605-8800521(C)
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
160 Acres +/- of Farmland & Building Site in Westford Twp., Martin Co., MN
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 @ 10:00 AM
Auction to be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall 920 E 10th Street, Fairmont, MN
PROPERTY LOCATION: Building Site Address: 2273 240th Ave, Truman, MN 56088 LEGAL: 160 +/- Deeded Acres: NE 1/4 in Section 14, Township 104 North, Range 30 West, Martin County, Minnesota.
550 ewe lambs from OPP tested negative flock. 605-864-8811 or 605-997-2060
1975 Ford LN700, 391 V8, recent tune-up, 5x2 speed, 16’ steel box, 6 new rims & tires, mechanical tag axle, nice condition for an older truck, $5,000. John Pemble 507-381-7097
FOR SALE: 1980 F-800 Tandem Twin Screw Ford Grain Truck, 18’ Box and Hoist. Asking $4,500. Call 507-271-0799
FOR SALE: Int’l fast hitch to 3 pt arms with top link; Cub Cadet 782, overhauled motor, hydrostatic w/ semi mounted w/ Agrifac, leaf & grass vacuum; 72-6” cement blocks, used. 507-317-4692
FOR SALE: Olson Irrigator for parts. Motors, gear boxes, pipes. 507-227-2602
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
For your irrigation needs 888-830-7757 or 507-276-2073
160.63 Acres +/- of Bare Farmland in Pleasant Mound Twp., Blue Earth Co., MN
Thursday, May 25, 2023 @ 10:00 AM
Auction to be held at the Snowbirds Event Center 224 East Main Street, Amboy, MN
PROPERTY LOCATIONS: Parcel #1-NE 1/4 of NW 1/4 & NW 1/4 of NE 1/4 in Section 11, Township 105N, Range 29W, Blue Earth County, MN; Parcel #2-80.63 Deeded Acres in Section 2, Township 105N, Range 29W, Blue Earth County, MN
For full flyer, informational booklet and bidding details, visit www.landservicesunlimited.com!
OWNERS: HERKY & ARLYS HALVERSON ESTATE
AUCTIONEERS AND SALES STAFF
DUSTYN HARTUNG-507-236-7629 KEVIN KAHLER 507-920-8060
ALLEN, RYAN & CHRIS KAHLER, DOUG WEDEL & SCOTT CHRISTOPHER
For full flyer, informational booklet and bidding details, visit www.landservicesunlimited.com!
OWNER: JANET BOECK
AUCTIONEERS AND SALES STAFF
DUSTYN HARTUNG-507-236-7629 KEVIN KAHLER 507-920-8060
ALLEN, RYAN & CHRIS KAHLER, DOUG WEDEL & SCOTT CHRISTOPHER
Answers for Water Quality Word Search
PRIME RENVILLE COUNTY FARMLAND AUCTION
Live Auction With An Online Bidding Option
Wednesday, June 28, 2023 • 11:00 AM
152.68 Surveyed Acres; 149.71+/- Tillable Acres
SW1/4 except building site in Sec 34, Twp 115, Range 36, Emmet Twp, Renville Co
• CPI=90 7
• This Land Has Tile & An Outlet
• Great Road Access
• This Land Has Been Surveyed
We are pleased to present the Gens Land Trust Farmland for sale by auction This is a rare opportunity to own highly productive farmland located close to Renville, MN. This land has been in the Gens Family for over 100 years You won’t want to miss the rare chance to bid on this top-quality farmland.
Go to FladeboeLand.com for details
Glen Fladeboe 651-208-3262
Glen@FladeboeLand com
Kristine Fladeboe Duininck
Kristine@FladeboeLand com
Live Auction With An Online Bidding Option
Tues., June 20th, 2023 at 11 AM
146.93+/- Deeded Acres, 146.31+/- Tillable Acres of High-Quality Farmland Located in Roseland Twp, Kandiyohi Co
154.3 +/- Surveyed Acres,
This land is located in the SW 1/4 of Section 23, Twp 117, Range 35 and has an impressive CPI=92.4. (Excludes the building site.) Survey is in process.
This land has tile and great road access.
Owners: R & D Land Partners, LLP Go to FladeboeLand.com for details
Kristine Fladeboe Duininck 320-212-9379
Kristine@FladeboeLand.com
Dale Fladeboe, Lic. 34-12 Award Winning Auctioneers
MOWER COUNTY: Approx. 240 Acres,Tile, 84.2 CPI, LEROY TWP MLS# 6359889
LISTED & PENDING!
Ensure Asset Preservation, Conservation, Negotiate Leases and Terms to Fit Ever Changing
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Several weeks ago I checked on a fellow I know who is down on his luck. He’s left his family to find work so he can send them money. He’s living in a run-down apartment by himself. And, to my surprise, he had no food.
I made a few calls and found out that County Social Services has a service which provides a one time, no questions asked, box of food. I also found out the local food shelf will open on very short notice in the case of an emergency. So, my friend ended the day with food.
Food shelves throughout Minnesota received 5,505,100 visits last year from people just like my friend. That number grows every year.
But food shelves aren’t the only solution to hunger. One creative solution to a crisis like my friend had is the Little Free Pantry movement which was started in Arkansas in 2014. There’s a map at the Little Free Pantry website which shows 50 or so of them from Maine to Oregon.
But that map is incomplete. It only shows one in Minnesota; in St. Paul.
In 2020 there were at least three others in Minnesota’s Morrison County; one each in Little Falls, Sobieski, and Swanville. We could not find the Little
Free Pantry in Sobieski on a recent trip; but the Swanville pantry was lightly stocked with canned goods and bottled water.
The pantry is a nicely-constructed weather proof cabinet mounted on an outside wall of Bob and Fran’s Grocery, at 309 DeGraff Ave. in Swanville.
“If you want to buy groceries in the store and put them out there you can,” Stacey, a store employee, said. “We also have an envelope in the store where you can put donations.”
Swanville’s Little Free Pantry has been in place since 2020. The inspiration for it was the 2019 installation of a Little Free Pantry located in a residential neighborhood at the Cole residence at 710 First St. SE in Little Falls.
The Cole’s named the pantry they host “Grandma Cole’s” Pantry, in honor of Elna Cole’s unflagging generosity. There is a poster on the pantry door picturing Grandma Cole and recounting her story. On the day we visited it was stocked with taco shells. A few days later, soup, syrup and mashed potato mix had replaced
the taco shells. “Take what you need. Give what you can,” was an ethic Elna Cole believed in and it’s the motto of Little Free Pantries around the country. Find out more at www.thelittlefreepantries.org v
