A month or so ago The Land published an article about agricultural education at the Faribault, Minn., public school. For that article, I interviewed Madeline Schultz, a 2014 graduate of Faribault High School who now teaches agricultural education at her alma mater.
One of the things Schultz told me was that the students in her classes had a make-up representative of the Faribault student body as a whole.
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standpoint?” Sviggum asked Janet Schrunk Ericksen, who was the acting chancellor of the University of Minnesota Morris campus, Minnesota Public Radio reported.
I didn’t dig into that comment at the time; but if my memory serves me correctly, Madeline made it with a great deal of pride. Madeline, who has tasked herself with recreating the school’s agricultural education program, had created a fascinating array of courses that taught youngsters about agriculture and food. Those classes, she was saying, were interesting to students across the board at Faribault.
And here’s my point: Faribault Middle School is a minority white school and the entire school district will be soon. In October 2022, when the District counted its Middle School students, 22.7 percent identified as Black or African American, 32.2 percent identified as Hispanic, and 39.3 percent identified as White. The High School is just barely majority White, with 50.8 percent of students identifying as White; but the District’s Jefferson Elementary School only has 20.5 percent White students enrolled. Within the next few years, as those kids from Jefferson grow older, the High School will be minority White.
So, Madeline Schultz, a descendant of Northern Europeans, is proud to be teaching a wide rainbow of kids from around the planet about the importance of food and agriculture in their lives. She’s also hoping that she’s preparing some of those youngsters for careers in those areas.
Schultz — and for that matter, the Faribault school district — are doing fantastic work. They are acknowledging, in a positive and constructive way, a growing reality across rural Minnesota.
Last October, Steve Sviggum, a member of the Minnesota Board of Regents and a former leader in the Minnesota State Legislature, said a peculiar thing.
“Is it possible that at Morris, we’ve become too diverse? Is that possible, all from a marketing
— Organization writes “prescriptions”
Sviggum said he’d received a couple of letters from friends whose children chose not to go to Morris because they considered it too diverse …. they just didn’t feel comfortable there, MPR reported.
Sviggum, like so many people who spend their lives in the privileged leadership circles of Minnesota, was — and is — out of touch with rural Minnesota reality. The letter-writing parents of those students were apparently from the same uninformed and out of touch circles. “Too diverse!”
“Uncomfortable!” Indeed.
Those people certainly weren’t from Faribault. Nor were they from Long Prairie - Grey Eagle whose school district 37.6 percent white; or St. James at 40.5 percent white; or Worthington at 18.3 percent; or Willmar at 35.8 percent; or . . . you name a town.
This is not new. It’s been going on for 10 or 20 years while Steve Sviggum was serving in various so-called positions of leadership. So, for him to be in the place of ignorance where his question originated from is inexcusable.
But so was the response to his question. MPR falsely reported that Sviggum made an assertion. He didn’t. He asked a question. And the liberals crucified him for asking it. He was run off the Board of Regents and forced to apologize. Imagine — he was run out of a citadel of higher learning for asking a question which nobody dared to answer. And nobody dared to ask him questions about his questions.
Steve, where do your friends live? What high school did they go to? Why do they feel uncomfortable becoming part of a minority? Why does it matter to us, as Minnesotans, if those youngsters feel uncomfortable?
Maybe Sviggum can answer those questions. Maybe he can help us all enter into the important conversation about these major demographic changes which have already happened and will continue
Corey Hanson
Gary, Minn. May 19
“We finished wheat this Monday,” Corey Hanson stated on May 19. “Mine is just starting to spike through.”
Following wheat, Hanson started on corn. May 17 and 18 brought some misty rain with no accumulation and there was also haziness from the
Canadian wildfires, so Hanson used some of the time to work on his mower. “This morning is pretty clear again,” he stated.
“We’re probably about 25 perent done on corn, I’d guess.” Hanson anticipated another four to five days left for corn, and hopes to start beans the middle of next week. In a perfect world, he said he’d be wrapping things up in a week to 10 days, but knows to roll with the punches. Hanson stated he’s feeling very fortunate, as there are farmers to the north and west of him that have very little crop seeded currently.
The cattle are doing fine on the home pasture. Hanson stated the push to get beans in is greater, so once planting is finished, he’ll bring the cattle in to be vaccinated and sorted. He commented it’s a good time to spray pastures for thistles, as well as put a little fertilizer down in places that need it.
Hanson would likely argue there’s never a good time for mosquitoes, but he unfortunately has already heard their first hum. “Why were they ever made?” he lamented with a laugh. v
Nick Pooch Farwell, Minn. May 18
Nick Pooch was able to start planting around the 4th or 5th of May. He reports his oats are up and the alfalfa is looking good. There was no winter kill on his existing alfalfa, and he states that’s looking nice, too. He planted a little rye last fall. “In the last week, it has taken off. That looks good,” he said.
Pooch started planting corn on May 11. “We should get done with corn today, I think,” he stated on May 18. In the last 10 days, the area received
around 1/10 to 3/10 inches of rain on three occasions. There aren’t any wet spots and Pooch reported the forecast is showing 7-10 days of good weather, so he’s expecting to get the beans in the ground fairly easily.
Blake, Pooch’s oldest son, is currently busy with baseball along with taking care of his cattle. It
David Tauer
Hanska, Minn. May 18
Rainfall has kept David Tauer out of the fields for 13 days and counting. He reports he was able to get most of the corn in on the 3rd and 5th of May. Between the 5th and 13th, the farm had over nine inches of rain!
As of May 18, Tauer didn’t expect there to be
much field work for at least a week yet. There is ponding water, and some of the corn will need to be replanted.
On the other hand, Tauer reported that the alfalfa hasn’t stopped growing with the moisture. “It thrives in those conditions,” he stated. The new alfalfa looks good, and the alfalfa that was established over the last couple of years is now 18 inches tall. He anticipated it’s about 10 days from being cut.
“Oats look well,” Tauer commented, noting they are about 4 inches tall. Tauer’s cows are staying comfortable in this weather, too. He sprayed for flies on Tuesday. “That’s something we do every two to four weeks depending on how bad they are.”
By May 26, the Tauer children will be finished with school for the summer. Ruby and Adam help out with the cows, as well as mowing. They’ll be busy with baseball and softball, and Tauer reported his wife, Angie, will also be busy running between fields. v
Jim Hagen
Lake Mills, Iowa May 19
Jim Hagen estimated his farm got about two inches of rain throughout the second week of May. “We never had any water standing,” he stated.
By May 18, Hagen had just 50 acres left of soybeans to plant. Hagen also drives bus, and an all-day field trip kept him from finishing. He was one of six drivers that transported 300 6th graders to the Twin Cities, and he stated it was likely a good thing as it gave the field a little more time to dry. When he
spoke with The Land on the morning of May 19, he was back to planting. “I’ll be done by noon,” he remarked.
Soybeans were started on the first week of May, and Hagen reported three-fourths of what had been planted is up. He finished planting corn on May 1. “All the corn is up,” he stated.
See HAGEN, pg. 5
It’s awfully dark at 3 a.m., but there you were, wide awake.
You might have heard your name called, but you couldn’t be sure so you laid in bed, waiting, too exhausted to move. If Mom needed you, she’d call once more and you’d tend to her needs then. It’s 3 a.m. But, as in the new book, “Who Cares” by Emily Kenway, there’s no punch-clock in this job you’ve assumed.
by Emily Kenway
c.2023, Seal Press
$30.00
304 pages
For most of her life, Emily Kenway’s mother was a strong, independent woman. She raised Kenway and her sister singlehandedly, she held a great job, and she dreamed of traveling in her retirement. Sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer at about that time. She soon needed a medical advocate and then, help.
By Terri SchlichenmeyerBecause she was in a position to tackle it, the job fell to Kenway.
It’s no surprise, Kenway says. The vast majority of caregivers of elderly or ill relatives — whether related or not — are women. In this, she points out, there is no “gender equality.” She wonders if it has anything to do with the facts of intimate care and feelings of comfort or embarrassment. She muses about all the assumptions which make people automatically assign a caregiving job to a daughter or sister — even if she’s physically or emotionally unable to handle it; even if she has a successful life and a job she’s reluctant to relinquish. Remember, Kenway says, many caregivers are “essential workers” that don’t get paid.
It’s very frustrating, but Kenway shows how caregivers have found ways to cope. Having like-minded support is key, but it needn’t be in-person: she and people around the world gather once a week for Zoom groups, in which they discuss issues and offer succor. She says artificial intelligence is making strides in the area of home caregiving, which takes some of the pressure off carers. Caregivers learn to broaden the “conception of kinship.” And in some cases, caregivers have found ways to make government laws work for them...
If you cracked open a copy of “Who Cares” and you found it seething with anger, would you be surprised? You shouldn’t be — and author Emily Kenway tells you why.
Once you know — and caregivers already do — you won’t be alarmed to see the clear exhaustion and frustration that line the pages of this book.
There’s no softening of either status here; Kenway is wide-open and honest with her feelings, which could be comforting to readers who are experiencing the same — but can’t say it out loud.
These emotions, it should be noted, are properly aimed. Readers will be relieved to see they’re directed outward and not at Kenway’s beloved mother. There’s also a list of demands directed at congresspeople and representatives here (in case you want to contact yours).
Absolutely, this book is for any caregiver now, and for readers who understand they’ll be on the receiving end of it all someday, in all likelihood. “Who Cares” is a warning, and a book to keep you awake at night.
Look for the reviewed book at a bookstore or a library near you. You may also find the book at online book retailers.
The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in Wisconsin with three dogs and 10,000 books. v
Please read attached email
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking additional steps to strengthen the market for domestically grown organic goods, and to support producers seeking organic certification.
NAMES ALREADY ON AD THE LAND 3.417 x2” The Land
Through the new Organic Market Development Grant (OMDG) Program, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will issue up to $75 million in competitive grants. Eligible entities include business entities who produce or handle organic foods, non-
profit organizations, tribal governments, and state and local government entities to fund projects designed to expand and improve markets for domestically produced organic products. OMDG is intended to increase the consumption of domestic agricultural commodities by aiding in the expansion of markets or development of new markets, marketing facilities, and uses for such commodities. For example, applicants may seek funding to develop and launch new consumer products using rotational grains, or invest in infrastructure like processing equipment to give producers better access to markets.
Through OMDG, AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers and underserved communities.
AMS is accepting applications for the program now through July 11.
The Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which helps organic producers cover organic certification costs, to the maximum amount allowed by statute.
Specifically, FSA will cover up to 75 percent of costs associated with organic certification, up to $750 for crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling.
OCCSP will cover costs incurred from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023.
Applications are due Oct. 31. To apply, producers and handlers should contact the FSA at their local USDA Service Center. As part of completing the OCCSP application, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses.
To learn more, visit usda.gov.
This article was submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. v
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report confirmed that a freight train of grain is barreling toward 2023-24 markets and farmers everywhere need to prepare for the rockier prices sure to follow in its wake.
The corn carryover is 805 mb higher, or 68 percent, than the 2022 carryover and the soybean carryover is 119 mb higher, or 55 percent larger.
gets. If good weather boosts either crop’s final production — a hard number not known until November — carryover will climb even higher, average prices will fall, and farm income will slip even lower.
ment forecasts didn’t say “could” at all. Instead, drought or no drought, the WASDE pegged 2023-24 wheat prices at $8 per bushel, or 85 cents lower than last year’s average price.
The report was succinctly summarized by DTN market analysts shortly after its release May 12: “USDA projects farmers are in the midst of planting the country’s largest corn crop on record at 15.265 billion bushels (bb) and a record soybean crop at 4.51 bb…”
As every grain market participant knows, the double corn/soybean production record is a double-edged sword because the records will lead to larger, price-flattening carryovers. Again, per DTN: The huge crops mean “2023-24 ‘new crop’ ending stocks for corn (are) projected at 2.22 bb and soybeans pegged at 335 million bushels (mb).”
The projected corn crop, which USDA forecasts will top 2016’s record 15.1 bb, will slap the coming year’s average price down to $4.80 per bushel, a profit-clipping $1.80 below this year’s average price.
Likewise, this year’s likely record soybean crop means its projected average price will slide from $14.20 per bushel to $12.10, or $2.10 per bushel. While $1.80 per bushel lower for corn and $2.10 per bushel lower for beans sound modest, the declines — taken across the record production for both crops — mean a chunky, multibillion drop in gross U.S. corn income and a smaller but still substantial drop in gross U.S. soybean revenue.
And that’s if either or both projected record crops hit their forecasted tar-
POOCH, from pg. 3
seems 4-year-old Brady may also have future plans for farming. Pooch shared Brady came with to bring him dinner earlier in the week. He told his son, “Thanks for lunch, Cowboy.” Brady responded, “Dad, I’m not a cowboy. I’m a farmer.”
Pooch will soon be prepping hay equipment as he expects to start haying the first week of June. Looking ahead, he stated because there’s not a lot of subsoil moisture, “We will be dependent on timely rains.” v
HAGEN, from pg. 3
It’s common for farmers to keep target dates in mind. For Hagen’s father, Gordon, finishing planting prior to May 20 is always a goal as it’s his birthday. Mission accomplished this year! Hagen unfortunately didn’t have such luck on his own May 11 birthday.
Following birthday celebrations, Hagen has scheduled to have painting completed on a building. He’ll also be spraying for weeds. He anticipated starting on corn by the end of next week.
In the middle of all this good-newsis-really-bad-news data for U.S. corn and soybeans farmers, American wheat farmers couldn’t tell if their section of the WASDE was a pat on the back or a kick in the pants (a distance, the all-but-sainted former USDA chief Earl Butz liked to remind audiences, “is only 18 inches apart.”)
The headline to the wheat forecast, Bloomberg blared, was that “America’s wheat fields have become so plagued by drought that farmers are now poised to abandon crops at the highest rate in more than a century.”
In fact, the news service went on, “Producers are expected to harvest about 67 percent of their planted acres… (that) if realized would be the lowest ratio since 1917…”
So, the shorter U.S. crop means taller U.S. prices, right?
Bloomberg said that’s a rock solid, ah, well… maybe: The acreage abandonment “to lower levels than analysts were expecting… could keep domestic prices elevated, even with rival producers such as Canada and Argentina likely to boost output.”
USDA’s wheat price projection, however, did not agree. Indeed, govern-
Which just goes to show the world why America’s farmers continue their more than a generation-long love/hate relationship with wheat: they just can’t catch a break with it.
For example, strong 2022 prices — buoyed by both lower U.S. acres and the Ukrainian/Russia war — encouraged hesitant growers to sow 10 percent more wheat this marketing year. Last summer’s drought, however, continued into winter, then spring, to deliver (holy cow!) record acreage abandonment, normally a booster rocket for prices.
But, no, Chicago July wheat futures continue their sleepy, slow slide. On Dec. 30 July futures closed at $8.03. By mid-May, though, the July contract had slipped below $6.50 per bushel and now has the grease to slide more.
Given 2023’s soaring productionsinking price forecast, maybe Old Earl the Pearl had it right with his back patting-back side kicking wisecrack.
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
It has been 10 years since my first book, “A Place of Refuge” was published. It, and its sequel, “A Place of New Beginnings,” tell the story of the people who settled in northwest Iowa.
I hadn’t intended to be an author, even though two of the common author characteristics are mine: reading is a favored pastime, and no one will discount my eccentricity.
The books came about in part due to the many hours spent reading books aloud almost every night when our children were young. While we enjoyed reading many different topics, a good majority of the books were on history — probably because it was and remains a favorite subject of mine.
By Renae B. Vander Schaaf
unkempt lawn. This is home, where once my children played; and now it’s my grandchildren and I who enjoy walking on the same paths to see the flowers blooming or to see who first spot the nuts on the butternut tree.
Something quite major had to occur to cause a mass migration from Europe to America. During the mid-1840’s, the ships were filled to the brim with passengers willing to go to a land where the language and customs were different. Many never again saw the family and friends they tenderly kissed goodbye on the day they boarded the ship.
became a place of refuge. It wasn’t always easy. The difficult hardships these people faced when they first came are not anything we should just brush over. These were real people with all the same desires, emotions and physical frailness we each deal with every day. They left comparatively easy lives in the city with stores just around the corner for a new beginning which sometimes brought them to the middle of nowhere.
It is no wonder I was fascinated by what I was discovering and wanted to record it for others to read.
Through their school projects and our own town’s celebration, when many of us will don our Dutch costumes and wooden shoes, my curiosity grew to wonder who William of Orange was. After all, our town in northwest Iowa must be named after him; because our climate certainly is not conducive to growing orange trees.
I began collecting scraps of history and sporadically doing the research. The more information acquired, the more fascinating the story became. What would be the driving force to cause people to leave their homeland?
Relocating is not an easy thing to do — although I know someday it will happen to me.
After living on this farm place for over 40 years, it brings tears to my thoughts and sometimes my eyes, when it becomes prudent to leave the farm to seek a smaller home in town.
It will not be easy to say goodbye to the trees we have planted and still hope to plant. I am accustomed to watching the sun rise through my kitchen windows; and later in the day, the ever-changing colors of the sunset on the corn field which borders the farm on three sides.
Just yesterday, a pair of geese flew overhead as I worked in the garden. I would probably even miss the rabbits who dart everywhere, and most certainly the partridges and mourning doves who enjoy my
Letters would take months of travel before they reached their destination. A tele phone? The word was more foreign than some of the new technological terms of today. It really was permanent parting for many.
Of course, while it’s never good to generalize, there appears to be three main causes for this mass emigration.
One was the persecu tion of the people who believed God’s word to be true and infallible. In The Netherlands, for instance, the gov ernment had taken over the church. It told the preachers what they could preach on and how.
The people who separated from the state church were fined, jailed and sometimes beaten. Fellow citizens were told not to conduct business with these ‘outlaws.’ America offered separation of state and government.
Economically, times were hard. More than a third of the Dutch were on the government dole — many of whom were fit and capable of working. Taxes were extremely high. Also, one needed a license or permit to do just about anything. Dishonesty was quite prevalent.
Then, too, the potato famine often associated with Ireland had spread throughout Europe. America, with its freedoms and opportunities,
When a person writes, there are many different avenues one can go down. I chose to focus on what was good and their trust in God, in hope my readers would sense a need to commune with their Maker, who holds all things in His hands — even the next breath that I take.
Sometimes though, doubts still do come. Did I do enough investigating to make sure what I wrote was fact and not a legend I wanted to believe was true because it fit the narrative. So when two different written histories were given to me last winter from two separate sources, they both provided unexpected reassurance — because these first-person narratives confirmed my research.
The first came from a friend who I think is a descendant of the writer, Carl Wissink. In his “Then and Now” memoir, he wrote that his parents granted him their permission and provided the money needed for him to come to America.
When he boarded the steamer Zaandam in 1884, there were many passengers of Dutch heritage aboard. Some of the passengers were returning to America after a visit to relatives in The Netherlands, others were emigrating as he was. He mentions several familiar names, but the one that really caught my attention were a Mr. and Mrs. Van der Schaaf.
Unfortunately he didn’t record their first name; but I do not believe they were close kinsman to my
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 6 — Preventative Healthcare in Organic Dairy Production — Online — This webinar will cover National Organic Program regulations related to dairy production, typical health problems and alternative approaches, and how healthy systems are created to prevent issues from arising, through building soil health and more. Contact Jennifer Ryan at jennifer. ryan2@usda.gov.
June 10 — Bumble Bee Identification Workshop — Faribault, Minn. — This workshop will provide training to ID common bumble bees, safely handle and photograph bees, and record data. After the workshop, you can adopt a
grid cell, choose a survey location, and help document bumble bee populations this summer. For more information, please visit https://z.umn.edu/ BumblebeeIDFaribault.
June 14 — Hickory Hill Farm Tour — Hospers, Iowa — This annual familyfriendly 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.
June 17 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Fort Atkinson, Iowa — The topic will be Creating a Soil Health System With No-Till, Cover Crops and Livestock. The event will be hosted by Ross, Cassie, Henry & Ruthie Kurash. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days.
June 18 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Mitchell, Iowa — The topic will be Maximizing Opportunity in a Small Town and will be hosted by Steve Strasheim. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days.
June 21 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Spencer, Iowa — The topic will be Creating On-Farm Habitat to Foster Wildlife Diversity and will be hosted by Bev & Dwight Rutter. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers. org/field-days.
June 22 — Organic Dairy & Swine Day — Morris, Minn. — Topics will include substituting hybrid rye in a traditional corn-soy swine diet, organic hybrid rye production, feeding and grazing
to happen.
While we’re waiting for Sviggum, we can look to people like Madeline Schultz as our guides on how to proceed. Madeline, and the leadership at Faribault School District, are living with the demographic changes in positive and constructive ways every day.
If we follow their example we will all be better for it.
Tim King has been a contributor to The Land since 1985. He also cofounded the community newspaper La Voz Libre and served as its publisher and editor from 2004 to 2014. He farms with his family near Long Prairie, Minn. v
organic dairy cows, and pasture walks. Contact West Central Research and Outreach Center at (320) 589-1711.
June 23 — West Central Dairy Days
Cattle Show — Willmar, Minn. — Ages 5 -21 (as of January 1st) can exhibit. There are classes for all eight dairy breeds, Junior and Grand Champion Overall, plus Junior, Intermediate and Senior Showmanship. Contact Mary Swart at rmswart@tds.net or (320) 2200904 or Lane Johnson at (320) 8151276.
June 28 — Beef Pasture Walk — Elk River, Minn. — Learn and converse about establishing and restoring pastures, managing grazing, identifying plants, cattle health, body condition scoring, and responding to forage emergencies and drought. For more information, visit z.umn.edu/2023beefpasturewalk.
July 7 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Fonda, Iowa — The topic will be Drilling Down on Oat Varieties, Double-Crop Soybeans and Rotational Grazing. The event will be hosted by Neil & Elizabeth Peterson and sons Paul & Timothy. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days.
July 12-15 — Pipestone Lamb and Wool Sheep for Profit School — Pipestone, Minn. — The purpose of the school is to improve sheep management skills, increase profitability and form business relationships. The school will combine lecture, group discussion and visits to Pipestone area sheep operations. Contact the Pipestone Lamb and Wool Management Program at melinda. lamote@mnwest.edu or (800) 658-2330.
July 17-18 — MSCA Summer Beef Tour and Trade Show — Slayton, Minn. — The quarterly board meeting of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association
will be on July 17, followed by the annual Political Action Committee fundraiser. The tour and trade show will take place on July 18 with this year’s tour beginning in Pipestone, Minn. Contact Angie Ford at (507) 360-7937 or Glenn Johnson at (507) 820-1502.
July 19 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Spencer, Iowa — The topic will be Relay Cropping, Permanent Clover and Irrigation Systems in Northwest Iowa. The event will be hosted by Patrick White & Chuck White. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days.
July 28 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Zumbrota, Minn. — The topic will be Converting Row Crops to Perennial Pasture. The event will be hosted by Zach Knutson & Brooke Calaway. For more information, visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days.
Aug. 10 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Austin, Minn. — The topic will be Creating a Legacy of Conservation in Traditional Row Cropping. The event will be hosted by Joe Merten. For more information, visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days.
Aug. 26 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Buffalo Center, Iowa — The topic will be The Secrets of Stock Cropping and will be hosted by Zack Smith. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers.org/fielddays.
Sept. 6 — Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day — Spirit Lake, Iowa — The topic will be Microgreens and Marketing to Build a Food System in Northwest Iowa. The event will be hosted by Calvin & Krissy Thiessen. For more information, please visit practicalfarmers.org/ field-days.
By TIM KING The Land Correspondent
AITKIN, Minn. — Jay Rigdon and Erik Heimark started Maple Ridge Produce on a run-down farmstead south of this north central Minnesota community in 2015. Since then, Rigdon, a carpenter by trade, and Heimark, who is a baker, naturalist, and former Aitkin farm kid, have established a thriving retail and wholesale farm business. It not only serves their farm, but 17 other local farmers and vendors as well.
At the heart of their neighborly collaboration and successful farming enterprise is a wellstocked farm stand created out of a picturesque repurposed Airstream travel trailer. The farm stand is occasionally staffed by Rigdon, Heimark, or one of their employees; but it generally operates on an honor system.
“We can’t afford to sit here and watch the stand,” Heimark told the Brainerd Dispatch newspaper for a 2018 interview. “People are remarkably honest if you expect them to be.”
“The Farm Stand is the best story we have,”
Heimark said recently. “Our first year we produced so much extra produce we decided to create a little honor system stand at the end of the drive. It received so much attention we upgraded and built a cute little farm stand we cobbled together with random building materials we had around. We started buying and selling from other farmers to provide more farm products like eggs, meat and soap; and the stand became even more popular. Because of licensing, we needed to put our farm stand on wheels and Jay had the great idea of creating a farm stand in a vintage trailer. The stand still operates on the honor system. We are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.”
Rigdon and Heimark also sell their produce at three farmers markets including in Aitkin and Brainerd, through two food hubs, and to several wholesale accounts from their roughly five acres of crops.
“Basically we grow A to Z vegetables,” Heimark said. “We specialize in broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, squash and pumpkins, but you can find a huge variety at our farm stands. We also buy local grains and sell freshly ground flour and pancake mixes.”
Every season brings its lessons on crops to add to the A to Z mix and on crops to subtract from it. “We have dropped green beans, brussel sprouts, sweet corn, and potatoes from our list of items and are very happy about that,” Heimark said. “This year we plan to grow popcorn instead of sweet corn and are excited about that.”
Heimark says the short growing season in north central Minnesota is a challenge for vegetable production; and, to some extent, defines what’s grown in the Maple Ridge gardens. But there are ways to extend the growing season.
“The short growing season is hard to work with,” Heimark said. “We like to grow our tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other high-value, warm season crops in our high tunnel. We will be building another one this summer.”
Once out of the high tunnel, the tomatoes and peppers — along with other heat loving crops — will be planted through black plastic film and into raised beds. The black plastic creates a warm micro-environment, warms the soil below it, and also suppresses weeds. If a late frost threatens the warm season seedlings, they are covered with a lightweight spun polyester blanket called a floating row cover.
Heimark says one of his favorite tomatoes is Kathy’s Red Barn tomato which, like other tomatoes, is started inside in the middle of March.
“It’s a giant heirloom tomato that doesn’t split,” he said. “I once got a three-pounder.”
While working to extend the season for warm season crops, Maple Ridge is also putting emphasis on cool season crops that thrive in north central Minnesota’s climate.
“We are focusing more on carrots, radishes, onions, lettuce, herbs, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. We start all our brassicas,” Heimark said. “None of them would survive the cutworms if we sowed them directly outside. I use Gypsy and Blue Wind for my broccoli varieties and have been happy with both so far. Blue Wind is very early; but not as nice looking or tight as Gypsy. My favorite variety of cabbage is Storage #4. It’s a very heavy, tight variety.”
Maple Ridge features a wide variety of items from 17 different local vendors.
Heimark and Rigdon have tried diatomaceous earth to control cut worms but have had limited success. Other natural controls have been more effective.
“We manage the cabbage butterflies (larva) with BT, an organic insecticide,” Heimark said.
To manage insects, weeding, harvesting, marketing, and all the other work created by five acres of produce is more than enough to keep two people busy.
“We are always looking for more help,” Heimark said.
“We have had interns through various colleges over the years. We also have had one WOOFer so far. That’s a program where you can volunteer on farms all over the world in exchange for room and board.
The platform is called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.”
More information about Maple Ridge Produce can be found at its Facebook site.
The farm stand is at 29555 380th Ave., Aitkin and the farm phone is (218) 232-1303.
Author’s note: Seed for Kathy’s Red Barn Tomato can be obtained from North Circle Seeds of Vergas, Minn. Johnny’s Select Seeds and Territorial Seeds carry Gypsy broccoli. Blue Wind broccoli is sold by Seeds Day and Johnny’s also carries Heimark’s favorite cabbage. v
RED WING, Minn. — You can find Veggie Rx programs in places as far flung as Chicago’s Botanical Garden to rural Oregon to St. Paul, Minn.
The basic concept of the various Veggie Rx programs is that eating healthy food is strong medicine for most anything that ails you. That’s why the program — wherever it is located — involves a collaboration between health professionals and farmers. And that’s why Dr. Kristin Kajewski, an Integrative Health and Wellness Doctor from Red Wing, and Sara George got together.
“We wanted to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables to help make the Red Wing Community more healthy by offering Veggie Rx,” said George, who works for Renewing the Countryside and is the manager of the Red Wing Farmer’s Market.
What George and Kajewski had in mind was a 10-week program, during the height of the 2022 growing season, which would provide participants with $20 per week to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers participating in the market.
“We wanted to remove any barriers to healthy foods, so we didn’t want to have income eligibility be a part of this project,” George said. “We allowed participants to self-select if they wanted to participate. We placed application forms in the library, WIC offices, Social Services offices, low income apartments and at the food shelf. We also placed them in the Care Clinic and at Hispanic Outreach.”
The two women pitched the program to potential funders by explaining that, by their estimate, chronic disease and obesity are overwhelming health concerns in their community, and the cost to health care and quality of life have never been more obvious than in the last couple of years, according to George.
The Mayo Clinic chose to provide funding for educational materials; the Red Wing Area Foundation donated funds for 50 families for 10 weeks; and Renewing the Countryside provided support for staff and an on-line ordering system. The State Health Improvement Program, known as SHIP, provided funding for a walk-in cooler for the Red Wing Veggie Rx.
Sixty-two Red Wing area families signed up to participate in the Veggie Rx program for 2022, according to the project’s year end report. Those fami-
lies redeemed 401 $20 vouchers via the farmer’s market on-line ordering system. (The on-line system for Red Wing Veggie Rx customers to place orders is called the Open Food Network.)
“Customers were allowed to make purchases for $20 worth of fruits or vegetables each week online,” George said. “Any amount above that they had to pay for themselves. Many did order more than the $20. The online system allowed them to check out with a Veggie Rx option which meant they didn’t have to pay until they picked up their order.”
The result was that the Veggie Rx program brought a total of $9,522.96 to Red Wing Farmer’s market vendors in 2022.
“The network is an online platform where a number of farmers can list what they have available and buyers can go online and place orders,” George said. “I think of it as the Amazon of local foods. A customer has one shopping cart with multiple farmers offering a variety of products they can be order online. To actually get their order there is a single drivethrough at the Farmer’s Market. There is also a home delivery option, for a minimal cost, for customers’ convenience.”
“Each customer pays for their order using cash, check, credit cards, EBT or food stamps,” George continued. “They pay the market, which owns the online platform and the license.
The market then pays each individual farmer for the total of their orders for the week.”
Veggie Rx customers, who all received training on how to use Open Food Network, enjoyed using the on-line ordering system, according to a number of customer comments included in the final report.
“This program has been huge for our family,” one enthusiastic customer reported. “To be able to try new things and learn a lot will help my family in the long run. I hope this is available in the future because I still have so much to learn and try.”
Annelie Livingston Anderson, and her husband Kevin Anderson, sell pro-
In the late 1970s, Mike Schweiss attended a wedding and was seated with friends. During the dance, Mike was chatting with a friend who suggested he build a bi-fold airplane hangar door. At that time, Mike was already fabricating snow plows, trailers and chicken pluckers, so a bi-fold door was right up his alley.
Unfortunately, Schweiss’s friend passed away mere hours after that initial conversation.
Within six months of the death of his friend, Schweiss went to work on his first bi-fold door. Now, over 40 years later, Schweiss is still building bi-fold doors and did not stop there. Schweiss Doors has expanded to luxury and designer doors and hydraulic doors, which are hung on agricultural buildings, restaurants, homes, airplane hangars, storefronts, and even on the Golden 1 Center, home of the National Basketball Association’s Sacramento Kings.
As far as bi-fold and hydraulic doors go, Mike says his policy is “never say no!”
Schweiss grew up in rural Hector, Minn. on his family’s dairy farm. At nine years old, Mike lost his father in a farm accident. His family kept the farm going, milking 30 cows after his father passed. Mike said that when he turned 18, he decided to take over the farm, and to date, he has never lived off the home farm. Upon Mike acquiring the farm, he expanded from 30 to 60 milking cows. “I decided I wanted a little spending money for when I would go to town,” said Schweiss, so he set forth fabricating chicken pluckers.
When asked how he gained the skill set needed to build the pluckers, Schweiss responded, “Well, how do you learn to change a flat tire? You get a flat tire!”
As a boy, Schweiss picked up skills here and there
by watching, learning, and applying his know-how. The results paid off.
In 1976, Schweiss sold the milking herd and focused on fabricating and selling his chicken pluckers; and he ventured into snow plows and trailers, too. Then, in 1979, said Schweiss’ daughter, Lark, (marketing manager of Schweiss Doors) Mike and his brother Dave built the first Bi-fold door, which is still in working condition in Franklin, Minn.
By 1980, Schweiss Doors was established, and they are still up and running today as a global company — continuously working to improve the bi-fold and hydraulic door designs that have brought them this far.
The original dairy barn is still used at Schweiss Doors. Like a larger-than-life jigsaw puzzle, Schweiss has added on, retrofitted, and newly constructed buildings on the original 100-acre farm place. Roughly five acres are under shelter, with eight state-of-theart door building bays, shipping prep, robotics, storage, and offices. Schweiss Doors has grown to 50 full-time employees.
The bi-fold and hydraulic door business has come with challenges.
When Mike began fabricating doors, steel was priced at 25 to 30 cents per pound. Since then, Mike said prices have risen to 80 to 90 cents per pound and as high as $1.30 per pound! Staying competitive and following the steel market is a hurdle Schweiss regularly confronts.
Lark mentioned that finding employees can be challenging because they are as rural as they are. “A happy, healthy workforce is a success. It’s hard to find people, but the people who are here are great, and that’s a blessing,” she said.
Over the years, bi-fold and hydraulic doors have changed immensely. Although an untrained eye may not see it, design components and hinges, the shift from cables to lift straps, and latching systems have all changed for the better.
See SCHWEISS, pg. 17
Call 1-844-716-2411
Lark Schweiss, who joined the company in July 2022, said, “The agricultural community is the backbone of the company, and Dad is a farm boy at heart.” What she finds exciting in the industry is how diverse Schweiss Doors has become. Beginning with mainly ag building doors and hangar doors, Schweiss is now fabricating doors for global companies such as Under Armour, Red Bull, and SpaceX.
But, for Mike, the best part of the job is everyone he meets.
FARMHOUSE KITCHEN, from pg. 6
farmer. He also mentions that they were among the group to settle in Orange City.
The only other reference to the Van der Schaafs was on page two, where a paragraph reads, “We Hollanders had worship services regularly. Mr. Vander Schaaf used his talents to lead our meeting.”
So perhaps it is possible he is a relative, as there have been several Vander Schaaf men who felt called to be ministers of God’s Word. My farmer’s Uncle Henry Vander Schaaf served several churches — including ones at Sibley, Iowa and Steen, Minn.
In my books I had mentioned they did have worship services while on board the ships and in their homes. This really was true, as Mr. Wissink mentioned both in his historical account he wrote in 1946.
It was good to have one doubt resolved, but surely The Netherlands would not persecute Bible believing people. History records that the nation had fought an 80-year war to gain their freedom from Spain; and one of their prominent leaders, Prince William of Orange, held to a firm belief that religious freedom was important, and it was The Netherlands who gave refuge to the Separatists who fled England. It was these Separatists who later became known as the Pilgrims who came to America in 1620. Two hundred years had passed by. Now this country persecuted those who believed Jesus was the son of God. Did that really occur?
In my mom’s house, I found the proof needed in a booklet called, “Life and Labors of P.J. de Neui, Minister and Evangelist.” In the forward, it is written that Pastor de Neui had strong views which went against the opinion of the established churches in Ostfriesland (the northwest part of Germany). He was not shy in preaching against the false doctrines of the state churches and the unfair practices of the government. Nor in preaching out against alcohol and the misuse of the Sabbath day. He also preached believer’s baptism by immersion.
Many times he was arrested and had to appear in court. He paid fines. At least once he was sentenced to workhouse, which probably was not a very nice place. So, yes, people who went against the state church were persecuted.
This man, P.J. de Neui, had an influence on my family history beginning while he was a preacher at the Baptist church in Ihlen, Ostfriesland, Germany. He served there from 1855 to 1865.
My great-great grandparents, Harm A. Rust and Johanna Bunger, were members there in Germany. At some point in their lives, their families moved to Baileyville, Ill. where Harm and Johanna married in 1864.
In 1865, Pastor de Neui moved to Franeker in Holland where the persecutions continued. He remained there until 1871. Like many others, he left Europe for good. He had received a call to the Baptist Church at Baileyville where my great-great grandparents were chartered members. But their association did not end there.
Their paths continued to cross. Eventually, both the Rusts and Pastor de Neui moved to the northwest Iowa/ southwest Minnesota area. Perhaps the Rusts came to farm where land was more available. Pastor de Neui came to George in 1890 to tell the gospel story, eventually starting a Baptist church. The Rusts were members of that church when they died, even though they were living by Magnolia, Minn.
Whew! The more I study, the more questions arise. Thankfully, there are family reunions where questions can be asked and area towns having their annual celebrations commemorating history this spring and summer which gets us wondering about just who those people were who made the decision to leave their homes. Who knows what I yet will learn?
Renae B. Vander Schaaf is an independent writer, author and speaker. Contact her at (605) 530-0017 or agripen@live.com. v
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By LAURA COLE
The Land Staff Writer
Experiential learning is the concept of learning by doing. It’s a common approach at Red Rock Central High School, and it was witnessed in action on a recent Friday morning.
The purpose of the visit was to learn more about the school’s newest ag class, “Flying Sky High with Drones;” but it was impossible not to also notice the class of welding students about to cook their lunch on a recent grill project, and in another area, a student working on improvements to his duck blind. A quick walk through the “Fab Lab” revealed a range of works in process including 3-D printed art and personalized engraved signs to be hung outside the teachers’ classrooms.
To further experiential learning by adding a hands-on drone class to the ag curriculum made good sense to colleagues Leonard Runck and Rachel Moe. Runck is the school’s technology coordinator and Moe teaches ag and serves as the FFA advisor. “It really fits in perfect with what we’re doing here,” Moe stated.
Located in Lamberton, Minn., Red Rock Central serves about 425 students in grades PreK-12 primarily from Redwood and Cottonwood Counties. Moe estimated the school’s FFA program has about 50 members.
“It’s ag here,” Runck stated, commenting that a lot of the drone use in the area is by crop consultants or regarding farming in some manner. Moe said many of the students in the class have a connection to agriculture, and so the knowledge received from this latest course offering can likely become a trade skill.
“It’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and it’s Career and Technical Education,” Runck stated of the drone class.
The course is designed to teach students how to properly fly drones, as well as to prepare them to take the Federal Aviation Administration’s knowledge test for Unmanned Aircraft General - Small. In order to obtain the Part 107 license to fly drones under 55 pounds, this test must be passed with at least a score of 70 percent.
Students will take a practice test in class that will be similar to what they can expect on the actual exam day. “We’ll cover all the material; we’ll get them ready,” Moe stated. “But it’s going to be up to them in the summer or whenever they choose to actually take the test.”
Both Runck and Moe have taken the test and are well aware of the preparation required in order to be
successful. To take the test, an appointment must be scheduled with an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. Individuals have two hours to answer 60 questions covering topics such as regulations, airspace and requirements, weather, loading and performance, and operations. Besides the time and possible travel involved, Moe stated the test comes with a price tag. The testing fee is $175, and drone registration is $5 per drone. Unlike obtaining a driver’s license, there is no “behind the wheel” portion. Runck reported that even with putting in time to
study, it was one of the hardest tests he’s taken. Moe participated in a class over Zoom to prepare. She acknowledged the curriculum she teaches is intensive, and while she could have opted to brush the surface, it’s important to her the class is taught right. “We want them to get the best experience possible,” she stated. Runck chimed in, “And pass that test if they’re going to lay 180 bucks down.”
Besides studying for her own test, Moe went through additional training to prepare for the teaching aspect. “It was important for her to go out to be able to deliver that pedagogy to the kids,” Runck stated.
Red Rock Central implements curriculum provided by Sky Op. Moe traveled to New York for one week to receive hands-on training with a professional instructor. “It actually was a one-on-one experience, so I could ask all the questions I needed,” she stated.
Because drone pilots must be at least 16 years old, the class is offered to juniors and seniors. It is one semester in length and the curriculum is designed for 10 students. The class’s first session began this spring semester with full enrollment and a waiting list.
The popular opinion among the current students is that flying the drones is the most fun, while deciphering the map work is the most challenging. Sectional charts provide an array of navigational data, including the information needed to ensure the pilot is lawfully operating their drone in that particular area.
“There’s so many little circles — especially in the inner city — that gets complicated,” junior Jake Jackson explained. Because Lamberton is in a more rural setting without an airport in the area, there are less restrictions for drone pilots. However, test-takers need to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding.
Jackson’s family farms corn and soybeans and also has a cattle operation in Cottonwood County. He plans to have a career in farming of his own, and can already see a use in flying drones for land surveying, detecting wet spots prior to planting, as well as checking on cows in bad weather.
Jackson stated they were able to download apps at the beginning of the semester that have helpful uses, including a basic checklist they utilize before operating the drone. Students have to be aware of things such as weather conditions and battery levels. Moe noted that psychological factors are important for drone operators to consider as
This column was written for the marketing week ending May 19.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange cheese prices continued to fall the third week of May as traders anticipated the April Milk Production report to be released May 19. Cheddar block fell to $1.47 per pound on May 15 (the lowest price since June 9, 2021), climbed back to $1.54 on May 17, but closed May 19 at $1.535. This is up a half-cent on the week, ending seven weeks of decline, but is 84.5 cents below a year ago.
By Lee Mielke
The barrels fell to $1.4425 on May 18 (the lowest since Sept. 7, 2021), but rallied to a May 19 finish at $1.47. This is 2 cents lower on the week, 87.75 cents below a year ago, and 6.5 cents below the blocks. Sales totaled 35 cars of block and 54 of barrel.
Cheese demand varies and the type of customer is part in the equation, says Dairy Market News. Cheesemakers who supply regional chain and individually owned restauranteurs say inflation has put
pressure on those businesses. Retail cheesemakers are reporting generally steady demand, in some cases year-over-year improvements. Milk availability is a growing concern, particularly for handlers. Spot milk prices remain at previous levels, as low as $11 under Class at mid-week, compared to $2.50 under Class to 75 cents over a year ago.
Retail and food service cheese demand remains strong to steady in the West. Export demand is mixed. Some contacts indicate good demand from Asia, Mexico and South America, while others indicate lighter demand. Plentiful milk is keeping cheese production strong to steady, says Dairy
Freudenthal Tubing has been engineered for your specific requirements where strength and corrosion resistance are critical design factors.
Cash butter closed May 19 at $2.46 per pound, up 6 cents on the week but 39 cents below a year ago, with nine sales put on the board this week.
Butter plants report atypical demand upticks as year-over-year reports are showing improvements in retail. Food service orders are seasonally in line to quieter. Cream is available for churning and multiples are at similar levels to previous weeks. Some are turning cream away, as they are at or near capacity.
Western cream is plentiful, but cream multiples
MIELKE, from pg. 13
moved higher this week. Planned equipment maintenance in June caused a few butter plants to reduce their cream intake. Some report output is limited due to personnel shortages. Retail and food service butter demand is strong to steady and export demand is steady.
Grade A nonfat dry milk fell to $1.1525 per pound on May 18 and stayed there. The price is the lowest since April 18, 1.75 cents lower on the week, and 64.75 cents below a year ago, with nine sales reported.
Dry whey closed 3.75 cents lower on the week, at 26.5 cents per pound. This is the lowest price since March 13, 2018, the second day whey started trading at the CME, and is 24.25 cents below a year ago. 75 loads were sold on the week, highest weekly total since the week of Sept. 30, 2019.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered its 2023 milk production estimate in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, citing a larger expected cow inventory but slower output per cow. The report also gave a look at 2034. 2023 production and marketings were estimated at 228.6 and 227.6 billion pounds respectively, down 100 million pounds on production from a month ago, but unchanged on marketings. If realized, 2023 production would be up 2.1 billion pounds or 0.93 percent from 2022.
2024 production and marketings were estimated at 230.8 and 229.8 billion pounds respectively, up 2.2 billion pounds on both from 2023. If realized, 2024 production would be up 0.96 percent from 2023 and marketings would be up 0.97 percent.
Based on expected changes in component prices, 2023 Class III milk prices were lowered while Class IV prices were raised. The Class III average was projected at $17.75 per hundredweight, down 50 cents from last month’s estimate, and compares to $21.96 in 2022 and $17.08 in 2021. The 2024 average was projected at $17.50.
The 2023 Class IV average was estimated at $18.30, up 20 cents from a month ago, and compares to $24.47 in 2022 and $16.09 in 2021. The 2024 average is projected at $17.35.
The 2024 milk estimate was driven by gains in milk per cow and an additional milking day, according to the WASDE. The Class III price was forecast lower on weaker whey prices. The Class IV was forecast lower as well, with prices for butter and non-fat dry milk projected lower.
This month’s corn outlook is for larger production, greater domestic use and exports, and higher ending stocks. The corn crop was projected at a record 15.3 billion bushels, up more than 10 percent from last year on increases to both area and yield. The yield projection is 181.5 bushels per acre.
Meanwhile, U.S. corn planting was at 65 percent
as of the week ending May 14, according to the USDA’s latest Crop Progress report. That’s up from 49 percent the previous week, 20 percent ahead of a year ago, and 6 percent ahead of the five-year average. Thirty percent was emerged, up from 12 percent the previous week, 17 percent ahead of the previous year, and 5 percent ahead of the five-year average.
Soybeans were at 49 percent planted, up from 35 percent the week before, 22 percent ahead of a year ago, and 13 percent ahead of the five-year average. Twenty percent are emerged, 12 percent ahead of a year ago and 9 percent ahead of the five-year average.
The week ending May 6 saw 57,100 dairy cows head to slaughter, down 1,700 from the previous week but 800 head or 1.4 percent more than a year ago. Year to date, 1.17 million head have been culled, up 51,300 or 4.5 percent above a year ago.
Checking demand, March butter disappearance totaled 219.5 million pounds, up 19.4 percent from February and 15.2 percent above March 2022. HighGround Dairy credits “substantial domestic demand, possibly due to an earlier Easter in 2023.”
The butter was a “beacon of hope,” said HighGround Dairy contributing dairy economist Betty Berning in the May 22 “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast.
See MIELKE, pg. 15
Last year, while attending a county fair, I remember walking through the buildings along the fairground and thought “It smells strongly of campfire.” While meandering around, I put together it wasn’t a local campfire. It was instead coming from up north, with the smell of burning carried on air currents. This prompted me to think what livestock producers should do to prepare for natural emergencies. In Minnesota, we get it all. Producers should have emergency plans in place for tornadoes, floods, severe snowstorms and fires.
Some farms have a “Go Binder” — a binder easily accessible in the farm office. The best ones are clearly labeled and organized with tabs to minimize fumbling during chaotic situations. Physical documents are the gold standard, but there is value in having electronic documents. These documents can be easily stored on a shared platform for all members of the operation to access and update via smartphone to keep the emergency plan relevant.
A good place to begin building your farm’s “Go Binder” is building a complete map of your farm. This should include roads, lanes and driveways. To assist responding emergency personnel, include all fences and gates, locations of all livestock, locations
of all hazardous substances and locations of shut-offs for electricity, water and other utilities.
“Go Binders” should also include the important phone numbers up front and center — including the veterinarian, county emergency management, insurance agent and Extension educator. Additional numbers to include are all the businesses which supply services to or for your farm. If appropriate, include your milk processor, feed and fuel delivery, and anyone else who is on the farm regularly and should be alerted after something happens on the farm.
When creating your “Go Binder” with your farm team, take some time to review the farm’s current insurance coverage and emergency supplies stored on-farm. This is an opportunity to touch base with your insurance agent, so you know your farm’s coverage during emergencies.
Are emergency supplies in a consolidated location everyone on the farm team knows about? Are generators functional and fire extinguishers up to date? Keep in mind this internal audit is a great time to check buildings for any structural compromises or loose material.
It is encouraged to have a written plan of spaces to
use in an emergency for livestock and equipment relocation.
The utilization of the plan your farm generated comes down to selecting between two scenarios: one for shelter in place and one for evacuation. For evacuation plans, reference the map you have created.
What is the best escape route for animals to a safe space? What doors or gates need to be opened and what needs to happen if the route is blocked? Remember, writing down the evacuation plan puts everyone on the same page rather than relying on assumptions. Finally, make a plan for your people. Write down where they should take shelter and where they should evacuate to.
Your “Go Binder” is a tool. Like any tool, it is most helpful when it is maintained and used rather than collecting dust on the bottom shelf. By taking the time to build an accurate map, placing the “Go Binder” in a physically and technologically accessible place, as well as stating what needs to happen in emergencies farm teams can effectively hope for the best and make plans for the worst.
This article was submitted by Dana Adams, University of Minnesota Extension. v
Cheese totaled 1.23 billion pounds, down 1.7 percent from February and down 2.2 percent from a year ago. Both domestic use and exports were lower, falling 2.4 percent domestically and 0.4 percent on exports. American cheese exports plummeted 12 percent annually, and year-to-date were at a deficit of 4.3 percent to the same period in 2022.
Nonfat dry milk-skim milk powder utilization totaled 238.5 million pounds, up 25.1 percent from February and 1.4 percent ahead of a year ago.
HighGround Dairy credited an uptick in domestic usage, which was up 13.7 percent, while exports declined 2.7 percent from 2022.
Dry whey totaled 79.7 million pounds, up 8.1 percent from February and 11.8 percent ahead of a year ago. Domestic usage, at 32.8 million pounds, was up 17.1 percent from a year ago, and exports, at 46.9 million, were up 8.3 percent.
Fluid milk sales looked a little better in March but were still down from a year ago. The latest data shows packaged fluid sales totaled 3.8 billion pounds, down just 0.7 percent from March 2022, following a 3.2 percent drop in February.
Conventional product sales totaled 3.5 billion pounds, down 0.9 percent from a year ago. Organic products, at 256 million pounds, were up 1.3 percent, and represented 6.8 percent of total sales for the month.
Whole milk sales totaled 1.3 billion pounds, up 2.1 percent from a year ago, up 1.1 percent year to date, and represented 34.3 percent of total milk sales for the three months.
Skim milk sales, at 192 million pounds, were down 6.2 percent from a year ago and down 6.8 percent year to date.
Total packaged fluid sales for the three months amounted to 10.9 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from 2022. Conventional product sales totaled 10.2 billion pounds, down 1.6 percent. Organic products, at 732 million pounds, were up 1.1 percent, and represented 6.7 percent of total milk sales for the period.
The USDA announced the June Federal order Class I base milk price at $18.01 per hundredweight, down $1.56 from May, $7.86 below June 2022, and the lowest Class I since November 2021. It equates to $1.55 per gallon, down from $2.22 a year ago. The six month average stands at $19.77, down from $23.32 a year ago and compares to $16.13 in 2021.
Global Dairy Trade reversed two events of gain this week, as the GDT’s weighted average slipped 0.9 percent following gains of 2.5 percent on May 2 and 3.2 percent on April 18. Traders brought 47.5 million pounds of product to market, down from 51.3 million on May 2, and the lowest since Jun. 21,
2022. The average metric ton price slipped to $3,488 U.S., down from $3,506 on May 2.
Anhydrous milkfat led the declines, down 4.5 percent after losing 2.4 percent on May 2. Butter, on the other hand, was up 2.2 percent following a 2.4 percent advance. Cheddar showed the second biggest decline, down 3.4 percent, after rising 4.5 percent last time. Skim milk powder was down 1.6 percent after rising 1.5 percent, and whole milk powder was up 0.3 percent following a 5 percent gain on May 2.
StoneX says the GDT 80% butterfat butter price equates to $2.243 per pound U.S., up 5.4 cents after gaining 5.6 cents on May 2, and compares to May 19’s CME butter at $2.46. GDT cheddar, at $1.9991, was down 7 cents, and compares to May 19’s CME block cheddar at $1.535. GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.2547 per pound, down from $1.2641, and whole milk powder averaged $1.4715 per pound, up from $1.4650. CME powder closed at $1.1525.
Dairy margins deteriorated over the first half of May, particularly in nearby periods, as a sharp decline in milk prices more than offset steady to weaker projected feed costs, according to the latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC.
“Spot trade in cheese and whey has been at a deep discount to indicative Class III milk futures which have adjusted lower as the cash market has failed to recover,” the Margin Watch reported. “Whey prices have dropped from almost 87 cents per pound early last year as increased production is forcing more trade to clear at the CME. Since the beginning of April, 229 loads have traded in the spot market. While exports have held up, weaker hog margins in China are causing a recent slowdown in demand which will force more product to clear domestically.”
“Exports of other dairy products during March were impressive as well, with 91.6 million pounds of cheese and curd exports which represented the second-highest March total on record, although total first quarter cheese exports were record high and first quarter nonfat dry milk exports were the second highest on record.”
“Unfortunately, lower prices may need to be maintained to move additional product through export channels as competition increases, particularly to Asia,” the Margin Watch warned. “Another problem for dairy producers is that ongoing issues with labor, freight and maintenance are reducing the capacity of dairy processors. Cooperatives and milk handlers have been forced to either dump or sell spot milk at deep discounts, with producers receiving pricing of $4 to $12 per cwt. below class for milk exceeding contracted volumes.”
Cooperatives Working Together members accepted
11 offers of export assistance this week on sales of 1.3 million pounds of American-type cheese, 44,000 pounds of butter, and 154,000 pounds of cream cheese. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Middle East-North Africa, Oceania and South America, through November.
In politics, the International Dairy Foods Association reports the Wall Street Journal says, “Top officials with the USDA remain fixated on banning chocolate milk from elementary and middle school cafeterias despite widespread opposition from parents, school meal professionals, and the federal government’s own Dietary Guidelines for Americans report.”
In April, 37 school milk processors representing more than 90 percent of the school milk volume in the United States jumped ahead of USDA’s proposed guidelines with the Healthy School Milk Commitment, a pledge to offer nutritious school milk options with no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounce serving by the 2025-26 school year.
The Journal reports, “the issue has divided parents.” However, neither the Journal article nor USDA’s comments in the Journal feature thoughts from parents of school-aged children. In a Morning Consult poll of more than 500 parents with children in public schools conducted March 17-19, 90 percent of parents expressed agreement that non-fat or lowfat flavored milk should remain an option in public school meals. In October 2022, a similar poll found support among parents for low-fat flavored milk to be 84 percent, meaning support among voting parents with children in public schools continues to increase,” says IDFA.
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
Editor’s Note: Joe Lardy, CHS Hedging research analyst, is sitting in this week for Phyllis Nystrom, the regular “Grain Outlook” columnist.
The following marketing analysis is for the week ending May 19.
CORN — It was another rough week for the corn market. July futures closed at $5.54.5 which was down 31.75 cents this week. December futures closed at $4.99.75 which was down 9 cents for the week. Spreads continue to be very volatile.
Corn planting continues to roll along. Every week so far, planting has been equal to, or ahead of, the five-year average. Planting should be around the 80 percent mark come next Monday.
After last week’s World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report, the market had all weekend to digest the numbers and figure out where to go. The supply side of the corn market is clearly looking better; so the demand side will need to pull the market out of the rut. Inspections were still over a million tons, but that total is still behind both last year’s pace and the five-year average.
SOYBEANS — The futures market was unkind to soybeans this week. July soybean futures closed at $13.07.25 which was down 82.75 cents for the week. November futures closed at $11.75.5 which was down 48.25 cents. Bean spreads are also quite volatile.
Soybean planting is flying along. All year the pace has been well ahead of the five-year average and at record levels at times. The planting pace next Monday should be in the mid-60s.
Export inspections for soybeans were terrible and set a marketing year low at only 7 million bushels. This is seasonally the slow portion of the marketing year, but inspections should be double what they were this week.
Export sales were a mixed bag. Old crop sales were only 600,000 bushels. Ugh. But new crop sales actually posted a decent tally of just over 24 million bushels.
Export sales didn’t help either with huge cancellations bringing the total down to a marketing year low.
Ethanol margins are very robust. Hopefully this will perk up a little bit of additional demand.
The grain corridor deal with Russia was extended for another two months. The agreement added to the bearishness overhanging the market.
Outlook: The corn will need to find some demand. The Chinese had the biggest cancellations, but other countries also had cancellations this week and that has really pushed the market lower. The weather outlook looks very tame and should keep fresh risk premium on the sidelines for now.
On the latest Commodity Futures Trading Commission report funds continue their selling onslaught. Funds have been sellers over the last four weeks cutting 108,000 contracts over that stretch.
Outlook: Unfortunately, most of the news will keep weighing on the market. Old crop Brazilian soy production estimates keep edging higher. South American bean prices are still well below U.S. values.
Weather is good and the beans are going in the ground quickly.
The new crop U.S. balance sheet is looking much more comfortable with a 335 million bushel carryout. v
VEGGIE RX, from pg. 9
duce from their Stockholm Wisconsin Good Turn Farm to both the Red Wing and neighboring Wabasha Farmer’s Market using the Open Food Network. They like the Network because they can fill their vegetable orders at the farm and drop them off at the markets. They are not required to be at the market for the entire session.
“We have limited labor available so selling through
an online platform vs. being in person has worked great for us,” Annelie said. “We received payment from the Farmer’s Market in a timely fashion and were able to charge our regular retail price for our products.”
When the Andersons receive an order they do not know whether or not it is from the Veggie Rx program or some other source. They are, however, very supportive of the program.
“We really like it and think it encourages Veggie Rx participants to start buying local produce,” Annelie said. “We hope that participants will start buying because of the program’s incentive but stay into the future for the high quality produce and connection with their local growers.”
George says Veggie Rx will be continued in Red Wing for 2023 and that there are plans to expand it to other communities. v
Also, Mike has seen a shift over the years in the need for larger doors. Lark mentioned that, specifically in agriculture, equipment is getting larger and larger, so doors that can accommodate such large equipment are necessary. “You can never go too big,” Lark said, quoting her father. “And that’s not a pitch for us! For farmers especially, equipment is growing.”
Because each door is custom-built, the possibilities are endless for design. From retrofit to new construction, if you can imagine it, Schweiss will build it. Each door design is submitted to an external, third-party engineer to ensure quality and safety.
Customers will choose either bi-fold or hydraulic doors for various reasons. Lark said some folks prefer the one-piece construction of the hydraulic door for the clean exterior look or because it allows a sort of extension of a shop area. When open, the hydraulic door will swing out, providing an extra shaded area and possible extended shop area. Others prefer a bi-fold door for spatial reasons. The bi-fold doors lift up as opposed to hydraulic doors, which swing out. In addition, the slope of a bi-fold door, when open,
allows for rain and snow to run off, which is beneficial for climates prone to both types of weather.
Mike laughed as he explained how the business has changed in the last 40-plus years. He said at first, they used mail and fax machines.
Now, everything is housed in a database. Mike also said that material moves faster now. For example, a door can be completed within five weeks upon order. They have also ventured into writing their installation manuals, which Mike said Lark is very good at.
When asked about retirement, Mike laughed and said that word is not in his vocabulary. “I am still learning, and I’m not bored!” he said. With Lark on board in an evolving marketing position, they hope to become more well-known.
Mike looks forward to the challenge of expanding the uses for bi-fold and hydraulic doors and their presence in the marketplace. “It’s a big market, and we can’t reach everyone,” he said. But they are going to try!
Interested folks can find more information on Schweiss Doors on the web at www.bifold.com and www.schweisshydraulicdoors.com. They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Lark directly at lark@bifold.com v
DRONES, from pg. 12
well, such as determining stress levels.
Reese Berg, also a junior and a member of a farming family, anticipates that drones will benefit their corn and soybean operation in terms of monitoring crop growth and checking for flooded areas. “I think it will be pretty interesting to see what we can do with it,” he stated.
With further licensing and certifications, drones can also be used for additional agricultural purposes, such as spraying chemicals and spreading fertilizer.
Moe stated the students use three different types of drones: DJI Mavic 3, Syma, and Tello EDU. The drones have obstacle avoidance, which lessens the chances for crashing. Over the semester, students have navigated the drones through an obstacle course with beginner, intermediate and expert levels for each drone. Each level has four to five maneuvers for the students to master.
“According to our research, we are one of the only schools or the only school that is doing this in-depth course,” Moe stated. “It’s been a whole new world for us,” she commented, and also added the semester has gone well. “We’ve learned a lot.”
The class has been able to assist the school in documenting history in the making. Work has begun on a new building for Red Rock Central and the drone class is lending their skills to photograph the con-
Map reading skills are just as important as drone flying skills when navigating unfamiliar territory. Pictured are students Jake Jackson and Reese Berg with class instructors Leonard Runck and Rachel Moe.
struction process. At the groundbreaking event held May 3, Jake Jackson took overhead photos with one of the drones.
Red Rock Central has been consistently recognized for their efforts in education. For 14 consecutive years, their secondary program was named one of
America’s best high schools through U.S. News & World Report. In 2018, Red Rock Central Secondary School received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award.
Of course, teachers play a key part in the success of a school. This year, Moe was recognized by the Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators as an Outstanding Early Career Teacher of the Year. Originally from Hayfield, Minn., she is in her third year at Red Rock Central, and previously taught in Osakis for three years. It’s important to Moe to provide variety to her students. “We try to every year have classes that really get everybody. Not just one animal science, or one area.”
Runck has been employed with Red Rock Central since 1979, but shared he’s been in the building for 54 years as he attended school there, also. Walking the hallways with Runck gave evidence of his enthusiasm and commitment to the school. With ease, he assisted a student facing a technology dilemma, pointed out new equipment that’s been recently implemented, and recognized the work of both students and staff — all while providing friendly introductions along the way. There was even a quick greeting between Runck and a second Mr. Runck, as his son also works at the school.
“He’s a staple at Red Rock,” Moe stated.
“We’re having fun,” Runck concluded. v
The fourth annual Minnesota Youth Livestock Expo (MYLE) has been scheduled for Fairmont and Jackson, Minn. The MYLE beef, sheep, meat goat and rabbit shows will be held on June 29 to July 2 at the Martin County Fairgrounds in Fairmont, and the MYLE swine show will be held July 7-9 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Jackson.
The MYLE Show is open to all Minnesota youth between the ages of 5-21 years old as of Jan. 1, 2023, including all Minnesota 4-H and FFA members.
The entry deadline for the MYLE Show for all species is May 31, with late entries accepted until June 7 at a higher entry fee. All MYLE entries will take place through an online entry system. The MYLE entry form and other information on the MYLE Show are available on the MYLE website at www.mnyouthlivestockexpo.com
Minnesota 4-H and FFA members, as well as other eligible youth in Minnesota, are eligible and are encouraged to participate in the MYLE Show. Youth
ST. PAUL — Minnesota farmers who have chlorpyrifos insecticide products made by two manufacturers can now arrange to return the products. Corteva Agriscience and ADAMA US have been given permission by the Environmental Protection Agency to take back the chemicals.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture cancelled chlorpyrifos product registrations for use on food and feed on Jan. 1, 2022, in conjunction with the EPA cancelling all food and feed tolerances for chlorpyrifos in the United States.
Those with existing stocks of other chlorpyrifos products with no available uses should continue to store the product according to label directions. If you
have chlorpyrifos products that need to be disposed of, check with your dealer, co-op, or ag retailer to see if they will take back products. If they will not, please use the MDA’s Waste Pesticide Collection Program. For volumes of more than 300 pounds, call MDA’s Jane Boerboom at (612) 214-6843.
Additional information can be found online (https:// www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQOPP-2022-0223-0030)or by contacting ADAMA an (866) 406-6262 or ordergroup@adama.com, or Corteva at 800-258-3033.
This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v
may enter multiple animals in each species. MYLE Show Coordinator Kent Thiesse indicates the MYLE Show is held in late June and early July to serve as opportunity for youth to show their livestock prior to county fairs — most of which are held in July and August — as well as a statewide livestock showcase prior to the Minnesota State Fair in late August.
In order to adequately cover the show expenses and to be able to provide awards and prize money to the youth exhibitors in the MYLE Show, the show organizers must rely on donations and sponsorships from businesses and individuals. Several generous donations have already come in to support the 2023 MYLE Show, but many more are needed. More information on the MYLE sponsorships and donations is available on the MYLE website at www.mnyouthlivestockexpo.com.
A special online auction will be held on Wednesday May 31 to raise funds for the 2023 MYLE Show. The online auction will be held through SC Online Sales. Watch for details regarding the MYLE Online Auction, as well as a list of sale items at the following lnk: https://www.sconlinesales.com/
Information concerning the 2023 MYLE Show is now available online at https://bit. ly/2023mylehandbook.
Questions on MYLE Show participation and entries, or regarding MYLE sponsorships and donations, can be directed to the MYLE Show Coordinators: Kent Thiesse at (507) 381-7960 or Steve Pomerenke (507) 848-8123. v
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced assistance for dairy producers with the new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program. ODMAP is established to help mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry.
FSA is accepting applications July 24. To apply, producers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center. To complete the ODMAP application, producers must certify to pounds of 2022 milk production, show documentation of their organic certification, and submit a completed application form.
Eligible producers include certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats and sheep.
For more information, go to https://www.fsa.usda. gov/.
This article was submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 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
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, $16.95 Gen Liberty totes, $34.70; 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
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
’21 Massey 4707 w/loader …................…. $59,500
’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 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
Taking 2023 New Spring Orders
COMBINES
NEW Geringhoff chopping cornhead Call ’02 Gleaner R62 …...............................……… $53,500 ’02 Gleaner R62 ……………...................……. $35,000 ’94 Gleaner R72 ………….......................…… $27,000 Gleaner R65 ……...............................…….. COMING Geringhoff parts & heads available
MISCELLANEOUS NEW Salford RTS Units ........................................ Call NEW Unverferth Seed Tenders .............................. Call NEW
Kraig.DeJong@bigiron.com
Michelle.Weinzetl@bigiron.com
At BigIron, we pride ourselves on our commitment to customer service, transparency, and trust. With the acquisition of Sullivan Auctioneers and Henslin Auctions, we are excited to continue to uphold these values and build even stronger relationships with our customers.
With our combined expertise, we offer a vast network of resources and a team of experienced professionals that are dedicated to delivering exceptional results for all your auction needs. If you’re looking to buy or sell, we have the tools and the knowledge to help you achieve your goals.
Whether you’re a seasoned auction participant or new to the game, we invite you to explore what our partnership can do for you.
Together, we are better.
SILO
Take-down & clean up Specializing in silos in congested areas.
FULLY INSURED mobile concrete crushing. 507-236-9446
Stormor Bins & EZ-Drys. 100% financing w/no liens or red tape, call Steve at Fairfax Ag for an appointment. 888-830-7757
Farm Equipment
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: H&H 16”, PTO drainage pump, 20’ long on wheels. (3) cross augers, 2 are 6”x32’ and one is 8”x27.5’, $200/ea or Offer on cross augers. 507-340-4903
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
We buy
Salvage Equipment Parts Available Hammell Equip., Inc. (507)867-4910
Tractors
FOR SALE: 1949 A John Deere; Allis Chalmers WC w/ WD motor. 651-565-3479 Leave message.
FOR SALE: JD 70 diesel with pony start, SN 7024331, and a JD 80 diesel SN 800053. 320-905-2536
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
FOR SALE: New Holland 1034 stack liner, very good condition, always shedded. Make an offer. 507-227-2602
Wanted
All kinds of New & Used farm equipment - disc chisels, field cults, planters, soil finishers, cornheads, feed mills, discs, balers, haybines, etc. 507438-9782
WANTED: 38’ or 40’ aluminum Jet grain trailer, will consider Wilson, Timpte or Dakota. 507-276-5733
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
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
Tuesday, June 13th - 9:00 am
18394 20th St, Brownton, MN
This is a live & online simulcast auction. For more information & pictures go to: magesland.com
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)
Please recycle this magazine.
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.
5.16” x 7”
Combine & Tractors: JD 9400 combine, 3797 eng hrs, 2274 sep hrs; JD 693 corn hd; JD 920 bean hd; hm head trailer; 3pt hd mover; JD 7810 tractor, 4332 hrs, MFWD; JD 7320 tractor, 2085 hrs, MFWD; JD 5085M tractor w/ 563 loader & joystick, 1419 hrs, MFWD; JD rock box; JD pallet forks; Farmall H, gas; Easy Guide system;
Machinery & Equipment: White 8100 Twin Row planter, 8 x 30” w/ splitter unit; JD grain drill BD1113; Wilrich 3400 field cult, 26.5’; JD field cult 1100, 21’; JD rock disc, 20’ 9”; IH 183 row cult, 8 x 30”; Brillion land roller, 21’; JD plow 2800, 4 bt; DMI 2500 ripper, 4 shank, 3pt; Case IH 6500 Conser-till, 9 shank; Brent 444 gravity box, roll tarp; Brent 440 gravity box; EZ Flow gravity box, 300 bu; Sudenga grain auger, 8” x 61’, swing hopper; Sundega grain auger, 8” x 36’; Hayrack; J & M unloading hyd auger; EZ Trail 1074 running gear w/ wood bed & 1100 gal poly tank; Land Manager field sprayer w/ 1000 gal tank, 60’ boom; Kuker 500 gal sprayer w/ 60’ boom; 1200 gal poly tank w/ transfer pump; Alloway stock chopper, 16’; New Holland Hayliner 273 square baler; New Holland 5 disc mower H6730; Allied snowblower 9620, 8’; Minnesota manure spreader 135 Spread All; 5-sec drag on transport; Frontier grader blade, 8’, 3pt; More House rock picker; 3 pt tire track scratcher; rear dual mounting tool; 300 gal fuel barrel w/ overhead stand; 250 gal LP tank; 200 gal Demco saddle tanks w/ brackets; Walsch Flair box on running gear with hoist; single disk, 8’; 18.4x38 tire chains; Ideal hog feeders; Portable bale conveyor; Enclosed Trailer & Shop Items: Stealth Mustang enclosed trailer, 6’ x 10’; JD lawn mower X320, 487 hrs; Bach Told weed mower; 21” White lawn mower; Chris Cut lawn mower w/ trail cart; Die Hard battery charger; David Bradly chainsaw, 18”; hyd water pump; Craftsman air compressor; Craftsman Shopvac; full inventory bolt bin;
Household & Miscellaneous Items: Warnock Hersey corn or pellet stove; Nordic Track treadmill; foldable pin pong table; antique daybed; antique hardwood bed; antique drapery rods; Howard upright cabinet piano, stamped w/ Cincinnati-Chicago piano; wagon wheel coffee table; wooden table chairs; chain link dog kennel; asst of dimensional lumber;
Viewing Date: Friday, June 9th 1:00 pm - 4:00 PM
Owners: George & Ny la Stoller
Listing Auctioneers: Joe Wersal ~ 507-220-5561 & Joe Maidl ~ 507-276-7749
Auctioneers: Matt Mages, New Ulm Lic 52-22-018; Larry Mages, Lafayette; Joe Wersal, Winthrop; Joe Maidl, Lafayette; John Goelz, Franklin; Ryan Froehlich, Winthrop; Clerk: Mages Land Co. & Auction Service, LLC. Terms: No Buyer’s Premium on live bidding
Note: All buyers of large equipment bring a letter of approval from your bank. magesland.com
507-345-4523
Swine
FOR SALE: Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, cross bred boars, and gilts. Top quality. Excellent herd health. No
PRSS. Delivery available. 320-760-0365
Check out THE LAND online www.thelandonline.com
MARING LLC
We Sell the Earth & Everything On It.
AUCTION LOCATION
Maring Auction Lot, Highway 56 North, Kenyon, MN 55946
Saturday, June 10, 2023 • 9:00 a.m.
COMPLETE DETAILS & IMAGES AT:
TO CONSIGN YOUR EQUIPMENT:
Bring Items to Maring Auction Lot
June 1, 2 & 3 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and/or June 5, 6 & 7 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. NO Sundays, Gates Closed
Semis, Hopper Trailers, Gooseneck Trailers
‘16 Freightliner Coronado Day Cab, Detroit, 10 Sp; ‘14 Freightliner 113 DC
Day Cab, Detroit, 10 Sp; ‘13 Peterbilt
TK Day Cab, Paccar Dsl; ‘12 Mack CXN
613 Day Cab, Mack Dsl, 10 Sp; ‘07 Mack
CXN 600 Day Cab, Mack Dsl, 10 Sp; ’07 & ‘06 Freightliner Columbia 112 Day Cad, Mercedes Dsl, 10 Sp; ‘19 Wilson DWH-650B Hopper Bottom Tlr, Tri Axle, 445/50R22.5, 49’x96”x78”, Tarp; ‘18 Wilson DWH-600 Hopper Bottom Tlr, Tri Axle, 11R22.5, 47’x66”x96”, Power Tarp & Traps; ‘86 Timpte Hopper Tlr, 40’x96”x66”, Spring, Tarp; ‘03 IH 4200 Straight Truck, 14’ Flatbed, 1300 Gal Tank, VT365 Dsl, Auto, 324,183 Miles; ‘20 Big Tex 22-GN-35BKT5MR, 35’x102”, Duals, 48” Spread Axle, Mega Ramps; ‘99 PJ Gooseneck Tlr, Duals, Ramps, 38’, 10,000 Lb. Axles; ‘79 Wilson AGH-500 Tlr, 42’x66”x96”, Spring, Tarp; ‘92 KW Semi, Day Cab, 24.5, 60 Series Detroit, 10 Sp
From Chris Hokanson Farm
‘12 NH BR7070 Baler, Net & Twine, 540 PTO, 7500 Bales; Bush Hog DM-80 3 Pt. Discbine; ‘79 GMC 7000 Single Axle, V8 Gas, 5x2 Speed, 16’ Box & Hoist; JD 643 Corn Head, Poly; Brillion SS12 Seeder/Cultipacker; Gehl 1065 Chopper, Tandem, 1000PTO, Metal Stop; Gehl TR3038 2R30” Corn Head; JD 148 Loader, 40 Series Brackets; NH 56 Hay Rake; Mills 12’ Creep Feeder; JD 721 Hyd. Loader, 7’, off JD 7000 Series; Land Pride SG2660 Skid, Rotary Cutter; H&S Hi-Cap 6F 12C Wheel Rake; Farm Fans AB8B 4 Column Grain Dryer, Single Ph., 5500 Hrs, 230 V; Unverferth HT25 25’ Head Trailer; Shop Built Single Axle Hyd. Dump Trailer, 8’ Box; Metal & Poly Bunks; Gravity Boxes; AC WC, NF, New Tires
Machinery from Hildebrandt Farms
JD 3970 Forage Harvester, Hyd. Tongue, 1000 PTO; JD 7’ Hay Head; (3) JD 716A Forage Boxes, JD 1275; NH 352 Mill, 540 PTO; Farm King 8”x31’ Auger, 5hp; Demuth 28’x12” Conveyor; Apache 15’ Tandem Axle Creep Feeder, 300 Bu; (2) Gehl 1580 Forage Blowers; Loyal 20’x13” Conveyor, Plastic Liner, 1/2hp; JD 425, 54” Deck, All Wheel Steer; Raven 440 SCS Monitor With Super Cooler
Good Tractors & Skid Loader, Attachments, JD Loader
JD 4020 Dsl, PS, 8325 Hrs, 16.9x38, 2 Hyd., 540/1000PTO; IHC 966 Dsl, 7806 Hrs, 3 Pt., 540/1000 PTO; JD 430T NF, 13.6x28, 3 Pt.; JD R Dsl, Pony Start, 2 Hyd., Wheel Weights; Farmall 856 Dsl, WF, Fenders, 18.4x38, 3 Pt., 7444 Hrs; Farmall Super MTA, WF, Fast Hitch, 13.6x38, Noise in Trans; JD 40, NF, Gas; Farmall
Super A, WF, Weights, Woods Mower; JD 6675 Skid Loader, 66”
Bucket, Aux. Hyd.; Skid Loader Attachments: Post Augers, Grapple & Rock Buckets, Land Planes, Tree Shears, Booms, Mowers; JD
644-A Wheel Loader, 20.5x25, 2 Yard Bucket, 9823 Hrs
Swine
Spot, Duroc, Chester White, Boars & Gilts available. Monthly PRRS and PEDV. Delivery available. Steve Resler. 507-456-7746
Sell your livestock in The Land with a line ad. 507-345-4523
Sheep
550 ewe lambs from OPP tested negative flock. 605-864-8811 or 605-997-2060
Your ad could be here!
507-345-4523
FOR SALE: Golden Retriever AKC registered puppies. Family raised pups, get handled every day. $950 - females, $850 - males. Call 507-421-5136 for pictures, information & questions.
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
Dryer, Grain Bins, Freisen Bulk Bins & Grain Leg at 66304 180th Ave, Dodge Center, MN.
Up to One Year to Remove, Questions, Darrin: (507) 259-4945
Grain Handler GH1612 Continuous Flow Dryer, 3 Ph., Natural Gas; Sioux 24’ 20,000 Bu Full Floor Wet Holding Bin; (2) Freisen 90 Ton Cone Bottom Bulk Bins; Butler 40,000 Bu Bin, 42’, Full Floor; RS 110’ Grain Leg, 3500 Bu/Hr.; 8000 Bu Wet Holding Bin
Planting, Spraying & Haying Machinery, Livestock Machinery & Equipment
Top Air TA-1200 Sprayer, 1200 Gal, 80’ Booms, Hyd. Drive, R46, 440 Monitor; CIH 955 Planter, 12R30”, Liquid Fert., Corn & Bean, 3 Pt., Row Shut Offs, Monitor; CIH 183 Row Crop Cult, 12R30”; Hardi NAV1000 Sprayer, Hyd. Pump, 60’ Booms, Foamer, Raven 440; Bush Hog 3815 & CR15F Bat Wing Mowers; JD 603 , LX6 & 506 Rotary Mowers; Schulte Rock Picker, Hyd. Reel & Dump; Gehl 860 Chopper, 2R30” Corn Head, 5’ Hay Head, Electric Controls; MF 1756 Round Baler, 540 PTO, Monitor, Kicker; H&S 9 Wheel In-Line Rake; NI 400 5 Bar Rake; OMC 229 Haybine, 9’, Rubber Rolls; Fimco 500 Gal Sprayer, 3 Pt., PTO, 30’ Booms; IHC 710 Plow, 4x16’s; NH 270 Baler; JD 567 Baler, Mega Wide, 8500 Bales; JD RG 6R30” Cult.; JD 400 Rotary Hoe, 15’; Meyers 350 Manure Spreader; Clay 2250 Manure Tank, Tandem, 3 Injectors, Hyd. Drive; Power Guard 60KW Stand by Generator, Natural Gas, Auto Transfer Switch; Portable Loading Chute, Hyd. Lift, Right, Left and Center Load; (2) Poly Dome 3 & 4 Ton Bins, Feed Line; (3) GSI Hog Stat Holding Bins, Feed Line: 5 & 6 Ton; 20’ Enclosed Chute; JD 40 Manure Spreader, 540 PTO Motor Homes, RV’s, UTV’s, Pickups, Storage Container, (9) Mini Mod Go Carts
‘03 Ford Sea Breeze 1341 Motor Home, V10 Gas, 31,000 Miles, 2 Slide Outs, 35’, Roof Air, Generator, Hyd. Leveling, Camera; ‘02 Coachman Apex Travel Tlr, 2 Slide Outs, Roof Air; ‘74 Honda 90 Minibike; JD X485 Mower, All Wheel Steer, Deck, 1426 Hrs; ‘79 Lund 18’ Fishing Boat, 35hp Johnson, Trailer; ‘00 Chevy 1500 Pickup, 4x4, 157,015 Miles; ‘98 Chevy 2500 Pickup, 4x4, Reg. Cab, 182,000 Miles; 550 Gal Fuel Tank; Multi Door 40’x8’ Storage Container; (2) Storage Containers: 8’x8’, 10’x8’; Several Hoop Buildings; ‘17 Mahindra 750XTU UTV, 515 Miles, Dump Box, 4x4; Military 5 Ton 6x6 Drive, Cummins Dsl, 5x2 Transmission ** (4) Mini Mods, Outlaw Racing Seats, Fuel Cell, 500-700cc Motor; (5) Go Karts, B&S, Fiberglass Body, Rub Rails
Antique & Horse Drawn Machinery
Deere/Weber Hi Wheel Triple Box, End Gate Seeder; JD Sulky Plow; Wooden Wheel Double Box from Lonsdale, MN; Steel Wheel Wagon, Double Box; Deere/Weber Fanning Mill; Horse Drawn Breaking Plow; JD 2 Row Horse Planter, Restored; IHC Steel Wheeled Grain Binder; Steel Wheel Railroad Baggage Cart; Wooden Wheel Goat Cart; Spring Buggy Seat
ON-LINE ONLY BIDDING ENDS
JUNE 20, 2023 - 10am • KerkhoffAuction.com
For More Info:
DOUG KERKHOFF
507-829-6859
ZAC KERKHOFF
507-829-3924
LAND INFORMATION
PARCEL 1 - 80 Acres M/L | Section 28, Helen TWP PID - 070280100 | CPI Rating - 92.6
PARCEL 2 - 80 Acres M/L | Section 29, Helen TWP PID - 070290800 | CPI Rating 93.3
PARCEL 3 - 22.88Acres M/L | Section 20, Helen TWP PID - 0702007756 | CPI Rating - 80
PARCEL 4 - Section 29, Helen TWP PID - 070290275 - 070290240 - 070290230
CPI Rating - 93.3
PARCEL 5 - Section 28, Helen TWP PID - 070280825 - 070280850 - 070280950 & 070280925 | CPI Rating - 93.3
ON-LINE ONLY BIDDING ENDS
JUNE 15, 2023 - 10am • KerkhoffAuction.com
For More Information:
DOUG KERKHOFF
507-829-6859
ZAC KERKHOFF
507-829-3924
507-720-0971
PLANNING AN AUCTION?
FOR SALE: 2008 Honda 1800 Gold Wing trike, white, 50,000 miles, been through shop/refurbished, looks great, have 2 small behind bike trailers for sale. $13,000. 507-639-3592 or 507-317-6586
Miscellaneous
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
507-345-4523
Please recycle this magazine.
Miscellaneous
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
Looking for something special? Put a line ad in The Land and find it! Call The Land today! 507-345-4523
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“Afood forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and growing patterns found in nature. Designed to operate as an ecosystem, a food forest focuses on trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and self-seeding annuals that, once established, will need only a little help from people to be very productive.”
That’s the definition of a community food forest you will find at the website of Project Food Forest. While Project Food Forest is headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D., their first demonstration project is in Luverne, Minn. You will find it stretched for about two blocks along Blue Mound Ave. It is called Prairie Ally Outdoor Center.
That’s Ally, not alley, as Kimberly Rockman points out. Rockman is the Prairie Ally site manager. The site happens to be located on land where she grew up on the east side of Luverne. It is called “Ally” to indicate that food production is an alliance.
“We see it as an alliance between what the humans need and what the rest of nature needs, so it’s an alliance of the annual gardens, the perennial plants, and the habitat,” Rockman said.
It is a community food forest because members of the community are invited to harvest what they need from the trees and bushes. Volunteers help with maintenance; but they need to be trained so they don’t pull out some unfamiliar plant thinking it is a weed, Rockman said.
The trees and bushes are what you see along the avenue. Native flowering plants are included to attract pollinators. The rest of the five-acre plot, which is not so visible from the street, includes prairie and
wetland restoration, and an annual garden surrounded by a deer fence.
The initial food forest planting was in 2018, so it is far from mature. But people have harvested berries, and the plum and apple trees had quite a bit of fruit in 2022, Rockman said. What she finds gratifying is that the food forest has inspired some Luverne residents to plant fruit trees in their backyards.
Prairie Ally is configured to invite visitors who may not choose to harvest anything. There is interpretive signage and a self-guided tour booklet. The two-block walk among trees and bushes includes two picnic tables and three sculptures (which were funded by AARP, one of the many partners and sponsors listed at the website.) The sculptures were assembled by local artists and welders using pieces of farm and garden equipment.
Project Food Forest’s goal is to empower people to feed themselves through agro-forestry, edible landscaping, and education. Their demonstration project, Prairie Ally, has had a good response from the Luverne
community, Rockman said, and Project Food Forest is ready to consult with any group which wants to consider edible landscaping in their community. There will be guided tours scheduled at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 3 as part of Luverne’s Buffalo Days. They also offer guided tours by appointment. To volunteer, donate, or schedule a tour, contact them by email at info@projectfoodforest.org, or call (605) 9510227. Project Food Forest can be found on Facebook at projectfoodforest, or on the web at www. ProjectFoodForest. org. v
Greener fields are nice, but greener pockets – that’s another story. When you protect your crops with Miravis® Neo fungicide, you can get more green in your fields, on your yield monitor and in your wallet. The secret behind all that green is its powerhouse SDHI molecule – ADEPIDYN® technology. It shuts down spots, blights and stress before your yields and ROI take a hit. Time after time, Miravis Neo outperforms and outyields the other guys, so make the switch today — your bottom line will thank you for it.
Miravis® Neo fungicide offers superior disease control and plant-health benefits that result in cleaner, greener crops and a higher potential yield. Its high-performing active ingredients and reliable modes of action make a visible difference in your fields and your potential return on investment.
Healthier crops mean higher potential yield. So Miravis Neo delivers both. In corn, it offers bigger ears with more kernels and a 13 bu/A average enhanced yield benefit versus untreated crops.
In soybeans, it offers more 4-pod soybean plants and a 5 bu/A average enhanced yield benefit versus untreated crops. See the difference for yourself.
Miravis ® Neo fungicide combines three potent active ingredients to deliver cleaner, disease-free fields. With its powerhouse carboxamide SDHI – ADEPIDYN ® technology – Miravis Neo keeps corn and soybeans disease-free for longer and offers a lower cost per day of residual control against blights, spots and rust. So, you get more bang for your disease-control buck.
Miravis Neo also keeps corn and soybeans greener and healthier for longer. Even in low disease situations, Miravis Neo helps plants fight stress and put more energy toward grain fill. The result – Miravis Neo outperforms and outyields the other guys so you can see more green in your fields, on your yield monitor and in your wallet.
Product performance assumes disease presence.
Performance assessments are based upon results or analysis of public information, field observations and/or internal Syngenta evaluations. Trials reflect treatment rates commonly recommended in the marketplace.
All photos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.
© 2023 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. ADEPIDYN®, Better Yield is the Better Deal™, Miravis® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.
is a trademark of BASF.
Greener fields are nice, but greener pockets – that’s another story. When you protect your crops with Miravis® Neo fungicide, you can get more green in your fields, on your yield monitor and in your wallet. The secret behind all that green is its powerhouse SDHI molecule – ADEPIDYN® technology. It shuts down spots, blights and stress before your yields and ROI take a hit. Time after time, Miravis Neo outperforms and outyields the other guys, so make the switch today — your bottom line will thank you for it.
Scan the QR code to calculate your potential green gains.
