Agriculture | Field 2 Field

October 18, 2018October 19, 2018

Organic Farming adding acres and operations

Organic farming is growing to meet the increasing demand for its products. A report from Mercaris, an organic industry data service, says the U.S. now has roughly 6.5 million acres of organically certified land. The number of certified organic farms is three percent higher this year than in 2017. Laura Batcha, CEO/Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association, says that great is news.

“We always welcome seeing an increase in U.S. acres dedicated to organic farming,” Batcha said. “It’s something very important to see an increase in the overall value chain and the sustainability of the industry, as a whole.

“We’ve been investing in some particular initiatives that have an emphasis on increasing production in terms of row crops, including row crops and small grains,” Batcha added. “It’s really nice to see the number of acres has grown in the last year. Our members worked on projects to help to increase knowledge transfer that would support farmers transitioning their acres (to organic), so it’s nice to see that particular crop types and geographies are showing an increase.”

Some of those geographies include states along the East Coast, through the Corn Belt, and through the West. Those areas reported the largest gains in total certified operations. Just those three regions alone added 430 certified organic farming operations. Batcha is pleased that organic is spreading to different locations.

Batcha said the goal is to keep a nice and steady growth in the number of organic areas and operations across the country. That’s not necessarily an easy thing to do because there’s no one way of doing things in organic production that applies to all products.

“It’s tough to talk about keys to growing the industry as a whole because you have to look at it from a crop-specific perspective,” she said. “You also need to look at things from a regional perspective. What works for specialty crops in California won’t be the same thing that works for small grains in the Great Plains.

“The industry is focusing on several things right now,” Batcha added. “Organic regulations require crop rotation and cover-cropping. Organic farms have longer and more complex crop rotations (than traditional farming). What is needed is for crops in different rotations to have access to markets. It’s an emphasis the whole supply chain is looking at. Some of our farms may have six or seven different crops and we want healthy markets for all of them.

“The other thing the (Mercaris) report calls out is improving transparency in terms of data and statistics in the organic industry,” Batcha said. “But there are still gaps. The report recommended the same thing that our members have already brought to the Department of Agriculture. The recommendation we want is to see that the reporting of acreage from the certified agencies to the USDA to be a mandatory data transfer on an annual basis. It’s not only important for good statistics that inform policy choices, as well as farmer decision-making out in their fields.”

There are now 17,648 U.S. farms certified as compliant with the USDA National Organic Farming Program standards for organic row crop production. Total organic acres increased from 6.4 million acres in 2017.

The data company calls the report the only trusted information source on organic farmland statistics because the Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will not be issuing data on organic acreage for 2018.

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018

More Palmer Amaranth appearing in SW Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is investigating the source of a Palmer amaranth plant found growing in Jackson County.

In early September, a farmer noticed a suspicious weed in the first few rows of a soybean field adjacent to a utility field road. The weed survived a herbicide treatment. making initial identification difficult. The farmer then contacted the University of Minnesota Extension, which submitted the plant for genetic identification. The test has confirmed it was Palmer amaranth. MDA staff scouted fields in the area and have not found any other Palmer plants. The MDA is investigating where the Palmer amaranth seed came from.

“This is another case illustrating the effective collaborations established between the MDA, U of M Extension, crop consultants, and farmers throughout the state for locating and reporting Palmer amaranth,” said Mark Abrahamson, MDA’s Director of Plant Protection. “We continue to urge farmers and landowners to become familiar with what Palmer amaranth looks like and to immediately contact the MDA, Extension, or a crop consultant for help if they suspect Palmer amaranth on their property.”

Since 2016, the invasive weed has now been found in six Minnesota counties. In addition to this latest find in Jackson County, the MDA confirmed the weed in a Redwood County soybean field last week. It was also discovered in conservation plantings in Lyon and Yellow Medicine counties in 2016, and Todd and Douglas counties in 2017. However, after eradication treatments, Palmer has not been found at any sites in those four counties during 2018.

Palmer amaranth is listed as a Prohibited Weed Seed. This means it’s not allowed in any seed offered for sale in the state. It is also on Minnesota’s Prohibited Noxious Weed Eradicate List. All above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed. Also, no transportation, propagation, or sale of this plant is allowed.

If anyone suspects Palmer amaranth, they can contact the MDA through the Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.

Palmer amaranth is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It has been found in over half of the states, and along with Minnesota, it has been found in the neighboring states of Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

August 29, 2018August 30, 2018

GoFundMe Miracle for Wisconsin Dairy Family

Dale and Karen Cihlar of Algoma, Wisconsin, can vouch firsthand about just how tough things are in the American dairy industry right now. Low milk prices are making it difficult for American producers to get the loan capital they need to stay in operation. The Cihlars were literally down to their last option for more operating money when they turned to crowdfunding through the GoFundMe website. Down to their last chance, they saw a miracle happen.

“Milk prices were down, and we had lost some cattle,” said Karen Cihlar. “We also had a big payment due on our manure storage facility. My husband (Dale) went to some loan officers, looking for a $35,000 loan for livestock because we were down in numbers. We also wanted to pay off a little debt. The bankers told us they weren’t loaning money to dairy farmers at the present time because of low projected milk futures prices.”

“When we asked the loan officers what to do, a lot of them said walk away,” she recalled. “I told Dale that just wasn’t an option. We have six or seven years in this business, everything is paid for, and the farm is ours. No, we weren’t going to walk away. We gotta fight.”

She had noticed in previous weeks that there were other farmers with campaigns on GoFundMe. Karen asked Dale if it was something he wanted to try, and he said “no.” He didn’t want other people to know what’s going on in their business.

“I said ‘if we have to pull a U-Haul up to the house and load up, they’re going to know our business,’” she recalled. “The last loan officer we went to said, ‘do what you have to do and don’t worry about what anyone thinks because they’re not in your shoes.’ That night, Dale told me ‘no to GoFundMe one more time. However, I really felt we should try it.

“I went over to our daughter’s house for some help and we did it,” she added. “We started getting donations right away.

Here’s the rest of the story:

In case you were wondering? The campaign was for the exact amount the family was turned down for; $35,000. The five-month campaign has raised over $90,300! Amazing!

August 28, 2018

Mexico-U.S. Wrap Up Part of NAFTA Renegotiation

NAFTA Trade — Daniel Ujczo is an International Trade and Customs Lawyer with the Dickinson Wright Law Firm in Columbus Ohio. He says the agreement this week between Mexico and Canada basically completes their part of the NAFTA negotiations. (Photo from twitter.com)

The U.S. and Mexico announced the framework of an agreement to put a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

in place between the two countries. The question is, what exactly did they agree on as details aren’t entirely clear. Daniel Ujczo is an International Trade Lawyer with Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio, who works on trade for a living. He said this basically means the work to resolve the outstanding issues between Mexico and Canada is done.

“This is the first hurdle cleared in the attempt to get to a final NAFTA,” Ujczo said. “The issues between Mexico and the U.S. primarily surrounded automobiles, but on the agriculture side, included seasonal produce, which was a request that the U.S. put in to resolve the ‘great tomato wars’ between Florida and Mexico. The U.S. agreed to withdraw that proposal.

“There were several other smaller NAFTA issues between the two countries,” he said. “Autos really led the charge until we reached agreement on that. The agreement came about somewhat surprisingly to external observers, but for those of us on the ground, we knew this was happening.”

Ujczo said Mexico and the U.S. went beyond just the bilateral NAFTA issues between the two countries during their negotiations. He said they’ve essentially come up with the rest of the deal on areas like intellectual property rights, in particular. Some observers had expected intellectual property rights to come up later when Canada returned to the negotiating table.

“In short, the U.S. and Mexico have really finished their part of the NAFTA agreement,” Ujczo said. “The next thing is to bring in Canada. Because of the way the procedural and political timelines work, that all needs to be done by Friday, August 31. That makes for a very short window to resolve some long-standing issues between the U.S. and Canada, not the least of which is dairy.”

Here’s the complete interview with Daniel Ujczo:

July 23, 2018

MDA Gathering Info on Potential Dicamba Damage

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is again gathering information on plant damage that may have been caused by the use of the herbicide dicamba. The MDA is encouraging anyone with damage in the 2018 growing season to complete a survey or register a formal complaint. The survey will be open until September 15.

Last year, the MDA received 253 complaints related to the use of dicamba in Minnesota. The complaints centered on off-target movement that impacted non-dicamba tolerant soybeans, other sensitive crops, as well as non-crop plants. The University of Minnesota estimates the damaged area totaled 265,000 acres across the state.

In an effort to prevent off-target movement incidents this year, the MDA added additional restrictions to the herbicide’s application: a June 20 cutoff date and an 85 degree Fahrenheit temperature cutoff. As of July 23, 2018, the MDA had received 30 reports of alleged dicamba damage. Not all of those reports requested an investigation.

“It is important that we continue to monitor the situation this year and gather as much data as we can,” said Assistant Commissioner Susan Stokes. “Last year’s survey gave us very valuable information, and this year’s survey will help the department as we look ahead to the 2019 growing season.”

Dicamba is an herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds in dicamba tolerant soybeans, corn and a variety of other food and feed crops, as well as in residential areas. Dicamba belongs to a class of herbicides that are volatile, and can drift and/or volatilize from the intended application area if not used according to the label. Off-target movement may cause unintended impacts such as serious damage to non-targeted crops.

If you believe dicamba was used in violation of the label or law, and you wish to request an MDA investigation, you will also need to complete the pesticide misuse complaint form or call the Pesticide Misuse Complaint line at 651-201-6333.

You can find more information on dicamba at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/dicamba.

Here’s a refresher from the North Carolina Soybean Association on spotting different levels of dicamba damage:

June 13, 2018

Margin Protection Program Registration Deadline Extended

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue announced this week that the enrollment deadline for the Dairy Margin Protection Program has been extended till June 22. (Photo from foodsafetynews.com)

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced the re-enrollment deadline for the Margin Protection Program (MPP) for Dairy will be extended until June 22, 2018.

The new and improved program protects participating dairy producers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below levels of protection selected by the applicant. USDA has already issued more than $89 million for margins triggered in February, March, and April, and USDA offices are continuing to process remaining payments daily.

“Last week we re-opened enrollment to offer producers preoccupied with field work an additional opportunity to come into their local office to sign-up. We did get more than 500 new operations enrolled but want to continue to provide an opportunity for folks to participate before the next margin is announced,” said Secretary Perdue. “More than 21,000 American dairies have gone into our 2,200 FSA offices to sign-up for 2018 MPP coverage but I am certain we can do better with this extra week and a half.”

The re-enrollment deadline was previously extended through June 8, 2018. The deadline is being extended a second time to ensure that dairy producers are given every opportunity to make a calculated decision and enroll in the program if they choose. This will be the last opportunity for producers to take advantage of key adjustments Congress made to provisions of the MPP program under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to strengthen its support of dairy producers.

USDA encourages producers contemplating enrollment to use the online web resource at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool to calculate the best levels of coverage for their dairy operation.

The next margin under MPP, for May 2018, will be published on June 28, 2018. Therefore, all coverage elections on form CCC-782 and the $100 administrative fee, unless exempt, must be submitted to the County FSA Office no later than June 22, 2018. No registers will be utilized, so producers are encouraged to have their enrollment for 2018 completed by COB June 22, 2018.

All dairy operations must make new coverage elections for 2018 during the re-enrollment period, even if the operation was enrolled during the previous 2018 signup. Coverage elections made for 2018 will be retroactive to January 1, 2018. MPP payments will be sequestered at a rate of 6.6 percent.

To learn more about the Margin Protection Program for dairy, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency county office at offices.usda.gov or visit us on the Web at www.fsa.usda.gov.

June 12, 2018

Minnesota Strawberry Season is Rapidly Approaching

Minnesota strawberries will be ready for picking soon. Growers across the state have reported fields full of blossoms and are expecting to be open for pick-your-own and pre-picked strawberries over the last two weeks of June.

Berry season is short and sweet (literally!), with seasonal availability beginning in southern Minnesota and moving northward. The typical strawberry season is two-three weeks long but the length of harvest varies from farm to farm, depending on varieties planted, weather, and soil type. Mild temperatures in the 70s and 80s extend the season and allow berries to ripen at a steady pace, while excessive heat can cause berries to ripen more quickly and shorten the season.

Minnesota strawberry varieties are grown for their robust, juicy flavor, and not for long shelf life or shipping ability. John Jacobson of Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake gives tips on preserving Minnesota strawberries’ fresh taste.

“Leave the berries in their natural state until you are ready to use them,” said Jacobson, “then wash them up. Waiting to wash the berries will keep them fresher longer and will help them from going bad prematurely.”

Kevin Edberg of The Berry Patch in Forest Lake has grown berries for 41 years. Edberg recommends that visitors call the farm beforehand and properly plan visits.

“Call the farm before going and prepare for being outside,” said Edberg. “Bring things like hats, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Most farms these days provide containers, but verify if you need to bring your own.”

Edberg also recommends calling ahead for those wishing to place orders for pre-picked berries.

Danielle Daugaard of Minnesota Grown recommends on-the-farm berry picking as an educational family activity.

“Picking your own berries is lots of fun and is a great way for kids to learn where their food comes from,” says Daugaard. “Minnesota Grown farmers are always happy to connect with their customers, and visiting their farms can give families a chance to ask questions about their food.”

The Minnesota Grown Directory, available in print or online, is a great place to find local pick-your-own berry operations or farmers market. The 2018 Directory includes 73 strawberry farms, 36 summer raspberry farms, 31 blueberry farms, and other specialty berry farms like elderberries, currants, honey berries, and aronia berries. Free, printed copies of the Directory may be ordered online or by calling 1-888-TOURISM (1-888-868-7476).

June 10, 2018

Fillmore County, Minnesota Hit by Weekend Flooding

Southeast Minnesota is getting clobbered by excess rainfall this weekend. There are multiple reports of water flowing over the road, so please, be careful if you’re heading out and about. An even better idea is to just stay home, especially at night. It’s awful hard to see the water flowing over the road in the dark.

Fillmore County Minnesota Flooding — The excess rainfall in southeast Minnesota is making driving dangerous. Don’t try to drive through water flowing over the road. It’s always dangerous. Turn around and don’t drown. It’s cliche, for a good reason. This picture is on County Road 22 between Harmony and the junction of County Roads 15 and 22.(Contributed photo.

Here’s a update from Thomas Kaase, Fillmore County Sheriff, with the most up-to-date information.

As of 8:00 PM this evening, our Emergency Manager Don Kullot has been out and assessing the situation in Fillmore County. We are urging our citizens and people traveling in and through Fillmore County to use extreme caution, especially in low-lying areas that have rivers, creeks, or even just the potential of water flow. The areas that seem most affected are west of Preston, south of the Stewartville-Spring Valley-Wykoff areas, and in the Ostrander area too. We are working to get updates throughout the rest of our county.

Since 6:00 this morning, some areas have received up to 6 inches of rain and some were getting blasted from 3:00 PM to 7:00 this evening. Some areas are expected to get an additional 1-2 inches more. At one time earlier this evening, we had a Fillmore County Deputy stranded between CR 30 and Klondike Road, moving to higher ground before finding a way out. It’s easier to see the water over our roadways during the daylight, but with darkness coming upon us, PLEASE USE CAUTION! Remember the saying….TURN AROUND AND DON’T DROWN!

*Update* The eastern side of our county also affected, southeastern area reported to have received up to 5 inches of rain. Hwy 43 north of Mabel is reported to have water over the roadway.

Again, please use caution if you’re driving in our area and don’t take any chances….turn around and don’t drown!

June 7, 2018

Poison Hemlock Spreading Across Minnesota

Poison hemlock is a toxic member of the carrot family. That’s right, I said carrot family. It can grow to heights of eight feet and has clusters of small white flowers that bloom from May to August. The leaves are fernlike and the stems have purple spots. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, which can be especially dangerous to livestock that accidentally eat it while grazing.

2017 was an important year for poison hemlock in Minnesota. Prior to 2017, it was confirmed in isolated pockets of only eight counties. Accurate mapping and reporting led to confirmation of infestations in 17 additional counties across Minnesota, so it is spreading. A rigorous evaluation using a weed risk assessment model, was conducted on poison hemlock by the Noxious Weed Advisory Committee (NWAC).

Based on the results of a risk assessment, any weed species may be recommended for listing on the Prohibited – Eradicate, Prohibited – Control, Restricted, or Specially Regulated categories. After the poison hemlock risk assessment was completed, NWAC recommended that the species be emergency listed as a Prohibited – Eradicate species, the most severe category on the list.

Because of its current status on the Noxious Weed List, landowners are required to destroy all above and below ground parts of the plant. Most infestations are small, with just a few plants. Effective management must prevent seed production and exhaust the seedbank.

Mow before seed set to prevent movement of seed to new locations. Clean equipment, clothing, and shoes after moving through an infestation.
Herbicide applications that target rosettes in the early spring and fall can be very effective. Spring treatments of rosettes should be timed well in advance of flowering and follow-up treatments may be necessary for several years to exhaust the seed bank. If using herbicide treatments, check with your local co-op or certified landscape care expert for assistance and recommendations. There are several businesses throughout the state with certified herbicide applicators that can be hired to perform chemical applications.