Human Interest | Field 2 Field

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019

Archaeology means globe-hopping for MN native

Archaeology.. the term makes me think of Indiana Jones. That shows my age, doesn’t it? Well, as hard as it may be to believe, that’s not real life. However, I know someone who’s living the adventure (without the bullwhip).

Chatfield native Paige Brevick is living what can only be called an adventurous life. She’s a recent graduate of the University of Memphis with a master’s degree in Egyptian Art and Archaeology. Brevick has worked in faraway places like India and Israel over the course of her studies and will continue globe-hopping when she studies for her doctorate at the University College London in England. How does a small-town girl from Chatfield get to travel the world as she studies to be an archaeologist?

“That’s a really good question,” she said with an infectious laugh. “A lot of people ask me that. I’ve always loved the stories that objects tell about people and the cultures that made those items. As a kid, I was interested in arts, museums, the outdoors, and that sense of adventure, so archaeology seemed like a natural career choice.”

Brevick said she had no idea that archaeology was a “real job you could have” until she got to college. While growing up as a youngster in Chatfield, her parents took her to a lot of different museums. She describes herself as “always excited” to turn the corner in a museum and find an Egyptian gallery or see some Asian art. “That’s where the curiosity got started,” she said.

Archaeology Studies Begin

Her secondary education started at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. “My degree there was in Religion and I spent a lot of time studying the Hebrew Bible. It was in those early religion classes that I became interested in Near Eastern archaeology. Even though my degree was in religion, I got to study abroad quite a bit.

“I lived in India for a while,” she recalled. “After that, I studied public archaeology and what the community involvement was in museums across Maharashtra and South India. I saw people there who were passionate about their heritage and where they came from. It was a great place to It was a great place to study because India is full of ancient sites, temples, and history.”

A lack of what she called archaeological “site management” triggered an interest in protecting those sites and the antiquities that were being found. The trip to India was her first journey overseas and eye-opening in many different ways. What was it like for a Midwestern gal to step off the plane into a foreign country for the very first time?

“It was exhilarating,” she said with a giggle. “It’s quite a country to jump into for my first overseas experience. It’s overwhelming because Mumbai is so loud. The city was so loud and packed with people. It’s not a surprise that it was more people than I’d seen in my entire life.”

The trip to India triggered her interest in a career in “heritage management,” which she’s currently working in. She says it’s all about the running of an archaeological site and how to go about involving the community in that preservation. Rather than having archaeologists come into the site and then leave, it’s about how to create something sustainable with the community. Brevick hopes to facilitate relationships between archaeologists, museums, and communities.

Masters degree in archaeology

She recently wrapped up a three-year stay at the University of Memphis, her second stop in secondary education. Brevick said it’s one of the few programs in the country that offer a master’s degree in Egyptian studies and archaeology. Egypt is a major part of her long-term interest in studying the near East. Brevick’s acquired some unique skills while studying for her master’s degree.

“I got to study hieroglyphs,” she said. “I can now read Middle Egyptian, which are the glyphs you may see on objects or in museums. It took a lot of time and practice to learn Middle Egyptian, but it’s really been rewarding. You really don’t meet a lot of people who can say they’ve learned hieroglyphs.”

Brevick has had a couple of opportunities to head to Egypt and see things firsthand. In a case of real life getting in the way, one of her trips was canceled because of safety concerns. Brevick found out firsthand that she’ll have to be “flexible” to succeed as an archaeologist. Funding issues can cause challenges, as can real-world dangers on the ground. Even after all the delays, she’s hopeful of getting to Egypt within the next year.

She’s lived for a short time in other places overseas, including Ethiopia. “I was there doing a study abroad class through Cornell,” she recalled. “We traveled all over the country and visited several sites, including the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela. I also lived in the Bahamas for a month and studied anthropology.”

Digging up plague victims

Personally, her most interesting experience to date took place in England. “I was just a student and only stayed there for a couple of weeks,” Brevick said. “I got to work on a black plague mass-burial site at Thornton Abbey. It’s so different from what I normally do but I wanted some bio-archaeology experience.

“The site was very unusual because we don’t normally find mass burial sites,” she added. “In this case, there were about 50 bodies buried there. It was a very humbling experience because you saw what the community had been through. They were hit so hard by the plague.”

The adventure will soon continue in London, where she’s off to study for her Ph.D. Brevick was there for a short time last year to interview with the faculty at the school and found the experience a little overwhelming because of the “hustle-and-bustle of the city.” She said this is her next step in a new adventure.

“I’ll be at University College London,” she explained. “They were just ranked third in the world when it comes to archaeological studies. I’ll be working on a heritage management project which will be launched in Egypt. My doctoral dissertation will identify and develop co-creative heritage management strategies. I’m really interested in the relationships between archaeologists, museums, and the local communities they are working in and for.

“Rather than only advocate for more community engagement,” she said, “I think museums have a responsibility to go into their communities and ask community leadership what it is they need from the museum.”

Career goals in archaeology?

After all the education is finally finished, what are her long-term career goals?

“I think I’d like to stick with museums,” Brevick said. “I think that’s perfect for my personality. Anything that would allow me to continue advocating for archaeology cultural heritage. I feel honored and grateful to be doing what I’m doing.”

June 21, 2019June 21, 2019

The Apostles Suffered to Spread the Gospel

The Apostles of Jesus had it tougher than we do in America. They had it tougher than we ever will. Here is what convinced me that the Gospel is real. Would this many people have voluntarily died HORRIBLE deaths for a Gospel that wasn’t true? Absolutely not. Give this a run-through and then really think hard about the implications here.

The apostles were not educated people. The apostles were everyday working folks who were far from perfect. But if they can lead people to Jesus, why can’t we?

1. Matthew. Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.

2. Mark. Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.

apostles — The Apostles suffered and died in horrible ways in order to spread the Gospel. Would you or anyone you know be willing to die a death like this for something that you didn’t believe in and KNOW in your heart wasn’t true? Of course not. (photo from Facebook.com)

3. Luke. Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.

4. John. Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.
John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully

5. Peter. He was crucified upside down on an x shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6. James. The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club.

This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Son of Zebedee was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry.

As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial.

Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew. Also known as Nathaniel. He Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew. He Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony.

His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words, “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it”. He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas. He Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Subcontinent.

11. Jude. He Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias. The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. He was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul. He Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor to compare to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times for the sake of the Faith. Jesus said, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Do we have the kind of faith to get through persecution (which WILL come to us all) as the apostled did? Probably not. But God promises to give us strength in times of trouble. Jesus says, “Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” Do you believe that or not? There is no “maybe.”

Pass on to encourage other Christians. Why Do we feel sleepy in Prayer, but stay awake through a 3 hour movie (I do that all the time)? Why are we so bored when we look at the HOLY BOOK. But find it easy to read other books?

Why is it so easy to ignore a message about God, yet we forward the nasty ones?

Why are prayers getting smaller but bars and clubs are expanding.

Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity but very difficult to engage with God?

Make this message your contribution to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

Scam phone calls are picking up again

This is a scam alert.

I was at my desk the other day and missed a phone call. Thinking it may have been a potential interview subject for an article, I played the voicemail and got the shock of my life. “We’re calling to alert you that we’re prepared to take legal action against you because of suspicious activity on your social security number.” I played it three different times because I’d noticed they never actually said WHO was taking legal action against me. My cynical journalist radar was up and running.

I also should have known that something was up when the first three numbers of the “800 number” was 855. That’s an out-of-country 800 number, i would find out later. Anyway, I make the call because now I’m flat-out curious. The guy who answered the phone informed me that he was with the “Social Security Administration” and even tried to pass on his “badge number.” At this point, I know I’m being scammed because in all my years in the media, one thing that’s stuck in this old brain was the fact that the Social Security Administration will NEVER call you about a problem. EVER. They always reach out and correspond through the mail.

Anyway, back to the story. In VERY broken English, the guy says there’s legal action pending against me because of suspicious activity on my SSN. He confirms my name and that I am who I say I am. THEN, he asks me to confirm my social security number over the phone, which is a big faux pas when dealing with someone who actually knows better.

I thought just for fun I’d put the audio of the phone call up here for you to listen to. I had played it for a couple family members, including my wife Monique. She looks at me after the recording was done and said “I can’t believe how patient you were during that phone call.” Hey, I was having fun!

However, all giggling aside, a scam phone call is a very serious matter. If you didn’t initiate the phone call, under NO circumstances should you give our personal information. EVER.

The last thing I need you to remember is to call your local law enforcement and report the number the scammer used to call you. It really does help because law enforcement will put out the information to the public as a number to avoid.

Here’s some recommendations on how to deal with scam phone calls.

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

Lanesboro alum is two-time national track champ

Track and field success for hard-working Burro

Track and field has been very good to Lanesboro alum Eric Holst. He’s a three-time All-American track athlete at St. Thomas University. He’s a two-time national champion, winning the Hammer Throw (outdoor season) as a junior and the Weight Throw (indoor season) as a senior. Holst wound up taking second in the Hammer Throw at this year’s National Division Three Track and Field Championship Meet. Holst said he was initially disappointed that he couldn’t repeat in the top spot but second was still a great way to finish up his college track career.

Runner Up

“It’s second place in the nation and very few people will ever reach that in their athletic lives,” Holst said. “It’s still a great thing and I still get All-American honors. However, I still wanted to win. I don’t know a single athlete that wouldn’t want to hit that mark. It came down to one throw that didn’t go my way.

Lanesboro’s Eric Holst qualified for the NCAA Division Three National Track and Field Championship Meet in both the hammer throw and the discus. He finished as the runner-up in the hammer throw. (Contributed Photo)

“My first throw of the meet was technically sound (60.90 meters),” Holst recalled, “it just felt soft, not full-go. However, that put me into the finals, which meant I was All-American. I told myself at that point ‘now we can push it.’ I attacked my second throw too hard and let go one turn too early in order to save the mark. Still, that throw put me into second place (61.69 meters).”

Holst said he couldn’t find the rhythm again and wound up scratching on his next four throws. The senior thrower either hit the net with the hammer or stepped out of the launch area. The only two throws he hit all meet were the first two attempts. “I just couldn’t find it again,” he said. However, it wasn’t just Holst that lost his rhythm.

Zak Dysert of Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio wound up as the national champion in this year’s hammer throw. He had a couple of scratches and poor throws during his earlier attempts. However, Holst said Dysert ‘pulled it together as I should have’ and won it on his last throw (62.01 meters). Converting meters to feet shows just how close the competition turned out to be. Dysert’s best throw totaled 203 feet, 5 inches. Holst’s best throw was one-inch shy of that mark at 202-05.

A Big Change

Holst made a big change in his training last year that carried over to this season. He switched up his throwing form last year as a junior. He went from spinning three times before releasing the hammer/weight to four times. It took some time to get used to, but Holst was feeling good about the adjustment by the end of last season. This season, it took a little longer to find the rhythm during his senior year.

“Switching from three rotations to four give you more time to accelerate ahead of the throw,” Holst explained. “If you’re a very explosive athlete, three turns are generally all you need. I’m not as explosive as many other competitors are, so that fourth turn to build up more speed can help me even the field quite a bit.”

Training Harder

In addition to changing his throwing form, Holst also changed his in-season training regimen. “I trained a lot harder during the season and attempted a lot more throws in practice,” Holst recalled. “The hope was that I could break down my body a little more during the season in hopes of building up to a stronger peak by the end of the year. I cut back on the number of throws as I got to the meets where they give out titles, trying to be a little bit fresher at that point of the season.”

Because it’s a throwing event, strength is obviously important if athletes want to be competitive. However, Holst says technique plays an even bigger part in success. “I think it’s the most technically-driven event in all of track and field,” he said.

“You mainly see that when you go from high school track up to the college level,” Holst said. “At the lower level of competition, you’ll see big guys that win by simply outmuscling the other competitors. However, when you get up here, you’ll notice that people aren’t quite as big as they were down below. They realize it takes more than just brute strength to compete in the throwing events. Everyone is strong, so it boils down to technique.”

Holst is quick to credit his coaches for pushing him to be better every day, both at practice and during competitions. However, they won’t be pushing him anymore as his St. Thomas track career ended after the Outdoor National Meet. Looking back over his four-year career, it’s been interesting to remember how things developed.

On to New Things

“It really hit me hard this year that I’m done with college track,” he recalled. “I struggled with it for a few days. I remember back in my freshman year when we had a thrower that placed ninth at the national meet. We looked up to him like a god because he was one spot away from being an All-American. A spot in the national meet seemed so unattainable that we thought he was a ‘freak athlete.’

“It’s funny to look back and think about how I’ve made the same level of competition as that ‘freak athlete’ back then,” Holst added. “It’s kind of wild to think that I did it too, especially when I think about my freshman season and what we had thought was so unattainable.”

What will he miss the most about college track? It boils down to one word: routine.

“I’ve been used to going to class and going to track practice for the last ten years, going all the way back to middle school,” Holst says. “Now, there’s no more practice at all. It’s off to the workforce, which is a whole different routine to learn.”

May 30, 2019May 30, 2019

MDA Helping Professionals Help Farm Stress

Summer workshops will teach farm stress management skills

Farmer stress levels are way, way up. They’re living with weather that won’t let a great many of them get crops in the ground. Overseas trade wars have cut down on places to sell their commodities, leading to a lot of grains and oilseeds on hand, driving prices even lower. Farmer stress is something that mental and even physical health professionals may not have the experience to help them with, so the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is trying to help with that.

Farmer stress is as high as it’s been since the 1980s. Stressful times in agriculture can trigger bad news and difficult conversations. In response, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering Navigating Conflict & Tough Conversations in Agriculture, a workshop designed to help agriculture professionals navigate potentially contentious situations.

It’s Rough in Rural America

“Farmers are having a tough time right now,” Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “Farmer stress is high because there’s a lot on the line, and we recognize that lenders, agency staff, clergy, educators, veterinarians, agricultural advisors, and businesspeople can find themselves trying to help in situations where emotions run high.”

Workshop topics include reducing anxiety and fear about interpersonal conflict; understanding how self-awareness and group dynamics contribute to successful outcomes; exploring the connection between conflict and change; and precautions participants can take to keep themselves safe at work – both in and outside their office.

University of Minnesota Extension Educator Denise Stromme and local law enforcement will teach the workshop on dealing with farmer stress at six locations in June and July. All sessions run from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

June 18, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Community & Technical College
June 19, Thief River Falls, Northland Community & Technical College
June 20, Duluth, Lake Superior College
July 8, Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University
July 9, Faribault, South Central College
July 10, St. Cloud, Saint Cloud Technical & Community College

The workshop is free but space is limited. Register at www.navigating-conflict-in-ag.eventbrite.com or by calling 651-201-6012.

Farmer Stress is Unique

Listen, I grew up working on a dairy farm and got to understand farmer mindsets. It’s no fun to admit you need help. If there’s a group of Americans who have “John Wayne” go-it-alone-syndrome more than farmers do, I’d like to know who that would be. They don’t want to ask for help. It’s important that health professionals get the background information they need at a workshop like this. The stresses that they deal with are very unique and it’s quite difficult for non-farm folks to relate to. I’ve seen it first hand, living in both rural and urban areas through my 48 years of living.

All participants will receive certificates of attendance; several organizations have approved continuing education credits.

Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact Stephen Moser at 651-201-6012 or through the Minnesota Relay Service at 711 as soon as possible.

Disclaimer

This workshop is supported by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2018-38640-28416 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC18-170. The MDA and USDA are equal opportunity employers and service providers. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this workshop do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

May 27, 2019May 27, 2019

Minnesota “Hands-Free” Law Starts August 1

“Hands-Free” behind the wheel soon to become law.

Most people have been behind the wheel of their car when the cell phone rings or they hear the text message beep. We’re so ingrained to answer the phone or check the text message that we may not realize just how dangerous it would be to do those things while driving. Because of the dangers posed by distracted driving, Minnesota joined 17 other states, plus Washington D.C., in passing a hands-free law that goes into effect August 1. But what exactly can, and can’t drivers do?

What Can I do?

“To break it down in the simplest terms, you cannot have a phone in your hand at all while driving,” says Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge. “As of August 1, you can’t even have a cell phone in your hand and hold it up to your ear to make a phone call. Of course, text messages aren’t going to be legal as well.”

It won’t be legal to pull out the cell phone even if drivers are stopped at a stop light or stop sign. “Technically, you’re still driving,” DeGeorge said. “As of August 1, if you’re going to make a phone call in the car, drivers will need some sort of built-in device that will help you make that call hands-free. For example, a Bluetooth-enabled audio system would be legal. Most newer cars these days have something like that built in”

What about GPS?

The next logical question is what about the GPS systems that most drivers can’t live without in an unfamiliar part of the state? DeGeorge says you can still use your GPS system to get where you’re going, as long as it’s hands-free.

“If you’re going to a place like Target Field but haven’t been there before,” DeGeorge said, “it’s okay to punch in the directions before you put the vehicle in motion. You can listen to the turn-by-turn directions while you’re driving, as long as you aren’t using it in any way with your hands while you’re driving.”

Rushford Police Officer Kaylee Inglett said the key to being legal is not having it in your hand for any reason while you’re driving. “We can definitely see other drivers who have their phones in hand and up to their ears just driving down the road,” she said. “it’s not too hard to spot someone talking on their phone while driving. Sometimes we see distracted driving just by how their moving down the road, too. It’s a lot of the same signs as impaired driving.”

Distracted Driving Dangers

DeGeorge said the average citizen may not realize it, but their car can instantly become a several-thousand-pound missile moving down the road at a high rate of speed when the driver isn’t focused on the road. Impaired driving affects judgement and slows a driver’s reaction time. Distracted driving does some of the same things.

“It takes your attention away from the road and the other vehicles,” DeGeorge said. “It slows your reaction time. How much ground can someone cover while they’re typing out a text message behind the wheel and going 55-60 miles per hour. You aren’t going to stop on a dime. If you look up and find yourself weaving out of your line and another car is coming at you, it might be the same thing as pointing a weapon at them. That’s basically what’s happening in that situation.”

Distracted driving is a problem in southeast Minnesota, and it has cost lives. DeGeorge says he has seen a fatal accident firsthand and it’s something you don’t forget, both as a law enforcement officer and a human being. “For me, it was an instant feeling of regret for what happened,” he recalled upon seeing the aftereffects of a fatality.

"Hands-Free" — Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge says Minnesota’s “Hands-Free” Law starts on August 1. (Photo from Facebook.com)

“When you think that just minutes earlier, this person was safely driving down the road and a split-second decision to do something like read or send a text message resulted in someone innocent being killed,” he added. “It wasn’t something like a crime of passion. Someone didn’t spend all day drinking at a bar and get behind the wheel. It was someone that could have been on their way home, to church, or to a kid’s school event. It didn’t have to happen.”

He added, “It’s not a malicious act. It’s someone doing something as simple as not paying attention and wound up having the most tragic results possible.

Here’s a great report from WKBT TV in La Crosse, Wisconsin, with comments from the La Crescent Police Chief Doug Stavenau

Penalties

Inglett says there will be an escalating series of fines starting on August 1. “The first ticket is $50 dollars, which will include going to court, which will include court fees,” she said. “The next ticket will jump to $275, as are any subsequent tickets. Remember, there are also court fees with each ticket.

“It was so important to law enforcement officers around the state to get this law passed,” she said. “We see so many distracted drivers every day. The numbers are there when we talk about distracted driving. Not looking at the road and not paying attention to your surroundings when you’re driving a huge metal object can be just as detrimental and deadly as impaired driving.”

Inglett says she’s a young police officer who hasn’t had to respond to a tragic accident from distracted driving yet. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t seen and spoken to people who’ve been involved in that type of accident.

“During my training at the police academy, we heard a talk from someone that had killed another driver while they were distracted,” she recalled. “The lasting impact those words had on our class was incredible. We were able to see crime scene photos from the case, so even though we weren’t there firsthand, we saw what the worst results could look like.

“The pictures of the victim and the vehicles were heartbreaking,” she added. “A simple decision like picking up someone’s phone took somebody else’s life.”

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019

2017 Census of Agriculture Data Released

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the results of the 2017 Census of Agriculture, spanning some 6.4 million new points of information about America’s farms and ranches and those who operate them. The Census includes new data about on-farm decision making, right down to the county level. The Information is collected by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) directly from farmers and ranchers.

The 2017 Census tells us both farm numbers and the amount of land in farms have decreased slightly since the last Census in 2012. At the same time, there continue to be more of the largest and smallest operations and fewer middle-sized farms. The average age of all farmers and ranchers continues to rise.

“We are pleased to deliver Census of Agriculture results to America, and especially to the farmers and ranchers who participated,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “We can all use the Census to tell the tremendous story of U.S. agriculture and how it is changing.

Perdue adds, “As a data-driven organization, we are eager to dig in to this wealth of information to advance our goals of supporting farmers and ranchers, facilitating rural prosperity, and strengthening stewardship of private lands efficiently, effectively, and with integrity.”

“The Census shows new data that can be compared to previous censuses for insights into agricultural trends and changes down to the county level,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “While the current picture shows a consistent trend in the structure of U.S. agriculture, there are some ups and downs since the last Census.

“There’s also first-time data on topics such as military status and on-farm decision making,” Hamer added. “To make it easier to delve into the data, we are pleased to make the results available in many online formats, including a new data query interface, as well as traditional data tables.”

Census data provide valuable insights into demographics, economics, land and activities on U.S. farms and ranches.

Some key highlights include:

There are 2.04 million farms and ranches (down 3.2 percent from 2012) with an average size of 441 acres (up 1.6 percent) on 900 million acres (down 1.6 percent).
The 273,000 smallest (1-9 acres) farms make up 0.1 percent of all farmland while the 85,127 largest (2,000 or more acres) farms make up 58 percent of farmland.
Just 105,453 farms produced 75 percent of all sales in 2017, down from 119,908 in 2012.
Of the 2.04 million farms and ranches, the 76,865 making $1 million or more in 2017 represent just over 2/3 of the $389 billion in total value of production while the 1.56 million operations making under $50,000 represent just 2.9 percent.
Farm expenses are $326 billion with feed, livestock purchased, hired labor, fertilizer and cash rents topping the list of farm expenses in 2017.
Average farm income is $43,053. A total of 43.6 percent of farms had positive net cash farm income in 2017.
Ninety-six percent of farms and ranches are family owned.
Farms with Internet access rose from 69.6 percent in 2012 to 75.4 percent in 2017.
A total of 133,176 farms and ranches use renewable energy producing systems, more than double the 57,299 in 2012.
In 2017, 130,056 farms sold directly to consumers, with sales of $2.8 billion.
Sales to retail outlets, institutions and food hubs by 28,958 operations are valued at $9 billion.

For the 2017 Census of Agriculture, NASS changed the demographic questions to better represent the roles of everyone involved in on-farm decision making. As a result, in the number of producers is up by nearly seven percent to 3.4 million, in part because more farms reported multiple producers. Most of these newly identified producers are female. While the number of male producers fell 1.7 percent to 2.17 million from 2012 to 2017, the number of female producers increased by nearly 27 percent to 1.23 million. This change underscores the effectiveness of the questionnaire changes.

Other demographic highlights include:

The average age of all producers is 57.5, up 1.2 years from 2012.
The number of producers who have served in the military is 370,619, or 11 percent of all. They are older than the average at 67.9.
There are 321,261 young producers age 35 or less on 240,141 farms. Farms with young producers making decisions tend to be larger than average in both acres and sales.
More than any other age group, young producers make decisions regarding livestock, though the difference is slight.
One in four producers is a beginning farmer with 10 or fewer years of experience and an average age of 46.3. Farms with new or beginning producers making decisions tend to be smaller than average in both acres and value of production.
Thirty-six percent of all producers are female and 56 percent of all farms have at least one female decision maker. Farms with female producers making decisions tend to be smaller than average in both acres and value of production.
Female producers are most heavily engaged in the day-to-day decisions along with record keeping and financial management.

Results are available in many online formats including video presentations, a new data query interface, maps, and traditional data tables. To address questions about the 2017 Census of Agriculture data, NASS will host a live Twitter chat (@usda_nass) Ask the Census Experts #StatChat on Friday, April 12 at 1 p.m. ET. All information is available at www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.

History of the Census

The Census tells the story of American agriculture and is an important part of our history. First conducted in 1840, the Census of Agriculture accounts for all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. After 1920, the Census happened every four to five years. By 1982, it was regularly conducted once every five years.

Today, NASS sends questionnaires to nearly 3 million potential U.S. farms and ranches. Nearly 25 percent of those who responded did so online. Conducted since 1997 by USDA NASS – the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture – it remains the only source of comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation and is invaluable for planning the future.

April 6, 2019April 6, 2019

Spring Planting Waiting for Drier Weather

By Chad Smith

Farm country is getting closer and closer to spring planting. Farmers are starting to look at their planters longingly, dreaming of being out in the field. After a wet winter that resulted in serious flooding problems, the nation’s midsection is looking for a spell of dry weather. However, ag meteorologist Ryan Martin of Warsaw, Indiana, says planters are likely going to sit a spell yet. It’s important to remember that we’re way too early to think about seriously-delayed spring planting.

“It probably going to be late this month or early into next month before planters get rolling,” Martin said. “It’s way too early to start thinking about serious spring planting delays. We’re actually not even at first planting dates in a large part of the Corn Belt yet.

Heartland Forecast

“As I look at the pattern stretching all the way from the Great Plains through the Corn Belt, we’ve got a big weather system that wants to move through late this weekend (Sunday, April 7 possibly through early Tuesday the 9^th). There won’t be a lot of good drying time after that running through the end of the week.”

After that, there’s another system in the 11-to-16-day forecast that may have 1-3 inches of rain coming across all the key growing areas. Martin says, flooding and current situation aside, the forecast doesn’t give farmers enough of a window in there to really start spring planting en masse.

Spring Planting — The Elkhorn River in Nebraska is way over its banks, covering up a lot of farm ground in Nebraska. Spring planting is likely to be delayed in a large part of the Midwest and Corn Belt because of flooding just like this. (Photo from Omaha.com)

Parts of Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri have been devastated by flooding this spring, and the dry weather farmers are looking for really isn’t going to happen. “I don’t think so,” he said. “The way the pattern looks over the next 10 days, I’m counting two systems that come through. One won’t have a huge amount of rain, but the second one could bring as much as a quarter-inch to as much as 1.25 inches.

“Normally at this time of year that would be good news,” Martin added. “But, the way things are set up right now it’s just not good.”

Southern Plains/Delta

There are some planters rolling deeper in the Southern Plains and in the Delta. Martin said the weather pattern in that part of the country shows that farmers may have to dodge some thunderstorms in order to keep spring planting going forward.

“Fronts will be coming through but as they do, they won’t hit everyone at the same time,” he said. “Over the next three weeks or so, those storms will end up with about 60-70 percent coverage at any given time. It doesn’t look too excessive to me right now. It’ll be a hodgepodge type of activity that should eventually allow crops into the ground and then get the crops the kind of rainfall they need to get going.”

The pattern for the heaviest rains wants to stay a little farther north into the Central Plains and the Missouri Valley Corn Belt areas. The interesting area to watch will be the far east part of the Deep South, where the likelihood of getting the crop in the ground on time is pretty good.

“Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and up into Tennessee are places where temperatures might lag a little behind normal,” Martin said. “There could be some thunderstorm development but I’m not quite as bullish on rain or bearish on getting spring planting in the Deep South done as I am farther north.”

Potential Flooding Possible in Upper Midwest

There won’t be as much happening in the western states in terms of precipitation like there will be in other parts of the country. The biggest story in the western U.S. won’t be in terms of new systems moving through. It’ll more likely involve snowpack runoff. The interesting thing about snowpack runoff is the problems won’t necessarily be just out west.

“The Red River likely will hit major flood stage in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota,” he said. “There is snowpack that goes all the way back up into Montana and into the northern Rockies. The biggest question is just how fast we’ll see that snow melt and move through the area.

“The question is whether we’ll see a fast snowmelt with temps above normal,” he added. “That could be the story more than new systems coming through. Temperatures are still a little squirrely as temps likely will lag behind normal due to all that snowpack that still sits on the ground in those areas I mentioned.”

Here’s the entire conversation:

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019

TransFARMation Radio to help farmers cope with stress

Many different sources of stress are currently impacting farmers and ranchers. In response to the growing pressure on agriculture, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Red River Farm Network (RRFN) have joined forces to create a new radio series called TransFARMation.

“Farming is a stressful business during the best of times,” says Don Wick, president, RRFN. “Agriculture’s financial health is being influenced by tight margins, the trade war, production issues, and more. These are all factors where farmers and ranchers have little or no control.”

The series uses farm radio, podcasts, and social media to increase awareness and reduce inhibitions about acknowledging farmer stress. It will also highlight sources of support.

“Many people are struggling and they need to know they’re not alone,” said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “This is a powerful series – we hear from farmers, ranchers, and others in agriculture talk about some of the strategies and solutions that helped them when things got tough.”

The 60 second prime-time radio stories can be heard on all of RRFN’s 20 stations throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, starting the week of April 8. In addition, the in-depth podcasts can be found at www.rrfn.com/transfarmatio n.

TransFARMation is supported by a grant from the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Institute for Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health, and by AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Wheat Commission, and Prairie St. John’s.

Broadcasts are solely the responsibility of the creators and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC, NIOSH, or the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health.

If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or other problems, the free and confidential Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline is available 24 hours, seven days a week at 833-600-2670.

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019

USDA makes important updates to farmers.gov website

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced says the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched two new features on farmers.gov to help customers manage their farm loans, as well as navigate the application process for H2A visas.

“Customer service is our top priority at USDA,” he says. “These new features will help our customers as they manage their farm loans and navigate the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program. In my travels across the country, I have consistently heard people tell us to use more technology to deliver programs at USDA. As we adopt new technology, we are introducing simple yet innovative approaches to support our farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters. After all, they support the nation every day. It’s my goal to make USDA the most effective, most efficient, most customer-focused department in the entire federal government. Farmers.gov is a big step in that direction.”

In 2018, Secretary Perdue unveiled farmers.gov, a dynamic, mobile-friendly public website combined with an authenticated portal where customers will be able to apply for programs, process transactions and manage accounts.

Navigating the H-2A Visa Process:

Focused on education and smaller owner-operators, this farmers.gov H-2A Phase I release includes an H-2A Visa Program page and interactive checklist tool. It includes application requirements, fees, forms, and a timeline built around a farmer’s hiring needs.

You may view the video at this following link: youtu.be/E-TXREaZhnI

The H-2A Visa Program – also known as the temporary agricultural workers program – helps American farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries. The U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of State, and state workforce agencies each manage parts of the H-2A Visa Program independently, with separate websites and complex business applications.

Over the next several months, USDA will collaborate further with the U.S. Department of Labor on farmers.gov H-2A Phase II. It’s a streamlined H-2A Visa Program application form, regulations, and digital application process that moves producers seamlessly from farmers.gov website to farmers.gov portal, and then to U.S. Department of Labor’s IT systems.

Managing Farm Loans Online:

The self-service website now enables agricultural producers to view loan information, history and payments.

Customers can access the “My Financial Information” feature by desktop computer, tablet or phone. They can now view:

loan information;
interest payments for the current calendar year (including year-to-date interest paid for the past five years);
loan advance and payment history;
paid-in-full and restructured loans; and
account alerts giving borrowers important notifications regarding their loans.

To access their information, producers will need a USDA eAuth account to login into farmers.gov. After obtaining an eAuth account, producers should visit farmers.gov and sign into the site’s authenticated portal via the “Sign In / Sign Up” link at the top right of the website.

Currently, only producers doing business as individuals can view information. Entities, such as an LLC or Trust, or producers doing business on behalf of another customer cannot access the portal at this time. However that will change in the future.

Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge are the recommended browsers to access the feature.

About farmers.gov:

USDA is building farmers.gov for farmers, by farmers. Future self-service features available through the farmers.gov portal will help producers find the right loan programs for their business and submit loan documents to their service center.

With feedback from customers and field employees who serve those customers, farmers.gov delivers farmer-focused features to deliver the greatest immediate value to America’s agricultural producers – helping farmers and ranchers do right, and feed everyone.