Nitrogen fertilizer is a valuable tool in a farmer’s soil management toolbox. Farmers need to know there are some restrictions on that tool coming soon.
Nitrogen Fertilizer application restrictions kick in. It’s important for farmers to remember that they start on September 1st. (Photo from morningagclips.com)
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) reminds farmers and landowners that beginning September 1, 2020, applying nitrogen fertilizer in the fall and on frozen soil will be restricted in areas vulnerable to groundwater contamination. This applies to Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMAs) with elevated nitrate levels. Vulnerable groundwater areas include coarse textured soils, karst geology, and shallow bedrock. Approximately 12 to 13 percent of Minnesota’s cropland is vulnerable to groundwater contamination. The Groundwater Protection Rule website shows vulnerable groundwater areas and a list of exceptions to the restrictions.
A short video on the fall restrictions and links for additional information are available on the MDA website. The MDA is holding a webinar on August 12, 2020, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. to answer questions. The video and webinar details are available online.
The nitrogen fertilizer restrictions are part of the Groundwater Protection Rule. The rule minimizes potential fertilizer sources of nitrate pollution to the state’s groundwater and works with local farmers to prevent nitrate contamination in public water supply wells.
“Mystery Seeds.” The first thing that came to mind was a possible title for a “Scooby-Doo” episode. Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any stranger, people in at least 10 states have received packages with a Chinese postmark and a label that says some kind of jewelry is inside. However, it’s a different story after they open the box.
What these Americans are receiving is an unsolicited package of seeds. States like Minnesota, Louisiana, Utah, Virginia, Kentucky, Washington state, and others are reporting similar situations. One thing to get out of the way right away is that under no circumstances should anyone plant those seeds.
One example of mystery seeds that were sent to a Minnesotan recently. (Photo from the Minnesota Department of Ag)
“We’re uncertain what those seeds may be and why people are receiving packages they didn’t send for,” says Denise Thiede, Seed Unit Supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. “Until we know more, we’re encouraging people to contact us because of the risk those seeds may pose to Minnesota agriculture and our natural landscapes.”
Washington state just recorded its first known case of an unsolicited seed shipment late last week. I talked with Karla Salp, the Public Engagement Specialist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Not one but two Washington residents picked up seeds in the mail they didn’t order from China.
“One of those residents sent us a picture of the seeds so we could see what they were talking about,” Salp says. “We thought they looked a lot like some kind of citrus seeds, while the labels said the packages contained some sort of jewelry.
More “Mystery Seeds” from China. (Photo from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture)
“Initially, we had been telling folks who received the seeds to report it to USDA,” she said. “They handle reports of agricultural smuggling. “The social media post advising people to contact USDA has been seen by over 30 million people. We’re sure that USDA knows all about the problem now.”
So, the Washington Ag Department is asking their residents to put the seeds in a Ziploc bag and put them in their regular trash. Do not putt them in something like a compost pile. “Most of the packages have another package within them,” Salp says. “The seeds are often in a second package inside the shipping container. Residents need to leave the seeds inside the sealed container. Do not open them up, and definitely do not plant them.”
Each state will have its own directions for residents who receive the seeds through the mail. The Minnesota Ag Department says don’t throw away the package or its contents and do not plant the seeds,. After that, contact the Arrest the Pest line at 888-545-6684. They’ll need your name, contact info, and the date you received the package.
Minnesota officials will then coordinate shipping the package and its contents to the MDA Seed Program. The MDA is currently working with the USDA’s Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance Program on identifying and destroying the seeds.
Salp says putting unknown seeds in U.S. soil could be problematic.
“It could be a combination of any of those three reasons I just listed,” she added. “It could be an invasive species that also carries a specific plant disease. These are some of the serious reasons that things like this need to go through the proper channels at the border if they’re a plant-based product.”
The USDA is working with federal and state agencies to investigate these unsolicited packages.
“We are also working with various online retailers to address some of these issues as well,” Salp said.
Invasive weeds make yet another first appearance in southeast Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has positively identified the invasive weed Palmer amaranth in Winona County.
It’s official. Palmer Amaranth has made its first appearance in Winona County down in southeast Minnesota. (Photo from MDA.org)
The MDA was contacted by crop consultants after they discovered several suspect plants in a soybean field. MDA staff scouted the area and removed 20 Palmer amaranth plants, which were then confirmed as Palmer by genetic testing. The field has since been treated with a herbicide application, and follow-up scouting by the MDA did not find any new invasive weeds. The site will be monitored for three years for any new Palmer amaranth.
The MDA is trying to determine the source of the invasive weed.
Now is the time when Palmer amaranth becomes visible in agricultural fields. The MDA is asking farmers, crop consultants, and agronomists to report any suspicious plants to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.
If you’re one of the fortunate ones who haven’t seen Palmer Amaranth show up in your fields, here’s a quick refresher on identifying the plant, courtesy of Purdue University.
Since it was first discovered in the state in 2016, Palmer amaranth has been found in nine Minnesota counties, including Winona County. Details of previous finds can be found on the MDA website.
Palmer amaranth is listed as a noxious weed in Minnesota. All above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed, and it cannot be moved. The weed is also listed as a prohibited weed seed in the state. This means no Palmer amaranth is allowed in any seed offered for sale in Minnesota.
Left uncontrolled, a single female Palmer amaranth plant typically produces 100,000-500,000 seeds. It is resistant to multiple herbicides, can cause substantial yield losses, and greatly increase weed management costs in soybeans and corn.
Honest talk can get you in so much trouble these days, primarily because no one wants to hear it. I bet you knew right away I was referring to politics, right?
Politics is not my choice of prime topics to write about these days. It’s positively exhausting and you’re going to get a guaranteed argument just because you dared to criticize someone from the same political party as any potential reader that comes across your site. However, sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me. After all, you know what curiosity did to the cat, right?
We have an awful lot of people who’ve spent decades working here. Based on the last several decades, does their body of work say they’re working for the people who elected them or for their own appetites? Let’s try a little honest talk and say no. So why do we keep voting for them over and over? (Photo from ncoa.org)
I didn’t vote for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the last election. My attitude toward both political parties is less-than-trusting. I voted for the third-party candidate because I thought he was the most qualified, even though I knew he’d never win. Was that wasting my vote? Depends on who you ask, I guess. However, I held my head high leaving the polling location because I voted my conscience.
I wish more people would vote for the best candidates, rather than just check the “R” or “D” boxes behind each candidate’s name, regardless of the position they’re running for. Minnesota is awful at that. Go back in history to find out how long Democrats have had primary control of state government. It’s longer than you think.
But I digress. That’s not my main point here.
As a non-Trump voter, I’ve been marveling over the past four years at the level of hate for the guy, simply because he’s not a member of the political elite. I’m not a big fan of his, primarily because of the way he’s handled U.S. agriculture, which is something near and dear to my heart, over the past four years. However, when you look at American politics these days, something is standing out as a bigger problem than the guy in the Oval Office.
Democrats (and more than a few Republicans) will list off all the reasons the U.S. is in trouble because of the current president, and frankly, there are some things I’ll agree with. However, my question is how much trouble can one guy be when he’s been in office for four years compared to people who’ve been in power for multiple decades? Well, that got me wondering about the shysters who’ve been in Congress for a long time and how they can call Trump our biggest problem?
According to The Stacker Dot Com website (all of these numbers are from late last year, so you do the math from there), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has been in the Senate for almost 35 YEARS. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been in the House for just over 32 YEARS! Dianne Feinstein of California (boy, she appears to be quite honest and upfront, doesn’t she?) has been in office for just shy of 27 years. Heck, the 49th-longest-tenured member of Congress is David Price, who represents North Carolina, and he’s been in office “only” 23 years.
Even more insane is the fact that the longest-tenured member of Congress is Republican Don Young. He’s been in office for almost HALF-A-CENTURY at 48 years. Republican Pat Leahy of Vermont has been in office 45 years!
Are we just lazy? That’s not a rhetorical question, either. I’m looking for an answer because people can’t seem to grasp the fallacy of sending the same people over and over into government. Have you ever heard the cliché “absolute power corrupts absolutely?” It’s a cliché for a reason. It’s true. More honest talk here; You cannot look at Washington, D.C. today and not see the corruption on BOTH sides of the aisle.
But I digress, again. My question is this; How on Earth can Trump be our biggest problem when these morons have been in office for DECADES and had a chance to show real leadership and fix at least SOME of the problems we are dealing with now? Do you honestly think that they’re going to fix our problems NOW, as opposed to decades ago when they took office? Why is right now any different from the last 20, 30, or even 40 years?
Surely you can see the dangers inherent in keeping the same people in power for long periods of time, right? Eventually, those people begin to expect it. If they don’t have to worry about being elected because we keep sending them to DC, do they REALLY work for us anymore?
Maybe we need to send some of these people who’ve spent all this time in Congress packing. Is it even remotely possible that when they’re yelling about Trump to the mainstream “media,” they’re trying to distract you from something else they don’t want you to know about? That’s a rhetorical question because it’s exactly what they’re doing.
These long-time “leaders” have had their shot. Politicians have been padding their pockets and sowing division in this country for decades. They throw money at problems instead of trying to actually do some good. Here’s some really honest talk; It’s past time for some new ideas and new blood.
Old Brewery exploring was something I couldn’t pass up. Exploring Minnesota took me to the south this weekend, stopping in Mantorville to check out the ruins of the old brewery caves. There isn’t a lot left of the old four-story, sandstone structure, but admittedly there’s more than I thought I’d see. The once-proud structure is losing the battle to Mother Nature, as you may imagine.
The gated entry to the old brewery. As near as I can figure, what’s inside here was the brewhouse, but don’t quote me on that. (Photo by Chad Smith)
There doesn’t seem to be a ton of information on the brewery online. One source who seemed to know what they were doing says what’s leftover is actually the second brewery built in Mantorville. The original brewery appears to have been built in 1858, entirely out of sandstone quarried out of the bluff directly behind where the structure was built.
The Dodge County Brewery reach four stories at its pinnacle and produced upwards of 7,000 beer-filled barrels a year at their peak in the late 1800s. Reports say the brewery was fortunate in avoiding so many of the fires that claimed other early breweries that began in Minnesota around the same time.
If I pegged it right, this was in the inside of the brewhouse. It’s in rough shape. I did NOT stay in there long at all. (Photo by Chad Smith)
Two 40 X 70 caves were used to store the aging beer and keep the barrels ice cold. The brewery ran purely on steam power during its lifetime. Only a shell of the building remains, but there is one cooling room still intact.
Like many of the other Minnesota breweries, when Prohibition rolled around, that pretty much ended the business. There was some bootlegging during the dry years. When Prohibition was repealed, they tried to crank up production again. New owner Otto Schuman took over the brewery and ran it as a pop factory. But it wasn’t to be. Even though the brewery had some of the largest and most advanced technology of any brewery in the state, Schuman shut down the factory for good in 1934.
The only complete cooling/storage cave I could find left. This is where they stored the beer barrels to keep them cold and age them properly before selling the beer to distributors. (Photo by Chad Smith)
The brewery was partly demolished in 1942. The site did contribute a lot of recovered metal to help the effort in World War 2, but that appears to be its last significant contribution.
Not sure just how long these structures will remain standing. Lots of crumbling down.
Be alert and watch where you step out there. This shot is from the hill above the brewhouse. The littered floor is where I first entered the place and wouldn’t want to accidentally fall into that hole. (Photo by Chad Smith)
Love when structures are made out of sandstone. (Photo by Chad Smith)
Dicamba products; So can Minnesota farmers use it or not? That Ninth Circuit Court Ruling last week left a lot of producers in limbo. Here’s the latest update from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Upon further review of state law and while awaiting guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the ruling of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals regarding dicamba products, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will continue operating under existing pesticide program authorities. According to Minnesota law, an unregistered pesticide previously registered in the state may be used following the cancellation of the registration of the pesticide.
At this time Minnesota farmers can use XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology (EPA Reg. No. 524-617), Engenia Herbicide (EPA Reg. No. 7969-345), and DuPont FeXapan with VaporGrip Technology (EPA Reg. No. 352-913) while following all federal and Minnesota label requirements. (Tavium Plus VaporGrip Technology (EPA Reg. No. 100-1623) was not part of the two-year federal registration and can still be used according to the label). The Department does not anticipate taking enforcement action against those who continue to appropriately use these products. This may change at any time pending additional guidance from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The Circuit Court of Appeals decision to revoke the use of these products was, unfortunately, very untimely for our farmers as many had already purchased the herbicide for this growing season,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “Timing is critical for farmers to apply the products and our further interpretation of Minnesota law allows us to use these products.”
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is keeping things as they were with regards to farmers using Dicamba products. They’re awaiting further guidance from the EPA before making a final decision. As of right now, it’s business as usual. (Photo from thecounter.org)
As a reminder, all dicamba pesticide applicators in Minnesota must follow use instructions on the product label including the timing restrictions below. Dicamba products cannot be applied to dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans in Minnesota if any of the following conditions has occurred. Whichever cutoff time occurs first will determine whether a person can apply a given product to DT soybeans until June 20, 2020.
Forty-five (45) days after planting. The federal labels for XtendiMax, Engenia, FeXapan, and Tavium prohibit application more than 45 days after planting.
Once the R1 growth stage begins (beginning bloom). The federal labels for XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan prohibit this. The R1 stage is when at least 1 flower appears on the plant on any node on the main stem.
After the V4 growth stage. The federal label for Tavium prohibits application after the V4 growth stage.
After June 20, 2020. The Minnesota Special Local Need (SLN) label, which must be in possession of the applicator at the time of application, prohibits this for all four dicamba products. The SLN labels are available on the MDA website at mda.state.mn.us/24c
In Minnesota, all four dicamba products are “Restricted Use Pesticides” for retail sale to, and for use only by, certified applicators who have complete dicamba or auxin-specific training.
Warmer weather and longer days mean it’s time for farmers’ markets to open for the season. At your local farmers’ market this year, customers will still be able to support Minnesota farmers markets and the state’s producers by purchasing all of their favorite produce and products, with a few new changes to ensure everyone’s safety.
Minnesota Farmers’ Markets have been deemed an essential business and market vendors and managers are working hard to plan a safe and successful season. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Shopping the Farmers’ Market during COVID-19 guide helps customers know what they can do to ensure a safe market visit too.
Market shoppers should expect that things will look a little different this year at the market. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers’ markets have implemented new practices for protecting the health and safety of vendors and customers. These new practices may include physical barriers to separate customers and vendors, limits on the number of people in the market at one time, or pre-pay and pre-ordering systems. Despite these changes, the markets are still a great way to find local and fresh food, as well as celebrate the growing season!
Minnesota has more farmers markets than ever before. (photo by localharvest.org)
“Now is a perfect time to discover your local farmers market,” said Maple Grove Farmers Market Manager Kirsten Bansen Weigle. “During this time, many of us are looking for foods grown locally with minimal handling. That’s what you’ll find at your local market! Please connect with favorite markets online to learn about their COVID-19 response plans and how to be a safe market shopper.”
Eager customers can expect a bounty of early spring crops at the market: from rhubarb to leafy greens, spring onion, and asparagus, there is fresh produce to enjoy at the market already. Many vendors are also selling local products from Minnesota farms like maple syrup, baked goods, meat, eggs and cheese.
It’s easy to find a nearby farmers’ market by searching the Minnesota Grown Directory, which has 192 farmers’ markets and more than 1,000 total farm and market listings. Directory users can search by product, city, zip code, or look along a route to discover local foods and products for sale near them.
Banning State Park was on my radar for a Sunday afternoon hike and the day couldn’t have been much more perfect. The park is located near Sandstone, Minnesota, which is ironic because the park was once a working sandstone quarry that employed 500 workers back in the late 1800s. You can see the remnants of the old power station building as you walk down the Quarry Loop Trail.
My first look at the old powerhouse building that was part of the Banning Quarry that ran in the late 1800s. (Photo by Chad Smith)
Back in the day, people needed the sandstone for construction and, based on what I saw, there’s a lot of it even to this day. Evidently, the strength of the stone and the pink coloring were in high demand by construction companies.
The place has actually seen its share of tragedy. On September 1 of 1894, the great Hinckley forest fire swept through the area, doing a lot of damage to the quarry and the St. Paul and Duluth rail line that was serving it.
One end of the old powerhouse building that powered the Bannon Quarry, which was located in what is now the Banning State Park near Sandstone, Minnesota. (Photo by Chad Smith)
The business got going again and by 1896, a village was established right above the quarry. It was named in honor of William L. Banning, the President of St. Paul and Duluth Railroad. The village was quickly incorporated into a town of 300 people in 1900. However, the end was in sight for the quarry.
Steel began to take over the construction industry shortly after the dawn of the new century. By 1905, all work at the quarry had come to a close.
As you can probably imagine, with that many trees close together, fires continued to be a problem, and the town of Banning basically ceased to exist in 1912. All that’s left of the quarry itself are a few weathered ruins I have pictured here and on my Facebook page (Link takes you to my photo album).
Getting up close and personal with the ruins in Banning State Park near Sandstone, Minnesota. (Photo by Chad Smith)
Banning State Park was officially established by the Minnesota legislature in 1963, containing more than 5,200 acres. The park was expanded a couple times over the next decades, the last coming in 1986 with total acres numbered at 6,237.
A 10-mile stretch of the Kettle River runs through the park and it is absolutely beautiful. There actually was a dam in the river at one point, but the local Sandstone community, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Pollution Control Agency came together to remove the dam back in 1995.
The interior of the old powerhouse that provided power to the old sandstone quarry in the Banning State Park. I would love to know what it looked like when the place was active. (Photo by Chad Smith)
If you like to ride the rapids, you’ll have options up at Banning State Park. The Kettle River includes five pretty spectacular rapids, including Blueberry Slide, Mother’s Delight, Dragon’s Tooth, Little Banning and Hell’s Gate. The Minnesota DNR website says those rapids will give you one of the most challenging whitewater experiences in the state.
The Kettle River as it runs through Banning State Park. The picture was taken from the “Hell’s Gate” Trail. (Photo by Chad Smith)
It’s beautiful up there. I was totally shocked at the piles and piles of sandstone that are still there to this day. Park workers carved trails directly through several sandstone walls and I bet that took a ton of time to do properly. I’ll admit, the sandstone was fun to climb on but if you aren’t wearing boots, it gets a little slippery. Call it a lesson learned.
Sandstone everywhere. This was out in front of what was the stone cutting shed, according to the park sign. (Photo by Chad Smith)
You can get a map at the park entrance and it costs just seven dollars for a day pass, which I thought was a really good deal. I will tell you that you need to stay on the Quarry Loop Trail if you want to see the old buildings. The signs refer to the Quarry Loop Trail as the “self guided” trail on signs along the way. I’ll warn you and say the trails get a little confusing if you aren’t paying attention and don’t have your map.
Another lesson learned.
I was hoping to see a little wildlife but the best I could do was a woodchuck that ran across my path. Oh well. Make sure you take bug spray. You’ll need it!
Photo by Chad Smith
Seriously? We needed to tag this building all the way up north? Come on, people. (Photo by Chad Smith)
The Power House. Sounds like a great name for a restaurant, doesn’t it? (Photo by Chad Smith)
Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is a deciduous tree native to China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It was brought to the U.S. in the late 1700s as an ornamental shade tree. Today this tree is found in most of the Continental U.S., Hawaii, and Canada. It looks similar to staghorn sumac, ash, and walnut and has a strong, offensive odor that some describe as being similar to rotting peanuts. In 2020, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture changed the regulated noxious weed designation of tree of heaven from Restricted to Prohibited Eradicate, meaning that all tree of heaven plants must be eliminated.
Tree of heaven is fast growing, can reach 90 feet in height, and live 30 to 70 years. This species is highly adaptable and tolerant of disturbance. It is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female plants. Female plants produce prolific amounts of seed, up to 325,000 seeds per year. Tree of heaven spreads aggressively in response to above-ground cutting or root breaking. Root fragments found in infested soil may start new populations.
Tree of heaven with mature seeds. Courtesy: Barbara Tokarska-Guzik, University of Silesia, Bugwood.org
Tree of heaven is the preferred host for the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Spotted lanternfly can attack over 65 tree species, including trees grown in Minnesota. Spotted lanternfly was detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has spread to surrounding states over the last several years, but it has not been found in Minnesota.
An adult spotted lanternfly. Courtesy: Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Tree of heaven may play a particularly important role in the spotted lanternfly lifecycle. To date, only two tree of heaven plants have been found in Minnesota, and both populations were eradicated. It is unknown if the absence of tree of heaven will affect the ability of spotted lanternfly to establish in this state. If you suspect that you have found a tree of heaven or spotted lanternfly:
Note the exact location with address or GPS coordinates.
If it is possible, take digital photos of the tree – whole plant, rosettes, flowers, and seed stalks – and suspected spotted lanternfly that can be emailed for identification.
Infestations can be reported to one of two places:
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by email at arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us or voicemail 1-888-545-6684
Directly to EDDMapS through the Great Lakes Early Detection Network app on a smartphone or tablet.
To learn more about the MDA’s Noxious and Invasive Weed Program and the Noxious Weed Law and Lists, please visit: www.mda.state.mn.us/weedcontrol
The Minnesota State FFA Convention went virtual this year, but was no less exciting for a large number of students wearing blue jackets from all over the state. (Photo from KEYC.com)
The Minnesota state FFA Association’s convention is a culminating event for thousands of FFA members, agricultural education teachers, and supporters each spring. The virtual convention was filled with moments of celebrating student and chapter successes, gaining education and leadership experiences, and thanking partners and supporters.
“The goals of our convention never changed; the delivery changed,” said Lavyne Rada, Minnesota state FFA regional director. “We are proud to have celebrated the accomplishments of our students and teachers this year.”
The association’s 91st convention highlighted the importance of agriculture education across nearly 200 Minnesota schools where 270 teachers provide students with classroom instruction surrounding agriculture, food, and natural resources. Those courses allow these same students to take on work-based learning projects known as Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects as research, entrepreneurial or placement efforts and earn awards and degrees through membership in FFA. FFA and SAE are integral components of school-based agricultural education.
Next year’s Minnesota state FFA leadership team. (Photo from morningagclips.com)
“When it became clear our convention would be virtual this year, our team of state officers and leaders rose to the challenge,” said Juleah Tolosky, Minnesota FFA executive director. “The result surpassed our expectations both from a participation perspective and from the way the convention components came together.”Tolosky said the success of FFA’s leadership component was very clear during the adjustments made by student leaders to adjust convention activities due to COVID-19.
“I can not say enough about the six individuals on our Minnesota state FFA State Officer team and the maturity with which they accepted their disappointment in not celebrating their year in person, and the creativity they brought to bear in designing the virtual event,” said Tolosky.
Educational Experiences
Forty interactive virtual workshops, panels, and tours provided more than 500 students and 100 supporters an opportunity to engage as they learned about agriculture, leadership, college and careers. Opportunities were further expanded through viewership of online award ceremonies and keynotes highlighting the achievements of the Minnesota FFA’s top members.
Agricultural education is a foundational component of FFA. That is why the convention also included recognition of 24 high school seniors who plan to pursue agricultural education at colleges next fall, with the intent to enter the classroom. These students were part of a workshop called “Tagged to Teach Ag.” A signing event identifying the students and featuring Minnesota Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker can be viewed on YouTube.
“Those commitments are key to the future education of students,” said Paul Aarsvold, president of the Minnesota Association of Agriculture Educators (MAAE) and an agriculture teacher/FFA advisor at Plainview-Elgin-Millville.
“Demand for these teachers is higher than what we have been able to fulfill in the past few years,” said Aarsvold. “The wide area of subjects taught in agricultural education makes this curriculum highly valuable to future success in the workforce.”The FFA State Convention was supported by contributions from more than 100 companies, organizations and individuals who invest in the future through agricultural education. Those funds, made through the Minnesota FFA Foundation, assist with award programs as well as operations related to putting on the event.The virtual Minnesota FFA Convention is archived on YouTube.com/MinnesotaFFA, on mnffa.org and on the Minnesota FFA Association social media platforms.
About Minnesota FFA
FFA is a national organization developing students’ potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education with more than 700,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Minnesota FFA Association represents nearly 11,000 members and 200 high school chapters across the state. Agricultural education engages students through hands-on learning in the classroom, work-based learning opportunities known as Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, and FFA activities.
You can learn more about the experiences of FFA members and supporters by visitingwww.mnffa.org andwww.ffa.org.
