ARVILLA, N.D. — The grain trade in the Upper Midwest seems bedeviled at every turn — unprecedented harvest woes, trade wars, and now a worldwide coronavirus scare.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Santa Anita canceled live racing on March 27 because of the coronavirus pandemic after instructions from the Los Angeles County Health Department.

MIAMI (AP) — If there is a Kentucky Derby this year, Tiz the Law will have a shot to be there.

KEMPTON, N.D. — The March weather has been ideal for Kyle Funseth to get spring work done.

It looks like just a yellowed old postcard, but it’s actually a time capsule.

Disease outbreak or not, people in agriculture still need to do business. Sale barns and auction companies are finding ways to continue operating, even in the midst of limitations to slow the spread of coronavirus that make it hard to do business in a normal manner.

AMES, Iowa – Disruptions caused by COVID-19 grow each day. Volatility in the cattle market was one of the first disruptions, and now with ethanol plants slowing production or shutting down, local availability of corn co-products may be limited.

Even as the world has fixated on the coronavirus pandemic, African swine fever (ASF) has not taken a break in its relentless assault on the global swine herd, with more than 50 countries actively battling the costly disease. So far, the United States has avoided being added to this dubious l…

The Make It With Wool Contest for District 4 will be held Sept. 12 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1010 8th St. S., Brookings, S.D. with registration beginning at 9 a.m.

Despite overwhelming evidence from literally every corner of the world, a farmer friend recently related to me that three—not one, not two, but three—rural acquaintances had assured him that “this whole virus thing is just a big hoax to bring down Trump.”

For North Dakota State University Extension agent Dena Kemmet, participating in LEAD21 was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Toilet paper wasn’t the only thing in short supply in recent weeks. Potatoes were hard to come by in the grocery store, and canned and frozen vegetables were sparse, not to mention the bare bread aisle.

HURON, S.D. — For more than a century, the health and economic well-being of South Dakota’s family farmers, ranchers and their rural communities has been the focus of South Dakota Farmers Union. The organization appreciates the speed at which Congress passed a stimulus package to bolster rur…

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. State Department moved on March 26 to ease a bottleneck caused by coronavirus precautions and allow more foreign agricultural guest workers to cross from Mexico to work fields in California and other states.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA Rural Development has launched a COVID-19 resource page to keep our customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated on actions taken by the Agency to help rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is authorizing additional flexibilities due to coronavirus while continuing to support producers, working through Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to deliver services, including processing policies, claims and agreements. These flexib…

With the 2020 crop season approaching, ISU Extension has a tool available to help farmers, crop advisers and agronomists understand almost every machine display on the market, for everything from planting to harvest. The interactive monitor guide, available on the Extension website at https:…

Over the past several years as row crop prices declined, farmers and landowners across the nation have searched for alternative crops that might improve the financial bottom line. With the passage of the 2014 and 2018 farm bills, industrial hemp became one of those possible alternative crops…

Farmer insights are now being sought for the sixth nationwide cover crop survey by SARE, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). The online questionnaire is now open at https://bit.ly/CCSurvey2020.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 25, ethanol and farm groups welcomed the Trump Administration’s decision not to seek a re-hearing of a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that struck down certain small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard. On …

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on March 26 the acceptance of more than 3.4 million acres in the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup recently completed, the first general signup enrollments since 2016. County offices will begin notifying producer…

Soybean producers that didn’t manage to get a cover crop in the ground last fall still have time to cash in on the benefits of a cover crop ahead of spring planting.

The Angus Foundation introduces Chase Brinegar, Ottumwa, Iowa, as one of the 2020 Angus/Talon Youth Education Learning Program Interns, which will give him the opportunity to have real-world cattle experience this summer. Brinegar will intern with Bar 69 Angus Ranch, Belle Fourche, S.D.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service officially responded on March 26 to the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) petition regarding accurate labeling of beef products. The petition requested FSIS to amend the Agency’s Fo…

During most years, winter is literally freezing in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where visitors flock to nearby ski resorts.

The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) staff and representatives around the world remain committed to the mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives — even as that work goes fully virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA’s Farm Service Agency county offices are open by phone appointment only until further notice, and FSA staff are available to continue helping agricultural producers with program signups, loan servicing and other important actions. Additionally, FSA is relaxing the loa…

HURON, S.D. — You are not alone.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices are open by phone appointment only until further notice, and NRCS staff are available to continue to provide one-on-one, customer-specific advice to producers to help them meet their unique conservation and busine…

In response to the ongoing and evolving pandemic pertaining to COVID-19, the Casey Tibbs Foundation regrets to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Casey Tibbs Match of Champions in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. The decision to cancel the PRCA sanctioned Bronc Match, which was scheduled for Ju…

LUBBOCK, Texas – Due to current adverse circumstances, the Sorghum Checkoff has extended the application deadline for Leadership Sorghum Class V to April 10, 2020.

“Wow!” I exclaimed as I glanced at my husband while I was pushing my grocery cart by the meat and dairy departments of a retail store.

North Dakota State University Extension is postponing, canceling or offering in an alternative format all face-to-face contacts through May 15.

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Farmers Business Network, the independent farmer-to-farmer network, announced on March 24 a new program to support family farms amid market turbulence, as farmers enter their critical planting period.

North Dakota State University Extension will be hosting a series of agricultural economics webinars in response to COVID-19, says Frayne Olson, NDSU Extension crops economist.

AMES, Iowa — It’s a common image: harried adults racing from workplace to home and back again, trying to fulfill work responsibilities, but wanting to be home with family. What happens when working adults have no place to race to, since work and home are the same place? As the COVID-19 pande…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to be as flexible as possible to get food out to the people who need it during the COVID-19 National Emergency. On March 18, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which includes …

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – FFA members across the country have a heart for service — and now more than ever, it shows.

Cattle producers need to be on the lookout for calf diarrhea, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock experts.

The 2020 vision for the farm business has become cloudy as we have moved into the first quarter of the year. Strong business management skills and systems do not go out of style in times of uncertainty. These skills will help the business work through this downturn in commodity prices.

Spring calving for some is underway, while for others is approaching quickly. This indicates the next breeding season is right around the corner. Percent of calf crop weaned on any operation is the single largest factor influencing profitability. Subsequently, herd bulls influence herd ferti…

The warmer spring temperatures have been a welcome reprieve from the cold experienced across the region in 2019. With warmer temperatures and significant soil moisture, ranchers need to be proactive in mitigating grass tetany risk. Cool season grasses are beginning to green up, posing a risk…

When reports of the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the U.S., very few people had likely heard of coronaviruses—with some notable exceptions: cattle producers and their veterinarians.

Spring is a time when we prepare gardens for new seedlings, clear pots for new flowers, visit farmers’ markets, and enjoy fresh, locally produced fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, eggs, grains and celebrate SoDak Grown!

AMES, Iowa – Contrary to the snow and cold temperatures some Iowa residents received this past weekend, it is officially spring, according to the calendar at least. This is a good time to be thinking about your spring and summer lawn care. Working in the yard or garden can also be a good dis…

AMES, Iowa – Conservation Learning Group, a think tank based at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and dedicated to addressing conservation and environmental challenges, has published the Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual to aid farmers in selecting conservation measure…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency’s new pilot program enables farmers in the Prairie Pothole region to receive payments for planting perennial crops for conservation use for three to five years. The new Conservation Reserve Program Soil Health and Income Protection Pro…

The forecast is for a rapid warmup starting the last weekend of March, which will cause a rapid thaw, releasing the water in the snow cover.

DENVER (March 25, 2020)—Ag retailers are on relatively firm footing as they prepare for spring following a tumultuous 2019 growing season marked by adverse weather, flooding and delayed harvest. Existing inventories of seed, agrochemicals, and fertilizer should meet customer needs during the…

Disease outbreak or not, people in agriculture still need to do business. Sale barns and auction companies are finding ways to continue operating, even in the midst of limitations to slow the spread of coronavirus that make it hard to do business in a normal manner.

AMES, Iowa – Disruptions caused by COVID-19 grow each day. Volatility in the cattle market was one of the first disruptions, and now with ethanol plants slowing production or shutting down, local availability of corn co-products may be limited.

Even as the world has fixated on the coronavirus pandemic, African swine fever (ASF) has not taken a break in its relentless assault on the global swine herd, with more than 50 countries actively battling the costly disease. So far, the United States has avoided being added to this dubious l…

The Make It With Wool Contest for District 4 will be held Sept. 12 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1010 8th St. S., Brookings, S.D. with registration beginning at 9 a.m.

Despite overwhelming evidence from literally every corner of the world, a farmer friend recently related to me that three—not one, not two, but three—rural acquaintances had assured him that “this whole virus thing is just a big hoax to bring down Trump.”

Toilet paper wasn’t the only thing in short supply in recent weeks. Potatoes were hard to come by in the grocery store, and canned and frozen vegetables were sparse, not to mention the bare bread aisle.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA Rural Development has launched a COVID-19 resource page to keep our customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated on actions taken by the Agency to help rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is authorizing additional flexibilities due to coronavirus while continuing to support producers, working through Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to deliver services, including processing policies, claims and agreements. These flexib…

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. State Department moved on March 26 to ease a bottleneck caused by coronavirus precautions and allow more foreign agricultural guest workers to cross from Mexico to work fields in California and other states.

For North Dakota State University Extension agent Dena Kemmet, participating in LEAD21 was the opportunity of a lifetime.

HURON, S.D. — For more than a century, the health and economic well-being of South Dakota’s family farmers, ranchers and their rural communities has been the focus of South Dakota Farmers Union. The organization appreciates the speed at which Congress passed a stimulus package to bolster rur…

With the 2020 crop season approaching, ISU Extension has a tool available to help farmers, crop advisers and agronomists understand almost every machine display on the market, for everything from planting to harvest. The interactive monitor guide, available on the Extension website at https:…

Over the past several years as row crop prices declined, farmers and landowners across the nation have searched for alternative crops that might improve the financial bottom line. With the passage of the 2014 and 2018 farm bills, industrial hemp became one of those possible alternative crops…

Farmer insights are now being sought for the sixth nationwide cover crop survey by SARE, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). The online questionnaire is now open at https://bit.ly/CCSurvey2020.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on March 26 the acceptance of more than 3.4 million acres in the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup recently completed, the first general signup enrollments since 2016. County offices will begin notifying producer…

Soybean producers that didn’t manage to get a cover crop in the ground last fall still have time to cash in on the benefits of a cover crop ahead of spring planting.

The Angus Foundation introduces Chase Brinegar, Ottumwa, Iowa, as one of the 2020 Angus/Talon Youth Education Learning Program Interns, which will give him the opportunity to have real-world cattle experience this summer. Brinegar will intern with Bar 69 Angus Ranch, Belle Fourche, S.D.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service officially responded on March 26 to the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) petition regarding accurate labeling of beef products. The petition requested FSIS to amend the Agency’s Fo…

During most years, winter is literally freezing in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where visitors flock to nearby ski resorts.

The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) staff and representatives around the world remain committed to the mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives — even as that work goes fully virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – USDA’s Farm Service Agency county offices are open by phone appointment only until further notice, and FSA staff are available to continue helping agricultural producers with program signups, loan servicing and other important actions. Additionally, FSA is relaxing the loa…

HURON, S.D. — You are not alone.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices are open by phone appointment only until further notice, and NRCS staff are available to continue to provide one-on-one, customer-specific advice to producers to help them meet their unique conservation and busine…

In response to the ongoing and evolving pandemic pertaining to COVID-19, the Casey Tibbs Foundation regrets to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Casey Tibbs Match of Champions in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. The decision to cancel the PRCA sanctioned Bronc Match, which was scheduled for Ju…

LUBBOCK, Texas – Due to current adverse circumstances, the Sorghum Checkoff has extended the application deadline for Leadership Sorghum Class V to April 10, 2020.

“Wow!” I exclaimed as I glanced at my husband while I was pushing my grocery cart by the meat and dairy departments of a retail store.

North Dakota State University Extension is postponing, canceling or offering in an alternative format all face-to-face contacts through May 15.

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Farmers Business Network, the independent farmer-to-farmer network, announced on March 24 a new program to support family farms amid market turbulence, as farmers enter their critical planting period.

North Dakota State University Extension will be hosting a series of agricultural economics webinars in response to COVID-19, says Frayne Olson, NDSU Extension crops economist.

AMES, Iowa — It’s a common image: harried adults racing from workplace to home and back again, trying to fulfill work responsibilities, but wanting to be home with family. What happens when working adults have no place to race to, since work and home are the same place? As the COVID-19 pande…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to be as flexible as possible to get food out to the people who need it during the COVID-19 National Emergency. On March 18, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which includes …

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – FFA members across the country have a heart for service — and now more than ever, it shows.

Cattle producers need to be on the lookout for calf diarrhea, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock experts.

The 2020 vision for the farm business has become cloudy as we have moved into the first quarter of the year. Strong business management skills and systems do not go out of style in times of uncertainty. These skills will help the business work through this downturn in commodity prices.

Spring calving for some is underway, while for others is approaching quickly. This indicates the next breeding season is right around the corner. Percent of calf crop weaned on any operation is the single largest factor influencing profitability. Subsequently, herd bulls influence herd ferti…

The warmer spring temperatures have been a welcome reprieve from the cold experienced across the region in 2019. With warmer temperatures and significant soil moisture, ranchers need to be proactive in mitigating grass tetany risk. Cool season grasses are beginning to green up, posing a risk…

When reports of the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the U.S., very few people had likely heard of coronaviruses—with some notable exceptions: cattle producers and their veterinarians.

Spring is a time when we prepare gardens for new seedlings, clear pots for new flowers, visit farmers’ markets, and enjoy fresh, locally produced fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, eggs, grains and celebrate SoDak Grown!

AMES, Iowa – Contrary to the snow and cold temperatures some Iowa residents received this past weekend, it is officially spring, according to the calendar at least. This is a good time to be thinking about your spring and summer lawn care. Working in the yard or garden can also be a good dis…