2012 Morris Sun Tribune Farm Progress Edition

Farm Progress 2012A Special Supplement to the March 10, 2012 Morris Sun Tribune

Morris, Minnesota 56267MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARMPage 2C - Saturday, March 10, 2012

By CCaarrooll SStteennddeerrAgrinews

MORRIS, Minn. —Given current prices,farmers may be reluctantto give up corn and soy-bean acres for alternativeenergy crops, but resultsfrom a two-year study ofsequential double- andrelay-cropping of wintercamelina and soybeansmay cause them to recon-sider.

The switch could be a

win-win for farmers andbiofuel oil production.

Russ Gesch, a researchplant physiologist at theMorris-based USDA-ARSSoils Lab, led the project.He discussed his findingshighlighting the croppingmethods and camelina'sproperties in Morris.

Canola is known for itshigh oil content. It has awinter variety, but it isn'tas hardy as camelina, hesaid. Winter camelina ismore susceptible to water-

logging than freezingstress. During the two-yearstudy, winter camelina hada 60 percent survival ratethe first year and 100 per-cent survival the second.

Winter camelina wasplanted in no-till wheatstubble in September 2009and 2010, he said. In thesequential double crop-ping plots, soybeans wereplanted after the camelinaharvest in the spring. Inrelay crop plots, the soy-beans were interseeded in

camelina in spring.Winter camelina had a

40 to 42 percent oil contentand soybeans garnered 19to 21 percent, he said.Soybean yields in the twosystems were down slight-ly when compared to themono-crop plots. The relayplantings had 80 to 85 per-cent of the yield harvestedin the mono plot.

Sequential double crop-ping plots had 70 percent ofthe single soybean plotyield.

Soybean protein, espe-cially in the relay cropplots, was higher in thecropping systems com-pared to the mono-crop, hesaid.

In the first year ofresearch, Gesch planted 24-inch rows. He increased itto 30 inch rows in 2011.

"The trick is to get therow spacing right," he said.

Higher water usageoccurred in the two-crop-ping system compared to amono system, but it wasn'tsignificant enough toresult in any shortage dur-ing the growing season, hesaid.

Roundup was used inthe sequential double-crop-ping system to hasten dry-ing, he said.

The positive resultsfrom the research are an

example of how, in regionswith shorter growing sea-sons, oil crops can begrown for renewable fuelproduction without takingaway soybean and cornacres.

"It eliminates that food-versus-fuel debate," hesaid.

Winter camelina is nota common crop inMinnesota or Iowa, but itis grown for biofuel pro-duction in Idaho, Montanaand North Dakota. Some ofthe risk involved in grow-ing the crop will bereduced for farmers inNorth Dakota, Idaho andMontana thanks to a pilotcrop insurance programfor camelina.

"One thing is to have aprocessor nearby to use it,"Gesch said. "All the piecesof the puzzle have to be puttogether... We also have tomake it attractive to grow-ers and double cropping isa way to do it. These crop-ping systems and a goodrotation makes it viable togrow the crop."

Camelina, also knownas "false flax" for its simi-lar appearance, produces ahealthy oil that is high inOmega 3 fatty acids.Although it has a shortshelf life, its use in biofu-els has given the crop noto-

riety.It's mixed in the renew-

able fuel blends used inmilitary aircraft and pas-senger planes.

The crop disrupts pestand pathogen cycles and ismeant to be a part of acropping system, Geschsaid. A good rotation forrelay- or double-croppingwith winter camelina andsoybeans would be to plantcorn the next year followedby wheat. Then, in the fall,planting again withcamelina. There could begreater weed pressure ifwinter camelina and soy-beans went back-to-back.

Researchers are alsolooking at other crops thatmay do well in the crop-ping systems. Foragecrops, including sorghum,are some possible options,he said.

"One of the things weneed to look at is the rota-tional effects," he said. "Weneed to experiment withthat, too."

The next step is to usesequential double crop-ping and relay cropping ofcamelina and soybeans infield conditions, Geschsaid. Farmers have alreadycontacted him to partici-pate.

Spring camelina

Could camelina claim row-crop acres?

FFrraannkk FFoorrcceellllaaU S DA - A g r i c u l t u ra l

Research Service, Morris,Minn.

Researchers withUSDA’s AgriculturalResearch Service (ARS) inMorris, Minn. are investi-gating options for non-chemical weed controlsthat can be used in both

organic and conventionalcrop systems.

The first approach,which will be the most use-ful to organic growers,uses an abrasive grit appli-cator to control weeds thatgrow in rows alongside thecrop plants. Morrisresearchers and a SouthDakota State Universitygraduate student in agri-

cultural engineering arebuilding a prototype of theapplicator, which will beavailable for on-farm trialsin the spring. The four-row implement uses com-pressed air to propel corncob grit or any other typeof grit through pairs ofnozzles aimed at eitherside of a row of corn orsoybean. The grit abrades

small weed seedlings with-in the crop row and leavesthe crop plants essentiallyunscathed. Two timelyapplications of grit—forinstance at the 1- and 5-leafstages of corn—provideweed control within thecrop row that laststhroughout the growingseason.

For between-row weed

control in either organicor conventional produc-tion systems, growers canuse a cultivator or a wintercover crop, such as winterrye. Growth of the wintercover crop can be termi-nated in late spring with aroller-crimper, when therye is heading. The result-ing rye mulch controlsnearly 99 percent of weeds

between rows. Its onlydrawbacks are that sum-mer-growing row cropslike soybean must be plant-ed after the optimumplanting date, whichreduces yield potentials.

Non-chemical weed control

MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARM Saturday, March 10, 2012 - Page 3CMorris, Minnesota 56267

AAbbdduullllaahh JJaarraaddaatt,,U S D A - A g r i c u l t u r a lResearch Service, Morris,Minn.

Maize, the NativeAmerican word for “corn,”literally means "thatwhich sustains life." Afterwheat and rice, maize isthe most important cerealgrain in the world, provid-ing nutrients for humansand animals.

Long ago NativeAmericans recognized thatmaize was an importantcomponent of their foodsupply. Coming full circle,restoring maize—specifi-cally Indian corn—in thelocal food system may be asolution for healthy diets,ecosystems and localeconomies.

Last March, The WhiteEarth Land RecoveryProject hosted a large gath-ering of indigenous farm-ers for the 9th AnnualGreat Lakes IndigenousFarming Conference. Atthis meeting, attendeesshared information, sto-ries and seed about theirtraditional crops, especial-ly the native maize vari-eties developed by farmersand commonly called“Indian corn.” Animmense diversity ofnative maize varieties—also called “landraces”—resulted from thousands of

years of cultivation, natu-ral selection, and humanbreeding.

Participants from dif-ferent tribes across NorthAmerica indicated thatmost of these maize lan-draces have been lost,along with the indigenousknowledge needed to grow,improve and store seed forfuture generations.Meeting participantsstrongly emphasized thenutritional value, varieduses, and specific adapta-tions of the diverse maizelandraces their tribes usedto grow, some of which arestill cultivated today.These landraces containinvaluable geneticresources adapted for cer-tain environments andlocal management prac-tices.

Speakers and attendeesalso highlighted the issuesof food insecurity and theneed to restore indigenousfood and agro-ecosystems.They shared a resolve tomaintain the diversity ofexisting landraces and toundertake a challenge tofind and conserve more“hidden” maize diversitythroughout NorthAmerica.

This resolve reflects anunderlying belief byNative Americans thatmany of their dietaryproblems could be resolved

by reintroducing tradition-al food systems, a processthat would also helprestore biologically-resilient ecosystems anddevelop sustainableeconomies. As part of thiseffort, participants in TheWhite Earth LandRecovery Project are work-ing with a number of trib-al members and localfarmers to grow a fewnative maize landracesadapted to northernMinnesota. Scientistswith USDA’s AgriculturalResearch Service (ARS) inMorris, Minn., are lendinga hand.

Project officials provid-ed the Morris researcherswith seed from nine maizelandraces that will be partof a future study that eval-uates the nutritional quali-ty of the maize. The studywill also investigate linksbetween nutritional differ-ences between landraces—including the content ofminerals, protein, oil, andcarbohydrates—seed color,and other physical seedcharacteristics.

The ARS scientists car-ried out a preliminaryevaluation of the donatedseed samples during thespring of 2011, includingseed shape and color. Theyfound that the seed shapevaried less than seed colorand pattern, which ranged

from white to dark purple.Seed color can indicate thepresence and level of cer-tain vitamins and aminoacids, so these observa-tions were an importantcomponent of identifyingthe nutritional content ofdifferent landraces.

Then the scientistsplanted the seed samples atthe Swan Lake ResearchFarm near Morris to studyplant growth and develop-ment during the growingseason (Figure 1). The har-vested maize is now beingevaluated for other plant,ear, cob, and seed charac-teristics. Once this infor-mation has been gathered,it will be used to identifypossible links betweencrop yield and nutritionalquality. The researcherswill also identify charac-teristics that can be usedto separate the maize intodifferent landraces, anddetermine the characteris-tics that are unique to spe-cific landraces.

Results of the initialstudy carried out on nativemaize seed suggested thatthe nine native maize lan-draces differed from otheropen-pollinated varieties.The native maize lan-draces have smaller seedsand different color pat-terns. They also havehigher levels of phospho-rus, zinc, and potassium,

and lower levels of magne-sium. But even thoughthese landraces have beencultivated for generationswithout additional fertiliz-er or water, the proteincontent was relatively highand ranged from 9.5 per-cent in the landraceHochunk to 13.5 percent inSeneca Blue Bear lan-drace.

The ARS researchersexpect the ongoing field

study will provide addi-tional seed and plant infor-mation that can be used inmore detailed landraceevaluations. In the mean-time, they are pleased to bepartnering with The WhiteEarth Land RecoveryProject in the quest to savetraditional genetic maizecharacteristics andincrease traditional cropyields.

Native American Maize – source of sustenanceand way to restore indigenous food systems

Figure 1. Agricultural Research Service researchers are eval-uating Native American maize landraces grown in isolation atthe Swan Lake Research Farm near Morris, Minn. Long agoNative Americans recognized maize as an important compo-nent for sustaining life. Coming full circle, restoring maize,specifically Indian corn, in the local food system may be asolution for healthy diets, ecosystems and local economies.

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Research Service, Morris,MN

Scientists at USDA’sAgricultural ResearchService (ARS) in Morris,Minn. have worked onnumerous oilseed cropsover the years. When theresearchers began observ-ing a reduction in oilseedyields at some of theirstudy sites, they suspectedpart of the problem was alack of insect pollinators.

In addition, beekeepersin Minnesota and neigh-boring states are the pri-mary suppliers of honeybees that pollinate com-mercial crops in Californiaand elsewhere fromNovember to April.However, many of thehoney bees were dying dur-ing the winter pollinationseason, in part because theforage plants they fre-quented at other times ofthe year in Minnesota didnot provide adequate nour-ishment.

ARS researchershypothesized that a broadsuite of bee-friendlyoilseed crops that beginflowering in late April (forexample, winter camelina)and finish flowering in lateOctober (for example, cal-endula) might provide con-

tinuous supplies of theprotein-rich pollen andenergy-rich nectar thatbees need to thrive.

The scientists estab-lished demonstrationexperiments in 2011 with awide variety of floweringcrops and their observa-tions of honey bee forag-ing and beehive activityconvinced the researchersthat their hypothesis wasvalid. As a result, theMorris researchers are

pursuing grantfunding in conjunc-tion with ARSresearchers inBrookings, SouthDakota, to conductfurther investiga-tions into the con-nections betweenoilseed crops inMinnesota, beenutrition, beehealth, and bee sur-vival rates inCalifornia.

Bees

Bee pollination


BBrraadd HHeeiinnss,WCROC Newsletter,

Sept. 28, 2011

Compost dairy barnscan be an alternative hous-ing system for dairy cowsin the Upper Midwest.Most of the compost barnsin Minnesota consist of abedded pack area for cowsto lie that is separatedfrom a feed alley by a 4 foothigh concrete wall. Thebarns can have drive-byfeeding, drive-throughfeeding with pens on bothsides, or feed bunks out-side. Bedding material isadded when bedding in thepack is sticking to thecows. Bedding can accu-mulate in the pack up tofour feet deep, and com-post packs are usuallytilled twice daily to incor-porate the manure to pro-vide a dry surface whencows return from milking.Various types of equip-ment can be used for till-ing, and the tilling depth isabout one foot. The com-post pack heats whilematerial is in the barn, butit does not compost com-pletely.

The availability of bed-ding material for compostbarns is a concern fordairy producers who usethis type of housing sys-tem. The material mostcommonly used in thesebarns is dry sawdust,which is currently veryexpensive. Therefore, astudy was conducted at theWest Central Research &Outreach Center inMorris, from November2006 to March 2007 to eval-uate alternative bedding

sources for compost barns.The materials used in thestudy included pine saw-dust, corn cobs, pine wood-chips, and soybean straw,as well as mixtures ofsome of these materials.The mixtures were wood-chips and sawdust, wood-chips and soybean straw,and soybean straw andsawdust. Bedded packswere used with each one ofthe bedding materials, and16 cows were placed oneach pack.

Results showed themoisture content was 59.7percent for sawdust and44.5 percent for corn cobs,which was the lowest.Other bedding materialsranged from 58 to 61 per-cent moisture. Cows werecleaner with sawdust and amixture of woodchips andsawdust than any of theother bedding materials.Cost per cow per day washighest with corn cobs at$1.90/day and lowest forsawdust at $0.35/day. Theother bedding materialsranged from $0.45/day forwoodchips to $1.45/day forsoybean straw.

Recently, a paper waspublished from the sameWCROC study to evaluatethe potential of compostfrom these barns to serveas a value-added productfor dairy operations. Theresearchers evaluated thecomposting potential ofthe various bedding mate-rials that were previouslydiscussed.

Each material wasplaced in windrows (6 feethigh, 30 feet long and 7.5feet wide) from April 2007to September 2007 and

managed as needed to pro-mote composting. Carbonto nitrogen ratio, pH, totalcarbon, and total nitrogen,were measured oncemonthly, and temperaturewas measured twice week-ly. Total phosphorus andtotal potassium weremeasured at the beginningand end of the compostingperiod.

Windrow temperatureswere more than 131degrees for 10 to 96 days.Corn cobs and a mixture ofwoodchips and soybeanstraw were the only mate-rials that decreased inmoisture content acrossthe study. All beddingmaterials were similarcomparing day zero andday 138 of composting fornitrate, total nitrogen, andinorganic nitrogen con-centrations. Soybeanstraw, mixtures of soybeanstraw, and wood chip mix-tures all decreased in totalcarbon during the com-posting period.

The results from thesetwo studies showed thatany of the bedding materi-als would work for com-post barns if proper bed-ding management isapplied and materials canbe composted. All beddingsources composted duringthe study and would workas a soil amendment ormulch if proper compost-ing takes place. Theauthors concluded by stat-ing that the ideal beddingmaterial for compostbarns should be dry,processed, and have goodwater absorption and hold-ing capacity.

Compost barns: Alternative housing fordairy cows with value-added production


LLeeee JJoohhnnssttoonn, WestCentral Research andOutreach Center, Univ. ofMinnesota, Morris;MMiicchhaaeell BBrruummmm, BrummSwine Consultancy, NorthMankato; SStteevvee MMooeelllleerr,Dept. of Animal Science,The Ohio State University,Columbus; SStteepphheenn PPoohhll,Dept. of AgriculturalEngineering, South DakotaState Univ., Brookings;MMaarrcciiaa SShhaannnnoonn, Dept. ofAnimal Science, Univ. ofMissouri, Columbia; andRRoobbeerrtt TThhaalleerr,, Dept. ofAnimal and Range Science,South Dakota State Univ.,Brookings

The recent high costsfor fossil fuels have caughtthe attention of Americanagriculture, and pork pro-ducers are no exception.Their most directreminder of high fossilfuel prices comes whenthey pay the bill for heat-ing their production facili-ties. Producers havedirect control of how theyheat their barns and canresolve to reduce consump-tion of fossil fuels. Byreducing consumption offossil fuels, pork producerscan reduce costs anddecrease emissions ofgreenhouse gases makingtheir production systemmore environmentallyfriendly.

In the 1980s and early1990s, researchers at theUniversity of Nebraskastudied the effects ofReduced NocturnalTemperature (RNT) on pigperformance and fossilfuel consumption in swinenurseries. They docu-mented important savingsin heating fuel but wide-spread adoption of thispractice was limited by thelack of automated temper-ature controllers in swinenurseries.

Recently, our researchgroup has re-evaluatedRNT management prac-tices with modern pigs andproduction facilities. Inthe 15 to 25 years since theNebraska group first stud-ied RNT, many aspects ofpork production havechanged. Most important-ly, the modern swine indus-try produces a very differ-ent pig than was common

in the 1980s. There havealso been importantchanges in buildingdesign, environmental con-trollers, flooring materials,health status of pigs andnutrition programs.

The objectives of thestudy included: 1. Todetermine the effects of aRNT regimen on consump-tion of fossil fuels undermodern production condi-tions; and 2. To documenteffects on performance andhealth of modern pigs sub-jected to a RNT regimen.The study used swinebarns in four states(University of Minnesota,University of Missouri,The Ohio State University,South Dakota StateUniversity). Each loca-tion completed at least twotrials of this experimentduring winter and earlyspring. One of two tem-perature treatments wasimposed in two identicalnursery rooms at eachlocation. In the controlrooms (CON), temperaturecontrollers were set at 86°F for the first week andreduced by 3.5°F per weekthroughout the remainderof the trial. Day- andnight-time temperaturesettings were the same inCON rooms. In the RNTrooms, temperature con-trollers were at 86°F for thefirst four days after arrivalof pigs. Beginning on dayfive, daytime temperatureswere set to equal the CONroom but ventilation con-trollers were set to reducenighttime temperature by15°F from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.Daytime temperature inthe RNT room was alsoreduced 3.5°F per week

during the remainder ofthe study. Each room wasindependently monitoredfor consumption of heat-ing fuel (propane or natu-ral gas) and electricity.Weight gain and feed con-sumption of pigs wererecorded on a room basisas was use of fossil fuels.

Neither final pigweight, average daily pigweight gain, average dailyfeed intake of pigs nor effi-ciency of gain were differ-ent for pigs housed in CONor RNT rooms (Table 1).Likewise, pig mortality (1.5vs. 1.2 percent) was not dif-ferent for pigs in CON andRNT rooms, respectively.We observed a consistentreduction in use of heatingfuel and electricity in RNTrooms for all four loca-tions. Consumption ofheating fuel and electricitywere significantly lower inthe RNT rooms comparedwith CON rooms. On aver-age, we documented a 29percent reduction in heat-ing fuel use and a 19 per-cent reduction in electrical

use. Savings in heatingfuel were documented ateach location. These ener-gy savings are valued at$1.71 (propane cost =$1.60/gallon) and $0.02(electricity cost = $0.10/KWH) per pig leaving thenursery.

The savings of heatingfuel are greater than in ourprevious study. In thatstudy, we found a reductionin heating fuel of 17 per-cent when the RNT regi-men was implemented oneweek after pigs arrived inthe nursery and targeted a10°F nighttime tempera-ture reduction. Pig per-formance in this previousstudy also was not affectedby the RNT regimen.From our two studies con-ducted in multiple states, itappears that a RNT regi-men is effective in reduc-ing energy costs in thenursery without compro-mising pig growth per-formance or health.Although we did not direct-ly measure generation ofgreenhouse gases such as

carbon dioxide andmethane, we expect thereduced consumption offossil fuels will reduce pro-duction of greenhousegases. If RNT does reducegreenhouse gas emissions,this management practicewill benefit both the porkproducer in reduced costsof production and society

with a smaller environ-mental footprint of porkproduction.

A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t :The financial support ofthe Minnesota Pork Boardand the Pork Checkoff isgratefully acknowledged.

Energy savings in swine buildings realized

Table 1. Effect of reduced nocturnal temperature (RNT) onnursery pig performance and energy use

Trait CON RNTFinal pig wt., lb 48.0 47.4Avg. daily gain, lb 0.99 0.98Avg. daily feed intake, lb 1.35 1.33Gain/feed 0.75 0.75Heating fuel used:

Btu/pig 343,942 245,848Electricity used:

KWH/pig 0.86 0.70

EEnneerrggyy SSaavviinnggss iinn SSwwiinnee BBuuiillddiinnggss RReeaalliizzeedd ((ttaabbllee11))

By CCoonnggrreessssmmaannCCoolllliinn PPeetteerrssoonn

The U.S. House andSenate AgricultureCommittees reauthorizemost of the mandatory anddiscretionary spendingprograms in our jurisdic-tion every five yearsthrough omnibus legisla-tion commonly known asthe Farm Bill. The currentFarm Bill expires in 2012,and the AgricultureCommittees have beenworking diligently on themany important policieswe consider in this reau-thorization process.

America’s farmers andranchers face a dauntingchallenge producing thefood, fiber and fuel for arapidly growing globalpopulation. Farming andranching are extremely

high-risk undertakings –as clearly demonstrated bythe devastating weatherevents across the nationthis year. America’s pro-ducers need tools to man-age their risk in case ofnatural disasters andincreasingly volatileprices; the Farm Bill pro-vides those tools.

But the Farm Bill has amuch broader focus thanonly production agricul-ture. Conservation effortsensure the long-term pro-ductivity of our soil, keepour waterways clean, andsupport the restoration ofwildlife habitats across thecountry. Nutrition pro-grams provide food forhungry children and aremore important than everfor families who are strug-gling in these difficult eco-nomic times.

Commodity programspending represents lessthan one quarter of onepercent of the FederalBudget, and actualCommodity Title spendinghas been almost $25 billionbelow CongressionalBudget Office projectionsat the time the 2002 and2008 Farm Bills werepassed. Crop insuranceunderwent $6 billion inreductions through themost recent renegotiationof the StandardReinsurance Agreement,$6 billion in cuts in the lastFarm Bill and $2 billion inthe 2002 Farm Bill. Thistotals $14 billion since thepassage of the AgricultureRisk Protection Act in2000. Conservation hasbeen cut by over $3 billionduring the last five years.The Supplemental

Nutrition AssistanceProgram (SNAP) was cutby nearly $12 billion in thelast Congress to offsetother spending. In addi-tion, there are also 37 pro-grams, totaling nearly $10billion, which expire andhave no baseline intofuture years.

While we expect theSenate to move first thistime, in the House, we'reready to move forward inour committee and hope-fully we'll be able to getsomething done in the nextcouple of months.However, getting thingsdone in what has become avery partisan environmentwill be difficult. We’vebeen down this road beforeand I worry we have forgot-ten the lessons of the past.

In 1995 and 1996, we hadhigh commodity prices

and a new Republicanmajority who didn’t likefarm programs and want-ed to cut the deficit. Wepassed a farm bill,Freedom to Farm, whichsaved a little money rightaway but we ended upspending a lot more whenprices collapsed. The envi-ronment looks similarnow. These prices are notgoing to last forever and ifwe don’t have a safety netin place we could screw upthe one part of the econo-my that’s actually work-ing.

This time around, we'regoing to work hard to get afarm bill done, and I thinkthat House leadershipwants to get it done. I'mcommitted to working on abipartisan basis to workout differences and moveforward with a farm bill

that provides a safety netto producers and takescare of the nutrition andconservation programsthat are so important to somany.

Agriculture committees working on policies to be considered in reauthorization process

Rep. Collin Peterson

Call & set up an appointment withone of our multi-peril agents.


Integrated WeedManagement (IWM) is thecombination of multiplemanagement tools toreduce a pest population toan acceptable level whilepreserving the quality ofexisting habitat, water andother natural resources.Combinations of biologi-cal, mechanical and chemi-cal management practicesare utilized in IPM pro-grams to efficiently sup-press a pest population atthe most effective/desir-able points during thepest’s lifecycle or growingseason.

For example, anIntegrated WeedManagement program forCanada thistle may consistof multiple managementscenarios throughout thegrowing season to achievethe most efficient suppres-sion of this invasive weedin contrast to using anyone given managementpractice by itself. Beloware listed steps throughoutthe growing season thatmay be followed in a one-year Canada thistle IWMmanagement strategy.

1. Fall (Late September,October): Spot spray orbroadcast thistleplants/rosettes, overseedarea with competitivenative grasses and forbs.

2. Early Spring (April -early May): Spot spray (orselectively broadcast) this-tle rosettes with a selectedherbicide; use a controlledburn to destroy remnantvegetation and seeds onthe soil surface.

3. Late Spring (May -early June): Spot spray anyemerging thistle plants.

4. Summer (Late June,

July, early August): Mowthistle patches prior toseed development; releaseCanada thistle biologicalcontrol agents.

5. Fall (Late September,October): Spot sprayremaining thistle plantsand/or rosettes.

The MinnesotaDepartment ofAgriculture Noxious &Invasive Weed Unit pro-motes the use of IWMstrategies to solve noxiousand invasive weed prob-lems within the state.

BBiioollooggiiccaall CCoonnttrrooll Biological control, as it

applies to weed manage-ment, is the use of plant-feeding insects, pathogensor diseases that are host-specific to a noxious orinvasive weed species,with the intention of sup-pressing the weed's popula-tion to an acceptable level.Biological control does notintend to eradicate the tar-get weed species, butinstead is used to bring theplant into balance with therest of the landscape. It isimportant to note that suc-cessful biological controlagents are specific to theplant they are intended tocontrol. In other words, thebiological control agentfeeds and develops only onthe intended weed species.Therefore, the risk to otherplants and organisms inthe ecosystem is minimal.

Biological control isintended to be a cost-effec-tive and long-term solutionto weed management. Itmay take several years forbiological control agents toestablish, but once theirpopulations begin to build

up to appropriate levels,they provide long-termsuppression and reducemanagement costs signifi-cantly. Leafy spurge, pur-ple loosestrife, and spottedknapweed are all examplesof noxious and invasiveweed species where biolog-ical control is successfullybeing used in Minnesota.

CChheemmiiccaall CCoonnttrrooll Chemical control in

weed management is theuse of synthetic or natu-rally occurring com-pounds that are applied tonoxious and invasive weedspecies with the intent ofkilling those plants.Chemicals (herbicides)range in selectivity to cer-tain types of plants andtheir persistence withinthe environment.Herbicides are typicallyapplied in dry (granular)or liquid forms. Sometypes of herbicides areapplied before weeds ger-minate (pre-emergent) andothers are applied aftergermination (post emer-gent). Extreme cautionmust always be followedwhen handling or attempt-ing to work with any herbi-cide. By law, all herbicidesmust be labeled accordingto their use and users mustadhere strictly to labelinstructions and warn-ings.

Chemical controls areusually short-term solu-tions to weed problems. Insome cases, herbicideshave to be reapplied annu-ally and certain weedspecies can begin to devel-op resistance or toleranceto specific chemicals.Furthermore, large-scaleapplications can be expen-sive and detrimental to the

environment. However,when herbicides are usedon a selective basis or aspart of an IWM program,they are a very useful toolfor managing weed prob-lems.

MMeecchhaanniiccaall CCoonnttrrooll Mechanical control of

weeds consists of usingmachines or other human-made tools to suppressweeds. Mowers, cultiva-tors, saws, rakes, etc., areall examples of tools com-monly used in mechanicalweed management. Theuse of hand tools to physi-cally pull or destroy weedscan be a very successfulapproach to managingsmall infestations ofweeds. However, handtools alone are impracticalon large-scale weed prob-lems. Mechanical controlslike cultivating and mow-ing are generally used onlarger populations ofweeds to inhibit growth orreduce seeding. When usedalone and on a large scale,mowers and cultivatorscan be disruptive to thegreater landscape and maycause more problems thanthey solve. When used aspart of an IWM program,targeted mechanical con-trols can play an impor-tant role in overall weedsuppression.

OOtthheerr CCoonnttrroollMMeetthhooddss

There are other ways tomanage weeds by alteringlandscapes throughhuman intervention.Three good examples ofthis would be using firethrough prescribed burnsto promote healthyregrowth of prairies,manipulation of water lev-

els to promote healthyestablishment of nativewetland species, and multi-species grazing using com-binations of livestock likesheep and goats that havedeveloped a palette for nox-ious weeds. In each case,weeds are managed viafire, flooding or grazing,resulting in increasednative or desirable vegeta-tive re-growth whichincreases competition fornoxious or invasive plants,thus leading to healthierhabitats.

TTaakkee--hhoommee MMeessssaaggeeEach type of weed con-

trol has its advantages anddisadvantages. The goal ofany noxious and invasiveIWM program should be tocombine the advantages ofeach control method tosuccessfully suppress pop-ulations of undesirableplant species. In mostcases, successful IWMprojects save money,reduce non-target impacts,

protect natural resources,and provide more long-term sustained controlthan using any one man-agement technique byitself. (taken from MDAwebsite)

Matt Solemsaas,Administrator for StevensSoil and WaterConservation District(SWCD), is the appointedCounty Weed Inspector.Landowners are remindedthat if they know of orhave a weed problem toreport, they need to firstget in touch with theirrespective township board.The SWCD will be doingpassive monitoring of aglands as well as landenrolled in Federal farmprograms such as CRP. Iffurther assistance is need-ed, or if you have any ques-tions, please contact theSWCD office at (320)589-4886.

Weed management is a combination of management tools

Visit the Morris Sun Tribuneat www.morrissuntribune.com

or call 320-589-2525 Toll Free 888-589-2525


BBrraadd HHeeiinnss,Assistant Professor, Organic Dairy Management, University of Minnesota, West

Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris; andLLeess HHaannsseenn,Professor, Dairy Cattle Genetics, University of Minnesota, Department of Animal

Science

Decreased survival and increased death loss of Holstein cows has resulted in arenewed interest in crossbreeding of dairy cattle. The final results from Californiacrossbreeding trials are showing promise that crossbred dairy cows have a higher rateof survival and higher profit compared to Holstein cows during their lifetimes.Previous published reports from the California crossbreeding study focused on the firstfew lactations of cows; however, the final analysis compared cows for fertility, SCC, pro-duction, survival and profitability throughout their lifetimes.

In a research study in six California dairies, cows calved for the first time from June2002 to January 2005 and were followed throughout their lifetimes. However, for theanalysis of survival to subsequent calving, lifetime production and profitability, thedata were restricted to three of the six herds because they had at least 20 cows in eachof the breed groups to provide a meaningful comparison of cows for lifetime perform-ance within herds. Profit was defined to include revenues and expenses for milk, fat,protein, and other solids production; somatic cell count; reproduction; feed intake; calfvalue; salvage value; dead cow disposal; fixed cost; and interest cost.

The three crossbred groups were all consistently superior to the Holsteins for fertil-ity across the first five lactations (see accompanying table). Advantages for fertility ofthe crossbreds compared to Holsteins may have been partially due to the reduced calv-ing difficulty and stillbirths observed for the crossbreds. Although SCC across the fivelactations was similar for Normande x Holstein crossbreds and Holsteins, theMontbeliarde x Holstein and Scandinavian Red x Holstein crossbreds were lower forSCC than the Holsteins. All three types of crossbred cows had reduced 305-day fat plusprotein production compared to their Holstein herdmates across lactations, but themagnitude of the difference from Holstein cows was small for the Montbeliarde xHolstein and Scandinavian Red x Holstein cows. Notably, the results for production arereported on a 305-day projected basis, which does not necessarily reflect milk producedwithin a fixed interval of time, because cows that died or left the herd are projected to305 days.

The table also has survival rates for crossbred cows versus Holsteins, and all cross-bred groups had higher percentages of cows that calved a second, third, and fourth timethan Holsteins. The main difference in survival of crossbreds compared to Holsteinswas prior to second calving. Twenty-five percent of Holsteins did not calve a secondtime, whereas only 11 percent to 15 percent of crossbreds did not calve a second time.The difference of crossbreds and Holsteins was statistically significant in all cases.

Results published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Dairy Science.For profitability, Normande x Holstein cows had 26 percent greater lifetime profit

per cow, but 6.7 percent less profit per day, than Holstein cows. On the other hand,Montbeliarde x Holstein and Scandinavian Red x Holstein cows had 50 to 44 percent,respectively, more lifetime profit per cow and 5.3 to 3.6 percent, respectively, more prof-it per day than Holstein cows.

The advantages for profit per day of the Montbeliarde x Holstein and ScandinavianRed x Holstein crossbreds over Holsteins may seem modest. However, the daily profitmargin must be multiplied by 365 days to estimate annual difference in profit, and theestimates of profit per day ignore potential differences in breed groups for health costs.The additional profit per day on an annual basis was $80 for Montbeliarde x Holsteinand $55 for Scandinavian Red x Holstein cows compared to Holstein cows; which, for a250-cow herd, would result in an additional annual profit of $20,000 for Montbeliarde xHolstein cows and $13,750 for Scandinavian Red x Holstein cows compared to Holsteincows.

Crossbreeding of dairy cattle is being explored mostly for its potential to improvethe calving ease, fertility, health and survival of cows. Advantages for these functionaltraits will compensate substantially for any potential loss of production of crossbredscompared to Holsteins. Increasingly, dairy producers, consultants, extension educatorsand industry leaders should measure dairy cow performance in a more comprehensiveway instead of by milk production alone. Unfortunately, health costs are often over-looked by dairy producers when assessing the profitability of alternative breeds ofdairy cattle. Data on health costs will be important for dairy producers to comparecrossbred and pure Holstein cows.

Survival and profitability from the California crossbreeding trials


The effect of a good yearfor Minnesota agricultureis evident in the Universityof Minnesota ExtensionFarmer-Lender MediationProgram's annual report.The number of lenderssending notices requestingmediation of troubledMinnesota farm debtsdropped by 24 percent dur-ing the fiscal year endingSept. 30, 2010.

This is the first time infour years the activity inthe program decreased,according to Dick Senese,Extension senior associatedean.

“In recent years,farmer-lender mediationhas given farm operationsthe chance to stay in busi-ness until better times,”Senese said. “These arebetter times for agricul-

ture, but there are still sit-uations where farmers andtheir lenders rely on thisprogram to help themwork together to renegoti-ate, restructure or resolvetheir debts.

The report showedthere were 494 cases inwhich farm enterprisesused mediation to reachagreement with lendersabout debts. In 1,718 addi-tional cases, the right touse mediation to resolvedebt was waived by thefarmers involved. Theamount of debt addressedin mediation dropped byalmost 65 percent from$624 million in fiscal year2010 to $221 million in fis-cal 2011.

Farming is a cyclicalbusiness and most farmenterprises had a good

year in 2012, according toBrian Buhr, Extensioneconomist and head of theuniversity's applied eco-nomics department. Thatincrease in farm profitabil-ity made it easier for farm-ers to pay their bills ontime and avoid trouble-some situations withlenders. Most remarkably,livestock profitability hasreturned as moderatingcrop prices and rising live-stock prices haveincreased margins, headded.

Minnesota law requiresthat creditors with asecured debt of more than$5,000 against an agricul-tural property offerfarmer-lender mediationbefore proceeding withforeclosure, repossession,cancellation of contract or

collection of a judgment.Farmers who are

offered mediation can takeadvantage of a 90-day peri-od to work with lenders torenegotiate, restructure orresolve their debts. A teamof mediators, financialanalysts and otherUniversity of MinnesotaExtension professionalsmanage the program asneutral parties.

Mediation is an infor-mal and confidentialprocess that generallyrequires less cost and timethan adversarial court liti-gation. To be eligible forfarmer-lender mediation, adebtor must own or leasemore than 60 acres andearn more than $20,000 ingross agricultural prod-ucts the preceding year.

Extension's Farmer-

Lender MediationProgram, part of USDA'sCertified StateAgricultural MediationProgram, tracks the num-ber of notices offeringmediation—not the totalnumber of farms involvedin mediation. The numberof notices received is farmore than the number offarms involved in media-tion. Most Minnesota farmbusinesses involve multi-ple family members, andeach family member orentity whose name appearson a debt obligation mayreceive a notice offeringmediation.

For more informationon Extension's Farmer-Lender MediationProgram or to access theannual report, visitwww.extension.umn.edu/c

ommunity/mediation University of

Minnesota Extension is a100-year-old partnershipbetween the university andfederal, state and countygovernments to providescientific knowledge andexpertise to the public.Through Extension, theUniversity of Minnesota"extends" its resources toaddress critical publicissues in priority areas,including food and agricul-ture, communities, envi-ronment, youth and fami-lies.

For more information,visit www.extension.umn.edu

By WWeess NNeellssoonnUSDA Farm Service

Agency

Recent data released bythe United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture indicate thatU.S. farm exports reacheda record high of $136.3 bil-lion in calendar year 2011.

The record-breakingyear reflects an increase inboth the value and volumeof U.S. agriculturalexports, as internationalsales rose $20.5 billion overthe previous record set incalendar year 2010.

Exports of almost allmajor U.S. commoditiesincreased in calendar year2011. However, grains werethe biggest contributor tothe overall record, reach-ing an all-time high of$37.7 billion, a $9.2 billionincrease over 2010.

Cotton exports had thelargest year-to-yearincrease, up 44 percentfrom 2010, reaching arecord value of $8.5 billion.

Exports of U.S. live-stock and livestock prod-ucts were also exceptionalin 2011.

According to USDA,exports of U.S. beef andbeef products reached an

all-time high of $5.4 bil-lion, surpassing the previ-ous record by more than$1.6 billion.

The volume of beefshipments also surpassedthe 2003 levels, the lastyear before the detection ofbovine spongiformencephalopathy in thestate of Washington dis-rupted U.S. beef trade. Thereturn to pre-2003 levelsmarks an important mile-stone in USDA’s efforts toreopen and expand inter-national markets for U.S.beef.

Dairy and pork exportsalso set records of $4.8 bil-lion and $6 billion respec-tively in 2011.

In a previously releasedreport, USDA announcedthat China became thebiggest market for U.S.agricultural goods, pur-chasing $20 billion in U.S.agricultural exports dur-ing the 2011 fiscal year.

The improved demandand market for U.S. agri-cultural commodities andproducts has helped sup-port more than just theagricultural economy.According to USDA, every$1 billion in agriculturalexports supports 8,400American jobs. That would

imply that U.S. farmexports helped supportmore than 1 million U.S.jobs in 2011.

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A complete counting ofU.S. farms and the peoplewho operate them is con-ducted every five years bythe USDA’s NationalAgricultural StatisticsService. In preparation forthe 2012 Census ofAgriculture, initial sur-veys have been mailed tohelp identify all activefarms in the United States.

The NationalAgricultural Classifica-tion Survey asks landown-ers some basic farm infor-mation. This is an impor-tant early step in deter-mining who should receivea 2012 Census ofAgriculture report form,which will be mailed laterthis year.

The Census ofAgriculture is the leadingsource of facts and infor-mation about Americanagriculture. It is also theonly source of agriculturalstatistics that is compara-ble for each county in thenation. The informationgathered is used by farmorganizations, businesses,

government decision-mak-ers, commodity marketanalysts, news media,researchers and the gener-al public.

As required by law, allinformation provided byindividuals for the Censusof Agriculture is kept instrict confidence.

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Officials recentlyannounced that USDA’sFarm Service Agency willbe providing a package oftechnology enhancementsthat will include Internetaccess for handheld andsmartphone users. Thetechnological improve-ments will allow users tohave easy access to farmprogram data and informa-tion, including newsreleases and AskFSA, theagency’s online self-helpknowledge base.

The enhancements arepart of USDA’s overall planto modernize and acceler-ate information deliveryduring a challenging budg-et climate, while improv-ing customer servicethrough the use of innova-tive technologies and busi-ness solutions.

Like all websites, infor-mation is available

through any device thatconnects to the Internet.The mobile site organizesthe information in a waythat makes for easy read-ing on a small, handheldscreen.

In addition to themobile website, the FarmService Agency is offeringfarmers a more efficientand timely option forreceiving critical programinformation on items relat-ed to program eligibilityand sign-up deadlines. Theinformation can beaccessed through an elec-tronic news service hostedby GovDelivery.

By enrolling for the freeonline communicationsthrough GovDelivery,farmers and farmlandowners can receive newsvia email, directly to theirhome, farm office or theirmobile devices.

A 2011 study conductedby the Pew ResearchCenter indicated thatmobile Internet access isgrowing rapidly. From May2010 to July 2011, the num-ber of adults with mobileapplications increasedfrom 43 percent to 50 per-cent.

In addition, USDA’sEconomic ResearchService found that 57 per-

cent of all rural house-holds use broadbandInternet at home, but some6 percent — or over 1 mil-lion rural households —access the Internet athome solely through wire-less broadband services.

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According to USDA,Minnesota wool produc-tion totaled 870,000 poundsin 2011, up 5 percent from2010. There were 140,000sheep and lambs shorn in2011, up 8 percent from ayear ago. The averagefleece weight was 6.2pounds, down slightlyfrom the 2010 average of6.4 pounds.

The value of the state’s2011 wool production was$539,000, up 51 percentfrom the previous year’svalue of $357,000. The aver-age price per pound for2011 was 62 cents, up 19cents from the 2010 averageprice.

In terms of 2011 woolproduction, Minnesotaranked 11th in the nation.

Wes Nelson is executivedirector of the USDA FarmService Agency inKandiyohi County.

Good year for agriculture decreasesnumber of mediated farm debts

U.S. Farm exports reached record high in 2011


By TToomm VViillssaacckkSecretary of Agriculture

This is an exciting timefor farmers and ranchersof all types and sizes asagriculture is a bright spotin the American economy.In 2011, agriculturalexports hit a record highand producers saw theirbest incomes in nearly 40years. At the same time—with the help of the UnitedStates Department ofAgriculture (USDA)—we've seen importantgrowth in markets for localand regional food, a multi-billion dollar industry thatcomplements traditionalagricultural production.

Two and a half yearsago, I launched USDA'sKnow Your Farmer, KnowYour Food (KYF) initiativeto help support this impor-tant trend in agriculture.It's the public face of our

commitment to help agri-cultural operations of allsizes take advantage ofnew opportunities, meetthe growing demand forlocal and regional food andsucceed in America'sdiverse marketplace.

Since then, farmersacross the country havebuilt nearly 4,500 hoophouses with support fromUSDA. These structuresfunction as a sort of greenhouse, helping growersextend their growing sea-sons to sell produce duringthe colder months.

We've also supportedthe growth of farmersmarkets. Today there aremore than 7,100 around thecountry where farmersand ranchers are sellinglocally to improve theirincomes—that is a morethan 50 percent increaseover the past three years.To help producers serve

larger institutional cus-tomers like schools andhospitals, USDA hashelped fund new regionalinfrastructure like coldstorage warehouses, com-mercial kitchens and localslaughter facilities.

Know Your Farmer,Know Your Food is alsohaving an impact on thefuture of farming andagriculture. Our supportfor local and regional foodis helping recruit andretain a new generation offarmers and ranchers.Many young and begin-ning farmers start out inlocal markets. Some staythere, and some scale up.

Now we are unveilingthe Know Your Farmer,Know Your Food Compass,an interactive web-baseddocument and map thathighlights USDA supportfor local and regional foodprojects. It looks at case

studies of farmers, ranch-ers, business and commu-nities using this new seg-ment of agriculture to cre-ate jobs and economicgrowth.

Local and regional foodsystems are about opportu-nity. The opportunity forour country's farmers,ranchers and growers tomeet growing customerdemand and to expandaccess to healthy foods.Opportunities for entre-preneurs to start smallbusinesses such as foodprocessors, distributors,food hubs and markets.

The KYF Compassshares the stories—withnarrative, an interactivemap, photos and video—ofAmericans that are inno-vating and taking advan-tage of these opportunitiesto create jobs and chart astronger future forAmerican agriculture. It is

a tool to help navigateUSDA resources that sup-port local and regionalfood systems. And it is ajumping off point so youcan join the national con-versation about where ourfood comes from.

In the years to comewe'll continue to see thesenew local and regionalmarkets expand, alongwith agricultural busi-nesses that serve them.This segment of Americanagriculture will play animportant role in revitaliz-ing rural communities:spurring job growth, keep-ing more wealth in ruralcommunities and morefarmers on their land.

The KYF Compassreminds us that today'sagriculture industry ismore diverse and morevibrant than ever. USDA iscommitted to keeping pacewith the needs and

progress of Americanagriculture by supportingnew markets and move-ments that will keep farm-ers profitable and help cre-ate middle class jobsacross the country.

Tom Vilsack

Agriculture is a bright spot in the American economy

Many occupations arehazardous, few more sothan agricultural labor.Farmers recognize thatthey must be diligent in

their efforts to preventnonfatal and fatal injuries.

According to the mostrecent statistics, farmersface a fatality rate of 25.1

for every 100,000 workers.In 2008, 456 farmers andfarm workers lost theirlives to work-relatedinjuries. What's particu-larly risky about agricul-tural work is that it tendsto be a family profession.That puts all members ofthe family at risk forinjury. On average, 113youth under the age of 20die annually from farm-related injuries.

Tractor rolloverinjuries, inhalation ofchemical pesticides andlacerations from farmequipment top the list ofprime agriculture-relatedoccupational injuries.With scores of differentmechanical equipmentand chemicals, not to men-tion lengthy exposure to

the elements on a normalworking day, the risk ofinjury is considerable.

There are key ways toprevent injuries on thefarm. Here are a few con-siderations.

• Proper training of newemployees on the userequired equipment isessential. If certification isneeded, be sure employeeshave been trained andpractice on equipmentprior to independent use.Safety gear should be usedat all times, whenrequired. Workers shouldbe careful to keep hair tiedback to prevent entangle-ment in equipment.

• Care should be usedwhen working in the ele-ments. Workers should beproperly dressed for the

temperature and condi-tions. Beverage breaksshould be taken so thatdehydration is not a risk.

• Knowledge of chemi-cal pesticides and fertiliz-ers should be fully under-stood. Safety equipment,such as ventilators, eyeguards and gloves, shouldbe used when handlingcaustic chemicals.

• Machinery should bemaintained according toOSHA and other federalguidelines. Equipment ingood working order is lesslikely to cause injury.

• Caution should alwaysbe used around livestock.

• Operating equipmentwhen impaired is a hazardin any profession. Alcoholand drug use do not mix ina farm setting. Individuals

who seem intoxicatedshould not be allowed towork.

• Children and adoles-cents should be carefullymonitored around thefarm. Because of theirdeveloping bodies, young-sters should not be allowedto do any activity that isoverly strenuous andmight tax growing bodies,such as heavy lifting.

• There should be train-ing in general first aid andCPR so that help can begiven to an injured workerbefore a response team isable to make it to the loca-tion.

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Tractor rollovers are a common cause of injury on farms.

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A drought threat posedacross southern and west-ern Minnesota is the mostserious in over a decade,according to University ofMinnesota Extension cli-matologist Mark Seeley.

Climate outlooks cur-rently favor more rainthan normal this springacross much of the state,but it might not be enough,Seeley said: “Many areasare so deficient in storedsoil moisture they willneed 150 to 200 percent ofnormal rainfall duringMarch and April to makeup the difference.”

Here are some meas-ures farmers should con-sider for a planting-seasondrought:

1) Consider crop insur-ance. Producers who takeout a loan for inputs areusually required to buycrop insurance. KentOlson, Extension econo-mist, says others will wantto strongly consider it thisyear. March 15 is the stan-dard deadline for finaliz-ing a plan with your agentfor crop insurance.

2) If soils remain dry,planting season couldarrive early. Jeff Coulter,Extension corn agrono-mist, recommends thatgrowers avoid plantingcorn before April 18 toreduce the risk of frostdamage to young cornplants.

3) Conserve moisture inthe seed zone. Uniformemergence is importantfor corn. This requiresgood seed-to-soil contactand adequate moisture inthe seed zone, according toCoulter. If dry conditions

persist at planting, headvises growers to prepareseed beds close to plantingand avoid unnecessarytillage passes.

4) Consider pre-emer-gence herbicides to reduceweed competition withcorn and soybean, sinceyield loss due to early-sea-son weed competition isgreatest in dry years.According to JeffGunsolus, Extension weedscientist, most pre-emer-gence herbicides are acti-vated with just one-halfinch of rainfall. This issimilar to the amountneeded to stimulate early-season weed flushes. Evenif dry weather follows apre-emergence herbicide,it can still be activated bylater rainfall.

5) Target post-emer-gence herbicide applica-tions to small weeds thatare no taller than two inch-es, Gunsolus says. Largerweeds are more difficult tocontrol if they are droughtstressed and they also com-pete more with corn andsoybean for water andnutrients.

Find more informationon drought preparation atwww.extension.umn.edu/drought

Sources: Mark Seeley,University of MinnesotaExtension climatologist;Jeff Coulter, University ofMinnesota Extensionagronomist; Kent Olson,University of MinnesotaExtension economist; JeffGunsolus, University ofMinnesota Extension weedscientist.

Five ways cropgrowers can planfor spring drought


BBrraadd HHeeiinnss,,Assistant Professor,

Organic DairyManagement, University ofMinnesota, West CentralResearch and OutreachCenter, Morris

Late weaned calvesgrow faster than earlyweaned calves; however,the optimum time forweaning of organic dairycalves may be between 30and 90 days.

Successful group feed-ing of organic dairy calvesis enhanced with aggres-sive suckling during infan-cy and early consumptionof high quality organiccalf starter.

The number of organicdairies has been steadilygrowing during the pastdecade in the United Statesand the Midwest. However,current research andextension programs do notadequately support theneeds of the increasingnumber of organic dairies,and scientific research onmethods used to raiseorganic dairy calves islacking.

The main objective ofan organic dairy herd is tosustainably produce milkand meat, while maintain-ing excellent animalhealth and welfare. Dairyreplacement feeding andmanagement systems haveundergone major evolu-tion in the last 25-30 years.As herd sizes increased,individual hutches wereintroduced to protectcalves from contaminatedand overcrowded environ-ments. Recently, higherlevels of milk feeding arerecommended to promoteearly growth, and nowsome farmers are adoptingextended suckling untilcalves are weaned. Groupcalf rearing offers oppor-tunities to reduce laborand to aid in socializingcalves, but performance ofgroup managed calves inenlarged hutches is notwell documented.

The maintenance ofhealth and growth oforganic dairy calves isvery important in their

first few months of life. Asno organic milk replacersare available, whole milkfrom high somatic cellorganic cows, as well asbulk tank milk, must befed. The cost versus bene-fits of milk consumptionand weaning age is veryimportant and has notbeen researched withorganic dairy calves.Therefore, our objectivewas to evaluate thegrowth, health, and mostimportantly, the economicperformance of organicdairy calves fed once perday and weaned at differ-ent ages.

Heifer calves (n=67)were assigned to feedinggroups of 10 in superhutches by birth order, andwere born at theUniversity of MinnesotaWest Central Research andOutreach Center, Morris,Minnesota from March toJune 2011. Breed groups ofcalves were: Holsteins(n=11) selected for highproduction (HO), Holsteins(n=10) maintained at 1964breed average level (H64),crossbreds (n=28) includ-ing combinations HO,Montbeliarde, andSwedish Red selected forhigh production (HMS),and crossbreds (n=18)including combinations ofHO, Jersey, and SwedishRed selected for durability(HJS). Calves wereweaned at 30, 60 or 90 daysof age, and groups were fed1.5 percent of birth weightof 13 percent total solidsorganic milk once dailyand weaned when thegroup consumption aver-aged 2.0 lb. ofstarter/calf/day. Bodyweight was recorded atbirth and at weaning.Analysis was with PROCGLM of SAS, and inde-pendent variables wereweaning group and breed.Average daily gain (lb.)was 1.15, 1.49 and 1.65 forthe 30, 60 and 90-d weaninggroups, respectively. Totalcosts (grain and organicmilk) to weaning were$108.81 for 30-d, $167.68 for60-d, and $275.79 for 90-dgroups; however, the cost

per pound of gain washigher for the 30-d groupthan the 60-d or 90-dgroups. The average dailygain (lb.) for breed groupswas: HO (1.59), H64 (1.34),HMS (1.49), and HJS (1.32).

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• Labor for feedingcalves is reduced

• Calves are socializedfor group living

• Group learning occurs—especially for earlystarter consumption

• Growth is equal toindividual housing.Adequate growth of 0.75to1.5 lb./day depending onmilk feeding level

• Easier to bed and cleansuper hutches than indi-vidual hutches

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• Calves must be aggres-sive drinkers when theyare grouped

• Weak calves must beseparated

• Calf attendant must bea good observer

• If age spread is large,the oldest calves will havedelayed weaning oryoungest will be weanedtoo soon

• Contagious diseasemay affect more calves

• More difficult to pro-vide individual attention

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• Separate newbornsfrom fresh cows ASAP andhand feed colostrum

• Train calf to drinkfrom a firm nipple in anindividual pen duringcolostrum feeding period

• Do not add new calf toa group until it is a fastaggressive sucker. Mostare ready by the third day.Consider calves < 75 lb. tobe at risk and require care-ful observation, especiallyduring winter

• Feed at least 1.1 per-cent of birth weight ofhigh quality milk. Calvesfed >2 percent may haveloose manure initially

• Restrict range of ageand size within a group

when possible.One week rangeworks well, morethan three weeksincrease milkfeeding cost forthe group asweaning is basedon the youngestcalf in the group

• A superhutch works wellfor 8 to 10 calves

Leave the nip-ple feeder withthe group so theysuck the nippleinstead of eachother

• Provide abun-dant water, bedding, andan outside exercise area

• Wean when groupaverage starter intake is2.0 lb./day for three consec-utive days

• When moved afterweaning maintain originalgroup at least one weekbefore co-mingling

Group feeding calves for low-inputdairy systems


FFrraannkk FFoorrcceellllaaU S D A - A g r i c u l t u r a l

Research Service, Morris,MN

Researchers at USDA’sAgricultural ResearchService (ARS) in Morris,Minn. are exploring produc-tion management practicesfor calendula, a relative ofthe sunflower that couldbecome a new alternativecrop for Minnesota growers.

The oil from calendulaseeds is a valuable substi-tute for tung oil in paintsand varnishes. Tung oil andcalendula oil are consideredthe best of the plant-based“drying oils,” and thedemand for both is expectedto increase sharply in thenear future as paint manu-facturers look for alterna-tives to petroleum-basedpaints and varnishes.

Calendula grows quitewell in Minnesota’s cool cli-mate, and even though pro-duction is projected toincrease in the next decade,little is known about weedcontrol in calendula. SoARS scientists began sever-al studies to identify herbi-cides and treatments thatwould control commonMinnesota weeds and leavecalendula crops unharmed.

The scientists found twopost-emergence herbicidesthat can be used in calendu-la: the active ingredientsfound in Betamix(desmedipham + phen-medipham) and Assert( i m a z a m e t h a b e n z ) .Although Betamix willdamage calendula plants ifit is applied after the 4-leafstage, the plants can recov-er and produce plentifulseeds. Calendula complete-

ly tolerates Assert. Studyresults also indicated thatcalendula can tolerate soil-applied active ingredientsfound in Dual (meto-lachlor), Prowl(pendimethalin) andTreflan (trifluralin).

The investigators alsowanted to acquire best-man-agement data on plantingdepth and seed sensitivityto springtime soil tempera-tures. With the assistanceof a visiting graduate stu-dent from France, theresearchers conductedextensive studies on thesequestions in 2010 and 2011.Their results indicated thatcalendula should be plantedone-third of an inch deepand that about 190 growingdegree days (GDD) mustelapse for 50 percent emer-gence to occur. On average,190 GDD corresponds toseven days after planting inMay.

In addition, the ARS sci-entists observed that calen-dula seeds fail to germinateif the soil temperature atthis planting depth reaches104 degrees for even just afew hours. This means thatearly planting will beimportant for successfulcalendula establishment,because the probability ofsoils in southern and cen-tral Minnesota reachingthat critical temperaturerises sharply in late Mayand early June. These find-ings also indicate that cal-endula may be a more reli-able crop in northernMinnesota than farthersouth, since soils in thenorthern part of the statealmost never reach suchhigh temperatures.

Calendula field

Production managementfor Calendula

Morris, Minnesota 56267 MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARM Saturday, March 10, 2012 - Page 1D

FarmProgress2012

In 2010, the ExtensionCenter for FamilyDevelopment of theUniversity of Minnesotalaunched a project to learnmore about the currentand future issues affectingfamilies in Minnesota.This environmental scanproject consisted of com-munity-level interviewsconducted in 11 differentregions of the state; anonline survey of threestatewide networks oforganizations whom workwith families; a blog forfamilies to provide feed-back on things that matter

to them; and interviewswith key leaders withinand outside the Universityof Minnesota.

Two members of theExtension team inter-viewed 30 representativesfrom diverse organizationsin the west central regionabout the issues they seefacing the families theyserve. In an effort to hearas many community view-points as possible, inter-views were conducted withorganizations whom repre-sented different sectors(private, government, ornonprofit), locations and

types of families in theregion.

Although this smallgroup of community rep-resentatives cannot speakfor the full diversity of theregion, they provideimportant knowledge andinsights into the lives offamilies in west centralMinnesota. While manyinterviewees focused onissues specific to theirorganization, distinctthemes emerged duringthe interviews that cutacross the individual sec-tors, locations and focusareas of the different

organizations. Thesethemes help paint a pic-ture of the regional cli-mate and culture facingfamilies at the time theinterviews were conduct-ed.

The following majorissues affecting families inwest central Minnesotawere identified:

• Families have beenchanging in terms of theirstructure, activities andvalues.

• Changes have beentaking place in the commu-nity.

• In particular, families

have been affected by theeconomic issues facing thecommunity and thenational economic climate.

• Lack of jobs wasanother issue facing fami-lies in west centralMinnesota.

• Aging, education andhealth care were also iden-tified as issues in theregion.

The environmentalscan in west centralMinnesota was conductedby Connie Burns and SaraCroymans, ExtensionEducators with theUniversity of Minnesota.

University of MinnesotaExtension Center forFamily Development. Toview the full environmen-tal scan report for the westcentral region visitwww.extension.umn.edu/family/environmental -scan/.

For more informationcontact either ConnieBurns ([email protected]) or SaraCroymans ([email protected]) or at 1-888-241-4532).

University of Minnesota Extension Center for FamilyDevelopment Environmental Scan – West Central MN

Morris, Minnesota 56267MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARMPage 2D - Saturday, March 10, 2012

By JJoonnaatthhaann KKnnuuttssoonnAgweek Staff Writer

FARGO — Bart Schottplanted his first corn cropin 1977. Since then, theNorth Dakota farmer andcorn industry leader haswatched the crop’s popu-larity explode across thestate. Enthusiasm for thecrop in North Dakota andelsewhere on the NorthernPlains is particularlystrong this spring.

Don’t expect corn’slong, upward march to haltanytime soon, if ever, saidSchott, chairman of theNational Corn GrowersAssociation.

“There’s no turningback,” said Schott, whopredicted North Dakotafarmers may plant 3 mil-lion acres of corn in 2013.

“The economic differ-ence on my farm today is$180 an acre more on cornversus soybeans,” he said.“It (planting corn) is nottoo difficult a decision.”

Schott was among thespeakers Feb. 22 at theNorth Dakota CornGrowers Association’sannual Cornvention inFargo, N.D. About 225 peo-ple attended.

Agweek also talkedwith Schott after his pres-entation at the event.

Schott told attendeesthat the national associa-tion has reached recordmembership of more than37,000 farmers.

“We’re the only com-modity group that isincreasing in membershipacross the U.S.,” he said.

U.S. farmers are expect-ed to plant about 94 millionacres of corn this year, themost since World War II,with many of the addition-al acres coming in theUpper Midwest, accordingto the U.S. Department ofAgriculture.

TThhrreeee mmiilllliioonn aaccrreess iinn22001133??

Once, corn in NorthDakota was confined to thestate’s southeast corner,which received enoughmoisture and enjoyed asufficiently long growingseason for farmers to raisethe crop.

But new, shorter-matu-rity corn varieties, cou-pled with attractive pricesand wetter conditionssince 1993, caused cornproduction to spread northand west across the state.

The 2.3 million acresplanted to corn in 2011 inthe state were twice asmany as in 2000 and tripleas many as in 1993.

Seed shortages for somepreferred hybrids will

work against corn acreagein the state this year, butNorth Dakota farmers eas-ily could plant three mil-lion acres in 2013, Schottsaid.

“If we get the seed, we’llbe at three million nextyear,” he said.

The seed industry isplacing more emphasis onbreeding varietiesdesigned for conditions inNorth Dakota, he said.

More favorable cropinsurance also is con-tributing to corn’s increas-ing popularity, Schott said.

One example: Corngrowers in seven NorthDakota counties weregranted standard coverageby the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s Risk

Management Agency in2012, according to informa-tion from the state CornGrowers Association.

Farmers in Cavalier,Towner, Rolette andBottineau counties, all innorthern North Dakota,and in the west-centralcounties of Morton, Oliverand Mercer no longer willneed to apply for coveragethrough the written agree-ment process, the stateassociation said.

The Risk ManagementAgency concluded thatcorn producers in theseven counties “hadproven corn to be anaccepted agronomic prac-tice on their farms,”according to the state asso-ciation.

“If you can insure it(corn), you’re going togrow it, especially with theearly genetics that we havetoday,” Schott said.

EEtthhaannooll,, ffaammiillyy ffaarrmm By 2030, U.S. corn farm-

ers will be harvesting 300bushels of corn per acre,according to projections bythe National CornGrowers Association.

“We’re going to growour ethanol industry aswell. Part of that isbecause people want aclean-burning, home-grown fuel,” Schott said.

He said he’s proud ofthe National CornGrowers Association’sinvolvement withNASCAR in ethanol pro-motion.

Schott served as thenational association’s 2010to 2011 president, transi-tioning to chairman onSept. 30.

As president, “Therewas a lot of media (to dealwith). One day, I did sevenradio interviews. I wasreally tired at the end ofthat day,” he said.

As chairman, there arefar fewer media requestswith which to deal,although he still needs totravel frequently, he said.

Schott, a third-genera-tion farmer, credited oth-ers with operating the4,000-acre farm in south-central North Dakotawhile he’s been away onassociation business.

“I have my wife, a reallygood hired man and allthree sons involved,”Schott said. Two of thesons farm, while the thirdis taking over Schott’s seedbusiness.

Schott said he didn’tspend any time plantingcorn in 2011, although hedid help extensively dur-ing harvest.

PPuubblliicc ppeerrcceeppttiioonnss Schott, 61, will step

down as chairman andleave the association’sboard of directors on Oct.1.

But he’ll continue toserve as vice chairman ofthe U.S. Farmers andRanchers Alliance.

The organization,which consists of morethan 50 commodity groups,including the NationalCorn GrowersAssociation, seeks toimprove communicationsbetween the people whoraise food and the peoplewho buy it.

The alliance has a budg-et of about $11 million andcan do a great deal toimprove public percep-tions of agriculture,Schott said.

One of Schott’s person-al goals is to reduce criti-cism of so-called factoryfarms.

“What is a factoryfarm? For two years I’vebeen trying to figure outthat one. I still can’t comeup with a definition,”Schott said.

“Ninety percent of thecorn grown in the U.S. isgrown on family farms,”he said.

Ag Week and the MorrisSun Tribune are bothowned by ForumCommunications Co.

Crop’s popularity expected to continue,says ND farmer, commodity group leader

Bart Schott

MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARM Saturday, March 10, 2012 - Page 3DMorris, Minnesota 56267

By TToomm CChheerrvveennyyWest Central Tribune

WILLMAR, Minn. - It’shard to miss the develop-ment of renewable energyat the University ofMinnesota campus inMorris.

There are now two, 1.6-megawatt wind generatorstowering over the prairieand cranking out enoughkilowatts to provide 60 per-cent of the electrical needson campus. A heating sys-tem utilizing locally har-vested biomass produces25 percent of the thermalenergy required on cam-pus, with expectations ofmeeting 50 percent ofneeds next year.

What can be more diffi-cult to see, but no less sig-nificant, is the growingnumber and variety ofsmaller renewable energyprojects setting roots allaround the region. Inrecent years 17 different“net metering” projectshave been added by cus-tomers on the KandiyohiPower Cooperative’s distri-bution grid, for example.Using small wind genera-tors or solar photovoltaicpanels, customers are pro-ducing a portion of theirown electricity and sellingany excess back to thegrid.

Renewable energy sys-

tems of all types — fromsmall wind generators tomethane digesters — arebeing installed on farms,homes and businessesthroughout southwesternMinnesota. Participantsfrom throughout westernMinnesota gatheredrecently at the PrairieWoods EnvironmentalLearning Center to identi-fy the projects and to helpchart the way for more.

The gathering was host-ed by the West CentralClean Energy ResourceTeam.

The almost unnoticedproliferation of small proj-ects may be more signifi-cant in some ways than thelarge, attention gettingprojects.

John Duevel, of ThreeSeasons and More inWillmar, has been involvedin renewable energy sincethe 1970s. He knows howvulnerable the renewableenergy industry can be tovolatility in fossil fuel mar-kets, and manipulation byoil cartels.

What’s changing now,said Duevel, is that manyof the renewable energyprojects are smaller andmore responsive to chang-ing markets. “We knowwhat to do now, we canmove in and out of renew-able energy” he told theparticipants. “We’re doing

a lot of good, small thingsthat are having animpact.”

There are plenty of bigthings happening too. Lastyear saw the Adams andDanielson Wind farmsnear Cosmos and GroveCity put 24 large wind tur-bines to work. Earlyreports indicate that out-put from the 1.65-megawattturbines is exceedingexpectations.

The gathering at PrairieWoods attracted approxi-mately 40 renewable ener-gy supporters from 12 dif-ferent counties. They dis-cussed a variety of issues,from the potential forrefuse-derived fuel to poli-cy and outreach needs.

It was apparent thatexpectations for renewableenergy in the region aregrowing as fast — and insome ways as quietly — asare the number of new sys-tems showing up in thecountryside. “We’re onlyscratching the surface,”said Clean EnergyResource Team coordina-tor and meeting host JeffVetsch as the list of proj-ects took shape.

The West CentralTribune and Morris SunTribune are both owned byForum CommunicationsCo.

Smaller, renewable energy projects settingroots across west central Minnesota

UMM’s wind turbines are an example of small-scale renewable energy in west centralMinnesota.


By SSeetthh NNaaeevveeUniversity of Minnesota

Extension

Today, most soybeansare processed to separatethe oil from the high-pro-tein meal fraction. Thesetwo 'co-products' make theseed valuable to the enduser and make the soybeana profitable crop for U.S.

producers.The protein content of

the soybean impacts theprotein content of the soy-bean meal, and end userspay a premium for high-protein meal. Becausethese premiums get passeddown through the valuechain, higher-protein soy-beans command a premi-um at the first point of

sale, the local elevator.Normally, producers don'tsee this price differentialbecause long-term varia-tion in soybean quality isbuilt into the local price asa part of the basis.

Occasionally, local pro-tein levels can dip lowenough that grain han-dlers begin docking forlow-protein soybeans

delivered to local elevators.This occurred in an area insouth central Minnesota inthe fall of 2011. There,many farmers accepted a15-cent per bushel penaltyfor low-protein soybeans.

Soybeans grown in thenorthern and westernranges of the U.S. CornBelt tend to have lower pro-tein than soybeans grownelsewhere in the U.S. or inSouth America. This putsfarmers in Minnesota andthe Dakotas at risk ofbeing penalized for lowprotein levels, but whatcan be done?

Farmers can have adirect impact on the quali-ty of the grain that theysell in the fall by selectingthe higher-protein linesfrom among the top-yield-ing varieties available.Because it is not alwayseasy to identify high-yield-

ing varieties with high-protein seed, it is criticalfor U.S. producers to edu-cate end-users about otherpositive attributes ofnorthern grown soybeans.

With the support of soy-bean checkoff organiza-tions from Minnesota,South and North Dakota,University of Minnesotaresearchers have shownthat the protein fractionfrom northern grown soy-beans tends to be slightlyenriched in the aminoacids most important toswine and poultry.

While there may be lessprotein overall, it appearsto be of a greater qualitythan once thought. In addi-tion, there appears to beother minor constituentsin the seed of northerngrown soybeans that pro-vide additional value tothe end user. Researchers

are currently quantifyingthese additional factors.

Farm leaders fromMinnesota and theDakotas will travel withme—a soybean agronomistwith University ofMinnesota Extension—tothe Philippines, Thailandand China in March to edu-cate end-users about thepositive attributes ofnorthern grown soybeans.If nutritionists can lookbeyond crude protein as ameasure of quality,Minnesota farmers shouldsoon see increased pricesfor their soybeans at mar-ket.

For more information,visit www.extension.umn.edu/soybean.

Seth Naeve is a soybeanagronomist with Universityof Minnesota Extension.

A career in agriculturecan prove richly reward-ing. While it's common toenvision overalls and trac-tors when imaginingcareers in agriculture, theopportunities to work inthe agriculture industrystretch beyond the farmand into the corporateworld. The following are afew of the paths men andwomen with a passion foragriculture can pursue.

• Business: Agricultureis big business, and theindustry has many oppor-tunities for those who

want to pursue a career inbusiness. Farmers andproducers of agriculturalproducts need someone todraft contracts for theiragreements with the largecorporations who distrib-ute those products. In addi-tion, purchasing agentsand agricultural finan-ciers are just two of themany career opportunitiesthat enable men andwomen to work on thebusiness side of agricul-ture.

• Social service: Theagricultural industry also

has positions of socialservice. In addition to foodinspector, who ensuresagricultural products aresafe for human consump-tion, social service posi-tions within the agricul-tural industry includeenvironmental consultantand conservation officer.Men and women can alsowork to develop programsthat encourage youngstersto pursue careers in theagricultural industry.

• Production: Of course,the agricultural industryhas a host of careers for

those who want to get theirhands dirty. Farms need tobe plowed, seeds must beplanted and fertilized andfarms need to be well-maintained to continueoperating efficiently andeffectively. Though tech-nology has taken the placeof many agricultural pro-duction positions, thereare still many opportuni-ties out there for those whowant to work under thesun.

• Education: Those whowant to share their love ofagriculture with others

can put their skillsto work in thec l a s s r o o m .A g r i c u l t u r a linstructors cantrain the next gen-eration of agricul-ture professionalsat the universityor high schoollevel, ensuringtoday's farms areleft in good handstomorrow.

Look beyond crude protein to measureMinnesota soybean quality

Agricultural career opportunities abound


The Farm ServiceAgency would like toremind producers aboutimportant crop disasterinsurance coverage dead-lines for the 2012 crop year.

Application deadline for2012 Non-Insured CropDisaster AssistanceProgram (NAP) coveragefor a variety of crops arecoming up. The applica-tion deadline for all springseeded crops and perennialforage pasture is March 15.Sept. 30 is the closing datefor perennial forage and

seed crops. Nov. 20 is theapplication deadline forperennial fruit and veg-etable crops and Dec. 1 isthe closing date for honey.

NAP was designed toprovide financial assis-tance to producers of non-insurable crops when lowyields or prevented plant-ing occurs as the result ofnatural disasters.

For the 2012 crop year itis imperative that produc-ers purchase either NAP ora catastrophic (CAT) levelof crop insurance for all

insurable and non-insur-able crops. This is notonly for production cover-age, but also for eligibilityfor the new permanent dis-aster programs created inthe 2008 Farm Bill.

In order for producers tobe eligible for assistanceunder the SupplementalRevenue Assistance(SURE) Program and theEmergency Assistance forLivestock, Honeybees, andFarm-Raised FishProgram (ELAP) and theTree Assistance Program

(TAP), producers mustobtain a plan of insurancefor each insurable and non-insurable commodity onthe farm, excluding graz-ing. Producers who wantto remain eligible for theLivestock Forage Program(LFP) must still obtain pas-ture coverage throughNAP if not covered by cropinsurance.

For more information,please contact the StevensCounty Farm ServiceAgency office at 320-589-4886.

FSA reminds producers of NAP coveragedeadlines for 2012 crop year

Morris, Minnesota 56267MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARMPage 6D -Saturday, March 10, 2012

By DDaavvee NNiiccoollaaiiUniversity of Minnesota

Extension

Waterhemp, a summerannual weed species in thepigweed family, has been asignificant issue for cornand soybean growers inthe central and westernCorn Belt states for morethan a decade. The latestchallenge in this fight ismanaging for waterhemp'sgrowing resistance to vari-ous herbicides, includingglyphosate.

Glyphosate-resistantwaterhemp was first con-firmed in southernMinnesota in 2007 and con-tinues to increase, likelydue to the continued plant-ing of Roundup Readycrops and the exclusive useof glyphosate.

Waterhemp beginsemerging near mid-Mayand continues through the

beginning of August.Three factors make it espe-cially difficult to keepunder control: an ability toproduce nearly one millionseeds per plant, continualgermination throughoutthe growing season, and anincreased frequency ofbiotypes or new weeds thatare genetically adaptableto a diverse array of herbi-cide chemistries.

The longevity of water-hemp seeds in the seedbank is short compared tomost species, with onlyone to 12 percent survivalafter four years. For thatreason, complete control(zero seed production) ofall waterhemp plants overa three- to four-year periodshould allow producers totake control of this diffi-cult weed problem.

To reduce the selectionpressure for glyphosate-resistant waterhemp,

Extension crop specialistsrecommend using pre-emergence residual herbi-cides, increasing crop rota-tion diversity in the crop-ping system, and focusingon the use of RoundupReady crops in the rotationwhere the fewest alterna-tive herbicides toglyphosate exist.

For more detailed infor-mation regarding croprotation and herbicideeffectiveness, see theExtension publication "Preand Post HerbicideDiversification Options,"(PDF) atwww.extension.umn.edu/go/1096. For more informa-tion on how to proactivelymanage for waterhemp insugarbeet, soybean, cornand wheat, visitwww.extension.umn.edu/go/1097.

HHooww ttoo iiddeennttiiffyywwaatteerrhheemmpp

The stems of water-hemp plants have little tono hair compared to red-root pigweed, and theleaves are usually longerand narrower. Waterhempseedlings have oval-shapedseed leaves and are hair-less, appearing waxy orglossy-looking. Water-hemp can range from four-inches to 12 feet high, butgenerally grows to aboutfour or five feet in mostfield crop situations. In themature stage, one way todifferentiate waterhempfrom the other pigweeds isto compare the seed heads.Redroot and smooth pig-weed have denser, morecompact seed heads thanwaterhemp.

Dave Nicolai is a cropseducator with University ofMinnesota Extension.

Waterhemp resistance emerges assignificant weed problem in Minnesota

Waterhemp

Call the Morris Sun Tribune320-589-2525 • Toll Free 888-589-2525


By MMiikkkkeell PPaatteess Agweek Staff Writer

WAHPETON, N.D. — Allright, so you’re installingtile drainage to improveyields on your farm.

Now you might want tothink about adding toolsfor drainage water man-agement, said Gary Sands,an associate professor andengineer from theUniversity of Minnesota-St. Paul, who spoke Feb. 22in Wahpeton at one of thedrainage design work-shops organized by theextension services atNorth Dakota StateUniversity, South DakotaState University and theUniversity of Minnesota.

“This is kind of an add-on practice to a traditionalway of doing subsurfacedrainage, or tile drainage,”Sands said.

It is essentially a box,separating intake and out-flow tiles. The box has a setof panels or boards in themiddle, which can beinserted or removed toessentially raise the watertable level — often to con-serve moisture, or even tokeep more nitrogen in thesoil profile. Inserting theboards causes the watertable to rise on the inflowside.

The technique is about40 years old. It was pio-neered in North Carolinaand used in coastal plainssoils. It came to theMidwest about 15 yearsago, but interest has grownin the past five years.

“We’re on the bubbleright now,” Sands said.“We’re at the point wheremany of the systems arebeing designed with thispractice in mind. We don’thave a great deal of imple-mentation of the practice.”He knows a handful of

Minnesota farmers whoare using the practice, butmore adoption is takingplace in Iowa, Indiana,Illinois and other states.

The practice is a natu-ral for the Red River Valley,Sands said. “When yourfields are relatively flat,you don’t need very manyof these structures,” hesaid. “Sometimes only oneif a field is quite flat.” Thebox structures range inprice from $500 to $2,000each, depending on thesize. “The larger the tile,the larger the structure isgoing to be,” he says.

A farmer might wish toscale back from fulldrainage during the timesof the year when he does-n’t need it. For example,the farmers need completedrainage in the spring andfall when they are in thefields and need good, traffi-cable soil. “But in the mid-dle of the growing season,where we’re not out therewith machinery, and wecould use a little extrawater, we could use thesestructures to reduce theamount of drainage,”Sands said. “Similarly, inthe off-season, once we’refinished in the fall, beforewe go into the fields in thespring, we don’t need to

have a water table down atthe depth of the tile. Wecan even have a shallowerwater table at those timesof the year.”

Sands said he doesn’tthink the practice willhave a positive or negativeimpact on flooding, butnotes there is an opportu-nity to capture water inthe soil profile in thespring, should there beavailable pore space in thesoil, and not let it leave thefield.

HHoott ddrraaiinnaaggee ttooppiicc Tom Scherer, an NDSU

extension agriculturalengineer who specializesin irrigation and drainageissues, is one of a team ofexperts who first organ-ized tile drainage designworkshops — a coopera-tive project between NDSUand the University ofMinnesota. The workshopsstarted in 1998 inCrookston, Minn., butmore consistent interesthas grown in the pastdecade, and spread intoSouth Dakota in the pastfew years.

The workshops are two,two-day repeated events,each with a 50-personcapacity. The leaders walkthrough five designprocesses with special top-ics on new technology andsafety placed between. “Wecould have probably had 70in each of these,” Scherersaid, noting that some thatcouldn’t get into sessionsin the Dakotas will beattending a Mankato,Minn., session.

About half of the atten-dees are looking at how todo tiling on their own, butcontractors and vendorsalso attend.

In Wahpeton, theytalked about sources forsoil information. In theRed River Valley there is

LIDAR (light imagingdetecting and ranging) top-ographical data availableon computers.

No one knows exactlyhow much tiling activity isgoing on in the Red RiverValley. In 1998, there wasone tile plow at Brooks,Minn., Scherer said.Ellingson Drainage camein 2000 for the first time.Today, Ellingson has sevenor eight plows, two othercompanies have three orfour plows each. Othercontractors are working inthe area and numerousfarmers have boughtplows. “About the only wayyou could do it accuratelyis poll the guys who makethe tile to see how manythousand feet they’vesold,” he said.

Scherer said he’s heardof some cases where farm-ers who started installingtheir own tile did itimproperly, possibly get-ting their informationword-of-mouth. One ofthose basics, for example,is to start tiling at the out-let.

A bigger mistake, is fail-ing to be safe.

DDyyiinngg ffoorr ddrraaiinnaaggee?? Jim Walker, from New

Prague, Minn., is businessand safety manager forBarnett Bros. Inc. inKilkenny, Minn., midwaybetween Fairibault andMankato. He spoke aboutsafety issues on behalf ofthe Minnesota LandImprovement ContractorsAssociation.

What is the biggest mis-take farmers make?

“They feel they’re invin-cible,” Walker said. “Theyhaven’t taken any safetytraining. They’re startingto do this tiling on theirown, so they feel they canpurchase this tilingmachine on their own.” He

said farmers are basicallysafe people but also entre-preneurial “risk-takers,”temperamentally.

Walker said a typicalmistake is a lack of care atthe start of a project. Atiling project starts with amain line installation,which is done with anexcavator, not a tile plow.“They generally aren’tfamiliar enough with soiltypes to bench (slope) thesoil back sufficiently,” toensure that it doesn’t cavein on whoever is going tobe down in the trench,”Walker said.

Another mistake is thatthey think a shallowtrench — say five feet deep— doesn’t create any dan-ger, so there isn’t any needto bench it back, or slopeit. “But the gentlemanbends over to make a con-nection and now he isbelow the top of the soil,creating that vulnerabili-ty,” Walker said. Fouryears ago a man was killedin Le Sueur County.

Farmers tend not tomake people wear bright-ly-colored safety vests,which help preventmachine operators fromhitting them. Most don’trealize the damage cell-crushing soil can have onpeople who are even par-tially buried but rescued,and they need to be pre-pared to warn emergencyworkers who may not befamiliar with that type ofaccident.

Another common dan-ger is failing to put thespoil bank, or excavatedmaterial, far enough awayfrom the edge of thetrench, so that chunkscan’t tumble in.

Just this past January, a20-year-old South DakotaState University studenthome for a weekend on a

farm near Lakefield,Minn., was in a trenchrepairing a main line on afield drain next to a countyhighway. The victim andan uncle were at the bot-tom of the trench, thefather was on top with abackhoe. The young manbent over to pick up a “T”to make a connection, andthe trench caved in andkilled him through suffo-cation and crushing, eventhough it was only five feetdeep. In Walker’s demon-stration, he notes that acubic foot of soil weighs3,000 pounds and has asmuch mass as some pickuptrucks.

One perennial issue dis-cussed in the hallways atthe event was aboutwhether tile drainageaffects flooding in the RedRiver Valley.

More research mighthelp, Scherer said. Therehas been lots of researchfrom April to November,but there is less informa-tion about how flows inthis area are affected byweather factors — a killingfrost, precipitation, springthaw timing. “We don’thave a very good idea ofwhen they flow, what dothey respond to, the tim-ing, because it’s alldependent on when do weget snow, when does itthaw, when does the tilestart flowing,” Scherersays.

With this year’s mildtemperatures, some farm-ers in the Brookings, S.D.,area were installing tile inearly February, Scherersaid, chuckling. “There’sno frost. How strange isthat?”

Ag Week and the MorrisSun Tribune are bothowned by ForumCommunications Co.

‘Controlled’ field drains being adapted in Red River Valley

Gary Sands


Agricultural long-term projectionsUnited States

Department of Agriculture

This report providesprojections for the agricul-tural sector through 2021.Projections cover agricul-tural commodities, agri-cultural trade, and aggre-gate indicators of the sec-tor, such as farm incomeand food prices. The pro-jections are based on spe-cific assumptions aboutmacroeconomic condi-tions, policy, weather, andinternational develop-ments, with no domestic orexternal shocks to globalagricultural markets.Provisions of current laware assumed to remain ineffect through the projec-tion period. The projec-tions are one representa-tive scenario for the agri-cultural sector for the nextdecade. The projections inthis report were preparedduring October throughDecember 2011, reflecting acomposite of model resultsand judgment-based analy-ses.

Major assumptionsunderlying the projectionsand selected implicationsinclude:

EEccoonnoommiicc GGrroowwtthh• U.S. and world econom-

ic growth reflect move-ments back to longrunsteady gains in the after-math of the global finan-cial crisis and economicrecession. However, themacroeconomic assump-tions reflect a dichotomybetween a slow transitionback toward relativelyweaker longrun sustain-able growth in developedcountries (particularlyJapan and the EU) andstronger growth in devel-oping countries. As aresult, developing coun-tries become a larger partof the world economy.

• Global economicgrowth is assumed at a 3.3-percent average rate for2011-2021. High growthrates in China, India, andother emerging marketsamong the developingcountries underpin worldmacroeconomic gains.

• Among developedcountries, Japan’s econom-ic growth continues to faceconstraints from long-termstructural rigidities, apolitical process thatmakes economic reformdifficult, and a rapidlyaging population. Growthin the EU will be limited bythe ongoing Eurozone cri-sis.

• The U.S. economy isprojected to grow at anaverage rate of about 2.5percent over the nextdecade. With slowergrowth in the UnitedStates than in the worldeconomy, the U.S. share ofglobal gross domesticproduct (GDP) falls fromabout 26 percent currentlyto 24 percent at the end ofthe projection period.Employment gains are pro-jected to be slow, with highrates of unemploymentlasting for a number ofyears.

• In the longer run, thereturn to steady global eco-nomic growth supportslonger term gains in world

food demand, global agri-cultural trade, and U.S.agricultural exports.Economic growth in devel-oping countries is especial-ly important because foodconsumption and feed useare particularly respon-sive to income growth inthose countries, withmovement away from tra-ditional staple foods andincreased diversificationof diets.

PPooppuullaattiioonn• Stronger global eco-

nomic growth over thenext decade contributes tothe continued slowing ofpopulation gains aroundthe world as birth ratesdecline. Growth in globalpopulation is projected toaverage about 1.0 percentper year compared with anaverage annual rate of 1.2percent in the last decade.

• Population growthrates in most developingcountries remain abovethose in the rest of theworld. As a consequence,the share of world popula-tion accounted for by

developing countriesincreases to 82 percent by2021, up from 79 percent in2000.

• Population gains indeveloping countries,along with increasedurbanization and expan-sion of the middle class,are particularly importantfor the projected growth inglobal food demand.

Populations in develop-ing countries, in contrastto those in more-developedcountries, are dominatedby younger populationcohorts who consume larg-er quantities of food ofincreasingly diverse types.

TThhee VVaalluuee ooff tthhee UU..SS..DDoollllaarr

• The U.S. dollar is pro-jected to depreciatethrough the projectionperiod. The dollar depreci-ation is part of a globalrebalancing of trade andfinancial markets in theaftermath of the globalfinancial crisis and reces-sion. Although notassumed for these projec-tions, a worsening of the

Eurozone sovereign debtcrisis would weaken theeuro further and slow thedepreciation of the dollar.

• The weaker dollar willremain a facilitating factorin projected gains in U.S.agricultural exports.Although trade competi-tion will continue to bestrong, the United Stateswill remain competitive inglobal agricultural mar-kets, with export gainscontributing to longrunincreases in cash receiptsfor U.S. farmers.

OOiill PPrriicceess• Crude oil prices are

assumed to increase overthe next decade as globaleconomic activityimproves, rising somewhatfaster than the generalinflation rate in the latterpart of the projections. Bythe end of the projectionperiod, the nominal refin-er acquisition cost forcrude oil imports is pro-jected to be over $120 perbarrel.

Continued on page 9D


Continued from page 8D

• Increases in crude oilprices raise productioncosts in the agriculturalsector.

UU..SS.. AAggrriiccuullttuurraallPPoolliiccyy

• Provisions of currentlaw, particularly the 2008Farm Act, are assumed toremain in effect throughthe projection period.

• Acreage enrolled inthe Conservation ReserveProgram (CRP) is project-ed to decline to under 30million acres over the nextseveral years before risingback to close to its legislat-ed maximum of 32 millionacres throughout theremainder of the projec-tions.

• With high prices formany crops, price-depend-

ent marketing loan andcounter-cyclical programbenefits have become lessimportant in total govern-ment payments to the U.S.agricultural sector. TheCRP and fixed direct pay-ments are the largest pay-ments to the sectorthroughout the projectionperiod. Overall,Government paymentshave a smaller role and thesector relies on the marketfor more of its income.

UU..SS.. BBiiooffuueellss• The 45-cents-per-gallon

tax credit that had beenavailable to blenders ofethanol and the 54-cents-per-gallon tariff onimported ethanol used asfuel expired at the end of2011.

Similarly, the $1-per-gal-lon tax credit for blending

biodiesel expired at theend of 2011.

The projections assumethat these provisions arenot reinstated.

• High levels of domes-tic corn-based ethanol pro-duction continue over thenext decade, with about 36percent of total corn useprojected to go to ethanolproduction. However,gains are smaller thanhave occurred in recentyears. The projected slow-er expansion reflects onlymoderate near-termgrowth in overall U.S. gaso-line consumption followedby declines later in thedecade, limited potentialfor further market pene-tration of ethanol into theE10 (10-percent ethanolblend) market, constraintsin the E15 (15-percentethanol blend) market, andthe small size of the E85(85-percent ethanol blend)market.

• The biomass-based

diesel use mandate underthe Renewable FuelStandard of the EnergyIndependence andSecurity Act of 2007 hasrisen to one billion gallonsfor 2012 and is assumed toremain at that level forsubsequent years. Somebiodiesel production abovethis mandate is assumed tomeet a portion of theadvanced biofuel mandateof the Renewable FuelStandard. Soybean oil,other first-use vegetableoils, animal fats, and recy-cled vegetable oil are usedas feedstocks to producebiodiesel in the projec-tions.

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• World meat demandand imports continuestrong growth, especiallyin many middle- and low-income countries.Projected global growthfor overall meat consump-tion averages more thantwo percent annually overthe next decade, with percapita consumptionincreasing for each major

type of meat (beef, pork,and poultry).

• The projectionsassume that policies willcontinue to be used inRussia to stimulate domes-tic pork and poultry pro-duction and to reduceimports.

IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall PPoolliiccyy• Trade projections

assume that countriescomply with existing bilat-eral and multilateralagreements affecting agri-culture and agriculturaltrade. The report incorpo-rates effects of tradeagreements and domesticpolicies in place inNovember 2011.

• Domestic agriculturaland trade policies in indi-vidual foreign countriesare assumed to continue toevolve along their currentpaths, based on the consen-sus judgment of USDA’sregional and commodityanalysts. In particular,long-term economic andtrade reforms in manydeveloping countries areassumed to continue.

• The Canadian WheatBoard is assumed to con-tinue to function as in thepast.

II nn tt ee rr nn aa tt ii oo nn aa llBBiiooffuueellss

• Global demand for bio-fuel feedstocks is projected

to continue growing. Thelargest producers—theUnited States, Brazil, theEU, and Argentina—areprojected to expand out-put, although at a slowerpace than in recent years.Increases in output arealso expected from manysmaller producers.Continued expansion islargely due to biofuel poli-cies, mainly use mandatesand tax incentives.

• The EU remains theworld’s largest importer ofbiofuels throughout theprojection period.

To boost biodiesel pro-duction, the EU increasesoilseed production andimports of oilseeds andvegetable oil feedstocks,mainly from Ukraine andRussia. EU wheat providesmuch of the feedstock forethanol expansion in theEU in the early years,while growth in corn usedas an ethanol feedstock ismore rapid toward the endof the projections. The EUalso increases imports ofbiofuels throughout theprojection period, particu-larly biodiesel fromArgentina and ethanolfrom Brazil.

Agricultural


SAINT PAUL, MINN.,March 6, 2012 - TheMinnesota Farm ServiceAgency would like toremind dairy producers ofsome important programeligibility requirementsfor payment under theMilk Income Loss Contractprogram (MILC). FSAState Executive DirectorLinda Hennen says dairyprices may authorizepotential MILC payments,but all dairy producersneed to be aware of theprogram requirementsshould those conditionsarise.

Dairy operators cur-rently enrolled in MILC,

need to notify the localcounty office if there havebeen any changes to theirdairy operation.

If a payment rate isannounced, dairy produc-ers enrolled in the MILCprogram will need to pro-vide the local county officewith documentation show-ing the eligible milk pro-duction and commercialmilk marketing for themonths with a MILC pay-ment rate in effect.

When producers enrollin MILC, a payment startmonth is selected. Thismonth remains the samethrough all program years,unless a change is request-

ed by the dairy. Dairy pro-ducers need to check withtheir FSA Office to deter-mine when a change isallowed.

MILC program partici-pants are also required tocomply with FSA'sAdjusted Gross Incomerequirements each fiscalyear. This certification, ona CCC-931, must be com-pleted prior to a paymentbeing disbursed.

New dairies that havenot previously participat-ed in the MILC programwill need to fill out theCCC-580, Milk Income LossContract.

By AAll FFrraannkkeennU.S. Senator, D-MNIn December, when the

first new Massey Fergusontractor built in America inmany years rolled off theAgco assembly line inJackson, Minn., it was asure sign that the farmeconomy is helping to leadthe economic recovery inour state and across thecountry.

With farm prices strongand farm income up, agri-cultural prosperity is cre-ating jobs, not only infarming, but also in relat-ed industries and smallbusinesses that supportour farmers.

When I visited Agco'snewly-expanded plant inJackson last summer, com-pany officials were excitedthat demand from farmershelped them create almost200 new jobs in that ruralMinnesota community.

22001122 FFaarrmm BBiillll DDeebbaatteeBBeeggiinnnniinngg

As we move forward in2012, Minnesota and therest of the country have aneconomic stake in continu-ing to ensure a strong farmeconomy. This year,Congress will soon take upa new Farm Bill to helpgive farmers the tools theyneed to stay prosperous.

The Farm Bill debate

will take place at the verytime Congress and thePresident are looking torein in spending in everypart of the budget - includ-ing agriculture. I willpress for legislation thatmeets the needs ofMinnesota farmers by pro-viding an adequate safetynet to assist when disas-ters hit or farm pricesdrop.

As Congressional budg-et cutters look to cut directfarm payments, cropinsurance will becomeeven more important inhelping farmers recoverfrom devastating losses. In2010, crop insurance poli-

cies covered 256 millionacres, or about 75 percentof all acres planted. I willwork with my colleagueson the AgricultureCommittee to expand andstrengthen this importantprogram.

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As a member of theSenate Energy Committee,I believe that rural energydevelopment can drive jobcreation in Minnesota.That's why the RuralEnergy for AmericaProgram (REAP) is a toppriority for me.

The program providesgrants and loan guaran-tees to farmers and ruralsmall businesses for ener-gy efficiency and renew-able energy projects, aswell as grants to gas sta-tions for blender pumpinstallation. After consult-ing with Minnesota farmand energy groups, I willsoon introduce legislationto improve access to REAPfunding, so that Minnesota

job creators can takeadvantage of our state'svast renewable energypotential.

Our nation has madegreat progress in the devel-opment of ethanol andother biofuels, but we needto do more to reduce ourdependence on foreign oil.The country's first com-mercial-scale cellulosicbiorefinery will begin pro-duction in Iowa next yearpumping out ethanol madefrom corncobs and stover.We need to invest in thattechnology in Minnesotaso we can continue to leadAmerica's biofuel move-ment.

Drivers need to have achoice when they go to thepump, so I'm going to intro-duce legislation to investin blender pumps - whichblend ethanol with gaso-line. Automakers say thatany car that uses gasolinecould potentially run on ablend that includes 30 per-cent ethanol, but we sim-ply don't have enough

blender pumps because bigoil companies - who con-trol most gas stations -don't want the competi-tion.

But blender pumps arejust one part of the equa-tion. To foster continuedinnovation and growth, weneed strong support foragriculture research anddevelopment. That's whyI've fought to fund keyagriculture research pro-grams, including USDA'sAgriculture and FoodResearch Initiative, whichfunds critical agricultureresearch at the Universityof Minnesota and acrossthe country.

2012 will be an impor-tant year for Minnesotafarmers, and recent histo-ry shows that they areleading the way in our eco-nomic recovery. I'm goingto continue to work toensure that Congress doesits part to keep our farmeconomy strong.

Farm bill debate begins in Congress

Dairy producers reminded of MILC Program


Though it's easy for sub-urbanites or city dwellersto go months, if not years,without seeing a farm, themost recent agriculturecensus for which informa-tion is available notes thatin 2007 there were 2.1 mil-lion farms in the UnitedStates. Those farmsspanned 922 million acres,shedding light on the factthat while manyAmericans might not seefarms on a daily basis, thatdoesn't mean the countryisn't still a great home tofarmland.

While farming mightonce have been a part ofmost Americans' dailylives, today the principlesof farming are much moreforeign to the averageAmerican. One such prin-ciple is crop rotation, avaluable agricultural prac-tice that can even pay divi-dends for suburban home-owners who enjoy garden-ing. The benefits of croprotation aren't only appli-cable to large farms, asthey can help keep person-al gardens healthy as well.

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Crop rotation is a prac-tice farmers employ tohelp their crops fight dis-ease. By growing a varietyof crops in a sequentialsystem throughout theirfield, farmers are hoping toavoid the buildup of dis-ease and pests that is com-mon with mono-cropping,which is the practice ofgrowing the same crop onthe same land year afteryear after year. When rotat-ing crops, each succeedingcrop must belong to a fami-ly different from the previ-ous crop.

WW hhyy EEmmppllooyy CCrrooppRRoottaattiioonn??

Crop rotation has manybenefits, arguably the mostimportant of which iskeeping pests and diseaseat bay. Since many pestinsects and disease-caus-ing organisms are host spe-cific, rotating crops helpsensure these insect pestsand harmful organismscannot make a permanenthome or have access to apermanent source of food.If crops aren't rotated,

then the insect pests andorganisms have a constantsource of food, enablingthem to live longer and domore damage to crops as aresult.

But crop rotation isn'tonly beneficial to crops.Crop rotation can also pro-mote healthy soil.Different crops have differ-ent nutrient needs, sorotating crops with differ-ent nutrient needs helpsavoid the depletion of anyone element present in thesoil. Soil structure is oftenbetter when crops arerotated as well. Some cropsare deep-rooting while oth-ers are shallow rooting. Byalternating between thetwo, planters can break upany subsoil that mighthave grown compacted.

Crop rotation also offersenvironmental and finan-cial benefits by reducingreliance on syntheticchemicals to fight pests. Byrotating crops, planters aremaking it much harder forpests to thrive, withouthaving to spend money oncostly and often environ-mentally harmful pesti-cides.

Crop rotation is a practice that both farmers and gardening enthusiasts can benefit from.

Understandingcrop rotation

Morris, Minnesota 56267MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARMPage 12D- Saturday, March 10, 2012

607 Pacific Ave., Morris(320) 589-2525

www.morrissuntribune.com

“For All Your Family’s Dental Needs”

(320) 589-2161201 East 6th Street, Morris

EnvironmentControl

Systems170 So. Cty. Rd. 22, Morris

((332200)) 558899--33886655

601 Atlantic Avenue • Morris(320) 589-3933

The agriculture industry plays a vital role in maintaining a strong economy by creating jobs andproducing an abundance of affordable high-quality products, from the food on our tables to the clothes

on our backs. Today’s sophisticated farms have made great strides in technology, pro-ductivity and innovation to improve quantity and quality

while keeping consumers’ costs low. We salute the men andwomen of our nation’s agriculture industry for their hard

work and dedication to keeping our country strong!

AMOCOFOODSHOP

300 Atlantic Ave. • Morris(320) 589-2974

M-F 5 AM-10 PMSat. & Sun. 6 AM-10 PM

966 6th St., Hancock

(320) 392-3143

P.O. Box 425, Hancock (320) 392-5527

Bobcat of Morris19700 470th Ave., Morris

(320) 589-4439

TONY & ANDREW MESSNER

320-392-5496

AND

38499 County Rd. 2, Hancock, MN 56244FAX: 320-392-6339

INC

402 Atlantic Ave.Morris

320-589-4455

Auto Value ofMorris

320.324.7461313 Main Street, Alberta

1144 IInndduussttrriiaall BBllvvdd.. •• MMoorrrriiss,, MMNN 880000..552222..22556600 •• 332200..558899..11777711

wwwwww..ppttrraaiilleerr..ccoomm

202 East 7th St., Morris

320-589-9060

Juanita Staples • Lonnie Anderson

Gainn aa sensee off security

withh thee rightinsurancee

forr yourr farm,crops,, auto,,

orr home..

Hill ElectricRRooggeerr DD.. HHiillll

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((332200)) 332244--77331133CCeellll:: ((332200)) 880088--55995577

www.morris.umn.edu

West CentralEnvironmental

Consultants, Inc.14 Green River Road, Morris

(320) 589-2039

320-589-12811002 Columbia Ave., Morris

www.hancockrecord.com

Located at 607 Pacific Ave., Morris

Mike Schneider • 585-7410600 Atlantic Avenue,

Suite 204, Morris

Lakeland Ag., Inc.

55706 280th Street, Alberta(320) 589-1600

These area businesses support ourlocal farmers with pride!

KATHLEEN JOST, DVMMIKE HEIN, DVM

JACLYN CARLSONVAN LITH, DVM

Dr. Eric Rambow • Dr. Meghan Rambow

www.morrisdentalclinic.com

H & HVeteriary Service

170 Hwy. 9 NWBenson, MN 56215

(320) 842-5960 Fax: (320) 842-5990

MICHAELSON SERVICESOwner: Tim Michaelson

* Trees * Snow Removal* Metal Recycling

320-589-1664 • 320-808-70931627 State Hwy 329,

Morris, MN 56267

103 East 5th St., Starbuck320.239.2136

710 Atlantic Ave., Morris320-589-3822

MORRIS AREASCHOOLS

((332200)) 558899--44884400

HANCOCK CO-OP, INC.FERTILIZER & FEED355 Atlantic Avenue,

Hancock

(320) 392-5291

Sewage SystemSpecialties

24149 380th Ave., Hancock

(320) 795-2429We design, install & inspect sewage systems

210 South Hwy 9, Morris(320) 589-1010www.valuford.com

220011 SSoo.. CCoolluummbbiiaa AAvvee..MMoorrrriiss

KKAANNNNEEGGIIEESSSSEERR

TTRRUUCCKK SSAALLEESS

23774 380th AvenueHancock

(320) 795-2827

STARBUCK, MN320-239-2677

TOLL FREE: 888-643-4977

West Central Wiring& Consulting

has wiring solutions for your home & business.

Free Estimates! Free Estimates!Walter Biesterfeld, Owner

320.815.4062

[email protected]

Complete line of sporting goods;guns, ammo, camouflage clothing,

& camping gear.

Documents

2012 Morris Sun Tribune Farm Progress Edition