Union Farmer - June 2023

NDFU union farmer

JUNE 2023 • ndfu.org

STEM MATTERS

New Gateway to Science center opens in Bismarck with help of Farmers Union Insurance donation

Armen Hanson

Armen Hanson started working in the Devils Lake agency in the summer of 1982. He was born and raised in Devils Lake.

He is an NDSU graduate and former elementary teacher in Kenmare. Later, he was a vocational ag instructor in Devils Lake.

Armen is married to Connie and they have one daughter, Dr. Callie and husband Dr. Josh Greene and they have three children. Armen enjoys spending time with grandchildren, hunting and gardening.

Armen is a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church and the State Historical Society of N.D., and has served on various boards in the Lake Region.

Kim Zinke

In 1994, Kim Zinke started working in the Devils Lake agency joining Armen Hanson and her dad, the late Terry Aronson (he passed away in 2013).

Kim and husband Daryn farm east of Devils Lake and have a daughter Dana, who is married to Brock Walford. They have four children. Daughter Andrea and Brady Pesek have two children.

Kim is active in her small hometown church, Bethlehem Lutheran of Doyon. Kim is on the Lake Region Community College Foundation and Dollars for Scholars.

Kim enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and time at the lake with family and friends.

Dan Ness

Dan began his adventure growing up on a farm near Lawton. After graduating college, he started his career in the automotive industry where he worked until becoming an agent for Farmers Union Insurance in 2014.

He is married to his high school sweetheart, Bonnie. They have three children: Danielle (Ben), Nikki (Travis), and Wyatt. They have also been blessed with six amazing grandchildren: Parker, Beckett, Annistyn, Everyst, Mack and Mia. Another grandson is on the way and will be joining their family in June.

He is proud to be part of the Lake Region community serving on the Lake Region State College Board, CHI Hospital Board, Devils Lake Rotary Board, LRSC Auto Advisory board, Devils Lake Chautauqua board, and being the former president of St. Olaf Lutheran church.

Kim Zinke Armen Hanson Dan Ness

How CBO scoring affects a Farm Bill

In early May, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its baseline projections for farm bill programs, estimating 10-year spending of $1.47 trillion. The projections have major implications for the 2023 Farm Bill process; all changes to spending under the next farm bill will be measured against the baseline. This article provides an overview of the CBO scoring process, a summary of the latest CBO score, and what it means for the farm bill process.

What is the CBO baseline?

The CBO baseline provides a projection of government spending for the current fiscal year and the 10 years following. Importantly, CBO’s baseline estimates the cost to continue existing programs. Spending projections increase and decrease based on a variety of economic factors. For example, Price Loss Coverage (PLC) spending projections are based on expected price, yield and base acre enrollment. If CBO projects higher crop prices, PLC spending estimates will be lower.

Since 1981, farm bills have been negotiated under strict budgetary rules. Any changes to farm bill spending are measured against CBO’s baseline. If Congress is required to produce a

budget neutral farm bill, changes resulting in increased spending will have to be offset within the bill. Because the farm bill coalition consists of farm, consumer and conservation interests, the agriculture committees are often expected to offset spending increases within the same farm bill title.

Finally, it is important to note that supplemental spending is not built into the farm bill baseline. Ad hoc programs, such as the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) are not factored into the baseline. So, while NDFU and others have argued for increased safety net spending to reduce the need for ad hoc programs, recent spending for those programs is not factored into the baseline.

Summary of the May CBO baseline

Spending from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is projected to account for over 80% of farm bill spending at $1.2 trillion. SNAP spending projections have risen in recent years due to stress in the broader U.S. economy. Crop insurance and commodity spending totals $101.3 billion (6.9%) and $68.6 billion (5.4%), respectively. While the

Source: Congressional Budget Office, NDFU Calculations

FROM NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION

2023 Farm Bill will likely be the largest farm bill to date, farm bill spending accounts for less than two percent of the federal budget.

Projected spending for farm safety net programs is slightly lower than spending projections under the 2018 Farm Bill at the time of passage. That reduction in spending is due to relatively high commodity prices. As Figure 1 illustrates, soybean prices are expected to be well above the PLC effective reference price. Corn prices are projected above the reference price in seven of the 10 years, while wheat base acres are expected to receive only modest payments throughout the period.

Figure 2 shows that the majority of farm program spending is projected to go toward corn base acres. This is largely because corn base acres comprise 38% of all base acres nationally and corn is a high yielding crop. On the other hand, cotton, peanuts and rice are slated to receive 24% of safety net payments, despite totaling just 6% of base acres.

The CBO baseline and the 2023 Farm Bill NDFU’s priorities for the next farm bill include establishing an ARC/PLC “dual enrollment option,” increasing PLC reference prices, and strengthening permanent disaster programs. Each of these proposals will require additional funding. The recent CBO baseline may help and hinder those efforts.

It is important to acknowledge that the 2023 Farm Bill will almost certainly be the first farm bill to authorize over $1 trillion in spending. While a big chunk of that spending comes from nutrition programs, the overall price tag could create challenges for achieving improvements to farm programs. In that way, CBO’s baseline may hinder NDFU efforts to strengthen critical support for farmers and ranchers.

On the other hand, commodity program

outlays are modest in comparison to the overall price tag. Typically, price-related stress drives farm policy improvements. However, in the early stages of the 2023 Farm Bill debate, discussions have focused more on high costs of production rather than crop price. Relatively strong prices for most commodities has translated to lower projected outlays for commodity programs. This could create opportunities for relatively inexpensive improvements to farm programs.

Finally, recent years have plainly shown that the current safety net is inadequate in the face of severe market and weather challenges. As a result, Congress has provided a series of non-farm bill programs, beginning with the MFP and WHIP+ in 2018. Addressing those needs within the farm bill will provide more consistent, reliable relief and should result in overall cost savings.

Conclusion

With CBO’s latest baseline projections in hand, the work to sort out the math of the next farm bill will ramp up. As consumers and producers face macroeconomic pressures, the 2023 Farm Bill is slated to be the country’s first trillion-dollar farm bill. At the same time, the CBO baseline offers justification for strengthening farm programs to reflect current margin pressures.

— Government Relations Director Matt

Sources

Perdue

Congressional Budget Office. (2023, May). Baseline Projections, USDA Mandatory Farm Programs. Retrieved from https://www.cbo.gov/system/files?file=202305/51317-2023-05-usda_0.pdf.

Congressional Budget Office. (2023, May). Baseline Projections, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Retrieved from https://www.cbo.gov/system/ files?file=2023-05/51312-2023-05-snap.pdf.

Source: Congressional Budget Office

HOME AWAY

AT NORTH DAKOTA

JUNIOR CAMPS

(Completed Grades 3-6)

JAMES RIVER

June 12-15

June 27-30

July 5-8

July 17-20

July 24-27

HEART BUTTE

June 19-22

June 26-29

July 5-8

July 18-21

July 25-28

AWARD TRIPS

(Invitation Only)

SENIOR CAMPS

(Completed Grades 7-12)

June 13-17 Heart Butte ( Grades 7-12)

June 20-24 Jamestown ( Grades 7-9)

July 10-14 Jamestown ( Grades 7-12)

July 11-15 Heart Butte ( Grades 7-9)

July 31-Aug 4 Jamestown ( Grades 10-12)

Aug 1-5 Heart Butte ( Grades 10-12)

All-States Leadership Camp : June 25-30 (Montana)

Third Year Award Tour : July 17-20 (Twin Cities)

FROM HOME

FARMERS UNION SUMMER CAMP!

REFER A FRIEND!

Campers earn a limited edition T-shirt and Cenex gift card for referring friends to camp as well as award trips for youth program participation. Restrictions apply, visit ndfu.org for details.

FUI secures naming rights for PBA event

BY CHRIS AARHUS, NDFU

Jay Fettig of Bismarck and Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., were relaxing after competing in a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) event in Las Vegas, when a hunting conversation turned into how to make bowling more exciting for casual fans.

“We talked about how boring bowling tournaments are, and the idea was born from there,” Fettig said.

The duo formed J-Mar Entertainment, a company that hopes to turn professional bowling tournaments into a party atmosphere complete with outdoor music, food vendors, yard games, inflatables, arts and crafts, and opportunities to meet bowling professionals.

The dream is about to become a reality, as the two are successfully bringing the PBA to the Upper Midwest. The Farmers Union Insurance PBA Midwest Open Championships are set for June 13-14 at Sunset Lanes in Moorhead, Minn., and June 16-18 at Midway Lanes in Mandan.

“We’ll have right around 20 bowlers who are touring professionally, including some of the top money winners,” Fettig said. “We’ll have bowlers from Massachusetts, St. Louis, Colorado — all over. We’ll have Team Canada’s captains bowling in it. We’ll have some of the best the world has to offer.”

Getting this far wasn’t easy. Fettig had to contact former acquaintance John Weber of the PBA to convince the professional organization to associate their brand with this startup idea.

“He gave me the laundry list of things that I needed to do,” Fettig said. “Then it was just selling the concept and the idea.”

Typically, a bowling center pays the PBA to host a tour event, which Fettig said means the host of the event can have a hard time making money.

“We decided to make this like a PGA (golf)

event,” Fettig said. “Give us the contract to host the event, and we’ll contract with the bowling centers. And we’ll do it so the centers make money. We’ll bring in big stars and turn it into a big event.”

It could be the start of something big, Fettig said.

“These are the first two,” he said. “We were given this chance from PBA as a test run. The PBA has not been (to North Dakota) since 1976. It’s not a market for them. If this goes wrong, what are they losing? We’ve got everything dialed in and buttoned up.”

J. Mar is selling sponsorships of multiple items at the venues including the bowling lanes themselves. However, the naming rights belong to Farmers Union Insurance.

“Without (Farmers Union), we couldn’t do this,” Fettig said. “This would have stopped dead in its tracks without (them).”

To learn more about attending or sponsoring the event, go to jmarentertainment.com

Marshall Kent and Jay Fettig started J-Mar Entertainment to turn pro bowling events into a huge celebration. The Farmers Union Insurance PBA Midwest Open Championships are set for June 13-14 and June 16-18 in Mandan. The bowling event also features outdoor music, food vendors, inflatables and opportunities to meet bowling professionals.

Look for more than one solution

It seems in today’s world that issues and challenges appear to have only one solution – a black and white scenario without any compromise or any look at middle ground.

Many people in our society refuse to accept dialogue or information from other perspectives and, at times, assume anything that does not agree with their position is a lie. We tend to listen only to information which supports our position or reinforces our current belief or the belief of a leader, without any facts or logic to support that information.

We also tend to assume a paradigm cannot shift and new knowledge or new conditions are only meant to distract us from a long-held belief. Most are unwilling to research and verify whether information is factual or simply an opinion.

As president of NDFU, I am asked many times to make statements on behalf of the organization. Usually, we have clear policy and it is easy to reiterate the position our members have set forth through our grassroots policy development. That development involves strong debate, research and life experiences of members, which determine our course of action each year. As you can imagine, there are times when our policy is not clearly defined on issues that may be new or non-related to our organization. We have a process for managing issues outside of our policy; everything from making a judgment call, asking our state board or Board of Governors for guidance or simply taking no position.

New concepts, ideas and challenges face our country and the world. It is time we all become better informed and seek information, not just information that reinforces our current belief. Do research and ask questions of people you trust. An open mind can allow for middle ground solutions that usually result in better outcomes, keeping people united in common goals.

World solutions are not black and white. Endless ideas and opinions exist. How we operate in the U.S. may work well for us but not for others. Where we live in the U.S. matters, too. Are we rural or urban? What is our cultural background? Factors that make us unique may

lead us to assume our style of life, rules and laws are more correct than others. This may or may not be true, but we can always learn from each other.

I challenge all of us to step beyond the idea that there is only one solution to every question. Remember, the world is not black and white. Life is not black and white. It is our responsibility to determine the logic of specific ideas and solutions. We need to listen to all the dialogue and form our own thoughts that aren’t based on talking points or headlines. We need to participate in our democracy as more informed citizens.

• Do not allow extra riders on a mower (even if you’re not mowing)

• Never point the discharge chute toward people

• Allow the mower to cool before refueling

• Always wear hearing protection

The Farmer’s Share

Did you know that farmers and ranchers receive only 14.3* cents of every food dollar that consumers spend?

According to the USDA, off farm costs including marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing account for more than 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the United States.

Farmers Union part of USDA regional food center initiative

BY PAM MUSLAND, NDFU

North Dakota Farmers Union is part of a Regional Food Business Center established by USDA to expand small and mid-sized agricultural food and supply chains in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

Known as the “MiNKota RFBC,” the center will provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers and food businesses access new markets while navigating federal, state and local resources. Of primary focus will be the development of critical infrastructure for small and mid-sized livestock processing, fruit and vegetable processing, warehouse space and storage options.

“In response to the pandemic that exposed weaknesses within our food delivery and supply chain systems, this is an important step toward building local, resilient systems for consumers and rural America,” said NDFU President Mark Watne. “Increasing local and regional demand for products, expanding processing capacity and improving delivery channels will add value to the products grown and raised by family farmers and ranchers.”

As a state partner of the center, NDFU will help identify needs and host a two-day summit every other year for technical assistance providers and initiative partners. Minnesota Farmers Union and South Dakota Farmers Union are also partners in the project.

In total, USDA will establish 12 Regional Food Business Centers to serve all areas of the country. The effort is part of a $400 million initiative announced last September.

NDFU urges elimination of E15 ban

NDFU welcomed an emergency waiver allowing summertime sales of E15 (gasoline with 15 percent ethanol), effective immediately.

“President Biden’s decision acknowledges the important role of agriculture and renewable fuels in our nation’s energy security,” said Watne. “Farmers want to do their part in reducing our dependence on foreign oil. One way to do that is to reduce the barriers to offering a variety of ethanol blends at the pump, like E15, which can help consumers save money. The decision also provides certainty for ethanol producers and retailers, and offers consumers a cheaper homegrown fuel throughout the year.”

“In the long term, we will continue to advocate for permanent elimination of the summertime E15 ban to provide retailers and consumers more certainty,” Watne said. “We also urge the administration and Congress to reduce barriers to mid-level blends of ethanol, like E30, which provide even better efficiency, emissions reduction and octane benefits. We need to make sure consumers have the option to buy higher-level blends.”

AROUND THE STATE

Anamoose-Drake Elementary students recently learned about Farmers Union Camp and the nutritional value of beef in a joint presentation by NDFU and Dakota Angus LLC members. Students also received t-shirts that were worn in a color run to celebrate the last day of school. This event was put together by Amanda Olson, Farm to School Specialist at N.D. Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) and Ashley Bruner (speaking at left), family rancher at Bruner Angus Ranch.

The event was sponsored in part through NDFU’s Kommunity Kids program, where youth can earn a donation to an organization within their community by sharing information about the Farmers Union Youth Program. The donation must be used to purchase an item(s) that has the NDFU logo displayed on it.

Walsh County Farmers Union awards scholarships

Walsh County Farmers Union awarded three $250 scholarships to Sophia (left) and Emma (right) Markusen (parents Jon and Shannon) of Park River High School, and Megan Hefta (parents Jodi and Jason) of Minto High School.

LaMoure County Farmers Union recently donated NDFU children’s books to Edgeley Public and South Central Area libraries. These will be put on the Bookmobile and available in the library for checkout for kids to enjoy. Presenting the books were county president Mike Schlosser (middle) and EPIC Coach Carly Rott (right). Library Director Marisa Ostendorf accepted the donation.

Sioux County Farmers Union EPIC coach Mary Jean Hunter speaks to students about the Farmer’s Share, educating them on how much farmers make on the dollar for their produce at the Sioux County Farm and Ranch Day.

Barnes County Farmers Union held a Farmer’s Share event in April.

Cass County Farmers Union held a Hops and Brats event April 25 at the Vets Club in Casselton. They served over 100 people.

Towner County Farmers Union and Rolette County Farmers Union held a joint EPIC event, visiting Legacy Elevator in Bisbee. Brian Young of Legacy Elevator gave the tour, and the day ended at Country Lanes Bowling Alley with bowling, pizza and door prizes.

TEACHING SCIENCE

MAIN: Beth Demke, executive director of the North Dakota Gateway to Science in Bismarck, stands next to a farm simulator game in which kids can grow crops in four different types of North Dakota soils.

TOP RIGHT: The simulator from a birdseye view.

Story and Photos by Chris Aarhus, NDFU Editor

North Dakota’s Gateway to Science celebrates new facility with help of donation from Farmers Union Insurance

How is ethanol made? What do veterinarians hear from a sick cow’s digestive system? How are the soils different from North Dakota’s western edge to the Red River Valley?

All questions answered with interactive displays and games for kids at North Dakota’s Gateway to Science in Bismarck. The 43,000 square-foot facility opened in early March in its new location overlooking the Missouri River near Bismarck State College.

Executive Director Beth Demke said the transition has been met with excitement, and that the new facility and additional exhibits has already led to an increase in attendance and

memberships.

“People are overwhelmed when they walk in, but in a good way,” she said. “We’ve seen tremendous growth with memberships and with return visitors. We’ve got people that come back more than once a week.”

Farmers Union Insurance donated $100,000 to the new facility, which features a “Growing Science” area that focuses on North Dakota’s agriculture sector. It’s near the “Transforming Energy” area, which focuses on the state’s energy sector.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Farmers Union Insurance was one of the key sponsors for the Growing Science gallery.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Demke said getting agriculture and energy stakeholders on board to fund these areas wasn’t difficult.

“It was easy in that every one of these industries has a vested interest in making sure that children and the general public understand the science behind the work that they do,” she said. “I would say, you tell us the science and we will (create an exhibit) that is handson interactive and exciting. Then, we’ll bring it back to you and ask if we got it right.

“So there are all these layers of nuance that get built into these things. Some of it comes from us in our observations of our own visitors, and some of it comes from subject matter experts, and some from the developer of the exhibit.”

For the “Transforming Energy” exhibit, the center worked specifically with the North Dakota Ethanol Council (NDEC) to build an exhibit that shows kids how an ethanol plant turns corn into fuel. The exhibit involves kids turning handles to start the process. The amount of effort they put in directly relates to how far the automobiles move in the final stage.

“The (NDEC) and the developer would go back and forth coming up with a plan on how to

make the science work — it’s about inputs and outputs,” she said. “And we added some more labels and some viewing windows, because kids want to know all of the mechanisms of how this works.”

The energy exhibits include a large pumpjack that educates kids on oil and natural gas, as well as wind and solar exhibits.

In the “Growing Science” area, the farm simulator allows four kids to play a farming game on a large touch screen console, with each of the four spots representing a soil type from a different region in North Dakota. Some crops will do better than others depending on the soil type, and kids have tools to aid their efforts, like a cartoon agronomist.

Additionally, the area features a large beef cow, in which kids can hear the difference between the heart and digestive sounds of a healthy cow vs. a sick cow. There’s also an exhibit on collar technology used on dairy cows to improve data collection.

Each exhibit comes with a well-worded description, but that’s only to provide the basics and get kids started, Demke said.

“We did a bit of throttling back in terms of how much (written) information we feed to

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

This exhibit shows how an ethanol plant turns food into fuel. As kids turn each of the black handles, a different process is ignited. If they turn the handles enough, they’ll make enough ethanol to move the automobiles in the final stage of the exhibit.

The four different soil types throughout North Dakota are displayed in great detail from the ground up.

North Dakota’s Gateway to Science opened at its new location west of Bismarck State College in early March.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

the average visitor,” Demke said. “They’re not going to sit there for 15 minutes and read something. These are hands-on exhibits. You’ve got to get it out with very little wording, and you’ve got to grab them right away. So there’s a balance there that we’ve tried to achieve.”

HISTORY

The brainchild of Dr. Frank Koch — a chemistry teacher at Bismarck State College — the Gateway to Science opened in November 1994 at the Gateway Mall in Bismarck.

In January of 2005, it moved to the High Prairie Arts and Science Complex, which is just north of BSC. It remained there until it opened in its new facility in March.

Demke said Koch’s vision was about having a place where families could experience science together. When it opened, the center was all volunteers, and even the exhibits were built by volunteers,

“He wanted a welcoming place where people would feel that science is for them,” said Demke, who was among the first volunteers. “From that came the idea that we could have this place right in our hometown.”

The City of Bismarck donated the land for the new building, which features more than just science exhibits. There’s a large meeting space upstairs with a scenic view of the Missouri River that is available to rent for occasions.

Additionally, the facility has classrooms and a

lab — named after Koch — that allows in-house educators to teach about science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) after school or in the summer camp program. Those educators also go on the road in the Gateway to Science van, driving across the state to take small exhibits into classrooms.

FUNDING

A big chunk of the facility’s funding came from the North Dakota state legislature, which approved $13.5 million in grant funding during the 2021 session. The center has also been able to rely on corporate donations and sponsorship opportunities.

“We got some generous funding from the legislature, which is awesome, and that helped us more than I can say,” Demke said. “But we also had some corporate funders and private funders — those that see the need.”

Farmers Union Insurance donated to the agricultural area of the gallery, while other companies donated to their respective areas such as energy, health and medicine, weather and transportation.

“These (companies) see the need and the importance of sponsoring (STEM) and wanting to keep our students in our state … and we’re grateful for the support that our stakeholders like Farmers Union have shown, because that’s what got us here,” she said. “We always talk about growing our own. Let’s make sure our kids our well-prepared and that they’re critical thinkers and problem-solvers. It’s all for them.”

The building’s second level features a conference space overlooking the Missouri River that can be rented out.

In this exhibit, kids can pick up a stethoscope and touch it against the white display to hear what a normal cow’s digestive system and heartbeat sound like. They can then touch it against the circles on the cow to hear what an unhealthy cow might sound like.

A dairy cow exhibit wears a collar around its neck as an example of showing how dairy farmers can closely track the health of a cow. In this exhibit, kids can go through a tablet and learn how to decipher that data.

Farmers Restaurant Group wins sustainability award

BY FARMERS RESTAURANT GROUP

We are extremely excited to announce that Farmers Restaurant Group has won a 2023 District Sustainability Award! We would like to thank District of Columbia leadership and the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) for the award.

As a company, we know our social impact initiatives are directly connected to our environmental impact initiatives, and we are grateful the DOEE recognizes that addressing inequities is critical to building a sustainable city.

Farmers Restaurant Group co-owner Dan Simons said, “Sustainability is about being here tomorrow, as well as 100 years from now. But if we want everyone in our community to be able

to compost, recycle or reduce their electricity consumption, we need to help address some of the inequities in our communities to make sure people aren’t food insecure, have access to job opportunities and continuing education, and are healthy — including their mental wellness.”

Our efforts to feed our communities include weekly meals through partnerships with community groups, like Bishop Gary Hill and the Exodus Treatment Center, and Pastor McClain and the Mercy of Christ Fellowship Church. Over the past two years, we have donated over 17,000 meals and groceries to D.C. Wards 7 and 8. In addition, we partner with Breadcoin, a nonprofit in the district that distributes food tokens to people who are food insecure. The tokens can be used like cash at

local businesses.

We also have continuing education programs working directly with JusticeInvolved-Citizens through DC or Nothing, Inc. and with Georgetown University’s Pivot Program. Founding Farmers DC also partners with DC schools and their Career Technical Education (CTE) programs to host interns in their hospitality & culinary arts program.

In addition, all of our employees (salaried and hourly) and their family members can receive free online mental health services through Talkspace. This free resource provides access to a therapist they can message 24/7 with no limitations and video calls twice a month. Historically, minority and low-income communities have not had equal access to mental healthcare.

Simons has also been talking about the importance of prioritizing mental health in the workplace at various conferences over the past two years, including giving the keynote address to the Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit. One of his goals, directly and indirectly, is to influence other leaders in our industry and beyond to follow our example and start providing more of these services for their

own employees.

As a farmer-owned, mission-driven company, we are in it for the long haul, working to protect and preserve our planet and everyone on it.

Our ongoing sustainability efforts include LEED and Green Restaurant Association certifying all of our restaurants. We work closely with our farmers and suppliers working to unbundle the industrial supply chain, earning farmers a larger share of the food dollar. Founding Farmers restaurants have been able to prevent 90% of our waste from being sent to landfills through our extensive recycling and composting programs. We have also collaborated with suppliers such as Coca-Cola to minimize packaging. Coca-Cola now uses corrugated cases to ship products to Founding Farmers locations without the plastic six-pack collars. Our restaurants strive to continually improve our sustainability efforts every day in order to contribute to the preservation of the planet.

We know we still have a lot of work to do to make a change in our industry, and we are thrilled to be recognized by the DOEE for our efforts and hope together we can continue to effect change and influence others.

Our Famil Book

the Fourth children’s book from North Dakota Farmers Union

$16.95 plus tax

Dusty learns about generations of family and equipment on their farm, and the latest in soil technology. Find out how Dusty makes Gramps a new thingamajig for his tractor to save the day!

Plan for delayed grazing season

A combination of fall drought and a delayed spring due to colder than normal temperatures are expected to cause significant delays in grass development and growth this spring.

Air temperature in the spring is the main environmental factor that determines the rate of grass development.

Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist, explains that each leaf produced on a stem requires a specific amount of accumulated heat or heat units. The temperature when plants initiate development, the base temperature, is 32 degrees Fahrenheit for cool-season grasses and 40 degrees Fahrenheit for warm-season grasses. The temperature or heat units that a plant needs to accumulate to produce a leaf can be expressed as growing degree days (GDD).

Perennial grasses start to accumulate growing degree days the first day after March 15 that the average daily air temperature exceeds 32 degrees for five consecutive days. The number of GDD needed to reach grazing readiness varies between grass species from 443 GDD for crested wheatgrass to over 1,000 GDD for most native species.

On average, cool-season grasses begin accumulating GDD on March 24 near Bismarck and March 30 near Jamestown. This spring, both locations did not start accumulating GDD until April 13. In addition to being delayed, GDD

are accumulating slowly due to cooler than average temperatures, which are expected to remain below average in May.

Grazing readiness is the developmental stage where the plant is able to recover from the stress of grazing the previous year and produce sufficient levels of water-soluble carbohydrates (food) to replenish the roots. Grazing readiness for most domesticated pastures, such as crested wheatgrass and brome grass, is at the 3-leaf stage; whereas, grazing readiness for most native range grasses is the 3 1/2-leaf stage.

All cool-season grasses, which are the dominant grasses in North Dakota, initiate growth from a tiller that was established the previous growing season. However, drought stress during the fall of 2022 resulted in poor tiller development. Grazing management in the fall may have caused tillers to die. Poor tiller development and tiller death last fall are expected to delay development an additional one to two weeks this spring.

Pastures that have had tiller loss must be given adequate time to recover. Grazing too early in the spring can result in decreased total forage production for the entire grazing season.

“You may sacrifice 45% to 60% of forage production for the year by grazing too early,” says Kevin Sedivec, NDSU Extension rangeland management specialist and interim director of

Plant development vs. Plant growth

Understanding the difference between plant development and plant growth is important for determining grazing readiness. Development refers to the formation of plant structures, such as leaves, in an orderly and consistent pattern. Plant growth is the accumulation of forage dry matter or the expansion of leaves and stems.

Grass plants develop in an orderly and consistent manner. Leaves are the major plant organ of interest for grazing. A new leaf becomes visible on a plant after the one preceding it is almost fully developed. The calendar time at which the first leaf appears and the rate at which each leaf develops is determined by the amount of thermal (heat) energy available for biological activity. The air temperature on any spring day differs from year to year, so the amount of heat energy available for plant development for any calendar date, hence development stage, also will vary from year to year.

For determining grazing readiness, we are most interested in the number of leaves formed on the plant. A correlation between development and growth is obvious. Thus, from a management viewpoint, initiating grazing at a specific development stage can be repeated each year, whereas initiating grazing at a growth stage would be difficult.

the NDSU Central Grasslands Extension Center. “The general rule to consider when grazing rangelands is for every day you graze in early May, you lose three days of grazing at the end of the grazing season. For every day you graze in the middle of May, you lose two days of grazing at the end of the grazing season.”

Grazing too early will reduce plant vigor, thin existing stands, lower total forage production, and increase disease, insect and weed infestations. Pastures and range damaged by grazing too early and/or severe overgrazing may take several years of deferment or even rest before the stand regains productivity.

A loss of forage production due to grazing prior to grazing readiness will reduce the recommended stocking rate and/or animal performance.

Due to the combination of cool temperatures and drought stress, ranchers should expect delays of approximately four weeks in grazing readiness this spring and manage accordingly. This would include avoiding grazing native range until grazing readiness has been achieved.

Strategies to avoid grazing native range prior to grazing readiness include:

• Grazing domesticated grass pastures, such as crested wheatgrass and smooth brome, in May. This year, domesticated pastures may not reach grazing readiness until mid-May.

• Providing supplemental forage to livestock on domesticated pasture or hay land. However, be careful not to graze your hay lands too early, too short or if muddy, as the stand will be dramatically reduced in forage production due to reduced vigor and plant damage.

• Using winter annuals that were established last fall for early spring grazing or hay.

• Continuing dry lot feeding in May.

“While it may be tempting to start grazing early due to a lack of forage resources, it can have long-term impacts on forage production,” says Meehan. “Remember, it takes grass leaves to replenish the root food reserves needed to grow grass. Early spring grazing, especially following a drought, can be costly in terms of total forage production during the entire grazing season.”

Article courtesy NDSU

Ag Communications

Larew testifies to Congress

On May 2, NFU President Rob Larew testified at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade, titled, “Commodity Programs, Credit and Crop Insurance: Producer Perspectives on the Farm Safety Net.” As Congress gears up for the 2023 Farm Bill process, president Larew testified on a panel alongside Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).

Witnesses from 10 commodity organizations also offered comments during the hearing.

NFU provided written and verbal testimony expressing the importance of preserving and strengthening the farm safety net, which includes expanding access to crop insurance, increasing price-based triggers in commodity programs to reflect higher prices and input costs, expedited farm program payments, and enacting a permanent disaster program.

Larew discussed the opportunity in the upcoming farm bill to promote and incentivize the diversification of farming and ranching, expand new market opportunities in food and energy, provide producers with the tools needed to combat climate change, and invest in local infrastructure.

Larew also urged Congress to take concrete steps to ensure greater competition throughout the U.S. food system and supply chains through stronger enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, cattle market reform and country-of-origin labeling, and directing research into the impacts of consolidation on farmers, ranchers and consumers. The testimony explicitly urged Congress to include a competition title in the 2023 Farm Bill.

A right to repair win in Colorado

Farmers Union has secured a major policy victory in Colorado. On April 25, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law the “Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act,” marking

an historic victory for the Right to Repair movement. With this enactment, Colorado is the first state in the nation to pass a Right to Repair law for agriculture equipment. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union was integral to the development and passage of this historic legislation.

Taking effect on Jan. 1, 2024, this law requires manufacturers to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools, and documentation, such as diagnostic, maintenance or repair manuals, diagrams or similar information, to independent repair providers and owners of the manufacturer’s agricultural equipment. The law includes agricultural equipment in Colorado’s existing consumer right-to-repair statutes, which treat violations by manufacturers as deceptive trade practices. Colorado has existing enforcement mechanisms on the books, including both criminal and civil penalties.

Success at the state level should help advance the issue nationally, and the Colorado law could serve as a blueprint for other states and federal lawmakers. NFU is leading the national-level push on agricultural Right to Repair legislation with help from a variety of partner organizations and advocates. NFU has also filed petitions with the Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency in support of Right to Repair.

Major farm equipment manufacturers have long refused to make the software tools necessary to repair modern tractors, combines and other farm equipment fully available to farmers and independent mechanics. This leaves farmers no choice but to take their broken equipment to licensed dealerships, which leads to service delays and inflated repair costs.

Furthermore, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a close partner of NFU on Right to Repair, released a report in April, partially based on a survey conducted by NFU. PIRG estimates the equipment downtime and higher repair costs caused by repair restrictions are costing U.S. farmers and ranchers more than $4 billion annually.

The victory in Colorado marks the beginning of ensuring farmers have fair and affordable repair access. NFU will continue to fight alongside partners and advocates to secure Right to Repair for farmers and ranchers across the country.

NFU hosts spring advocacy training

On April 17-18, NFU hosted 12 Farmers Union members from across the country for the 2023 Spring Advocacy Training workshop. For many of the participants, this event served as their first glimpse into NFU’s extensive advocacy work in Washington, D.C.

Throughout the training, members had the opportunity to connect with one another and discuss their roles within Farmers Union, their farming operations, and how they can use their experience to advocate for policies to better serve their communities. The two-day event featured workshops on public speaking, working with the media, serving on boards of directors, and becoming influential advocates for Farmers Union’s priorities.

Participants also heard from NFU President Rob Larew and the Government Relations team to discuss tips and tricks for lobbying and the most effective ways to engage in advocacy. Following a series of breakout group sessions,

participants made their way to Capitol Hill for meetings with congressional offices to advocate for NFU’s 2023 Farm Bill priorities and Fairness for Farmers.

NFU’s 2023 Farm Bill priorities feature core Fairness for Farmers legislative initiatives, including the “Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act,” the “Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act,” the “American Beef Labeling Act,” and protecting USDA’s ongoing rulemaking to strengthen enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. Members also advocated for expanding access to farm programs, through crop insurance and establishing permanent disaster assistance; providing farmers with the resources they need to address climate change through conservation initiatives; supporting the growth and development of biofuels; maintaining a strong nutrition title; better serving beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers; and expanding and funding the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN).

The event was a success as members who participated in the training left Washington with a better understanding of the legislative process, equipped with new skills and confidence to engage with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels.

CLASSIFIEDS

Ads must be submitted through the online form at www.ndfu.org. Click “Classifieds” at the very bottom of ndfu.org and fill out the online form. Ads must be re-submitted each month. No exceptions! Deadline is the 15th of every month. Limit 75 words.

MEMBERSHIP DUES MUST BE CURRENT!

FARM EQUIPMENT

FOR SALE

CASE PLOW. 6 bottom, 20 inch. 6 coulters. Spring trip. 2 point hitch. Heavy duty. In good condition. Has 10 ft wide packer. 605-530-2296, Vern Snow, Tolstoy, SD.

SWATHER, 03’ Macdon self-propelled swather, 30’ 962 Head; Bendpack 6 ton automobiles hoist 3 phase power; 08’ JD 936D Draper header. 701-833-6607, Curt Gilbraith, Minot.

190 AC GAS TRACTOR with Allied Loader. $6500, runs, looks good. 701-320-6040/701-273-6040 (nights), Paul Geringer, Robinson.

TOOLBOX, new full size cross-over aluminum tool box. Single lid, heavy duty, low profile. Able to see 5th wheel ball from stop light camera. Paid $350, want $300. 701-778-7391, Howard Stemen, Dickey.

CONCORD AIR SEEDER 12/20 with dutch openers, places seed and dry fertilizer in rows 6” apart and place nh3 between the rows. Fill auger and winch for nh3 tank hook up. Rebuilt both meters. $6000 obo; 28 ft 7200 hoe drills for parts or whole drill; Two 8 ft Melroe drills w/ seeder weeders and fertilizer, $1200 obo. 851 $500 and 852 $1000, NH balers w/ autowrap, many new baler parts. 701-269-6216, Jerry Miller, Streeter.

15-30 MCCORMICK TRACTOR, 1 new tire LT245-75R-Load Range E. 2- Cream Separators, 4-wheel Steel Running Gear, 1 Covered Wagon Running Gear, 12’ Kirschman Drill, 1 Horse Potato Cultivator, 4 Btm. Pony & Packer, Saddle and 2 Bridles. Email: larryn@westriv.com. 701548-8020, Larry Nagel, Shields.

CHISEL PLOW, 41’ JD 1600 w/ Degelman Harrows, good condition. JD 42’ 1000 series, w/ Degelman Harrows. JD 9350 30’ (3-10 fts) w/ Erskine built on transport-hoe drills. Real good condition. Make offers. JD 630 6 row planter and 6 row 3 point cultivator, make offer. 701833-9630, Gary Knudtson, Donnybrook.

TWO STEEL BINS on cones w/aeration fans; Bourgault knock on cultivator sweeps; used Case IH 8230 feeder chain; combine pickup guards/lifters; 3 triangular grain auger hoppers w/straps/chains to fasten onto grain auger; old front tine rototiller; Simer water pump; farm scale/steel wheels; used 16” JD cultivator shovels/spikes; 4x8’ wooden stone boat; John Blue anhydrous nitrolator w/hyd shut off hoses. 701-629-9003, Doug Halden, Stanley.

CULTIVATOR, 8 row adjustable width Danish tines, 3 pt. hitch, depth wheels, stand, sway discs on ends, $250 OBO, pictures available upon request. 701-952-8973, Glen Nagel, Jamestown.

SPREADER, tow broadcast spreader, 125 pound, Yardworks. Used only 2 times. New price $125. Now $60. 701-541-5364, Henry Walkin, Horace.

TIRES, like new, eight 235/80-R16 10-ply trailer tires. Asking $500 for all 8 tires, and 1 older tire for spare. Please leave message. 701-597-3107, Ken Koch, Shields.

HAMMER MILLS, two Viking Hammer Mills, 16 foot pick up reel and 20 foot metal folding door panels. 701-725-4373, Steven McCormack, Des Lacs.

JOHN DEERE 222 straight grain head. $500 or best offer. 701-320-5104, Edwin Haisley, LaMoure.

SWATHER, Macdon pulltype swather, 24 foot; Farm King auger; Side delivery 60ft long, needs some work; Cenex 2200 bushel steel bin. Excellent condition, to be moved. 701-2631206, Lathan Romsos, Bottineau.

JOHN DEERE 4010 diesel tractor. $5000 or best offer; Yetter 21ft. rotary hoe. Make an offer. Both in good condition. Text or call. 701-320-8390, Larry Exner, LaMoure.

MASSEY COMBINE, 1984 Massey 860 combine with pickup head and 24’ straight head, good belts, chains, concaves(used 2 seasons); 2007 Summers NT Ultimate Sprayer 90’ booms, hydraulic pump, Raven Monitor, chemical filler, flush tank; 1974 Ford F700 grain truck with 16’ box, single axle. 701-593-6368/701-331-8983, Jim Kovarik, Adams.

1960 INTERNATIONAL TRUCK, 2-ton, good shape, hoist , 2500$ or make offer. 30’ Wilrich cultivator great shape make offer. Farmall Super” M tractor with 345 Dual loader, perfect for restorer or small farm hobbyist, always inside. Can text photos .701 -655-3588, Ron Pishtek Brocket.

DISC BLADES, 6 used disc blades for IHC disc, 17 in diameter, 11/4 in square center hole, flat center. 4 used Tie Rod/ Arbor Bolt for Krause Rock Flex disc, 1 1/2 in. diameter, 59 1/2 in long, part # 614-18-0, or 614-16-0. 19 each Nichols brand New double point chisel cultivator “spikes”, 2 in wide 17 in long, part number HC 2C*-2. ii. 701-465-3749, Arlo and Karen Blumhagen, Drake.

MARFLEX PICKUP SPRAYER, 80’ hydraulic booms, 400 gal. tank. Leave message. 701-9255821, James Kimball, Noonan.

PRESS DRILL, 12 ft. 6200 IH press drill with grasseeder recondition $3200; 7 ft. 620 IH press drill with grass seeder reconditioned $1200, have used parts for IH drills and 7, 8, 10, 14 ft. IH press drills also 28 ft. rock cushion; Krous disk good shape $5500 and 300 Artsway grinder mixer ready to go to work, $2200; Rowse 9 ft. mower new sickle $4800. Can deliver any of these. 701-400-5742, Gerald Miller, Mandan.

TRACTORS, IH 706s on up. JDs 4520, 4620, 5010, 5020, 6030, others. MM 950s on up; Olivers, 1963 on up. ACs 200, 210, 220, D-21, others. Will buy all running or not. 701-6282130, Jerry Lumley, Stanley.

SICKLER MOWER, John Deere 3 point sickle mower, Gehl 6 wheel hay rake and Gehl 9 wheel hay rake; suitcase weights with bracket for a 2590 Case tractor. Massey Ferguson 550 diesel combine and 18’ to 21’ double swath swather. 701-226-4055, Lloyd Giese, Steele.

FOR SALE

1930 FORD MODEL A, 4-door, runs and drives. All original and 90%+ complete. Call evenings and weekends. Misc parts go with it. $6500. Serious inquiries only. 701-216-0094, Doug Perdue, Ray.

SADDLE, 14” Denver Colorado saddlery youth saddle $150; 3 Therma-A-Rest Camping mattresses (The Original) 26”x76” with pillows $50 each or $125 for all. Leave message. 701463-7187, Sheryl Krueger, Garrison.

GENERATOR, Powerhouse 2500W, new, never used, $325; Cab kit for Toro snowblower, $30. 701-297-9634, Larry Lampl, West Fargo.

REDWOOD BOARDS, 2”x6”x12’. Tore down a deck. Wood is still in good condition. Would make great raised planters. Asking $10 a board. 701-226-1060, Don Scheeler, Bismarck.

ANVILS, 100 pounder and 120 pounder. Really nice post vise, 7- UP slider pop machine, Pennzoil cast iron lollipop sign base, large 8’ porcelain co-op sign, Our Own Hardware sign, and Benjamin Moore paint sign. 701-220-5746, Val Ganje, Bismarck.

GIVE AWAY, older upright piano, real good condition. 701-833-9630, Gary Knudtson, Donnybrook.

MOTOR HOME, 1982 Chevrolet Holiday Rambler motor home in working order with generator, water system, furnace, and air conditioner, $3500. Two 10X12 garage doors including 4 panels, 4 springs, 2 torsion shafts,2 hardware boxes, 2 sets of tracks, $900. Golds Gym cross trainer 510 elliptical, $250. 701-7482873 or 701-870-1970. Verna Gowin, Hazen.

1959 DESOTA FIRE FLUTE, engine and transmission were rebuilt, been stored in the equipment shed for 20 years, interior is bad, will need a little body work, $6000. 1965 C10, longbed, 283ci, 4 speed, non running, no rust, some dents, $7000 both located in ND. 1956 Chevy 3100, 327ci, shortbed, 3 on the tree with O/D, small window, $12,000 located in CA. 707425-7315, Vernon Buchmann, Fairfield, Calif.

CAMPER, 1989 Winnebago Warrior camper on Toyota chassis, 90M miles, 6 cyl. EFI engine, auto, power steering, cruise, dually, AC, air cushion ride, shedded, dining table, couch, 3 beds, stove, fridge, freezer, bathroom, TV antennae, updated upholstery, water reservoirs, 15-30 amp plugs. 701-952-8973, Glen Nagel, Jamestown.