Benton Ag Plus - June 20, 2020

Serving rural rura Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties

BENTON AG Plus

Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, June 20, 2020

A dream built

Lending a helping hand as interim educator

from scratch Grimm starts dairy career with low cost parlor, buildings

BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY ANNA HINKEMEYER

Stacey Caughey sits outside of Rock Creek Coffeehouse June 12 in Sauk Rapids. Caughey is an interim educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, and will cover Benton, Stearns and Morrison counties through early fall.

Caughey joins extension

BY ANNA HINKEMEYER | STAFF WRITER

SAUK RAPIDS – The University of Minnesota Extension has a new interim educator this summer. Stacey Caughey is in the early weeks of work but is excited to continue her role as the summer progresses.

“I am excited to get out and interact with the farmers again,” said Caughey, 31. “I … am ready to talk with people in the industry and help out where I can.

PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE

Alex Grimm, holding Skylar, (from left) Jeremiah and Brooke Christensen milk 70 cows near Princeton. Grimm purchased a farm site and built a parlor this spring, and he is finishing construction on a three-row freestall barn.

the farm in January and closed on the property May 6. The following day they began construction on a milking parlor, and

by May 22 had relocated the herd to the new facilities.

Previously, Grimm rented three facilities for his milking herd.

“The farmer who was selling this place has another farm a couple miles away,” Grimm said. “He

wanted to sell this building site and keep the surrounding land. I took Brooke here to make sure it was something she was into and we could do.”

Grimm, Christensen, family and friends transformed a former veal barn into a double-6 parlor. The parlor itself stands 16-by40 feet and the remainder 32-by-80-foot structure is the holding pen for up to 80 cows.

“The veal barn had a gutter in it, so we originally thought about putting tiestalls in,” Grimm said. “As we got closer, we couldn’t find any used tiestalls, so we decided to go with a parlor. I watched a lot of videos on (low cost parlors) and thought we could probably do it for the same money as tiestalls.”

Grimm page 3B

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Caughey page 2B

PRINCETON – Alex Grimm grew up working in the dairy industry, knowing one day he wanted to be a farmer himself.

With innovative thinking, the helping hands of family and friends, and the knowledge gained from being employed in the dairy industry, Grimm transformed a vacant farm site into his own dairy oasis.

“We grew up on dairy farms and lived on dairy farms while my dad worked for farmers, and I helped with chores and everything,” Grimm said. “As I got older, I started working for farmers. I didn’t graduate from high school and I didn’t go to college. I put a lot of hours in on dairy farms and that’s all shown up here in what I’m doing.”

Grimm and his girlfriend, Brooke Christensen, milk 70 cows on their farm site near Princeton.

The couple moved to

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Page 2B | SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD

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Top Minnesota dairies honored for cow care 121 farms recognized for lowest somatic cell counts

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ST. PAUL – Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen released the annual list of top Minnesota dairy herds with low somatic cell counts June 12. The 122 dairy producers on this list have achieved the goal of having a SCC of 100,000 or lower, and the names on the list appear in the order of lowest to highest.

Somatic cell count is a key indicator of milk quality – a lower SCC count is better for cheese production and a longer shelf life for bottled milk. Although somatic cells occur naturally and are not a food safety concern, dairy farmers monitor them because they can be used as a measure of the health of their cows. Processors also pay a premium for milk with low counts. A farmer whose herd has

a very low count can receive a significantly higher price per hundredweight compared to a farmer whose herd average is high.

For more than 15 years, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and University of Minnesota dairy experts have worked with the state’s dairy farmers to lower somatic cell counts.

When the recognition initiative began in 2003, the 100 herds honored that year included those with SCC averages as high as 144,000, compared to the current goal of obtaining a SCC under 100,000.

The full SCC list of Minnesota dairy farms is online at http:// www.mda.state.mn.us/ lowscc.

Caughey

has two sons – Rhett, 2, and Cash, 15 months, with her husband, Mac. The couple farms with Mac’s parents, Bruce and Rosanne Caughey, and his brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Emily Caughey, near Fort Ripley.

They operate 1,000 tillable acres, a 100-cow dairy, a 250 head cow-calf operation and a feedlot.

Caughey received her degree in animal science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with an emphasis in beef and dairy. She attended West Texas A&M for graduate school where she focused on feed lot cattle with an emphasis on nutrition for growing and finishing.

She grew up on a hobby farm where their family raised chickens, ducks, goats and dairy calves. When she chose the agriculture industry as a career path, she interned on farms and feedlots ranging from 400 to 5,000 head.

“If I was getting into this industry, I wanted to make sure I knew what I was talking about,” Caughey said. “There was no better place to get the experience than being on the farm.”

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I like to be a part of these farms and their teams rather than trying to push a product or a service.

This new role will really get me into that.”

Caughey will cover the beef and dairy industries in Benton, Stearns and Morrison counties through early fall. She was appointed as interim extension educator and replaces Emily Krekelberg who took a different position within the university.

As Caughey begins working with the University of Minnesota Extension offices, she hopes to use her experiences to help others. Caughey

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Producer .......................................... County Dennis and Wayne Wolters................. Morrison John Willenbring ...................................... Stearns Brandon and Jill Marshik .........................Benton Herdering Farms Inc. .............................. Stearns Cory and Jenna Middendorf ................. Stearns Joe and Kim Engelmeyer ....................... Stearns Jeff and Austin Middendorf .................. Stearns Kent Happke ................................................Benton Gregory Dairy LLC..................................... Stearns Paul Mehr ..................................................... Stearns Glen and Rebecca Christen .................. Stearns Enchanted Dairy LLP ............................ Morrison Brandon Stommes ................................... Stearns Shawn and Sarah Winscher ................ Morrison Michael Herzing ....................................Mille Lacs Robert and Ann Cremers ....................... Stearns Travis and Angela Scherping ............... Stearns Kuechle Dairy LLC ..................................... Stearns JC Dairy Inc. ................................................ Stearns Overdale Dairy Inc. .................................. Stearns Brian Justin ............................................... Morrison Jacob Mehr.................................................. Stearns Mike and Brittaney Seppelt................ Morrison Ackerman Farms .......................................Benton Riverview Enterprises ..............................Benton Corey and Melissa Kremer ..................... Stearns Mitchell Mehrwerth ..................................Benton Bechtold Bros. LLC .................................... Stearns John D. and Kayleen Zimmerman ...... Stearns

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Caughey started her career in Minnesota as a nutritionist for six years. After a couple years off, she found the opportunity with the extension office.

Over the course of her interim role, Caughey will be available to answering questions and will host educational programs for beef and dairy farmers. In the past, the role has included the Breakfast on the Farm events.

However, the novel coronavirus pandemic is changing the outlook of typical summer events. Caughey and other educators in the extension office are exploring options for virtual events.

Caughey hopes to focus on nutrition because of her background but wants to help in all aspects of farming.

“I am passionate about finding solutions to feed the cows to the best of our ability while still being cost-effective because meshing those two is important,” Caughey said.

Caughey is passionate about farmers considering cow comfort in order to

ensure production.

“In the tri-county area, we have guys who milk 10 cows and guys who have 1,800. I will hopefully be able to fit into all those different worlds and, having been in them, hopefully be able to help from one side of the spectrum to the other.”

She also wants to be a greater advocate for the agriculture industry. “ W i t h o u t agriculture, we don’t have food, clothes or even our coffee cups; everything comes from agriculture and it’s so important,” Caughey said. “We need to have people sticking up for it, promoting it and researching. We have a lot of people in this world, and it’s growing very fast, so we need to keep up so we don’t have a hungry world.

Us farmers believe we are feeding the world, and we pride ourselves on doing things right.

I love agriculture and farming, and I try to immerse myself in it at much as I can. Feel free to reach out because I am happy to help.”

Caughey can be contacted at 218-3305737 or butle269@ umn.edu.

BENTON AG

Grimm from front

To complete the building project, Grimm did the plumbing work, while his dad, Marty, did all the carpentry. Other family helped pour concrete and set the foundation for the parlor, while a friend welded.

“We laid the parlor all in one night,” Grimm said. “While Brooke was at our rented farm milking cows, a buddy and I built the parlor frame.”

Grimm worked with Leedstone Inc. to install the pipeline. Then, he patiently looked for milking equipment, and found a used bulk tank and back pump, milking units and receiving jar that spanned from last being used in 1998 to just being uninstalled last year.

“I don’t run out and buy the first thing I see,” Grimm said. “I tend to do a lot of shopping. I sit and watch stuff, and finally when I find something in the price range I want to spend, I go for it.”

He estimated the entire parlor setup cost about $10,000.

“That’s all we have in it. And once we have the freestall barn done, we’ll have $25,000 invested in total,” Grimm said. “Volunteer labor has helped a lot and so has not having much of it done professionally. That’s where we’ve saved a bunch of money.”

When the freestall tbarn is complete, it will tstand at 44-by-106 feet and have drive-by feeding. The three-row barn, which was originally a three-sided hay shed, will also include sand-bedded stalls.

While the milking cows will be housed indoors, both dry cows and heifers will be on pasture.

“It’s a cheap way to raise them,” Grimm said.

“They’ll stay here in the winter and be put on a TMR mix. But as soon as the grass is back, they’ll be gone.”

Grimm works with area farmers to use pastureland for his grazing herds.

Prior to milking cows himself, Grimm worked at dairy farms of various sizes and styles of management, which helped form the dairy farmer he is today.

“Every place I worked at gave me insight into how I wanted to dairy – the good, the bad and the indifferent from every farm,” Grimm said.

On these farms, Grimm learned about calf care and developed his own youngstock management by mirroring that of one of the farms where he once worked for. He oversaw the daily operations of a 60-cow dairy while the farmer was on medical leave and became familiar with managing employees at another dairy.

Until January, Grimm also worked at a heifer export farm where he purchased animals and built his own herd. He first started milking Oct. 15, 2015.

“My first milk check was exciting but pathetic,” Grimm said. “I got in two months after milk prices crashed from $23.

This past winter was the first time I saw milk over $20. That made for a nice check to do something with.”

To bear the markets, Grimm uses byproducts for feed and closely watches components rather than feeding for milk production. He pays attention to his cost of production.

“I’ve done a lot of my own learning curve since I’ve started,” Grimm said.

“We’re incorporating byproducts, like beet pulp, sweet corn silage and corn gluten, and it’s been

SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020 | Page 3B

PHOTOS BY MARK KLAPHAKE

Alex Grimm stands in the double-6 parlor at his dairy farm June 5 near Princeton. Grimm built the parlor in an old veal barn.

working.”

Since Grimm started milking, he has purchased all his feed. Going forward, he plans to purchase corn silage. This year, he is growing his own hay off rented ground as well as buying stumpage off neighboring farms.

Getting started in the dairy industry has not been an easy journey for Grimm, but it has been worth it. Since the cows have moved to the farm site, Grimm has noticed an improvement in herd health as he is around more often.

“It’s been stressful,” said Grimm about getting to this point in his dairying career. “The nicest thing about this is being able to get up in the morning and just walk out to do chores. Instead of getting in the pickup and driving to check cows at night, you just walk out. There are a lot of things that get done at a better standard now.”

Grimm’s achievements have not been possible without the unwavering support of Christensen and close family and friends.

“People have pretty much dropped whatever they had going on and helped me,” Grimm said.

“Even throughout my whole farming career, if it

wasn’t without the help of family and friends, it wouldn’t have happened.” Brooke Christensen holds a bottle-fed calf near June 5.

Mark Klaphake con- Christensen and her boyfriend, Alex Grimm, milk 70 cows. tributed to this article.

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HONORING 4-H Trevor Meehl

Chloe Janski

Brady Roberts

Parents: Jer and Lisa Meehl, of Royalton 13 years old Graham 4-H Club Years in club: 4

Parents: Scott and Jacki Janski, of Rice 17 years old Central MN Lama 4-H Club Years in club: 10

Parents: Randy and Denise Roberts, of Sauk Rapids 16 years old 79ers 4-H Club Years in club: 10

Tell us about your involvement in 4-H. I showed chickens Tell us about your involvement in 4-H. I am highly involved for three years. This year if there was a fair, I was going to show with my llama, SilverBelle. I am also in the rabbit project where I show Netherland dwarves. Other than my projects, I love being a prospect calf. able to teach children about 4-H itself and agriculture in general What is your favorite 4-H activity? Showing because I enjoy – how to take care of animals and form a bond with them. getting judged for all of my hard work I put into the animal.

What is your favorite 4-H activity? Definitely the Benton Tell us about a memorable moment. My first year of showing County Fair. I love doing showmanship with SilverBelle. But, chickens I won. I was amazed and never thought I would win my I would also have to say I love knowledge interviews about animals. first year.

Describe one of your favorite projects. I have only done Tell us about a memorable moment. For the last two years, poultry. You clean your chicken, get them looking nice to show I have been involved with the Cloverbuds. I have been helping train them with the new animals, and it has been one of the quality and then you show them. most life-changing things I have done. Seeing them get so What have you learned during your time in 4-H? Respect excited over their first ribbon. for the animal, responsibility for the care of your animals, and it taught me to set goals for myself and get better every year at Describe one of your favorite projects. Knowledge bowl would have to be one of my top favorites. It is so much fun showing chickens. quizzing me on my knowledge on llamas and other animals.

Who is your 4-H mentor, and what did you learn from them? My aunt, LeeAnn. She taught me to push myself to work What have you learned during your time in 4-H? Showmanship. Not to only be at the fair or with my animal for hard and all of that hard work soon pays off. money and ribbons but to gain knowledge and have a stronger bond with my animals. I have learned to be more outgoing, including talking to complete strangers about various animals and project areas. I have become more involved with my education because of 4-H. I now know what and where I am going in my life. Because of 4-H, I have friends I call my family. I have never met more supportive and kind people. It is amazing to know I have such a good group who supports one another.

Tell us about your involvement in 4-H. I have been the club’s secretary for four years. I am a camp counselor for the first time this year. I am involved in the performing arts, home environment, food nutrition, shop, photography, crafts and fine arts projects.

What is your favorite 4-H activity? Performing arts because I love to perform in front of audiences and have fun and be creative with my dancing.

Tell us about a memorable moment. Getting the chance to bring my home environment project, which was a planter box for flowers, to the fair and receiving a state fair trip for the first time I was awarded a blue ribbon at the fair and earned my first blue state fair ribbon.

Describe one of your favorite projects. A sign I made out of my grandma and grandpa’s barnwood that says, “Believe,” with three string art stars and purple gemstones.

What have you learned during your time in 4-H? To get out of my comfort zone and try new things because it is going to be over before you know it. Another thing I learned was how to be a leader and become a role model for the younger youth and even my own peers. Also, I learned to try new roles, have fun and be you. If I could give advice to the younger youth, I would say try new things, get out of your comfort zone and be you.

Who is your 4-H mentor, and what did you learn from them? I have a few people I look up to as 4-H mentors – my aunt, Donita Beehler, and our 4-H program coordinator, Ann Olson. Donita is my club leader, and I have learned from her to Who is your 4-H mentor, and what did you learn from try new things, step up to the plate and be a leader, and have them? Cheryl Pflipsen. She taught me to always have fun. Ann taught me to get out of my comfort zone and explore confidence in myself. Trust your gut and trust your animal. new things because you never know what you might like.

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Page 8B | SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD

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*Public Notice* The Benton County Drainage Authority will conduct a Public Hearing on July 7, 2020 starting at 10:00 AM at the Benton County Board of Commissioners Boardroom located at 531 Dewey Street, Foley, Minnesota. The public hearing is necessary to consider whether or not to order the Redetermination of Benefits and damages pursuant Minn. Stat. § 103E.351, subd. 1(a) for County Ditch No. 6 located in sections 25, 26, 27, and 28 in Graham Township.

The Drainage Authority may order a redetermination of benefits if it judges that the benefitted lands or damaged lands have changed since the last redetermination, or if benefits and damages do not reflect present-day land values.

A copy of Orignal Viewers Report detailing the value of benefitted lands and damaged lands is on File at the Benton County Public Works and can be viewed at 7752 Highway 25 NE Foley, MN. However, due to social distancing guidelines, we would prefer the public review the Viewers report online online at: https://www.co.benton.mn.us/629/County-Ditch-6 Public Comments may be submitted in writing to the Auditor-Treasurer Office at the address below. However, to be read into the permanent record the comments must be received by the Auditor-Treasurer’s office before the published date and time of the Hearing.

will be present during meetings at the County Board’s regular meeting location, which is the County Board Room in Foley, unless otherwise noted on meeting notices. Pursuant to MN Statutes §13D.021, Subdivision 3, the County will provide the means for persons to electronically monitor such meetings remotely.

In person public comments will not be heard, to conform to MDH and CDC guidelines to minimize gatherings. You may submit written testimony by emailing Public Works Director Chris Byrd at cbyrd@co.benton.mn.us or by mailing it to Benton County Auditor-Treasurer, 531 Dewey St, PO Box 129, Foley, MN 56329 The public can join the meeting from a computer, tablet or smartphone. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/834170141 You can also dial in using your phone.

United States: +1 (571) 317-3122 Access Code: 834-170-141 New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/834170141 FR-25-1B

Written comments may be mailed to: Benton County Auditor-Treasurer Attn: County Ditch #6 Comments 531 Dewey St, P.O. Box 129 Foley, MN 56329 Please contact Public Works Director, Chris Byrd with any questions. He can be reached at (320)968-5051. *Effective immediately, the Benton County Board will conduct its regular, special or emergency meetings by telephone or other electronic means, as permitted by MN Statutes §13D.021. Some or all Board members may participate by telephone or other electronic means until further notice. At least one member of the County or the County Administrator

Knee high by the

y l u J f o Fourth Submit a photo of yourself or your family on the farm or in the fields donning your red, white and blue.

BENTON AG Submissions will be featured in the next Benton Ag!

Plus

1. Include first and last names of those pictured, date and place the photo was taken, and a brief description of the photo. (Include a phone number for questions.) No selfies.

2. Drop off at Sauk Rapids Herald or Benton County News offices or email natasha@saukherald.com.

Deadline 5 p.m. June 30.

Public Notice

BENTON AG

BENTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS r REGULAR MEETING MINUTES , JUNE 2, 2020 N The Benton County Board of Commissioners met ein regular session on June 2, 2020 in the Benton County Board Room in Foley, MN with Commissioners Ed Popp, Spencer Buerkle, Warren Peschl, Jake Bauerly and Steve mHeinen present. Call to order by Chair Buerkle was at 9:00 uAM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Peschl/Heinen unanimous to approve the amended t xagenda: add items—Bend in the River Master Plan; Potential Benton County Appointees to the St. Cloud Retgional Airport Authority; and Funding Request from Foley CARE. No one spoke under Open Forum.

Consent Agenda item #5 (request of Deanna Rosa dba Rollies, LLC, for permits to host five special events) was “pulled” for further discussion. Popp/Bauerly unanimous nto approve the remaining Consent Agenda: 1) approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of May 19, 2020 as written; 2) accept and file Committee of the Whole Minutes of May 11, 2020 as written; 3) accept and file Committee of the Whole Minutes of May 27, 2020 as written; 4) adopt 2021 Budget Development Calendar and Budget Development Guidelines as presented; and 6) approve 2020 SCORE Grant Applications Round II as recommended by the Benton County Solid Waste Advisory Committee. Regarding Consent Agenda item #5, Heinen questioned if the Board should approve this request “not knowing when the Governor is going to open everything up”. Nadean Inman, Auditor-Treasurer, noted that there will likely be another Governor’s order before the date of the first event (July 24th). Bauerly/Peschl unanimous to approve the five permits to host special events at Rollies, LLC, subject to the Governor’s guidelines (Consent Agenda item #5).

Connie Cardinal, Executive Director of Foley CARE, requested Board consideration of additional funding in the amount of $5,000 to the CARE Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. She stated that, since the epidemic, Foley CARE has not only increased the number of current clients needing additional services, but have also increased the number of new clients requesting services for the first time. Cardinal noted that she has been working very hard with local and city legislators to get funding for senior programs like CARE throughout Minnesota; she has applied for a number of grants, but was denied due to the fact that the requests for funding were double the funding dollars available. She also noted that CARE has lost over $20,000 the first half of this year due to cancellation of their fundraising activities; if social distancing continues, CARE will lose another $20,000 this fall. Bauerly/Peschl unanimous to approve the funding request of Foley CARE for $5,000 (from Board contingency account).

Jim McDermott, Emergency Management Director, and Nicole Ruhoff, Community Health Administrator, provided updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. McDermott reported that staff are in the process of closing the physical Emergency Operations Center as it relates to the pandemic.

Ruhoff provided an update on COVID cases and reported on public health’s efforts in case contact tracing/investigations. She pointed out that CentraCare has been performing a variety of tests (close to 15,000 tests); about 18% have come back positive (individuals who have been symptomatic).

Roxanne Achman, Department of Development Director, referenced previous Board discussion about the feasibility of hosting Amnesty Day on June 27, 2020; it was requested that staff obtain a legal opinion from the Benton County Attorney’s Office. Achman stated that the Department of Development has prepared a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for this event which basically follows the Benton County COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. She stated the Attorney’s opinion that if all the items in the Plan are fol-

SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020 | Page 9B

lowed, i.e. individuals must stay in their cars at all times, no public restrooms will be available, then this event should be able to proceed safely based on the current Executive Orders and MDH guidance. There was unanimous support of the County Board to move forward with the June 27, 2020 Amnesty Day Event at Sauk Rapids High School.

Chris Byrd, County Engineer, reported that Federal funding was received for the Foley trail project construction; two project bids were received, and Helmin Construction was the lowest responsible bidder. He noted that the bid ($109,833.20) was 2.1% higher than the engineer’s estimate; however, the City of Foley is responsible for all costs above what the Federal grant covers. Byrd stated that the City of Foley is anticipated to concur with the bids at their June 2nd Council meeting; since Benton County is the fiscal agent for this project, the County must award the construction contract. Peschl/ Popp unanimous to approve Resolution 2020-#24, accepting the bids and awarding a construction contract to Helmin Construction Inc. of Foley, and authorize the Chair to sign.

The Regular County Board meeting was recessed at 10:02 AM to conduct a Human Services Board meeting.

The Regular County Board meeting was reconvened at 10:08 AM. Board members noted that there were “great candidates” for possible appointment to the St. Cloud Regional Airport Authority. Bauerly stated his desire to withdraw his previous request to rank these potential appointees; he commented “...we have a meeting next Monday...we have four candidates... we’ll see what candidates other counties have...I think it’s better to move slowly and get it right...”

Monty Headley, County Administrator, stated that the Benton County Park Commission recommends approval of a new master plan for Bend in the River Park; this plan has been made part of a “Great River Park Complex” Master Plan that includes the Stearns County Mississippi River Park. He explained that the regional park master plan was needed so that both counties could seek regional park designation through the Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails Commission, which would provide eligibility for legacy grant funding. Headley clarified that each park will maintain its own identity and each county is responsible for its own maintenance; public input was obtained through electronic surveys prepared by the consultant, HKGi. Headley reviewed the major features of the revised Bend in the River Master Plan—additional trails and shelter buildings; management of the trees rather than aggressive removal of trees; preservation of the farmstead without active restoration or reuse; and the long-term possibility of disc golf and archery facilities. Buerkle inquired of a possible local match should the counties receive a legacy grant; he commented “...these could be some big numbers...I would have some great caution...” Popp agreed that the county budget needs to be respected, noting that it’s good to have a Park Commission that is in sync with the County Board.

He stated “...this park is an asset to the county... there’s a lot of people there...” Heinen commented “...we can use park dedication fees...funding from local businesses...a lot of schools/groups do a lot of education out there...” Popp/ Heinen unanimous to approve the Great River Park Complex Master Plan, as recommended by the Benton County Park Commission.

Board members reported on recent meetings they attended on behalf of the county.

Under Commissioner Concerns, Bauerly stated his belief that rural Broadband grants will be a “hot topic” going forward. He commented “...this whole COVID thing pointed out the inequities between people who live in the metro areas and people who live in the rural areas on how they can function... when our county engineer does road projects, we should be looking at putting fiber in the ground... put the conduit in...for economic development in Benton County...”

Also, under Commissioner Concerns, Bauerly commented positively on the CR 78 project. Popp stated “... when we get this all done...we need to pair up with Morrison County... so we can get state aid for that roadway going forward...”

No Committees of the Whole were set. Heinen/Bauerly unanimous to adjourn at 10:43 AM. Spencer C. Buerkle, Chair Benton County Board of Commissioners ATTEST: Montgomery Headley Benton County Administrator R-25-1B

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MDA announces changes in use of dicamba herbicide Agency does not anticipate enforcement at this time

ST. PAUL – Upon further review of state law and while awaiting guidance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency on the ruling of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals regarding dicamba products, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will continue operating under existing pesticide program authorities.

According to Minnesota law, an unregistered pesticide previously registered in the state may be used following the cancellation of the registration of the pesticide.

At this time, Minnesota farmers can use XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology (EPA Reg. No. 524-617), Engenia Herbicide (EPA Reg. No. 7969-345), and DuPont FeXapan with VaporGrip Technology (EPA Reg. No. 352-913) while following all federal and Minnesota label requirements.

Tavium Plus VaporGrip Technology (EPA Reg. No. 100-1623) was not part of the two-year federal registration and can still be used according to the label.

The department does not anticipate taking enforcement action against those who continue to appropriately use these products. This may change at any time pending additional guidance from the EPA. “The circuit court of appeals decision to revoke the use of these products was, unfortunately, very untimely for our farmers as many had already purchased the herbicide for this growing season,” said Thom Petersen, Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner. “Timing is critical for farmers to apply the products, and our further interpretation of Minnesota law allows us to use these products.”

As a reminder, all dicamba pesticide applicators in Minnesota must follow use instructions on the product label including the timing restrictions below.

Dicamba products cannot be applied to dicambatolerant soybean in Minnesota if any of the following conditions have occurred. Whichever cutoff time occurs first will determine whether a person can apply a given product to dicamba-tolerant soybean until June 20.

– Forty-five days after planting. The federal labels for XtendiMax, Engenia, FeXapan and Tavium prohibit application more than 45 days after planting.

– Once the R1 growth stage begins (beginning bloom). The federal labels for XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan prohibit this. The R1 stage is when at least one flower appears on the plant on any node on the main stem.

– After the V4 growth stage. The federal label for Tavium prohibits application after the V4 growth stage.

– After June 20. The Minnesota Special Local Need label, which must be in possession of the applicator at the time of application, prohibits this for all four dicamba products. The SLN labels are available on the MDA website at https://www.mda. state.mn.us/24c.

In Minnesota, all four dicamba products are restricted use pesticides for retail sale to and for use only by certified applicators who have complete dicamba or auxin-specific training.