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Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, February uary 20, 2021
Foley seniors use FFA as springboard for future
Corn, soybean markets surge Demand for U.S. commodities is good sign for growers BY NATASHA BARBER | STAFF WRITER
Rubes Sponsored by Fluegge’s Ag
Prices page 3C
Th Thriving hriving agriculture group off ffers practical pr knowledge BY JAKOB KOUNKEL | STAFF WRITER
FOLEY – When Spencer Beauchamp and Luke Gadacz set out o to join the Foley FFA chapter, they were young, inspired inspi and eager to learn about the different things the agricultural-based organization could teach them. Now, as Foley High School seniors and elder o the chapter, they both tout their time in FFA members of resourceful, practical and educational experience as a resou that will serve s them going forward as future farmers. “Jus “Just learning all the skills that we did was really important,” Gadacz said. “It’ll help us with farming importa later iin our lives.” FFA page 2C PHOTOS BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
Foley senior FFA member Luke Gadacz works with soil in the classroom of Al Stemper, teacher and FFA adviser, Feb. 11 at Foley High School in Foley. Gadacz is on the soils and land preservation team.
Spreaders •
(Above) Se Seniors of the Foley FFA chapter – Krystena Sopkowiak (front, from left), Lexi Olson, Danyel Brambrink, Gina Popp, Kaylee Jurek, and Megan Blank; (back, from left) Spencer Beauchamp, Luke Gadacz, Joey Gadacz, Michael Mi Gadacz and Alex Vait – stand in the shop where they learn FFA related material Feb. 11 at Foley High School in Foley. Many of them are looking to get into agriculture related fields. Not pictured are Jayden Baker, Bak Tyler Brambrink, Haley Evenson, Spencer Garcia, Leighton Lei Hackett, Michael Moulzolf, Davin Novak, Hun Hunter Olson, Ryan Schefers, Hunter Schrader, Alex Szfranski and Rayann Young. Riley Swanson, Swans
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SAUK RAPIDS – If growers said, “Set it and forget it,” after the 2020 harvest, it might be time to take a look at corn and soybean markets. If not for now, for later. The prices of corn and soybean have jumped from one year ago. Corn hovers around $5 per bushel and soybean has breached $13. “Cash prices were probably about $3.30, so we’re close to $2 higher for corn,” said Nathan Hulinsky of the 12-month price difference. “It’s a really substantial increase.” Hulinsky is a University of Minnesota Extension Educator specializing in ag business management. He said Minnesota growers have not seen this high of corn and soybean prices since the 2012-13 season when the country’s Corn Belt suffered a major drought and ethanol production was on the rise. At that time, grain demand exceeded supply. So, what is contributing to this year’s surge? Hulinsky said one of the greatest influences is China. The country is buying a large amount of grain from the United States. In late January, China made the second-largest daily purchase of corn in U.S. history. One reason for China’s uptick in imports is likely the Phase One agreement signed Jan. 15, 2020. Under the pact, China agreed to purchase an additional $52 billion of U.S. agricultural commodities over a 2017 baseline for the period of 2020 and 2021. “It was a substantial increase,” Hulinsky said. “They’re not quite to that goal, but these purchases are putting them closer.”
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Page 2C | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021| SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
FFA
from page 1C Gadacz and Beauchamp are poised to take over their families’ farms as they lean into life post graduation. Ask them what career field they want to get into, they might answer “a corn field.”
Although they have a lot to learn, they said, FFA laid the foundation for a successful career in agriculture. “You learn about skills you never knew about,” Beauchamp said. “We do poultry – we learned about chickens. I don’t know about (Luke), but I don’t have chickens, so it was good to learn.”
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Not only do they learn about new things they would not have otherwise known, but they also partake in a broad diversity of subjects. Beauchamp and Gadacz are on the soils and land evaluation team and the ag mechanics team, and most FFA members take part in multiple disciplines. “They’re in school, and a lot of farmers need to be out doing something,” said Danyel Brambrink, president of the Foley FFA chapter. … “ It’s something they enjoy doing, and they’re able to do it at school with their friends.” The soils and land evaluation team deals with everything land and soil related. With the end goal to independently determine a soil’s efficacy, or lack thereof, for planting and other purposes, the team works year-round learning intimate details of the land. In competition, they must identify the topsoil, subsoil and underlying layer in a pit of soils, usually about 60 inches long. They use texture, color and experience in the field to figure out how wet the ground is, how erosion has impacted the land and whether or not the soil is ripe for crops, for example. The ag mechanics team learns about mechanisms behind the machines they
PHOTO BY JAKOB KOUNKEL
Spencer Beauchamp works on a diesel engine at Foley High School in Foley Feb. 11. Beauchamp is a member of Foley FFA and on the ag mechanics team.
operate on a farm or in an agriculture-related industry. Beauchamp said the team mostly works to identify problems within a machine and learns how to fix them. They also learn ancillary skills related to mechanics, like being able to name certain parts and welding. “I think if everyone gave it a try, a lot more people would like it,” Beauchamp said. “There
are so many different opportunities.” Brambrink agrees with Beauchamp that there is something for everybody to learn form and enjoy. As a cherry on top, students work alongside their friends. “We’re making it more for everyone in the school rather than just for FFA people,” Brambrink said, pointing to FFA week as an opportunity to increase
awareness. “We want more people to be aware of what FFA is and to be more involved in it.” Most importantly, the Foley FFA is inclusive to everybody, creates fun and exhilarating memories, and provides useful knowledge, Brambrink said. From home goods to the farm scene, FFA has a little bit of everything for everybody, and it will be memorable.
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SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 | Page 3C
March 15 deadline for Agriculture Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage I hope everyone, including livestock, were able to survive the extremely cold temperatures we endured the last couple of weeks. The Farm Service Agency does have the Livestock Indemnity Program if you are a livestock producer who suffered livestock deaths due to the extreme cold. A livestock producer must file a notice of loss within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is first apparent. For 2021 losses, producers must also file an application for payment by March 1, 2022. Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021
Prices
from page 1C A second reason China may be securing grain commodities is its attempt to recover from the 2019 African Swine Fever epidemic that shrunk the country’s pork production by as much as 50%. An estimated 300 million animals died or were euthanized as a result of the virus that was not a threat to humans. Jake Bauerly agreed that China is playing a role in the market increase. Bauerly is a Benton County corn and soybean grower. “It has to do a lot with China,” he said. “Whether its Phase One or internal demand, no one can really say for sure what their motives are. Maybe it’s the combination of the two.” Despite China’s trade agreement and rebounding pork production, the market lift was unexpected – even the United States Department of Agriculture
enrollment contract or who want to make an election change should contact their FSA office to make an appointment. Program enrollment for 2021 is required in order to participate in the programs, but elections for the 2021 crop year are optional and otherwise remain the same as elections made for 2020. ARC and PLC provide
income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most farms. Producers who do not complete enrollment by March 15 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2021 crop year and will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop. ARC and PLC contracts can be emailed, faxed or physically signed and mailed back to FSA. Producers with level 2 e-authentication access can electronically sign contracts. Staff can also work with producers to sign and securely transmit contracts electronically through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. You can learn more about these solutions at www.farmers.
gov/mydocs. Producers may also drop off signed contracts at the FSA office. Call ahead for local mailing or drop off information and options for submitting signed contracts electronically. Producers are eligible to enroll on farms with base acres for the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpea, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentil, mustard seed, oat, peanut, dry pea, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium- and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybean, sunflower seed and wheat. FSA recently updated the annual and benchmark yields for ARC and PLC program years 2019, 2020 and 2021. This data is useful to producer in choosing to participate in
either ARC or PLC. For added assistance with ARC and PLC decisions, the United States Department of Agriculture partnered with the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University to offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include: – Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, the University of Illinois tool that offers farmers the ability to run payment estimate modeling for their farms and counties for ARC-County and PLC. – ARC and PLC Decision Tool, the Texas A&M tool that allow producers to analyze payment yield updates and expected payments for
2019 and 2020. Producers who have used the tool in the past should see their username and much of their farm data will already be available in the system. Producers are reminded that enrolling in ARC or PLC programs can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products. Producers who elect and enroll in PLC also have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option through their approved insurance provider. Producers of covered commodities who elect ARC are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres. For more information on ARC and PLC, including web-based decision tools, visit www.farmers.gov/arcplc.
did not expect the increase. In the USDA Agricultural Projections to 2030, which was released this month and took into account data through August 2020, the department estimated corn and soybean prices would remain virtually stagnant through the next decade. What does the market growth mean for growers? Not much – at least not for right now. Bob Heim is the owner of Heim’s Milling Company in St. Cloud. He has seen little uptick from growers looking to sell at high prices. “My experience this year is that most of the guys either sold it right off the field last year or sold it a little bit earlier to empty the bins for the new crop,” said Heim, who handles corn but not raw soybean. “Most of the contracting stuff was actually done late August, early September.” Growers will commonly lock in prices for their commodities before harvest – and sometimes even years in advance. When prices
creeped higher than cost of production, which Hulinsky estimates is approximately $3.50 for corn and $9 for soybean, Bauerly said many growers sold their excess crop for fear prices would dip. “Maybe 10% of the crop is actually changing hands right now,” Bauerly said. “But the good news is the new crop price – December corn and November beans – is up right now, so that’s going to be helpful.” In October and November, when harvest is at its peak and supply is abundant, corn is expected to have a cash price of $4 per bushel with soybean at $11. Bauerly said he has more than half of his 2021 crop sold and is contracting about a third of his 2022 crop now while prices are on the rise. “The good marketers say, ‘Don’t be afraid to lock in a profit,’” Bauerly said. “If I lock in half of my corn at $4 and the market goes to $5, now my average is $4.50. I’m
making good money.” Bauerly said there will always be a chance a grower locks in a profit only to find the market climbs even more – similar to this past harvest and the situation today. But, he said growers should not
hesitate because markets can always swing the other way and result in revenue loss. Hulinsky hopes growers are watching the market and doing what is best for their operation. “If they have an
opportunity to sell grain that’s not under contract, hopefully they are making some sales at these profitable levels to make some money,” Hulinsky said. “Now is probably a pretty good time to sell at these pretty good prices.”
Farm Service Agency News
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1,000 landowners enrolled in ag water quality certification Symanietz farm recognized as grower who pushed program toward milestone ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program has reached the milestone of enrolling 1,000 farmers and landowners from across the state. Now, more than 715,000 acres of land are helping to protect the state’s water resources. “Water quality is important to all Minnesotans, especially those who care for the land, and we want to thank everyone who has stepped up to protect and restore our state’s lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater through the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program,” said Thom Peterson, Minnesota agriculture commissioner. “We can
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be assured these certified farmers are managing their operations to protect water quality now and into the future.” The MAWQCP puts farmers in touch with local conservation district experts to identify and mitigate risks their farm poses to water quality. Producers going through the certification process have priority access to financial assistance. After being certified, each farm is deemed in compliance with new water quality laws and regulations for 10 years. There are also extra endorsements available to water quality certified producers for soil health, integrated pest management and wildlife. These endorsements celebrate farmers and landowners who are going above and
beyond to implement conservation efforts on their land. Since the start of the program in 2014, the Ag Water Quality Certification Program has: – Added more than 2,050 new conservation practices – Kept nearly 38,500 tons of sediment out of Minnesota rivers – Saved 110,000 tons of soil and 48,500 pounds of phosphorous on farms – Reduced nitrogen losses by up to 49%. – Reduced the equivalent of over 39,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program recognized five farms from across the state who pushed
the program to the 1,000-enrollee milestone – Martin Berg of Aitkin County, Ron Frank of Mower County, Duane Possail and Doug Possail of Lincoln and Lyon counties, Todd Stencel, of Waseca County, and Greg and Rebecca Symanietz of Stearns County. The Symanietzes farm 135 acres of owned and rented cropland including corn, soybean and alfalfa with oat as a nurse crop. They also operate a 40 cow-calf pair beef herd. Greg made improvements to his grazing system by adding fencing, an armored cattle lane and a watering system with a heavy use area protection surrounding it. These practices will allow him to rotationally graze his cattle on over 60 acres of pasture, as well as improve his pasture’s productivity, herd health and protect sensitive areas. He is also planning to plant a winter cereal rye cover crop on his corn and soybean acres to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. “I got started with the program because I knew I wanted to make changes for my farming goals,” Greg said. “The program has given me good feedback and information while allowing me to make small slow adjustments over time.” The program is on target to meet Gov. Tim Walz’s goal of enrolling 1 million acres by the end of 2022. Farmers and landowners interested in becoming water quality certified can contact their soil and water conservation district or visit mylandmylegacy. com.
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Scholarship available for certified ag water quality farmers Funds support Farm Business Management Program enrollees ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is offering a new scholarship for farmers to learn business management strategies that will lead to profitable and competitive farming operations. The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program Farm Business Management Scholarship provides tuition money for the Farm Business Management Program. This program started
in 1952 and now serves over 5,000 farm families annually in Minnesota. It is offered at eight Minnesota State colleges. The Farm Business Management Program is a one-on-one, studentled program designed to provide education to farm owners and operators. The program helps students to meet their business and personal goals and focuses on using quality records and sound business decisions with
tools and other resources. “Our goal of offering this scholarship to the Farm Business Management Program is to assure our farmers are on better financial footing through good education,” said Whitney Place, MDA assistant commissioner. “We already know, thanks to a study by AgCentric and the Agricultural Centers of Excellence, that ag water quality certified farms have a 26% higher net income than non-certified farms, so it will be an added benefit to equip them with the resources of the Farm
Business Management Program.” Keith Olander, director of AgCentric and the Central Lakes College Ag & Energy Center, said having the ability to compare financial data to environmental practices on the farm offers a new management tool for producers who desire to change farming methods while maintaining profitability. The scholarship will award $140 per credit (approximately 75% of the cost of tuition) for new Farm Business Management students
in their first or second semester of the program and $90 per credit (approximately 50% the cost of tuition) for returning students in their third semester or beyond. Students must enroll in a minimum of two credits per semester, or four per academic year, with a maximum of 10 credits
per year. To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be water quality certified in the MAWQCP. To apply, contact a Farm Business Management instructor. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The deadline for spring semester is March 1.
Contract turkey producers eligible for aid Deadline Feb. 26 B U F F A L O – Contract turkey producers are now eligible for aid. United States Department of Agriculture officials extended the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to contract turkey growers. Farmers who experienced pandemic-
related revenue losses in 2020 compared to 2019 may apply for payments from the program. “It’s been a tough year for everyone,” said Sarah Anderson, executive director for the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. “This aid from federal officials, however, will help our contract turkey farmers weather the
challenges brought on by COVID-19.” Under the program, eligible contract growers could receive up to 80% of their revenue losses from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 27, 2020, compared to the same timeframe in 2019. For more information on how to qualify, visit www.farmers. gov/cfap. Independent
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