South Dakota Farm & Ranch April 2022

FARMERS SET FOR 2022 INPUT NEEDS Varying Cover Crop Mixture, Seeding Rates May Improve Outcomes

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE On the cover

Farmers set for 2022 input needs............8 Mikkel Pates / Agweek

Cody Hanson of Sisseton, South Dakota, changes the seedbed “firming wheels” on a corn planter. He and his father, Gary Hanson, farm together and are happy they pre-purchased fertilizer last fall, as prices have increased to triple what they were for the 2021 crop.

Features

Pasture Weeds................................................................3 Cover Crop Mixture......................................................4 New SD 4-H Program Manager...................................5 Drought Concerns.........................................................6 Severe Weather Preparation.........................................7 Specialty Crop Companies........................................ 10 Drain Tile..................................................................... 14 Publisher JO N I H A R M S Editor L U K E H AG EN Advertising Director LO R I E H A N S EN Layout Designer JEN PH I L L I PS

South Dakota Farm & Ranch is an agricultural publication dedicated to informing SD and Midwest area farmers & ranchers about current topics and news.

This publication fits the niche of our unique farmers and ranchers of the Midwest, and the diverseness we have in our area. Although the Missouri River divides our state, we are all South Dakotans and thank the land for supporting us each and every day.

Our readers may be livestock ranchers or row crop farmers, and everywhere in between, however, we all have a common goal in mind.

We feed and support the growing population, and want the next generation to find that same love and support that agriculture can offer.

We’re all South Dakota Farmers and Ranchers’ and when you advertise in South Dakota Farm & Ranch, you are immersing your company, product, and service into a growing community of dedicated farmers and ranchers. Welcome to South Dakota Farm & Ranch!

To subscribe to this FREE publication, contact South Dakota Farm & Ranch.

NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL IN PASTURE AND RANGE

By Paul O. Johnson SDSU Weed Science Coordinator

N

oxious weed control in pastures is becoming more of a challenge.

Most ground commercial spray businesses are no longer spraying pastures. If they are, there may be restrictions on the time they will spray, what products they will spray, or they may only spray if they also have all of the rest of your spraying business. These restrictions are making spraying pastures more difficult and limited.

It is still the law, however, to control noxious weeds. Not being able to find a commercial sprayer is not a valid reason not to spray.

With the warm temperatures, spring pasture spraying will be starting very soon for biennial thistle and wormwood sage. Canada thistle is still small as of May 1, as is spurge, however watch closely ahead of normal this season.

Before pasture spraying is in full force, now is the time to be looking into finding an applicator that will do pastures. There are some

boomless sprayers that are in the market that can work well. Most of these sprayers use more water per acre than other sprayers, and they do not work well under windy conditions. If you have not sprayed in the past you will need to take a test to get your Private Pesticide Applicator certification to allow you to spray.

The law states anyone who has a farm that has the potential to gross more than $1000 of income from their farm is required to have this certification to apply any pesticide to their property, whether or not they are restricted use pesticides.

If they are applying restricted use pesticides they also need to keep records of those pesticide applications for two years after they are sprayed. They also need to have an emergency response plan developed for their farm if they are spraying. Help with all of these requirements can be obtained at the SDSU Extension Regional Centers. ⊳

Contact Us PO BOX 1288 • MITCHELL , SD 605-996-5514

sdfarmandranch APRIL 2022 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 3

VARYING COVER CROP MIXTURE: Seeding Rates May Improve Outcomes

A

SDSU Extension precise approach to selecting and planting cover crops that considers variability within a field will produce better results for farmers, according to South Dakota State University assistant professor Ali Mirzakhani Nafchi. He works on precision agriculture research through the agronomy, horticulture and plant science and agricultural and biosystems engineering departments.

“Currently, we plant a cover crop seed mixture at a uniform, flat rate across the field, but when we have tremendous variability within a field, this is not logical,” said Nafchi, who is also the SDSU Extension precision agriculture specialist.

Varying cover crop mixtures and seeding rates based on the unique soil conditions and topography within a field will help maximize the economic and environmental benefits of this conservation management practice.

Nafchi leads a team of 10 faculty members and SDSU Extension specialists demonstrating how a precision cover cropping system can improve outcomes. The team has expertise in agronomy, soil science, entomology, crop diseases, water management and agricultural economics.

The research is funded by a three-year Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service with in-kind support from

the university, SDSU Extension and participating producers. Nafchi, who previously worked with cover crops in vegetables and row crops, such as corn and soybeans, at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Rochester, New York, reported 14 producers have signed up for the project.

The researchers will divide each cover crop field into zones based on the historical yield data including the producers’ knowledge about the field, soil characteristics and conditions, as well as disease and pest challenges. Based on the data, they will then determine the cover crop seed mixtures and the seeding rates for each zone.

COVER CROP: Page 15

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Oakley G. Perry New Program Manager for 4-H County Operations and Professional Development.

SDSU Extension BROOKINGS — South Dakota 4-H recently welcomed Oakley G. Perry as the new Program Manager for 4-H County Operations and Professional Development.

“We are excited to welcome Oakley to the South Dakota 4-H Team!” said Tim Tanner, State 4-H Program Director. “His experiences in both 4-H and as a county administrator will prove vital as he trains 4-H professionals and relates to county government leaders across the state.”

Coming to South Dakota from Jeff Davis County in Georgia, Perry obtained his master’s degree in agriculture extension and education from Utah State University and completed his undergraduate program from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

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DROUGHT CONCERNS CONTINUE WITH 2022 SPRING CLIMATE OUTLOOK SDSU Extension BROOKINGS — The climate outlook for the spring season has increased concern for drought to continue in South Dakota. On March 17, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed two-thirds of the state in either moderate or severe drought. The climate outlook, released the same day, has odds leaning toward warmer and drier than average climate for most of the state through June 2022.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center released their official April temperature and precipitation outlooks, as well as seasonal outlooks for 3-month periods through the remainder of 2022.

Precipitation in April is leaning towards drier than average for most of the state. However, the northern South Dakota border has equal chances of drier, wetter or near average precipitation for the month. South Dakota is at the northern edge of a large area in the Central and Southern Plains with odds leaning toward drier than average throughout April.

Similarly, the months of April through June have an increased likelihood of drier than average conditions across the state. These

conditions are particularly concerning as these three months comprise about 40 percent of annual precipitation, depending on location in the state.

“For farmers and ranchers, dry conditions during this time could certainly have a large impact on farm operations and decisions throughout the year,” said Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension State Climatologist.

The current drought in central and western South Dakota has been ongoing since mid-2020.

Many areas are carrying soil moisture shortages from the previous dry years, and stock ponds and surface water for both human and livestock uses are lower than average for this time of year. Spring season moisture is critical for re-growth of grasses in pastures and hay fields that provide feed later in the year and over the next winter season. Therefore, South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers will need to rely on spring rainfall more this year than a typical year.

For temperatures in April, South Dakota straddles a line between an area favored for colder temperatures in the north and warmer temperatures in the south. As a result, southern South Dakota is slightly favored to have warmer

The future looks so much brighter

than average temperatures in the month ahead, with the northern counties holding equal chances of warmer, colder or near average temperatures.

The three-month outlook for the months of April, May and June tells a very similar story, with all but the northwest region of the state leaning toward warmer than average temperatures for this period.

The NOAA outlook indicates even more concern ahead for drought in the upcoming summer season. For the months of June, July and August, there are even higher probabilities of warmer than average temperatures and dry conditions across South Dakota. Drought can increase in coverage and intensify quickly under dry and hot conditions throughout the summer season.

“Now is the time for farmers, ranchers and others to prepare for drought and plan ahead for what they can do in the event of worsening conditions,” said Edwards.

Drought resources for farmers and ranchers are available at on the SDSU Extension website.

For more information, contact Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension State Climatologist, at 605626-2870 or Laura.Edwards@sdstate.edu. ⊳

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USDA URGES COMMUNITIES, FARMERS, RANCHERS TO BE PREPARED FOR SEVERE WEATHER USDA WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds those in the path of the severe weather forecast for the Southeast this week, to take steps now to keep their food safe, and for farmers and ranchers to take proactive steps to protect their livestock. The weather system is forecast to bring severe storms, including damaging winds, severe rain, potential flooding, hail and even tornadoes to parts of the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast starting today.

FOOD SAFETY GUIDANCE: Severe weather forecasts often present the possibility of power outages that could compromise the safety of stored food. USDA encourages those in the path of the storm to take the following precautions: ► During a power outage, the refrigerator will keep food at a safe temperature (below 40°F) for up to 4 hours. A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to prevent cold air from escaping. ► Keep an appliance thermometer in both the refrigerator and freezer in the event you do need to check the refrigerator or freezer temperatures. ► Freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers prior to a storm. These containers are small enough to fit around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold. ► Freeze refrigerated items, such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately—this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer. ► Consider getting 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a lengthy power outage is possible. This amount of ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days. ► Group foods together in the freezer — this ‘igloo’ effect helps the food stay cold longer. ► Keep a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling.

For questions about food safety, call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854,

Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (English or Spanish), email MPHotline@usda. gov or live chat at Ask USDA. Owners of meat and poultry producing businesses who have questions or concerns may contact the FSIS Small Plant Help Desk by phone at 1-877-FSIS-HELP (1-877-374-7435), by email at infosource@fsis.usda.gov, or 24/7 online at www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/ topics/regulatory-compliance/svsp/sphelpdesk.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS: USDA offers several risk management and disaster assistance options to help producers recover after disasters.

Producers who suffer losses and whose crops are covered for the 2021 crop year by the Federal Crop Insurance Program or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) are asked to report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office, respectively, within 72 hours of discovering damage and follow up in writing within 15 days.

Livestock and perennial crop producers often have more limited risk management options available, so there are several disaster programs for them. Key programs offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency include: ► The Livestock Indemnity Program and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that were killed or severely injured by a natural disaster or loss of feed and grazing acres. ► The Tree Assistance Program provides cost share assistance to rehabilitate or replant orchards and vineyards when storms kill or damage the trees, vines or bushes. NAP or Federal Crop Insurance often only covers the crop and not the plant. ► The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests.

It is also critical that producers keep accurate records to document damage or loss and to report losses to their local USDA Service Center as soon as possible.

Additionally, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. USDA can also assist local government sponsors with the cost of recovery efforts like debris removal and streambank stabilization to address natural resource concerns and hazards through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-aGlance fact sheet (PDF, 4.6 MB) and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options.

For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is also ready to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and standing by for requests for assistance from states and local authorities, to provide emergency nutrition assistance to people in need.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the BidenHarris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov. ⊳

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MOST FARMERS SET FOR 2022 INPUT NEEDS

S

By Mikkel Pates Agweek

ISSETON, South Dakota — Farmers and fertilizer suppliers seem to be in generally good situations for feeding the 2022 crop in northeast South Dakota and western Minnesota, despite a tripling in fertilizer costs, according to farmers and ag suppliers.

Gary Hanson, 72, and his son, Cody, 47, at Sisseton raise corn, soybeans and a little wheat on 2,500 acres.

They bought their farm inputs — fertilizer and chemical — last fall.

Their local Border States Cooperative at Sisseton Gary Hanson, 72 guaranteed 95% of their last year’s use, with a possibility of getting “all we want” as the season unfolds, Gary said.

“We kinda got on the ‘old price’ scale, and capitalized on the new pricing of the commodities, got high,” Gary said at the end of March 2022. “This year we’re set pretty well.”

Fertilizer was about $200 a ton higher than in 2021, but the seed increased about 10% from the previous year.

On top of that, the Hansons farm in the area of Roberts and Grant counties, which are the wettest two counties in Cody Hanson, 47 the state. They got rain last fall, after a drought.

“The rain came just at the right time,” he said.

The Hansons rutted some of the fields but had good crops. This winter, their snow was 17 inches, ahead of averages.

Gary farmed with his father and a brother on a dairy, grain and cattle operation. Since the late 1980s, the family dropped the dairy but increased to 300 beef cows.

Cody joined the farm in 1995 after studying two years at South Dakota State University. The Hansons have 2,500 acres of grain farming.

On top of that, Gary spent 12 years in the state Legislature — a Democrat serving on the agriculture committees in both the House and the Senate through 2011. Ten years ago, he started selling farm real estate. (Local land values peaked in the area about five years ago at about $10,300 per acre.

That’s backed off to $6,500 to $7,000 per acre.)

Cody said he was surprised at how fertilizer prices “spiked so high, so fast,” last fall. He said he’d never had to pre-pay for fertilizer before, and the concern about whether it would be available was the most persuasive.

“He told us if you don’t buy it this fall, you might not get it next spring. Kinda pushed into buying in the fall, I guess,” he said.

His farming friends say they bought most, if not all, of what they needed.

Some predicted price increases in fuel, but the Hansons didn’t purchase that in advance.

“I don’t know how high it’s going to go, and if it’s available for the following year. That’s kind of what I’m wondering about,” Cody said.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

The Gary and Cody Hanson farm is diversified with 2,500 acres of cropland and a 300cow beef operation. This year the father and son are happy they purchased their 2022 fertilizer needs late last fall. Photo taken March 30, 2022, at Sisseton, South Dakota.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

The Wheaton Dumont Elevator system, based in Wheaton, Minnesota, built a 6,000ton agronomy facility at New Effington, South Dakota, in 2019. About 80% of the larger co-op’s 1,200 farmers pre-purchased fertilizer last summer and fall. About 90% of the co-op’s fertilizer buyers hire the co-op to apply it. Photo taken March 30, 2022.

80% pre-pays

Courtesy / WheatonDumont Cooperative Elevatore

Philip Deal is general manager for Wheaton Dumont Cooperative Elevator, based in Wheaton, Minnesota.

The company has 15 grain locations and five agronomy centers.

About 75% to 80% of farmers pre-purchased fertilizer and other inputs in 2021 for the 2022 crop, which is up from about 60% to 65% in a typical year. Photo taken April 4, 2022, at Wheaton, Minnesota.

The Hansons’ pre-paid situation is not unusual, according to Philip Deal, general manager of the Wheaton-Dumont Cooperative Elevator, based in Wheaton, Minnesota.

His Wheaton-Dumont co-op deals with 1,200 farmerpatrons with 15 grain handling locations and five agronomy locations in the tri-state intersection. The co-op applies the fertilizer for 90% of its sales.

Kevin Grimes, Wheaton-Dumont’s agronomy division manager, said roughly 75% to 80% of the company’s farmers this year “pre-paid” for their 2022 fertilizer needs. That’s up from about 60% to 65% in previous years.

Deal and Grimes said the timing of pre-paid arrangements came in “waves” — first July 2021 and then in November-December. When farmers started those deals it was for typical reasons — often managing taxes. Initially, the prices for the fertilizer were 25% from the previous year’s price levels.

By October 2021, fertilizer prices had doubled.

By April 2022 they’d roughly tripled what they were for the 2021 crop.

Deal said the producers who pre-pay typically are the same ones year after year. The majority who buy very early typically purchase all of their expected needs.

“This time, it really, really paid off for them,” Deal said.

The 20% who didn’t pre-pay for fertilizer early tended to be the same ones who usually don’t. Deal said he’s seen only a few instances in his career where waiting to make fertilizer purchase in-season ended up costing the farmer less. Unlike some competitors, Wheaton-Dumont co-op didn’t limit farmers in their purchases.

On the way

Grimes said the co-op’s five fertilizer plants are full — including Dumont, Minnesota, at 10,000 tons, and New Effington, South Dakota, with 6,000 tons. They’ll be able to handle customers with only one refill of the inventory. Supplies for that refill are already en route on barge, rail and trucks.

“Next year is at greater risk,” Grimes said, noting increased global unrest.

Farmer counter-moves to the higher fertilizer prices are mixed — some are planting a little more corn, some are planting more soybeans which require less fertilizer.

The story on farm chemical purchases is similar.

About 50% of farmers paid for their herbicides early, up from about 30% in a more typical year. Some of this was because of heavy promotion by manufacturers in advertisements. Chemistry prices increased from last year roughly 30%. ⊳

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

A 6,000-ton fertilizer warehouse at New Effington, South Dakota, has enough product on hand to serve area farmers with only one refilling during the season, according to agronomy officials at Wheaton Dumont Elevator Cooperative, based in Wheaton, Minnesota.

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APRIL 2022 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 9

Stranded specialty crop companies want ‘teeth’ in container rules

By Mikkel Pates Agweek BRECKENRIDGE, Minn. – Teeth.

Rick Brandenburger wants “teeth” in a bill moving through Congress that is designed to make shipping containers available to agricultural specialty crop exporters, instead of sending them back to Asia empty. There is a bill

Rick Brandenburger is president of Richland IFC Inc.

in place, but he worries it is simply window-dressing — unlikely to change anything.

Brandenburger is president of Richland Innovative Food Crops Inc., a company various agribusiness leaders started in 1999. Richland IFC develops, contracts and ships specialty food-grade crops — soybeans and corn — domestically and internationally. Company

owners have export roots dating to 1979.

Richland IFC has sold 200 containers per month, mostly in the 20-foot containers that are sold into Asia. The company has received an alarming declining percentage of containers ordered in recent months: November 2021, 68%; December 2021, 38%; January 2022, 28%; February 2022, 21%.

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The problem is that the ag export containers are “back-haul” load for containers that ship higher-valued goods into the U.S. The “primary haul” are the trips into the U.S., which Brandenburger says costs shippers $10,000 to $25,000. Going back to Asia, ag exporters historically have paid about onefourth the rate, currently about $3,500 per container (which includes trucking fees to the rail yard ).

In the past two years — especially in the past six months — shipping companies trying to serve strong U.S. demand for Asian products, apparently have made a financial decision to quickly send the containers back to Asia empty.

This helps them serve U.S. consumers, but leaves exporters high and dry.

“It’s a classic economic model,” Brandenburger said. “They’re more profitable by refusing exports and returning them empty.”

If the delays and cancellations continue, it will devastate Richland IFC and other specialty crop exporters.

Jay Schuler, one of the founding shareholders Richland IFC, is the founder and chairman of a District Export Council of North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. He said ag product shipments had been strengthening until the past year and a half are now stranded without service.

“It’s gotten worse in the past six months,” Schuler said. “It’s had our export people pulling their hair out. Customers have contracted the product in Asia. They’re waiting for it. They need it. Their shelves are going empty.”

TEETH: Page 12

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

Kim Gutzmer, operations manager at Richland IFC Inc., Dwight, North Dakota, says his company has invested in modernizing the plant, including with this sophisticated color sorter, to meet a strong export market, including Japan and other markets. Those are jeopardized if the company can’t get shipping containers.

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TEETH From Page 11

For Midwest farmers, the problem is biggest for specialty crop growers, shipping identitypreserved shipments. North Dakota ships numerous specialty crops — premium sunflower products, edible soybeans, dry edible beans, flax and others.

“It’s gotta change,” Schuler said.

“We’re desperate. It can’t happen quick enough. U.S. legislation takes time, and in the meantime, valueadded exports will be lost” to Brazil, Argentina, and Canada.

Under a third

Brandenburger said about 65% of Richland IFC’s revenue comes from shipping soybeans to eight Asian countries. Those markets account for nearly 2,000 containers per year. In the 2020-21 shipping season, they were getting 80% of what they needed. Four months ago, they were getting 50% of what they needed. Now, it’s down to 30%.

A key export is “natto” soybeans, used for specialty Japanese markets.

When they don’t have containers to fill at their Dwight, North Dakota, processing plant, they simply store commodities, hoping the containers will become available.

Foreign buyers must either find out an alternate shipping method — which adds to their food inflation

— or seek out suppliers from the company’s foreign competition.

Richland IFC is just finishing its 2022 contracting season, hoping for a normal shipping year.

Schuler said one problem is that U.S. consumers have such pent-up demand for Asian-made consumer goods. Some of this has been attributed to COVID subsidies that put money in American pockets that is being used for imported items.

The companies make more money shipping containers back to Asia empty than they would if U.S. ag exporters filled them with soybeans and other crops, he said.

“The containers are loaded in Asia, with Barbie dolls in China or maybe TVs in Korea and are shipped on the containers,” Schuler said, dryly.

The containers come on the boat, loaded via rail to places like Chicago. When the process works, the containers are repositioned in Minneapolis, to be available to exporters. The ag export companies must send trucks to pick them up.

Companies then fill them, sealed, and loaded back on a chassis to be driven back to Minneapolis to be transloaded onto a railroad “flatbed” car.

“Unfortunately, most of them are empty,” Schuler said. The ocean carrier lines tell the railroads to bring the containers back empty so they can pick up extra days — “a

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

Major players in the Red River Valley –- like Richland IFC Inc., at Dwight, North Dakota, with corporate offices in Breckenridge, Minn. –- must spend time and money storing edible soybeans when they can’t immediately ship it because of a shortage of available shipping containers week or two, so they can get it back to China to fill it up with Barbie dolls,” he said.

Three of the largest shipping consortiums control 80% of the container flow, Brandenburger said. The shipping lines now all are foreign-owned in Korea, the Netherlands or Germany. Two are based in Singapore, three are in Taiwan, Europe has three or four

and China has two of them. None are American.

Help on the way?

A bipartisan “Ocean Shipping Reform Act,” led by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., passed the U.S. Senate on March 31, 2022. The U.S. House bill, led by Rep. Dusty Johnson, D-S.D., passed similar

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bills. There are 27 cosponsors, including Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D.; Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; and Tina Smith, D-Minn.

The bill has the support of the Minnesota Corn Growers and Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, among others.

Klobuchar, in a news release, said the “sheer act of passing this bill” would “send a message to the foreign-owned shipping industry” that it’s “time to ship our goods out of America” at a “fair rate.” That industry made a “record of $190 billion in profits in 2021, a seven-fold increase from the previous year,” she said, in a news release.

“The law will prohibit ocean carriers from unreasonably declining shipping opportunities for U.S. exporters as determined by the FMC (Federal Maritime Commission),” and quarterly report their total import/ export tonnage and loaded/empty container shipping.

Schuler and colleagues in the DEC wonder what the term “reasonable” means, and if that’s legally, effectively enforceable. Klobuchar’s office did not respond to an Agweek request for followup on this issue.

“What’s ‘unreasonable?’” Schuler said. “We want the same number of containers we’ve had in the past three years. That’s ‘reasonable.’ And the containers are empty.”

Schuler acknowledges the companies have to ship some empties for ballast reasons, but the companies are not approaching those limits.

The bill would authorize the FMC to “self-initiate investigations of ocean common carriers,” or shipping lines. They would “set new rules” for what the carriers “can reasonably charge.”

“We don’t need any investigations,” Schuler said, flatly. “It’s been proven, what’s going on. Let’s get ’er done, and let’s get some penalties.”

“Personally, I’d like to see $2,000 per container penalty when they ship ‘air’ back to Asia,” Schuler said. That should kick in when the containers sit here at the docks of a North Dakota, Minnesota or South Dakota companies.

Even if the rules are specific, Brandenburger wonders how the FMC — a “very small” federal agency with a total of 110 staff, including seven inspectors — is supposed to oversee a “multi-trillion-dollar” industry, as well as carry out their other duties, Brandenburger said.

Schuler said the DEC is starting to suggest more concrete incentives.

Minneapolis key Red River Valley processors get their containers from the Minneapolis rail yards. The Minneapolis yards are serviced by three Class 1 rail systems — Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, and BNSF Railway. The BNSF containers then flow out of Pacific Northwest ports in Seattle and Tacoma.

Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway Company containers flow through Canadian ports in Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia.

Richland IFC historically ships about 50/50 between U.S. and Canadian ports. Richland IFC uses several “freight forwarding companies” who have access to the shipping lines that service containers. Containers coming into the Minneapolis yard are “highly dependent” on shipping lines and railroads repositioning empty containers.

And shipping lines are not repositioning these empty containers for U.S. exports in general and agricultural exports in particular.

“Shipping lines prefer to ship the containers back to Asia empty versus taking the time to facilitate exports,” Brandenburger said.

They save two weeks in the amount of time they can turn the container back to China and refill them with consumer goods.

Little vs. big guys Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance supported passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and was among the first groups to sound the alarm on the supply chain crisis in October 2020 and has continued to work on behalf of its members who export high-quality, Identity Preserved grains and oilseeds to help them meet the needs of their overseas customers.

Lack of service, carrier cancellations, delays and rising freight rates and fees have “reached a condition critical situation,” said SSGA Chairman Rob Prather, chief strategic ambassador for Iowa-based Global Processing, affected business and have had a human toll, as well, causing hardships to logistics staffs, farmers, truckers, suppliers and customers both in the U.S. and abroad.

Schuler said that in economic recession years, “value-added shippers were consistent” in using these lines, and providing them with a profit source. Now, they’re bypassed.

“We’re the little guys and we don’t have the power that the big guys do,” Schuler said. ⊳

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ELLINGSON SAYS SUMMIT IS COMMITTED TO GETTING DRAIN TILE RIGHT

By Jeff Beach Agweek Tim Trettin had only recently added some Iowa farmland when he learned about a carbon capture pipeline for his area of north-central Iowa.

One of his concerns for the 3 acres that could be impacted by the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline is the drain tile. He said he knows it’s “out there somewhere,” he’s just not sure exactly where, and he hasn’t owned it long enough to know how the field is supposed to drain.

Drain tile is a common concern among farmers with cropland in the path of carbon pipelines.

The Summit pipeline would gather carbon from ethanol plants in five states and send it to western North Dakota where it can be stored underground.

Trettin attended a meeting in Mason City, Iowa, for landowners affected by the pipeline.

Several landowners spoke up about drain tile.

“Drain tile repair will be an extensive effort,” Summit’s Alex Lange said during that meeting.

Summit is counting on Ellingson Companies to fulfill the promise of making the needed repairs to drain tile as part of pipeline construction.

“We’re there to work for the growers,” said Jeremy Ellingson, the chief operating officer for Ellingson. “We’re there to make sure that their drain tile is operating and performing just the way it was before the pipeline.”

As for landowners like Trettin, “We’re locating and finding tile all the time,” Ellingson said.

“That’s something that’s second nature to us.”

He said the company uses several tools, from aerial imagery to probes, “right down to physical verification.”

He said the company will be collecting information before and during construction. He also said they will likely find old tile that are no longer functioning as intended.

“Our proprietary drain tile mapping and management systems we have here in house

Jaryn Homiston / Agweek

Ryan Thorpe of Tharaldson Ethanol in Casselton, North Dakota, says the plant produces about 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide per day, but could achieve a negative carbon score in the future.

make that way more efficient than it used to be done in the old days,” Ellingson said.

Ellingson has experience with pipeline projects, including having been called in to repair drain tile for part of the Dakota Access Pipeline project that started construction in 2016.

He said the company, which has been around for more than 50 years, has been involved with several cross country utilities projects.

He credits Summit Carbon Solutions, an offshoot of Iowa-based Summit Agricultural Group, with getting Ellingson involved early in the $4.5 billion pipeline project.

“I really think that Summit is doing a great job getting us involved early in this project which isn’t always the case in pipeline jobs,” Ellingson said.

Summit is hoping to start construction on the 2,000 mile Midwest Carbon Express pipeline in 2023 and be operational in 2024.

Ellingson said with the carbon pipeline using smaller diameter pipe on its feeder lines and the

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tile identification “it’s a totally different project” than Dakota Access.

“Their approach is a lot different,” Ellingson said of Summit. “I know that they’re committed to making sure that all things drain tile run through Ellingson.“ Ellingson said the more information that landowners can provide ahead of time about field drainage, the better.

“Pre-planning, getting the tile identified is what is so important,” Ellingson said.

Jeremy Ellingson works out of the Rochester, Minnesota, office and has a brother, Derrik Ellingson, vice president of the ag division, who works out of the Harwood, North Dakota, office, north of Fargo. Their father is president and CEO Roger Ellingson.

A branch of the Summit pipeline is planned to run near Fargo, connecting Tharaldson Ethanol at Casselton, North Dakota. A line also would run west from the Green Plains ethanol plant at Fergus Falls, Minnesota, across the Red River, where it will join up with a feeder line from Tharaldson. There could also be a branch running south from a planned fertilizer plant at

COVER CROP From Page 4

Extension and NRCS personnel will use the results to help those already planting cover crops improve their results through a precision cover cropping system and to encourage more farmers to use cover crops to increase sustainability and profitability.

CONSIDERING SOIL CHARACTERISTICS Cover crops improve soil health, which then contributes to better yields, Nafchi explained. Two key factors in increasing yields are water infiltration rate — how quickly the soil absorbs water — and waterholding capacity, which helps keep water and nutrients from running into adjacent lakes and streams.

These factors are directly related to the organic matter in the soil.

Mapping the field will give the researchers data on the variability within the field. For example, measuring the soil’s ability to conduct electricity, known as electrical conductivity, helps quantify soil structure, Nafchi said. “When you have clay soil, the particles are closer together, so the (electrical conductivity) number will be higher. Sandy soils have air spaces, or voids, among the particles and less electrolytes, meaning nutrients wash away more easily, so electrical conductivity will be lower.”

To be able to identify drainage problems, the researchers will take shallow and deep electrical conductivity readings.

Grand Forks, North Dakota, to join the line near Casselton.

The hazardous material pipeline faces opposition from many landowners and county governments along the route.

Trettin, the Iowa farmer, said he is “not exactly for it,” referring to the pipeline. He said the compensation offer from Summit was “relatively fair” but he would not sign a voluntary easement agreement until the project were to be approved by the Iowa Utilities Board. Under current rules in Iowa, an approved permit would give Summit the right to use eminent domain to force landowners to provide access for the pipeline.

As for Ellingson Companies, “I felt better after talking with them,” Trettin said. “They have the experience.”

The pipeline would capture greenhouse gas emissions from the ethanol plants along the route, allowing those plants to sell fuel for a premium on the low-carbon market. Summit also would be able to cash in on federal tax credits for carbon storage.

“I think it’s a great project for the Midwest,” Jeremy Ellingson said. ⊳

MAKING PRECISE CHOICES Incorporating tubers, such as radishes, into the cover crop mixture can help break up compacted soil and add organic matter that will improve the soil’s water-holding capacity.

Certain cover crops can improve the soil porosity and the void ratio, which are associated with waterholding capacity, Nafchi explained.

Incorporating tubers, such as tillage radishes, into the cover crop mixture can help break up compacted soil and add organic matter that will also improve water-holding capacity.

The slope of a field can also be a factor in adjusting the cover crop planting to get a uniform stand, Nafchi continued. “On a northfacing slope, plants germinate later because of the cooler soil temperatures. If we compensate for the lag by choosing the right cover crop and a higher seeding rate, we will have uniform germination.”

Specific cover crops can also help reduce pressure from soil-borne diseases and pests. For instance, cereal rye and tillage radishes can help reduce soybean cyst nematode populations.

Combining these factors, along with producer input, will help the research team determine the best cover crop mixture and optimum seeding rate for each field zone, Nafchi said, emphasizing that “precision ag means using the right input in the right amount at the right place at the right time and in the right manner to help farmers increase profitability and sustainability.” ⊳

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