The Land - March 29, 2024

“Since 1976, Where Farm and Family Meet”

© 2024

418 South Second St., Mankato, MN 56001 • (800) 657-4665 www.TheLandOnline.com • theland@TheLandOnline.com

March 29, 2024

And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

1 John 2:25

FFA gavel-grabbers Staff Writer Laura Cole visits the State FFA Officers from 1998-1999.

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THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

Immeasurable experiences 418 South Second St. Mankato, MN 56001 (800) 657-4665 Vol. XLVIII ❖ No. 7 24 pages, 1 section plus supplements

www.TheLandOnline.com facebook.com/TheLandOnline twitter.com/TheLandOnline

Cover photo submitted

COLUMNS Opinion Farm and Food File The Bookworm Sez Table Talk From My Farmhouse Kitchen Healthcare Focus Calendar of Events Mielke Market Weekly Auctions/Classifieds Advertiser Listing Back Roads

2-4 3 4 5 6 7 8 16 19-23 23 24

STAFF

Publisher: Steve Jameson: sjameson@mankatofreepress.com General Manager: Deb Petterson: dpetterson@TheLandOnline.com Managing Editor: Paul Malchow: editor@TheLandOnline.com Staff Writer: Laura Cole: lcole@TheLandOnline.com Staff Writer Emeritus: Dick Hagen: rdhagen35@gmail.com Advertising Representatives: Dan McCargar: (507) 344-6379, dmccargar@thelandonline.com Deb Petterson: dpetterson@TheLandOnline.com Office/Advertising Assistants: Joan Compart: theland@TheLandOnline.com Lyuda Shevtsov: auctions@thelandonline.com For Customer Service Concerns: (507) 345-4523, (800) 657-4665, theland@TheLandOnline.com Fax: (507) 345-1027 For Editorial Concerns or Story Ideas: (507) 344-6342, (800) 657-4665, editor@TheLandOnline.com Because of the nature of articles appearing in The Land, product or business names may be included to provide clarity. This does not constitute an endorsement of any product or business. Opinions and viewpoints expressed in editorials or by news sources are not necessarily those of the management.

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For the second year I’ve had the pleahave been given an assigned-with-a-duesure of speaking with the six FFA state date reason to pick up the phone and officers who served in Minnesota 25 years talk with them all those years ago was a prior. The stories are unique; each path a true gift. bit different, and just like last year, each In my junior year history class, stuperson spoke of their FFA experience dents were divided into groups and each with a high regard. tasked with giving a three-day lesson on One of the statements that especially a past war. One hundred fifty minutes of stuck out to me this year was Kara information. My friend and I either LAND MINDS (Ladlie) Grant’s comment that education selected or were assigned the Korean is never wasted. You’ll read in her officer War – I don’t recall. We spent a choir bus

By Laura Cole update what she was specifically refertrip traveling across South Dakota encing, but her words brought me to looking through history books and my own reflections about school, edumaking notes on index cards. At the cation, and when learning sometimes time, we sarcastically gave much credextends past what was even intended. it to our teacher for coming up with such a great There will likely always be debates about curricu- way not to teach his class for an entire semester. lum and the subjects that are most beneficial.

My friend had some historical pieces she was able Surely, someone somewhere is asking right this very to bring in as part of our presentation. One of my moment, “And why did I have to learn (fill in the dad’s relatives had served in the Korean War, and blank — but for me it’s badminton) in school?” as it turned out, he was willing to share his experience for our project.

The worst grade I ever received on a report card was from my freshman music class. If memory I carefully prepared my questions and printed serves me correctly, a couple days each week were them as neatly as my handwriting allowed. I was spent singing, and the other three were dedicated to nervous and overly polite, but he was friendly and music history. The single fact that I knowingly came outgoing. A natural conversationalist, he led the away with from the class — and I’ll take responsiway. All I needed to do was keep my pencil moving. bility for the lack of absorption — is that a tabla is What I learned is that recounting days spent as a a pair of small Indian drums. Twenty-plus years forward observer in war is not like recounting days later, the instrument has yet to come up in converin most other occupations. That even when prepared sation or win me a gift certificate from a radio confor the conversation, memories can cause emotions test. But I am ready. to suddenly surface.

A lot of my high school coursework required fact I left our conversation worried I had caused him memorization. With a need to remedy my GPA after to relive pained memories all for a school assignthat music class, my friends and I often came up ment. I thankfully received reassurance that he had with little sayings or associations to get through our appreciated the chance to talk about his experienctests. When we had to match authors to their es. It was perhaps the first time I really realized the poems, for example, we were able to remember multitudes people carry.

William Carlos Williams wrote “The Red My friend and I did well on our project – another Wheelbarrow,” because his first and last initials boost to offset the dismal music grade, but I gained were W.W. and wheelbarrow began and ended with so much more than a letter grade could indicate. the letter w.

I think about all the classes that have shaped me I am all for an education that can be practically as a person — teachers who taught with integrity applied, though I can admit some of the other and care, who made a point to provide lessons in instances did help me in gathering the grit to selfhumanity, to help us hear the stories of others who motivate. There’s creativity gained in figuring out have lived through drastically different experiences. how to make something work for you. A degree of tenacity that comes with pushing through a project How do you measure that? or learning terminology. Perhaps a level of selfWhile the former FFA officers I spoke with menawareness as one accepts badminton is not quite tioned the CDEs, the SAEs, and the competitions, the sport for them. there was a shift in tone when they talked about an advisor who went above and beyond, the friendships While I am a little proud of some of the miscellaformed, and why FFA still means as much to them neous trivia I’ve hung on to, there have been parts of my education that have had more of a meaningful now as it did then. An experience, it seems, that is also immeasurable. impact.

I hope you enjoy hearing where FFA and the last Like when I interviewed my maternal grandpar25 years has taken Kara, Bob, Jeremy, Betsy, Darin ents about living through The Great Depression.

They lived in Wisconsin, and I grew up seeing them and Kelly. To the officers of the 1998-99 team, thank for only about a week out of the year. I still have my you again for sharing your stories. loose-leaf pages of notes from that phone call. Their Laura Cole is the staff writer of The Land. She reflections have sunk in more with time, and to may be reached at lcole@TheLandOnline.com. v

OPINION

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

PAGE 3

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

Meet the ‘Barons’ who ‘corrupt’ your dinner table The first economist, Scotland’s Adam concentrated animal feeding operations.

Smith, had it right almost 250 years ago Since 1992, Iowa’s CAFO-based hog popuwhen, as writer Eric Schlosser notes in lation statewide has increased by “more the foreword of an important new book than 50 percent while the number of hog

by Iowan Austin Frerick, that “...merfarms has declined by over 80 percent.” chants and manufacturers were ‘an order That rise delivered the Hansens a priof men, whose interest is never exactly vate jet (whose tail is reportedly emblathe same with that of the public.’” zoned with the humble brag, “When Pigs Few groups know this better than FARM & FOOD FILE Fly”), multiple homes, and kingmaker American farmers and ranchers who status in Iowa’s agbiz-dominated state

By Alan Guebert have seen the most vital sectors of their government. food-producing business — like meatTheir home state, however, hasn’t packing, grain merchandising, and fared as well. Pigs, for example, now seed technology — overtaken outnumber Iowans seven to one and by today’s ever-growing, ever-grabbing “merchants produce the “manure equivalent to the waste of and manufacturers.” nearly 84 million people,” or “more than the populaFrerick, like Smith, gets it right from the start in tion of California, Texas and Illinois combined.” the callout title of his new book, “Barons: Money, Some “farmers,” huh?

Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Wait until you read about dairy barons, Sue and Industry.”

Mike McCloskey, whose cows produce 4 million (Full disclosure: Frerick is a valued colleague and school cartons of milk each day and 430,000 gallons friend. “Barons:…” includes a handful of references (or a staggering 16 times more) manure. to previous Farm and Food Files.)

Or the “faceless” Reimann family of Germany In it, Frerick digs deeply into the rise of seven of whose Luxembourg-based JAB Holdings is now the these powerful, largely unknown baronial food fami“world’s second largest purveyor of coffee” through lies to tell how each came to dominate their respecbrands like Peet’s, Caribou, Krispy Kreme, Panera tive sectors and how they now wield their accrued Bread, and others too numerous to name. What is market power to make everything — from their neighbors to the environment to you — pay for it.

He begins with the compelling story of Jeff and Deb Hansen, two of the most unlikely hog farmers The Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year Award is you’ve never heard of. Both were Iowa farm kids back for 2024. Nominations are currently being who, after marriage, began a hog enterprise with accepted until May 23. three sows. Their drive, skill, and innovations soon Nominees must be a legal resident of the United led them to expand. Then expand again. Then really States, and eighteen years of age or older. They must expand. farm or ranch as a sole proprietor or one part of a Now their company, Iowa Select Farms, Frerick couple, family or partnership. Nominees may work writes, “employs more than 7,400 people … and outside the home or farm but must contribute to the brings about five million hogs to market annually.” farming/ranching operation in addition to the duties Iowa Select became a cornerstone for the CAFO, or outside the farm.

OPINION

known, however, is that JAB entered the coffeeslinging business just 12 years ago and is now a global, if unknown, baron.

Other barons include the Cargill-McMillian family, the world’s most dominant grain merchandising company; “The Berry Barons,” J. Miles and Garland Reiter, who own Driscoll’s through which they control “about one-third of the U.S. berry market” while not “actually growing any berries” at all; the Brazilian “Slaughter Barons,” Joesley and Wesley Batista of JBS infamy; and the Walton family whose domination of American grocery retailing continues to grow.

Frerick’s skill as both a serious academic and gifted storyteller keeps the pages turning as his colorful cast of characters build empires with everyday dinner items like pork chops, milk, coffee, and strawberries while few Americans even know who they are.

And even fewer know the ruinous impacts their rise in market power has had on rural America’s environment, economy, and people.

Frerick, a Fellow at Yale University, knows and his “Barons:…” warns us that these modern “merchants and manufacturers,” just like their 18th century counterparts, are nothing more than naked mercantilists. v

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Five nominees will be chosen and honored, on stage, at the Aug. 8 ceremony.

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This article was submitted by Minnesota Farmfest.v

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PAGE 4

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

Having more fun in your life is child’s play You threw a perfect fit. dren; but with guidance from this book, “Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas: a little childishness becomes a good You stomped into your room, kicked a Secrets from the Science of Toddlers for a thing. Even the most stoic CEO can benchair, knocked things off a table. You efit from more levity, and Merali’s words Happier, More Successful Way of Life” ranted. Screamed. And though you were on maintaining curiosity and openness tempted, you stopped just short of throwby Hasan Merali, MD to learning are priceless for both home ing yourself on the floor because your colc.2024, HCI Books and work. Merely reading Merali’s imagleagues would talk. Oddly, you felt better inary scenarios can add fun to your day. $17.95 once you were done; because sometimes, says Hasan Merali, MD, being childish is This is the kind of book you hand to 320 pages THE BOOKWORM just what you need. In his new book your sales team for a group read, folSEZ “Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas,” lowed by a discussion and bottles of soap Learn that “NO” is a full doing so could even make you successful. By Terri Schlichenmeyer sentence. bubbles. If you need to lighten up and laugh more, “Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Spend even just a few minutes with litCan you fit a teddy bear Peas” could be the perfect fit. tle people between the ages of one and five, and into a lunch box or briefcase? Can you’ll notice a few things. Kids that age are general- you arrange to have a sandbox in the Look for the reviewed book at a bookstore or ly happier. They laugh more, they have curiosity, a library near you. You may also find the book break room at work? You’ll be unabashedness, and risk-taking abilities. What at online book retailers. tempted to try these things, once would your life — at work and at home — be like if you see the possibilities inside “Sleep Well, Take The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri you acted more like those kids?

Risks, Squish the Peas.” has been reading since she was 3 years old and Says Merali, it’s not as far-fetched as you think. never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in If this all seems a little silly at first, remember Wisconsin with three dogs and 10,000 books. v As our brains mature, we lose our sense of wonder, that age regression isn’t mandatory; but a toddler’s our attention to detail and our flexibility in thinkoutlook is. Merali doesn’t insist readers act like chiling. Logic rules our minds, while creativity waits in the wings. We laugh a lot less. We get stingy with generosity and kindness, and we become self-conSend your letters to: Editor, The Land, 418 South Second St., Mankato, MN 56001 scious. e-mail: editor@thelandonline.com Who wants that?

All letters must be signed and accompanied by a phone number (not for publication) to verify authenticity.

Turn things around, Merali says, by eating only when you’re hungry and by getting enough sleep.

Make a routine before bedtime. Read yourself a story. Nap, if you can.

Stay active, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Be kind, learn to share, and don’t assume that every stranger is a danger. At least once a day, do someTo the Editor, industry. Where will they go with these expensive thing that will make you laugh. Better yet, do it batteries when they die? Talk about an environmenAfter being around for 76 years, I’ve noticed that with a friend or two. Pick a book if you need to give tal catastrophe! Their solutions always cause bigger all the people that think they are the smartest live yourself a reward, and always read a mixture of problems. “make-believe and real stories.” Remember that life in Washington, D.C. and the east coast. They think they know what is best for us and we had better lisAs for wildfires, the environmentalists put a stop is not entirely goal-oriented, so take time to play. ten. to clear-cutting forest practices. Clear-cutting areas Use teamwork. Don’t get angry at malfunctioning equipment. Learn that it’s okay to ask for help, and Most of their doom and gloom predictions haven’t are what prevented small fires from becoming big fires. Again, their solutions lead to bigger problems. to give it. Ask questions. Be brave. come true. (New York and Miami are not under water.)

Question: Who do they blame? Farmers. Growing corn is bad for the environment. Having a herd of According to The National Oceanic and milk cows is bad for the environment. Even combine Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a sciencedust is bad for the environment. These elitists just based federal agency within the Department of MINNESOTA’S LOW PRICED AG CHEMICAL DEALER hate everything about rural America. The fact is we Commerce, there are no differences between the number of storms today and 100 years ago. They are farmers were always the ones who have been concerned about the land and the environment. just exaggerated by 24/7 news. NASA reports the glaciers in Greenland are growing. How can this be?

And yes, Mr. Kolbe, I am concerned about my children and grandchildren. I want them to enjoy the The alarmists think by changing the term “global freedoms that I had and not to be under the thumb Chemicals ~ Fertilizers ~ Seeds warming” to “climate change” America’s view of them will improve and that the people would “obey.” of a controlling socialist government. ll for current Chemical prices They think they are so smart, but we see right As a retired farmer, I too believe in compromise. through them. Putting up electric car charging staYou stop telling us how to live our lives and we will tions run by diesel engines solves what problem? reciprocate.

Truth be known electric cars are not the solution, Michael Thiesse batteries will be built in China by slave labor and Ceylon, Minn.

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THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

PAGE 5

Asleep or awake, ‘WORK’ is ongoing for farmers It’s no secret that farmers ships with man and beast, and ranchers are busy peoit is common to hear, “I betple. ter get to work.”

Have you ever tried to My husband works all schedule a vacation with night long in his dreams. someone who spends their It’s hard to imagine he has lives tending to the land even an ounce of energy left and animals? It’s like by morning to get up and watching a hamster wheel actually do the work, after TABLE TALK go ‘round and ‘round. he’s been fixing trucks and There’s just no end to what

By Karen Schwaller tractors, birthing animals needs to be done. and dealing with farm problems all night long.

As the social media saying goes, “Farm kids clock in at age The word “work” is central to the five, and never really clock out.” success of the farm. It’s like a storm coming. You can’t be afraid of it and There simply isn’t time; and when you’re a kid and loving it, time takes a you can’t put most of it on the back burner to deal with later. holiday.

It warrants its own place in the halls Feeding the world is no small task. of acronyms. Let’s examine these letAsk any farm family — their lives are different from those of so many others, ters of the word a little further, to help us understand the way a farmer and all in the name of both earning a (hard) living, and providing for all peo- thinks. ple. They are humbly providing for so “W” — This letter stands for the many more than their own families. wrinkles they get from worrying about the weather and weed control. They And because they spend their lives have whopper-like worry sessions now cultivating both land and relation-

and then, and cannot explain the ‘why’ “K” — The main letter in “work” sometimes when things go wrong. that is owned by a farmer is the word “keep.” There are so many things for That’s a lot of W’s. them to keep: land in the family, ani“O” — This letter stands for the mals alive, kids busy and interested in obstacles they face so often between carrying on the work their parents did government regulations, O-rings that for all of their lives without killing the need replacing and birthing sessions desire. They have to have a kettle-full that go awry. They try to be organized, of knowledge to keep up with annual but most times they would rather put industry changes, and would love to on a pair of overalls (odiferous as they kick those worries down the road a bit. may be if they are dealing with It’s such a simple statement: “I betmanure) and stay out of the office. It’s probably just as well. Discussions with ter get to work.” the other half can take on an obstiBut the layers lurking within that nate tone now and then — especially four-letter-word leave lasting ripple at tax time. effects. Farming is all-encompassing.

There’s so much work to do, it involves “R” — This letter reminds us that farmers and ranchers keep their noses the help of every member of the family, and there’s no getting around the to the grindstone because they have rent to pay. And if that’s not enough to challenging financial times and timecrunch seasons that come with it. keep them rallying, they regularly consider resistance issues and root While we love it, there are times problems — in both plants and relawhen I simply want to escape to the tionships. Working with relatives can Klondike or somewhere and see if panbe as rewarding as it can be risky. ning for gold might be a safer bet than Sometimes farmers/ranchers run short waiting out these markets. of time and become a little rifled; and If my husband agreed, he might not when that happens, there’s always be so exhausted from working all some job to relegate to a relative, or night long in his dreams. try to run out the clock themselves.

Karen Schwaller writes from her You would not want to run into a grain and livestock farm near Milford, farmer or rancher in a dark alley — especially after rock picking or sweat- Iowa. She can be reached at kschwaller@evertek.net v ing it out racking up hay all summer.

Officer, Bremer Bank; Theresia Gillie, They’re pretty ripped after that.

Kittson County Commissioner and Owner of Theresia Gillie Farms; Keepers RV Deeann Lufkin, Owner and Head Cheesemaker, CannonBelles Cheese; Since ‘63 and Lillian Otieno, Director, Emerging Farmers Office, Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

The day also includes mini sessions focused on current topics, two breakout sessions, and an opportunity to visit Check out the the Farm at the Arb’s newest feature, latest models! the Myers Education Center Kitchen Thursday & Friday 8:00am - 8:00pm Flagstaff Classroom, for a cooking demonstraSaturday 9:00am - 4:00pm E-Pro tion by Chef Beth Fisher.

Pulled pork sandwiches from 4-6 Thurs & Fri Cedar Creek and 11-2 on Saturday.

The conference is open to individuals Catalina 15% off all store merchandise! with an interest in women’s agriculNuCamp tural leadership regardless of gender, Little Guy age, or affiliation. stic Pricing On Our nta Fa The Black Hole For the full conference brochure and ls! de Mo ver ldo H Ho NorthWind Fish House more information, visit womensagleadership.org.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v www.keepersrv.com

Women’s Ag Leadership Conference on April 10 Network with ag leaders at the 26th annual Women’s Agricultural Leadership Conference on April 10 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

This year’s WALC theme, “Elevate– Empower–Evolve,” will focus on developing and uplifting women in agriculture and giving them tools to deal with an ever-changing industry.

“Every year we hear from attendees that this is a unique event because it brings together people from all areas of agriculture – production, industry, education, etc. – to help each participant grow and evolve,” said Doris Mold, conference co-founder. “Our program empowers leaders with a balance of personal and professional development programming covering timely, relevant topics. We’re bringing together some amazing speakers to share their stories of resilience.”

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PAGE 6

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

‘Yearbooks in Agriculture’ were a valuable marketing tool When planting season rolls away each for 1924 was rather lengthy: highways year, we tend to look at last year’s and transportation, farm credit, farm records to review where crops were insurance, farm taxation (which was a planted on which fields, what crop whopping 17.6 percent), hay, poultry, enhancements were used and even the weather and agriculture in general. The dates planted. fifth and final one planned for the series was published in 1925 and discussed the Sometimes it is interesting to look back fruit and vegetable industry.

100 years ago to see what farmers were experiencing as they began putting their Much of the work for the 1924 Yearbook FROM MY crops in the soil as we do today. of Agriculture had been completed when FARMHOUSE Henry C. Wallace died unexpectedly after KITCHEN The year 1924 doesn’t seem as though gall bladder surgery on Oct. 25 of that it should be a century gone by, but it is. It

By Renae B. year. Howard Mason Gore, who had been is the year that the army completed their Vander Schaaf serving as assistant secretary of agriculfirst flight across the world. Crop ture, then took the Secretary of dusting by airplanes was already Agriculture position. He served one being used for destroying insects and year before resigning. preventing the spread of plant diseases. Amazing how quickly aviation Many changes occurred during grew after Kitty Hawk’s first sucHenry C. Wallace’s tenure as cessful flight on Dec. 17, 1903, just Secretary of Agriculture that contintwo decades prior. ue to affect agriculture today. Many of which have been beneficial not The quiet man, Calvin Coolidge, only to the farmer, but also to our was president. He had been serving customers we still need at home and as vice president to William Harding, abroad. but when President Harding died, Coolidge took the oath of office in the Food safety has always been an living room of the Vermont farm issue. After studying existing egg house he had grown up in. It was grade and various factors affecting 2:00 in the morning on Aug. 3, 1923. egg quality, two sets of uniform Calvin’s father, John Coolidge, who grades for eggs were proposed in was the justice of the peace for the 1924. One was designed for use in township, had the privilege and responsibility of wholesale. Egg inspection services were established swearing his son in as president. at New York and Chicago.

The America economy was booming for almost The other service referred to the United States everyone but the farmer. Agriculture had been buying guide was for use in buying eggs from prodepressed for some time, so when Henry Cantwell ducers at county points. Quality eggs were to bring Wallace began his term as Secretary of Agriculture higher price. in 1921, he planned a series for the annual Back then as now, the Extension Service was uti“Yearbooks of Agriculture” in which detailed consid- lized to help bring this and other educational inforeration would be given to the economic phases of mation to farmers. farm production and marketing.

When a large grain consumer (the baking indusThe 1921 Yearbook of Agriculture focused primari- try at that time) demanded that flour’s protein conly on wheat, corn, beef and cotton. In 1922 the tent be consistent, changes needed to be made. It emphasis was on hogs, dairy, forestry products, wasn’t very simple to determine the protein content tobacco and small grains (other than wheat). Sugar, of wheat when it was brought into smaller country sheep, forage resources, land utilization and land elevators. It involved the use of a highly technical tenure were the subjects of interest in 1923. The list chemical method.

The department set to work establishing federal wheat grades which began taking protein content into mind. Wheat experts were able to judge the protein strength of wheat from the hardness and vitreosity of the kernels.

If wheat arrived at the elevator clean and with a higher protein content, the farmer was paid more.

Bakers and those of us who enjoy toast with our eggs benefit when the bread bakes consistently well.

Imagine never knowing what the markets were doing until you took a wagon load of grain in.

Marketing is still a guessing game, but with no

news on national or foreign events (except through a daily newspaper if the farm happened to take one), marketing was even more hit and miss.

The grain dealers had access to information that the farmer did not. In 1923, a new grain market news service was begun to convey market information promptly to farmers through the daily newspapers, the weekly and monthly farm press.

The department weekly grain market releases were forwarded by leased wire to branch offices in Minneapolis, Chicago and Kansas City. From there they were mailed out to local contacts. I think they would have been rather interesting to read as they contained domestic news, foreign crop and market information. When the market news became available on something called a radiotelephone receiving set, many farmers made the decision to purchase one of these newfangled contraptions. Or they went to a business in town that provided the marketing information as it came in.

Crop production had been abundant during the 1920s, resulting in a surplus; making foreign markets even more important for absorbing supplies of cotton, wheat and meat. Films were made to encourage European consumers to trust American meat. (I wonder if the film “The Honor of the Little Purple Stamp” can be still be viewed. It sure would be interesting to see how the work was done in 1924.)

Automobiles and trucks were beginning to displace the rail system. The necessity of good highway transportation was seen as a good investment. If a farmer had a full carload of hogs ready to ship at one time, then the railroad was the better option.

(Most farms did not have that many market-ready hogs ready at one time; and trucks could deliver from the barnyard directly to the stock yards which See FARMHOUSE KITCHEN, pg. 14

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

PAGE 7

There’s room for improvement in MNCare expansion The 2024 Minnesota legareas; and Minnesota is islature convened on Feb. developing a worsening 12 and on March 7 a bill shortage of primary care was introduced to improve physicians. healthcare insurance for Health insurance should some Minnesotans. It is an prevent medical debt and expansion of MNCare and the risk of bankruptcy due has been dubbed a “public to medical bills. It needs to option” (HF4745, SF4778). be affordable. It should HEALTHCARE This is important as every allow patients to be cared FOCUS one of us should have excelfor by their choice of doctor. lent health insurance.

By Mark Brakke “Networks” should not be Before looking at the bill, allowed. let’s review some fundamentals of The current Minnesota health insurgood health insurance and the overall ance situation is as follows: Medicaid Minnesota healthcare environment. for people who have very limited Unfortunately in Minnesota, our financial resources, MNCare for some healthcare costs nearly twice as much people who do not qualify for Medicaid as in other modern, prosperous counbut cannot afford the full cost of comtries — but does not produce as mercial health insurance, and healthy a population. That is a bizarre MNSure which helps people look at and unacceptable situation. health insurance options in the comFurthermore, Minnesota is lacking the mercial insurance space. There are ability to plan for excellent healthcare also the work-linked health insurance in many rural and small community plans which, in the past decade or so,

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New resource available for organic transition

The National Organic Program has posted a new Transitional Production Plan template on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service website.

The TPP template helps new crop producers who are transitioning to organic production to develop the supporting documentation needed to qualify for OTI services provided through the USDA’s Risk Management Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service. The template will also help transitioning farmers learn how to document their organic practices in preparation for the Organic System Plan process required when they apply for certification. By learning these practices and documenting their use of materials, farmers can feel more confident that they are on the right track early in the process.

Use of the transitional plan will ultimately streamline the organic transition process and help producers take advantage of all USDA programs more easily. For example, the TPP can serve

as OSP documentation when applying for transitional crop insurance through RMA and may also meet some of the application requirements for the Conservation Activity Plan 138 under the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program’s Organic Initiative.

The transitional plan can also be used by producers who are not using prohibited substances and are implementing practices that are expected to lead to compliance with the USDA organic regulations. When the TPP is reviewed and signed by a USDAaccredited certifier, the operation will be listed as transitional in the Organic Integrity Database. The transitional operation status will be visible to certifiers and USDA employees, including RMA staff reviewing eligibility for organic transitional crop insurance.

Transitional operation status is not publicly available.

This article was submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. v

have passed more and more financial risk to the patient.

MNCare currently helps with the cost of health insurance for those who do not qualify for Medicaid but earn less than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline. (The Federal Poverty Guideline is so low it is obvious someone at 200 percent of the FPG can barely afford housing, food and clothing to say nothing of commercial health insurance.) The proposed expansion of MNCare would provide much needed help for some Minnesotans by providing improved subsidies for more people who have low incomes.

We need to keep in mind the proposed expansion of MNCare will not do many things which are critical for good healthcare in our state.

Minnesotans need and deserve a thoughtfully designed system which will be able to provide healthcare in a planned way to all of Minnesota. We need to be able to control pharmaceutical costs with effective price negotiations. We need more primary care physicians and freedom to choose our physicians without network restrictions.

We need to get excessive administrative costs under control.

How do we get from today’s expensive, inequitable, poorly planned situation to a more satisfactory place?

There is good news. In 2023, the legislature funded a study of a thoughtfully planned health system for Minnesotans called the Minnesota Health Plan. The study is due in January of 2026.

The Minnesota Health Plan (mnhealthplan.org) would be managed with input from the community level with all counties having direct input.

It will be somewhat like a public utilities commission for healthcare.

Let’s make it clear to our elected representatives what we need to make healthcare truly available to everyone without the risk of financial ruin. We do not choose to be sick. We do not know when we will need healthcare; but we will need it. Contact your local Senator and Representative and let them know you want the healthcare system to work for you, your family and community. Here is a partial — but essential — list of what we need: Good health insurance for everyone; no restrictive networks for doctors and hospitals; accessible pharmacies; pharmaceutical prices competitive with the prices in other prosperous countries; an adequate supply of primary care physicians; adequate ambulance services; effectively spaced emergency care; and sensible travel distances for obstetrical care. It is all entirely feasible. We simply need to demand the necessary legislation and commit to having a healthcare system which is managed from a community perspective.

Mark Brakke is a retired family practice physician. He cared for patients in Coon Rapids, Minn. for 41 years during which time he was on the boards of directors of two health insurance companies. He currently is on the board of the educational non profit Health Care for All Minnesota (HCAMN.org). v

PAGE 8

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

Stevens County goat tests positive for poultry influenza virus ST. PAUL — A Stevens County goat kid (juvenile goat) residing on a farm with a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) positive poultry flock tested positive for the same virus. This is the first U.S. detection of HPAI in a domestic ruminant (cattle, sheep, goats, and their relatives). All poultry on the property were already quarantined from the February HPAI detection.

Following the confirmation of HPAI in the goat, the Board quarantined all other species on the premises. The Board is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the transmission of the virus in this case.

“This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Brian Hoefs.

“Thankfully, research to-date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means they’re unlikely to spread HPAI further.”

Earlier this month the owner notified the Board of unusual deaths of newly kidded goats on the property where a backyard poultry flock was depopulated due to HPAI in February. The goats and poultry had access to the same space, including a shared water source.

One of the goat carcasses was taken to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where it tested positive for influenza A. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories later confirmed H5N1 HPAI, which is the

same virus circulating in the national outbreak that began in 2022. Samples from the adult goats were negative for HPAI and all appear healthy; no more sick goat kids have been reported since March 11.

HPAI has been previously diagnosed in other mammalian species such as skunks, dogs and cats. Animals with weakened or immature immune systems, like the goat kids in this case, are at higher risk of contracting disease.

Calendar of Events Visit www.TheLandOnline.com to view our complete calendar and enter your own events, or send an e-mail with your event’s details to editor@thelandonline.com.

April 6 — Gardening in the Driftless — Houston, Minn. — Houston County Extension Master Gardener volunteers present their 12th annual garden workshop. Sessions include: Incorporating wildflowers in landscapes, Cooking with root vegetables, Winter sowing, and a garden entrepreneurs panel. Contact: (507) 725-5807.

April 9 — Online Beef Quality Assurance Training — Online — Producers in attendance will receive their three-year BQA certification.

Contact the UMN BQA Team by email at bqa@umn.edu.

April 10 — Horticulture Day — Lamberton, Minn. — Session topics include: Managing Sweet Corn (Or Choosing Not To), Climate-Ready Trees and Edible Landscapes, and Backyard Birds: Welcomed Guests at Our Gardens and Feeders. Contact Southwest Research & Outreach Center at (507) 752-7372.

April 11 — Climate Resiliency

Meeting — Sleepy Eye, Minn. — Hosted by the Brown County Farmers Union, “Surviving Climate Change...

Along for the Ride” is open to the public.

Focal points include the challenges of a changing climate, its effects on today and the future, and steps that can benefit the earth. Contact Randy Krzmarzick at 794-2382 or Sue Griebel at 3544206.

April 17 — I-29 Moo University Webinar — Online — This webinar will feature a discussion on fly control with Dr. Philip Jardon. The talk will cover the four main flies that are considered pests on dairies — house flies, stable flies, horn flies, and face flies. Contact Fred Hall (Iowa) at (712) 737-4230 and Jim Salfer (Minnesota) at (320) 203-6093.

April 17–19 — PEAK 2024 — Minneapolis, Minn. — This poultryfocused trade show will have exhibits and opportunities for education and networking. For more information, email info@midwestpoultry.com or call (763) 284-6763.

There has been limited experimental data on HPAI infection in ruminants, and there are no prior reports of natural HPAI infection in goats. The USDA has tracked more than 200 detections of HPAI in mammals across the country since the start of the 2022 HPAI outbreak.

The Minnesota Department of Health provided recommendations for personal protective equipment and is monitoring the health of those in direct contact with the infected goats. Anyone who develops respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms after exposure to the goats may be voluntarily tested for avian influenza and other respiratory pathogens. The risk to the public is extremely low, and any risk of infection is limited to people in direct contact with infected animals. To date, no people in the United States have become ill following contact with mammals infected with this virus.

Biosecurity is the first line of defense for anyone to protect their animals from disease and includes simple measures like cleaning equipment and housing regularly, separating livestock from wild animals, and calling your veterinarian when animals appear sick. To learn more important steps to protect your animals from HPAI and other diseases, visit www.bah.state. mn.us/biosecurity/?utm_ m e d i u m = e m a i l & u t m _ source=govdelivery.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. v

Minnesota Ag in the Classroom offers summer teacher tours ST. PAUL — Minnesota educators looking for summer professional development opportunities are encouraged to register for Minnesota Ag in the Classroom’s Summer Teacher Tours.

The tours, taking place this June and July, will provide participants with the chance to acquire new agricultural skills and knowledge to bring back to their classrooms.

“Whether you consider yourself an ag novice or expert, our Summer Teacher Tours offer unique hands-on experiences to learn more about this important Minnesota industry,” said MAITC education specialist Sue Knott. “Each

tour highlights different examples of agriculture in action that educators can use to help teach their students core concepts in science, social studies, language arts, math, and nutrition in fresh ways.”

This summer’s tours include: “The Hands that Feed Us” — Mankato, Minn. — June 18: Discover the journey your food takes from farm to plate by learning directly from the hands that feed us: farmers. Participants will have the opportunity to tour and connect with those who are growing and raising food for not only their local communities, but the world.

“Orchard to Market” — White Bear Lake, Minn. — July 9: Follow the journey of locally grown apples and learn about how this fruit is researched, grown, and made into products in the Twin Cities. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at Pine Tree Apple Orchard, BIX Produce Co., and Bailey Nurseries.

“Farm, Fiber, and Fabrication” — Bemidji, Minn. — July 22: This tour will provide an immersive look at the fabrication and manufacturing processes which have ties to many ag businesses; how fibers like wool are used to create garments, blankets and more;

and how local farms carry out their production and conservation efforts.

Tours are open to any Minnesota K-12 educator, regardless of previous agriculture knowledge or experience.

The deadline to register is June 1.

For further details on each tour and to register, visit MAITC’s Summer Teacher Tour web page at https://mnagmag.org/teacher-tours/.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

PAGE 9

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

President Ladlie gained growth from setback

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer The oldest of four siblings all involved in FFA, Kara (Ladlie) Grant recalled there was always a lot of official dress at her house.

Growing up on a farm, her family raised buffalo and black Angus cattle. Her father had introduced her to FFA, and it was her ninth grade ag class that really sparked her interest in the organization.

Grant served as chapter reporter in tenth grade, and recalled experiencing a setback the following year that ultimately led to growth. She explained that due to not investing as much time to her reporter role, she was not selected her junior year to be an officer.

“I used that year to re-build and to become more dedicated to FFA

and focus on the opportunities that they had to offer. Then my senior year I was elected vice-president of the Albert Lea chapter and was also a region VII reporter that year,” Grant stated.

Her renewed commitment ultimately led Grant to the state officer role of president. She described the group of six officers as being very motivated and accomplished.

“We had a really strong officer team that year.”

As an FFA member, Grant recalled feeling a great amount of pride for her country and the farming communities. “One of the experiences that moved me the most in FFA was patriotism for our country.”

Many of Grant’s other officer highlights involve travel. As presi-

Student becomes teacher for Vice President Parke

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer Robert (Bob) Parke didn’t grow up on a farm or with family involved in FFA. Living on a lake brought its share of sailing, canoeing and kayaking; and Parke also noted he always enjoyed working in the garden. A childhood dream to be the first person to farm on the moon developed and he even completed a school project detailing his aspirations.

A few years later, Parke learned there would be an opportunity in ninth grade to take an agriculture class, and he signed up.

Parke recalled at that time he was a shy kid who would rather not speak in front of a group. “I have dyslexia, so I always had a hard time with school in general,” he stated. “But through that ninth grade class, there were lots of projects where we got up and talked, and I found out that it wasn’t so bad and I actually enjoyed it.”

As opposed to completing written work, Parke found the verbal aspect was much better for him. His FFA advisor, Robert Marzolf, also took notice, and encouraged Parke to take a youth leadership class the following year. Parke served as chapter president in tenth grade, and also had regional officer roles

throughout high school.

Over time, Parke shifted his career goals from being an astronaut to considering becoming an ag teacher. His advisor allowed Parke to plan and implement a lesson on FFA history for the ninth grade class to help determine if teaching was something he wanted to pursue.

Parke attended the University of Minnesota and majored in ag education. He was elected to the state officer role of vice president, and also recalled putting in his application for national office, but withdrew once he learned of his new status.

Parke stated the state officers were amazing to work with. A favorite memory was the opportunity to be a delegate at the National FFA Convention the same year he received his American Degree. It also happened to be his birthday, so of course that warranted being sung to.

To Parke, FFA was an amazing program where people took others for who they were. “You brought to the table what you brought,” he stated. Parke explained he was aware of his challenges, and also his strengths. He chose to focus on the strengths and See ROBERT PARKE, pg. 11

dent, she was able to be part of the dedication ceremony when the new FFA headquarters moved from Alexandria, Va. to Indianapolis, Ind. “Bob Parke and I got to go and represent the state of Minnesota. It was really neat because during the ceremony they had each state officer team come up to the flagpole and pour dirt from your state into the base of the flagpole,” Grant recalled.

She also traveled to Germany and Austria as part of the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers. They studied the agriculture and toured plants and farms. Four nights were spent with a host family in Germany. Grant stated, “The host family milked cows, and each one of the cows they had was named after a state in the United States. But they didn’t have a Minnesota, so the next baby calf they had, they promised me that they were going to name Minnesota after me.”

Grant attended Iowa State University and initially began with a major in Animal Science, though ultimately graduated with a degree in Agriculture See KARA (LADLIE) GRANT, pg. 11

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THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

Trying something new led to State Secretary post

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer Growing up the youngest of eight kids on a dairy and crop farm operation outside of New Ulm, Minn., Betsy (Bianchi) Chambers stated it was the natural thing to follow in her siblings’ footsteps. Their path led her to FFA. “It was just a really fun time in life,” Chambers stated of her FFA experience. Referencing the memories made from attending camps and conferences, she also noted that the leadership opportunities and experiences in public speaking all made a lasting impact.

Chambers recalled working a lot with Keith Olander through-

out her high school years. “He was a great mentor and supporter, and always there to push and encourage and help with whatever I needed help with,” she stated.

Another memory shared was when her ag teacher, Paul Wilker, challenged her as a freshman to compete in the creed speaking contest. As a result of winning, she received her new FFA jacket.

Chambers was president of her FFA chapter her junior year of high school and then vice president her senior year. She was a student at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls when she served as secretary on the state officer team. Chambers recalled a fair amount of travel was involved

to represent FFA at various events and functions.

“We did quite a few visits to chapters located around the state,” she remarked.

Now working in the insurance industry as an underwriter, Chambers noted that while she doesn’t have a career in the ag field, she can see the positive effect FFA had on her. “I still just think that all those skills that were learned along the way were so helpful and beneficial, whether it was job interviews or just working with other coworkers on a team, or things of that nature,” she stated.

Emphasizing that FFA has something for everybody, Chambers discussed the value of stepping outside of comfort zones and trying something new.

“Because truly, you just never know where it might take you or how you might be affected by it in the future.”

Her biggest takeaway? “The people, honestly, is one See BETSY (BIANCHI) CHAMBERS, pg. 11

Daberkow wasn’t ‘playing’ en route to State Treasurer

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer The state officer interview process is a multi-day ordeal, but Jeremy Daberkow remembers a specific

part of the weekend in particular. He walked into a room and an individual approached him voicing their frustration. Daberkow knew he was walking into a component that would involve role playing, but he

Answers located in Classified Section

stated he didn’t know what to expect.

The indiv i d u a l feigned disappointment that Daberkow supposedly encouraged them to run for region office, but w a s n ’ t selected.

Daberkow was evaluated on how he navigated through the conversation. “Kudos to the nominating committee because I think they threw a lot of people for a loop,” he remarked.

Daberkow served as treasurer on the 1998-99 state officer team. While he had been an FFA officer at Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield High School, Daberkow chose to be more involved in career development activities rather than pursue a regional leadership opportunity. “Our chapter was pretty strong in CDEs, so we were at National Convention competing pretty much every year,” he stated.

Daberkow decided to run for a state officer role as he saw it as a great leadership experience to serve the organization that had given him so much.

Describing the officer team as very cohesive, See JEREMY DABERKOW, pg. 11

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

PAGE 11

FFA Treasurer Daberkow

ON THE COVER: Minnesota State FFA officers from 1998-99 were (left to right) Vice President Robert Parke, Forest Lake; President Kara Ladlie, Albert Lea; Treasurer Jeremy Daberkow, Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield; Sentinel Kelly Schmidt, Tracy; Secretary Betsy Bianchi, New Ulm; and Reporter Darin Madson, GlenvilleEmmons High School.

JEREMY DABERKOW, from pg. 10 Daberkow added they bonded over the common goal and it was an incredible time. “It’s an experience that you wish everybody could have something like that in their lifetime.”

Not fully knowing what he wanted to do after college, Doberkow originally began his freshman year at the University of Minnesota planning to major in Plant Science. He stated he later realized there was a calling in education.

After graduating, Daberkow taught 17 years in the classroom. Having been involved in the behind-the-scenes work of planning for various events as an officer proved to be an advantage to

FFA Vice President Parke ROBERT PARKE, from pg. 9 took the opportunity to explore his passions while building relationships along the way.

Now Parke is an ag teacher in his home town of Forest Lake. He stated the middle school FFA chapter just started last year, and he enjoys being able to showcase the FFA events and present the different opportunities that are in front of his students. To current FFA members, he provided the following encouragement: “There’s something for everybody. Just find your passion

and go for it. And don’t let things stop you along the way. Look for help when you need it.”

As a father of four to Cryptid, Ethan, Joseph, and Sophia, Parke shared he loves being a part of what his children are passionate about. For several years, he had the opportunity to be a stay-athome dad and be involved with Sunday School, confirmation, and Cub Scouts.

Current activities also include theater and archery. An Eagle Scout himself, Parke enjoys outdoor activities such as camping and fishing. v

FFA Secretary Chambers BETSY (BIANCHI) CHAMBERS, from pg. 10 of the things I look back on and really President right now, and next year, cherish the most. A lot of those people she’ll be the Region VII President,” that I met along the way are still close Chambers stated. friends today. FFA — it just had so As she’s in the current season of her many opportunities; it was just a really children’s involvement in activities, good experience.”

Chambers stays plenty busy. She is on Chambers resides in Medford, Minn., the Medford school board and also and is mom to three children: Casey helps with 4-H, another organization (19), Hailey (17), and Lanie (13). Hailey she was a part of in her youth. She is currently involved in FFA, and stated her daughters show market Chambers noted it’s been really fun to lambs at jackpot shows and county and witness the personal growth and state fairs. “Those are still kind of the friendships made, as well as to see her highlight of the summer just like they experience a lot of the same things that used to be for me, as well, when I was a v she did. “She’s the Medford Chapter kid,” she reminisced.

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him as a teacher. In addition, he also knew of all the opportunities students could take part in, and was able to offer encouragement in various directions.

Describing the National FFA Convention as a powerful experience for members, Daberkow stated as an FFA instructor he wished he could bottle up that energy and have it on hand in mid-January when the weather is cold and dreary as a means to rejuvenate everyone to continue working toward their goals.

Daberkow has taken FFA students to the Dominican Republic and Brazil. He shared it was important to him that they realized they are all living on a single planet and that there are individuals from all over the world doing the same things as his students — just speaking different languages.

Currently, Daberkow is a Farm Business Management Instructor through Minnesota West Community and Technical College. He works with 60 farm families in Martin County providing financial management education. His wife, Jessica, is high school ag teacher, so he shared he is still involved in FFA. Having grown up on a farm, Daberkow continues to farm with his dad and brother. “We don’t let moss grow much at our farm,” he commented. They are involved in corn and soybean production and also raise show pigs. His wife enjoys their horses, and they also have ponies for their five year old twin boys, Axel and Everett. “They keep us on our toes. Never a dull moment,” he stated. v

FFA President Grant KARA (LADLIE) GRANT, from pg. 9 Education. Later, Grant decided make a transition again, this time from agriculture to the medical field.

After obtaining an associate degree in nursing from Riverland Community College in Austin, Minn., Grant later received a second bachelors degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minn. “I very much value education, and I don’t think education can ever be wasted,” Grant stated, adding that the skills she learned through

FFA including setting goals, effectively communicating, and developing strong interpersonal relationships are all things she’s carried through to her healthcare career.

Grant has been a Registered Nurse with Mayo Clinic for the last 19 years, and for four years (including during the COVID pandemic), she worked as a flight nurse for Mayo One. Grant makes her home in Austin, Minn. with her husband, Eric, and they have two sons, Ethan and Jonathan. v

2024 FFA convention April 21-23 The 2024 FFA State Convention will be held April 21-23 on the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campuses and the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

Ag Technology and Mechanics state participant activities will take place at

the St. Paul Pipefitters Training and Certification center.

Complete convention information can be found online at https://www.mnffa. org/state-convention.

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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

Call State Reporter Madson Dr. Madson

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer As someone who gives a number of speeches throughout the year, Darin Madson speaks highly of the preparation FFA provided him. Detailing the skills learned including etiquette and responsibility, Madson also added, “I know I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if I did not have those opportunities to explore new or different events/ interactions. I will never forget those and the friends I made.”

Madson attended GlenvilleEmmons High School, a small school with about 40 students in his grade. As part of a farming community, he stated he looked up to the older students involved in FFA. A self-described farm kid at heart, Madson valued that agriculture is the backbone of the FFA organization.

Merle Hanson was Glenville-Emmons’ ag teacher, and Madson stated he will never forget his mentorship. He has remained in touch with his former

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teacher, even attending Hanson’s grandson’s high school football game not far from where Madson lives to be able to sit with him and catch up.

“Special people come along every now and then and mold you. He was certainly that caliber of person to a lot of people actually,” Madson commented about Hanson. “I will forever be in debt to his teachings. Just a flat-out great person.”

After serving in officer roles at the chapter level, Madson served as Region VII President the same year Bob Parke was president within his region. Madson applied for a state officer role as a college student. He served as reporter while attending the University of Minnesota. Three other officer teammates — Bob Parke, Jeremy Daberkow, and Kelly Schmidt — were also at

the St. Paul campus.

After three years of undergrad, Madson attended vet school and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. Upon graduation, he worked for a couple of years in New Ulm for Christensen Farms.

He said he then went to Iowa State to complete a PhD pathology residency, graduating in 2009.

Madson currently works at Iowa State University as a veterinary pathologist. He completes autopsies on animals to determine their cause of death. While he works primarily with production farm animals such as pigs and cattle, he stated he does see a variety of other animals, too.

Highlights of Madson’s involvement with FFA come down to one thing. “It’s all about the people,” he stated. He stated he had a lot of fun attending Greenhand and Leadership camps, and continues to enjoy catching up with people years later when the agriculture field brings them back together.

Though he didn’t know it at the time, Madson attended a camp at the same time as his future wife, Katie. They met after he graduated from vet school

By LAURA COLE The Land Staff Writer As CEO of the Minnesota Beef Council, Kelly Schmidt stated he’s made a career out of beef production.

“My family has been involved in agriculture my whole life. My dad was a herdsmen for a Simmental cattle breeder for his entire career,” Schmidt shared. His family always had a small herd of cattle, and Schmidt completed his beef production placement proficiency and SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) where his dad worked.

Schmidt is originally from Tracy, Minn. His older brother was active in FFA and had been a leader within the local chapter. “Growing up in a smaller town that was rich with agriculture, FFA was pretty popular, and we had a really good program where I grew up,” he added.

Looking back, Schmidt stated he knows how fortunate he was to have been part of such a strong program. “We had a lot of CDE (Career Development Event) winners. We had a lot of SAE winners. And then we had a lot of officers that came [from] there.

Multiple regional presidents and state officers in those years.”

Paul Skoglund was Schmidt’s FFA advisor. “Very deservedly” Skoglund was inducted into the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame in 2020. “Paul Skoglund was a big influence for me, and [I] definitely wouldn’t have gotten to be a state officer without him in the background,” Schmidt stated.

Having first served as regional president, Schmidt was selected for the state officer role of sentinel. He held the position while he attended the University of Minnesota.

Originally thinking he would teach, Schmidt majored in Ag Education.

He later determined there were alternative options he hoped to follow within the ag industry, and pursued Leadership, Training, and Development.

“Honestly, the state officer year was just so much fun for me. I just really enjoyed the team I was on,” Schmidt stated. Highlights of the year included planning events and also being a delegate at the National FFA Convention. Meeting state

See DARIN MADSON, pg. 13

Sentinel Schmidt’s leadership skills paid off in his future

See KELLY SCHMIDT, pg. 13

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

PAGE 13

FFA Reporter Madson DERIN MADSON, from pg. 12 and have now been married for about 18 years. They have two sons, Rafe (9) and Gus (5). “We have fun. We like to hang out outside,” Madson stated of spending time with his family.

“Agriculture is a big deal for me,”

Madson added. Besides his role with Iowa State, he also started a farming operation from scratch. They have about 50 cows, and Madson does his own hay work. His hope is that one day his boys will be a part of FFA, so they can also enjoy the things he did. v

FFA Sentinel Schmidt KELLY SCHMIDT, from pg. 12 officers from other states was another great memory for Schmidt.

Schmidt stated his experience as state officer absolutely set him up for the future. He explained that from the leadership role, he gained the confidence to pursue internships, which eventually resulted in full-time job opportunities. His first job out of college was working for Cargill in their Animal Nutrition division.

Schmidt still has a love for ag education, and now as a father to three daughters, he has seen his FFA journey come full circle. Schmidt and his wife, Sarah, make their home near New Ulm, Minn. with Aubree (16), Kate (14), and Britta (10). Aubree was recently

elected to be a regional officer alongside Betsy’s daughter, Hailey. Schmidt stated he is especially looking forward to convention this year as both Aubree and Kate will be participating and competing. The family also raises cattle and shows pigs.

Noting that the connections he’s made have been the best part of FFA, Schmidt acknowledged that while methods of communication are much different now, building a personal network by visiting one on one with others is still very important. And for the time spent with his team in 1998-1999, he shared, “It was just a fantastic experience for me being with five other great teammates from across the state.” v

Your farm, your legacy

Ag education grants available ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council is now accepting grant applications for the improvement of agricultural education across Minnesota.

Funds will be awarded in two competitive grant areas: Strategic Initiatives and Common Fund.

More than $145,000 is available between these competitive grant programs. All grant applications must be completed online at www.mn.gov/ maelc/grants.html before midnight on April 15.

“MAELC’s grant program allows us to reach our mission of promoting and expanding agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) education across the state. We look to support local and statewide organizations in expanding access to new and current AFNR programming to positively impact as many Minnesotans as possible,” said Sarah Dornink, Executive Director of MAELC. Common Fund grants are awarded to

applications having a statewide impact and are designed to meet specific goals related to the 2025 Minnesota Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource (AFNR) Education Blueprint. New and innovative ideas are encouraged to support increasing quality of instruction, increasing the numbers and types of students reached by programs, and projects that improve the understanding of AFNR education.

Strategic Initiative grants are based on the strategies outlined in the AFNR Blueprint and focus on promoting access to AFNR education, improving current programs, and providing teacher professional development. These grants support programming at the primary, secondary and postsecondary levels in Minnesota.

Grant applications can be obtained online at www.mn.gov/maelc/grants. html.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council. v

Farming is a way of life and a family’s valuable legacy.

With a well-planned charitable gift of your farmland to the University of Minnesota, you can make a lasting difference for future generations. You may designate your gift to benefit any program, college, or campus you choose, to be used in a way that’s most meaningful to you.

Like each farm, each farm gift is unique. Contact the University of Minnesota Foundation planned giving staff to discuss your options.

612-624-3333 | 800-775-2187 plgiving@umn.edu

z.umn.edu/farmgift

PAGE 14

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

Many dreams of being an independent farmer plowed under FARMHOUSE KITCHEN, from pg. 6 resulted in less headaches.)

According the 1924 Yearbook of Agriculture, it wasn’t just the farmer who benefited from the better roads but also rural education as the country schools were beginning to consolidate. Rural students needed dependable transportation if they wanted to attend high school which was rather unusual at the time.

The book also indicated that better roads to church was a good idea.

Agriculture has always been a heavily capitalized industry. “FARM CREDIT” is written in capital letters because that is mighty important to starting a farm and remaining in this vocation that is our chosen field of serving mankind and making a reasonable living. It was an issue back then and remains thus.

However, the accuracy of the census which deciphers the number of farmers is debatable — as is what constitutes a farm. In 1924, the census esti-

mates there were 6,448,343 farms. In 2022, the number has dropped down to 2,000,700. Ouch — many dreams of being an independent farmer have been plowed under.

Of course, as far as politics go, there was a rife between Henry C. Wallace and President Coolidge.

Secretary of Agriculture Wallace emphasis was on the economic problems of the farmer which was important. One of the ways he pushed improvement was to support the controversial McNary-Haugen Bill — one of the first bills meant to aid farmers who were suffering financially. As the previous yearbook (1923) puts it, “morale was low.”

The standard of living had greatly decreased, worry and disappointments abounded for all family members and everyone was overworked. Secretary Wallace was right. Something needed to be done.

President Coolidge didn’t sign the bill. He saw potential for misuse and how in the long run it could be harmful. His opinions made sense too.

It is also possible that he opposed it too because

of the way he lived. He believed in simplicity, honesty and frugality. He felt that a nation as well as a man should live in such a way that it spent less than its income and was completely independent.

This from a man who was born on July 4, 1872, of course.

The last century has seen many changes in agriculture. However, the number of farmers continue to decline for many reasons; domestic and foreign markets are still needed. We rely on those daily market updates; food safety and quality are definitely important. There are just some things that do not change.

Especially our need for good roads so that our neighbors, children and we can drive to church each and every Sunday.

Renae B. Vander Schaaf is an independent writer and author. Contact her at (605) 530-0017 or suncrest@outlook.com. v

Minnesota Dept. of Ag reminds of proper fertilizer storage ST. PAUL — Ahead of the planting season, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers of proper storage guidelines for bulk fertilizer.

Bulk liquid fertilizer can contaminate soil, surface water, and groundwater if a storage tank or pipe leaks. Dry fertilizer can also leach into the environment if it is placed on the ground and mixes with snow and rain.

To limit the risk of environmental impacts, liquid fertilizer tanks must be inside a containment system that will hold any spills. This is called secondary

containment. Dry fertilizer must be stored on an impervious surface and in a roofed area that will protect its contents from the elements.

Farmers storing any amount of dry bulk fertilizer on the farm must get an MDA bulk storage permit.

Farmers must also get an MDA permit if they’re storing more than 6,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer.

The storage permit application must include drawings for secondary containment. An application, along with a $100 fee, must be submitted prior to the start of construction or storage of any dry fertilizer or more than 6,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer. The per-

mit application can be found on www.mda.state.mn. us/bulk-fertilizer-storage.

A release of fertilizer into the environment is an incident that must be immediately reported to the Minnesota Duty Officer at (800) 422-0798.

For more information on bulk storage and permits, contact Matthew Parins at (651) 201-6587 or Matthew.

Parins@state.mn.us.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v

ST. PAUL — Recognizing the risks posed by extreme weather, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is offering a new grant opportunity to help eligible producers make their operations more resilient to drought, flooding, and severe weather events like storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds.

The Preparing for Extreme Weather Grant, also referred to as “The Prepare Grant,” offers one-time competitive grants of up to $10,000 for Minnesota livestock and specialty crop producers to buy and install supplies and equipment for weather event preparation. It requires a 50 percent match.

Eligible projects include — but are not limited to — water tanks, pipelines, and wagons/trailers; wells (new improvements, fixes, replacement pumps); irrigation equipment (including drip irrigation); fans; misters; livestock shade systems; and windbreaks.

The MDA expects to award 50 to 75 grants with the $500,000 available for this program and encourages producers to apply early. Applications will be accepted through 4 p.m. on April 23, and the MDA will notify applicants as soon as possible, but no later than May 31, about whether their proposal was funded.

Full grant details and the request for proposals (RFP) can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/preparing-extreme-weather-prepare-grant.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v

New MDA weather grants available to impacted producers

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THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

PAGE 15

Solar fits well with Lavalier’s produce operation

By LAURA COLE The opportunity to Lavalier applied for the grant through The Land Staff Writer reduce their footprint a grant writer who had been recomappealed to Lavalier, mended to him. He found the writer’s GRAND RAPIDS, and is a similar approach experience, knowledge of the criteria, Minn. — There’s always to his take on business. and suggestions provided along the something new happenLavalier prefers to grow way to be valuable. In early spring of ing at Lavalier’s Berry only as much as he 2022, he was given approval for the Patch and Orchard expects to sell. “If we use funding. located in Grand Rapids, electricity, but we can Minn. Cut flowers are a Based on another recommendation generate that same received, Real Solar was selected for recent addition to their amount of electricity the installation. They came out to offerings, and this year, with the solar panel, Lavalier’s farm prior to make sure Stuart Lavalier plans to Photos submitted that’s really like you’re introduce some chickens Last year, Stuart Lavalier had a 27.3 kilowatt solar array installed at his berry things would be feasible in the area and a few sheep to the and orchard operation in Grand Rapids, Minn. Solar United Neighbors provided saying, ‘Hey, I’m here, and took photos. Construction began in but I’m not using more the fall of 2022, and was completed a property. He’s also enjoy- Lavalier with information on loan and grant applications for the project. than what we need,’” he few months later in January. Other ing the benefits from explained. last year’s project of installing a 27.3 Department of Natural Resources to than it being a very snowy winter, the help finance putting up a fence. During kilowatt solar array.

To assist agricultural producers and process went well.

Lavalier explained that the electrici- that process, a DNR officer happened rural small business in securing renew“They did a wonderful job,” Lavalier ty generated from the solar panels cov- to mention that with a fence, they could able energy systems or make energy stated of Real Solar. “I have no comers the electricity used on the farm and now grow apples. Lavalier started with efficiency improvements, the United plaints at all. They were very good at any excess goes back in the grid. 10 apple trees, and now they have States Department of Agriculture’s always letting us know what was going Rural Energy for America Program on.”

Besides the federal tax credit received, about 1,200.

Lavalier shared that he does a lot of provides guaranteed loan financing Lavalier added he also gets a rebate for Now, a little more than a year after the additional electricity produced each reading, and looks into what programs and grant funding. project completion, Lavalier reported the Minnesota Department of month.

Solar United Neighbors is a nonprofit the electricity generated from the solar Agriculture has available. organization with a mission to help panels has been enough to cover their He is a member of the people go solar, and they offer assischarge. Plus, he has received payment Minnesota Apple Growers tance with the REAP application profrom Lake Country Power for the excess Association, the Minnesota cess. Lavalier explained SUN came to generation of electricity every month Fruit and Vegetable Growers the Grand Rapids community with a with the exception of January 2024.

Association, and the goal to gather people with a common Due to cloudier weather combined Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers interest. He also shared they provided Association. information on options that could make with the company’s standard monthly charge, January’s electric bill was “Just being a part of those a solar project feasible. He stated, about $26. “There just wasn’t a whole organizations, I think I hear “They know the funding and the procelot of sunlight,” Lavalier commented. dure, and what has to be done.” different things that are So far, there has hasn’t been any available,” Lavalier stated.

Lavalier said he began putting real maintenance required of Lavalier. And “Oftentimes I’ll hear other thought into REAP and the potential growers trying different project in the fall of 2021. With addi- while he mentioned that he could have things and I think to myself tional income received from having possibly opted for a 35 kilowatt array ‘Oh, maybe this is something sold a co-owned parcel of land, he over his selected 27.3 kilowatt array, he Lavalier’s u-pick strawberry farm has evolved to include that will work on our farm.’ determined solar panels would be a remarked, “It’s been a really good projblueberries, apples, tart cherries and other assorted proect.” v We’re a very small farm, but good investment for his farm. duce.

I don’t think a small farmer has to scrimp on quality.”

Interested in horticulture ever since y his days attending the University of Along with berries and apples, addiarrant W Minnesota, Lavalier’s farm business tional produce that Lavalier grows and r a e 25 Y has been in operation for a little over 40 sells include tart cherries, pumpkins, years. Throughout those years, he has squash, and Brussels sprouts. U-pick ld benefited from participating in various options are available to customers, and • Co ters • C r it agricultural programs. The berry patch Lavalier stated they also keep some of s e v • Lea D ir t portion of the business first began after the produce in a cooler for those who UR ter • a W N YO • Lavalier participated in a feasibility prefer a pre-selected alternative.

ES O OORS! Snow H C IN AD D study for strawberries. Not long after, TO 2 ERHE S UP SHOP OV Lavalier said he first considered solar P ting A & SG and following a feasibility study for rocke % y k SEAL GARAGE S energy possibilities a number of years 0 re blueberries with the University of TO 4 Bills a ago when growers he respects, Bill and Heat SAVE UP Minnesota, Lavalier added some varietNancy Bauer, had shared with the ies of that crop as well.

Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Call Today 800-250-5502 When deer posed an issue for the Association their experience of putting or Visit snirtstopper.com strawberries, Lavalier worked with the in two solar panels on their farm.

in?. ’ n i t t e em’ Out G s t r i Sn Can Keep We

PAGE 16

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

Dairy margins deteriorated the first half of March This column was written for the marcows. Washington State was down 1 perketing week ending March 15. cent. Cow numbers were unchanged.

U.S. milk production remained below a Dairy culling remains well below a year year ago in February, the eighth consecuago. The latest Livestock Slaughter tive month to do so, thanks to lower cow report showed an estimated 252,700 head numbers and output per cow. were sent to slaughter under federal inspection in February, up 2,500 head The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s from January, but 13,800 head or 5.2 perpreliminary data showed output at 18.1 cent below February 2023. billion pounds, up 2.2 percent from MIELKE MARKET February 2023. Factoring the extra Leap The week ending March 9 saw 59,400 WEEKLY Day (Feb. 29), output was 17.48 billion dairy cows go to slaughter. This is down

By Lee Mielke pounds, down 1.3 percent on a per day 400 from the previous week, and 7,900 or basis. It was the most significant 11.7 percent below a year ago. Year decrease since January 2022, accordto date, 576,199 head have been ing to HighGround Dairy. The top culled, down 97,300 or 14.4 percent 24-state total, at 16.8 billion pounds, was down 1.1 from a year ago. percent, factoring in the Leap Day. n The January 50-state milk total was revised down Eyes are focused on an illness affecting milk out10 million pounds from last month’s estimate. put in dairy cows in the Texas panhandle. A lot of Output was down 1.2 percent from 2023, instead of those cows may be culled as a result. HighGround the 1.1 percent originally reported. The 24-state Dairy points out, “Beef prices remain above average, revision was down 6 million pounds, and January and the immediate paycheck of a slaughtered cow is output was down 1 percent from 2023, instead of more appealing than keeping a very low-producing the 0.9 percent reported. animal in the herd.”

February cow numbers totaled 9.33 million, up That spells trouble in Texas, however, as 10,000 from the January count which was revised HighGround Dairy warned, “New processing capaci5,000 head lower from a month ago, and is down ty began in 2023 in the Panhandle and more is com89,000 head or 0.9 percent from a year ago. The ing online this year as well as in 2025. It is impera24-state count, at 8.878 million head, was up 8,000 tive that the herd grows in this area so that the from the January count, which was revised down new plants are filled. Cow numbers in Texas have 3,000 head, and is 61,000 below a year ago. been flat since last June, and this issue will not Output per cow in the 50 states averaged 1,874 help increase milk flows to optimize the new assets.” pounds, down 7 pounds or 0.4 percent from a year Dairy margins nationally deteriorated the first ago. The 24-state average, at 1,888 pounds, was half of March on a combination of a sharp drop in down 9 pounds or 0.5 percent from a year ago. milk prices and slightly higher feed costs, according StoneX Dairy Group says, “Farmers have been to the latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based focused on boosting milk solids instead of boosting Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC. water production per cow. Combined fat plus protein “The drop in milk prices came despite strong in the milk was up 1.4 percent from last year durcheese export data for January as well as concerns ing February.” over a mysterious disease circulating among dairy California output was down 0.9 percent from a year ago, factoring in the Leap Day. Cow numbers were down 2,000 head. The last time output topped a year ago there was August 2022. Wisconsin output Purina Animal Nutrition, along with the Land was up 0.6 percent from a year ago and cow numO’Lakes Foundation, has opened its scholarship probers were unchanged from a year ago. gram designed to assist students with experience in Idaho was down 2.7 percent on 5,000 fewer cows. agriculture and livestock production in pursuing Michigan was off 0.3 percent, though cow numbers were up 4,000 head. Minnesota was down 2 percent their passions and furthering their educations.

Now, along with undergraduate students, current on 7,000 fewer cows. high school seniors who have experience raising and New Mexico again posted the biggest loss, down 13 percent, on 32,000 fewer cows. New York was off caring for small or large livestock, equine and/or poultry, are eligible to apply for one of four $5,000 0.9 percent, with cow numbers unchanged. Oregon scholarships. Along with the impact animal agriculwas off 1 percent on 10,000 fewer cows. ture has had on their lives, desired applicants will be Pennsylvania was down 1.7 percent on 1,000 fewer able to demonstrate academic excellence, leadership cows. South Dakota again showed the biggest gain, skills, community involvement and have a clear up 10.9 percent, thanks to 19,000 more cows, and vision for their future.

Texas was down 0.7 percent on 10,000 fewer Scholarship applications will be accepted through cows. Vermont was down 1.5 percent on 2,000 fewer

MARKETING

cows in the Texas Panhandle,” the Margin Watch reported. “There have been numerous theories offered including respiratory diseases, dysentery, or other potential toxins although nothing conclusive yet. The Smokehouse Creek Fire has also been raised as a potential culprit, but the blaze burned east of the affected dairies and the winds from the fire blew eastward such that larger dairies with reported cases west of the fire in the Panhandle were not impacted by either the fire or the resulting smoke.” n The Margin Watch reported the Trade Data Monitor shows January cheese exports at just less than 85 million pounds. This is up 12.6 percent from the prior year and the highest January on record.

“U.S. cheese exports to Mexico were also record large for the month — up 39.3 percent from 2023 which was a previous record for January exports to Mexico.”

The Margin Watch also warned, “With new cheese plants coming online, exports will need to continue remaining strong to help support prices. By contrast, January milk powder exports just above 129 million pounds were down 14 percent from last year’s record pace and the lowest volume for any month in nearly five years. Exports to Mexico dropped 21.7 percent from last year.”

Fluid milk sales got a good start in 2024. The USDA’s latest data shows packaged sales totaled just under 3.9 billion pounds, up 2.4 percent from January 2023, after dropping 2.8 percent in December.

Conventional product sales totaled 3.6 billion pounds, up 2.5 percent from a year ago. Organic products, at 259 million pounds, were up 0.2 percent and represented 6.7 percent of total sales for the month.

Whole milk sales totaled just under 1.4 billion See MIELKE, pg. 17

Purina offers scholarships

April 17. Awardees will receive their scholarship funds for the Fall 2024 semester at their current or anticipated educational institution.

The scholarship is open to all high school seniors who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic semester/term and undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.

To learn more about the Purina Animal Nutrition Scholarship, visit www.purinamills.com/scholarship.

This article was submitted by Land O’Lakes, Inc. v

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

PAGE 17

Cheese plants near capacity, declining cheaper milk MIELKE, from pg. 16 pounds, up 5.2 percent from a year ago and represented 35.1 percent of total sales for the month.

Skim milk sales, at 170 million pounds, were down 12.1% from a year ago. The figures represent consumption in Federal market orders, which account for about 92 percent of total fluid sales in the United States.

The March 5 “Daily Dairy Report” says fluid milk sales have plunged 17 percent since 2013, but says one of the few bright spots is whole milk sales which have grown 12.5 percent from 2013’s 13.3 billion pounds.

Speaking of Class I: the April Federal order Class I base milk price was announced at $19.18 per hundredweight, up 38 cents from March and 33 cents above April 2023. It is the highest Class I since December 2023 and equates to $1.65 per gallon, up from $1.62 a year ago. The four-month Class I average stands at $18.61, down from $20.26 a year ago, and $22.15 in 2022. n Checking the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, block cheddar closed the fourth Friday of March at $1.3925 per pound. This is down 7.75 cents on the week, the lowest since Dec. 26, and 70.75 cents below a year ago when they stood at $2.10.

The barrels closed the week at $1.425, 1.75 cents lower, 53.75 cents below a year ago, and an inverted 3.25 cents above the blocks. Sales totaled 24 loads of block and three of barrel.

Cheese demand is trending higher as spring holidays approach, according to Dairy Market News.

Plant managers report they are nearing capacity.

Milk availability is ample, and some plants declined loads at $6 under Class since they were at capacity.

Mid-week spot prices ranged $3-under to flat mar-

ket Class III. Some processors scheduled downtime next week in concert with school closures, which will free up milk supplies. A year ago prices ranged $11 to $4-under Class. Cheese inventories are “comfortable in the region,” says Dairy Market News.

Cash Grain Markets corn/change* Stewartville $4.01 +.03 Edgerton $4.04 -.05 Jackson $4.05 +.01 Hope $4.06 -.03 Cannon Falls $4.00 +.02 Sleepy Eye $3.96 -.10 St. Cloud $3.95 -.03 Madison $3.98 -.04 Redwood Falls $4.00 -.01 Fergus Falls $3.69 -.10 Morris $4.00 +.01 Tracy $4.02 -.05 Average: $3.97 Year Ago Average: $6.33

soybeans/change* $11.37 $11.18 $11.36 $11.28 $11.27 $11.31 $11.28 $10.99 $11.34 $10.83 $11.09 $11.24

+.12 +.06 +.06 +.06 +.04 +.06 +.07 +.03 +.17 +.06 +.03 +.05

$11.22 $14.19

Grain prices are effective cash close on March 26. *Cash grain price change represents a two-week period.

Cheese demand remains steady in the West.

Export demand steady to slightly stronger for the end of first quarter. Cheese makers indicate steady demand from international buyers throughout second quarter while some relay current price dynamics are weakening long term demand. Cheese manufacturers are running strong to steady production and milk volumes are ample. Plenty of cheese is available and may be outpacing demand.

Butter finished March 15 at $2.8075 per pound.

American Agri-Women announce fly-in American Agri-Women recently announced the expansion of its annual Washington DC fly-in event, opening it up for the first time to all women involved in the agricultural and natural resource industries.

Taking place from June 2-4, this event offers an opportunity for women across the agricultural and natural resource sectors to come together, share insights, and advocate for critical issues affecting their industries.

The fly-in offers engaging sessions on how to make an impact at the local, state, and federal levels of government, as well as discussions on the topic of climate change regulation and its financial impact to producers.

There will be a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency roundtable with interactive discussions with representatives from various USDA agencies, including FSA, Trade, NASS, APHIS, and Forestry.

This is down 1.5 cents on the week, but 46.25 cents above a year ago, with six sales reported on the week.

Butter manufacturing is in line with recent weeks, says Dairy Market News. Churning varies as some plants report increases with micro-fixing bulk volumes. Demand is steady with interest for the spring holiday season picking up slowly. Cream is readily available but not overwhelming, according to contacts.

Butter makers note strong to steady production in the West. Some are working towards inventory goals ahead of planned summer downtime for maintenance. Churning is focused on retail production.

Milk production and cream yields are seasonally strengthening. Retail demand is strong to seasonally steady. Some food service demand is weakening but the approaching spring holiday season is expected to strengthen that demand near-term, according to Dairy Market News.

Grade A nonfat dry milk dropped to the lowest CME price since Sept. 6, closing March 15 at $1.1075. This is 5.5 cents lower on the week and 4.25 cents below a year ago, with 13 sales put on the board for the week. Lots of fingers point to the weak Global Dairy Trade powder prices and weak Mexican demand.

Dry whey closed the week at 39.5 cents per pound, down a nickel on the week, lowest since Jan. 1, and a nickel below a year ago, with seven loads exchanging hands on the week. n Dairy imports into China don’t hold much hope.

January imports were down 5.1 percent from a year ago and 15 percent lower in February. The data was combined for the fifth year in a row because “The impact of the Lunar New Year is unevenly spread across those two months,” said StoneX broker Dave Kurzawski in the March 25 “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast. He added that “China’s milk price is falling, so either their demand is off or they’re making more milk and keeping that information in-country.”

Skim milk powder and whey imports were down 37.5 percent and 26.2 percent respectively from 2023. HighGround Dairy says, “There have been fewer shipments of skim milk powder from Australia, the United States, and various EU countries. Considering the leap year adjustment, January-February imports of skim milk powder in 2024 were the lowest in seven years, with the largest losses in whey imports from the United States, Poland, France and the Netherlands.”

Whole milk powder imports were up 2.6 percent compared to “the dismal figures of 2023, although the increase in 2024 was marginal,” says HighGround Dairy, and “stands as the second-worst January-February total since 2016.”

Limited space is available for a meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency. Early registration is encouraged to secure a seat at the table.

Participants have the chance to schedule visits with their preferred members of Congress to discuss priority AAW issues. A Congressional reception offers an opportunity to network and engage with congressional representatives, fostering dialogue on important agricultural issues.

Also featured is a visit to the Embassy of Spain, offering attendees a glimpse into the cultural and agricultural connections between Spain and the United States.

For more information and to register, visit https:// americanagriwomen.org/flyin.

This article was submitted by American Agri- See MIELKE, pg. 18 Women. v

PAGE 18

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THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

Exports to north Asia down from last year

steal, at $1.3925. GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.1417 per pound, down Cheese imports were down 17.2 per- from $1.1974, and whole milk powder cent, although volumes were better averaged $1.4258 per pound, down than those in 2022, according to from $1.4903. CME Grade A nonfat HighGround Dairy. “Cheese imports dry milk closed March 15 at $1.1075 from the United States have experiper pound. enced significant growth, while New Analyst Dustin Winston reports, Zealand has reported losses. U.S. CME “North Asia purchases, which include cheddar blocks have been heavily dis- China, were substantially weaker counted against New Zealand for the than year-ago levels and the previous past four months.”

GDT event. Southeast Asia along with n South/Central America were the only In other trade news, weakening con- regions to increase purchase volume from both last event and last year. The tinued in the March 19 Global Dairy Trade Auction which saw the weighted skim milk powder market found some average drop 2.8 percent following the interest in this event as every region that purchased volume apart from 2.3 percent decline on March 5.

North Asia, purchased more than they Traders brought 43.3 million pounds did a year ago.” of product to market, down from 46.8 million on March 5, and the lowest Cooperatives Working Together since May 19, 2020. The average met- member cooperatives accepted 35 ric ton price slipped to $3,497 U.S., offers of export assistance this week down from $3,630 on March 5. that helped capture sales contracts for Powder again led the declines. Skim 3.5 million pounds of American-type cheese, 51,000 pounds of anhydrous milk powder was down 4.8 percent milkfat and 309,000 pounds of cream after falling 5.2 percent on March 5.

Whole milk powder was down 4.2 per- cheese. cent after falling 2.8 percent. Lactose The product is going to customers in was down 4.4 percent after gaining 4.8 Asia, Middle East-North Africa and percent. Cheddar was down 1.9 perSouth America through June and cent after rising 4 percent, and raised CWT’s 2024 exports to 28 milMozzarella was off 1 percent. Butter lion pounds of American-type cheeses, was down 1.4 percent after slipping 1 163,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, percent last time, while anhydrous 7.1 million pounds of whole milk powmilkfat was up 2.5 percent after gain- der and 2.5 million pounds of cream ing 1.4 percent last time. cheese. The products are going to 24 countries and are the equivalent of StoneX says the GDT 80 percent 334 million pounds of milk on a milkbutterfat butter price equates to fat basis. $2.8359 per pound U.S., down 2.3 cents from March 5, and compares to Lee Mielke is a syndicated columnist CME butter which closed March 15 at who resides in Everson, Wash. His $2.8075. GDT cheddar, at $1.9016, was weekly column is featured in newspadown 3.8 cents, and compares to pers across the country and he may be March 15’s CME block cheddar, a reached at lkmielke@juno.com. v MIELKE, from pg. 17

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 Corn  Soybeans  Alfalfa  Wheat  Sugar Beets TOTAL ACRES 

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Hogs marketed  1-99  100-249 Sheep raised  1-99  100-249 Beef Cattle marketed  1-99  100-249 Dairy Cattle milked  1-50  51-99

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ISU Private Pesticide Training Iowa State University Worth County Extension will be offering two Private Pesticide last chance Recertification sessions on April 9 at 1 p.m. and April 12 at 9 a.m. at the Worth County Extension Office Community Room at the Fairgrounds in Northwood.

The program will be a last chance to provide farm pesticide applicators an opportunity to renew their private pes-

ticide applicators license for this year.

Participants must pre-register 24 hours in advance.

To get enrolled call Worth County Extension Education Specialist Dennis Johnson at (641) 324-1531.

This article was submitted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. v

gg MARCH 29, 2024 THE LAND —

Real Estate

Feed Seed Hay Alfalfa, mixed hay grass hay & wheat straw.

Medium squares or round bales. Delivery available.

Call or text LeRoy Ose 218-689-6675

HOBBY FARM - 44.85 Acres, 5 Bed/2 Bath, South of Kerkhoven MN. $675K. Contact - Shelley 320-905-0260

Classified Line Ads

WORK!

Feed Seed Hay

WANTED: Land & farms. I have clients looking for dairy, & cash grain operations, as well as bare land parcels from 40-1000 acres.

Both for relocation & investments. If you have even thought about selling contact: Paul Krueger, Farm & Land Specialist, Edina Realty, 138 Main St. W., New Prague, MN 55372. paulkrueger@edinarealty.com (612)328-4506 WANTED TO BUY: LAND 507-339-1272

Fertilizer & Chemical

Bins & Buildings

OPEN Pollinated Seed Corn. Gen Liberty totes, $19.50; FOR SALE: Uni-Rib used Produces more high quali- Glyphosate 5.4 totes, $14.25; steel 36” x 20’ 66 sheets, ty silage on less acres than Enlist 1 totes, $46.95; Gen also 27’x 7” 68 sheets, light hybrid. $67/bushel plus ship- Surestart $45.35; Meto- brown, screwed, $1.00 a linping. High feed value grain. lachlor totes, $29.50. All tote ear ft, or best offer. Cologne, prices include free delivery MN. 952-466-5538 borriesopenpollinatedseedto most areas. Please call or corn.com 217-857-3377 PLANNING AN AUCTION? text for any other chemical or 217-343-4962 Get the best results when you needs. advertise in THE LAND Please support the advertisers Phone 612-210-3685 507-345-4523

you see here. Tell them you saw their ad in The Land!

Call 507-345-4523

Bins & Buildings SILO Take-down & clean up Specializing in silos in congested areas.

FULLY INSURED mobile concrete crushing.

507-236-9446

Have you returned your subscription card for THE LAND? Find it on page 18 and send it in today.

WANTED

DAMAGED GRAIN

Real Estate Wanted

PAGE 19

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

STATEWIDE

We pay top dollar for your damaged grain. We are experienced handlers of your wet, dry, burnt and mixed grains.

Trucks and vacs available.

Immediate response anywhere.

CALL FOR A QUOTE TODAY

PRUESS ELEV., INC. 1-800-828-6642 • 5/8” drum roller wall thickness • 42” drum diameter wall thickness • 4”x8” frame tubing 3/8” thick • Auto fold

MANDAKO 12’-60’ LONG ROLLERS

FOR THE BEST DEAL ORDER NOW!

GREENWALD FARM CENTER Greenwald, MN • 320-987-3177 14 miles So. of Sauk Centre

TRACTORS NEW NH T4.75, T4.90, T4.120 w/loader .... Coming NEW NH Workmaster 60, 50, 35’s/loaders ....Coming NEW NH 25S Workmasters ...….......…. On Hand NEW Massey 2850M & 2860M ............. On Hand NEW Massey 4710 & 4707 ….............. On Hand New Massey GC1725M …….................. On Hand ’16 Massey 4608 rops w/loader …............. $36,900 ’21 NH T7.260 ……….............………… $164,000 ’18 NH T4.75 w/loader .............................. $49,900 ’16 NH T8.380 w/2000 hrs ....................... $194,000 ’12 NH T9.560 2200hrs ……..........…… $235,000 ’12 NH T9.560 800 metric …….……… $229,000 IH 666 nice …….................................……. $8,900 Oliver 1850 w/loader ………………….….. $9,750 Ford 5000 …………...........................……. $6,500

PLANTERS NEW White 9936VE .................................... On Hand NEW White 9924VE ..................................... On Hand NEW Massey 9816VE .................................. On Hand NEW Massey 9812VE .................................. On Hand NEW Massey 9222VE .................................. On Hand JD 7200 12-30 w/LF ……….........................…… $15,500 White 6186 16-30 w/ins …….............……….. $12,500 Taking 2024 New Spring Orders

COMBINES NEW Gleaner S97 ........................................... Coming NEW Gleaner S96 ........................................... Coming ’18 Gleaner S97 ............................................ $339,000 ’15 Gleaner S78 loaded …….….........…...... $225,000 ’07 Gleaner R65 ……..............................…….. $71,500 TILLAGE Geringhoff parts & heads available Sunflower 4412-07 ……...........…………. $29,500 ’21 Wil-rich 2530 37’ Chisel ….....………. $67,000 MISCELLANEOUS ’21 Kuhn 8010-25 ……............……....….. $79,500 NEW Salford RTS Units ........................................ Call CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT NEW Unverferth Seed Tenders .............................. Call NEW NH L318/L320/L328 wheeled units .. On Hand NEW Westfield Augers .......................................... Call NEW NH C327/C337/C345 track units .. On Hand NEW REM VRX Vacs. .......................................... Call ’18 NH L234 425hrs ………........…….. $53,000 NEW Hardi Sprayers ............................................. Call ’19 NH L228 725hrs …..................…….. $42,000 NEW Riteway Rollers ............................................ Call NEW Lorenz Snowblowers .................................... Call HAY TOOLS NEW Batco Conveyors .......................................... Call New Disc Mowers - 107,108,109 ............ On Hand NEW Brent Wagons & Grain Carts ....................... Call New Disc Mower Cond. - 10’, 13’ ........... On Hand NEW E-Z Trail Seed Wagons ................................ Call New Wheel Rakes - 10,12,14 .................. On Hand NEW Rock Buckets & Pallet Forks ....................... Call Kuhn SR112 Rake ……................................ $6,900 New Horsch Jokers ................................................. Call NH H6740 disc mower ……….................... $8,500 NH 488 ................................................... On Hand ’13 NH H7230 ………..................………. $22,500 ’15 NH H7230 ......................................... On Hand

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

(507) 234-5191 (507) 625-8649 Hwy. 14, 3 miles West of Janesville, MN

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:00 • Sat. 7:30-Noon

PAGE 20 Bins & Buildings

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com —”Where Farm and Family Meet”

Farm Equipment

Stormor Bins & EZ-Drys. FOR SALE: 16 Yetter trash 100% financing w/no liens or whippers off JD 1770, $100/ red tape, call Steve at Fair- ea OBO. 507-920-7954 FOR fax Ag for an appointment. SALE: Seed tender 2 com888-830-7757 partment gravity wagon w/ tarp, brush auger & telescoping tube, $3,250/OBO. Farm Equipment 507-920-7954

Farm Equipment We buy Salvage Equipment Parts Available Hammell Equip., Inc. (507)867-4910

Tractors

Tractors

Tillage Equip

Planting Equip

FOR SALE: 8230T JD Track FOR SALE: IH 4600 vibra FOR SALE: Kinze 3600 plantTractor (2007) 5298 hrs, auto shank 30’ w/ harrow, near er, 16/31, KPM2 monitor, new 7” sweeps, $2,750; JD liquid fertilizer, air clutchtrac ready, $87,000.

28’ deep cone, cushion disk, er, mechanical or hydraulic 507-327-6430 drive, $22,000. Marietta MN, good condition, $3,200.

JD 80 Tractor FOR SALE. IF 651-503-5087 320-226-3837 INTERESTED CAN SEND FOR SALE: 1000 gal poly tank PICTURES. 320-905-2536 on tandems with like new Planting Equip transfer pump and motor, NEW AND USED TRACTOR 5HP, new rubber all 4 tires.

PARTS JD 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 507-272-9358 55, 50 Series & newer tractors, AC-all models, Large FOR SALE: JD MaxEmerge 2 Inventory, We ship! Mark conservation planter, 8R30” Heitman Tractor Salvage dry fertilizer, insecticide, 715-673-4829 trash whippers, no-till vacuum, $12,025. 507-533-4620

FOR SALE: Firestone radi- FOR SALE: 40’ Wil-rich field als; 380/90R50, rims and cultivator, Model #3400, 4 hubs (triple taken off Case bar drag, low acre machine.

IH); Case IH 1830 12R30” 42’ Ber Vac soil conditioner, row cultivator; Case IH 24’ Danish tine teeth, 2 rows of tandem grain drill; Case IH rolling baskets. 320-808-5723 14’ grain drill w/ grass feeder; Buckeye tiling machine, FOR SALE: JD 7000 4RN planter, monitor with new ‘95 JD 8200 2WD with 18.4R46 3pt fork lift. 507-240-0294 tires; JD 443 low tin corn- rear tires and duals (70%), 1996 Kinze 2600 16R30 lift & FOR SALE: Retiring. JD 7200 FOR SALE: Unverferth seed head, SN471-802, both in 7757 hours, front weights, turn fold planter. Precision 12R30 planter, vacuum, Liq tender, w/ scale, talc appli- good condition. 320-732-6280 1000 PTO, 3 hyd. Remotes, Finger meters, Kinze brush fert, dawn row cleaners, JD Tillage Equip cator, 3 axles, 17’ conveyor, or 320-760-5228 (c) quick hitch. Very nice meters, Keaton seed firm- monitor, good cond, $12,500. $28,500; JD 4000, WF, dsl one owner tractor. Asking ers, & liquid fertilizer. We are 651-503-5087 tractor, $14,500; JD 16R cult, FOR SALE: 45’ Wil-Rich field $49,900. 507-789-6049 FOR SALE: Case IH 30‘ second owner & have owned FOR SALE: 24’ Great Plains w/ rolling shields, $5,000; cultivator, 3 bar drag, good field cult, exc cond, walking for 18 years. Row cleaners Batco 15x35 belt conveyor, older machine. 8x16 EPA & No-Till coulters available. front fold grain drill, w/ tamdens on main frame & FOR SALE: Int’l 3788 2+2 w/ used for seed beans, $8,000. fuel container, white, never Excellent mechanical con- markers and extra press only 3946 actual hours, 650 wings, $9,000 spent on re507-370-4416 installed. 320-808-5723 dition. Asking $17,500 OBO. wheels, $16,500. 952-201-1176 hrs on new motor, new rub- build, approx 3000 acres ago.

Call 507-789-6049 Repaired bushings, shanks, FOR SALE: 3710 John Deere ber all the way around, exSell your farm equipment FOR SALE: 3 Cherokee wagharrow teeth, walking tan9 bottom plow, hasn’t plowed cellent tractor. 507-272-9358 in The Land with a line ad. on hoists; 3 Stir-a-tor motors dem bearings, tires good, Please recycle this magazine.

2000 acres, asking $25,000.

507-345-4523 for grain bin. 320-583-3131 $5,500. 507-339-1986 507-391-5127

Thank You Farmers!

ADVERTISING NOTICE: Please check your ad the first week it runs. We make every effort to avoid errors by checking all copy, but sometimes errors are missed. Therefore, we ask that you review your ad for correctness. If you find a mistake, please call (507) 345-4523 immediately so that the error can be corrected. We regret that we cannot be responsible for more than one week’s insertion if the error is not called to our attention. We cannot be liable for an amount greater than the cost of the ad. THE LAND has the right to edit, reject or properly classify any ad. Each classified line ad is separately copyrighted to THE LAND. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet” PAGE 21 ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ ★ Spraying Equip Wanted ★ OUTSTANDING 1-OWNER, LOW HOUR EQUIPMENT RETIREMENT AUCTION ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ -FOR SALE: Fast 9420, 90’ All kinds of New & Used farm ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ , boom, 1,250 gal tank, triple equipment - disc chisels, field ★ ★ ★ ★ - nozzle bodies, 450 Raven cults, planters, soil finishers, ★ ★ HOUGHTON'S AUCTION SERVICE RED WING, MINNESOTA c rate controller, hyd boom cornheads, feed mills, discs, ★ ★ ★ ★ , height control, always shed- balers, haybines, etc. 507- ★ ★ ★ Pepst Farms will sell all their Outstanding Livestock & Forage ★ HOUGHTON'S AUCTION SERVICE RED WING, MINNESOTA ded. Call Doug 507-642-8564 438-9782 ★ LOCATION; 67662 386th Ave, Lake City, MN. From Lake City, MN Hwy 63 ★ ★ Equipment, In order to concentrate & expand their grain operation. ★ LOCATION, 1938 190TH Ave, Centuria, WI. From Centuria, WI take Hwy 35 north PM hours k WANTED: JD tractor, late ★ south 7 miles, turn right (west) on Wabasha Co #16 go 2.8 miles, turn left on ★ ★ 1/4 mile, turn left onto CTY I/190th St. go 1/2 miles, veer right (north) onto 190Th ★ ★ ★ ★ St. go 1 mile, turn left (west) on 190TH Ave go 1/4 mile, farm on left side of road. ★ 386th Ave, first place on left. From Goodhue, MN take Hwy 58 south 2 miles, w 1990s-early 2000s, 200-300 Livestock ★ ★ Live & Online Wednesday, April 3, 2024 • 10:30 a.m. ★ , HP, FWA or articulating; ★ turn left (east) on Goodhue Co #16 go 8.5 miles, turn right on 386th Ave. ★ Equipment .

Loftness 15 ft stalk chopper; ★ SATURDAY, APRIL 6 2024 • 10:00 a.m. ★ ★ WWW.HOUGHTONAUCTIONS.COM FOR MORE INFO ★ ★ ★ Brent gravity box 544, 644; ★ www.equipment facts or www.proxibid.com/houghton ★ FOR SALE: Hog Equipment: also, Honda 4-wheeler.

WWW.HOUGHTONAUCTIONS.COM FOR MORE INFO ★ ★ Online: ★ VERY NICE JOHN DEERE TRACTORS & DENGLEMAN BLADE ★ ★ 2 gestation stalls, farrow320-248-5394 ★ The Stehrs have rented out their land and are retiring from ★ ★ 2013 John Deere 8260 MFWD, IVT, ILS, 6,591 ★ ” ing crates, stainless steel farming, therefore they will have a no reserve auction.

Hrs. front & rear 3Pt. & PTO, 540 & 1000, 4 ★ ★ ★ , troughs, and heat lamps. WANTED TO BUY: InternaHyd, 480/80R-50, 420/85R-34; 2010 John ★ - 320-583-9877 tional 1456 tractor in good ★ LIVE AUCTION W/LIVE ONLINE BIDDING www.equipmentfacts.com ★ ★ Deere 9630 4WD, 4,073 Hrs. 4 Hyd, weights, ★ ★ ★ ★ good 800/70R-38 duals, wheel weights; 2010 ★ condition. 507-429-8990 Degelman 7900, 6 way Hyd 18’ blade; 2008 ★ ★ ★ ★ Sell your livestock in The Land John Deere 8530 MFWD, IVT, ILS, 6,670 Hrs. ★ 0 ★ ★ www.thelandonline.com ★ with a line ad.

507-345-4523 3Pt. quick hitch, 4 Hyd, (lg. 1000) PTO, wheel q ★ ★ weights, very good 480/80R-50 duals & 420/85R-34 duals; 2008 John Deere 8330 ★ ★ D ★ ★ MFWD, PS, 8,990 Hrs. 3Pt. quick hitch, 4 Hyd, (540 & 1000) PTO, New front & ★ ★ . tires, 18.4R-46 duals & 16.9R-30 New Hyd pump; 2022 John Deere 1025R, ★ ★ ★ rear ★ Dsl. 51 Hrs. 4×4, Hydro, cab, heat, aux Hyd, 3pt. PTO, Hyd, w/JD 60” deck, JD 54” ★ ★ snowblower, 3Pt. blade, Like new; John Deere 2210, 4WD, 970 Hrs. Hydro, 3pt. ★ ★ ★ PTO, Hyd, 62” mower deck s ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Talk to your auctioneer or call our friendly staff ★ JOHN DEERE GLOBES & SCREENS ★ ★ ★ (3) John Deere 2600 screens; 1 John Deere Star Fire ITC globe; 2 John Deere Star s ★ ★ Fire 3000 globes ★ at 800-657-4665 ★ ONE OWNER TRACTORS & SKID LOADER ★ 2003 New Holland TM155 MFWD, 1,325 Act one owner Hrs., Cab, AC, heat, ★ ★ VERY SHARP 2014 JOHN DEERE SELF PROPELLED CHOPPER & HEADS ★ to place your auction in THE LAND ★ radio, 3pt. dual Hyd, PTO, Frt. weights, 18.4R-42 duals, 14.9-30 Frt. fenders – ★ ★ 2014 John Deere 7980 Pro Drive chopper, 1,217 Cutter Hrs. 2,092 Eng Hrs. power ★ ★ 2010 John Deere 7130, 2 WD, 870 Act one owner Hrs. Power quad, Cab, AC, ★ ★ rear wheel drive, Intelli Guard, 40 knife, Processor, Kernal star, weights, long spout, ★ theland@thelandonline.com or www.thelandonline.com ★ heat, radio, 3pt. dual Hyd, PTO, 18.4R-38 – 1995 John Deere 6300 MFWD, 2,365 ★ ★ 900/60R-32 Frt. & 600/65R-28 rear, very sharp second owner machine; 2014 John ★ Deere 770, 10R Rotary corn head, one owner; 2014 John Deere 640C, 10’ Hay Act. one owner Hrs. canopy, Quad, 3pt. dual Hyd, PTO, 16.9-30, 12.4-24 – 1982 ★ ★ Allis Chalmers 8010, 2WD, 4,760 Act second Hrs. 3pt. dual Hyd, PTO, 18.4R-38 ★ ★ head, one owner ★ ★ & band duals – 1958 Allis Chalmers D14 LP, 4,797 Act one owner Hrs. WF, w/ ★ ★ JOHN DEERE WHEEL LOADERS & JOHN DEERE GATORS ★ loader, bought new by Neil & Paul’s Dad – 2000 Gehl SX3825, 2,870 Act Hrs. ★ ★ 2013 John Deere 324J, 13,800 Hrs. 4×4, JRB coupler, Aux Hyd, bucket, new tires; ★ John Deere 244J, 7,500 Hrs. 4×4, JRB coupler, Aux Hyd, bucket, good rubber; ★ ★ ★ 2012 ★ bucket – 66” Hyd grapple – 75” rock bucket – ★ (2) Sets of JRB pallet forks; 2020 John Deere XUV835M Gator, 1,800 miles, cab, ★ ★ ★ heat, 4×4 w/Western Hyd plow; 2013 John Deere 825i S4, Gator, 4×4, 6 seater, ★ ★ TILLAGE & PLANTING EQUIPMENT ★ 2019 Great Plains Turbo Max 1200TM, 12 Ft. Vert tillage, rolling basket, rolling ★ ★ 6,067 miles – ★ tooth harrow, like new one owner – White 263, 14’ disc – White 6100, 6R ★ ★ spike HAYING & CHOPPING, TMR, LIVESTOCK, FARM EQUIPMENT ★ ★ planter, dry fert. trash whips, monitor – IH 11 shank 3pt. chisel plow – Bush HM AUCTION GROUP PRESENTS ★ Hog 8 shank 3pt. chisel plow – White 598, 4 bottom plow – MM 8’ grain drill – ★ ★ 2012 John Deere 131 & 388, 30’ Triple cutter; 2012 Oxbo 330, 30’ merger; Kuhn ★ 9032 Master drive twin rotary rake; (3) 2008 Meyer 4220, 20’ chopper boxes, ★ ★ GA ★ McFarlane 20’, 4 sect. drag, Hyd lift – Farm Hand 6R, 3pt. cult Frt. & rear unload, Tandem running gear; Victor 200 Series 2 blower; 2014 Vermeer ★ ★ VERY SHARP CHEVY PICKUP & CATTLE TRAILER, HAYING ★ ★ BP8000 bale processor; Patz V420, 1100 Series TMR, LP vertical screw, newer ★ scale; John Deere 450, 12’ grain drill, 7” spacings, grass seeder, press ★ ★ EQUIPMENT & DEMCO GRAVITY WAGONS, FARM MACHINERY ★ ★ knifes, wheels, double disc; (3) 9’ X 16’ metal bale racks; 40’ Elevator; Barn bale conveyor; ★ ★ ★ ★ 2017 S&S Dura Line 16’ tandem livestock trailer, like new – 1999 GMC 2500HD Location: 11972 County Road 2 Stewartville, MN 55976 Farm King 13” x 70’ Auger, Hyd swing hopper, low use; Silage pile tarps; Cut tires ★ ★ 4×4, 91,000 Act miles, reg cab, 8’ box, very sharp – 2003 Hesston 1345, 13’ Disc ★ ★ for silage bunker – Bidding Opens: March 26, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. • Starts Closing: ★ ★ ★ bine, very nice, low acres – New Holland 570 baler w/thrower, very nice – (3) ★ CUSTOM CHEVY PICKUP, KENWOTH SEMI, TIMPTE & FEATHERLITE TRAILERS ★ ★ Demco 365 gravity wagons very sharp (Years 2014,2002,2001) – 2010 Matthew 2014 Chevy 1500 Silverado, LTZ, Z71, 4×4, ★ Corp 180, 6R stalk chopper, nice – Parker gravity wagon w/Fert auger – NI 3632 ★ ★ ★ miles, 4 Dr. cab Custom John Deere FOR COMPLETE DETAILS & BIDDING GO TO: ★ tandem manure spreader, Hyd end gate – Badger 1000 Gal vac manure tank – ★ ★ 108,000 green & decal paint job, aftermarket rims ★ WWW.HMAUCTION.COM ★ H&S 9’ x 16’ metal bale wagon (2) 8’ x 16’ wooden bale wagon, (nice always ★ ★ & tires, very sharp; 2006 Kenworth W900 ★ 70,000 miles on New Cat 2WS model ★ stored inside) – Westfield WR100-61, 10” x 61’ auger – JD 22A single shank ★ ★ sleeper, ★ engine, 18 Sp. 8 bag suspension, single line ★ ★ wet kit, 255” wheel base, 355 rear end, New ★ subsoiler – MM rake – 3Pt. round baler mower – ★ ★ FENCELINE FEEDER, GATES, HAY & STRAW, FARM RELATED ITEMS ★ ★ tranny 250,000 miles ago, very sharp; 2007 ★ F350 Super Duty, Dsl. 4×4, 160,000 miles, Ext cab, long box, New brakes, ★ ★ 64’ Of 8’x8’ cement fence line feeders – (4) 14’ Wooden feeders – Head gate ★ ★ Frod seals, calipers; 2009 Timpte 42’ Hopper bottom trailer, 72” sides, roll Approx 30 tube gates – 700 Small bales of hay & 50 Small bales of straw – ★ bearings, ★ –Swisher tarp, Ag hoppers, New sub frame, done @ Timpte, New wheel seals, good tires & ★ 44” finish cut trail mower, 11.5 HP – 20 Ft. bale conveyer w/elect motor ★ ★ brakes, very nice; 2016 Featherlite 32’ Alum livestock trailer, Tri axle, 3 divider gates ★ ★ – Schuld 6 & 3 ton bulk bins – 1 Yd 3PT. dirt scrapper – GMC step bumper (new) ★ ★ ★ – GMC pickup ladder rack (new) – Misc tools – Elect motors – New 20 Gal elect ★ ★ MANURE TANKERS, SPREADERS, EQUIPMENT ★ ★ 1996 8000 Gallon semi manure tanker, Alum, top inlet fill, rear discharge; 1985 heater – Wooden & steel fence posts – Rock box – 18.4×38 chains – ★ ★ Fruehoff 6,700 gallon semi manure tanker w/Hyd off load auger; 2009 Balzer 22,000 ★ ★ AUCTIONEER NOTE, Make your plans to attend or bid online, outstanding line ★ ★ ★ Frac tank; 2010 Kuhn Knight PS160 Pro Spread manure spreader, vertical beaters; ★ ★ of one owner, low hour tractors & equipment that has always been stored inside. ★ ★ 2004 Balzer 7350 Low Pro manure tanker, tandem axle w/steering, Hyd pump; NH ★ tandem spreader, Hyd end gate, top beater, Hyd apron, adj speed, pinto chain; ★ ★ 195 ★ ★ 2010 Balzer 38’ Lagon agitator pump; 2012 30’ Load stand, 8” ★ ★ ★ ★ 2015 JOHN DEERE S690 SALVAGE COMBINE ★ ★ 2015 John Deere S690 combine, Approx. 1,200 Hrs. Fire under cab, Cleaning ★ ★ Equipment questions – Neil 651-380-5880 ★ ★ ★ system & rear of combine was all new 600 acres prior to fire, tires are good ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ WWW.HMAUCTION.COM WWW.HOUGHTONAUCTIONS.COM Equipment questions, ★ ★ ★ ★ Dylan 715-554-3120 MARING AUCTION, LLC. HAMILTON AUCTION CO. ★ ★ ★ ★ PO Box 37, Kenyon, MN 55946 130 State Highway 16 ★ ★ ★ ★ 507-789-5421 • 800-801-4502 Dexter, MN 55926 • 507-584-0133 ★ ★ ★ ★ Matt Maring Lic# 25-28 Andrew Hamilton Lic# 50-128 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ RED WING, MN Kevin Maring Lic# 25-70 Cell: 507-438-6693 ★ 651-764-4285 Adam Engen Lic# 25-93 Bill Hilton Lic# 50-24 • 507-279-9600 ★ ★ ★ RED WING, MN 651-764-4285 ★ Todd Houghton, MN Lic. #25-47, WI Lic. #181 ★ ★ ★ Todd Houghton, MN Lic. #25-47, WI Lic. #181 ★ Red Wing, MN 651-764-4285 ★ ★ ★ Red Wing, MN - 651-764-4285 ★ ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Have an upcoming Auction?

ONLINE ONLY FARMER EXCESS EQUIPMENT LIQUIDATION AUCTION Friday, April 5, 2024 • 9:00 a.m.

COMBINE & HEADS, EQUIPMENT, TILLAGE & TRAILERS

NEIL & PAUL STEHR

PEPST FARMS

PAGE 22

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

www.thelandonline.com —”Where Farm and Family Meet”

Wanted

Swine

WANTED: Schweiss 2 stage Spot, Duroc, Chester White, wood splitter with log lift. Boars & Gilts available.

507-370-2149 Monthly PRRS and PEDV. Delivery available. Steve Resler. 507-456-7746

Livestock

Industrial

Answers for Technology Word Search Case 1845C Skid Loader, 283 Hours

HM AUCTION ON GROUP PRESENTS

VERY LARGE ONLINE ONLY AUCTION EVENT Location: 17276 Murphy Lake BLVD, Prior Lake, MN 55372, From Prior Lake, MN Take Co Rd 21 Southeast To Murphy Lake BLVD, Turn North On Murphy Lake BLVD.

Bidding Opens: Monday March 25, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.

BIDDING STARTS CLOSING:

Thursday, April 4, 2024 • 3:00 p.m.

‘00 Case 1845C Skid Loader, 283 Actual Hours, Radio, Cab, Bucket; Titan 4’ Pallet Forks; 8’ Snow Bucket

Power & Hand Tools, Shop Supplies

Snap-On YA5550 Plasma Cutter; Solar 2175 Wire Feed Welder 220v; Coats 40-40A Tire Changer; Nortron 7300 Wheel Balancer; Snap-On Tool Cart; Metal Band Saw ; Sanborn 80 Gallon Upright Air Compressor, 5HP ; Porta-Power ; Portable Generator 11HP Honda Engine; 20+ LP Cylinders 100lbs & 20lbs; Century 250AMP AC/DC Welder; Craftsman 30 Gal Air Compressor, 6HP; Landa 2-1100 Hot Water Pressure Washer; Wrenches, Sockets, Drivers, Plyers, Bolt Bins, Floor Jacks, Rolling Stands, Shop-Vac, Large Amount Of Shop Tools & Shop Supplies

Snowmobiles, & Honda Big Red

COMPLETE DETAILS & BIGGING AT WWW.HMAUCTION.COM INSPECTION DATES: Friday, March 29, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

‘00 Arctic Cat 600 Powder Special, 349 Miles ; ‘94 Arctic Cat 700 EFI Wildcat Snowmobile ; Yamaha Sno-Scoot Mini Snowmobile; Arctic Cat 440 Panther; Honda Big Red 3 Wheeler, Good Plastic

‘21 Tesla Model Y SUV, 21,331 One Owner Miles, Sunroof, NAV, Heated Seats, AWD, Dual Motor, Clean Car ; ‘29 Ford Model A Coupe, Rumble Seat, Older Restoration; ‘58 GMC Step Side Pickup, 336 V8, 4 Sp, Complete Restoration ; ‘39 Chevy Master Deluxe 4 Door, Older Restoration; ‘97 Ford F250 Pickup, 4x4, 7.3L Powerstroke, 8.5’ Plow; ‘04 Chevy Impala Sedan, 217,951 Miles

(20) JD, Case IH & New Holland NIB & Assembled Peddle Tractors; JD & Case IH Precision Series, Collector Series, Dealer Editions With Boxes; Spec Cast Truck Series; (100) Danbury Mint JD Village’s; Miller, Michelob, Hamms, Coors Tins Signs, Mirrors, Lighted Signs & Neons; Coca-Cola, Chevy, JD, Farmall, Shell and Other Signs and Memorabilia; Canada Dry Soda Machine; Seeburg Jukebox, 45 Records; Arcade Bowling Game; 7Up/Dr. Pepper Pop Machine, Glass Bottles; Large Amount of Furniture, Glassware, Collectibles; 20+ Cases Of Ball Canning Jars

2021 Tesla, 1929 Ford A, 1958 GMC Pickup, 1997 Ford F250

(20) JD, Case & Farmall Tractors

JD 3020 Gas, WF, JD 46A Hyd. Loader, 540PTO, 3pt.; JD 3010 Dsl, 3pt., 3400 Hours; JD 3010 Gas, NF, 3pt., 3053 Hours ; JD 3010 Gas, WF, Power Shift, Cab, 7972 Hours; (4) JD 520, NF, 3pt., Fenders, (1) With Hyd. Loader; JD 420, WF, 2 Row Cultivator ; JD, 50, NF, 2 Row Cultivator; JD B, NF, Flat Spoke Rims; JD B, NF, 2 Row Cultivator; (2) JD MT, NF, 11.2x24 Tires; JD G, NF, 13.6x38 Tires ; JD H, NF, 9.5x32 Tires Like New; JD B, NF, 6 Speed ; JD A, NF, 12.4x38 Tires ; Farmall Cub, Rear Weights ; Ford 8N, Turf Tires, 3pt. ; Farmall B, NF, Belt Pulley; Case 400 Dsl Tractor, NF,

Garden Tractor, Potato Equipment, Implements & Attachments

300+ Collector Toys, Beer Memorabilia, Vending Machines, Arcade Game, Furniture, Household

PAYMENT & PICKUP DATES: Friday, April 5, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Mahoney Family Estate

WWW.HMAUCTION.COM HMAUCTION COM Case High Drive 48 Garden Tractor, J70 Hyd Drive Tiller; Zipper TS20 Front Mount Mower, 66” ; (5) Rear Tine Garden Tillers ; (2) MARING AUCTION, LLC. HAMILTON AUCTION CO. 1000 Gal Fuel Barrels, Electric Pumps; Mechanical Transplanter PO Box 37, Kenyon, MN 55946 130 State Highway 16 Co. 2 Row Potato Planter ; Modern Shop Built 2 Row Potato 507-789-5421 • 800-801-4502 Dexter, MN 55926 • 507-584-0133 Planter; Modern PTO Drive Potato Digger; (3) Steel Wheel Potato Andrew Hamilton Lic# 50-128 Matt Maring Lic# 25-28 Planters; JD 660 Tiller, 540PTO, 3pt. ; Woods XT172 3pt. Mower; Cell: 507-438-6693 Kevin Maring Lic# 25-70 Walco 5’ Finishing Mower ; Lorentz 8’ Spring Tooth Digger; 3pt Adam Engen Lic# 25-93 6’ Disc; Ford 3x14’s Plow, 3pt. ; (2) JD Tandem Disc 10’ ; 15’x8’ Flatbed Hay Rack With 1500 Gallon Poly Tank ; JD 2 Row Check Terms: Cash, Check, Credit Card, 10% Buyers Premium Wire Planter ; Fimco 50 Gallon Sprayer, 10’ Booms, PTO ; Woods With $1000 Cap, All Items Sell AS-IS, All Sales Final, All Items Must Be Paid For Prior To Removal.

RM59 Finishing Mower; JD Rotary Hoe 8’ ; 12’ Mulcher 3 Bar

FOR SALE: Black Angus bulls & Construction also Hamp, York, & Hamp/ Duroc boars & gilts. Alfred Architectural Sheet Metal (Mike) Kemen 320-598-3790 Project Manager, Schwickert’s Tecta America LLC, Mankato, MN - ReCattle sponsible for the marketing and the acquiring of architectural sheet metal/wall cladding sales. Travel to unanticipated worksites in the upper Midwest is required.

Travel encompasses 10% of time For info, email ggierczak@tectaamerica.com FOR SALE: Registered Polled Hereford yearling bulls for sale. Have had all shots, poured and semen tested. Halter broke. Fantastic growth E.P.Ds. Will deliver. Klages Herefords.

Ortonville MN. 320-273-2163 (H) 605-880-0521(C)

Swine FOR SALE: Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, cross bred boars, and gilts. Top quality.

Excellent herd health. No PRSS. Delivery available.

320-760-0365

Miscellaneous

PARMA DRAINAGE PUMPS New pumps & parts on hand.

Call Minnesota’s largest distributor HJ Olson & Company 320-974-8990 Cell - 320-212-5336 REINKE IRRIGATION Sales & Service New & Used For your irrigation needs 888-830-7757 or 507-276-2073 Looking for something special?

Put a line ad in The Land and find it!

Call The Land today!

507-345-4523

LAND FOR SALE Upcoming Farmland Auction April 17, 2024 • 58.29 ± Acres Farmland Includes Two Building Rights

Douglas Twp, Dakota Co, MN

Land For Sale 80.10 ± Acres Farmland Convenient Drainage Outlet to Echo Creek

Swedes Forest Twp, Redwood Co, MN

16.60 ± Acres Land and Building Site Highly Desirable Location off Highway 169 just West of Mankato

South Bend Twp, Blue Earth Co, MN

For property brochures, contact Hertz at 507-345-LAND (5263) WWW.HERTZ.AG 151 St. Andrews Court #1310, Mankato MN 56001

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

It's not too late to return THE LAND 2024 Subscription card. Do it today!

Upcoming Issues of THE LAND

April 12, 2024 April 26, 2024 May 10, 2024

Ask Your Auctioneer to Place Your Auction in The Land!

Deadline is 8 days prior to publication.

Indicates early deadline, 9 days prior to publication. * 418 S. Second Street • Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-345-4523 or 800-657-4665 Fax: 507-345-1027

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ADVERTISER LISTING Beck's Hybrids ....................................................................... 1 Boost Infinite ....................................................................... 14 Carson Forsberg ..................................................................... 6 Greener World Solutions ........................................ Cover Wrap Greenwald Farm Center ........................................................ 19 Hamilton Maring Auction Group ............................... 20, 21, 22 Hertz Farm Management ..................................................... 22 Holland Auction Co.............................................................. 22 Houghton's Auction Service .................................................. 21 Kannegiesser Truck Sales ....................................................... 3 Keeper's RV Center ................................................................ 5 Letcher Farm Supply, Inc. ...................................................... 4 Mathiowetz Construction .......................................................11 Pruess Elevator, Inc. ............................................................ 19 Pumps Motor & Bearings LLC ............................................. 12 Renewal by Andersen ........................................................... 14 Rush River Steel & Trim ........................................................ 9 Schweiss Doors .................................................................... 20 Smiths Mill Implement ......................................................... 19 SnirtStopper ......................................................................... 15 U of M Foundation ............................................................... 13 Wealth Enhancement Group .................................................... 7 507-345-4523 • 800-657-4665 418 South Second Street, Mankato, MN 56001 • www.thelandonline.com

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PAGE 24

www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

THE LAND — MARCH 29, 2024

This week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Managing Editor Paul Malchow.

C

Brand-new burial

emeteries have always seemed to be just there forever; and justifiably so — judging by some of the dates on the older headstones. So it is rare to see a brand-new cemetery. There is one east of Redwood Falls, Minn.: The first person laid to rest in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery was in August of 2023.

The Redwood Falls cemetery is the fourth such facility in the state. The first Veterans Cemetery was opened in 1994 in Little Falls, Minn. The Preston, Minn. cemetery was dedicated in 2016 and the Duluth, Minn. cemetery shortly after in 2018.

The cemeteries are operated by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Demographic data identified three areas that would support the establishment of new cemeteries in addition to the original cemetery in Little Falls.

The Redwood Falls area was one of these three locations.

You may be familiar with the veterans cemetery at Fort Snelling in St. Paul.

“Our State Veterans Cemeteries function in the same way as Fort Snelling, but serve the rural communities in the regions where they operate,” explained David Swantek, Deputy Director of Memorial Affairs for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. “If a veterans cemetery is further than 75 miles from a veteran’s home of record, it is likely the veteran will choose a different burial option that is closer to their home. Building and operating State veterans cemeteries in rural locations provides an option for burial at a veterans cemetery that is closer to the veteran and expands the option for them to take advantage of this burial benefit.”

Burial at a State veterans cemetery is open to all veterans discharged from active military service under conditions other than dishonorable.

Their spouses, minor children, and — under certain conditions — unmarried adult children are also eligible for burial. Eligible spouses may be buried, even if they predecease the veteran. Also eligible for burial are members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, the Army and National Guard, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps who die while on active duty for training or performing service, or who have 20 years of service in reserve components of the Armed Forces creditable for retired pay.

“Plots in our cemeteries are not reserved, they are assigned at the time of death by cemetery

administrative personnel,” Swantek said.

“Sudden or unexpected deaths are not affected due to this process.”

However, pre-planning for burial is encouraged; but Swantek admitted only about 25 percent of the burials provided are planned in advance. Families interested in pre-planning can fill out a pre-registration form found on the MDVA website at mn.gov/mdva/memorials/stateveteranscemeteries. You can also call 1-888-LinkVet or visit your local county veterans service office.

Swantek added that any authorized representative for the deceased veteran can make arrangements. Authorized representatives could be anyone who has been asked to handle the affairs of the individual veteran. In rare cases where a veteran is unclaimed, the MDVA will still accept those remains for burial as long as eligibility can be established.

The stately, gated Redwood Falls cemetery is 77 acres and contains a main office which houses office space, public restrooms, a grave locator kiosk, maintenance bays, an honor guard lounge and break room.

An outdoor flag-assembly area will be used for an annual Memorial Day ceremony which is held at each of the four veterans cemetery locations on the Sunday before Memorial Day. These events feature a keynote speaker, along with instrumental and vocal music, rifle salute, parade of flags, and taps.

Along with traditional burials, in-ground cremation gravesites provide a traditional burial option for cremated remains. In-ground cremation gravesites are marked with an upright marble headstone. The columbarium provides an above-ground option for cremated remains.

The cemetery is prepared to have up to seven committal services per day, Monday through Friday, on a first-come first served basis, beginning at 9 a.m.

Committal services are limited to 20 minutes. All committal services are held in the committal service building rather than at the actual gravesite because of burial rates and operational considerations. This ensures the family’s safety and provides a fitting location for military honors and the ability of staff to continue cemetery operations. The remains are removed from the committal service building for burial following the family’s departure and are never left unattended by cemetery staff. v

Redwood Falls, Minn.

THE LAND, Advertising Supplement

Rejuvenating the look of your shed/shops

March 29, 2024

Repaint your buildings. Don’t replace them!

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Rejuvenating the look of your shed/shops RS O

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Need a fresh coat of paint?

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Metal Roof Restoration Before

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THE LAND, Advertising Supplement

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Metal Roof Restoration Before

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Eliminate leaks. Tighten Fasteners. Prevent Rust.

Before Before

After

Metal Roof Restoration

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After

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THE LAND, Advertising Supplement

Rejuvenating the look of your shed/shops

March 29, 2024

Repaint your buildings. Don’t replace them!

After

Before

After

Rejuvenating the look of your shed/shops RS O

M COL TO

VA ILA BL

A

Need a fresh coat of paint?

CU S

Before

© 2024

(800) 657-4665 www.TheLandOnline.com theland@TheLandOnline.com 418 South Second St., Mankato, MN 56001

E

Page 4 - March 29, 2024