LFN Field Talk
Farm News Feb. 9, 2022
February 9, 2022
CLIMATE SMART AG FUNDING
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that USDA is investing $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits. The USDA is now accepting project applications for fiscal year 2022.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND REPORT
A new World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report was released today. Jim Emter of Van Ahn and Company says there weren’t many surprises in the report, however, USDA did revise their estimates of Brazil’s soybean crop down to an estimated 134 million metric tons, about 5 million metric tons fewer than the previous report.
SCHIEFELBEIN HEADS NCBA
Kimball, Minnesota farmer Don Schiefelbein is the new National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president. Schiefelbein and his family operate Schiefelbein Farms, a diversified farming operation.
Schiefelbein says there is no shortage of challenges facing the beef industry, but it’s important to work together on solutions .
HULTGREN NEW ASGA PRESIDENT
Nate Hultgren, who farms west of Willmar, has been elected president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. Hultgren also chairs the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative in Renville.
Hultgren says supply chain issues and input costs are among the challenges facing the industry. Hultgren says any policy decisions that impact the sugar industry affects farmers, because every sugarbeet processing facility in the country is farmer owned.
REGIONAL TRADE SCHOOL
Minnesota farmers are encouraged to learn more about trade at an upcoming regional trade school. The Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, North Dakota Corn Council, Northern Crops Institute and the U.S. Grains Council are hosting the trade school at Arrowwood in Alexandria, March 16. Willmar farmer and U.S. Grains Council Chairman Chad Willis says the event helps drive home the importance of trade to farmers and communities.
NITROGEN SMART
University of Minnesota Nitrogen Smart meetings kick off next week.
Dates and locations include:
Feb. 14: Long Prairie City Hall
Feb. 16: Dassel History Center
Feb. 18: Dodge Center History Center
Feb. 22: Alden Community Center
Feb. 28: Maggie J’s in Mapleton
A session on fundamentals will run from 9 a.m. to noon, and an advanced session from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There is no cost to attend. Sessions are also scheduled in March. For more information, visit the Extension website at
https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/nitrogen-smart
MARL APPLICATIONS OPEN
Applications for the Minnesota Agriculture & Rural Leadership (MARL) Class XII are being taken now until April 29. More than 300 Minnesotans have participated in the MARL program, which Executive Director Olga Brouwer says operates best when there is a diverse set of participants .
FARM INCOME
Net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecast to have increased by $23.9 billion (25.1 percent) in 2021 relative to 2020 and is forecast to decrease by $5.4 billion (4.5 percent) in 2022 relative to 2021 according to the USDA-Economic Research Service.
Forecast at $113.7 billion in 2022, net farm income would be 15.2 percent above its 2001–20 average when prior years are adjusted for inflation. In inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars, net farm income is forecast to decrease by $9.7 billion in 2022 from 2021.
While 2022 cash receipts overall are expected to increase, lower direct government payments and higher production expenses are expected to counteract their net effects. Total production expenses are forecast to increase by $20.1 billion (5.1 percent) in 2022. Spending on nearly all categories of expenses is expected to rise with large increases in feed and fertilizer expenses.
RECORD EXPORTS IN 2021
The U.S. agriculture industry posted its highest annual export levels ever recorded in 2021, according to USDA. The final 2021 trade data published by the Department of Commerce shows that exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18 percent and eclipsing the previous record, set in 2014, by 14.6 percent.
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Upcoming Events
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 14-16 MN Pork Congress, Mankato
Feb. 14: Nitrogen Smart training, Long Prairie City Hall
Feb. 16: Nitrogen Smart training, Dassel History Center
Feb. 18: Nitrogen Smart training, Dodge Center History Center
Feb. 22: Nitrogen Smart training, Alden Community Center
Feb. 28: Nitrogen Smart training, Maggie J’s in Mapleton
March 8-12 Commodity Classic, New Orleans
March 16 Regional Trade School, Alexandria
March 23-24 AURI New Uses Forum, Minneapolis
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Farm Fun Fact
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Barley was the inspiration for the size of an inch. At first, an inch was determined as the width of a man’s thumb, but in 1324, King Edward II of England standardized the measurement as “three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end lengthwise.”