FIELD TALK FIELD TALK PODCAST Rising fuel prices are affecting every sector of the economy. Lance Klatt, Executive Director of the Minnesota Service Station Association joins the Linder Farm Network to talk about issue surrounding fuel and electric vehicles. LISTEN NOW FOLLOW LFN HERE LFN on F A C E B O O K LFN on T W I T T E R LFN on YouTube Farm News June 8, 2022 WORLD PORK EXPO BEGINS Thousands of hog farmers and pork industry leaders will gather in Des Moines, Iowa, this week for the World Pork Expo. The three day event kicked off today at the Iowa state fairgrounds. World Pork Expo includes over 300,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 400 exhibitors. The event also includes educational sessions and discussions. Easton, Minnesota farmer Lori Stevermer is vice president of the National Pork Producers Council. She says the event is always big for the pork industry. Listen NEW BRANDING AND  PLAN The National Pork Producers Council this morning unveiled a new logo as well as a new strategic plan. Pipestone, Minnesota farmer and NPPC President Terry Wolters says the new strategic plan was the result of a process to provide the vision for the pork industry and NPPC. Listen RESLER NEW MN PORK CEO The Minnesota Pork Producers Association has named Jill Resler as the organization's next CEO, Resler has held multiple roles in her 13-year tenure with Minnesota Pork, most recently serving as chief operating officer and interim CEO. Resler, a Minnesota-native, brings significant experience leading programs to promote pork and advocating for the state's more than 3,000 family pig farmers.    Resler proceeds longtime CEO, David Preisler, who led the organization for 28 years. Resler joined the MPPA  in May 2009  Listen Resler was raised on a farm in southwest Minnesota where she still actively farms with her family on their row crop and cattle farm. She's a 2009 graduate of South Dakota State University with a bachelor's degree in agricultural communications, education and leadership. CROP PROGRESS Minnesota farmers are working to get the last of the 2022 crop planted. The latest USDA crop report says 93% of Minnesota's corn crop is planted and 66% has emerged. Soybean planting is listed at 72% complete with 39% emerged. The June 5 report indicates 90% of the state's sugarbeet crop has been planted.  RFA CLEARS WAY FOR DISASTER LOANS The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Rural Finance Authority (RFA) Board has determined that an emergency exists in parts of Minnesota due to recent severe weather, which makes zero-interest loans available for Minnesota farmers whose operations may be suffering from damage caused by storms. The resolution declares an emergency for the following counties: Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Brown, Carlton, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Douglas, Faribault, Grant, Isanti, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Meeker, Morrison, Murray, Nobles, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Renville, Rock, Roseau, Saint Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine, and adjacent counties. FARM BILL PREPS Farm organizations and others are identifying priority issues to be addressed in the 2023 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill expires in September 2023. Former Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson, who formerly chaired the House Agriculture Committee, says he wouldn't be surprised if the current bill is extended. He says divisive political positions may make it even more challenging than usual to come to an agreement on a new version. Listen EPA RFS VOLUMES Late last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for the 2021 and 2022 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance years and retrospective volumes for 2020, including plans to restore the 500 million gallons in remanded volume by the DC Circuit Court in 2017, as well as confirmed denial of pending RFS small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings says ACE was pleased the EPA  is upwardly revising the 2021 volumes to align more closely with actual consumption and upholding base conventional volume of 15 billion gallons for 2022. Jennings says ongoing vigilance is necessary to protect the RFS. Listen While slightly lower than originally anticipated in December, soybean farmers remain pleased with the blending volumes announced June 3 by the EPA,, which include the largest-ever renewable volume obligation for biomass-based diesel and clear a troublesome backlog of small refinery exemption, or SRE, requests. The 2022 finalized rule aligns with levels previously determined by Congress, setting the 2022 BBD volumes at 2.76 billion gallons, up from 2.43 billion for 2020 and 2021. The 2022 overall volumes are set at 20.63 billion gallons and retroactive volumes for 2021 at 18.84 billion gallons, 2020 at 17.13 billion gallons. These are the largest-ever volumes for total renewable fuels and specifically for BBD since the renewable fuel standard was created. SUMMIT CARBON SOLUTIONS Summit Carbon Solutions is partnering with dozens of ethanol plants across the Midwest on a project that aims to capture carbon dioxide before it is emitted into the atmosphere and channel it to North Dakota where it will be permanently stored deep underground. One partnering plant is Highwater Ethanol in Lamberton, Minnesota. Highwater CEO Brian Kletscher says Summit Carbon Solutions is currently mapping the prospective route and contacting landowners who may be in the path of the proposed pipeline. Listen Bt CORNS STAYS ON TARGET The largest, highest quality analysis of data ever conducted reveals that genetically modified Bt corn has little impact on nontarget insects and other organisms, especially compared to growing conventional corn. This study was published  in Environmental Evidence by a USDA Agricultural Research Service scientist and his Swiss colleagues. Bt corn has been genetically modified so that it produces proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to control corn borers, corn rootworms and other major pests of corn. The first Bt corn was approved in 1996 and critics have longs suggested that it also can destroy beneficial insects or other non-targeted organisms. MIDWEST FARM ENERGY CONFERENCE The 2022 Midwest Farm Energy Conference is scheduled for June 15-16 at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris. The Conference will showcase ways to reduce carbon intensity of production agriculture, the use of green hydrogen and ammonia, agrivoltaics for grazing cattle, and robotic weed control. The MFEC will highlight renewable energy systems for dairy and cropping systems, and ways to reduce carbon intensity of production agriculture. Learn more about the event here.   Upcoming Events June 8-10:     World Pork Expo, Des Moines, Iowa Junee 15-16:  Midwest Farm Energy Conference, Morris July 26-28:    North Star Ag Expo, Owatonna Aug. 2-4:        Farmfest, Redwood Falls   Farm Fun Fact With World Pork Expo underway and grilling season in full swing, here's some handy pork nutrition data to chew on. According to pork.org, research from the USDA Agricultural Research Service shows that a 3 oz. portion of pork provides 46% of of our daily protein needs as well as 50% of the thiamin, 34% of the niacin, 30% of vitamin B6, 25% of the B12 and zinc our bodies require each day.