FIELD TALK FIELD TALK PODCAST California officials have moved to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine-powered vehicles in 2035. Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association President Scott Lambert joins this episode of the Field Talk podcast to give his perspective on what that means for Minnesota.    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 August 31, 2022 AVIAN INFLUENZA RETURNS Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a Meeker County commercial turkey flock. Samples were tested over the weekend at the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory (MPTL) and were confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa Tuesday evening. The Meeker County commercial turkey flock reported an increase in bird mortality last weekend, which led to samples being collected and tested at the MPTL. After a presumptive positive result at the MPTL, the flock was immediately quarantined and has since been depopulated to stop the spread of disease. Poultry from the infected flock will not enter the food system. “While the timing of this detection is a bit sooner than we anticipated, we have been preparing for a resurgence of the avian influenza we dealt with this spring,” said Senior Veterinarian Dr. Shauna Voss. “HPAI is here and biosecurity is the first line of defense to protect your birds.” Board of Animal Health Communications Director Michael Crusan says HPAI is always a threat, especially during times when wild waterfowl are moving.  Listen Poultry is safe to eat, and proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚ F is always advised. This strain of avian influenza is a low risk to the public. PRO FARMER YIELD ESTIMATES The Pro Farmer crop tour resulted in some sharply different crop estimates than the USDA has put out for the 2022 harvest. Pro Farmer estimates Minnesota's corn crop at 191 bushels per acre, which was lower than USDA's estimate, and the soybean crop at 52 bushels per acre, an increase over the USDA estimate. Pro Farmer estimates the overall U.S. corn crop ato be 13.7 billion bushels, with an average of 168 bushels per acre. The soybean crop is estimated at 4.53 billion bushels with a national average of 51.7 bushels per acre. Drought conditions in many areas of the Corn Belt are expected to limit yields.   CROP CONDITIONS The latest USDA crop condition report shows 65% of Minnesota's corn crop is in good to excellent condition. About 23% of the crop has dented. Soybeans in Minnesota are rated at 66% good to excellent with 95% setting pods.  CALIFORNIA MOVES TO BAN GAS-POWERED VEHICLES California air regulators voted last week to battle climate change and air pollution by phasing out the sale and use of internal combustion engines by 2035. The move does prohibit people from owning and using gas-powered vehicles, nor does it regulate used vehicles. Because Minnesota is now tied to California standards, many residents and industries are concerned with how the move will affect Minnesota. Scott Lambert heads the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association. He says the California rule leaves no room for biofuels, strictly a ban on gas-powered engines. Listen FAIR TIME OF YEAR The Minnesota State Fair is in full swing in Falcon Heights. The 12-day fair draws about 2 million people annually. RYNDA NAMED PRINCESS KAY Le Sueur County farmer Rachel Rynda will serve as the new good will ambassador for the dairy industry as the newly crowned Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Rynda farms with her family near Montgomery. She currently attends wth University of Wisconsin-River Falls and she hopes to work in agriculture when her college career is over. Listen MOO BOOTH TURNS 30 The Moo Booth at the Minnesota State Fair is one of the popular attractions that helps fairgoers learn about cows and dairy. The Moo Booth is celebrating its 30th year at the fair. Moo Booth superintendent Doris Mold says the booth grew out of a need to provide education about all things dairy. The Moo Booth features milking demonstrations, hands-on displays and more. Listen LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN SIGHT Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson has been participating in events at the Minnesota State Fair, including serving customers at the All You Can Drink Milk booth. Peterson says checks to farmers who applied and qualified for drought relief through the Agriculture Drought Relief Program should be arriving soon. He also says the upcoming legislative session is already in sight and he encourages individuals with thoughts on ag issues to address in the coming session to offer their ideas. Listen TRUSOYA GETS BOOST FROM NIH A new soybean variety developed at the University of Minnesota and funded by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council shows positive heart health effects, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The TruSoya soybean contains approximately 70% oleic acid and 8% linoleic acid in its oil. Minnesota Soybean Director of Marketing Programs Kim Nill says the NIH study showed very favorable results in a year-long test. Listen Partner Profile: GreenSeam We are GreenSeam. We bolster the growth of the food and ag industry by strategically attracting, building, and empowering new and existing businesses, their workforce, and communities they call home. Agriculture is the largest industry segment within the GreenSeam with more than $15.3 billion in sales annually. Spanning an economic continuum from production, processing, manufacturing, professional services, research, technology, education, transportation and more; a majority of businesses in the region are either part of ag’s value stream or indirectly impacted. The region boasts an extensive list of ag business concentration and industry dominance amounting to more than 1,000 ag related businesses. Upcoming Events Aug. 25-Sept. 5   Minnesota State Fair Sept. 1                   U of M Corn & Soybean Pest Management Field Day, Rosemount Sept. 10                Minnesota Gopher Football Celebrate Ag & Food Day Oct. 6                    GreenSeam Global Workforce Opportunities event, Mankato Dec. 1                    GreenSeam Rural Forum, Mankato Farm Fun Fact According to Guinness World Records, Smurf, a milk cow from Canada holds with world record for lifetime milk production at 478,163 pounds. The record was set in 2012.