corn catching up
Crops seem to be catching up quite nicely in the Red River Valley. Francis Kritzberger of Hillsboro, N.D., says this corn is a bit protected, but that it seemed to grow to double its previous size during the week preceding July 26.
Posted by: mpates on 7/28/2008 at 10:21 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
AgIron's big crowd
AgIron at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo on July 16, 2008, drew another large crowd. Farmers said the prices for items seemed mixed, with some items like cultivators going relatively cheaply while other items going at healthy prices.
Said one farmer from Detroit Lakes, Minn.: "There's a lot of farmers here. Everybody knows the value of these things, so there aren't bargains." Another man said the items seemed to be going as high as he'd seen them at a local implement dealer. Still another said the value of trucks and other equipment is relatively high because of the commodity prices.
Scott Steffes, owner of Steffes Auctioneers, told bidders for one of the farm trucks that they'd probably regret not making a healthier bid because the new trucks are getting expensive and not always as available as farmers expect. Of course he was selling the truck.
Posted by: mpates on 7/16/2008 at 5:08 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
ND FFA convention is tops
The North Dakota FFA Association state officers regroup after being elected at the 79th annual convention in Fargo. Steve Zimmerman, state advisor, and Beth Bakke Stenehjem, FFA Foundation Executive Director present officers with briefcases they receive to go with their new jobs.
I would like to say a big thank-you to the North Dakota State FFA Association for the hospitality they always show me at the annual meeting. This is a tradition of hands-on education and knowledge of an industry that is basic to our Upper Midwest culture.
I'm going to post some of the results files from the week's contests. I hope you see your kid or someone else's in this list.
2008-2009
North Dakota State Officer Team
President
Darin Spelhaug - Wyndmere
Secretary
Levi Hall - Berthold
NW region Vice President
Anna Moss - Kenmare
SW region Vice President
Aaron Steckler - Mandan
SE region Vice President
Robert Vallie Richland 44
NE region Vice President
Tyrell Martin - Killdeer
Ambassador
Andrew Young, Napoleon
Friday Morning - Awards
Basic Ag Mechanics
Rikki Schmidt - Napoleon
Ag Mech Sweepstakes
Napoleon
Ag Communications
Scranton
High Individual-
Abby Faul Harvey
Meats
Medina
High Individual-
Phillip Hofmann - Medina
Farm Business Management
Carrington
High Individual-
Taylor Mattson - Carrington
Talent
Craig Goettle - Kenmare
Courtesy Corps
Callie Sivetson St. John
Jamie Faklev Mandan
Ashley Harrington Carrington
Dairy Foods
Carrington
High Individual-
Chase Rosenau Carrington
Dairy Cattle
Mandan
High Indiviual
Addison Hofmann - Medina
Dairy Handlers
Danielle Hoff - Hebron
Nursery/Landscape
Wishek
High Individual-
Kali Lueck - Hettinger
Floriculture
Minot
High Individual-
Rydell Klstermen - Wyndmere
Horse
Kindred
High Individual-
Megan Haner Minot
Food Science & Technology
Napoleon
High individual
Rydell Klstermen - Wyndmere
Small Animal Care
Wyndmere
High Individual-
Marie Goger - Wyndmere
Agriculture Mechanics CDEs (Advanced)
Napoleon
High individual-
Paul Buchholz - Napoleon
Agriculture Mechanics CDEs(Intermediate)
High Individual-
Nick Deering Oakes/Sergent Central
Creed
Ethan Bohn - Beulah
Demonstration
Adam Bettenhausen Wishek
Phillp Aipperspach - Wishek
Quiz
Wydmere
High Individual-
Paul Buchholtz - Napoleon
Memorized Speaking
Kelse Hannson - Garrison
Extemporaneous Speaking (1st round results)
Robert Vallie Richland 44
AgriScience Student
Kimberly Randle - Maddock
Agri Entrepreneurship
Kristin Ripplinger McKlusky
Listed below is a link to the state FFA web site, and more press releases and stories from the convention.http://www.ndffafoundation.com/stateconv08/pressreleases08.htm
Posted by: mpates on 6/10/2008 at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
NDSU's research milestone
If you're connected to agriculture, you have to be happy with the May 30 announcement that North Dakota State University is going to build two new ag facilities on the Fargo campus.
The first priority is the $11.5 (to $14) million "Phase I" of a $30 million greenhouse project they've been talking about installing for the past ten years. This would replace, or at least add to, some outdated greenhouses that have been around since the 1950s. If I know NDSU, I don't think they'll be immediately tearing down these old glass growing buildings immediately. Some of these facilities are old, but they still serve a purpose for less sensitive studies.
But the new ones are sorely needed, and I would think they'd help draw in some of the scientists who will use them. They'll also be needed if NDSU is going to do some of the more sensitive transgenic studies they would like to compete for.
On another front, NDSU is sorely needing a replacement for the an antiquated facility they even call "Old livestock" on the west end of campus. You'll see it there, just to the southwest corner of 19th Avenue and I-29. This is a sad, sad spectacle that WILL be torn down, to make room for a new cattle handling facility, complete with the RFID chip technology (eventually) which will allow feeding trials that distinguish among critters within a pen.
The livestock investment is about $700,000 for the building, and another $2 to $2.4 million will be sought from the 2009 Legislature for the equipment in this.
Because of rain, the dignitaries stirred around with their golden shovels in wheelbarrows, which which included some kind of soil mix from Menards.(I'm no soil scientist, but I'm thinking this wasn't Barnes loam.) It wasn't said at the NDSU "groundbreaking" for these two facilities.It wasn't said at the NDSU "groundbreaking" for these two facilities, but one of the recent stories I've done at NDSU involved the dwindling number of ag majors, and I'm wondering if there's also a dwindling number of farm kids within that relatively small number.
My point is, that NDSU's main campus needs to continue to be a place where ag students can come and get a hands-on exposure to livestock and livestock technology. They should get this hands-on experience with in facilities that aren't an embarrassment.
I look a bit to the east from these facilities and see the investment that is placed in the Fargodome so that the Bison football team can be successful. The dome itself was built for some $55 million, as I recall, and millions have followed.
I wonder how much of this sports investment would be possible if not for the success of the state's No. 1 industry -- agriculture. All this investment in Bison pride, this preoccupation with sports, is a broken priority if the state's agricultural and industrial sectors aren't looked after first. I wonder if that's happening.
Along that line, I asked ag administrators whether they've considered "naming rights" for the new facility, or even the entire ag department, presumably for several millions. Texas A&M did just that, in the past couple of weeks. Coston said that indeed this has been something that has been offered to somebody. Nobody has bitten on that opportunity -- yet.
Posted by: mpates on 6/2/2008 at 8:49 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Conrad's ag bill work
My mother-in-law had an old German expression that she told, half-jokingly that I paraphrase something like this: "He who doesn't brag about himself, goes unbragged."
Some close supporters of Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., seem to take that expression to heart.
One of them recently sent out a second e-mail, continuing to promote the fact that Conrad had a more prominent role in the farm bill negotiations than Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the agriculture committee. Among other things, the individual for the second time sends out an article that appeared in Roll Call on April 7, 2008, which details Conrad's position, boldfacing certain passages:
"In fact, a March 25 framework for the bill was devised by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Finance ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Agriculture ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), along with leaders of the House Agriculture Committee," the article said.
"Even as Baucus and Grassley demand influence by virtue of their Finance roles, Conrad who is second in seniority to Harkin on Agriculture essentially has been acting as de facto chairman of the Agriculture panel, Senators and aides said.
Conrad knows the issues better than the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, said one senior Senate Democratic aide. Hes also on Finance. So, he can deal with Baucus.
Another Senate Democratic source said Conrad who also took over the reins of the 2002 farm bill from Harkin at the behest of then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) appears more willing to compromise, whereas Harkins style has been described as stubborn and uncompromising.
Conrad is not trying to push his own agenda at the expense of other committee members, the source said. The source added that Conrad has taken over in part because of his ability and willingness to craft bipartisan deals. Hes very competent, all business and doesnt have much patience for inaction, the source said.
Conrad recently got himself a bit crosswise with Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., when they both appeared with Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., on a homecoming "rally" on farm bill accomplishments. Conrad and Peterson were both relieved about passage of the bill, even though the now infamous clerical error was discovered. (I think we can all forgive Peterson on that one, even though it is a cautionary tale for future legislation.)
The friction occurred over whether Conrad or Peterson had a bigger role in passing the farm bill. Peterson finally grew tired of the competitive, passive aggressive preening, and said to Conrad that the senator shouldn't have had such a tough time passing the bill considering the political firepower within the Senate Agriculture Committee. The unweildly House was a bigger challenge, he said. Conrad, finally said something like, "Right, Collin, it was a piece of cake in the Senate."
The truth is, both of these people had enormous roles in this process, as did Pomeroy. We've all said it. They've all said it. Now, I wonder if it's useful to keep saying it, when it comes to people like Harkin. These are all proud people whose good will is important in the future.
Here's where one of MY family expressions probably is worth reviewing. My parents advised me that if what I was doing was worthwhile someone else will notice it. They can do the bragging, if it's warranted. Our family produced fewer politicians than my mother-in-law's.
Posted by: mpates on 5/28/2008 at 8:14 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink