Winter Seminars Scheduled
for Sugar Beet Growers
Seminars for sugar beet growers are scheduled during February in Grafton, Grand
Forks, Fargo and Wahpeton.
The seminars are sponsored by the North Dakota State University Extension
Service and University of Minnesota Extension.
Topics include:
* Subsurface water management
* Integrated management of aphanomyces
* Challenges and solutions for sugar beet insect pests
* Weed management
* Strategies to manage sugar beet diseases
* Using the NDSU Extension pest management app
The seminars at each location will begin at 9 a.m. Dates and locations are:
Feb. 5 — Grafton Parish Center
Feb. 10 — Alerus Center in Grand Forks
Feb. 11 — Holiday Inn in Fargo
Feb. 12 — Eagles Club in Wahpeton
Continuing education credits will be available for those attending. The seminars
are free and no registration is required.
For more information, contact NDSU county agents Brad Brummond (Walsh County) at
(701) 284-6248 or bradley.brummond@ndsu.edu; Michael Knudson (Grand Forks
County) at (701) 780-8229 or michael.d.knudson@ndsu.edu; John Kringer (Cass
County) at (701) 241-5711 or john.kringler@ndsu.edu; Brock Shouldis (Richland
County) at (701) 642-7793 or brock.shouldis@ndsu.edu.
Also available to answer questions is Mohamed Khan, NDSU Extension sugar beet specialist, at (701) 231-8596 ormohamed.khan@ndsu.edu.
Many Crops Project a Loss in 2015
Many projected crop budgets show a negative return to labor and management for 2015, according to Andy Swenson, North Dakota State University Extension Service farm management specialist.
Crop prices have declined but total production costs have resisted this decline. A positive is that projected yields for most crops have increased and some cost items, most notably fuel, will be lower.
About half the regions project a positive return to labor and management for spring wheat, durum and soybeans. The highest returns to labor and management for spring wheat, at approximately $10 per acre, are in the east-central, northeastern and southeastern regions. Soybeans show a return ranging from $14 to minus $14 in all but one region.
Projected returns for corn are negative. It ranges from of minus $40 to minus $73 per acre in all regions except the western regions where lower costs, but greater production risks, reduce the losses to around minus $10 per acre.
Projected per acre returns to labor and management for oil sunflowers range from $2 to minus $14 in the western and central regions. For canola, the projected returns range from minus $10 to minus $20 in the major growing regions.
Depending on the region, projected returns for nonoil sunflowers range from $58 to minus $46 per acre.
“Some crops are projecting mostly positive returns for 2015,” Swenson says. “Malting barley and dry edible beans project returns to labor and management ranging from $30 to $50 per acre in most regions. Flax shows similar returns in the north-central, northeastern and western regions.
Lentils are projected to bring the best returns of any crop by ranging from $90 to $115 per acre in the north-central and western regions.”
Minor crops, such as mustard, buckwheat, safflower, chickpeas and rye, also show positive returns to labor and management by ranging from $30 to $50 per acre. However, there may be more production and market price risk with these crops and crop insurance may not be available.
“Overall costs did not decline as I expected,” Swenson says. “Fertilizer prices are very similar to the amounts I used in last year’s budgets. The price of seed, such as for small-grains, will be lower in 2015. A notable exception is durum, which shows a sharp increase. Corn, soybean and dry bean seed is flat to lower, but the price of canola, lentils and safflower seed will increase.”
Crop insurance costs generally will be lower and land costs will be relatively flat. However, repair expenses will increase. Chemical expenses are projected to increase slightly.
“The budget estimates for returns to labor and management do not take into consideration price and yield variability or risk,” Swenson says. “A perfect apple-to-apples comparison of crops is not achieved in the report because different levels of labor, management and risk exist among crops.”
The budgets are available on the Web athttp://tinyurl.com/NDCropbudgets.
11th annual local foods
conference slated Feb. 6-7
BISMARCK – Weed control, product labeling, hops production and beekeeping are among the topics to be covered at the 11th annual meeting of the Farmers Market & Growers Association (NDFMG) & Local Foods Conference, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6-7, at the Baymont Inn and Suites (formerly the Seven Seas), 2611 Old Red Trail, Mandan.
The two-day conference, sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and the NDFMG, attracts growers, processors, marketers and others interested in local foods from across the state.
“The conference includes sessions on production practices, business development and marketing,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “There will be plenty of opportunities for participants to network with each other.”
Following welcoming remarks by Goehring, Friday’s keynote speaker address will be by Lynda Annoreno, founder and manager of the Fresh Start Farmers Market in Baudette, MN, and a University of Minnesota farmers market coach for the northwestern Minnesota. She will speak on involving local businesses and organizations in farmers markets.
Saturday’s speakers include Fred Kirschenmann, fellow and former director for the Aldo Leopold Center and as president of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Kirschenman, who also oversees management of his family’s 3,500-acre certified organic farm in North Dakota, will speak on practical strategies for sustained farming.
Break-out sessions both days will address new plants pests and diseases, backyard beekeeping, vegetable variety trials, and alternative energy.
NDFMG will hold its annual meeting and banquet Friday evening.
A pre-conference workshop is available to introduce Veggie Compass, a software package containing whole farm profit management tools designed to help growers improve on-farm decision making and financial planning. The workshop is limited to 15 people. Preregistration is required.
Partially funded by a specialty crop grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the event is open to the public. Registration is $55 per person and includes all sessions and meals. A single day registration is $35. Registration information is included in a conference brochure available at www.nd.gov/ndda or by calling 701-328-2659.