Written by Nicole Krumrie, MCGA intern
When some people think of scientists, they think of someone wearing goggles and a white lab coat. When some think about a farmer, they tend to think of an older man wearing jean coveralls and a straw hat with a piece of hay hanging out of his mouth.
What many don’t consider is that a farmer is a scientist in their field every day.
Written by Noah Hultgren
Minnesota Corn Growers Association President
A statewide editorial that appeared in ECM publications the week of June 24 called on agriculture to take the lead on managing pollutants. As farmers, we’re always working to improve how we grow food, feed, fiber and fuel for an increasing world population.
And when it comes to the important issue of water quality and managing pollutants, farmers are already playing an important leadership role.
Written by Haleigh Ortmeier-Clarke, Minnesota Corn Growers Association intern
Organic farming gets a lot of attention, both good and bad. As someone who comes from a traditional farming background with genetically modified crops and pesticides, I am usually quick on the defensive when it comes to a discussion around organics.
My eyes were opened by Carolyn Olson and Emily Zweber at the CommonGround volunteer training on June 24, at the Minnesota Corn office in Shakopee.
“Climate change increasingly poses one of the biggest long-term threats to investments.”
— Christiana Figueres (Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
The battle with climate change comes with a battle with uncontrollable, unpredictable weather. University of Minnesota’s Dr. Tim Griffis is looking at giving farmers a head start.
“Nobody can know the future,” Griffis said, “But we need the best data and models possible for making informed decisions about the future.”
Funded partly by the Minnesota Corn Research &
The next generation of agricultural innovators were on full display at last week’s Minnesota 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge.
A total of 14 teams participated in this year’s Challenge, which is a first-of-its-kind program created by the University of Minnesota Extension that encourages teams of youth to develop solutions to common problems facing today’s farmers. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association is a proud supporter of the Challenge.
First place went to The Hot Shots from Dakota County for a project titled “Infiniheat.”
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
Jared Nordick, 38, rented his first 65 acres from a neighbor when he was 15 years old. Right from the get-go, he practiced land stewardship side by side with his father Gerald, who learned how to care for the land from his dad.
The father-son team planted trees for a shelter belt to reduce wind erosion and tended to buffers and grass waterways. Nordick was among the first farmers certified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Water Quality Certification Program.
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
Kim Gorans , his dad, uncles, brother-in-law and cousins — 11 family members in all — work together raising turkeys and corn on their farm just south of Willmar. They are striving to make their land produce bountiful food and clean water.
Since 2006, Gorans’ farm site, close to Lake Kandiyohi, has been home to a bioreactor research project. A bioreactor is a filtration system set up at the edge of the farm field to filter tile drainage water.
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
When Jon Roisen gave up his farrow/feed hog operation around the turn of the 21st century, he felt a bit of a void. He and his son Aaron were leafing through an AURI publication celebrating the relatively new cold-hardy wine grape variety, pioneered by University of Minnesota, called Frontenac.
They looked at each other and said yes to wine grapes.
Aaron went to New Zealand to learn oenology and the art of being a vintner,
Written by Anna Boroff, Public Policy Director for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association
Another Minnesota legislative session has come and gone. Like other recent sessions, this one featured a flurry of activity toward the end, resulting in some bills getting passed, and some left on the table unfinished.
Let’s take a quick look at some key items from this legislative session that Minnesota corn farmers should be aware of:
Property tax relief
The No.
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
Lee Thompson, 52, has made gutsy decisions on his farm. He and his brother Rick decided to sell the dairy herd four years ago.
He’s also made some easy decisions. Since he started working with his son-in-law Dan Coffman as his agronomist three years ago, Lee has tried lots of small experiments, incremental changes, to try to improve yield and return on the farm in Nicollet,