Thursday, December 10, 2020
CONFERENCE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/2JmHT7T
This years’ Prairie Grains Conference is FREE for anyone to attend and will be delivered to you virtually! We are excited about this opportunity to continue delivering important educational sessions that will help you on your farm. From weather and marketing to research, you will be sure to gain new and valuable information. Our wide variety of speakers are sure to answer some of the questions you may have.
General Sessions Include:
Breakout Session topics include:
MN & ND Legislative Updates; Barley, Beer & Pet Food; Budgets & Markets; Cover Crops; Disease Management, Spring Wheat Variety Selection and Watersheds
Don’t forget the Wheat and Soybean reporting sessions that start at 7:00 a.m.!
Most sessions will be recorded. CEU credits will also be available.
You won’t want to miss this great day!
PLATINUM Sponsors: AgCountry Farm Credit Services, MN Farm Bureau, Bayer CropScience, MN Soybean Research & Promotion Council and MN Wheat Research & Promotion Council
GOLD Sponsors: Red River Farm Network & Syngenta
SILVER Sponsors: North Dakota Barley Council, BASE, MN Corn, WestBred, Busch Ag Resources, CoAXium/Aggressor, Small Grains Institute
BRONZE Sponsors: Corteva Agriscience, AURI, 21st Century Genetics, West Central Ag Services, Bremer Bank, MCIA, CHS Ag Services/CHS Northland Grain, Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, Duluth Seaway Port Authority, PM Ag Sources and Rivard’s Turf & Forage
EXHIBITORS: 21st Century Genetics, A & S Ag Sales, Agassiz Seed & Supply, AgCountry Farm Credit Services, AURI, BASF, Bayer CropScience, Cargill Grain & Oilseeds of North America, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Minneapolis Grain Exchange, MN Association of Wheat Growers, MN Corn Growers Association, MN Department of Agriculture, MN Farm Bureau, MN Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Northern Crops Institute, Scoular, Syngenta, U of MN Extension
MAWG 2020 Annual Meeting
Attention MN Association of Wheat Growers members!
Join us for the Annual Business meeting of MN Wheat and MN Barley.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – 6:00 p.m.
Click here to register. https://bit.ly/2KzZ8Dj
At this meeting you can listen to updates from your state & national organizations; an update from our state lobbyist and vote for your state board members.
Please join us!
National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Update (Chandler Goule)
FY2021 Agriculture Appropriations
- Last week, NAWG sent the attached letter to leadership on the Senate and House Appropriations Committees outlining our priorities that were reflected in House-passed and Senate-draft FY2021 appropriations bills. While the House passed its version of an FY2021 Agriculture Appropriations Bill in July, the Senate released a draft bill in early November. Currently, the federal government is funded through December 11, 2020, on a short-term continuing resolution and leadership of both the House and Senate have been meeting to negotiate a path forward to prevent a government shutdown. In addition to the NAWG specific letter, NAWG joined KAWG in sending a letter of support for a provision included in the Senate-draft bill, which includes language for ARS to be able to use the funds to invest and partner with the Wheat Genetic Resource Center.
Grain Standards Reauthorization Act on the House suspension calendar
- As you may recall, the GSA passed the Senate on November 16, and is on the calendar in the House of Representatives for a vote on Wednesday, December 2. The attached letter was transmitted to the House today and NAWG will issue a press statement once the bill passes the lower chamber.
New Enhanced Coverage Option available
- On November 16, 2020, the Risk Management Agency announced a new Enhanced Coverage Option ECO) that would be available for 31 spring-planted crops in 2021 and others starting with the 2022 crop year. This new option allows policyholders to purchase additional area-based coverage for a portion of the deductible for their underlying yield- or revenue-based crop insurance policy. Please let Josh (jtonsager@wheatworld.org) know if this sort of product would be utilized by growers in your state.
Industry News (MN Farm Bureau Federation Weekly Impact Update)
Alliance Unveils Unprecedented Climate Policy Recommendations
- An alliance of groups representing farmers, forest owners, the food sector, state governments and environmental advocates on Tuesday unveiled an unprecedented set of recommendations to guide the development of federal climate policy.
- The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance was formed in February 2020 by four groups that now co-chair the alliance: American Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and National Farmers Union. The alliance has since expanded to include FMI – The Food Industry Association, National Alliance of Forest Owners, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and The Nature Conservancy.
- Together, the group developed more than 40 recommendations based on three principles: agricultural and forestry climate policies must be built upon voluntary, incentive-based programs and market-driven opportunities; they must promote resilience and adaptation in rural communities; and they must be science-based.
- Read the full news release.