You are here: Home / Archives for North Dakota

North Dakota cropland up 42 percent in ’12

April 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment

North Dakota cropland values increased by 42 percent during 2012.

That’s according to Andrew Swenson, North Dakota State University Extension Service farm management specialist.  His estimate is derived from the published results of a January 2013 county- level survey commissioned by the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands.

The 42 percent increase is similar to the 46 percent increase reported by the North Dakota Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

Swenson cautions that the factors driving the tremendous increase in prices—what he calls “the perfect storm” of high crop prices and yields and low interest rates—will not continue indefinitely.  However, he says he does not expect an immediate sharp drop in land values, even if crop prices, yields and/or interest rates turn somewhat less favorable.

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , ,

North Dakota farmland brings 10K/acre

November 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One of the hottest farmland markets in the country right now is the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota.

AgWeek reports that an 80-acre parcel in North Dakota’s Walsh County recently sold at public auction for ten-thousand dollars per acre.  It’s believed to be a new record price for farmland in North Dakota. 

An agent for Farmers National Company who was involved in the sale said the buyer farms land adjacent to the 80 acres.  The land is used to grow sugar beets and potatoes.

According to USDA statistics, the average value of non-irrigated farmland in Walsh County, North Dakota has tripled since 2002.

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , ,

MO coalition says defeat a blow to HSUS

November 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The defeat of Measure 5 in North Dakota is “an incredible blow” to the animal rights agenda of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), according to the chairman of the Missouri Farmers Care Coalition.

The Coalition, which was formed in opposition to an HSUS-backed puppy mill ballot initiative in Missouri, offered its help to North Dakota’s Animal Stewards on a ballot measure there that would have made it a felony for crimes against dogs, cats and horses. Pet shelters, vets and ag commodity groups in North Dakota support their own proposed animal welfare legislation.

Voters defeated Measure Five, 66 percent to 34 percent.

Don Nikodim, with Missouri Farmers Care, says HSUS is critical of his group sending a staff member to help the North Dakota group and donating $6000 to oppose measure 5. But, he says, the HSUS and its lobbying arm (HSLF) invested at least $676,000 to oppose the measure, 93% of which came from groups outside North Dakota. Nikodim calls their criticism “hypocritical.”

Nikodim says “North Dakota has struck an incredible blow” to the HSUS by defeating Measure 5 “so convincingly.”  Nikodim is also the executive director of the Missouri Pork Producers Association.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News Tagged With: , , , , ,

California, N.D. measures defeated

November 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Two state ballot initiatives of particular interest to agriculture have been defeated.  California’s GMO labeling measure—Proposition 37—was defeated 53 percent to 47 percent. 

In North Dakota, voters handily rejected a measure Tuesday that would have created a felony penalty for malicious cruelty to a dog, cat or horse. The measure was defeated 66 to 34 percent.

 

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News Tagged With: , , , , ,

North Dakotans voting on animal cruelty initiative

November 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One of the more closely-watched state ballot initiatives being voted on today is Measure 5 in North Dakota, a proposal to toughen the state’s animal cruelty laws.

If approved, Measure 5 would make it a felony to maliciously and intentionally harm a dog, cat or horse.

Proponents, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), say North Dakota has weak animal cruelty laws and it`s time to address the issue.

Opponents, including most of the state’s agriculture and livestock groups, say the initiative is poorly worded, by design, to give animal rights groups a foothold in North Dakota so they can make more sweeping changes later.  And they argue that passage of Measure 5 would lessen chances for more comprehensive animal protection legislation in the 2013 Legislature.

A poll conducted in mid-October showed strong support for Measure 5.  More recent polls have suggested a much tighter race, however.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News Tagged With: , , , ,

CHS plans to build fertilizer plant in N.D.

September 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

CHS Inc., the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, is taking steps toward construction of a more than one billion dollar nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plant in North Dakota.

CHS plans to build the plant on a site near Spiritwood, North Dakota, pending necessary approvals and a successful engineering study.   The tentative start-up date is the second half of 2016.

Preliminary plans call for a plant that will produce 2,200 tons of ammonia daily.  It will distributed as anhydrous ammonia, urea and UAN liquid fertilizer to farm supply retailers and farmers in the Dakotas and parts of Minnesota, Montana and Canada.

The estimated cost of the project is between 1.1 and 1.4 billion dollars.

Link to CHS news release

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , , ,

Survey: Rural economy continues to strengthen

December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The strength of the farm economy—and the positive impact it is having on the Midwest economy in general—are reflected in the latest Rural Mainstreet bankers’ survey from Creighton University economist Ernie Goss.

In fact, the farming index in that survey rose to a record high of 84-point-one in December, compared with 75-point-four in November. 

The index uses a scale of one to 100.

The overall Rural Mainstreet Index rose to 59-point-seven, its highest level since June 2007.  A rating above 50 indicates the economy will grow. 

Goss describes the Rural Mainstreet economy as “very healthy” and says the economic gap between urban and rural areas is widening.

However, Goss also warns that Europe’s economic problems could slow the growth in agriculture and energy because of a strengthening dollar and weaker exports.  He says that could push agriculture and energy commodity prices lower in the first half of 2012.

The survey covers bankers in 10 Midwest and Great Plains states—Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Filed Under: Crops, Dairy, Events/Organizations, Livestock, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Optimism running high in cattle country

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Optimism is running very high in cattle country right now—and it’s being reflected in the prices being paid for replacement females this fall.

Sale barn operators in the Dakotas report bred heifers and stock cows are bringing about 200 dollars per head more than last year. 

Larry Schnell, owner of Stockmen’s Exchange in Dickinson, North Dakota, says young cows sold very well at a recent auction there.

“We sold most of the cow from about 1,700 to 2,000 dollars.  Overall, we had about 550 young cows and they averaged 1,700 dollars,” Schnell says. “Bred heifers were pretty much the same story—mostly from 1,500 to 1,800 dollars.  We had four or five sets over that.  Overall our heifers averaged 1,673 dollars.”

Auction barn owners says the demand for replacement females is being supported not only by a strong overall cattle market, but also by abundant grass and feed supplies—and by the large number of cows that came up open this fall and need to be replaced.

Al Gustin, KFYR/KBMR, Bismark, N.D., contributed to this report.

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, Markets, News, Top Stories Tagged With: , , ,

Northern Plains could see another late spring

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It looks like another late spring is a good possibility for the Northern Plains.

Parts of North Dakota, Minnesota and northern South Dakota received another six to 18 inches of snow this week.  That’s on top of record to near-record snowfall already received in some of those areas.

National Corn Growers Association president Bart Schott farms near the town of Kulm in southeastern North Dakota. “It’s going to be a cold, wet, late spring for us,” says Schott. “We’re going to have flooding issues to deal with—and so there will be challenges to get a crop planted on time this spring.”

Schott says when they do get into the fields, they will likely be planting more corn than last year.

“I have three sons involved on the farm and if they had their way, everything would be corn, from one end to the other,” he says. “Last time we had a family meeting—in fact, we’re having another one Saturday morning—I’m kind of getting the mindset that these guys are going to want to plant more corn.”

And the reasons for more corn?

“Well, it’s the price and our inputs—and we seem to be ready,” Schott says. “We’ve done things in the fall to get ready to plant corn.  We got some fertilizer on, and so we’re pretty much ready to go”

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News, Top Stories Tagged With: , , , , ,

I-29 Dairy Conference to feature Grandin

December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Renowned livestock handling specialist Dr. Temple Grandin will be the keynote speaker at the sixth annual I-29 Dairy Conference, to be held February 9th and 10th in Sioux Falls.

Grandin will speak at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 9th.   Her presentation on “The Way to Reduce Stress on Animals” will be open to both conference attendees and the general public.

The I-29 Dairy Conference is coordinated by dairy extension specialists from North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Link to more information on the conference

Filed Under: Dairy, Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts