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AgweekTV Full Show: Drought expansion, legal protection, farm stress and ag history professor

AgweekTV for April 17-18, 2021.

Coming up on AgweekTV, we will take a look at the drought expansion through the Dakotas. We will discuss farmers finding out how they can legally protect their freedom to operate. We'll take a look at college students learning how to spot the signs of farm stress so they can help with prevention. Finally, we will meet a North Dakota professor who turns to story telling about the Great Plains through music.

COMING UP ON AGWEEK TV

DROUGHT EXPANDS IN THE DAKOTAS, EVEN WITH SOME RECENT PRECIP. WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR PLANTING PROSPECTS.

FARMERS FIND OUT HOW TO LEGALLY PROTECT THEIR FREEDOM TO OPERATE.

COLLEGE STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF FARM STRESS SO THEY CAN HELP WITH PREVENTION.

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Taught 'em how to herd the horses and learn to know them well.

AND A NORTH DAKOTA PROFESSOR TURNS TO TELLING STORIES ABOUT THE GREAT PLAINS THROUGH HIS MUSIC.

WELCOME TO AGWEEK TV, I'M MICHELLE ROOK.

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS RELEASED HIS 2022 BUDGET PROPOSAL, WHICH CONTAINS $27.8 BILLION FOR USDA. THAT'S A $3.8 BILLION INCREASE FROM WHAT WAS AUTHORIZED THIS YEAR.

THERE'S MORE MONEY FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND A PROGRAM TO INCREASE RURAL ACCESS TO BROADBAND. IT ALSO CONTAINS FUNDING TO EXPAND SMALL AND REGIONAL MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES. BUT GENERALLY CONGRESS HAS MORE CONTROL OVER THE BUDGET THAN THE PRESIDENT.

Dave Preisler: If you look at I think overall it's like an increase of 16-percent on domestic funding and you know again it gets back to you know we've got a, he's got to work with Congress to get that done and we'll see what happens there.

HE SAYS FARM GROUPS ARE WORKING MORE THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS TO FURTHER THEIR PRIORITIES IN WASHINGTON D.C. THE PORK INDUSTRY WANTS TRADE EXPANSION, VISA REFORM FOR YEAR ROUND AG WORKERS AND FOREIGN ANIMAL DISEASE PREVENTION.

SNOW AND RAIN IN THE REGION THIS WEEK MAY HELP PLANTING RESUME AFTER SOME SEEDING STOPPED WITH SOILS TOO DRY TO GET EMERGENCE. YET, IT WON'T BREAK THE DROUGHT.

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THE DROUGHT MONITOR SHOWS EXTREME DROUGHT COVERS MORE THAN 70-PERCENT OF NORTH DAKOTA, WHICH FORCED A STATEWIDE DISASTER DECLARATION.

KIDDER COUNTY, IN CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA, RECEIVED AS MUCH OR MORE MOISTURE THAN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. WHILE ITS WELCOME FOR SMALL GRAIN PLANTING, FARMERS AND RANCHERS NEED TO PREPARE FOR CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS.

Penny Nester: AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT WILL HELP WITH GERMINATION AND GETTING, FORCING SOME OF THAT FERTILIZER TO START WORKING FOR THE PRODUCER. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED A LOT MORE.

NESTER ADVISES LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS TO CONSIDER SWITCHING TO PLANTING LATER SEASON CROPS, BECAUSE PASTURELAND WILL LIKELY SUFFER THIS YEAR.

DROUGHT HAS ALSO EXPANDED IN SOUTH DAKOTA, DESPITE SOME RECENT PRECIPITATION.

THE ENTIRE STATE IN SOME LEVEL OF DROUGHT, RANGING FROM SEVERE TO ABNORMALLY DRY WITH JUST A PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA IN EXTREME DROUGHT.

CLIMATOLOGIST LAURA EDWARDS SAYS THERE ARE SOME PARALLELS BETWEEN THIS DROUGHT AND 2012, LIKE THE DRY FALL AND LIMITED SNOW OVER THE WINTER.

Laura Edwards: So a lot of similar things, a warm March as well, is another factor with this warm outlook towards the summer. So cross fingers that we don't have a drought of that severe magnitude.

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BUT EDWARDS SAYS SO FAR, THE LONGER TERM MODELS ARE SHOWING BELOW NORMAL PRECIP AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES DURING THE GROWING SEASON.

SPRING WHEAT PLANTING IS RUNNING AHEAD OF AVERAGE PACE WITH MOSTLY DRY SOILS.

SOUTH DAKOTA LEADS THE REGION WITH 30-PERCENT PLANTED, TWICE THE NORMAL PACE. NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA ARE JUST GETTING STARTED BUT ARE ALSO AHEAD OF AVERAGE. SOME FARMERS ARE CONSIDERING PREVENT PLANT THOUGH BECAUSE ITS TOO DRY.

AS FARMING CONTINUES TO EXPAND AT THE SAME TIME MORE URBAN RESIDENTS BUILD IN THE COUNTRY, THERE CAN BE A TUG OF WAR BETWEEN INTERESTS REGARDING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE FREEDOM TO OPERATE.

ATTORNEY BRIAN DONAHOE TOLD FARMERS IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA ABOUT HOW RIGHT TO FARM COVENANTS CAN LEGALLY PROTECT THEM FROM NUISANCE LAWSUITS THAT ARISE FROM ODOR OR THE LIKE. THEY ALSO PROVIDE A SHIELD WHEN CITIZENS CHALLENGE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS.

HE SAYS THE LANGUAGE CAN BE ADDED TO COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCES, SO WHEN RESIDENTS MOVE INTO AN AGRICULTURALLY ZONED AREA, THEY ALSO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

Brian Donahoe: When they're written correctly they can provide protections to the county and to the farmer for those things that are newly built and in some cases that can provide protection for things that are in existence but are going to expand.

DONAHOE DETAILED HOW MINNEHAHA COUNTY ADOPTED A RIGHT TO FARM CLAUSE IN RESPONSE TO RAPID GROWTH IN SIOUX FALLS. HE SAYS THAT LAW HAS HELD UP WELL IN COURT AND MAY BE A GOOD IDEA FOR OTHER COUNTIES.

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A FEDERAL JUDGE IN MINNESOTA HAS UPHELD A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE USDA, OVERTURNING A 2019 RULE CHANGE THAT ALLOWED PORK PROCESSING PLANTS TO OPERATE WITHOUT LINE SPEED LIMITS.

THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION CHALLENGED THE REGULATION, CLAIMING IT WOULD IMPACT WORKER SAFETY. THE RULE ALSO TRANSFERS CERTAIN INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES TO PLANT WORKERS. THE SUIT CLAIMS THAT COMPROMISES CONSUMER WELFARE, BUT FARM GROUPS DISAGREE.

Glen Muller: As we've always said our folks that produce our product, our folks that process our product are the same ones that consume our product and we're very concerned about the safety of the food and we're not compromising safety in any regards with this ruling.

MEAT PROCESSORS SAY THE FASTER LINE SPEEDS ARE A FUNCTION OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY, LIKE ROBOTICS.

TO PROVIDE COMMON SENSE RULES FOR COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT OF LIVESTOCK, INSECTS AND AG COMMODITIES, NORTH DAKOTA SENATOR JOHN HOEVEN IS CO-SPONSORING THE MODERNIZING AGRICULTURE TRANSPORTATION ACT.

THE BILL ESTABLISHES A WORKING GROUP TO REFORM THE CONTROVERSIAL HOURS OF SERVICE AND ELECTRONIC LOGGING DEVICE REGULATIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ AND BIOFUELS SUPPORTERS ARE URGING PASSAGE OF FUNDING FOR A BIOFUELS INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM.

WALZ'S COVID-19 RECOVERY BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES AN INVESTMENT OF 2-MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR TO FUND THE PROGRAM. THE GRANTS WOULD INCREASE ACCESS TO BIOFUELS ACROSS MINNESOTA AND HELP SERVICE STATION OWNERS INSTALL EQUIPMENT TO RAMP UP USE OF HIGHER BLENDS LIKE E15 TO E80. THE MINNESOTA CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION HAS COMMITTED $1 MILLION TO THE PROGRAM.

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COMING UP ON AGWEEK TV

Mikkel Pates: WE'LL MEET A YOUNG FAMILY THAT SKIPPED A GENERATION TO GET BACK INTO LIVESTOCK.

AUTHOR, PROFESSOR AND MUSICIAN TOM ISERN HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO DOCUMENTING AND TEACHING ABOUT LIFE ON THE GREAT PLAINS. \u0009

AGWEEK'S MIKE SPIEKER RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH THE HISTORIAN TO FIND OUT MORE. IT'S OUR AGWEEK COVER STORY...

Tom Isern: I'M A FARM BOY FROM WESTERN KANSAS. STILL GOT THE FARM, BY GOD. BUT EVERY FALL I TEACH A HISTORY OF THE GREAT PLAINS. IT'S NOT JUST AN ACADEMIC INTEREST, IT'S A LIFE, AND THAT'S A MESSAGE I TRY TO BRING ACROSS.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PLAINS FOLK. WOULD YOU CALL IT A BRAND?

Tom Isern: IT WAS IN 1983 THAT MY GREAT FRIEND AND CO-AUTHOR JIM HOY AND I WERE COMING HOME FROM A SPEAKING DATE, AND THEN WE DISCOVERED WE WERE BOTH THINKING ABOUT THE SAME THING, TO WRITE A NEWSPAPER COLUMN ABOUT HISTORY AND FOLKLORE OF THE GREAT PLAINS.

AND YOU WROTE BOOKS DOCUMENTING HISTORY OF THE PLAINS FOR THAT GIVEN TIME, OR HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THOSE?

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Tom Isern: THERE'S ONE OF THEM ON YOUR TABLE THERE, CUSTOM COMBINING ON THE GREAT PLAINS. YOU KNOW WHAT CUSTOM HARVESTING IS, RIGHT? THAT WAS MY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION FOR PETE'S SAKE. MOST RECENTLY THIS BOOK, PACING DAKOTA, THAT ALSO, THAT COMES RIGHT OUT OF MY RADIO SCRIPT.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE PLAINS THAT ATTRACTS YOU TO THEM, OR WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

Tom Isern: WELL A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT THE GREAT PLAINS ARE A HARD PLACE TO LIVE, RIGHT? EVERYTHING FROM 105 DEGREE TEMPERATURES TO BLIZZARDS. AND TO ME IT'S THE COMFORT LANDSCAPE THOUGH, LEVEL GROUND WHERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I WAS BORN TO IT, AND I HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR IT.

I DO REMEMBER FROM SOME OF YOUR CLASSES, WHAT WAS EXCITING TO ME IS YOU WOULD PULL OUT YOUR GUITAR AND START PLAYING A LITTLE BIT.

WE FOUNDED THE WILLOW CREEK FOLK SCHOOL LAST APRIL. AND SINCE THEN, EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT, I'M LIVESTREAMING.

HOME, HOME ON THE RANGE.

SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE REAL ROOT OF THE SCHOOL?

I USED TO TEACH A LOT OF GREAT PLAINS FOLKLORE CLASSES, AND I THOUGHT I WANT TO BRING THAT BACK.

ANY PLANS TO LIKE, EXPAND IT AFTER THE PANDEMIC?

Tom Isern: WE'LL TAKE THIS THING ON THE ROAD. THE SORT OF PLACES WHERE I OFTEN GO OUT AND DO PUBLIC SPEAKING ANYWAY. INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, HISTORICAL SOCIETIES. THE POTENTIAL IS TERRIFIC. SO I'LL BE WRITING AND PUBLISHING OUT OF THIS IN A SCHOLARLY WAY AS WELL AS A POPULAR WAY FOR YEARS AND YEARS AHEAD.

YOU CAN WATCH MIKE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH TOM, AND READ HIS ARTICLE, AT AGWEEK.COM

A YOUNG COUPLE IS USING SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIRECT MARKETING TO SELL THEIR BEEF AND LAMB DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS, RESTAURANTS AND SCHOOLS.

BUT AS MIKKEL PATES FOUND, ERIKA AND BRANDON GOETTE'S OPERATION HAD AN UNUSUAL START.

Mikkel Pates: DIRECT MARKETING IS A KEY TO THIS LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISE IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.

Brandon Goette: I got the passion for agriculture on this particular place that we are here.

BRANDON GOETTE WASN'T RAISED ON A FARM, BUT HE'S FULFILLING A LIFELONG DREAM. HE AND HIS WIFE ERIKA ARE BACK ON HIS GRANDPARENTS' PLACE, RAISING BEEF CATTLE AND SHEEP. THEY SELL MOST OF IT DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC.

Brandon Goette: WE'LL SIT AT NIGHT AND PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF RESTAURANTS VIA GOOGLE, LOOKING AT MENUS AND DECIDING IF WE THINK IT MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT. AND THEN SHE GOES AND STOPS IN AND TRIES TO TALK TO THE CHEF.

BRANDON ALSO WORKS FULL TIME AS AN AGRONOMIST, BUT ERIKA QUIT HER JOB AS A USDA LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORTER TO CONCENTRATE ON RAISING AND MARKETING THEIR MEAT. THEY INITIALLY FOUND SUCCESS ADVERTISING THEIR PRODUCTS ON FACEBOOK.

Erika Goette: IT WAS A LEAP OF FAITH TO BE HONEST. WE HAD A SET OF LAMBS THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE DISCOUNT ON THROUGH THE SALE BARN, SO WE TOOK A CHANCE AND FATTENED THEM AND PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER AND CROSSED OUR FINGERS.

THEY SOLD THOSE CUTS OUT IN 48 HOURS AND WERE ON THEIR WAY. LATER THEY MOVED TO THE GOETTE HOME PLACE AT BRICELYN, MINNESOTA. COVID HIT, THEY FILLED A TRAILER WITH FROZEN MEAT AND TRAVELED TO BIGGER CITIES AROUND THE AREA, INCLUDING MINNEAPOLIS, SIOUX FALLS AND ROCHESTER.

Erika Goette: IT WAS ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE GROCERY STORES WERE STARTING TO BE VERY SHORT ON MEAT. BUT WE SOLD A LOT OF MEAT IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS.

SO WHILE COVID HAS MEANT PLUSES AND MINUSES FOR THIS BUDDING LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISE, THEY'RE HOPING THE LOCAL FOOD INTEREST WILL CARRY ON INTO THE FUTURE. FOR AGWEEK, THIS IS MIKKEL PATES AT BRICELYN, MINNESOTA.

YOU CAN FIND GOETTE FARMS ON FACEBOOK, OR AT THE WEBSITE ON YOUR SCREEN.

AHEAD ON AGWEEK TV, WE'LL HAVE SOME ADVICE ON MAXIMIZING SOYBEAN YIELDS IN DRY CONDITIONS.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW SOME COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING TO HELP DETECT FARM STRESS, TO PREVENT SUICIDE.

WHILE WE DID GET SOME MOISTURE THIS WEEK, THE PLANTING FORECAST LOOKS MOSTLY COOL AND DRY IN THE NEAR TERM.

HERE'S JOHN WITH OUR AGRI-WEATHER OUTLOOK.

AGWEEKTV SOY INSIGHT BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NORTH DAKOTA SOYBEAN COUNCIL

MUCH OF THE REGION IS EXPERIENCING DRY CONDITIONS AT PLANTING, AND THAT COULD CONTINUE. BUT IN THIS WEEK'S SOY INSIGHT, WE'LL LOOK AT A FEW THINGS GROWERS CAN DO TO MAXIMIZE WHAT MOISTURE THERE IS.

WITHOUT ADEQUATE SUBSOIL MOISTURE IN THE MID-TO LATE SUMMER WHEN SOYBEANS HIT THEIR REPRODUCTIVE AND FILLING STAGES, TIMELY RAINS ARE EVEN MORE CRITICAL.

BUT THERE ARE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT CAN MAXIMIZE SOYBEAN YIELD POTENTIAL IN DRY CONDITIONS.

CROP SPECIALIST GREG ENDRES ADVISES REDUCED TILLAGE, PLANTING EARLY IF POSSIBLE, CHOOSING THE RIGHT SEED MATURITY, AND CONSIDER PLANTING NARROWER ROWS SO THE CANOPY CLOSES SOONER.

Greg Endres: IF THEY GET THAT CANOPY CLOSED EARLIER, THAT GIVES THE PLANT A BETTER CHANCE OF COLLECTING SUNLIGHT, AND ULTIMATELY PRODUCING BIOMASS AND AT THE END A SEED. ANOTHER ADVANTAGE AS WE'RE TALKING TODAY IS THAT, WITH THE CANOPY CLOSING, IT'LL CONSERVE SOIL MOISTURE THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE EVAPORATE FROM THE SOIL. AND THAT'S MOISTURE WE DEFINITELY NEED LATER IN THE SEASON ONCE WE GET INTO THE SEED PRODUCTION STAGE.

ENDRES SAYS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SOYBEANS RESPOND WELL TO DIRECT SEEDING INTO THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S CROP RESIDUE OR NO-TILL.

FARMING IS A DANGEROUS AND HIGH-RISK OCCUPATION. THAT LEADS TO HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS, AND SUICIDE, THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

BUT ROSE DUNN FOUND SOME NDSU STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING HOW TO WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DISTRESS IN THOSE AROUND THEM, WHEN THEY ENTER FARM CAREERS.

Rose: FARMERS DEAL WITH MANY STRESSORS, FROM THE ECONOMY TO THE WEATHER. AND THE PROFESSION HAS A HIGHER RATE OF SUICIDE THAN MOST OTHERS. THAT'S A STATISTIC THE RURAL RESILIENCE PROGRAM WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE. THEY CALL IT MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID. EXCEPT FIRST RESPONDERS MIGHT BE LOAN OFFICERS OR INSURANCE AGENTS.

Susan Hart: WHEN YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR CROP INSURANCE BROKER IS WHEN YOU'RE IN DISASTER, RIGHT?

NDSU SENIOR SUSAN HART ORGANIZED THIS CLASS ON CAMPUS. THE THREE-HOUR COURSE TEACHES ABOUT THE SIGNS OF STRESS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN CLIENTS, NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND OTHERS THE STUDENTS WILL DEAL WITH IN WORK AND LIFE. AND IT GIVES SOME SKILLS FOR HELPING.

Susan Hart: AFTER A SUCIDE HAPPENS, I'VE HAD SEVERAL IN MY COMMUNITY, PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY WELL I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE SIGNS. WELL THE FIRST START OF SEEING THOSE SIGNS IS KNOWING WHAT TO LOOK FOR.

NDSU JUNIOR BILLIE LENTZ WAS DRAWN TO THE RURAL RESILIENCE PROGRAM OUT OF HER DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS IN DISTRESS, AFTER SHE GRADUATES AND STARTS WORKING IN AG.

Billie Lentz: MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT IS FINALLY KIND OF GETTING THE ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. AND I FEEL THAT, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE YEAR THAT AGRICULTURALISTS HAVE EXPERIENCED, TRAINING LIKE THIS IS NOT ONLY REALLY BENEFICIAL BUT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

HART SAYS RESPONSE TO THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN GOOD, AND SHE HOPES NDSU CONTINUES TO OFFER IT, IN THE HOPE OF SAVING LIVES. IN FARGO, THIS IS ROSE DUNN FOR AGWEEK.

THE PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED BY MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND IS BEING DIS

TRIBUTED BY THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU.

STILL AHEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA'S STATE FFA CONVENTION MAKES A BIG MOVE...

THE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE FFA ASSOCIATION MADE HISTORY THIS WEEK AT THEIR STATE CONVENTION.

AFTER 93 YEARS, THE ANNUAL EVENT WAS MOVED FROM BROOKINGS TO RAPID CITY. PLUS, MOST STATES HELD VIRTUAL CONVENTIONS THIS YEAR. THE STATE OFFICERS SAID THEY DID IT FOR THE MEMBERS AND WERE PLEASED TO HAVE NEARLY 1,800 IN ATTENDANCE.

Ryder Mortenson: The main goal was to have this convention in person. That was our biggest, biggest want out of this year because there's only four other, or including us, four other states that have in person conventions.

THE SESSIONS WERE ALSO BROADCAST ONLINE INCLUDING THE SELECTION OF THIS YEAR'S STAR WINNERS AND THE NEW STATE FFA OFFICER TEAM.

CRISTEN CLARK, THE IOWA FARMER WHO WRITES THE "FOOD AND SWINE" BLOG,

IS ALSO A MONTHLY AGWEEK MAGAZINE COLUMNIST, AND SHARES VIDEOS ON AGWEEK.COM . THIS WEEK, TO GEAR UP FOR THE SUMMER GRILLING SEASON, SHE SHARES HER FAVORITE WAY TO PREPARE A BACON CHEESEBURGER. GO TO AGWEEK.COM TO CHECK OUT HER BURGER VIDEO AND ALSO HER TIPS ON GETTING YOUR GRILL READY FOR SUMMER.

THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF AG WEEK TV.

REMEMBER, FOR ALL YOUR AG NEWS, GO TO AG WEEK.COM . YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AN INSTAGRAM. HAVE YOURSELF A GREAT AND SAFE WEEK.

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