Monsanto Company today announced it has completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets, and assumption of certain liabilities, of Rosetta Green Ltd.

Via PR Newswire, it was reported that Land O'Lakes released its 2012 financial results, reporting record sales and net earnings of $14.1 billion and $241 million, respectively.

Not only this, but the company returned $113 million to its members for the fourth consecutive year of returning over $100 million to its members. Additionally, three of the business segments achieved record sales and the Crop Inputs segment had a record earnings in addition to record sales.

In a press release via the United State Department of Agriculture and the Farm Service Agency, Glenn Schafer, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting State Executive Director, reminds producers that the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extended the authorization of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) for many Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) commodity, disaster, and conservation programs through 2013. FSA administers these programs.

Minnesota West Community & Technical College customized training will host a Farmer Spring Break Conference featuring Dr. Michael Swanson and Ed Usset on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the Minnesota West Worthington Campus. There will be two breakout sessions in the morning and featured speakers in the afternoon. Registration costs $89 and includes morning breakout sessions, afternoon speakers, breakfast, lunch and afternoon coffee.

University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center Integrated Pest Management Specialist Bruce Potter along with Ken Ostlie are seeking volunteers for a black cutworm pheromone trapping network across the southern half of Minnesota.

Involvement would include checking a trap on a daily basis for an approximate six-week period (depending on planting progress). If you are interested in participating, please contact Bruce with your name and the county where you would be willing to run a trap.

Results and cutting predictions will be posted weekly.

A press release from the Minnesota Farmers Union, United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, alongside Governor Mark Dayton met with members on Saturday, February 16th at the Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) office. State Representatives Andrew Falk, and Rick Hansen, who are also MFU members, were in attendance as well.

At the meeting Secretary Vilsack recognized Minnesota and specifically Minnesota Farmers Union for their progressive work in agriculture, and informed MFU members on a federal perspective of current issues.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering aquatic invasive species (AIS) training to owners of lake service provider businesses in Minnesota so they can legally work in the state’s waters.

For lake service providers that don’t already have permits, the DNR is offering a number of training sessions in the next several months. The schedule is available at http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/permits/lsp/lsp-ais-training.pdf.

On February 11th, the Minnesota Farm Network declared Emery Kleven as its new farm director.

Congratulations to Kleven as the second farm director at MFN during its 30 years of operation!

Kleven was previously the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) President, and also received the Monsanto Premier Harvest Broadcaster Award and the Nebraska Associated Press Spot News Award.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (MDA) – Minnesota is looking for volunteers to join the “first detector” early warning system to help keep an eye out for new infestations of invasive pests. These volunteer “first detectors” make it more likely that infestations of emerald ash borer and other invasive tree pests will be found in early stages when they are easier to control.

In a press release via the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana, it was announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on January 22, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Cenex Harvest States, Inc., (CHS Inc.) was fined $500,000 for failure to report a release of a hazardous substance. In addition, CHS will make a $50,000 payment to the Phillips County Rural

Fire Department as community service and pay a $400 special assessment.