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.

Congratulations to those individuals that participated on the Nobles County 4-H Livestock Judging Team at the Sioux Empire Farm Show on Saturday, January 26 th in Sioux Falls, SD. The team placed 9th overall!

The contest hosted 38 teams consisting of 4-H or FFA members located in counties and schools across IA, MN, and SD.

Great job Nobles County! Stay tuned as Radio Works ag broadcaster Sonja Langseth catches up with the participants on AM 730 KWOA!

The annual Farm Resource Guide for 2013 is now available via the University of Minnesota Extension.

This comprehensive guide includes a variety of very useful farm business management information.The front of the Guide has the most frequently requested information on Custom Rates, Rental Rates for various ag commodity, forages, bins and buildings, Farmland Sales and Rents and Pasture rental rates. Marketing information included lists the cash price probabilities for cash corn and soybeans for Worthington, Minnesota, since 1974.