Agweek

BISMARCK — North Dakota has declared a state of emergency to provide cheaper fuel for farmers amid high prices hours after a Democrat pitched a similar idea. Gov. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, signed an executive order Tuesday, Sept. 29, that expands the use of cheaper diesel for the agriculture industry. The Tuesday afternoon announcement came after diesel prices hit a national record of $6.53 per gallon on Sept. 22, according to AAA.

NEW RICHLAND, Minn. — A flash flood that swept through a Waseca County town Sept. 19 forced Neighbor's Meats to throw out thousands of pounds of fresh and processed meat and shut down part of its plant. Dan Lewer, who owns the shop with his wife, Amber, said about 6,000 pounds of fresh product and a few thousand pounds of finished bacon, snack sticks and jerky went into a dumpster that was in front of the plant a few days after the flood. "That's a 30-ton dumpster.

“I like wearing sweaters,” someone said. “I enjoy the beautiful colors of the leaves,” another person commented. “I like oven meals with baked potatoes, meatloaf and baked squash,” I added. Yes, I was quite specific. Several more people added their favorite thing about fall as an ice breaker before a meeting. I don’t think anyone said “pumpkin spice beverages.” If you like fall, what would you say? Fall is a transitional time between summer and winter in the Midwest.

First of all, I have to comment on a recent article I wrote about young people. After 26 years and over 700 articles, the responses to that article were in the top 10. Clearly, that must’ve hit a nerve with the “older and wiser” generation, recognizing some concerns over the work ethic and expectations of the younger generation. That also made me think about where I get all of my estate planning topic ideas without becoming too repetitive.

Minnesota accounts for more than half of the U.S. flocks and birds hit by highly pathogenic avian influenza in the past 30 days, as the virus returns to the state's turkey barns with fall migration. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the virus in 10 Minnesota flocks totaling 261,450 birds in that span. Seven were commercial flocks and three were backyard flocks.

BROOKINGS, S.D. — After 38 years at South Dakota State University, Bob Thaler is retiring. “It’s kind of crazy. If you figure my six years of college, 38 years here, literally 44 years or two-thirds of my life I’ve been here in scenic Brookings, South Dakota,” Thaler said. Thaler has been an instrumental part of the swine industry in South Dakota and throughout the nation.

The corn binder reemerged from deep inside the shed a few days before the silage-chopping crew arrived. It was once important when corn shocks were a common sight. Seeing shocks while driving through Amish country causes me to smile while recalling how much father liked using the binder. Baxter Withington of Janesville, Wis., invented a wire-tire binder in 1872. It was a big step forward.

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin stood under a tent at Salvatierra Farms on Sept. 17 and thanked the people who helped build the Tree-Range poultry system from nothing, and afterwards, he got honest about how long it has taken. "Way, way, way too long," Haslett-Marroquin said when asked if growth had been slower than he expected. The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance hosted a dinner at the Northfield farm for its funders, partners, farmers, customers and staff.

BEIJING/SINGAPORE, Sept. 28 (Reuters) — China is set to cut tariffs on a broad range of US agricultural goods, from corn and wheat to meat and dairy, but top import item soybeans were excluded from a tariff-reduction list jointly issued by China's commerce ministry and the White House. Markets have been waiting for news on Chinese tariff cuts on US farm goods following last week's Washington summit of leaders Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

Our sympathy goes to the family of Aunt Caroline, age 94. She passed away on Sept. 15. Although we won't be able to make it to her funeral, our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Aunt Caroline was married to my dad's brother, Andy. I'll share a part of her obituary: Caroline Mae "Carolyn" Coblentz, 94, a lifelong resident of Lafayette, Indiana, passed away on Sept. 15, 2026, at St. Mary's Healthcare Center.