By Dave Fredrickson

In my lifetime, Minnesota’s population has doubled. It has also become more varied, although these patterns have not always been fully apparent in some parts of rural Minnesota or in our farm sector.

The latest agricultural census showed that from 2002 to 2007, the number of Minnesota farmers claiming Native American heritage nearly doubled (to 203), while the number of farmers claiming Asian heritage more than tripled from 44 to 148. Those totals are still tiny compared to the number of farms in the state, but I’m willing to bet those figures will jump again when the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts its 2012 census.

Brown County open burning restrictions have been lifted for rural areas in Brown County effective at 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14. This order is per Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffmann and Zoning Administrator Laine Sletta.

Kelsey Sellner, 19, of Sleepy Eye, recently represented Brown County’s dairy industry in competition for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way position at the Minnesota State Fair.

A massive blaze early Saturday morning at the  dairy farm of Jim and Gail Lendt, southeast of Sleepy Eye, left nothing more than smoking piles of hay and ashes. Thankfully, no person was injured or killed in the blaze.

Most of us have one or more variegated plants in our yards. The leaf variegation adds interest, provides contrast to other garden plants and adds light to shadier areas of our yard. But why are the leaves colored?

By Dave Frederickson,
Minnesota Ag Commissioner
The Minnesota State Fair is many things to many people – an end-of-summer party, a culinary adventure, and of course, a marvelous venue for people watching.

The Gary and Dean Sellner families of Sleepy Eye have been named Brown County’s “2011 Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota.

Humans can’t complain too much about the heat if they have air conditioning in their homes or businesses. At least they have an option to get out of the blazing sun. The weather report predicted that Wednesday, July 20, would reach the high 90s and have a heat index of 115.

Minnesota’s agricultural export figures for 2010 show an impressive 22 percent increase over 2009 sales.  This is significantly higher than the national increase of 13 percent.  It also compares favorably to other economic sectors.  For example, Minnesota’s largest economic segment – manufacturing – posted a 17 percent increase.

The weather this spring has not been ideal for area farmers or gardeners, but real good for slugs.  Slugs can be a damaging pest in flower beds and gardens.  Feeding can be cosmetic, but extensive feeding can result in plant stress and death.  I have seen most damage, as cosmetic, on hosta leaves.  Several years ago I used a row cover to protect cabbage plants from the cabbage butterfly.   While I did not experience the damage from the cabbage butterfly, I had numerous holes and slugs hiding among the cabbage leaves. 

Last Tuesday, June 7, was one of the hottest days  since 1988. The mercury was hovering around 103 degrees. The temperature has only hit 100 degrees, 10 times since 1980 in the Twin Cities. In 1988, there were four days of 100 degree heat.

It was an emotional day for Genny Fischer last Saturday; after deciding it was time to sell her livestock, an auction was under way at Royal Ridge Farm.

In Governor Mark Dayton’s State of the State address back in February, he spoke of a new emphasis on working with the state’s business leaders to create more good jobs for Minnesotans.  As we celebrate June Dairy Month this year, it’s worth pointing out that in addition to providing quality food for Minnesotans, our dairy sector is also answering the Governor’s call by providing quality jobs and economic activity for the state.

In last’s month news release, I discussed farmland rental rates for 2011.  Since last month, corn prices have gone above 2008 record highs, while new crop 2011 cash bids are $1.07 lower for corn with the nearby cash bid of $7.10 in Worthington while only 41 cents lower for soybeans with nearby cash bid of $13.12 for soybeans.  This is a dramatic difference in corn price from this year to next.  In addition, I work with three marketing groups, they practice what historically is a rewarding activity of pre-harvest marketing at profitable prices.  
 

Have you ever visited a garden that whispered ‘welcome’ to you? Most likely this garden had a plan that used the principals of design to create this welcoming feeling.

On Wednesday afternoon of last week, it was First Security Bank’s chance to award students with scholarships and give them a little extra help with college.

HIGHWAY 4 TRAFFIC south of Sleepy Eye was detoured beginning May 31 as crews begin work on a bridge construction project, according to the Minnesota Department of  Transportation.

Waterhemp is an annual weed species in the pigweed family that is capable of producing more than 1 million seeds per plant. Due to a limited number of effective herbicides, especially in sugarbeet and soybean, waterhemp is difficult to control compared to most weed species. 

Minnesota’s 81,000 farm families stand to be some of the most valuable players in our 21st century economy.  This is because they are a primary lifeline connecting Minnesota’s economy to the fast-growing economies of China and other developing countries.