Growing Harvest Ag Network

Federal farm support programs are playing an increasingly central role as U.S. producers navigate a period of economic uncertainty marked by high costs and weak commodity prices. NAFB News Service

President Donald Trump has called for an investigation into possible price fixing and other violations in the beef packing industry. R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said the timing aligns with the organization’s current lawsuit involving the packing sector. NAFB News Service

USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell provides the numbers from the March Cattle on Feed Report. USDA Radio Newsline

Farming can be a stressful occupation. An Extension expert provides tips on ways we can reduce stress and its various impacts in our lives. Rod Bain with USDA has the story. USDA Radio Newsline

This Farm Talk segment is brought to you by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council. Amber Wood with the North Dakota Livestock Alliance has the details on the proposed hog operation to be located northwest of Oriska, North Dakota.   

Four national FFA members will represent the voice of agricultural youth in Washington, D.C., during the National Ag Day Celebration on March 24. NAFB News Service

The recent warm up has many homeowners thinking about spring and their yards. Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension Horticulture Agent, says homeowners should be on the lookout for snow mold.

Rusty Halvorson and Sarah Heinrich share some of the week's top stories in agriculture.

According to Statistics Canada data, Canadian farmers intend to plant 66,100 acres of sunflowers this spring, which is down 12.6 percent from 2025. Last year Canadian farmers planted 75,600 acres of sunflower. Source: National Sunflower Association

This NDSU Ag Minute features Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension Horticulture Agent based in Cass County. Kinzler has advice for homeowners who may be spotting snow mold, vole or rabbit damage in their yards this spring season. 

Canola Growers were recently in Washington D.C. Barry Coleman with the Northern Canola Growers Association highlights some of the top concerns growers brought to Capitol Hill.

Exports of U.S. pork had a strong start to 2026 with another year-over-year increase in January, according to U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom. Source: USMEF

The $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads would create the first coast-to-coast railroad across 43 states. Danny Munch, economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the big concern is the loss of competitive pressure across the rail system. NAFB News Service

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says above normal temperatures in the Central and Western U.S. and below normal precipitation nationwide are in the forecast for the period of March 24 - 30. USDA Radio Newsline

This Farm Talk segment features Kelly Marczak of MEG Corp. Marczak discusses the NDCUC/MEG Corp partnership to bring ethanol educational workshops to high school and college tech programs in North Dakota. 

U.S. agriculture groups are watching the pending negotiations between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada as the countries work on renewing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. NAFB News Service

Rob Larew, National Farmers Union President, discusses some of the current challenges in the ag industry. 

Brazil is projected to produce a record 6.5 billion bushels of soybeans in the 2025-2026 crop season. However, despite the big crop, farm margins are predicted to decline to their lowest level in nearly two decades. NAFB News Service

World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski goes over USDA's March outlook for beef production and steer prices. USDA Radio Newsline

Right now, livestock producers are almost 40 percent more optimistic than crop farmers. That’s from the February Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. NAFB News Service

Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union, says that while he appreciates the work done on the skinny Farm Bill, and some programs are being reauthorized, there’s not a lot of money available for what farmers truly need. NAFB News Service

2025 was a strong year for U.S. pork exports, with a volume of 2.9 million metric tons, landing three percent shy of the 2024 record, but it was still the third-highest on record. NAFB News Service

March is National Agriculture Month. Evan Montgomery, Vice Chair of the North Dakota Soybean Council, represents District 7 from Grand Forks. Montgomery talks more about how ag has evolved over the years.   

This Farm Talk segment is brought to you by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council. Carson Klosterman serves as the Chairman of the council and introduces the new representative for District 4. 

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey notes a sharp temperature gradient and near to below normal precipitation for period of March 17 – 23. USDA Radio Newsline

The proposed merger of the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railways would leave farmers with fewer transportation options and vulnerable to shipping cost increases at a time when balance sheets are squeezed to the breaking point.  NAFB News Service

Rusty Halvorson and Sarah Heinrich share some of the region's top stories in agriculture.

The USDA has already allocated over $6 billion in payments under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Programs. Payment rates for specialty crops under the program are due in early April. NAFB News Service 

World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski goes over USDA's March world supply and demand estimates for soybeans. USDA Radio Newsline

Agtegra Cooperative announced that it plans to construct a new, state-of-the-art feed mill in Faulkton, South Dakota. Source: Agtegra Cooperative

U.S. beef exports to Colombia were up 23% in volume and 77% in value in 2025. As U.S. Meat Export Federation Latin America Representative Homero Recio explains, USMEF had to work to reclaim market share after U.S. beef was restricted in the country for much of 2024 over the finding of avian influenza in dairy cattle in the U.S. Source: USMEF

The 2026 NDSU Soybean Symposium was recently held at the NDSU Memorial Union. North Dakota Soybean Council Vice Chair Evan Montgomery shares what information he found most interesting during the day of education.

The Pork Cares Farm Impact Report is a third party verified resource for farmers to measure, document, and benchmark on-farm sustainability data. It is aggregated for state and national organizations to provide real data to decision-makers in the supply chain.  NAFB News Service

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen joined a 15-state coalition in asking the Supreme Court to uphold uniform national labeling requirements for farming herbicides.  NAFB News Service

Global tensions in and around Iran are already having an impact on fertilizer prices and availability as farmers prepare for spring planting.  NAFB News Service

USDA's latest quarterly agricultural trade forecast shows another forecasted reduction in our nation's ag trade deficit. Rod Bain with USDA has the story. USDA Radio Newsline

USDA's latest State Stories report includes a look at lambing and calving activity in reporting states. Rod Bain with USDA has the story. USDA Radio Newsline

This NDSU Ag Minute features Janet Knodel, NDSU Extension Entomologist. Knodel discusses the results of the recent wheat midge survey. 

Delegates to National Famers Union’s (NFU) 124th Anniversary Convention today cast their ballots to unanimously re-elect Rob Larew and Jeff Kippley as the organization’s President and Vice President, respectively. Source: National Farmers Union 

Kent Bacus, the executive director of governmental affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, talks more about the current trade environment.  NAFB News Service

The House Agriculture Committee approved Chair Glenn Thompson’s Farm Bill 2.0 by a 34-17 bipartisan vote. NAFB News Service

Over 12,000 farmers, exhibitors, industry stakeholders, and media gathered in San Antonio, Texas, in late February for the 2026 Commodity Classic, marking the second consecutive year of record-setting attendance. NAFB News Service

North Dakota State University Extension has released projected crop budgets for 2026. These budget projections serve as guides for farmers in the state and are organized by multicounty region.

Rusty Halvorson and Sarah Heinrich share some of the week's top stories in agriculture from around the region.

Karl Hoppe, Livestock Specialist at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center, warns producers to be on the lookout for any problems early on. This National Ag Month story is brought to you by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

As spring planting gears up across the country, the Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency has determined crop insurance prices for 2026. Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, has details on three major crops. NAFB News Service

The recent Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer had an interesting split between the Index of Current Expectations compared to the Future Expectations Index. NAFB News Service

Dr. Mark Welch, a grain marketing analyst from Texas A & M University, said it’s past time for more certainty in overseas trade policy. NAFB News Service

Farm Commons is a nonprofit organization that helps farmers with legal challenges and questions through education, workshops and resources. Rachel Armstrong, founder and Executive Director of Farm Commons says they get many questions surrounding the H-2A Visa Program. This National Ag Month story is brought to you by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council. 

The latest edition of USDA's Agricultural Prices Report featured how prices received by crop growers impacted the total price index. Rod Bain with USDA has the story. USDA Radio Newsline