Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist at the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota, joins us for this milestone 50th episode of Minnesota CropCast, recorded on September 12, 2025.

Working with colleagues at the Center for Farm Financial Management and in Extension, Ed developed the acclaimed Winning the Game workshop series and manages Commodity Challenge, an online marketing education game that uses real-time cash and futures data. At the University, he also teaches Commodity Markets to undergraduate and graduate students.

In this episode, Ed stresses the economic importance for grain growers to complete final marketing of any 2024 crop still in storage by this fall. He shares suggestions and target prices to help producers forward-price grain, drawing on seasonal post-harvest market patterns—especially critical during times of lower prices and weakened demand under current trade policies. He also reviews the potential financial impacts of economic constraints on U.S. feed grain exports, particularly corn in 2025.

Finally, Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota Soybean Extension Specialist, discusses soybean export needs across Asian markets and what shifting demand means for Upper Midwest producers.

 In 1960, the number of farmers raising dry beans in Minnesota and North Dakota could be counted in single digits. The 2025 USDA Dry Bean Planting report showed 320,000 acres (22% of US production) in Minnesota and 630,000 acres (43% of US production) in North Dakota, thus placing Minnesota in 2nd place in US production ahead of Michigan and several other states. In this episode Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Minnesota Independent Crop Consultant, Darrol Ike and Mitch Coulter, Northarvest Bean Growers Association Executive Director, about the production and market expansion of dry beans in Minnesota. 

Farmers in the Northarvest (Minnesota and North Dakota) region grow a wide range of dry bean types including pinto, navy, black, dark red kidney, light red kidney, white kidney, Great Northern, pink, small red, and cranberry beans. Darrol reviewes some best management practices of successful dry bean growers concerning planting dates, populations, weed control and crop inputs. Mitch Coulter discusses dry bean markets, research, uses, exports and the increasing acreage for specific varieties of dry beans. Mitch also comments on legislative efforts to improve the usage and production of dry beans. Additional dry bean resources can be found at the Northarvest Bean Institute Website- https://beaninstitute.com/  and Northarvest Bean Grower Magazine which includes the annual Research Publication:  https://northarvestbean.org/beangrower-magazine/

In this week’s CropCast, Dr. Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota extension small grain specialist is the guest for the podcast hosted by Dave Nicolai, Extension Crops Educator and Dr. Seth Nave, Extension Soybean Specialist. Jochum discusses the increases in both interest and acreage in winter grains in Minnesota such as Winter Wheat, Winter Barley and Winter Rye along with the renewed interest in growing other summer small grain crops such as Oats. Jochum provides a history of small grain production in Minnesota and an outlook for the future of small grain crops, he also reviews how the selection of small grain crops is influenced by changes in crop rotation, pest reduction and economics. For example, he discusses how rotations can control or reduce disease, insect and weed pressure. Thus, crop rotations can aid in the diversity in crops grown which can spread out fieldwork and harvest time and reduce risk. Jochum talks about the yield and genetic potential of growing new and current oat varieties for the conventional and organic markets along with the challenges of disease management in oats such as crown rust. Finally, Jochum discusses the recommended planting practices for the winter grains establishment concerning timing, tillage and proper placement within a recommended crop rotation. For more detailed crop selections and management recommendations please consult the University of Minnesota Extension field crop web site Small Grains.

In this week’s CropCast, Seth Naeve and David Nicolai welcomed Dr. Tom Peters and Dr. Debalin Sarangi to discuss “Getting the most out of pre-emergence herbicides” Dr. Tom Peters is a sugarbeet agronomist specializing in sugarbeet weed control at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, Dr. Debalin Sarangi is a University of Minnesota Extension Weed Scientist for corn and soybeans. Both weed scientists reviewed the highlights of the recently published University of Minnesota Crop News article Getting the most out of pre-emergence herbicides: It starts with your soil in terms of suggestions to aid early season weed control. Their review included a discussion of factors including soil type, moisture conditions, and soil organic matter content which can affect herbicide performance. They emphasized that timing plays a big role in efficacy when it comes to pre-emergence herbicides. These products can be applied before planting, at planting, or right after planting—as long as it’s before the crop emerges. They detailed the effects of soil pH and CEC, herbicide mobility, soil moisture, rainfall and herbicide degradation via specific herbicide types and modes of action which are also listed in the recent crop news article.

These two gentlemen reviewed the crop growing season and early harvest results for sugarbeets, corn and soybeans in western Minnesota. They discussed early planting delays, limited seasonal rainfall, weed concerns and why some early yield results were better than expected. Factors such as genetic improvement and cultural management contributed significantly to the improvement for some area yields. Tom and Zach also provided advice on 2024 selection criteria when ordering corn and soybean (SCN tolerance) inputs as well as pest management & crop rotation of sugarbeets, corn and soybeans.

Please join us for another lively Minnesota CropCast. 

In this week’s CropCast, Dr. Seth Naeve, extension soybean specialist and David Nicolai, extension crops educator welcomed University of Minnesota and North Dakota State Extension Specialists; Dr. Jeff Coulter and Dr. Tom Peters. Dr. Jeff Coulter is an extension corn specialist and Dr. Tom Peters is an extension weed specialist in sugar beets. These three state specialists discussed optimum planting criteria for growers to consider when planting their 2025 corn, soybean and sugar beet seed inputs. They reviewed specific guidelines regarding the most favorable planting depths, planting dates, planting rates and soil temperature for these Minnesota crops. They covered the practices to ensure good seed-to-soil contact based on optimal soil moisture conditions when soils are deemed “in good dry conditions” as influenced not just by soil temperatures but also by variety maturity and calendar dates as we move in the last half of April. They also discussed whether to plant longer- or shorter-season varieties based on the calendar, planting delays and soil/moisture conditions. Early season weed control was favored in all crops, especially sugar beets when grown in longer rotations by utilizing appropriate pre-emergence herbicides favored by the incorporation into the soil profile via timely spring rains. For more detailed crop planting recommendations please consult the University of Minnesota Extension field crop web sites at Soybean Planting, Corn Planting or Sugar Beet Growing. 

Curtis Mahnken, Agricultural Economist with the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management was a recent guest with the University of Minnesota CropCast podcast with co-hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve. Curtis reviewed the results of a recent analysis study concerning Minnesota 2024 Farm income. 

This analysis includes data representing approximately 13% of Minnesota’s farms with gross incomes over $250,000 annually. It was compiled from 2,198 participants in the Minnesota State Farm Business Management programs and 115 members of the Southwest Farm Business Management Association. The data is collected by FINBIN (finbin.umn.edu), a database that provides farm-level financial data, commodity-specific reports and benchmark reports for peer comparison.  According to the data the median net farm income for Minnesota farms dropped to $21,964 in 2024, marking the lowest level this century. Falling crop prices coupled with below-trendline crop yields due to weather extremes resulted in low incomes, especially for crop producers.

In addition to reviewing the results of the 2024 farm income analysis, Curtis discussed a new free farm income decision aid software tool for use by Minnesota farmers and ag professionals from the Center for Farm Financial Management called “CropCost” which will help to determine the cost of production for field and specialty crops. CropCost is designed to help identify the cost of production for each crop you grow, as well as breakeven cost of production at varying yields and expense amounts. 

The Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota develops software, web applications and educational programs focused on farm financial planning, financial analysis, business planning and commodity marketing for farmers and ranchers, educators, lenders, small business owners and other ag professionals.

Curtis Mahnken joined the Center for Farm Financial Management in 2010 as an Extension Economist.  Prior to arriving at the center, he spent four years with the University of Kentucky as an Area Extension Specialist in Farm Business Management. He grew up on a 100 cow dairy farm in southern Illinois and has been described as having milk running through his veins.

Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist at the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota was the guest for the March 19th podcast, Minnesota CropCast. Since 2001, Ed has been writing and executing marketing plans for his mythical farms; a corn and soybean operation in Southwestern Minnesota and a wheat farm in the Red River Valley of Northwestern Minnesota. During the podcast Ed emphasized the economic importance for grain growers to complete the final marketing of their 2024 crop still in storage by this July. Ed also provided suggestions and target prices to help grain producers forward price their grain based on understanding seasonal market patterns after harvest especially during times of lower commodity prices. He also reviewed the potential financial impacts and concerns of economic constraints on the export of feed grains in 2025. Finally, Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota Soybean Extension Specialist discussed the needs and demands for soybean exports by various countries in Asia as it affects soybeans which are grown in the upper Midwest in terms of protein and amino acid content based on his recent trade trips to the area.

In the episode, Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Bob Koch, Director of the Institute for Ag Professionals at the University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Extension Entomologist. In this podcast Bob discussed the Institute for Ag Professionals 2025 educational offerings, highlighting the January Field Crop Research Updates for Ag Professionals as the first educational event for 2025. The University of Minnesota Field School (St. Paul Campus) will be held on July 29-30 followed by the Crop Pest Management Short Course in December.

In this podcast, Dave and Seth discussed with Bob how the University of Minnesota Research Updates for Ag Professionals event can help Ag Professionals and growers find research-based strategies to deal with today's changing pests, diseases, varieties, and nutrient and environmental recommendations. Participants at each of the five locations located across Minnesota will be able to visit in person with experienced university researchers and colleagues to discuss topics of interest to their region.

In January 2025, the Research updates will be held in Waseca (January 7), Oronoco (January 9), Willmar (January 14), Lamberton (January 15) and Crookston (January 16). Program details including schedule, presentation titles and speakers for each session can be found on the Research Updates website. Both the Waseca and Lamberton sites will feature an expanded program this year of interest to both ag professionals and crop producers.

Follow this link for online registration: Register online

In this week’s CropCast, Seth Naeve and David Nicolai welcomed Dr. Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist for corn and soybeans. Dean discussed the selection and Corn Tar Spot management criteria for growers to consider when choosing their 2025 corn seed inputs and crop inputs. While crop yield data from multiple sites in 2024 is extremely important, yield stability over time as affected by disease resistance for corn tar spot is essential in the selection process. 

Dr. Malvick provided a review of the corn tar spot disease biology and the 2024 spread of the disease in corn production fields this year across Minnesota and into adjoining states. Dean specifically provided what is known and what is not known about progression and incidence of the disease occurrence in relation to weather, environment, wind spread and crop rotation effects. Because of the many disease risk factors that can occur each year there is not a simple answer to managing this disease. Dean discussed these factors and possible management controls such as hybrid corn selection, along with the use and timing of foliar fungicides. He also reviewed the best management practice for timely scouting for the presence of the disease in the summer of the growing season to provide more information when determining the use of corn foliar fungicides.

To see a distribution map where tar spot has been confirmed and real-time disease activity during the growing season in the US, visit https://corn.ipmpipe.org/tarspot/.

To learn more about the identification, biology, weather and research trials relating to the management of corn tar spot please refer to a previous episode of a University of Minnesota Strategic Farming webcast report from 2023.

Curt Burns, a farmer and independent crop consultant from South Central Minnesota joins Dave and Seth for a chat about the 2024 crop and soybean harvest.  Curt farms in the Steward area and supports other farming operations as an independent crop consultant with C.B. Agronomics in Sibley, Renville, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Kandihohyi Counties.

Dave and Seth chat with Curt about the soybean harvest progress and yields.  The exceptionally dry and warm fall conditions have left Minnesota soybeans in an unusually dry condition that has led to yield losses for the farmer who is selling overly dry soybeans plus significant field losses due to shattering and harvest loss.  Curt discusses his opinions related to yield losses due to the excess spring and summer rainfall and late drought conditions and reports on the soybean yields farmers are seeing in his region.  Curt chats with Seth and Dave about variety selection for both corn and soybean.  Curt is concerned about other fall activities during this very dry fall.  Soil tests may be particularly accurate and will be difficult to pull, and warm and dry soils will lead to N losses for aggressive farmers.

  
Join Dave and Seth for another great Minnesota CropCast with Curt Burns.