Ramsey County Ag Column

By Bill Hodous

January 21, 2008

Howdy!!!

I would imagine most of you producers will be taking in the farm show in Minot this week.  Some, checking out the new items and others looking to improve on application techniques and yet others just taking a day to get away before the wild days of spring gets here.  It seems impossible but field work could begin in about 3 months.  As many of you ponder what you should be doing, if any, new crop pricing really needs to be looked at according to your cashflow statement.  I have had many producers say that with uncertain North Dakota weather extremes possible to include either too much water or in some areas too little water pricing new crop becomes a little nerve wrecking.  We are planning our Ramsey County Crop Improvement annual meeting for Tuesday, February 19 at the Great American Inn.  Along with the annual meeting we have invited Mike Heggert (Red River Farm Network) along with insurance industry people and Elevator representatives to help guide through the process of pre-harvest marketing.  Mike will visit with us on facts of world stocks and how things could change because of weather extremes like I mentioned earlier.  The insurance and elevator people with talk about things to protect our new crop pricing and also what if we do fall short of bushels what do we do?  We will have dinner and continue the afternoon with the annual Ramsey County Crop Improvement annual meeting.  At 1:30 pm we will hold our County Commodity elections.  This year the commodity representatives whose terms are up for election include Wheat, Soybeans and Canola.  If you are interested in running for one of those elections please be present that day.  The elected person will then become eligible for the District representative position which would include a spot on the state board for each commodity.   We will also be allocation any new crop varieties if any are in the future for us.  At this point there looks like there could a conventional soybean released, a navy bean and a Clearfield wheat designed for western North Dakota.  The only release that should work for us would be the soybean.  I will advertise in the local papers for interested growers when the information is passed on to the local level.

 Calendar!!!

                       February 7                   Ramsey County Crop Improvement annual meeting
                        March     4                   Ramsey County Shooting Sports (Archery)
                        March    17                  Private Pesticide, Starkweather 9-am
                        March    26                  Private Pesticide, Devils Lake 9-am
                        March    26                  Private Pesticide, Devils Lake 6- pm

524 4th Ave #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu