University of Minnesota

With a five-year Farm Bill now two years overdue, sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers from across the country were in Washington, DC, recently to tell Congress they need a new Farm Bill as soon as possible.  This is Gus Hasbargen’s first time participating in the annual fly-in meetings organized by the American Sugar Alliance.  He said ...

The History of the Honeycrisp Apple For the past few decades, I have usually tried to grab a bag of Honeycrisp apples. Where did they come from? Who developed them? The Honeycrisp apple variety (known in Europe as the 'Honeycrunch' Apple) has slowly made its way into America's top five most-produced apple varieties...

The USDA has launched the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation.  Through a series of Cooperative Agreements, this national network will connect distressed borrowers with individualized assistance to help them stabilize and regain financial footing.   “...

Like most business owners, passion for work get strong badge but skills are common characteristics for successful dairy operators.  University of Minnesota’s Jim Salfer said most of operators are successful farmers with pretty flexible business plans and they think about long- and short-range goals.  He noted, aft...

The University of Minnesota is planning a $220 million research complex near Austin, Minnesota, to study precision agriculture. The university says the goal is to put the state on the cutting edge of farm and food technology. Plans for the Future of Advanced Agricultural Research Minnesota (FAARM) center includes fields, research and innovation space, and workforce development efforts ... Read Mor

Researchers form the University of Idaho, Montana State University and the University of Minnesota are asking growers for their feedback on potato production and soil health. The results of this survey will influence the important research done by these schools ...

When it come to passing the farm from one generation to the next, there could be some challenges for both sides in making a transition work. But as University of Minnesota Extension's Jim Salfer notes, one factor not given much consideration when such a succession takes place is the emotional investment made by the incumbent farmer regarding their operation ...

Nationwide, the number of farm transitions has increased in recent years. Yet questions remain for both younger and older generations considering this process. The University of Minnesota's Jim Salfur said, for example, one of the biggest questions out there is how can a beginning farmer without a home farm get in to the business ...

The beef industry has had to address, and overcome, some very unique circumstances and challenges over the past two years. How has is the industry doing and getting the beef supply chain back to normal? "Beef cattle system responded remarkably well ...

The Memorial Day weekend cyber-attack on the world's largest meat processor impacted U.S. facilities and created a ripple effect along the supply chain. " caused disruptions to supply chains, logistics, and transportation to customers. And it increased consumer prices]Which has raised questions how to prevent similar events from occurring," said Jennifer van de Ligt of the University of