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0:00Brady Sarr and I'm a sales economist for CHF SAG services. Erskine, we're pleased to bring you this update from the Red River Farm Network CHF SAG services, providing solutions for your success. Farm news on the Red River Farm Network. I'm Don Wick with Jamie Dickerman in studio, Tyler Donaldson filing a story as well. A winter weather advisory remains in effect until seven o'clock this morning for parts of southeastern North Dakota and West Central Minnesota. Areas, including Richland and Sargent counties in North Dakota, along with Wilkin and Otterdale counties in Minnesota, could see two to six inches of snow, the heaviest band from foreman to Wapatin, Brucken Ridge, and East into Southern Otterdale County. Lights no expected to spread across northeastern South Dakota and Western Minnesota later today. The most areas could see an inch or less. Another round of lights no possible tonight into tomorrow morning. Forecasters also watching a potentially stronger system this weekend though the actual track and snowfall totals remain uncertain.

1:02Oil prices tumbling on a after a sharp rally earlier in the week is traders react to comments from President Trump about the conflict in the Middle East and the future of oil shipments to the Strait of Hormuz. Brent Crude falling roughly 8% around $91 per barrel. What US Crude dropped more than 8% to around $87 after prices had surged past $100 the day before. Trump suggesting the conflict could end soon but then warning Iran could face severe consequences if it attempted to block oil shipments through the Strait. The war involving Iran is creating major volatility across global commodity markets with energy prices and investor activity spilling over into agriculture. Analysts say the surge in crude oil and uncertainty about fertilizers supplies are pushing money into the grain markets. Brian Doherty with total farm marketing to his energy prices and outside market influences are driving much of the trade.

2:02That's what you're going to see at this time of year. In particular weather becomes a factor which I really don't know if I can argue that much right now but the big thing right now is this crude oil energy prices shooting higher concerns with fertilizer will enough come on board is it too expensive will farmers switch the soybean so there's a lot of uncertainty but I think the biggest thing is there's just a lot of money and that's found its way into commodities in particular the row crop. The ripple effects are also being felt in livestock markets as higher grain prices and energy costs begin to affect cattle feeding margins. Mark is trying to take cue is the man for beef going to be down when the you know customers are paying higher at the pump. Probably is it a big shift in long term? They'll know yet but the market's taking a defensive posture to it which which is led by feeders heading down the old relationship of corn to feeders starting to come back in the bog a little bit big impact that's a big input the cost for those who are buying feeders.

3:03Market analysts say as long as the conflict continues to influence energy prices and global trade flows ag markets are likely to remain volatile. The American Farm Bureau Federation is in communication with the White House in USDA to identify ways to help farmers and ranchers in a letter to President Trump Farm Bureau President Zippie DuVal said agriculture is facing a generational decline in farm income due to out of control inflation and low crop prices. The list of recommendations includes prioritizing the delivery of Urea and other fertilizer products with spring planting approaching Farm Bureau wants the president to use the U.S. Navy to provide safe passage for fertilizer shipments through the straight-of-war federal farm assistance is moving quickly into the North Dakota rural economy through the farmer bridge payment program. Officials say participation has been strong since the program opened in late February. North Dakota FSA State Executive Director Brad Dickis since his farmer has been eager to access those funds. We're two weeks into it and we're way over half of the money has already

4:07gone out in the state of North Dakota and it's been very successful this point in time and the first we're cleaning up the loose ends as we speak but good program and between the bankers and the farmers and the vendors everybody's happy to see this money get into the farming farm. Farmers have several ways to apply for the program including new digital tools that make the process easier and faster. Yeah we've been using different forms of technology you know we can do our EOT level two on our iPhones or even on your computer to get into your firmers.gov account that was actually used and I think we're about 20% I guess is up to that level of using that EOT and of course we can also you know one their docu signer application that way and of course we do it the old-fashioned way and producer can call and get the application mailed to them and sign it with ink and paper and mail it back. More than 500 million dollars in bridge payment program funds have already been distributed in North Dakota you're listening to the red river farm network.

5:10Farm news on the red river farm network traders are going to be watching closely this morning as USDA releases its latest world agricultural sublime demand estimates reports while the March report is not expected to bring major changes. Eggmarket.net analyst madman it says there's still a few areas the trade will be watching especially on the demand side of the balance sheet. You know typically that March report is just kind of the little you know sibling of the big March report at the end of the plan but at the same time you know who knows what might happen. I mean we know these export numbers for corn have just been flat out and credible and with that being the case you know they could make an adjustment there. Bennett says strong corn export demand could lead to USDA to tweak the demand side of the balance sheet but he's not expecting any major surprises in the report. I would hope if they raised exports that they'll maybe drop that team residual usage number down just a little bit because it still looks funny rich to me but I don't expect any big changes. One thing I'm really looking for you know are they going to maybe adjust Argentine production down just a little bit because they've continued to

6:11kind of struggle to get moisture they were looking for but you know if they do that you still got it not typically the fact that Brazil's got a massive crop down on these way too early on corn to know what might happen there but those are the only just some kind of looks for. National Farmers Union delegates approved three special orders of business with the current economic challenges in agriculture NFU calling on Congress to address the farm safety net but also build long-term markets. That includes an immediate moratorium on farm foreclosures and tackling market consolidation. Another special order seeks dairy policy reform including development of a supply management program. The final order centers on NFU's belief in democracy equity and the golden rule. As equipment costs increase the importance of right to repair increases but with technological advances also comes added questions surrounding data ownership. Red River Farm Network Farm Broadcaster Tyler Donaldson reports.

7:11coverage of the 2026 National Farmers Union Convention in New Orleans is sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union, North Dakota Farmers Union, South Dakota Farmers Union and Ag Country Farm Credit Services. While the current economic landscape dominated discussions at National Farmers Union's annual convention in New Orleans, right to repair garnered its own attention among attendees. The O'Brown Society Director Willie Cade says it's not just about the ability to fix the mechanical issues of your own property, though that's important too. But more importantly than that is data. These machines are pulling enormous amounts of data. We did a study of a combine down in Missouri during October Harvest for the 31 days of October that machine put out 17,610 pieces of data on where that combine was located. That was about every six seconds that it was moving. But it's not just geolocation data that new equipment is collecting.

8:12If a combine moving in seven miles an hour over six seconds covers about 60 feet, if they're collecting data every six inches, the amount of yield data is humongous. Cade says that data holds a lot of value and so far, farmers are receiving none of it. If you do the math, John Deere has what they call engaged acres. That's where they're collecting data on. 600 million engaged acres. At $150 billion, that's $250 an acre of value. And you're getting nothing as a producer? The big question then becomes who owns this data? Oh, that's a really good question. Nebraska and Colorado, Missouri and maybe Oklahoma, they've got legislation pending in front of their legislatures to assign the ownership of that data to the producer. And by the way, that's where right to pair kind of comes in here is because they hide behind the computer so you can't access any of the systems to grab the data.

9:14They only give you the data after they've processed it. And we don't even know if they give us all the coverage of the 2026 National Farmers Union Convention in New Orleans is sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union, North Dakota Farmers Union, South Dakota Farmers Union and Ag Country Farm Credit Services. For the Red River Farm Network, I'm Tyler Donaldson. About 3,800 meat packing workers at the JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colorado plan to go on strike beginning March 16th that according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 Union. The potential walk out could disrupt production at one of the largest beef processing facilities in the United States as consumers already face record high beef prices. Union leaders say the dispute centers on wages and workplace costs. JBS as its contract proposal is fair and consistent with a national labor agreement. Reporting agriculture's business, this is the Red River Farm Network. Welcome to Inside Agriculture on the Red River Farm Network. Minnesota Farmers Union leaders say building stronger local meat processing capacity

10:17is also helping create opportunities for the next generation of agricultural workers. Minnesota Farmers Union Executive Committee Chair Carol Anderson says a new meat processing facility in Staples, Minnesota is moving closer to opening and will help farmers gain more access to processing. The latest on the meat processing plant is the building is pretty much up. They're going to be installing equipment I think next month with a hopeful opening sometime in June and that's in Staples, pretty central part of the state where farmers will be able to bring their pork and beef for processing. Anderson says Minnesota Farmers Union is also working with education and workforce partners to train more meat cutters and fill other agricultural-related jobs across rural communities. Central Lakes College, I talked to them and they said, I said, you know, we need to be training meat cutters. We have a shortage all over the country. We need to be training them and to their credit, they went and they said, yep,

11:19they did the research. We're going to offer some of the training programs. Then they need the equipment to train them. And so we applied to the U.S. EDA for $3 million. So that we could bring a meat processing trailer in. And we have that enclosed now and that's used for training. Anderson says the Staples facility expected to open sometime this summer while additional workforce training programs are also being rolled out across the state. The new Civil Liberties Alliance has asked the federal court in South Dakota for a summary judgment to vacate the USDA rule requiring electronic ID ear tags for cattle and bison. Our Gap USA filed that lawsuit claiming the 2024 USDA rule is unauthorized and an expensive mandate. USDA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalizing a construction contract

12:19for a new sterile fly production facility in Texas. Minneapolis-based Mortensen Construction got the contract. This complex will raise sterilized new world screw worm flies which is seen as a proven way to get rid of the pest. According to Farmers Business Network's annual AgCAM price transparency report, farmers should prepare for a 4 to 6 percent increase in crop protection product prices. Trade duties and anti-dumping penalty seen as a primary driver for those price spikes. Shacking markets we are down by eating three-quarter cents for September Minneapolis wheat at $665 the Chicago meat wheat price. The May contract down one in three-quarters. Hardware went to read a quarter penny higher for the May contract. May corn down one and a half at four fifty-two and a quarter. New crop down one in three-quarters. Soybeans may three and a quarter higher at 1199 and a half. November gained one in a quarter at 1149 and a half.

13:20Checking in on the farm calendar, the Central Plains Dairy Expo is coming up next week. Next Tuesday through Thursday, the 17th through the 19th, that is in Sioux Falls. North Dakota State University Extension and the University of Minnesota Extension, hosting a joint drainage water management workshop. That'll be held Wednesday in Fargo. Have a great day. You're listening to the Red Ripper Farm Network.