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.