West River livestock inspections could cost more under latest plan

PIERRE — The state Brand Board shifted its plans Tuesday and proposed raising the livestock ownership inspection fee by only a dime to 90 cents per head. A public hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m. June 27 in Pierre.

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Deere fiscal 2Q profit rises, beats expectations

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) -- Deere is posting a 17 percent spike in profits for the second quarter is raising its outlook for the year, with farm receipts expected to hit historic heights.

U research guides growers on cover crop selection, planting date

The difficult growing conditions of 2011 provided a unique circumstance for collecting cover crop data.

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Sugar beet co-op in Renville, Minn., talks of progress with water standards

OLIVIA — Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative completed its 2011 season without any surface water discharge violations, while showing continued improvements in the quality of its treated water discharges into Sacred Heart Creek.

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Raw milk supporters rally outside Minnesota courthouse

Dozens of advocates of raw milk rallied outside the Hennepin County courthouse Monday to support a farmer charged with food code violations for distributing unpasteurized milk.

• Farmer set for trial in Minnesota raw milk case
• Alvin Schlangen

NDSU offers ways to control parasites in sheep

FARGO - Parasitism is one of the most damaging diseases in sheep.

Beef Talk: Don't take bull fertility for granted

Late May and early June are prime bull turnout times in the beef business, so the final check needs to be done now to make sure every bull is ready to go.

Market retreat continues

Wheat lost ground last week. The winter wheat exchanges traded higher for most of last week but one bad session will force them to leave with small losses while Minneapolis lost ground in every session.

• Ray Grabanski

Working history

WASHINGTON — When farmers, agribusiness executives and conservationists visiting Washington get tired of walking the halls of Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they can now visit the only legitimate agricultural or farm exhibit within the nation’s capital: the restored Peirce Mill, a 19th century commercial flour mill and its grounds, where an apple orchard will be replanted this spring.

House debates farm bill

WASHINGTON — House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., thinks that all crops need a farm program that provides better protection from multiyear price drops than the Senate Agriculture Committee-passed farm bill, a position with which House Agriculture ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., agrees.