MINNESOTA AG NEWS MONTHLY CROP-WEATHER Released: MARCH 3, 2008 Issue No. CW-09-08 USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office MN Dept. Of Agriculture P.O. Box 7068 St Paul, MN 55107 Phone: (651)296-2230 E-Mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov Homepage:http://www.nass.usda.gov/m/ USDA, NASS, MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - CHANHASSEN MN, UNIV. OF MINN. EXTENSION SERVICE, DNR STATE CLIMATOLOGY OFFICE, USDA-FSA, AND USDA-NRCS The following comments are from Minnesota’s County Extension Educators, FSA (USDA - Farm Service Agency), and NRCS (USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service) Offices BROWN: Snow cover minimal with a lot of soil erosion this winter. Feed availability good but expensive. Livestock condition good. Moisture supplies were good in late fall, but not a lot of precipitation this winter. Anhydrous ammonia is over $600 per ton and rising. FREEBORN: Selling grain prices are the best they have ever been. There isn’t much snow cover in the field it’s all blown in the yard. Two to three feet of frost. Feed availability OK. Livestock OK. Adequate moisture. GOODHUE: Snow has started to melt, but new snow this week has added some back with minimal drifting. Producers are attending meetings, and finalizing plans going into the new crop year. Rising input costs in all areas are a concern. Feed availability is good, but feed costs are the main concern. Crop disaster sign up is steady. We wait to see what’s ahead with the farm bill. HUBBARD: Snow depth continues to be in the 12" range, and the depth of frost is two to three feet. Hay is in high demand but other feed sources are adequate. Livestock condition is still good but the cold weather has been a challenge with new calves arriving. The major planning activity is seed, fertilizer, and fuel purchases. JACKSON: Cold month with only 0.29 inches of precipitation. Snow cover is almost gone. KANABEC: We have fairly good snow cover with another inch added today. Hay is in short supply and prices are high. Frost has not started to come out. Livestock are in good condition except where a feed shortage has forced producers to feed less. Moisture was replenished late last fall. KITTSON: Looking forward to spring! February was windy and cold with minimal snowfall. Snow cover is minimal in open valley fields. Flood projections appear favorable for minor flooding. Adequate feed supplies. Concern over input costs. KOOCHICHING: Cows are in great shape, fall calves have been growing well, and will be weaned soon. New calves will be arriving soon. Have an adequate supply of hay. Have about 15 or so inches of snow on the flat - about a foot short. Frost is about 2 feet deep. LAC QUI PARLE: Very little moisture in the past 3 months, and snow cover is thin or none. Some concern for winterkill in the alfalfa and winter wheat. Livestock are wintering well, but they are eating more feed with colder than normal temperatures for most of February. LINCOLN: Winter has been colder than usual, but with very little snow. Calving has been going well for those that could shelter the new calves from the very cold weather. Hay is available but the price is much higher than the previous years. Farmers are finalizing planting intentions. Wheat seed is in very short supply. Land sale prices and cash rents have never been higher. MAHNOMEN: Snow cover is 6-12 inches. Feed supplies have been good, but are dwindling as hay is trucked out of the area. Some grain hauling on warmer days. Land rents are increasing on any “available” acres. MORRISON: Approximately 4-6 inches of snow cover remains. Very cold temperatures in February. Good quality hay is in short supply in Central Minnesota. Livestock conditions finally improving now with the slightly warmer weather. Soil moistures supplies should be adequate this spring as long as periodic precipitation occurs. Most producers have already purchased their seed and fertilizer for 2008. NOBLES: Livestock lots are starting to get cleaned. We are hoping to start spreading fertilizer by the end of March, but that will depend on how much snow melts between now and then. We had some cold spells at the end of February but livestock seem to be doing very well. OLMSTED: During the month of February, producers have been reviewing their 2007 crop results and marketing strategies and are preparing for the 2008 crop. Equipment needs are being considered along with tactics for nutrient and pest management. Average snow cover for the month of February is 7.1 inches, 3.32 inches less than 2007. Just a few spots of high ground left bare by the wind. Getting some machines ready, attending marketing, fertilizer and chemical meetings. Waiting for spring. OTTER TAIL: Livestock doing well, calving has started. Feed stocks are low for some producers. RED LAKE: Farmers are making their plans for spring planting and lining up seed, financing, and crop insurance. Snow cover appears slightly below average, and winter winds have left some area's bare. Livestock feed and conditions good. Will need timely moisture this spring. ROSEAU: Roseau County experienced below normal temperatures with normal precipitation during the month of February. However, the less than average snow cover that existed up until then should allow farmers to begin their spring work on time. Livestock are in excellent condition, although feed inventory will be depleted by spring. Crop farmers look forward with optimism to the year ahead, while livestock producers are discouraged by the serious Bovine TB situation in Roseau County. ST LOUIS: Snow cover is 10-14 inches. Depth of frost is 3-6 feet with very little snow cover. Feed availability holding up, but very little hay left for resale. Livestock are doing fine. Farmers are considering fertilizer costs and application rates and how to make it pay. STEARNS: We had about 4 inches of snow for the month of February. Snow cover on fields OK. Lots of windy days, dirt blown in road ditches of tilled fields. Over 3 feet of ice on area lakes - lots of frost with little snow the past 2 months. TRAVERSE: Snowfall amounts are below average, but most fields remain covered. Concerns over increased seed and fertilizer expenses are common among those that did not fall purchase. Soybean and Spring Wheat seed supplies appear to be limited. Cash rent continues to increase. WABASHA: Saturday, March 1st - A large amount of snow melted. Livestock farmers are spreading manure in anticipation of frost coming out. Cool weather expected for entire week. Moisture supplies should be adequate with above average snow fall this past winter. Feed availability is good. WADENA: Producers are locking in seed and fertilizer as prices seem to be going up weekly. Hay is in short supply, especially the good quality dairy hay. Livestock are in fair condition and several producers have started to calve. Snow has stuck around all winter but with very minimal accumulation since December. Without more snow, spring is shaping up to start out dry. WINONA: Snow cover has diminished this week to less than 12 inches with the weather warming up nicely. Most farmers are wrapping up their taxes and purchases at this point in time. We still have a good supply of feed available for livestock. The price of hay seems to be following the price of grain now. Good quality hay is selling for $200/ton. WRIGHT: Snow cover is universal, but thin. No reported concerns on livestock or alfalfa. EVERYONE is tired of winter! PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY, 2008: Temperatures during February averaged from 7.6 degrees below normal in the Northwest District to 4.5 degrees below normal in the East Central District. Temperature extremes included a low of -40 degrees at International Falls and a high of 49 degrees at Canby. Precipitation averaged from 0.49 inch below normal in the Northeast District to 0.10 inch below normal in the Northwest District. Greatest monthly precipitation of 1.01 inches was recorded in Winona. Precipitation and Temperature Summary for February 2008 Temperature Precipitation High Low Month Dept. Month Dept. Ave for Total for Month Month NW DIST 1 Crookston 32 -33 2.3 -9.1 .43 -.13 Moorhead 35 -31 7.4 -6.9 .66 .04 Warroad 35 -33 1.8 -6.8 .37 -.20 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 42 -28 9.3 -4.9 .44 -.20 Intl. Falls 42 -40 4.0 -7.1 .39 -.27 Itasca 42 -33 6.1 -4.4 .48 -.18 NE DIST 3 Duluth 35 -22 10.1 -4.9 .37 -.50 Grand Marais 35 -15 14.6 -4.0 .16 -.43 Hibbing 43 -31 6.4 -6.5 .08 -.54 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 36 -26 9.6 -5.9 .13 -.57 Browns Valley 42 -23 10.6 -6.7 .14 -.57 Canby 49 -22 13.2 -7.5 .11 -.68 Fergus Falls 34 -29 7.1 -6.5 .37 -.24 Montevideo 41 -24 12.7 -4.2 .59 -.36 Morris 36 -28 8.0 -7.6 .42 -.30 CENT DIST 5 Becker 36 -18 11.5 -4.8 .45 -.28 Collegeville 38 -19 14.6 -4.0 .58 -.19 Hutchinson 38 -18 13.5 -4.0 .41 -.15 Olivia 41 -22 11.2 -5.6 .08 -.40 St. Cloud 36 -20 10.8 -5.5 .54 -.08 Staples 36 -28 7.4 -6.3 .41 -.23 Willmar 40 -23 10.2 -6.2 .47 -.18 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 37 -23 9.4 -5.1 .43 -.28 Forest Lake 42 -17 14.2 -2.9 .73 -.11 MSP Airport 38 -14 15.2 -5.1 .40 -.43 St. Paul - UofM 39 -14 17.0 -4.8 .28 -.54 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 48 -21 13.7 -5.2 .10 -.46 Pipestone 34 -24 10.4 -7.8 .10 -.44 Redwood Falls 43 -21 13.2 -6.8 .37 -.27 Worthington 35 -22 11.9 -6.3 .20 -.45 SC DIST 8 Faribault 35 -14 13.3 -4.4 .28 -.48 Mankato 37 -15 14.0 -5.6 .30 -.36 Waseca 34 -15 14.0 -4.1 .83 -.17 Winnebago 35 -17 13.4 -5.5 .50 -.23 SE DIST 9 Preston 36 -17 13.2 -6.2 .89 -.01 Red Wing 37 -15 12.9 -5.8 .33 -.34 Rochester 33 -13 13.2 -5.4 .58 -.21 Rosemount 36 -15 13.0 -4.3 .60 -.31 Winona 41 -19 12.5 -9.6 1.01 .13