ISSUE 2
MAY 1996

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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain
Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association.














 News & Views from the Wheat and Barley Growers -- Keep your eye on the revenue insurance pilot program. As a prototype it needs work, but some are already saying that this type of plan may be the next step after the new market transition farm bill expires.

Prairie Short Cuts -- Odds and ends of wheat news and information.

Wheat & Barley Production Tips -- U of M Small Grains Specialist, Jochum Wiersma, takes a look at Orange Wheat Blossom Midge and other potential pests to watch for this growing season.

MCIA Forms New Seed Company -- The Minnesota Crop Improvement Association's new seed company, North Star Genetics, will operate like other privately-held seed companies but will concentrate on developing and marketing crops with specific characteristics or end uses.

A Wheat Marketing Strategy to Consider -- A look at marketing tools to protect down-side price risk.

United Spring Wheat Processors Co-op Organized -- If even 10 percent of some 30,000 spring wheat growers in the Northern Plains join the USWP, the scale of the project in terms of membership would be even larger than that of American Crystal, Dakota Growers Pasta, or ProGold.

Value-Added: Why the Timing is Right for Farmers -- Production agriculture averages a return-on-equity of about 2.2 percent. In 1995, Quaker Oats had a ROE of 62.6 percent, and General Mills, a whopping 96.6 percent. Why can't farmers grab a piece of the processing action?

Financing Program Helps Farmers Invest in Ag Co-ops -- A look at stock financing programs for farmers who want to invest in ag co-ops.

Scab: Planting Date, Crop History Matters -- Results from a survey conducted by NDSU reaffirms what many crop exports already assert: planting date and previous crop history do indeed make a difference in influencing the scab disease.

Rural America Makes a Comeback -- Virtues such as hard work, integrity, honesty, self sacrifice and community service haven't been lost; they still exist in rural America, which holds a lot of promise if several trends are realized, asserts Ken Root, host of "AgriTalk."

Role of Commodity Groups Changing -- Perhaps the commodity group of the future will look at itself more as a company, and members as shareholders.

Exports Key Feed Grains Outlook -- The U.S. Feed Grains Council says this year's feed grains outlook is driven primarily by growing markets as world producers rebuild record-low stocks.

NAWG Adopts Resolutions for 1996 -- The National Assn. of Wheat Growers convention held in February might best be remembered for its biggest no show: the new farm bill. But its absence gave convention speakers and delegates an opportunity to discuss how the law should be tailored once it arrives.

U.S. Ag Exports: That's Where the Numbers Are -- Agriculture's future prosperity clearly lies with an expanding export market, according to Pat Jensen, executive director of Minnesota's Ag Utilization Research Institute.

Three Tools to Farm Smarter in 1996 -- Farmers may never be able to control the weather. But they do have a greater ability to manage it, thanks to communications technology available today to access timely weather information.

From Around the Prairie -- A lighter-side view of the business of farming.