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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.

Bids were announced earlier this month from among those involving a total of 7.1 million acres that were offered in this sign-up. Average environmental benefits for the 18th signup were the highest rankings in the program’s history. This enrollment will bring total acres in the Conservation Reserve Program to 31.3 million acres on October 1, 1999. There are 29.8 million acres currently enrolled in the CRP, with about 3.5 million acres under contract expiring this September.

Reserving this land will not have a significant effect on commodity prices, farm income, or the United States’ ability to supply world markets with agricultural products, the USDA noted. Another general CRP sign-up is likely next fall. USDA also has a continuous CRP signup option for land dedicated to special conservation practices yielding high environmental benefits. Producers may submit offers under the continuous sign-up option throughout the year at local NRCS offices. Additional CRP information can be obtained from the FSA CRP information page on the web: www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crpinfo.htm.

Gage, Daws participate in Wheat ndustry Leaders Conference

Gregory Daws, Michigan, ND and Mark Gage, Page, ND, recently joined other wheat growers from across the nation in the biannual Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow Conference sponsored by Monsanto and the National Association of Wheat Growers Foundation in Washington, DC. The Conference helped educate participants on influencing environmental issues.

MGGA Debuts Association Web Site

The Montana Grain Growers Association recently announced its new website: www.mgga.org. The MGGA website will soon be joined by it’s sister site, "Montana MarketManager On-Line." A product of MGGA’s new market education and information program, it will include market news, pricing information, historical market data, basis charts and educational material.

MN marketing seminars March 29 & 30

Can farmers profit in times of low prices? Industry experts say they can. To help farmers learn how, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, Ag Star/Farm Credit Services and Minnesota Farm Network have teamed up to offer a series of 11 free marketing seminars in March. The series is titled "Position for Profit in 1999" and will be facilitated by Al Kluis and his staff at Minneapolis-based North Star Commodities. Each three-hour evening seminar will provide risk management information, marketing tips for 1999 and a grain merchandising workshop.

Two of the meetings will be held in the southern part of Minnesota’s wheat production area:
• March 29, Best Western Prairie Inn , Morris
• March 30, Best Western Red River Inn, Moorhead

Onsite registration begins at 6:30 p.m. with the seminars getting under way at 7 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome but preregistration is preferred by calling the MCGA, ph. 612-447-2676.