Michael Johnson

1 week ago | agweek.com | Michael Johnson

Nine agriculture groups have filed to intervene in a lawsuit that seeks to further regulate both animal and crop agriculture in Minnesota.

1 week ago | agweek.com | Ariana Schumacher |Jenny Schlecht |Michael Johnson

The last big drought at Jorgensen Land and Cattle in Ideal, South Dakota, was in 2012. That spring was fairly normal. This spring is drier than at the same time that year. But Bryan Jorgensen, chief agronomy operations officer, knows that can change quickly in the spring. "This is normally when we get most of our moisture,” he said. South Dakota State Climatologist Laura Edwards said April is the tipping point to see if conditions will get worse, get better or hold steady in the drought conditions.

2 weeks ago | agweek.com | Michael Johnson

The longer and warmer days have our hens back into regular production, which comes at a great time for us. Eggs are, of course, on the menu almost daily in April. On two separate occasions this winter I had to hide my face as I went into a local grocery store to buy chicken eggs. Can you imagine if someone had recognized me? It would be like a sourdough artist stopping off at a gas station for some white sandwich bread. You’d never live it down.

2 weeks ago | agweek.com | Michael Johnson

Like in the human body, there are helpful and not-so helpful bacteria at work in plants such as dry edible beans. The helpful bacteria (known as Rhizobium) that can “infect” dry beans feeding on nutrients coming into the plant, also work to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into useful nutrients for the plant's growth and development. This process is known as symbiotic nitrogen fixation, and it's unique to legume crops.

2 weeks ago | dl-online.com | Michael Johnson

ST. PAUL — Both sides of the Minnesota House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee worked through the weekend in an effort to nail down a bill they then passed unanimously to the House Ways and Means committee on Wednesday, April 9. Co-chair Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL- South St. Paul, said the agriculture committee was lucky that both the Republican and Democratic caucus leadership could agree on a budget target of $17 million over the current budget amount.