WILLMAR — Since the county’s earliest days, agriculture has played an outsized role in the economic health and vitality of Kandiyohi County. The county often ranks in the top 10 in the state for various agricultural productions including turkeys, poultry, sheep, sugar beets and aquaculture.
In the 2017 USDA Farm Census, Kandiyohi County ranked 10th in the state for market value of agricultural products sold, at $424,078,000.
Given those numbers, it might be surprising that some feel it
NEW LONDON—Despite being one of the oldest cultivated crops in history, the hemp industry—at least in the U.S.—is only just beginning to re-establish its roots, dogged for decades by legal issues and social stigma.
However, in the wake of the 2018 Farm Bill, which federally recognizes hemp as an agricultural crop, and with research confirming the medical efficacy of cannabinoids, enterprising farmers throughout the country are hoping to cash in on the myriad of products derived from the plant.
But
WILLMAR—Understanding the ag market after COVID-19 will be a topic for discussion during the third annual Partners in Ag Innovation seminar July 29 in Willmar.
The theme for the event, which is scheduled from 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday July 29, is “From Survive to Thrive.”
The half-day seminar will be offered in a hybrid format that includes in-person attendance at the MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar or an online option.
The free event is sponsored by MinnWest and the Kandiyohi
WILLMAR—Ziegler CAT opened its new facility in Willmar on July 20, according to a Ziegler CAT news release.
Located at 4600 Highway 71 S., the two-story facility features a retail showroom, a 25,000-square-foot shop, warehouses, offices, and a 7,800-square-foot cold-storage building. The shops include two bridge cranes, lube systems, a hose bench, and a wash bay. An on-site Cat solar array will provide clean, cost-effective, renewable electricity to the new facility.
Read more at West Central Tribune
WILLMAR—Ridgewater College and agriculture partners received a $584,000 National Science Foundation grant to address a need for more agriculture technicians.
The grant will fund the program Technical Applications in Agriculture which will educate and qualify high school students as agriculture technicians.
“We have the second longest running precision agriculture program in the country, along with our newly created Agriculture Power and Equipment Technician program, so this partnership is a natural
WILLMAR— With the potential for high per-acre profits there’s increasing interest in growing industrial hemp on west central Minnesota farms.
But with limited processing options available, an untested market chain and federal law that still classifies industrial hemp as a controlled substance, there are a few roadblocks yet to overcome.
That’s why a feasibility study that could detail the financial risks and gains of growing, processing and marketing industrial hemp is expected to be
WILLMAR—In an effort to diversify their farming operation, the Hultgren family planted 40 acres of organic industrial hemp this year on their land in northern Kandiyohi County.
After making adjustments on the combine to prevent the rope-like stems from wrapping around the equipment, the hemp seeds were harvested and cleaned in September.
“I thought it went OK,” said Noah Hultgren, who farms with his brother, Nate, and parents Duane and Nancy Hultgren.
With a history of planting corn,
This two-part workshop brought to you by the EDC’s Ag and Renewable Energy Development Committee to help our progressive farm managers grow smarter and stronger. This workshop features two dynamic sessions on talent and technology.
SCHEDULE:
7:30 – 9:30AM | Attracting, retaining and managing your ag labor workforce. Plus, the latest changes to the employment regulatory environment.
Speakers | Mike Henke, Mike Henke Inc. and Kristie Haefner, Firm Administrator & Lead HR Consultant
WILLMAR—When he looks at the herd of 100 Angus cows and their frisky spring calves grazing in a pasture of belly-high grass, Cullen Fischer still can’t believe his lifelong dream of raising cattle is coming true.
“It’s kind of a pinch-me thing,” said the 31-year-old from Lake Lillian about his good fortune of taking over ownership of the well-established cow-calf operation from a retired farmer he met just a few years ago—a man who will continue to be his mentor.
“I
RAYMOND—If you’re craving a fresh yak steak and can’t make the trip to the Everest Steak House Restaurant in Kathmandu, Nepal, take a short ride over to Raymond.
That’s where you’ll find the Hot Disch Farm, home to Shawn and Craig Dischinger and their assistants, sons Jack, age 5, and Peter, age 3. They’ll happily sell you ground yak, or yak roasts, steaks, brats and sticks.
Their yaks thrive on the lush grasses of the Minnesota prairie, where the harshest of winter
