Osborne to Speak During Wheat Show

Leon Osborne, Director of the Regional Weather Information Center and the Surface Transportation Center at the University of North Dakota is scheduled to speak during the breakfast meeting of the Wheat Show on Tuesday, February 3rd. Leon is a nationally recognized speaker for his ability to predict long-term weather patterns. The program planning committee has requested that he share his outlook for the 2015 growing season.

Many other speakers, approximately 22, will provide information about food fads, grain market outlook, soil salinity, new durum varieties, durum wheat diseases, the new farm program, impact protein has on bread baking and farm labor.

This year’s featured keynote speaker will be Dr. Mike Boehlje, noted agricultural economist at Purdue University. He will discuss the current business climate for agriculture, will it have a bust or soft landing, long term prospects for the industry, land values, positioning the farm business to handle the downturn and how to be the “best in class”.

Specials for the noon lunches are scheduled. Katie Pinke will explain how farmers and ranchers can be farm advocates and Mark Lindquist will share “Passion! Eight Steps to Find Yours”. I guarantee attendees will leave his presentation with a strong message that will be entertaining but also produce a few tears. More information about these two speakers and their presentations will come later.

In the meantime, photographers will want to ready their best pictures for the photo contest held in conjunction with the Wheat Show.

Sand Reclamation

A new publication “Successful Reclamation of Lands” recently has been released by the NDSU Extension Service. It includes recommendations designed for pipeline and small-area disturbances that may take place when developing infrastructure for oil and gas development, not for general agriculture and conservation restoration.

The publication describes activities for the successful reclamation of North Dakota lands. This includes topsoil/subsoil removal and replacement, well and pad development and other activities. It only addresses reclamation of non-contaminated soils. Contaminated soils may include lands compromised by oil spills (hydrocarbons) and brine spills.

Authors of the publication (many) outline critical components of a successful reclamation, provide recommended seed mixtures and seeding rates when reclaiming range and pasture land and provide options to reduce soil erosion on disturbed rangelands, pastureland and hay lands. Although croplands are not specified directly in this publication, many of the topsoil salvage and replacement approaches, planning, preparation procedure and reclamation methods can be used as a guide to successful reclamation of croplands. The publication is available free of charge at our office by calling 701-577-4595.