The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture will meet in Bismarck Sept. 19-24. Speaking at the annual meeting will be U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.

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Small grain harvest in western North Dakota refl ects a mixed bag, depending upon rainfall that wasn’t consistent and a crop that got a late start.

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Lifeline Farms of Forest River received a $46,000 grant form the state Agricultural Products Utilization Commission for a project producing pigs to help critically ill liver patients.

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The average value of farmland in North Dakota increased in value by nearly 18 percent over the last year to $765 per acre. This is the ninth straight year of gain. The average value for crop land is $800 per acre and $350 for pasture land. The national average is $2,350.

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The drop in corn futures in August, about 70-80 cents per bushel for September futures, has experts wondering where things are headed, this with what may be a very large corn crop world wide and the dollar at a higher value. The September futures listed on the open board of the Chicago Board of Trade on Aug. 8 had corn at $4.94 to $5.06. December ranged $5.14 to $5.26.

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USDA’s “Farm Production Expenditures 2007” summary released in August recorded U.S. farm production expenditures at a record $260 billon. They were up 6 percent from 2006 and nearly 30 percent from 5 years ago.

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Projections for this year’s soybean crop, based on August reports, are strong and it’s starting to signifi cantly push down price, by as much as $1.89 per bushel in September futures.

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ND Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a North American market for pesticides with the next fi ve years. The idea is to provide U.S., Canadian and Mexican growers with equal access to and simultaneous introduction of pesticides.