The 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship refer to using the Right Source of Nutrients at the Right Rate and Right Time in the Right Place.  

“We’re proud to earn the 4R Certification,” Scott Barnes, branch manager of Nutrien Ag Solutions said. “This program highlights our team’s dedication to delivering nutrient solutions that support grower success and environmental stewardship.” 

4R Nutrient Stewardship provides a science-based framework for plant nutrition management while also considering site-specific needs of a particular farm. In creating the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program, the 4R Advisory Committee has sought to provide guidance and direction for a consistent, recognized certification program for nutrient service providers to help ensure that 4R nutrient sustainability goals are adopted and lead to long-term positive impacts on water quality in Minnesota.  

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Standards are based on the best available science for nutrient recommendations and application and encourages the adoption of 4R Nutrient Stewardship. The standards also include education and record keeping components to ensure that new practices related to nutrient stewardship are adopted by nutrient service providers and shared with their grower customers. 

“The Minnesota Nutrient Stewardship Council would like to congratulate Nutrien Harmony on becoming 4R certified,” Emma Haydock, 4R coordinator and CCA administrator at Minnesota Crop Production Retailers said. “Their commitment to the 4Rs demonstrates strong leadership in responsible nutrient management.” 

For more information about the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification, visit the MN 4R Program page. 

About the program 
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program is administered by the Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR) and governed by the 11-member MNSC, which includes agricultural organizations, companies, universities and government agencies. This voluntary certification program is open to agricultural retailers and nutrient service providers throughout Minnesota.

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Jeff Crissinger, vice president of agronomy sales/marketing at NuWay K&H Cooperative, provided the leadership and operational support to ensure that the entire organization met, and in many cases, exceeded the 4R certification standards.

“The entire team at NuWay K&H is proud to have earned the 4R certification as we work to add value for our customers and demonstrate the importance of good stewardship,” Crissinger said.

The 4R approach provides a science-based framework for plant nutrition management and sustained crop production, while considering the specific needs of individual farms. The certification program provides 4R industry standards for ag retailers and offers transparency to the public about how agriculture is improving soil health and protecting water resources while supporting best management practices in production agriculture.

The MNSC contracts with third-party auditors to review participating ag retailers, providing an independent review to ensure they meet established 4R industry standards and practices.

“Working with NuWay K&H Cooperative and seeing them achieve certification is incredibly rewarding,” MCPR 4R Coordinator Emma Haydock said. “On behalf of the Council, we are thrilled to be able to highlight all the great work that they do within the 4Rs.”

For more information about the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification, visit the MCPR website the MN 4R Program page.

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Future leaders in agriculture are invited to join Minnesota’s premier event for crop production professionals during Student Day at the CPM Short Course & MCPR Trade Show Dec. 4. Student Day provides students the chance to hear directly from ag professionals about career paths, challenges and the future of the industry and talk with ag retailers, suppliers and innovators at the trade show.

MCPR is hosting the event in conjunction with University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence. The event is free for students with lunch included and will run from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Students can register at this link using the code STUDENT2025 to waive the fee. For group or class registrations, instructors can contact Amanda Beavens at [email protected] for bulk registration options.

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Each year the MCPR Board of Directors awards a $1,000 scholarship to a student at our annual CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show. To be eligible for this $1,000 scholarship, the applicant must be a student entering their second, third, or fourth year of a four-year institution of higher learning or, the second year of a two-year institution of higher learning AND must be a Minnesota resident.

Completed 2025 applications must be postmarked by Nov. 1, 2025. Find the application and requirements here.

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Serving on the MCPR Board is not just a responsibility, but a rewarding opportunity to advocate on behalf of agriculture and the issues that are important to MCPR members. It’s a chance to be part of key discussions about the future of ag retail in Minnesota and to expand your network of professional contacts.

There are four seats up for election, including District 1 Director, District 3 Director, Crop Protection Representative and Plant Food Representative. Elected leaders would serve a three-year term. If you are interested in a District 1 & 3 seat, view the district map to determine which zone best fits based on your coop’s location.

Interested individuals must complete the candidate questionnaire by Oct. 31: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NWSZP8Q 

Elections will be completed by electronic voting. Ballots will be emailed to MCPR members on Nov. 7, with ballots due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The key contacts in our database for each member organization will receive a ballot form they can use to cast their votes. If your coop has multiple locations, each location with a paid membership will be eligible to vote.

Please contact Nominations Committee Chair Arnie Sinclair at [email protected] with questions on running for the board.

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Best Management Practices (BMPs) 

The MDA has, in coordination with University of Minnesota Extension and other partners, developed best management practices (BMPs) to prevent the degradation of Minnesota’s waters. There are both generic BMPs and pesticide-specific water quality BMPs available. 

All pesticide BMPs are available at: www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticide-fertilizer/pesticide-best-management-practices. This page also includes links to other water quality related education and outreach materials such as cue cards reminding applicators of label setback requirements. 

You can request print copies of Agricultural Pesticide Outreach Documents and General Use Pesticide Outreach Documents through the online request forms linked here or available on the MDA’s pesticide BMPs webpage under “Forms + Resources.” 

Videos 

All videos are available through the MDA’s YouTube channel (@mnagriculture) including: 

• Protecting Pollinators Series – Videos in this series were produced as part of a collaborative project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While the focus is on pollinators, recommendations related to pesticide application (e.g., minimizing drift) also help to protect water quality. 

• SE MN Groundwater Series – Videos in this series were produced through the Root River Field to Stream Partnership. These videos offer great visuals explaining the geology and movement of groundwater and contaminants in SE MN. 

• Herbicide BMPs Series – Three short videos were produced in collaboration with the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program and partners. The series includes an overview of herbicide BMPs and highlights key land management practices and new technologies adopted by growers to protect water quality. 

Monitoring Data 

Monitoring data showing pesticide detections in groundwater and surface water throughout the state is summarized each year in the MDA’s monitoring report. To access the annual monitoring report and learn more about the MDA’s water monitoring program, visit: www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticide-fertilizer/agricultural-chemical-monitoring-assessment. 

Special Registration Reviews 

The MDA performs special registration reviews on new pesticide active ingredients and currently registered pesticides that have significant new uses approved by the EPA. Brief two-page summary documents are prepared with each review highlighting the projected use of the pesticide in Minnesota, select label language, toxicity and exposure information, and details on its environmental fate. Summary documents are currently available for 47 active ingredients (www.mda.state.mn.us/chemicals/pesticides/regs/newreviews). 

The MDA also performs more extensive reviews on select pesticides or pesticide groups (www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticide-special-registration-reviews). 

Pesticide Use & Sales Data 
The MDA publishes annual pesticide sales data for pesticide active ingredients based on pesticide registrant reporting requirements. Minnesota pesticide sales information is available in a searchable database: www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-pesticide-sales-information. 

The MDA also publishes sales and use reports for pesticides based on survey data www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticide-fertilizer/pesticide-use-sales-data. 

Waste Pesticide Collection & Disposal 
The MDA’s resources related to waste pesticide collection and disposal are available at: www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticide-fertilizer/waste-pesticide-collection-program 

For information related to the disposal of pesticide treated seed, see the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s treated seed factsheet: www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/w-hw4-51.pdf 

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The annual show featured pesticide applicator recertification courses, a chock-full agenda with experts in hot topics in weed and pest management, water quality, conservation and soil health, ag technology and artificial intelligence (AI), policy and election updates and more.

Keynote speakers included Erin Mies from People Spark Consulting, who spoke in two sessions about building company culture and leadership. Erik Hoegemeyer of Midland University presented insights overview of the global political climate and its impact on supply chains.

“The 2024 Short Course was a successful event with a lot of positive feedback from our attendees,” said Lee Helgen, MCPR executive director. “The U of MN team did a great job of supporting the planning efforts, helping get our speakers lined up and collecting program details.”

Several sessions about AI demonstrated the value of AI tools and the rapid evolution of AI in applications in the agriculture sector. The policy and elections update panel featuring Blois Olson and Brian McClung shared insights on how election results will influence ag policy and highlighted the value of building relationships with policymakers. The conservation programming provided useful overview of the opportunities and resources available to reach sustainability goals.

During the MCPR Annual Meeting, Chair Rick Walker presented an update on membership and a year in review, while Helgen discussed key outcomes for the 2024 Legislative Session and priorities for 2025-2026. Walker also recognized MCPR board members, including outgoing member Dale Johnson, who is retiring from the board after serving since. Replacing Johnson on the board is Casey Carlson, precision ag manager at Ag Partners. Reelected to the board were Andy Oeding in district 4, Brian Meyer as custom applicator representative, Kyle Kraska as technology representative and Scott Barnes in the at-large position.

Walker also recognized the MCPR scholarship winner Cora Huhn, a junior at North Dakota State University from Litchfield, Minn. 

New at the event this year were Special Interest Groups. The discussion groups gathered attendees interested in special topics, including Women in Ag, Conservation Programs, Young and Emerging Leaders and Sales Agronomists. Several of the groups reported strong participation.

Also new was the After Hours Casino Night, where attendees enjoyed a variety of casino games, networking and chances to win prizes donated by sponsors, board members and more. Proceeds supported the MCPR and the MN Crop PAC.

MCPR is seeking feedback to improve the overall event experience for future years. Attendees can fill out the evaluation survey at this link.

The 2025 show will be held Dec. 2-4 at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.

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University of Minnesota Extension Educator of Leadership & Civic Engagement Craig Campbell will host a session called “Planting Seeds for Future Growth: Building a Personal Leadership Toolkit” on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 10:15 a.m. The focus of the session is to help inform and educate both existing and future leaders on a variety of the qualities, skills, capacities and objectives of good leadership.

“Really what I’m looking to do is give a 30,000-foot view of ‘what is leadership? What does it look like? What are the attributes of a good leader?,’’’ Campbell said. “The reason this topic is important is because there’s a lot of leadership folks stepping out of their roles who may need to put together a succession plan for the next generation of leaders.”

The session is geared for anyone involved in some level of leadership in their company or organization, whether that be co-op directors, sales managers, lead agronomists, chemical shed supervisors or anyone with aspirations to serve in a leadership role.  

“We’re all leaders in some capacity,” said Campbell. “We have positional leaders who are hired or elected, such as managers, directors, project leads…it says they are a leader in their job description. But then we have non-positional leaders. These are folks that volunteer for a nonprofit, play piano in church or maybe are a leader at home as a parent.”

At the end of this session, attendees should have a better understanding of leadership in terms of its breadth and scope, along with tools to continue their learning and developing their own unique leadership skills. The session also builds off this year’s keynote address from Erin Mies of People Spark Consulting, who will provide education on how leaders can build a successful team and business with a strong and defined culture.

Registration is still open for this year’s CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show. Visit www.mcpr-cca.org to register or to view the full agenda.

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Whether you are currently using a drone, interested in adding one to your operation or new to the idea of using a drone on the farm, this session at the CPM Short Course and MCPR Trade Show will cover it.

On Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. three industry experts will sit on the “Sky-High Pest Management Solutions: The Role of Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in Pesticide Applications” panel.

Jay Sorg, Jordan Stickle and Gurinderbir Chahal bring diverse perspectives of drone knowledge to the panel. They are an experienced drone operator and applicator, an account manager for an innovative company pioneering drone solutions and a regulatory authority overseeing licensing requirements for custom applications in Minnesota.

They will cover everything from multifaceted implications of drone-based pesticide application, to efficiency, economics, requirements, environmental impact and any other aspect people may have questions about.

“I think this panel discussion will be beneficial to those individuals who are interested in applying pesticides with UAVs,” Chahal said. “In this discussion, they will learn what are the (Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s) requirements for making pesticide applications using UAVs and, it will provide them an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.”

With drone technology taking on a new shape in farming, attendees can expect to gain a better understanding of how drone technology is enhancing, affecting and enabling farming and farmers around the state.

“I think this session is important because spray drones are not just a novelty anymore, you can get real work accomplished with them,” Sorg said. “They’re a great tool to have in any operation. And it gives an opportunity for younger people too who want to branch out. There’s just a lot of opportunity there.”

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Join the Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR) during its CPM Short Course and Trade Show sessions on Dec. 10-12 as they attempt to answer that question with their Legislative Panel Discussion: Review of the 2024 Elections and Potential Implications for the Ag Sector. Leading the panel are a pair of public relations gurus both considered experts in political issues, Blois Olson and Brian McClung.

“It’s pretty common for elections to swing one way or the other, and this year was no different,” Olson said. “Republicans certainly fared well at the national level while Democrats held their ground locally here in Minnesota,” said Olson.

Otherwise known as “Mr. Minnesota” for his ability to read the mood of the state’s residents and political dynamics and economic trends, Blois Olson has moderated hundreds of conversations across the state including political debates, economic discussions, business forums and at Farmfest. Olson has also been an on-air host and contributor to WCCO Radio for more than 25 years. In addition, he has built a handful of successful businesses in media and public relations. His current company, Fluence Media, is the leading source of information for Minnesota’s business and political insiders.

In Minnesota, the Senate remained in control by Democrats, but control of the House of Representatives is split between both parties. Olson notes that it’ll be interesting to watch how the leaders behave with that unique dynamic. The last time the state House was tied occurred in 1979.

“Behind the scenes at the committee level is where we’ll see that power shift where one particular member could end up having all the power,” said Olson. “Another unknown is whether the governor will continue in a partisan or bipartisan way as they work to put together a budget bill, which is ultimately the biggest issue of the session.”

After a week of counting the votes, Republicans are now poised to take control of both the House and Senate at the national level, along with Donald Trump retaking the Presidency. From an ag retailer perspective, Olson believes this could mean some regulatory changes.

“I think some of the more aggressive environmental regulations are going to go away, so I think there will be relief on that end felt by the agricultural industry and farmers,” said Olson. “But I think another big thing to keep an eye would be the Farm Bill and what this dynamic in the legislature means for that.”

Joining Olson on the legislative panel is Brian McClung, CEO of McClung PR. McClung brings to the panel more than 25 years of experience in media, politics and business. Prior to launching his company, McClung served under Gov. Tim Pawlenty as press secretary, communications director and deputy chief of staff.

“Brian has a deep history in Minnesota politics and will be able to provide a good perspective of the mood of the legislature, of how things might go, having worked for Governor Pawlenty during a divided legislature,” said Olson of his panel colleague.

The panel discussion is scheduled for 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11. To see the full agenda of short course sessions or to register for the event, visit the MCPR website.

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