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MN Farming Game. MN’s Agricultural Regions. Red River Valley. Arrowhead. Dairy Belt. Corn Belt. Polk. MN Farming Game. Stearns. Renville. Fillmore. Martin. MN Farms with Livestock. Estimated Farms and Size 1984. 1972-73 MN Farming Game. Major MN Crops 1973.
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MN’s Agricultural Regions Red River Valley Arrowhead Dairy Belt Corn Belt
Polk MN Farming Game Stearns Renville Fillmore Martin
1972-73 MN Farming Game
1973 Farming Headlines • 1973 was a record-breaking year! • Corn and soybeans both experience record harvests • Minnesota’s wheat harvest was largest since 1899! • Oat production up 15% • Barley harvest up 18% • Sunflower harvest up 9% • The average MN farmer made $19,337 – a new record
1977-78 MN Farming Game
1978 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs increase because of rising oil prices (fuel, fertilizer and chemicals) • Good growing conditions throughout MN! • Record yields for corn! • Above normal yields for soybeans & sunflowers • Wheat, barley and oat crops down significantly • Big news was rapid expansion of sunflowers into MN • Many farmers took advantage of Payment-In-Kind (PIK) and reduced acreages • Average MN farmer made $15,865!
1983-84 MN Farming Game
1984 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs increase because of spiking oil prices (Iran-Iraq War)
1984 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs increase because of spiking oil prices (Iran-Iraq War) • Excellent growing conditions throughout MN • Soybean crop breaks 1982 production record • Corn production 88% higher than 1983 • Record-breaking year for small grains • Wheat & barley yields beat old records by 7 bushels/acre • Barley production exceeds previous record set in 1935
1984 Farm Headlines • Big farm news in 1984 was low prices • 1979 Russian grain embargo had created a vast surplus of crops • Prices received below those of 1972! • Yet farm production costs up 300% from 1973 • Farm bankruptcies common • 592 MN farmers lost their farms in 1984
Midwest Farm Bankruptcies 1984 North Dakota 131 2.5% Minnesota 692 11.2% Wisconsin South Dakota 244 4.6% 294 6.4% Michigan 85 1.6% Iowa 1,301 24.6% Nebraska 429 8.1% Ohio 208 3.9% Illinois 205 5.6% Indiana 321 8.1% Kansas 190 3.5% Missouri 382 8.9%
1983-84 Farm Journal • What crops were most profitable for farmers in your region during this time? • What was the main reason so few farmers made money during this period?
1987-88 MN Farming Game
1988 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs decline with lower oil prices • Energy prices down 27% since 1979
1988 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs decline with oil prices lower • Energy prices down 27% since 1979 • MN faces worst drought since 1934! • Temps reach 110o at Brown’s Valley in late June
1988 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs decline with oil prices lower • Energy prices down 27% since 1979 • MN faces worst drought since 1934! • Temps reach 110o at Brown’s Valley in late June • Low yields for all crops • Corn and soybeans lowest since 1976 • Small grains yields lowest since 1966 • Oat crop smallest since 1879!