Agriculture

New influenza testing rule for dairy cows going to Minnesota fairs
New influenza testing requirements are in effect for dairy cows in Minnesota. Lactating cows must now have a negative H5N1 virus test before they can attend fairs or other exhibitions.
Minnesota landmark: The Frank Schott stone barn near Chokio
Out on the fields of western Minnesota, the Frank Schott stone barn cuts an imposing and lonely silhouette. It’s been just over 100 years since a German immigrant started building it.
Minnesota lawmakers assert protections for public waters
Legislators passed language clarifying that a waterway that meets the legal definition is a public water, even if it’s not on a decades-old state inventory. Its passage followed a lengthy legal dispute over Limbo Creek, the last free-flowing stream in heavily-farmed Renville County.
New online tool allows for close-up look into Minnesota’s changing climate future
University of Minnesota researchers are launching a new online tool today that allows people to visualize how a future climate will look and feel, down to a 2.5 mile scale. The goal is to help engineers, farmers and others better plan for a climate-changed future.
RD Offutt Farms sues White Earth Nation over water permits
In a lawsuit filed Friday, RD Offutt farms asked a federal judge to issue a judgment that the White Earth Nation does not have the authority to regulate potato farmers’ groundwater use. RDO is challenging a White Earth ordinance requiring growers to get a tribal irrigation permit.
DNA tests help monitor for honeybee disease
A DNA testing and research center in Fargo is expanding DNA testing for pathogens in honey bees. The genetic testing can provide early detection, and help monitor the prevalence of disease in bees.