1. MN Farming Game

2. MN’s Agricultural Regions Red River Valley Arrowhead Dairy Belt Corn Belt

3. Polk MN Farming Game Stearns Renville Fillmore Martin

4. MN Farms with Livestock

5. Estimated Farms and Size 1984

7. 1972-73 MN Farming Game

8. Major MN Crops 1973

9. MN Soybean Acreage 1955-73

10. 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

11. 1977-78 MN Farming Game

12. Departure from Normal Precipitation1978

13. Minnesota Crop Yields

14. Major MN Crops 1977-78

15. MN Crop Production Changes 1977-78

16. Corn Production 1978

17. Soybean Production 1978

18. 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!

19. 1983-84 MN Farming Game

20. 1984 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs increase because of spiking oil prices (Iran-Iraq War)

22. 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

23. MN Leading Ag Counties 1984

24. Corn Production 1984

25. Soybeans Production 1984

26. Wheat Production 1984

27. Oats Production 1984

28. 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

29. Farm Bankruptcies 1981-84Minnesota, North and South Dakota

30. 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%

31. 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?

32. 1987-88 MN Farming Game

33. 1988 Farm Headlines

34. Crude Oil Prices 1970-2008

35. 1988 Farm Headlines • Farm production costs decline with lower oil prices • Energy prices down 27% since 1979

36. Departure from Normal Precipitation1988

37. 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

39. Corn YieldsMinnesota and United States

40. Soybean YieldsMinnesota and United States

41. Effects of 1988 MN Drought

42. 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!

43. Corn Production 1988

44. Soybeans Production 1988

45. Wheat Production 1988

46. Barley Production 1988

47. MN Leading Ag Counties 1988

48. MN Farm Income

49. MN Farm Income/Government Payments

50. Stability of MN Farm IncomeOver 4 Decades