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Propagation

Organic Corner

Hummingbird hawk-moth. Photo by jggrz from Pixabay.

By Organic Certification Team Leads

The Organic Services department has made significant structural changes to provide timelier service to our clients. To clients who may be waiting to hear from us: We have not forgotten you! To address our timeliness, we are not accepting any new clients at this time, and we have reduced our service area. Please reach out to us if you need your certificate. We apologize for our tardiness and pledge to improve our customer service in 2025.

Handler renewals—MCIA will be working toward changing all handler renewal dates to winter each year, so that we can inspect in the calendar year. This is a work in progress and may not roll out immediately. In general, this change should not affect the timing of your inspection, but for some handlers it will mean that you will be applying shortly after the last application.

For any handlers who are exporting or importing, please be aware that MCIA now requires you to complete an International Trade Addendum.

The new Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) rule goes into effect January 2, 2025. A few of the new requirements include temporary confinement allowances including confinement for under 32° F or above 90° F, specific space and stocking density requirements for indoor and outdoor poultry spaces, weekly ammonia testing for poultry, and specific perch and exit door requirements. Review NOS §205.241 for the new rules.

In other news, in September MCIA hosted a delegation from Taiwan, accompanied by USDA National Organic Program (NOP) representatives, who were conducting a peer review of the NOP. The group shadowed Lauren Martin on an organic inspection at Keith Speltz’s farm. In addition to the inspection, Keith Speltz invited the group to his farm’s sesquicentennial celebration. Many thanks to Keith Speltz for his generosity and congratulations to him on his farm’s 150-year anniversary!

Subsequently, the officials from Taiwan informed the NOP that they had a very favorable impression of the accredited certifiers and the organic inspections they observed while in the U.S. In October, the NOP recognized MCIA with a Certificate of Appreciation for “exemplary professionalism, excellence, and generosity” throughout the planning and execution of the peer review.


Staff News

We welcome three new employees who began their work with MCIA in September!

Organic Certification Specialist/Inspector Kristen Adams.

Kristen Adams has joined the Organic Services department as an organic certification specialist/inspector. Kristen grew up on a diversified dairy farm and later co-owned and operated a dairy herd in southwest Wisconsin. Kristen completed her B.S. in fine arts from Viterbo University. Kristen’s past work experience includes several years in the employ of MOSA, beginning as a certification specialist/staff inspector and later as director of Certification Services. Kristen was recognized by the National Organic Program with their Director’s Award in 2022 and 2023. Prior to her employment with MOSA, Kristen was the manager of Organic Valley’s Milky Way Café. She has also served on the board of the Domestic Fair Trade Association.

Seed Technologist Sean Manzano-Rabbitt.

Sean Manzano-Rabbitt was hired by the Seed Laboratory as a seed technologist. Sean majored in horticultural sciences and minored in computer science, earning a B.S. from the University of Minnesota. In his role as a research assistant at the Horticultural Science Fruit Lab and Research Center, Sean prepared samples for DNA extraction, analyzed phenolics in freshly harvested grapes, and used paper chromatography to track the malolactic acid fermentation in wines. Sean chose to return to his agricultural roots after working as a technology consultant at Accenture following his graduation. Most recently, Sean was employed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s seed laboratory as a seasonal seed analyst.

Seed Technologist Amy Olson.

Amy Olson has also joined the Seed Laboratory as a seed technologist. Amy holds a B.S. in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin—River Falls. Her work experience includes the position of associate scientist at the commercial seed laboratory Eurofins BioDiagnostics, work at Eisele Greenhouse in Lakeville as a wholesale grower, and a horticulture internship at Normandale Community College. Amy has used AOSA, ISTA, and Canada M&P seed testing protocols. She has also been involved in planting samples and preparing and evaluating seed for TZ analysis, and she has participated in the referee testing and proficiency exams.


Field Notes

Oats. © Regents of the University of Minnesota.

By Chase Mowry, Seed Laboratory Services Manager

The staff of the MCIA Seed Laboratory has been busy! This summer, interviews were conducted to fill two seed technologist positions. In September, we welcomed Amy Olson and Sean Manzano-Rabbitt to the staff.

Between samples, we completed various tasks such as calibrating equipment, stocking supplies, revising SOPs, and administering the annual customer satisfaction survey. Many thanks to those who took a moment to provide us with feedback. In August, Claire Chapman Biel attended a seed identification workshop at the Federal Seed Lab in Gastonia, North Carolina.

During the late summer through fall, we received a high volume of samples for testing. They included grasses, MnDOT mixtures, natives, and winter small grains. The winter small grains we tested had large variability in quality, as Fusarium infection was prevalent in many of the lots.

We received new equipment, including two new germinators, a purity scale, and a seed blower. We also inspected MCIA foundation soybean fields located on campus for certification and evaluated soybean grow-outs on material from last season as part of the post-control process. We led a tour of the Seed Laboratory for students of Fawad Shah’s class at the UMN, offering our perspective on seed testing processes. And finally, to fulfill ALS accreditation requirements, we submitted germination and purity proficiency test results on two white clover lots to USDA AMS for evaluation.


President’s Corner

Touring a corn post control plot in Taiwan.

By Fawad Shah, President/CEO

Increasing visibility through capacity building has been among the focuses of Minnesota Crop Improvement Association. The Taiwan Ministry of Agriculture and Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station invited me and Mr. Kobus Van Huyssteen of the South African National Seed Organization to visit Taiwan to assist them in readying their bid to join the OECD Seed Schemes.

Taiwan is a stunningly beautiful country, but only a small amount of its land is suitable for cultivation because mountains cover about 75 percent of the land. Our first destination was Taipei City, where we visited the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and received an overview of crop production as well as the importance of agriculture to the local economy. We spent the following three days at the Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station (TSIPS) in Taichung City, where we and TSIPS personnel discussed the general framework, prerequisites, and advantages of joining the OECD Seed Schemes.

We thoroughly examined their documents, offered our insights and suggestions, and described the procedure and time frame for joining the Schemes. A visit to the corn post control plots was scheduled after a tour of the ISTA lab located in the TSIPS facility. I gave a talk about the Schemes certification system and how it is used to produce high-quality seed. We met with the Taiwan Seed Trade Association and several seed industry participants at our next destination, Tainan City, in the south.

Some of Taiwan’s major seed companies export seed widely—to almost 30 countries—despite the fact that seed production is still done on a small scale. A visit to three such companies gave us insight into their diverse seed variety portfolios and the techniques used to consistently produce high-quality seed.

By joining the OECD Seed Schemes, Taiwan’s government and seed industry hope to advance their country, gain a place at an international forum, expand seed exports, and further boost their agricultural economy. Although there is still work to be done, I am optimistic that Taiwan will soon fulfill all the requirements and be granted permission to join the Schemes.


As we do each year, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association is putting together an informative program for our Annual Meeting. The event will be held on January 29, 2025, at the Holiday Inn & Suites in St. Cloud. The Annual Meeting is an opportunity to recognize individuals in our industry through the awarding of our Honorary Premier Seed Grower, Premier Seed Grower, and the Achievement in Crop Improvement awards. Plan to attend this important event! Learn and network with others from the seed and agricultural industries.


Field Notes

Photo by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay.

By Kris Folland, Field Services Manager

MCIA’s field inspectors had a safe and successful inspection season. The MCIA Field Services staff would like to thank our members for making another great seed production season possible!

Communication between MCIA members and our field inspectors about issues that may affect seed quality helps all of us reach the goal of producing quality seed that meets or exceeds certification and company seed standards.

As the beautiful fall weather shifts towards winter, here are a few good reminders for our seed production members:

  • Inventory all of your seed and check for any issues. Make sure all seed bins are properly identified.
  • Run air on seed and grain bins to cool grain as needed.
  • Verify a passed field inspection report for all seed fields, including seed sources for next year.
  • Check your inventory of MCIA sample bags. Let us know if you need anything for the conditioning and seed labeling season.
  • Verify and check all seed labeling needs including tags, Pure Harvest (online program), and manual paper bulk seed sales certificates.

Contact MCIA with any questions. We enjoy hearing from you!


Chairman’s View

Brad Barth, Chairman of the MCIA Board of Directors.

By Brad Barth, Board Chairman

2024 is now in the rearview mirror and the new year is upon us. Some constituents I have spoken with about 2024 had an average year while most others in our area will be glad to have the year behind us. Excessive rains during the planting and growing season and a super dry end of the season made it a challenging year. Like all the challenging years before, we will survive to farm again.

At Thanksgiving I concluded that, despite many challenges, I am sure we can all find many things to be thankful for. I reflect on every year as a learning experience, whether it was a good or poor year there is always something we can learn and take forward into the rest of our career.

MCIA will have its Annual Meeting on January 29, 2025, in St. Cloud. This will be a single-day event and will include all the things we have done in the past, just in a shortened version. I am excited to hear the speakers’ presentations as this is always a highlight of the meeting. There will be vendors to visit, and the MCIA staff will be there also. Please plan to attend as I am sure you will enjoy all the meeting has to offer.

I write this with a heavy heart as this will be my last correspondence with you. The Annual Meeting in January marks the end of my second and last term. To say that my time with MCIA was a great experience would be an understatement. To serve on this board was truly a fantastic experience.

The staff at MCIA are second to none. They have all the talent and people skills to carry this organization far into the future. A shout out to Jody Prudhomme, who is the most impressive office personnel I have ever met. The board members are quite a diverse set of super talented individuals, all here with one focus; that is, to steer this 100-plus-year-old organization down the path to the next 100-year benchmark.

I will miss meeting and conversing with my fellow board members and having a hand in guiding this organization. I encourage anyone interested in becoming a board member to take the challenge. You will not be disappointed.


UMN Publishes 2024 Variety Trial Results

© Regents of the University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) have published the 2024 Minnesota Field Crop Trials.

To see variety trials for eight different Minnesota crops visit: https://varietytrials.umn.edu/2024.

To go directly to the trials for specific crops, follow these links:

About the Crop Variety Trials

When farmers are ready to make seed choices, the University of Minnesota field crop trials offer unbiased and trustworthy information. The annual Field Crop Trials are one of the key ways MAES works to bring valuable research into the hands of farmers and ultimately help improve farm profitability, improve the economy and overall quality of life in Minnesota.

MAES has published reports of crop variety trials since the late 1880s. Today, the annual field crop trials are published online and feature several crops that are trialed at multiple Research and Outreach Centers and cooperating farmers’ fields across the state.


MCIA Issues List of Foundation Seed Varieties for 2025 Spring Planting

MCIA Foundation Seed Services has issued its annual price list of foundation seed varieties for 2025 spring planting: https://docs.mncia.org/public/foundation/Varieties-for-Planting.pdf.

Crops include barley, oat, soybeans, and spring wheat.

Act now—the early order deadline is December 31, 2024. Access the Foundation Seed Order Form here: https://docs.mncia.org/public/foundation/Foundation-Order-Form.pdf.

Note: The University of Minnesota has not released any new small grains varieties for 2025 spring planting. Please inquire with MCIA Foundation Seed Services for the availability of varieties released by neighboring states.

Foundation Seed ordering information (price lists, order forms) can also always be found on the Where to Buy page of the MCIA website.


Applications Open for Minnesota’s 2025 Industrial Hemp Program

Hemp plant. Image by herbalhemp from Pixabay.

Online applications are now open for anyone wanting to grow or process hemp in Minnesota in 2025. A license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is required for individuals and businesses.

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2025, and a license is valid for the 2025 calendar year.

The application can be found on the MDA website: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/hemp. Along with the online form, first-time applicants and authorized representatives need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. These licenses are for growing and processing industrial hemp only. The hemp grower or processor application is not for the growth or sale of adult-use or medical cannabis. The application is also not intended for the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Adult-use cannabis information can be found on the Office of Cannabis Management website: https://mn.gov/ocm/.

Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2025:

  • All authorized representatives designated by the applicant must pass a criminal history background check prior to the issuance of a license.
  • Every lot of hemp grown requires pre-harvest THC regulatory testing. Each official regulatory sample collected by the MDA will cost $100.
  • The MDA licenses processors that handle raw hemp and initially process it by extraction, decortication, devitalization, crushing, or packaging, and the department will continue random inspections of processor locations.
  • License fees will remain the same. The minimum cost of a grower license is $400. A processing license is a minimum of $500. A five percent license surcharge is being added to support the modernization of the MDA’s technology systems which will provide better online services and more efficient processing of applications.

While the deadline to apply or renew is April 30, 2025, those actively growing hemp plants indoors past December 31, 2024, must renew their license before expiration at the end of the year.

Questions about the MDA’s Industrial Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600.


Test Your Cover Crop Seed

Rye field. Photo by NickyPe from Pixabay.

We have been receiving questions about testing cover crop seed lately.

FYI: The MCIA Seed Laboratory can test cover crop seed for germination, purity, and any other seed tests needed or required.

It is important to know seed viability and if there is any other crop or weeds present in the seed you are planting. If you are enrolled in a certification program, check its standards for the particular seed testing requirements.

For more information: