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In 2026, Romine rolled a See & Spray system across his rows. “Before the end of the year, this’ll be a net positive. I’ve spent less than 35% of normal chemical costs so far this year. It’s not complicated. On my operation, the math works.”
Pure Economics
In cotton and grain sorghum, at 12 miles per hour, Romine runs down 40” rows in his second post-emergence pass inside a John Deere 412R sprayer with a 120’ boom and a 1,200-gallon tank. As needed, the nozzles fired precision-guided shots of herbicide at Palmer amaranth, Russian thistle, devil’s claw, and several more weed cronies, while ignoring all else. No friendly fire damage.
Granted, the season in his locale has been marked by relatively heavy rainfall and above average weed presence, but if Romine continues shaving off chemical percentages at the present pace, See & Spray will be a boon across his operation. Translated: The system already is paying for itself, he reports.
“This is pure economics for us. We gotta be able to justify paying for See & Spray technology. It’s early, but there’s no question so far. The overall numbers speak for themselves.”
Alongside several family members, Romine , 43, farms roughly 15,000 dryland acres outside Big Spring, roughly 40 miles east of Midland and 100 miles south of Lubbock—West Texas.
“I’m not trying to speak for guys in the Midwest or other regions of the country, but for us on our operation, we’re seeing a $5 to $7 an acre reduction in expenditures,” Romine says.(Photo by Deere Co.)
In 2026, Romine shifted out of an R4045 to the 412R. “I was making a $40,000 a year payment on the 4045. I traded it in and they basically gave me right at what the payoff was on it, which I was happy with, considering the market conditions. I did a lease to own on this new machine because I was cautiously optimistic, but at the same time, I didn’t want to get hung on it if I didn’t like it. However, after watching how it’s worked in my fields, I have every intention of purchasing this machine next year when the lease comes back around.”
Roughly pegged, the 412R is a $500,000 sprayer. “I didn’t have any equity going in. The payment on this one is about $80,000 a year. On top of that, I’ve got the $28,000 annual subscription and unlimited acres.”
Beyond mid-season, how is Romine’s big-money purchase penciling?
Serious Long-Term
All told, across 15,000 acres, Romine projects total savings for the season to be in the $120,000 ballpark.
“In our initial first post-emergence pass, we went with glyphosate, and for easy figuring, we saved about $3.40 an acre in unapplied acres,” Romine details from the seat of the 412R as the machine reaches a turn row following an application. “That’s on 10,000 acres of cotton. We also fallow sprayed a bunch of wheat. We got really, really wet about the time we needed to be cutting, so we had to come back and burn the weeds off so that it would be cleaned up enough to combine. Between all of that, maybe 14,000 acres that we went over, we saved about $3.40. In other words, we made back our subscription plus a little bit extra.”
Across 15,000 acres, Romine projects total savings for the season to be in the $120,000 ballpark.(Photo by Deere Co.)
As Romine speaks, the 412R boom folds in preparation for the next field of dicamba-ready crops. However, with temps above 90 F for the past 24 hours, he’s restricted from running dicamba due to inversion concerns. Instead, Romine is spraying glufosinate.
“Here’s another example: glufosinate costs around $13.80 per gallon, and I just saved 40% on this 220-acre field, so that figures to $4 an acre for a total of $880. Maybe that doesn’t sound like much to some people, but when you take that across more fields, and across an entire year, that money gets serious in the long-term.”
A Working Theory
Splitting Romine’s family-associated acreage into a personally-farmed 3,500 acres, his typical annual bill prior to See & Spray, for sprayer payment, broadcast application, and two post applications, was $185,000.
“This year, for the same, I’ll be at about $167,000. “Once again, at first you might not think that’s a whole lot, but when you consider I’m going to purchase this machine and turn that payment into equity in my operation, then it’s a big deal.”
Additionally, Romine contends, savings may be available via increased yield in field areas receiving no herbicide. “There are always acres where you don’t need to apply chemicals for whatever reason. Those spots tend to stay clean on their own. I’ve heard about research showing single-digit percentage yield increases on clean areas. Why? I can’t prove or disprove it, but the theory is those plants, even though relatively immune, don’t have to process and use resources to maintain themselves after getting doused in a spray. That might mean a 5-7% increase in yield.”
After 2026 picking, Romine will lay yield maps over application maps to note any correlation. “It’s ancillary and just a working theory, but it could end up being another real benefit of See & Spray.”
No Misses
How well does See & Spray’s AI tech work in Romine’s rows?
Generally, he rolls at 12 mph (roughly 210-220 acres per hour), with an increase to 15 mph when applying glyphosate.
He maintains boom height of 20-25” above canopy and keeps spray sensitivity settings on low as his cotton is squaring and nearing bloom. “I run it low because it will pick up the squares and sometimes think there’s a weed there when there’s not.
Buffer length is medium. “Basically, that’s the amount of time, front to back, that a nozzle sprays over a weed. Medium helps me make sure I get good coverage. So far, I haven’t seen See & Spray miss anything.”
However, Romine deals with plenty of Texas dust. On average, he cleans cameras every two days with water and a microfiber towel. “It’s pretty sandy around here, and because the tires kick up dust, sometimes you don’t get a really good kill directly behind the wheel tracks. I combat that during the second spraying by offsetting 60’ to where my wing tips are running in my last pass—where the wheel tracks were. So far, that’s an effective fix.”
Tale-of-the-Tape Judgement
Overall, Romine estimates a general 35% reduction in chemical use every time he runs, along with a substantial drop in reloading time.
“I’ve spent less than 35% of normal chemical costs so far this year,” Romine says. “It’s not complicated. On my operation, the math works.”(Photo by Deere Co.)
“If you have enough acres to justify the cost, or if you’re already that big, I would highly recommend you look at See & Spray. Personally, I’d say if you’re above 3,000 acres, this may be worth it for you. No question, this is a net positive for our family operation, and there are going to be add-ons that increase the value soon, including stand counts.”
“Whatever the newer technology, whether a tractor, sprayer, or something else, leveraging some of that technology is really advantageous,” he adds. “It comes down to less passes and efficiency.”
Bottom line, Romine sticks to a tale-of-the-tape judgement.
“I’m not trying to speak for guys in the Midwest or other regions of the country, but for us on our operation, we’re seeing a $5 to $7 an acre reduction in expenditures. Break the numbers down and you’ll know what works best for your farm.”
For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:
Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told
How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer
Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust
Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing
When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Zaks
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net
Release: NSAC Welcomes Attention on Local Processors and Farmer Protection, Concrete Action NeededWashington, DC, Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 – On Friday, September 4, the Trump Administration released two Executive Orders (EOs): the Promoting Fair Competition in Livestock Markets and Expanding Market Access for American Producers and Supporting America’s Ranchers. The announcement follows the unveiling of the Strengthening Processing for US Ranchers grants and loans within the Ranchers First Initiative.
The new EOs outline a host of potential interventions in the cattle and meat production and processing markets across three federal agencies: the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of the Interior (DOI). The potential interventions that may benefit small and diversified meat and poultry farmers and ranchers with proper implementation are: Robust Enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and Expanding Interstate Markets for Eligible Meat Products.
“Increasing small and very small meat processors’ access to broader markets and resources by investing in the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) Program, field-based technical assistance, and a coordinating position at USDA-FSIS are potential steps in the right direction. As always, program implementation is where the rubber meets the road. USDA should prioritize input from field-based stakeholders as they implement these EOs and understand that for many farmers, their processing issues don’t end with cattle. Continued investment and technical resources are more important than deregulation to solve the issue of meat industry consolidation,” said Connor Kippe, Food Systems Integrity Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC).
“Robust investment in the Packers and Stockyards Administration is critical to protecting farmers and ranchers. While the EO signals the potential for stronger Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) enforcement, this announcement stands in direct conflict with prior actions this Administration has taken to weaken PSA enforcement, including planned rescissions of several PSA rules promulgated during the previous Administration. Until USDA takes substantive steps to address the anti-competitive landscape currently harming farmers and ranchers, these announcements will continue to ring hollow,” said Duncan Orlander, NSAC Fair Competition Policy Specialist.
NSAC looks forward to continued engagement with this Administration on how best to continue to support small and very small processors, and the farmers and consumers they serve.
###
About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net
The post Release: NSAC Welcomes Attention on Local Processors and Farmer Protection, Concrete Action Needed appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
However, the state’s timing is noteworthy. Less than 24 hours after Burgod spoke out about the mega-dairy at a County Commissioner meeting on July 29, a Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) agent came calling at her Aberdeen office.
Burgod says the state’s claim of mere happenstance, released by email to Agweb, is “absurd.”
“They can say anything they want, but it’s obvious what is going on here,” Burgod contends.
Further Action
“In response to an Agweb article ( Targeted? South Dakota Farmer Criminally Investigated After Questioning Mega-Dairy Construction ), the SD Attorney General’s Office released the following on September 2:
At the request of local authorities, the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) examined a residency complaint involving a candidate for Edmunds County Commission, Julie Burgod, based on her address as a candidate for office and her owner-occupied real estate tax status, which allegedly conflicted. DCI reviewed the complaint, gave the party the opportunity to be interviewed and heard, and ultimately determined that it was a matter for the Department of Revenue to review.
Despite public comment, the review was for alleged inconsistencies with a candidate’s residency designation and owner-occupied tax status designation and had nothing to do with agriculture, zoning, a dairy, or a lagoon holding pond runoff.
In accordance with SDCL 10-1-6.1, matters involving potential violations of Title 10, which include residency and owner-occupied tax status, fall within the investigative authority of the Department of Revenue.
All factual findings on residency for elective office and owner-occupied tax status have been sent to the Department of Revenue for review and, if appropriate, further action.
In a county of 4,000 people, where Burgod farms, runs a crop insurance business, and is commissioner-elect taking office in January, DCI contends it received a complaint about Burgod, and then started an investigation.
Per DCI, a supervisory agent drove two hours on July 30 to locate Burgod at her office for the “opportunity to be interviewed and heard,” over a residency designation. Her highly contentious opposition to a mega-dairy hovering in the background was coincidental—according to DCI.
Disclosure
Burgod is opposed to an incoming dairy to Edmunds County owned by Minnesota-based Riverview LLP. Edmunds County has dairies, but nothing to compare with Riverview’s proposal: Belle Dairy, 25,000-head across 640 acres. From acres to cow weight to manure output, Belle Dairy’s projected numbers have significant discrepancies, Burgod says.
Burgod says the state’s claim of happenstance is “absurd.”(Photo by Burgod Farms)
On July 14, Burgod reported potential ordinance violations related to Belle Dairy to Edmunds County officials. On July 20, she delivered a formal complaint to the Zoning Board. On July 29, at a County Commissioner meeting, she again outlined her concerns. On July 30, DCI knocked at Burgod’s office with potential charges related to a “complaint of fraud.” The DCI agent, Darin Sinner, possessed a copy of Burgod’s July 20 complaint she filed with the Zoning Board, and a copy of her voter registration form.
Two weeks after DCI’s on-site visit, Burgod sent a certified mail request to the SD Attorney General’s Office asking for information related to the complaint filed against her. Specifically, Burgod sought disclosure of the precise allegations and complainant’s identity.
The SD Attorney General’s Office has not acknowledged or responded to Burgod’s request.
Citizens and Taxpayers
Burgod is not buying DCI’s explanation. “I am perplexed how the narrative has changed to owner occupied status on property tax. That issue was never addressed with me at any time.”
“They had my voter registration and the complaint that I filed with the zoning officer,” she continues. “Additionally, DCI came and investigated the neighbors who signed my petition to run for commissioner. How do these actions relate to owner occupied status?”
“I thought our AG was in office to protect the citizens and taxpayers of South Dakota. Since when does he handle owner occupied property tax issues? If this was truly a property tax issue, then why was it not handled right where it should have been handled at the Edmunds County Zoning Office? Why did a complaint need to be elevated to the AG for the state of South Dakota?”
“I am County Commissioner elect,” Burgod concludes. “I won the primary in June. I will take office in January. If there were residency issues, why were they not addressed by the Auditor and Director of Equalization when I filed my petition as candidate back in March?”
For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:
Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told
How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer
Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust
Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing
When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case
(Washington, D.C., September 4, 2026) – Today, President Donald J. Trump signed two Executive Orders supporting America’s ranchers and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins made additional announcements protecting our nation’s cattle herd and providing transparency for consumers. American ranchers embody the ethos of our nation’s founding 250 years ago and should be provided with the tools to rebuild our Great American Cattle Herd.
On Sept. 3, Patrick De Haan, executive director of GasBuddy, reported that the national average for diesel had climbed to an unprecedented $5.82 per gallon, surpassing the previous daily record of $5.819 per gallon set in June 2022.
BREAKING: according to GasBuddy data, the live U.S. national average price of diesel has set a new record: $5.820/gal, surpassing the previous daily $5.819/gal all-time high that occurred June 17, 2022. (9/3/26 3:25pm ET)
— Patrick De Haan (@GasBuddyGuy) September 3, 2026 The very next morning, Bloomberg’s Lisa Abramowicz and AAA confirmed that diesel prices had surged even higher, peaking at $5.85.US diesel prices have risen 23% in the last two months, to a new record high of $5.85. pic.twitter.com/QBjIyJe9sb
— Lisa Abramowicz (@lisaabramowicz1) September 4, 2026 Prior to the most recent price spike, one Texas farmer told Farm Journal his diesel bill went up $23,000 in just one month.Many farmers chose to wait closer to fall harvest to buy diesel, hoping prices would come back down. Kinser Jensen, a corn and soybean farmer from north-central Iowa, is one of those farmers.
“Although we’ve been taking the wait-and-see approach, we’re just going to have to bite the bullet and start buying fuel,” says Jensen, who farms 3,400 acres. “There’s little things we can do, but at the end of the day it’s not going to change the big picture. I can’t change enough to mitigate that increased cost.”
What’s Driving Record Diesel Prices? There are multiple contributing factors to a record-high increase in diesel prices. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s data shows distillate fuel oil stocks, including diesel and heating oil, were at 103.4 million barrels for the week ending Aug. 21, a record-low for this time of the year .
The diesel market is facing a major supply shortage.
The US diesel refining margin is up to a record $106/barrel, surpassing $100 for the first time.
This is a key measure of how much refiners can potentially earn from turning a barrel of crude oil into diesel, with wider… pic.twitter.com/TWozgXjIfx
“That’s very problematic. Russia’s one of the largest producers of diesel to the global market. One in nine barrels of diesel produced globally comes from Russia,” De Haan says. “Now they’ve banned exports of diesel. So suddenly the global market for diesel is extremely tight.”
Unfortunately, prices could climb even higher in the coming weeks. Traditionally, diesel prices experience strong seasonal upward pressure throughout the fall due to harvest and the fact that home heating oil is a refined “cousin” to diesel. As colder weather approaches, heating oil consumption experiences a sharp seasonal ramp-up. According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. consumption of the critical distillate fuels increases by an average of 4% between September and October .
“Until there is enough global refining capacity, we probably will continue to see diesel prices rather elevated for at least the next few months,” De Haan says. “If we continue to see new attacks going into the winter, it’s certainly possible we could see diesel prices climbing even closer to $6 a gallon across the country.”
US diesel prices are near record highs - and it's the single most underappreciated driver of inflation.
Unlike gasoline, diesel isn't just a household expense.
It's an input cost for the entire economy: trucking, rail freight, agriculture, construction, shipping.
When it… pic.twitter.com/VTFjPryykb
While Russia is attempting to quickly repair damaged refineries, De Haan says the damage is significant. For now, farmers such as Jensen will have to absorb the hit and hope global supply chains stabilize before spring planting.
Bidding begins Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 a.m. for an online memorial sale honoring Adam Massman — a young showman remembered for the light he brought to the cattle barn and the support he gave to others. The sale will be hosted on SC Online Sales, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Massman family to help ease the financial burden of the tragedy and to help establish a fund that allows family and loved ones to honor his memory for years to come.
From the Gridiron to the Grand Champion Ring Massman, a senior quarterback and defensive back at Alma Center Lincoln High School, sustained injuries during the Hornets’ season-opening football game on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. He tragically passed away two days later, on Aug. 22.
Beyond his success on the football field and basketball court — where he earned academic all-state honors — Massman found success in the show ring including winning the Bred and Owned Beef Steer competition at the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair.
Adam and his family celebrate at the backdrop. His steer “Kolt” was named the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair Champion Bred and Owned Steer.(Brianne Massman) Organizers of the auction say the loss has been met with an outpouring of support — from the show cattle community and beyond — including the number of people who gathered to say goodbye this past weekend.
Adam’s mom, Brianne, explains her son showed a knack for art when he was young. “We were always just like, wow, he’s really got a talent for this,” she says.
As he got older, that focus turned into determination on the field — and into a drive that also showed up in the show barn. “It was a great mix of talent and hard work,” Brianne summarizes. “And then showing cattle just blossomed for him.”
Friends describe Massman as tall, often in a cowboy hat, with a laid-back demeanor and a witty sense of humor. He had a soft spot for animals, especially his 11-year-old dog, Chocolate. In recent years, he excelled in the show ring. About seven years ago, he began working with Walsh Cattle in Lyndon Station, Wis.
“He pretty quickly became family and went pretty much everywhere with us,” Clayton Walsh says.
Walsh says Massman traveled widely with the crew. One of their favorite trips was the National Western Stock Show in Denver last January.
When Walsh first met him, Massman was shy, he recalls — but that changed as the years went on. “Over the last few years he really came out of his shell and kind of prospered and blossomed into kind of the young man that everyone kind of remembered,” Walsh says.
Brianne adds she has received stories from people who knew her son and from many who did not — including parents who say their children loved watching him show cattle and wanted to be like him. “The stories were just, just never ending,” she said. “I’m just so proud that he showed those qualities to other people.”
An Industry Answers the Call To honor Massman, Clayton and Mesa Walsh decided to host an online sale on Sept. 4. Mesa Walsh says donations came quickly and from across the country.
“Within 30 minutes, I had just email after email and text after text,” she said.
The tribute sale includes more than 80 lots, including embryos, semen, sale credits, golfing packages and more. Organizers say many of the items reflect Massman’s interests — including semen from some of his favorite bulls and embryos he would have bid on — and that there is “something for everyone.”
“A huge thank you to everyone who has already donated, reached out, shared the sale, or shown interest,” organizers wrote in a post promoting the sale. “I’ve never been more proud of the industry coming together and the community, the amount of community support that’s poured into this family.
Brianne says the support has left her speechless. In addition to the livestock industry, football teams across the state took moments of silence before their games to acknowledge Adam. FFA students in official dress and athletes in uniformed also lined the streets following the Adam’s memorial service.
“They don’t have to bid on things,” Brianne says. “They can just show up and feel a part of Adam’s story.”
She adds many messages have carried the same theme: people may not have known him personally, but they are cheering for him — and for his family — now.
Brianne summarizes her family is leaning on their Christian faith during the hard time. Organizers say Sept. 4 was chosen because four was Adam’s favorite number and the number on his football jersey.
To view the lots and place a bid, visit the Adam Massman Memorial Auction on SC Online Sales .
This process is being watched closely because of its scale and timeframe. There’s relevance in how what a forced seller of this size does to not only to its farm business but also the larger farmland market.
FTI Consulting Canada, the monitor, told the court in June that “this amount of farmland hitting the market all at one time will be unprecedented and accordingly it is yet to be determined how the market will absorb the supply.”
What The Market Has Said So Far
The clearest read available came in August, and it was not encouraging.
On Aug. 19, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta approved the sale of roughly 3,100 acres at Aguila, Ariz., along with a cold storage facility and a seed plant, to Nevada-based Byner Cattle Company. In an affidavit sworn Aug. 10, Monette Group CEO Darrel Monette said the retained broker marketed the property by “directly contacting 17 prospective purchasers active in the agricultural sector.” The monitor’s report adds that the listing drew 41 hits on the listing platform and 37 views of the broker’s own website.
The result: “This was the only offer received for the Aguila Farm.”
The purchase price is under seal by a separate order granted the same day. Monette argued in his affidavit that public disclosure “could impact any future sale process.”
It was the first U.S. property to clear. It was not the first sale — 19 Saskatchewan parcels near Hafford, together with buildings, grain storage and equipment, were approved May 1 for sale to G and K Walter Farms and Harvesting Ltd. and closed May 13. Both transactions ran through expedited sale approval and vesting orders, a track that operates alongside the main sale process rather than through it.
Across that main process, the monitor distributed marketing materials to approximately 208 strategic and financial parties.
More About The Response So Far
Monette’s Sale and Investment Solicitation Process (SISP) contains no non-binding round — no letter-of-intent stage where a buyer can put a number on paper and then go walk the ground. Under the approved procedures, a bid qualifies only if it arrives as a signed definitive transaction agreement with completed exhibits, accompanied by evidence of financing, and remains irrevocable until a successful bidder is selected or the deal closes.
That is a demanding ask on land a buyer may never have seen, and it front-loads the cost of bidding.
The listings were also late. All properties were on the market by late July, six weeks after the process opened June 29. British Columbia did not go live until July 31 — roughly ten weeks before bids close.
What Changed Sept. 1
Sept. 1 was not a bid deadline. Bids have been accepted since June 29, and the monitor has spent the summer collecting offers. As of Sept. 1, it can begin selecting them.
The hard wall is Oct. 15, the Binding Bid Deadline. Bids submitted on or before Sept. 1 are on a track seeking court approval by Oct. 31. Bids arriving after Sept. 1 and before the deadline seek approval by the process termination date — noon Mountain Time on Nov. 30.
There’s a detail buried in those dates. The stay of proceedings protecting Monette from its creditors runs to Nov. 13. Anything landing late in the window therefore needs an extension to close.
What is For Sale
JurisdictionAcresLead brokerSaskatchewan~117,000–129,000Hammond Realty, with Sutton-Harrison Realty and Royal LePage Martin-LibertyMontana54,482Premier Land CompanyManitoba~49,000Hammond RealtyBritish Columbia~45,000LandQuest Realty Corp.Colorado4,079Clark & Associates Land BrokersArizona3,157Southwest Land Associates North of the Border, a Smaller Pool
Saskatchewan and Manitoba both limit non-resident ownership of farmland to 40 acres. The Saskatchewan and Manitoba packages — the bulk of the offering — must find domestic buyers, in provinces where a distressed seller has put more than 150,000 acres in front of them at once.
The U.S. tracts carry no equivalent restriction. Roughly 61,700 acres in Montana, Colorado and Arizona can clear into a buyer pool that includes outside capital.
British Columbia Has Already Failed Twice
The B.C. ranches are the cautionary case. Roughly 45,000 acres across 12 properties drew no sales at a Jan. 9 deadline. A second attempt through a Ritchie Bros. tender-by-auction closed March 3, also without a sale. Title concerns were blamed at the time.
The ground is now listed as 11 packages with LandQuest Realty Corp. It is the third attempt to sell it.
How It Got Here
Darrel Monette took over the family operation in 2013 and scaled and diversified it quickly — grain growth across Western Canada, U.S. entry in 2019, cattle and produce added in 2021, and a vegetable processing facility near Outlook, Sask.
Revenue climbed from $45 million in 2017 to $347 million. Earnings went the other way: EBITDA fell from $83 million in 2022 to $37 million as expansion into lower-margin produce and cattle consumed capital, interest rates rose and land valuations flattened.
A senior facilities agreement — originally roughly $950 million, led by Scotiabank — matured April 15, 2026, with $829.5 million in principal and interest due. An attempt to raise about $400 million through a minority stake sale found no buyer. The group filed for creditor protection under Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act on April 28, covering 18 Monette corporations and three limited partnerships. Court filings put secured debt near $905 million against approximately $1.24 billion in assets and $1.08 billion in liabilities.
A parallel Chapter 15 proceeding in U.S. Bankruptcy Court recognized the Canadian case as the foreign main proceeding on May 13. No order approving the Arizona sale had been posted to that docket as of Sept. 1; an omnibus hearing was scheduled Aug. 25.
The farm is still operating. Monette said at the filing that his priority was to “keep farming,” and the group has continued through the 2026 growing season.
More on Monette Farms’ Restructure
As of July 31, Monette had drawn $88.2 million of a $90 million debtor-in-possession facility, according to the monitor’s third report. Cash on hand stood at $12.3 million. The forecast has the group holding $5 million on Nov. 13, which is the day its creditor protection expires.
That is the frame for everything that happens between now and the Oct. 15 bid deadline. The land has to sell, and it has to sell in a window that is now measured in weeks.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), an NSAC member, and was authored by Nora Shields-Cutler, IATP’s Program Associate for Community Food Systems. The original post is available on IATP’s website.
While the initiative announcement makes some encouraging promises, the amount of funding doesn’t come close to the $1 billion of local school food funding canceled in 2025.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its “Harvest to Hallways” initiative this week, outlining approximately $125 million in investments and support for school nutrition. While we’re encouraged to see public investment in school meals, these investments don’t come close to covering the $1 billion that states lost when the administration canceled the Local Food for Schools (LFS) funding last year. The administration canceled these LFS funds under the grounds that they “no longer effectuate[d] the goals of the agency” — this reversal in policy decisions creates confusion and sows reasonable doubt in the stated goals of this new initiative. These new investments also do not address the more comprehensive support required to support schools in purchasing, preparing, and serving local food.
The announcement lists six main priorities: expanding local procurement, investing in school kitchens, bringing more local food to schools, accelerating healthier meals, and investing in school meal nutrition research. While all these topline goals seem like great priorities, unpacking the planned activities paints a different picture.
Growing local procurementHarvest to Hallways will address “expanding local procurement” through branding and education to schools. While federal guidance and support of local purchasing is critical, this information alone does not address the structural barriers schools face to significantly expand their local purchases. Congress implementing a local purchasing option for USDA entitlement dollars is a tangible action advocates have called for to allow schools to use their existing federal commodity funding to purchase local, minimally processed foods.
Investing in school kitchensThe next priority mentioned is school kitchens, with a new $50 million investment in kitchen equipment, adding to a previously announced amount of $20 million. This is a much-needed investment but doesn’t begin to address the scope of the problem. In California alone, a 2020 study found that over $5 billion would be required to ensure public school kitchens were prepared for scratch cooking. This problem is national in scope: 72% of respondents to a national survey stated shortages in equipment as a moderate to significant barrier in implementing more scratch cooking. As the Center for Science in the Public Interest identified, we need further research to understand what it will take to address this challenge, and sustained funding to make progress on infrastructure needs.
Supporting Farm to School grantsUSDA’s announcement includes an additional $25 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School grants to support bringing more local foods to schools. The Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant program has funded important work over the years, with a larger scope than food purchasing — the grant has offered support for planning, development, and implementation of Farm to School initiatives. However, recent changes have made the grant less accessible. These changes include introducing a new minimum award amount of $100,000 — when 97% of previous awards were less than this amount (1,241 of 1,342 awards) — and requiring many types of applicants, including schools, to apply as part of a partnership. See other changes highlighted here.
The program also continues to require grantees to provide a 25% match. All these factors mean that smaller districts and strained budgets are being asked to do significant amounts of legwork and provide more match dollars before they can even apply for funding. This $25 million also represents a tiny fraction of the $1 billion of federal Local Food for Schools funding that was canceled in 2025, which could have been used directly to purchase foods from local farmers.
Researching school meal nutritionThe final listed priorities include accelerating healthier meals and investing $30 million in school meal nutrition research. The plan encourages adoption of a pledge for healthier school meals. Many of the items included in the pledge are easy to get behind as ideas and much harder for schools to implement in practice. For example, many of the listed items under “improving smart snacks” require cold storage (i.e., eggs, cheese, fruits and vegetables), additional processing, or can’t be served at all in many schools (i.e., nuts). Schools are still working to implement the 2024 rule and are concerned about additional possible changes to the meal pattern. Without communication about a new proposed USDA rule based on the dietary guidelines, this soundbite merely throws more unhelpful information at overburdened school staff. It is unclear what impact lunch improvement research might have on schools’ ability to prepare and serve meals that align with new guidelines or how it might reduce costs. Tips and tricks are unlikely to address the biggest issue school districts are facing: the costs of food and labor. Increasing reimbursement for school meals and federally implementing free meals for all students would be two steps that could begin to address some of these issues.
All in all, the Harvest to Hallways initiative has positive components. Infrastructure support and additional funding for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School program are great investments in our school food landscape. The infrastructure support is a start in addressing the third major concern of school districts: equipment. But the scale of this investment does not match the tremendous need and types of investment needed. A set of common-sense changes found in Chef Ann Foundation’s roadmap for healthier school meals would address the range of needs more comprehensively, including increasing school reimbursement and staff wages. We would like to see deep investment from Congress and the administration to address the funding needed to cover the costs of food, staffing, and infrastructure to serve all kids nutritious, locally sourced meals.
The post Guest Post: USDA’s new “Harvest to Hallways” school food initiative falls short of needed investments appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
(Washington, D.C., Sept. 1, 2026) – Today, at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Data Modernization Plan to put Farmers First, reduce unnecessary burdens on producers, and improve the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of the agricultural data that informs decisions across American agriculture.
On July 30, 2026, an unannounced black Chevrolet Suburban parked outside Burgod’s office building in Aberdeen. A Division of Criminal Investigations agent, presumably armed, exited the vehicle and entered her office. Sent by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, he flashed his badge and announced an investigation of Burgod.
Enemy of the state? A lawbreaker?
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” she says. “All I’ve done is ask reasonable questions about a mega-dairy facility they’re trying to ram into our rural community, while ignoring ordinances on the books that are meant to govern and protect our county, farms, and lakes. This is happening all over our state in one degree or another, and I won’t be silenced.”
Math Ain’t Mathing
Across four generations, Burgod’s family has worked the land in Edmunds County, outside Ipswich, in northcentral South Dakota. At present, alongside her husband, Keith, and two sons, Burgod actively grows corn, soybeans, and maintains a cow-calf cattle operation. Additionally, Burgod owner-agent at a crop insurance agency in nearby Aberdeen, across the line in Brown County.
“It’s the life I love,” she says. “If I’m in a combine or tractor, I am living the dream. I’m passionate about agriculture and the wonderful place where I was born and raised.”
In August 2025, based on a conditional-use-permit application, Burgod caught wind of an incoming dairy to Edmunds County owned by Minnesota-based Riverview LLP. Edmunds County has dairies, but nothing to compare with the inbound proposal: Belle Dairy, a 25,000-head operation spanning 640 acres.
“I wanted to know if they were following county ordinances,” Burgod says, “the laws for the good of our community that are supposed to be followed regardless of who the applicant is.”(Graphic courtesy of Julie Burgod)
The Edmunds County zoning board approved Belle Dairy despite area opposition: Local citizens submitted hundreds of comments, a binder containing detailed concerns, a 346-signature petition requesting permit denial, and 61,000 acres in designated denial of manure agreements.
“I believe the approval has a lot to do with GOED (Governor’s Office of Economic Development) money,” Burgod says. “It was stated that the county expects to receive $4.3 million.”
Once over the county zoning hurdle, the project moved to state approval via South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). However, Burgod refused to spit the bit: She stuck her neck out and began asking questions.
“A giant dairy could have a major impact on our landscape,” she says. “I wanted answers. I wanted the facts. I wanted to know if they were following county ordinances—the laws for the good of our community that are supposed to be followed regardless of who the applicant is.”
Burgod dove into the paperwork, including Belle Dairy’s 200-plus page county application and its DANR application—an almost 1,300-page tome supplemented by almost 200 more pages of additions.
What did she find? The math, she says, wasn’t mathing.
Numbers Don’t Lie
From acres to cow weight to manure output, Belle Dairy’s proposed numbers are highly suspect, Burgod contends.
“They list 25,000 cows at 1,000 lb. for 365 days. The 1,000 lb. weight seemed unreasonable and it challenged me to do more research. Reality is 900 lb. on a Jersey to 1,700 on a Holstein. The nutrient management plan tied to the available acres for manure application compared to lagoon size were showing a major discrepancy. I made a chart to show a comparison of the numbers.
“The rock I’ll stand on is acreage,” Burgod explains. “The county ordinance requires that they have sufficient land to have their permit.(Graphic courtesy of Julie Burgod)
“The manure volume tied to the available acres was significantly lower than the manure volume calculated for the lagoon sizing,” she continues. “They claim each cow will produce 80 lb. of manure a day, when it’ll likely be 120-150 lb. That means their total of 2 million lb. of manure a day may very possibly be over 3.3 million lb. So, from storage to phosphorus to any other aspect of production and management, I have presented questions about the findings. I’m pointing out the obvious.”
(When asked by Agweb if any county official could address Burgod’s contentions and ordinance questions, Edmunds County Zoning Officer Brittney Duvall declined, and directed all inquiries to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.)
At a minimum, Burgod projects, Belle Dairy may need up to 25,000 acres annually to operate.
“The rock I’ll stand on is acreage,” Burgod explains. “The county ordinance requires that they have sufficient land to have their permit. Sure, 16,571 acres is adequate for 2 million lb. of manure a day, but it’s wildly low for 3.3 million lb. of manure a day. Sorry, but numbers don’t lie.”
Open Door
On July 14, Burgod reported potential ordinance violations to Edmunds County officials. Following up, she documented her position in writing and delivered a formal complaint to the Zoning Board on July 20. Next, at a July 29 County Commissioner meeting, she outlined her concerns.
Twenty-four hours later, on July 30, the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) came calling.
At approximately 2:40 p.m., a DCI supervisory special agent pulled up in a black Suburban to Burgod’s crop insurance office in Aberdeen, entered the building, and walked directly into her office. Presumably armed, the agent flashed a badge, asked to speak with Burgod, and handed her a business card.
“I’d say he was about 6’3”, dressed in casual clothes, and standing in my doorway. I couldn’t tell if he was carrying a gun or not. He asked to close the door and I flatly refused. There was one other employee in the building in a separate office, and I had no idea what was going on. The DCI guy had driven two hours from Watertown to find me.”
“I said, ‘You’re not closing the door,’ and he answered, ‘This is private.’”
“I repeated, ‘No. I want the door open.’”
The DCI agent sat across from Burgod’s desk and announced he was working with the Attorney General of the State of South Dakota.
(When Agweb asked for an interview regarding DCI’s investigation of Burgod, or for a statement about the DCI visit to Burgod’s office, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office declined. Also, the Edmunds County Zoning Board was asked by Agweb for comment on the DCI visit to Burgod’s office. The Zoning Board directed all questions to the Attorney General.)
“Nothing sank in for about two to three minutes,” Burgod recalls. “Then he said there’d been a complaint that I’d committed fraud. He told me that I was not being charged with anything right then and that he wasn’t going to arrest me, but he proceeded to ask me questions. That’s when I said I wanted my attorney before I kept going.”
What “fraud” was Burgod accused of committing?
Resources, Time, and Tax Dollars
The DCI agent provided Burgod with her voter registration form and then showed her a copy of her complaint filed against Belle Dairy.
According to DCI, Burgod used her farm mailing address, rather than her actual residency address in Mina Lake, when submitting her formal complaint regarding Belle Dairy.
“All I’ve done is ask reasonable questions about a mega-dairy facility they’re trying to ram into our rural community, while ignoring ordinances on the books that are meant to govern and protect our county, farms, and lakes,” says Burgod.(Photo by Burgod Farms)
Both locations are in Edmunds County and Burgod owns both properties. “It’s ridiculous. I get all my mail at the farm address.I or my husband are at the farm almost every day. My voting address is basically a mile-and-a-half from my voting location. The idea that I was hiding something is crazy.”
From Burgod’s perspective, speaking on the blind to a DCI agent was surreal. “I felt like, ‘Is this really happening?’ but when he kept going, I told him I wanted to consult with my attorney. At that point, he seemed to get a little nervous, and then he left.”
Yet, a state criminal investigator, directly from the Attorney General’s office, had driven two hours to eyeball Burgod. And there was more. Significantly more. DCI’s investigation went far beyond Burgod’s office walls.
Four months prior, on March 30, Burgod had filed a petition to run for county commissioner. She only needed three signatures from local citizenry to file the paperwork, but in just-in-case mode, Burgod obtained nine signatures.
On August 6, one week after visiting Burgod, DCI located her nine signatories and questioned them all. “That’s right,” she emphasizes. “DCI went and found all the people that signed for me to check them out, or check me out.”
Intimidation? Verification? “All I can do is speculate, but I suspect they’re trying to have me removed as commissioner,” she says, “and they targeted my petition and voter registration.”
Bottom line, was her real crime to publicly poke an incoming dairy business? Were state law enforcement resources, time, and tax dollars used to investigate a farmer for asking questions? Has the county been involved and spent taxpayer money on pursuit of Burgod?
Bell the Cow
What happens next with DCI’s investigation into Burgod? She is resolute and willing to bell the cow.
“I haven’t done anything illegal or criminal. All I’ve asked for is a review of the ordinance. If there’s a review of the ordinance and a dairy violation is found, the permit can be revoked, and they can reapply.”
“I believe in transparency. I believe in honesty. I believe in doing things procedurally. There should be a process and procedure, and those should apply to everybody equally—regardless of big money or corporate structure,” Burgod adds. “Ultimately, this is about accountability and protecting the future of South Dakota agriculture for the generations that come next.”
For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:
Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told
How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer
Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust
Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing
When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case
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