b"MinnesotaofficialsattendingincludedCommissionerofManagementandBudgetMyronFrans,MinnesotaDirectorofHomeland Security Joe Kelly, State Director ofthe Farm Service Agency Joe Martin and stafffromRep.CollinPeterson,Sen.AmyKlobachur and Sen. Tina Smith's offices.Thenextday,GovernorWalzissuedExecutiveOrder19-36,declaringanemer-gency and lifting regulations on motor carri-ers and drivers to alleviate the strain on farm-ers in western Minnesota during a particular-ly difficult harvest season. This has been astressfulyearforMinnesotafarmers.Therecentwetweatherhasonlyexacerbated Randy Boushey's farm crew tried desperately to drain water from a field nearthese challenges to create the unprecedented East Grand Forks, Minnesota.crisis we now face, with crops sitting unhar-vestedinsoakedfieldsandtruckloadsof Roseau,RedLake,Wilkin,Becker,and 11/19/2019productthatcantbebroughttomarket, Mahnomen. USDAExtendingFlexibilityonCropsaid Governor Walz. To our farmers: I am lis- Insurance Premiums - The U.S. Departmenttening. This Executive Order will help farms Thedesignationsmakefarmersinthe ofAgricultures(USDA)RiskManagementget the fuel they need, and our team will con- declared counties and those adjacent eligible Agency(RMA)announcedonThursdayittinue to look into actions we can take to sup- toreceivefederalloansundertheFarm will continue to defer accrual of interest forport our agricultural industry through these ServicesAgency'sEmergencyFarmLoan 2019 crop year insurance premiums to helpcatastrophic conditions. ProgramandtheSmallBusiness thewideswathoffarmersandranchersAdministration'sEconomicInjuryLoan affectedbyextremeweatherin2019.Potato Harvest Ends - By mid-week, nearly Program for farm-related business, according Specifically, USDA will defer the accrual ofall potato growers in the region pulled the toanewsreleasefromBurgum'soffice. interest on 2019 crop year insurance premi-plugonanycontinuedharvestattempts. Producers are also eligible to apply for relief ums to the earlier of the applicable termina-Three straight days of continuous tempera- viathefederalWildfiresandHurricanes tion date or January 31, 2020, for all policiestures below freezing froze the crop in place. Indemnity Program (WHIP+). with a premium billing date of August 15,The attention now turns to obtaining assis- 2019. This extension is necessary since har-tancethroughwhateverprogramsmaybe vest progress has been very delayed and cropavailable.11/12/2019 NorthDakota'sDisasterDeclarationRequestApproved;Minnesota'sExpectedSoon - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture SonnyPerdue has approved North Dakota GovernorDoug Burgums request for disaster declara-tionsfor47counties.NPPGAPresidentDonavonJohnsonanticipatesthatMinnesota Governor Walzs request for disas-ter declarations for 12 counties in Minnesotawill be approved by Perdue soon. Walz sub-mitted Minnesota's request last Thursday forthe counties of Polk, Clay, Norman, Marshall,Pennington,LakeoftheWoods,Kittson, Conveyors sit idle and mud begins to freeze at Folson Farms on November 13thafter several days of freezing temperatures ended the harvest.JANUARY 2020 POTATO GROWER 7"