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Census: Minnesota farms are growing

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Census: Minnesota farms are growing


Connor Danielson’s inspiration for farming was his grandfather, even though his grandfather had retired before Danielson was born.

“He kept some of his equipment, and I would always follow him around,” says Danielson, who is a student at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn.

He also spent a lot of time at his uncle’s hobby farm. “I kind of grew up out there, so that got me into farming,” he says.

Danielson started helping neighbors in the Atwater area, at first picking rocks. Then he helped another neighbor who needed part-time help through the summer with chickens, among other things.

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That was in 2018, and that farmer said he would help Danielson farm some land if he could find some to rent.

Danielson went back to the farmer he originally picked rocks for to see about renting some land, “so he rented me 11 acres that year,” says Danielson, who used that land as the basis for his FFA supervised agricultural experience project that earned him a trip to the National FFA Convention.

Data from the 2022 ag census that was released in February shows Danielson fits into a couple of boxes, as Minnesota farms of all sizes grew from 2017, including those on the small size.

While many bemoan the loss of small farms, the number of farms with 1 to 9 acres grew from 1,974 five years ago to 2,189 in 2022. Farms with 500 acres or more grew from 2,183 in 2017 to 2,599 in 2022.

Farms with 10 to 49 acres grew from 4,365 to 5,672; 50 to 179 acres grew from 4,741 to 5,305; and the farms with 180 to 499 acres grew from 2,869 in 2017 to 3,149 farms in this latest census.

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The average-sized farm in Minnesota is 388 acres in 2022, up from 371 in 2017.

Aging, but youth movement

While the Minnesota farmer continues to age from 56.5 in 2017 to 57.1 in 2022, and all age categories saw growth, there is also hope, as about 500 people younger than 25 were added to the ranks since the last census.

While Danielson may not be the stereotypical starting farmer in Minnesota, he shares the same dreams with many young farmer hopefuls across the Gopher State.

“If I could farm full time right now, I would do it,” he says, “but I don’t have that option at this point in time.”

Knowing full-time farming is not currently an option for him, Danielson is working toward an associate degree in ag mechanics as a fallback, but that also will serve him well on the farm.

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“I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, working on the equipment, and I’ve always enjoyed putzing with my own equipment, so I decided to go to school for it, and then I could use this on the farm if I ever do get the opportunity to farm full time. … It’s almost impossible to get into because it’s really expensive, so this way I can live off this income, and I can use it to help me farm.”

Of the 114,000-plus total farmers in Minnesota, more than 68,000 worked off the farm, with over 45,000 working 200 days or more off the farm to supplement their farm income. Almost 64,000 producers considered off-farm employment to be their main occupation.





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Minnesota Vikings Undrafted Free Agency Tracker

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Minnesota Vikings Undrafted Free Agency Tracker


UPDATE: UCLA edge defender Gabriel Murphy will be signing with the Vikings as a UDFA, per Zenitz.


UPDATE: Arkansas cornerback Dwight McGlothern is signing with the Vikings, per Zenitz.

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UPDATE: Arizona defensive lineman Tyler Manoa is on his way to Minnesota, per Matt Zenitz of 24/7 Sports


UPDATE: It appears that Air Force linebacker Bo Richter is the first UDFA in the books for the Vikings!

We’ll keep putting updates at the top of the piece so you won’t have to scroll too far. Original story below the line here.


Barring what would be a really weird trade back into the selection meeting, the 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books for the Minnesota Vikings, but things aren’t completely over yet! The end of the Draft means the end of the undrafted free agent signing frenzy and the opportunity for our favorite football team to fill out their 90-man roster.

With the players they drafted, the Vikings have room on their roster for 17 new undrafted free agents, so the rumors will likely be flying fast and furious with names that will be connected to the purple.

Over the years, the Vikings have had a lot of significant undrafted free agents, including a Pro Football Hall of Famer in John Randle. We’ve also seen players like Adam Thielen, Marcus Sherels, and, most recently, Ivan Pace Jr. go from undrafted to playing a big-time role with the Vikings.

An important thing to keep in mind is the fact that the undrafted free agency signings will not be official until tomorrow. Right now, these are all just rumors and speculation until the Vikings release their official UDFA list tomorrow.

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We’ll do our best to keep things updated here with the latest undrafted free agent news, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to all of you who have gotten your 2024 NFL Draft news this year right here at The Daily Norseman!

Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.





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Minnesota Republican congressional candidates seek endorsements at Saturday conventions

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Minnesota Republican congressional candidates seek endorsements at Saturday conventions


Republican activists are gathering across Minnesota on Saturday to throw their backing behind candidates to compete in congressional races from western Minnesota to the Twin Cities suburbs.

Four Republicans are seeking the party’s endorsement in the suburban Third District, which is open after DFL U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. In Minnesota’s competitive Second District, which covers suburbs and rural areas south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Republicans Tayler Rahm and Joe Teirab are both vying for the backing of activists to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. Angie Craig.

Rahm, a conservative attorney from Burnsville who has never run for office before, is positioning himself as the outsider candidate with backing from grassroots activists. He’s up against former prosecutor Joe Teirab, who has said he plans to move on to the August primary election regardless of the results of Saturday’s endorsing convention.

Teirab has dramatically outraised Rahm so far this cycle. He recently reported ending March with $662,000 in the bank, while Rahm has $59,500 in cash.

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The outcome of the race is critical for Republicans, who are fighting this fall to maintain their narrow control of the U.S. House. The Second District, represented since 2018 by Craig, is one of a few remaining swing districts in the country that offer them a chance for a pick up. Some Republicans are worried a potential primary battle will give them a disadvantage in the race, while others have criticized the endorsing process for choosing candidates who don’t have broad appeal.

In western Minnesota, incumbent U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach and challenger Steve Boyd are vying for the Republican endorsement. Both candidates have signaled they plan to continue running through the August primary election, regardless of who wins the party’s endorsement at Saturday’s convention.

“Despite having every opportunity to respect our party’s process, our traditions, and the opinions of grassroots delegates, Steve Boyd is defying the endorsement and forcing a primary election,” Norann Dillon, executive director of Fischbach’s congressional campaign, wrote in a recent email.

The 38-year-old Boyd is a political outsider, a small business owner from Kensington who’s never held public office. He said the Seventh Congressional District would be better served by a new voice, arguing Fischbach, a former state senator for more than two decades, is a political insider.

“My goal would be to do politics a different way and run in a manner that engages more people in the process. Don’t just work the numbers so we win. Stand on principle,” Boyd recently told the Star Tribune. He added that he would be willing to shut down the government to fix the border crisis.

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Fischbach has one of the most conservative voting records in Congress and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Yet, many Trump-aligned conservative activists in the district are backing Boyd over Fischbach.

The Seventh District’s endorsing convention is expected to be contentious. Some conservative activists from Otter Tail County who are trying to become delegates could disrupt the convention. Most of those activists support Boyd and could make the endorsing race more competitive if they’re seated as delegates.



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Picks, Needs, Possible Targets on Saturday

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Picks, Needs, Possible Targets on Saturday


After a busy first night of the 2024 NFL Draft saw the Vikings land J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, Day 2 came and went without Minnesota making any picks. Their second-rounder was traded in March in a deal for the 23rd pick, and their third-rounder was moved a couple years ago in the T.J. Hockenson deal.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings will be back in action for Day 3 on Saturday, with five picks at their disposal and plenty of needs to address. As is always the case, there’s still plenty of talent available after the first three rounds. Here’s a quick preview of an important day for the Vikings, which begins at 11 a.m. CT.

Vikings 2024 draft picks

* Round 1, Pick 10: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
* Round 1, Pick 17: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
* Round 4, Pick 108
* Round 6, Pick 177
* Round 6, Pick 203
* Round 7, Pick 230
* Round 7, Pick 232

Day 3 needs

Defensive tackle: Minnesota has one of the five worst DT rooms in the NFL. Harrison Phillips is a solid nose tackle, but Jonathan Bullard is a replacement-level player who starts for the Vikings and the pressure-creating options are Jerry Tillery and Jaquelin Roy. This is a glaring need.

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Cornerback: The Vikings’ starting corners are in place with Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin, and Mekhi Blackmon, but they could really use another young piece at that position with a chance to develop into a contributor. 2022 draft picks Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans have not panned out.

Left guard: Dalton Risner remains a free agent, so the Vikings’ current projected starter at LG is Blake Brandel, who has been a backup throughout his career. They need competition at that spot.

Wide receiver: You can never have too many wide receivers. The Vikings let K.J. Osborn walk in free agency, so it would be helpful if they could grab someone who can enter the depth mix with Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Nailor.

Kicker: The Vikings need to add a kicker to compete with John Parker Romo, who they signed from the XFL. That could be an option in the seventh round or undrafted free agency.

Others: On defense, linebacker and safety are both options where the Vikings could add someone with versatility and special teams value. They could also take another edge rusher. On offense, don’t rule out tight end or running back. Basically the only position that would be surprising is quarterback.

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Potential targets with pick 108

If the Vikings don’t trade down (which feels like a real possibility), they’ll have the eighth pick of the fourth round on Saturday morning, and then nothing until the first pick of the sixth round. These players are among those who would make sense at 108:

That’s obviously just a small portion of the players who could be under consideration for the Vikings in the fourth round. Keep an eye on Jackson and Baker, who took top-30 visits to Minnesota recently.

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Late-round names to know

The following players visited the Vikings during the pre-draft process and could be options in the 6th or 7th round (or as UDFAs).

* LSU IOL Charles Turner III
* Oregon DT Taki Taimani
* Tennessee TE McCallan Castles
* UNC OT Spencer Rolland
* UNI DT Khristian Boyd
* Washington RB Dillon Johnson
* Iowa TE Erick All
* USF OT Donovan Jennings
* CFL CB Qwan’tez Stiggers
* Ohio State S Josh Proctor
* Memphis RB Blake Watson
* UTSA WR Joshua Cephus
* TCU S Millard Bradford

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long.

Follow Will Ragatz on X/Twitter





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