RESEARCH: From Minnesota Corn via X, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota Corn-supported research project at the U of M could pave the way for additional market opportunities for corn-based biofuels. Learn more here from the @LFNupdates” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48IHKnQ (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
A BUSY WEEK AHEAD
GRANTS: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “Today in Michigan alongside U.S. Representative Tom Barrett, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the availability of over $275 million in grant funding in FY2026 for the specialty crop industry in the United States through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), and the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP). Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, USDA is able to provide $175 million per year for SCRI, more than double the previous amount of $80 million per year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41QbyLP
EXPORTS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The USDA is reporting another solid week for corn, sorghum, and wheat export inspections. Corn and wheat inspections during the week ending April 9th were below a year ago but topped what’s needed to meet projections for the current marketing year, with Mexico topping the list for both. Sorghum was up on the year as earlier purchases by China leave U.S. ports. While soybeans were above last year, inspections are behind the needed pace because of relatively slow demand from China. The USDA’s next round of supply and demand numbers is out May 10th.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47XxwzV
IMMIGRATION: Via Investigate Midwest, VERBATIM: “In the first months of his presidency, Trump sent federal agents to farms and agricultural operations, drawing backlash from some supporters who said the actions made it harder to hire undocumented workers, who make up 44% of all farm workers, according to U.S. government surveys. Trump announced a temporary pause on raids in the agriculture and meat-processing sectors, only to reverse the decision days later. By early February 2026, more than 68,000 immigrants were being held in ICE detention nationwide, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Most were arrested by ICE, and nearly three-quarters had no criminal conviction, often only minor offenses like traffic violations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QzZtaS
MNLEG: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam expects ag spending to be reduced this year due to the economic landscape. Policy priorities are still getting attention.” PUTNAM: “There’s some basic stuff that the Department of Ag would like to see us fix a little bit. Then a couple other things that we’re putting in there because we think they’re important and don’t cost a lot of money, like an extension of the Farmer-Lender Mediation Program.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QBuwDb
FERTILIZER: Via Fillmore County Journal, VERBATIM: “Senator Amy Klobuchar visited with farmers in Cannon Falls to highlight her bipartisan bills to lower fertilizer costs in the wake of the war in Iran. Klobuchar met with Minnesota agriculture leaders, including Rob Tate, board treasurer of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association; Wes Beck, president of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association; Ryan Mackenthun, vice president of the Minnesota Soybean Association; and local farmers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tKHoFE
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Corn is a Fluence sponsor)
PRODUCTIVE FARMS, STEWARDSHIP GO HAND IN HAND. via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Corn farmers are demonstrating that productive agriculture and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Through widespread adoption of practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, crop rotations, and targeted nutrient management, farmers have improved soil health, reduced erosion, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protected water quality across millions of acres in Minnesota. That’s all while implementing advances in seed genetics, fertility management, and precision technology that have improved on-farm productivity.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4stHjG5 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
THE BUSINESS OF FARMING
DECISIONS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The prospect of negative returns is forcing drastic decisions on a handful of Minnesota farms. Steve Zenk with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture tells Brownfield a small segment of farmers who primarily own all their land are choosing to rent it out rather than farm it in 2026.” ZENK: “And it might be folks that are a little older and don’t have huge machinery debt obligations. But yeah, we have seen some operations that decided ‘well I’m just going to sit out this year (because) I can’t make cash flow work with corn and soybeans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q68oRu
LOWER PYMNTS: Via farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “The April 9 USDA World Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report did not include any significant changes to supply or demand, compared other recent WASDE reports. The 2025-26 projected ending stocks in the April report for corn and soybeans remained the same as the estimates a month earlier, while the wheat ending stocks were increased slightly. The expected 2025-26 market year average (MYA) prices for corn, soybeans and wheat were all increased slightly from the March price projections. This is important because it lowers the estimates for the potential 2025 PLC and ARC-CO payments, which will be paid in October of 2026. These payments are very important this year for cash flow planning purposes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vrCsa5
SOIL TEMPS: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Soil temps are one of the clearest signals it’s time to plant - and it’s changing fast this time of year. MDA’s Six-Inch Soil Temperature Network provides real-time data from locations across MN to help guide your timing.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4sGYDqw
MORE: Via MDA, the soil temperature map, MAP: https://fluence-media.co/47XD4KL
MARGINS: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Minnesota farmer Kevin Connelly has some straightforward advice for farmers considering growing oats: Don’t go cheap on yourself with the seed. ‘We put on about four bushel (per acre),’ Connelly said. ‘Our seeding rate is around 120-pounds an acre.’ Connelly’s advice on not skimping on seed coincides with a lot of North Dakota State University Extension farm management specialist Ron Haugen’s philosophies for all crops. ‘Don’t cut back on chemicals, because if you have bad weeds, a weed infestation, that’s just going to make everything worse,’ he said.
But there are some things to watch to try to increase margins.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QA9nJA
FINANCES
INCOME: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Minnesota farmers saw improved financial performance in 2025 but the recovery is uneven, with persistent stress in parts of the farm economy and warning signs continuing into 2026. New data from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities show median net farm income rose to $66,518 in 2025, a notable improvement from extremely low profit levels in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tjsCFV
CATTLE: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Live cattle futures made new and all-time contract highs on Friday with the April contract closing above $250. Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle market started off lower on Monday with bearish outside markets, like skyrocketing crude oil, but quickly turned mixed. So, he isn’t concerned about the initial consolidation.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ckOKZd
MARGINS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s commissioner of agriculture tells Brownfield some farmers are sitting out the 2026 crop year. Thom Petersen says negative margins are resulting in growers going idle.” PETERSEN: “Maybe some of those smaller grain farmers, if they have somebody willing to pay a couple hundred dollars an acre to rent their land and run it rather losing a hundred bucks an acre. Which is kind of what some of the penciling still projects to be with everything.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4epLheq
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
NEXTGEN: From Assistant MDA Commissioner Patrice Bailey via X, VERBATIM: “Assistant Commissioner Bailey spoke to students from the entrepreneurship and innovation center at Macalester College who came to Frogtown Park and Farm to work in the garden. Huge thank you to Marcus Carpenter from Route 1 for bringing the students to the farm.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/48ucJ76
ETHANOL: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Pretty solid .35 price difference/savings on E15/88 today the Stacy Kwik Trip, I’ll take it!” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/41srfbR
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