TOOLS OF THE TRADE: From Minnesota Corn via Instagram, VERBATIM: “A look at the equipment and machinery used on Minnesota farms.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46kTRq0 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
MOVING & SELLING
SOYBEANS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A director with the United Soybean Board says Egypt continues to be a top destination for U.S. soybeans. David Wessel, who just returned from a trade mission to the country with the U.S. Soybean Export Council, tells Brownfield, ‘Egypt is a huge buyer of U.S. soy.’ He says, ‘They are the number three standalone country, and they prefer our soybeans. Ninety to 95% of the soybeans that they import in Egypt are U.S. soy. Every place we went, they love our quality.’” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qZYXQX
ICYMI… First shared in morning take, via DEED, VERBATIM: “Minnesota exports of agricultural, mining and manufactured goods were valued at $5.7 billion in the third quarter of 2025, a drop of 14% (down $964 million) over the third quarter of 2024, according to data released today by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qPikvU
RAIL: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Agriculture commissioners and secretaries from ten states have signed a joint letter to the Surface Transportation Board highlighting their concerns over the proposed merger between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific railroads. The letter voices concern over the level of consolidation in the rail industry and the impact on agricultural shippers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qbJkop
MORE: The letter. Among the signers is MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rlbbDr
ICE SURGE
MN GROUPS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “While Operation Metro Surge continues in the Twin Cities, members of Minnesota’s agricultural communities say they too are feeling the effects of the federal immigration crackdown . . . ‘There is no disagreement that hardened criminals need to be prosecuted. But the way this is happening its just hitting everyone indiscriminately,’ Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, said . . . COPA, a group that helps immigrants and their families, say their have been hundreds of ICE raids in recent months outside of the Twin Cities Metro. Now, Minnesota farmers are having trouble hiring their usual workers for spring and summer.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rpuR9n
NATIONAL: Via United Farm Workers, a request for people to call their Senators and urge them not to fund ICE and Border Patrol. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bsUeCw
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
OUTLOOK: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Farmers entering 2026 face a familiar but tightening equation: strong production colliding with slower global demand, even as biofuels and select export markets offer potential growth. That was the message from agricultural economist Megan Roberts of Compeer Financial and Jason Marthaler, vice president of the oilseed product line at CHS, at the Minnesota Ag Expo in Mankato this month, during discussions on the economic forces shaping agriculture.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NGDaz8
(DISCLOSURE: Compeer is a Fluence sponsor)
GRAIN: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “While producers were aggressive sellers of soybeans last fall, they remained reluctant to move corn or wheat, leading to a buildup of inventory on the farm, CoBank said in a Thursday report. Company ownership of soybeans in commercial storage jumped to 73.6% as of Nov. 30, up from 66.3% the year prior as farmers sold soybeans at a faster pace, the Colorado-based bank said, citing collateral monitoring reports of grain company customers as of Nov. 30, 2025. CoBank’s data set includes grain companies from around the U.S. that provide monthly borrowing base position reports. The surveys do not include farmers’ marketing positions for commodities stored on-farm.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45D9OaV
CORN: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Economist Gretchen Koch with the National Corn Growers Association tells Brownfield year-round nationwide E15 is needed, but that alone won’t solve the corn supply problem.” KOCH: “There’s not one silver bullet that’s going to solve these problems, especially as we continue to increase corn production and have these efficiencies. We need to be working with our animal agriculture friends, our feed, looking at that export category and what that’s going to look like. It’s really a big picture environment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49Q7MXr
OATS: Via Morning Ag Clips, VERBATIM: “Oats were once a major Minnesota crop, with about 4 million acres planted annually on average until the early 1960s. But in 2025, oats accounted for only 195,000 planted acres in Minnesota, and those oats were used mostly for livestock feed and straw bedding. Meanwhile, corn planted in 2025 covered more than 8 million acres in the state. But with a new, $68 million food-grade oat mill expected to start accepting its first loads in August, a new market may be emerging for farmers. Farmer-owned Green Acres Milling, based in Albert Lea, expects to process up to 4 million bushels (an estimated 40,000 acres) of gluten-free oats per year, said Matt Kruger, director of strategy and development for the mill.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LXjhmS
WEATHER IMPACTS
DAIRY: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A market expert says Winter Storm Fern has caused dairies to dump milk in some regions of the South. Mike North with Ever.ag tells Brownfield key production areas like Texas and into the Midwest have been impacted by road conditions . . . North says the total impact on milk supplies is not yet known, but there has been an upswing in futures as a result.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/49QNqgS
DROUGHT: The new Drought Monitor reflecting data as of Tuesday shows no meaningful change from last week – 60% of the state remains abnormally dry with 30% in formal drought status. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PP2Kzy
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
MANDARINS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In the darkest days of Minnesota winter, when Phil Xiao was most homesick, a box from his father would arrive at the Carleton College mailroom. Xiao would bundle up and head outside to retrieve it, bringing Kishu mandarins back to his Northfield dorm to share . . . A decade later, Xiao, 32, is still in Minnesota, and his parents are still in California, but the Kishus have spread. Each winter, Xiao and his 69-year-old father, Bruce, harvest 15,000 pounds of fruit from 200 trees and ship them directly to customers across the U.S. They named their business the ‘Mandarin Man.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qPt79r
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