CANADA: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Last week Executive Director Adam Birr joined a group of state corn executives on a U.S. Grains & Bioproducts Council mission trip to Ottawa, Canada to learn more about Canada’s Clean Fuels Regulations (CFR). The CFR has been a significant driver for biofuels demand in Canada. Due in part to Minnesota’s proximity to our neighbors to the north, over 99% of the state’s ethanol exports are destined for Canada.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46IbhOc (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
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BEETS: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “For years, sugar beets were a lifeline for American farmers. More than half of domestically produced sugar comes from the white-fleshed root crops, and robust demand from the world’s top sugar-consuming nation has shielded growers from more volatile crops like corn, soybeans and wheat. But not this year. A dramatic drop in U.S. consumption and excess imports have ballooned stockpiles. Refined beet sugar prices are down 33% from a year ago, their lowest level since 2019, and a sugar supply glut is projected to last through at least 2026. The culprit? Americans are simply eating less sugar.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48UzPEZ
AID: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has pushed back its plans to roll out economic aid for farmers this week due to the government shutdown, according to four people familiar with the talks. The Office of Management and Budget has readied between $12 billion and $13 billion to be allocated from an internal USDA account, some of which could be used to fund the bailouts for farmers hurt by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other economic headwinds, according to the four people with knowledge of the decision, all granted anonymity to share private details.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48lb7xt
MORE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Trump’s trade policies have had an outsized impact on farmers. China, the biggest buyer of U.S. soybean exports, isn’t buying any beans. That’s choking off a big export market for farmers like Paul Freeman in Starbuck, Minn. ‘The American farmer is going to try and weather the storm best we know how. We’ll adapt and try different things,’ he said. Freeman is getting squeezed from all directions. Not only is China boycotting U.S. soybeans amidst a trade war, but the Mississippi River is facing low water levels, which is driving up barge rates.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42xcGEH
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
TODAY: Via news release from Responsible Meat Coalition, VERBATIM: “Minnesota hog farmer Trisha Zachman will join more than 200 farmers from over 30 states in Washington, D.C. on October 8th to oppose the highly contentious Save Our Bacon Act and Food Security and Farm Protection Act (formerly the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act (EATS) Act) — legislation that would put family farmers out of business and end responsible farming practices. Zachman will speak at a 2 p.m. press conference at the National Press Club alongside farmers, meat producers, and meat retailers from across the country. The event will highlight the importance of Prop. 12 and Massachusetts’s Question 3, voter-approved laws that set basic animal welfare standards and create fairer markets for responsible farmers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46YagjY
IRELAND: Via KIMT-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Matt Varilek, recently embarked on a business development mission to Ireland, underscoring the state’s strong trade ties with its fifth-largest goods market. In 2024, Minnesota exported $782 million in goods to Ireland, a significant increase from the previous year. The trip aimed to deepen these economic connections through several key meetings and discussions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o6mopN
SUMMIT: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Asst MDA Commissioner Peder Kjeseth repped MN at the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers Leadership Summit this weekend in Quebec City, Canada. They focused on trade, transportation, & tourism, including launching a sustainable ag program.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/4mYgyGd
FARM BUREAU: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing recently returned from a trade trip to Italy. He has also been making the rounds in Washington, D.C., speaking with Minnesota’s congressional delegation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the White House as the fall harvest gets underway.” GLESSING: “[We] certainly have concerns with the tariffs. Having said that, we’re coming up on about three years of negative profitability. If you look about a year ago, prices are similar; they’re still not at a profitable range. China, a major market, was our number one buyer of soybeans, and they have not bought a single soybean yet.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mUdqeg
CANNABIS: Via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “A proposal to operate a cannabis greenhouse near Yesterday’s Gone bar and restaurant in downtown Brainerd went before the Brainerd City Council Monday, Oct. 6. Steve Zelinske applied for the greenhouse on behalf of Yesterday’s Gone, with plans to operate a cannabis microbusiness out of an existing greenhouse across the alley from the restaurant, between South Ninth and 10th streets, just north of Laurel Street. The proposal would require a text amendment to the zoning code, allowing for a cannabis microbusiness — which is allowed in commercial districts — to operate in the town center district.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h56DgE
SUCCESSION: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A farm in Royalton had been passed down in the Larsen household for four generations. But at the prospect of a fifth generation, something was about to change. Darrell Larsen was ready to retire. ‘Our bodies are telling us it’s time to turn us over to a younger generation,’ the 76-year-old cattle farmer said. He and his wife Arlene, 73, spent their lives continuing the legacy of his great-grandfather. Eric Moen started the homestead in 1876. The Larsen children grew up on the farm just as their father did. But as adults, the three daughters decided to leave cornfields for other fields of work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47ePSw2
WESTERN MN: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Oilseed crops have been variable this fall for two western Minnesota farmers. Dan Younggren, who farms in Kittson County, tells Brownfield ‘we thought it would be a crop with a yield of 50 bushels/acre, plus, but it ended up being a crop in the low-to-mid 40 bushels/acre. It’s not a bad crop, but we were expecting a bit more. Those soybeans are in the bin, waiting for China to come buy some.’ Jake Thompson, who farms in Barnes County, says he plans to wrap up with soybean harvest on Tuesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48lQVeJ
BIRD FLU: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Avian flu flared up in Minnesota poultry operations last month after a nearly eight-month reprieve, forcing farmers to depopulate eight turkey barns. A vaccine exists for this highly pathogenic avian influenza, which could be used against the nearly four-year outbreak that has wiped out 9.2 million birds in Minnesota alone. But if American chickens and turkeys are vaccinated, other countries may not buy them. The fear among importers is that vaccinated birds might not show symptoms of an infection, allowing the virus to spread across borders undetected.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/432km1S
NEXTGEN: Via Detroit Lakes Tribune, VERBATIM: “In the greenhouse behind Detroit Lakes High School on a chilly Tuesday morning, the school’s new agricultural education teacher, Amanda Thorsvig, walked along tables lined with seedlings of microgreens and cherry, roma and beefsteak tomato plants. Several chrysanthemums and a few ferns also take up space — a space Thorsvig sees potential in for growing a wide variety of plants. Thorsvig, who is beginning her 15th year of teaching, is a Detroit Lakes native and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Crookston, where she earned a degree in agricultural education. This week is a particularly busy one for her and her students: FFA members are preparing to participate in a Career Development Event, and welding students will tour BTD and Team Industries as part of Manufacturing Week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WuJPgK
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
NEXT WEEK: Via The Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “Northern Exposure to Lifelong Learning will host historian, photographer and speaker Doug Ohman from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Bagley American Legion, 112 Main Ave. N. In his presentation, ‘Heart of the Farm – Barns of Minnesota,’ Ohman will take guests on a rural journey around Minnesota to explore the greatest of all rural icons, the barn, a release said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q0fUdV
ROBOTS: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “A team of computer science and mechanical engineering students from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities won the 2025 Excellence in Small Farm Technology award at the Farm Robotics Challenge, a national competition for college-level student teams tackling real-world agricultural problems using advanced robotics. The University of Minnesota team’s design project, titled ‘FarmGuard’s Multi-Robot Deer Deterrence System,’ aims to scare deer away from farms to prevent loss in crops.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VVVu8c
CORN: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A market analyst says farmers can capture the upside of a depressed corn market. Bryan Doherty with Total Farm Marketing tells Brownfield there is a carry to capitalize on.” DOHERTY: “Which awards a farmer to forward sell to a deferred month, think about those advantage points. If you don’t have storage space or you don’t want to store all this without it priced, go ahead and get these new crop sales made on the carry.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4orgCzx
TAXES: Via Farm Progress, VERBATIM: “When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed, there was a collective sigh of relief that there would be permanency and consistency regarding the federal estate tax exemption, setting the exemption at $15 million per person, with annual adjustments for inflation. But for Minnesotans, this had no effect on the state’s estate tax rules: Each person still has a $3 million general Minnesota estate tax exemption, people with qualifying farm assets and small business assets may qualify for an additional $2 million exemption for those assets, and the tax rate ranges from 13% to 16% depending on the amount that exceeds the exemption.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46U9Dru
CONSERVATION: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The down farm economy could stunt the adoption of conservation practices. Eastern Iowa farmer Alan Mohr says there’s usually a cost associated with cover crops or changing tillage systems.” MOHR: “These things aren’t always the cheapest things to implement, and there is a learning curve. So I think it comes down to the finances, the farmer needs a little money in his pocket in order to say ‘hey let’s give this a shot.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IMDsCr
WINTER: Via Forum, VERBATIM: “Winter is coming, but the growing will continue at Carrie Calvo‘s Owl Bluff Farm, nestled in the bluffs of Houston County. The farm grows a variety of certified organic vegetables and is named after the barred and great horned owls that patrol it. It’s run by Calvo with her co-manager, Ari Struver, along with a small crew, including her husband and mother. Since they purchased the farm in 2018, they’ve added multiple high-tunnels and most recently, a deep winter greenhouse built in partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and the College of Design Center for Sustainable Building Research.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pSeRg2
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
HAUNTED: The Dead End Hayride in Wyoming, Minnesota is among 17 attractions picked as this year’s best by America Haunts. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/46ZOEnd
PUMPKINS: Via WJON-Radio, VERBATIM: “October in Minnesota can be a great time to explore Minnesota’s pumpkin patches. Jake Juliot from Explore Minnesota joined me on WJON to discuss in detail the options Minnesota has to offer.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4qj8FOD
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