SEVERE WEATHER: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Keeping safe during severe weather is a skill like playing a sport or a musical instrument, according to Kevin Reed, Deputy Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Practicing Safety for the state of Minnesota . . . Thinking through the different scenarios of how you would respond to emergencies at different times of day and in different locations, and then planning accordingly, has a proven track record of preventing harm.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j9h8jl
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
WOLVES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A U.S. House bill that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and prevent judges from putting the animal back on the list has made a step forward. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act, also known as HR 845, would restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control the gray wolf population.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RdzdAl
MORE: Via news release from Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin) TIFFANY: “The damage to pets, livestock, and wildlife from an unmanaged wolf population can no longer be ignored. The gray wolf has exceeded federal and state recovery goals, with over 1,000 wolves now thriving in Wisconsin. It’s time to take the next step, delist them, and let the people closest to the gray wolf manage their population levels." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4277A2e
MORE: Via Defenders of Wildlife, VERBATIM: “This bill does not really protect pets and livestock; instead, it harms wolves and ignores both science and the courts which have repeatedly affirmed that wolves need federal protections to have a chance at recovery in the Lower 48,” said Ellen Richmond, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. “We denounce this bill in the strongest terms possible and are dismayed that our elected officials are playing political football with one of the country’s most beloved animals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44iR5RZ
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
TRADE WAR: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Everything seems to be humming along on Darin Johnson’s farm. A trencher lays irrigation tile in a field hugging Interstate 90 that lopes over these southern Minnesota flatlands. An 18-wheeler fills up with golden grain. Planting is around the corner. But beneath the routine, anxiety lurks. This soybean farm is on the front lines of America’s trade war with China. A day prior, Johnson, president of the state soybean lobby, welcomed a French television crew to his farm. Weeks ago, he drove up to the Twin Cities to talk with a visiting Canadian delegation. Visitors to the farm usually want to know the same thing: How will they weather the price increases?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jcygEW
MORE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The loss of China as an export market will deal a particularly hard economic blow to agricultural workers in many red states, hitting many of the voters who helped Mr. Trump win the presidential election. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump ratcheted U.S. tariffs on China even higher as he initiated a pause on “reciprocal” tariffs that he had imposed on other countries. The reprieve offers little relief for farmers who are concerned that a protracted trade war with China will cut off ties with their largest export market.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42I7XQQ
MORE: Via Successful Farming, a recap of the week’s tariff developments and what they mean for farmers. READ: https://fluence-media.co/42sUvz0
WATER: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “A broad-based coalition of respected Minnesota farmer organizations filed a request to intervene in Ramsey County District Court litigation filed in late January by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), Minnesota Trout Unlimited (MNTU) and the Minnesota Well Owners Organization (MNWOO). The MCEA/MNTU/MNWOO litigation alleges that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) have not adopted sufficient rules to protect ground and surface water in the SE MN Karst and Central Sands region from nitrates and seeks to force the state agencies to rewrite existing regulations on farming practices. The coalition of Minnesota farmer organizations strongly disputes these allegations against the state agencies charged with protecting ground and surface water.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jaV8EE
BACKGROUND: Via Star Tribune, a January article about the lawsuit. READ: https://fluence-media.co/40BGMoJ
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Corn is a Fluence sponsor)
E15: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “2024 was another record year for E15 sales in Minnesota. Minnesota Biofuels Association executive director Brian Werner says new data from the Department of Commerce shows more than 140 million gallons of Unleaded 88 were sold during the past calendar year.” WERNER: “And more importantly, at a 17-cent price spread from regular unleaded. That amount of gallons sold actually saved Minnesota consumers $24.2 million at the pump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jwvH01
WORKFORCE: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that farmers will be able to petition the federal government to retain some farmworkers in the U.S. illegally, provided the workers leave the country and return with legal status. Trump's comments during his Cabinet meeting are, though vague, the most detail the administration has provided on the fate of the nation's farmworkers without legal status - who make up half the farm sector's workforce - under his plan for mass deportations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3E349k0
AG BILL: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Both sides of the Minnesota House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee worked through the weekend in an effort to nail down a bill they then passed unanimously to the House Ways and Means committee on Wednesday, April 9. Co-chair Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, said the agriculture committee was lucky that both the Republican and Democratic caucus leadership could agree on a budget target of $17 million over the current budget amount. The committee was able to come in at that amount.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42bID5P
MORE: Via Minnesota House, from Rep. Hansen, VERBATIM: “DFL victories in the bill include funding increases for the Minnesota Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and Farm to School and Early Care Program, addressing rising food insecurity and attempting to fill some gaps left by President Trump’s reckless cuts to the USDA. The budget increases the Down Payment Assistance Grant Program, ensuring emerging farmers have the support they need to enter a farming economy tilted towards the wealthy and big corporations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XVDmwJ
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)
DROUGHT: Last week’s precipitation helped – the new Drought Monitor shows 47% of the state in drought as of Tuesday, down from 63% a week earlier. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3zN8TDo
COVER CROPS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Cover crop growth is lagging in parts of the Upper Midwest. Southern Minnesota farmer Rochelle Krusemark says soil conditions remain cool and dry.” KRUSEMARK: “Unfortunately, with everything that was seeded last fall there was very little that grew. It’s hard to say if it germinated a little bit, there are some maybe one inch little stems that look like they froze sometime and I’m not sure if they tried to come up and froze last fall or this spring now.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3YvFLOL
RETAIL: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Today in Hastings, we joined @MNGrocers
for the Champions Luncheon where @ThommyPetersen & @ACBaileyMN honored the 2025 Retailers of the Year! Congrats to the winners who go above and beyond to bring fresh, local #MinnesotaGrown products to their communities!” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4ctBcdr
PLANTING: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Conditions are nearly fit to begin planting across much of southern Minnesota. Dan Glessing farms west of the Twin Cities near Waverly. ‘We’re getting close. There are some grey hills, but there’s still some black low areas. A farmer north of Cokato did put on some anhydrous right before we got that snow, and I’m itching to get going.’ Trimont corn and soybean grower Rochelle Krusemark tells Brownfield the winter lacked normal precipitation, but her area did receive some recent rain.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3FZTsiv
BEANS: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “David Ripplinger, bioenergy and bioproduct economics specialist for North Dakota State University Extension, has completed his preliminary analysis on a Life Cycle Assessment of dry beans grown in North Dakota and Minnesota, and so far, it looks like the region's beans may have a marketable carbon intensity compared to national averages. Life Cycle Assessments involve determining the greenhouse gas emissions involved in producing a given unit of a product. Compared to a big, national LCA on dry beans in 2020, Ripplinger said it appears the Northarvest region produces beans with higher yields and lower inputs, leading to better carbon intensity scores. That matters — or it will matter in the future — for farmers who want to sell their crops.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ifDdeN
DRUG RESIDUE: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Springtime brings a whirl of activity to the farm and sometimes illness, too. Take care to prevent drug residues! Request our durable infographics, available in English and Spanish, to post in your barn.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/3EdlxT9 MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3V8eBLx
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
4-H: Via Morning Ag Clips, VERBATIM: “In March 2025, more than 1,000 youth on 200 teams from across Minnesota participated in one of four 4-H Regional Project Bowl contests. At these contests, teams of three to six youth test their knowledge on a variety of animal science and agriculture topics, including dairy, dog, general livestock, horse, llama, poultry and rabbit. Each competition includes junior and senior divisions. Teams are quizzed in one-on-one and open rounds. The first participant with the correct answer earns points for their team. A number of teams from each Regional Project Bowl contest will continue on to the State Project Bowl competition on April 12, 2025, in Sauk Rapids, Minn.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ltjICi
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