TOMORROW: The Senate Ag Committee will conduct a full committee mark-up of the Farm Bill. Via Minnesota Corn, from President Wes Beck, BECK: “Minnesota corn growers are facing high input costs, depressed commodity prices, and incredible market and weather volatility. A strong, bipartisan Farm Bill 2.0 will be a shot in the arm for producers in Minnesota, and across the country.” FULL STATEMENT: https://fluence-media.co/4hNMMVx (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
FARMFEST DAY TWO
SENATE RACE: U.S. Senate candidates Rep. Angie Craig, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Michelle Tafoya and Royce White debated this afternoon at Farmfest. From Heartland Signal via X, WATCH: Craig | Flanagan | Tafoya | White
MORE: Via Farmfest, the full Senate debate. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4yYtHpR
GOV RACE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A three-on-one debate Wednesday distilled both policy and style differences among the candidates seeking to be the next Minnesota governor, with a trio of Republicans calling for a stark shift in direction and the DFL hopeful saying her vast experience will be a vital asset. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the presumed DFL nominee, sat on a Farmfest stage alongside Republicans Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls. The series of questions revolved mostly around agriculture issues and concerns of greater Minnesota, but each used every opening possible to stand out.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45Joe8W
NOTE: Lunch take highlighted a few moments from the debate and linked to the video to watch it in its entirety. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4fYprhr
CD1 + CD2: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “While U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad spent Tuesday afternoon at Farmfest saying the House has done its job on the farm bill and the Senate needs to finish it, his DFL challenger said the bill has been stuck for eight years and that the incumbent owns part of that. Finstad, R-New Ulm, and Jake Johnson, a math teacher at Rochester Mayo High School, appeared at the 1st and 2nd District candidate forum in the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center at the Gilfillan Estate, one week before Minnesota’s Aug. 11 primary. Both spoke separately with Agweek afterward. Political forums are a hallmark of Minnesota Farmfest. Appearing onstage with Finstad and Johnson were candidates for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District: DFL candidates Kaela Berg, Matt Klein and Matt Little and GOP candidate Eric Pratt.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hhchhQ
CD6 + CD7 + CD8: Via Farmfest, a congressional candidate debate this afternoon. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wa6izi
AG SECRETARY: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins kicked-off [Farmfest] in Redwood Falls Tuesday. Rollins gave an update on key agricultural export markets, saying growth is strong in corn, ethanol, dairy and tree nuts. She also told the group recent reports of the growing number of farm bankruptcies are ‘over-inflated’ and amount to ‘clickbait.’” QUOTE: “What I am much more worried about is the loss of farms to solar, to wind, to development, and just our farmers who don’t think that it’s worth giving it, and fighting for the next generation to pass the farm along,” says Rollins. “That is a much, much, much, much bigger problem.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3SewyKP
MORE: Via Red River Farm Network, the Rollins speech. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/458oWMQ And via USDA, a news release. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4yZ5QpV
AG DATA: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a series of listening sessions across the country to discuss an update to its data collection process. Rollins said the farmer response to USDA reports has steadily declined, and the agency has failed the American farmer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Sg7sez
FARM BUREAU: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The president of American Farm Bureau isn’t mincing words when it comes to the current struggles in agriculture. Zippy Duvall says farmers continue to face low commodity prices and high input costs.” DUVALL: “The farm economy is terrible. And along with all the things we’re doing to try to get a farm bill done, we’re also asking for some more assistance for our farmers.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/45dyLsS
MDA: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Join us for Day 2 of Farmfest 2026! We’ve got lots of info on grants, loans, livestock, weather data, and more. Plus, giveaways. It’s all about the giveaways! Find us at booth 517S.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4bwbw0I
DC + AG
FARM BILL: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Georgia Congressman Austin Scott is the vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, right behind Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson in the Republican majority. Scott remains optimistic the farm bill will get across the finish line this year.” SCOTT: “The one caveat to that would be Senator (Chuck) Schumer; if the Democrats did win (the majority in the November election), I think that he would pull back and not allow the bill to go forward until they had control of the committee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hOX7R4
MORE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee is pushing for a farm bill that addresses Proposition 12 and includes year-round nationwide E15. Minnesota Republican Brad Finstad says when it comes to passing a farm bill with Prop 12 and E15 language.” FINSTAD: “I want them both, and that’s the position we’re going to take in any conference committee. We worked hard in the House to get that language across the finish line. We’ve heard it all over the grounds today about the importance of E15 year round, we heard it all over today about Prop 12 and we don’t want California telling us how we’re going to grow our hogs in Minnesota.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wN78Dg
AT FARMFEST: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Minnesota farmers attending Farmfest near Redwood Falls are eager for Congress to pass a farm bill. Bob Worth farms near Lake Benton and says the last time a five-year farm bill was passed was 2018. ‘And it’s 2026, so I mean this is long enough. Eight years on a farm bill, we should have this done in five years and get it done. We need a farm bill, we need the certainty of a farm bill.’ The U.S. Senate has scheduled a farm bill markup Thursday and Southeast Minnesota farmer Rose Karau tells Brownfield she’s hopeful.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fS5FnD
MORE: The Star Tribune also talked with people at Farmfest about the Farm Bill. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UfCJ1G
LAND RENT: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “The calendar has not changed, but the stakes have. With land costs already representing a large share of row-crop expenses, fall lease deadlines are forcing producers and landowners to make 2027 budget decisions before the 2026 crop is fully known. With input costs still high and crop prices under pressure, Iowa farmer Ben Riensche says land is top of mind.” RIENSCHE: “Revenue has gone down, and expenses are up 40%,” he says. “There’s a lag in how rent adjusts when crop prices languish and input prices stubbornly wouldn’t come down. It’s the margin compression that isn’t being factored into farm rents and farmland values.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bzUJKi
CROP PROGRESS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Crop development remains ahead of normal in Minnesota. USDA’s latest weekly crop update shows corn 5 percent dented, compared to the five-year average of 2 percent. Soybeans setting pods reached 75 percent, well ahead of the usual pace of 55 percent. Southwest Minnesota corn and soybean grower Ryan Mackenthun tells Brownfield there’s far less disease pressure than a year ago.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4waqkJM
MORE AG NEWS
DAIRY: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “The U.S. dairy farm is vanishing at a rate that would alarm most industries. Since 1992, the country has lost more than 100,000 dairy operations — an average decline of about 5% each year. As of 2025, just 23,609 licensed dairy herds remained, down from 131,509 a generation ago. Yet, paradoxically, U.S. dairy has never been more productive. The industry produced 231.7 billion pounds of milk in 2025 — 54% more than in 1992, despite having 190,238 fewer cows on 107,900 fewer farms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UeWrdX
THIS WEEKEND: In New Brighton, a celebration of the city’s history in the cattle industry. STOCKYARD DAYS: https://fluence-media.co/4fBegfK
SCHOOL FOOD: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “That’s a wrap on this year’s Minnesota School Nutrition Conference in St. Cloud! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to connect with our team, visited the exhibitors in the Minnesota Pavilion during the Exhibit Show, and joined us for our Farm to School culinary training.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4fDr998
BREAKFAST: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Many a chain restaurant that serves breakfast will use the term ‘farm fresh’ on the menu to describe the eggs, bacon and sausage. On August 16, a busload of hungry diners from the Twin Cities will travel deep into farm country and tuck into a heaping plateful of breakfast that will truly live up to the ‘farm fresh’ boast.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ckI6CY
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
FARM BUREAU: Via Morning Ag Clips, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) is excited to announce the fourth class of its ‘The Herd’ program. The Herd is for members aged 18-23 who enjoy social media and have an interest in sharing their passion for agriculture through those platforms. Throughout the year members of The Herd gain valuable skills in agriculture communication by learning from industry professionals and through hands-on experiences. Members will participate in the program for one year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fXsg2o
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