INPUTS: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Even before fertilizer price and supply issues escalated due to the conflict in the Middle East, Minnesota’s corn farmers had been struggling with stubbornly high input prices, especially fertilizer. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) has a history of advocating for long-term, permanent solutions to address record fertilizer costs, but the Middle East conflict has accelerated efforts. Economic relief will not be realized overnight, but recent announcements from legislators should build a foundation for addressing fertilizer price volatility.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bJxBcK (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
DC + AG
NEXT WEEK: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Congress remains on its spring break this week. When lawmakers return to the Capitol next week, they’ll have a full schedule. A reconciliation package to fund the war effort, combined with the Department of Homeland Security and a farm assistance package, is likely. House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has said repeatedly that the farm bill will come up for a House vote after Easter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c42EjL
USDA: The President’s budget proposal that would cut USDA discretionary programs by 20%. From Senate ranking member Amy Klobuchar and House ranking member Angie Craig, via DTN:
KLOBUCHAR: “The President’s proposed 2027 USDA budget request fails to adequately fund key priorities for our nation’s farmers, rural communities, and the environment.”
CRAIG: “The president’s war in Iran has driven fertilizer costs sky-high, making inputs even more expensive than their historical highs. At this critical time, rather than invest in farm country and rural America, the president has decided to gut key programs critical to the growth and success of family farmers. This budget is just another signal from this White House that they take farmers -- and the critical work they do to feed and fuel the world -- for granted.”
AID: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee says another round of farmer aid could total $15 to $20 billion. Minnesota Republican Brad Finstad calls the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program payments being distributed now a ‘band aid’ as farmers deal with low commodity prices and high input costs.” FINSTAD: “Obviously it’s not going to fix everything, so there is a need for us in Congress to have this conversation. I know there’s some dollar amounts already being talked about in regards to maybe $15 to $20 billion of new bridge assistance-type payments.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4maUHwi
THIS MONTH: Via FSA, two upcoming deadlines:
Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/41dF1yT
General Conservation Reserve Program, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4vewcm0
PAYMENTS: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Under the One Big Beautiful Bill, payment limits are being adjusted for farm program payments. USDA has updated its eligibility requirements for farmers and pass-through entities, including S Corporations, LLCs, joint ventures, and general partnerships.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c7SSfb
GROUNDWATER: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Spreading a little less manure and fertilizer on farm fields may not have a big effect on crop yields but could dramatically improve water quality, according to early results from a small study in southeast Minnesota. From south of Owatonna to just outside Northfield, eight farms are part of a trial to see whether using less fertilizer and manure during planting would affect crop yields. So far, the results are promising: Cutting about 20 pounds of nitrogen per acre on the trial land last year did not decrease yields for five out of the eight farms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bTCNuC
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)
INPUTS & OUTPUTS
FERTILIZER: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A fertilizer market analyst says last-minute purchases are running higher than usual, as much of the supply is typically secured well before planting begins. ‘Normally I would say a lot of it is already locked up,’ said Josh Linville, the vice president of fertilizer for Stone X Group. ‘Maybe some side dress tons and things like that would still to be bought.’ Linville says the market has been delayed.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4e300vJ
ENERGY: Via West Central Tribune, VERBATIM: “Brothers Larry Rauenhorst and Rolly Rauenhorst believe the future belongs to electrification, and their conviction goes well beyond the vehicles driven on roadways. It goes all the way to the Renville County farm field that Larry Rauenhorst, now retired from farming, rents to an active farmer. The two brothers installed 10 towers standing 12 feet above the ground. The towers are dispersed from each other and hold a total of 80 solar electric generation panels . . . The brothers want to connect the 37-kilowatt capacity system to the Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power Association lines that serve a business across from the field and other neighboring farm places. Their plan is to feed excess power to the grid as allowed by Minnesota’s net metering law. The law requires utilities to pay the renewable energy generator at its average retail rate for the electricity. To qualify for the retail rate, the self-generation must be under 40 kilowatts. The brothers and the small electric cooperative, with 1,564 members, are now locked in a dispute that extends beyond the farm field. It is headed to the district court and to St. Paul.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c6ZNVN
DAIRY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Riverview, a dairy company, aims to expand one of its operations near the west-central city of Morris to house more than 18,000 animals, becoming the state’s largest livestock farm. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has an open comment period on the project’s expansion and its feedlot permit until Thursday, April 9th. The Land Stewardship Project, a nonprofit on sustainable agriculture, called for an environmental impact statement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mjxus8
AG HEADLINES
MDA: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Appreciated opportunity to join Angela Davis this morning on @MPRnews to talk state of agriculture in Minnesota including tariffs, input prices, markets, labor & more.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/4tp7LAC
MORE: Via MPR, the interview. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/47InimN
MORE: Petersen also sat down with WCCO-Radio, LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4t0AQTe
SOYBEANS: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “A burst of early soybean planting across parts of the Corn Belt last week has some farmers feeling ahead of schedule, while others are already bracing for replant decisions and dealing with seed challenges. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie reports in central Illinois, the convergence of record early planting, heavy spring rains, and uneven seed quality is testing stand establishment. Farmers are now facing tough choices regarding which fields — and which seed lots — will make the cut.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q4v2JK
BIOGAS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A new report by the American Biogas Council shows the number of U.S. farms capturing biogas has more than doubled the past five years. Patrick Serfass is executive director of the council and says the data indicates farmers are seeking additional revenue opportunities that are also sustainable.” SERFASS: “And maybe even displace some of their fertilizer and fossil fuel costs. Maybe even displace some of their heating costs for keeping barns warm for their animals.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4tpanyi
STRIKE: Via Colorado Public Radio, VERBATIM: “Workers at the meatpacking plant in Greeley have agreed to return to work and halt a three-week strike after their employer, JBS USA, agreed to resume negotiations, labor union representatives announced Saturday. The strike by thousands of workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant began on March 16 in coordination with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union in a bid for higher wages, better health care and safer working conditions. The strike came as U.S. cattle numbers hit a 75-year-old low this year, a decline driven in part by drought and low prices offered to ranchers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sRy9mP
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
TRACTOR UPGRADES: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Frustrated by the lack of modern technology in older machinery, a fifth-generation farm family in northeast Iowa took matters into their own hands. After cycling through unreliable aftermarket transmitters, the Herbert family developed the Cab Radio Upgrade Kit, a solution designed to bring modern connectivity to legacy equipment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sVcjyX
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