ag take | Corn & Soybean Projections Adjusted + Co-op's Profit Share Lowest Since 2021
9.15.25
CROP UPDATE: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Approximately 73% of the state's corn crop is rated as good or excellent by the USDA, up 15 percentage points from 2024. How's the crop look in your part of the state?” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4nytCCW (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
CHS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “CHS, the nation's largest agricultural cooperative, will cash out the lowest profit share the co-op has seen since 2021 to owners next year. The Inver Grove Heights-based co-op will disperse $120 million to owners in 2026, down from $600 million this year and $730 million in 2024. While previous years were marked by strong crop prices, this year’s low profit share is a symptom of bigger issues in the ag economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports potential record crop yields this year. Meanwhile, there’s an ag trade deficit.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46raC29
FINALISTS: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “The four finalists have been selected for the second year of the Minnesota Leopold Conversation award. Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for ‘a land ethic,’ an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nqwkds
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
YIELD ESTIMATES: Via farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “The September 12 USDA National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) Crop Report adjusted the projected 2025 U.S. average yields for both corn and soybeans slightly lower from the August estimates; however, both the corn and soybeans yields would still be at record level. USDA also increased the expected 2025 harvested acreage for both corn and soybeans in the September report from earlier reports, which basically offset lower yield projections, resulting in very little change from the August report in the estimated overall 2025 corn and soybean production levels. Some grain marketing analysts feel that the USDA corn yield and production estimates may be a bit high, given some of the late season dryness and disease pressure that is affecting the 2025 crops in some areas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IpdgNM
SOYBEANS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Many soybean growers expect profits to be hard to come by next year. University of Minnesota Extension agronomist Seth Naeve encourages a risk-averse approach.” NAEVE: “We give a lot of talks with P values and all the statistics that said that this treatment was better than that treatment, but what farmers really want to know is how can I maximize yield on every acre? Because I can’t give up 10 bushels on 10 acres, I need to make sure that I’m maximizing my yield everywhere in the field.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gsEm3t
NEXT YEAR: Via Minnesota Soybean, VERBATIM: “Unfortunately, there isn’t a Magic 8 Ball to tell Minnesota farmers which management decisions are guaranteed to maximize their profit. But there is the MN Young & Emerging Farmer Workshop, which is returning for its third year Jan. 19-21, 2026, to help build a strong foundation of knowledge and resources to call upon when decisions get tough.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n7UGsT
CHRISTMAS TREES: Via Marshall Independent, VERBATIM: “There are 102 shopping days until Christmas, but for those whose businesses revolve around the holiday season, preparation begins now. Each year, the Minnesota Christmas Tree Association (MNCTA) hosts a two-day convention and trade show ahead of the season, and this year, Guggisberg Tree Farm of New Ulm is hosting the event.” QUOTE: “It is an honor to have the convention here,” said Tony Guggisberg, the owner of Guggisberg Farm. He was proud to share his family farm with fellow growers who share a passion for Christmas trees. “You learn a lot from growers,” Guggisberg said. “At these conventions, you learn a little bit of everything from herbicide control and pruning to sales and marketing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47GaWwl
COMBINES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Farmers looking to mitigate grain loss this fall are encouraged to evaluate the threshing system of their combines. Shianne Reynolds with Bushel Plus says concaves play an integral part in a successful harvest.” REYNOLDS: “But many combines are still operating with designs that really haven’t been changed in many, many years. These outdated concaves can cause serious losses in unthreshed grain left in the field, cracked kernels, and restricted machine performance.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3InZIlH
VEGGIES: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Wrapping up the week with visit to Naima & Fagas’s vegetable farm near Dalbo, Minnesota. Impressive to see progress on their farm that features 5 greenhouses, cooler, pack shed & more.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/463UFQC
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)
SATURDAY: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The show will go on for Farm Aid 40 in Minneapolis after a tentative deal was reached between the University of Minnesota and members of Teamsters Local 320. Farm Aid, a concert that has helped farmers for decades, will be held at Huntington Bank Stadium [this] weekend, as previously scheduled.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46nLhGg
MORE: Via Billboard, VERBATIM: “The labor dispute had cast uncertainty over the event in recent weeks. On Friday (Sept. 12), Farm Aid revealed that [Willie Nelson], the festival’s co-founder and president, had personally spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in an effort to help resolve the situation . . . Crews were set to begin building the festival infrastructure on Sept. 12. Prior to the agreement, organizers acknowledged the difficulty of relocating the event at such a late stage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IkHP7i
THIS FALL: Via MnDOT, VERBATIM: “Motorists traveling on Minnesota roads this fall should stay alert for large farm equipment transporting crops to markets, grain elevators and processing plants, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Crash data shows there were 455 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota from 2022 to 2024, resulting in eight deaths and 180 injuries.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gqeiWB
CEREAL: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “The founders of a unique Minnesota-based cereal brand that doesn't use lab-created flavors and refined sugars say the company’s mission sits right at the intersection of people health and planet health. ‘We believe that we can solve both of those problems all in one, by building a better food system from the ground up,’ said Brady Barnstable, co-founder of Seven Sundays along with his wife, Hannah . . . Tom Cotter's farm in Austin on Sept. 6 was part of Seven Sundays Afield Tour, which began this past summer in Orange City, Iowa and will wrap up Sept. 20 in Minneapolis for Farm Aid. Much of the tour centers around Seven Sundays’ direct work with growers, Barnstable said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48jTMol
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
MAZES: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “With the autumn winds and sweater weather closing in, it’s also the season for getting lost and finding your way in corn mazes. Orchards and farms have intricately designed acres of towering cornstalks with themes ranging from ‘Sesame Street’ characters to a folk hero to American pride. While some are easy to navigate, some others are for the more adventurous souls. There’s one that’s even open at nighttime.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4gonMS5
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