RULE CHANGES: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Wetlands and agriculture have long had a fraught relationship in Minnesota—from early homesteading through the 1980s, swamps, sloughs, and wet areas were drained by systems of ditches and tiles. Since then, new state and federal laws have protected remaining wetlands from drainage, most notably through the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) and the Swampbuster rules enforced by NRCS, a division of the USDA. Recently, Minnesota has enacted significant revisions to WCA and is in the process of creating new regulations to implement those changes to WCA.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lIrZ4M (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
JET FUEL: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Congress’ passage of President Donald Trump’s spending and tax cuts bill this month could help grow the market for sustainable aviation fuel, a nascent industry that could be a boon for corn-producing states as airline operators are betting on it to decarbonize the sector. The Republican budget reconciliation law that Trump signed July 4 pared back some of the credits for sustainable energy in the law that congressional Democrats passed and President Joe Biden signed in 2022 — the Inflation Reduction Act. But the recent law extended one energy tax credit for producing clean fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel, an alternative to the typical jet fuel planes use.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44xfFhU
SUGAR: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in alignment with Secretary Rollins’ Farmers First policies, announced no additional imports of specialty sugars beyond what U.S. international obligations dictate.” QUOTE: “Production agriculture has seen devastating impacts from natural disasters, Biden-era policies, and extraordinary increases to cost of production,” said Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden. “ . . . Over the last 20 years, sugar imports have more than doubled and producers have lost 15% of the U.S. sugar market to imports, leading to closures of mills and processors—economic and financial losses that impact farmers, rural communities, and consumers. This decision begins to right the ship.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44BJXA0
INCOME: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Farming is an unpredictable industry. From severe weather to market prices, a lot is out of farmer’s control. New data shows that in 2024, little was in farmer’s favor in Minnesota. A University of Minnesota annual report that looks at farm finances found that in 2024, Minnesota farmers saw their lowest net income in 20 years. Minnesota crop farmers saw the biggest losses. In 2024 the median net farm income was $2,371, compared to $47,484 in 2023. Some farmers will get some of their money back. Applications opened last week for disaster assistance from the USDA for losses from 2023 and 2024.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3IyHFJm
MORE: Via Stateline, VERBATMI: “There’s widespread agreement that row-crop farmers are suffering economic pain, especially in the Midwest where the industry dominates the economy. Meanwhile, the booming housing and tech sectors in the South are on a continued winning streak even as storm clouds gather over tariffs and immigrant labor. Nationwide, more farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy from January through March than in any full year since 2021, driven by higher costs for supplies and lower prices paid for row crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/459yFSP
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
NEXT MONTH: Farmfest begins August 5th. Here’s the schedule of forums, SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/3GrJzuQ
CATTLE MARKET: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Cattle producers in the Upper Midwest are encouraged by strong beef prices and beneficial weather. Speaking to Brownfield during the Minnesota Cattlemen’s Summer Beef Tour in Little Falls, Minnesota, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association executive director Kaitlyn Root called the cattle market ‘wild.’” ROOT: “You talk to cattle producers that have been in this business for 30, 40 years, they never thought they’d see something like this. So people are taking advantage of this and trying to improve their operations and build as much as they can during these really good times.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3UmXntz
MORE: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “We were proud to join the 2025 Minnesota Cattlemen’s Summer Tour, hosted by the Mississippi Valley Cattlemen’s Association, in and around Little Falls. This year’s tour showcased the future of MN’s beef industry—from innovative feeding operations to value-added processing.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/44zLqqE
CARGILL: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Next week, Cargill will cut the ribbon on a pioneering new manufacturing center in Eddyville, Iowa that it describes as the world’s largest biotech facility producing a plant-based material, which will be used to make apparel, footwear, personal care and automotive products, electronics, and packaging. The new bio-industrial facility called Qore, a joint venture of Minnesota-based Cargill and Germany-based HELM, reflects years of development and a $400 million investment in creating an alternative to fossil derived material.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IyYaoF
FOOD SAFETY: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today at the opening of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new, modernized Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory, launched a comprehensive plan to bolster USDA’s efforts to combat foodborne illness. This plan better positions USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which is responsible for ensuring meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled, to protect the nation’s food supply.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IMfO8u
SCREWWORM: Via Minnesota Board of Animal Health, VERBATIM: “Minnesotans are asked to stay alert for New World Screwworm (NWS), a fly that lays a destructive maggot capable of inflicting great harm on livestock, pets, wildlife, and on rare occasion, humans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also working to strengthen measures to keep the pest out of the U.S. While the risk is lower for this parasite to become established in Minnesota compared to southern states, introductions are still possible due to international animal movements. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health prioritizes staying vigilant for NWS and other invasive pests and diseases. Threats like NWS can move quickly and unintentionally on animals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46NqGwW
CROP PROGRESS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Crop development is a little behind in Minnesota. Brennen Toquam grows corn and soybeans near Blooming Prairie in the southeast part of the state and tells Brownfield a warm start to July has helped.” TOQUAM: “Corn seems to be really taking off here, over the 4th of July. And same with the beans, seems like they doubled over the last week to 10 days.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4eZkpAA
MORE: Via Farm Progress, VERBATIM: “This year’s growing season got off to a good start, with some of the most favorable conditions that Bob Worth can recall in his 55 years of raising corn and soybeans in the Lake Benton area.” WORTH: “As far as ground conditions, it worked up so mellow, and it was so easy to plant,” he says. “We planted from fence line to fence line, and we didn’t have to turn for any mud. It was ideal conditions when we planted it, and it was fairly warm.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3GubkTz
RFBC: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the termination of the Regional Food Business Centers (RFBC) program. This pandemic-era, Biden program was created using one-time, temporary funding from Congress. The Department is terminating this program that should not have been established in this manner in the first place, but are doing so in a way to honor commitments made to farmers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kET0oJ
HONEYBERRIES: Via Farm Forum, VERBATIM: “Haskap (Lonicera caerulea), also known as honeyberries, are a delicious and nutritious early-season honeysuckle fruit that survives Siberian cold and can sell for up to $9 per pound. They have no thorns and few significant pests other than powdery mildew and hungry birds—the cedar waxwings are downright fiendish. Ingvaldson was one of several growers at the first-ever Honeyberry Academy sponsored by University of Minnesota Extension and Extension at the University of Wisconsin. Around 100 honeyberry enthusiasts toured Haskap Minnesota, a honeyberry farm near Stillwater, on July 1, then networked over honeyberry ice cream and candy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lxduRn
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)
NEXTGEN: Via The Farmer, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Pork Board supports two leadership programs dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders in the pork industry: the Young Leaders in Agriculture Conference, celebrating its 10th year, and Activate, which launched its inaugural class earlier this summer. Both programs, while different in audience and format, are rooted in the same goal: helping people grow into confident, informed advocates for agriculture.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nTjyFs
FLOWERS: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Colorful dahlias and delphiniums draw people in to buy the veggies, herbs, and jams that Berry Ridge Farm offers for sale at the Alexandria Farmers Market under the Big Ole statue every Saturday in season. But that is not the only reason Berry Ridge Farm sells cut flowers.” QUOTE: “One gentleman bought flowers for his sister-in-law’s birthday,” says the farm’s Ron Branch. “She was in her 70s and told him nobody had ever given her flowers before. Flowers bring smiles to people’s faces.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44xmb8m
TAR SPOT: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “An agronomist suggests crop nutrition can play an important role in managing tar spot. Stephanie Zelinko with AgroLiquid says nutrients help corn withstand disease pressure.” ZELINKO: “Specifically, I like looking at potassium. We know potassium helps with those cell wall strengths, which ultimately helps with lodging or standability if we get storms. But equally as important, it does help with disease resistance.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40ltaPh
FARM FAMILY: Via Winona Post, VERBATIM: “In the quiet fields of Saratoga Township in 1940, the Sackreiter family’s farming tradition began and has grown through more than four generations in the decades since. Last week at the Winona County Fair, the University of Minnesota Extension named the Sackreiters the Winona County Farm Family of the Year, and highlighted their involvement in 4-H and FFA.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44Zed74
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
PEACE: Via Farmfest, VERBATIM: “The Farmfest family is deeply saddened by the passing of Marlyn Buss, one of the founding fathers of Farmfest. We send our condolences to his family during this difficult time. Buss was a true entrepreneur in the farm show space. He was an exhibitor at the very first Farmfest in 1972.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44xeq2e
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