ASSISTANCE: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “President Trump and USDA Secretary Rollins announced the outline of a Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which aims to provide direct economic assistance to crop farmers amid challenging economic conditions across farm country including high input costs, persistent inflation, and trade related market disruptions. $11 billion from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation has been allocated for the FBA Program and another $1 billion will be made available for specialty crops. The program is cast as bridge assistance until new trade agreements enter into force, and farm safety net improvements from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aa6Y0e (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
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GLOBAL TRADE
CHINA: Via CNBC, VERBATIM: “U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday that the deadline for China to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans from American farmers was not the end of December as the White House has said, but the end of the ‘growing season.’ Greer’s comment at the hearing came on the heels of a report by NBC News showing that the pace of China’s purchases of soybeans in recent weeks was well short of reaching the agreed amount by the end of the calendar year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pqpwhr
MORE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley is not surprised the Trump administration is giving China more time to fulfill its soybean purchase commitments. The Iowa Republican says global grain merchandisers Cargill and Bunge have indicated the delivery of 12 million metric tons by December 31st is not attainable.” GRASSLEY: “To actually get delivered to them by the end of the year was just totally impossible. Meaning, the time it takes to move grain once it gets on the ships, and then the number of ships you’d have to have.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/48KU1HD
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
MONEY MATTERS
TOMORROW: Via Minnesota Department of Commerce, VERBATIM: “Members of the media are invited to attend an in-person roundtable discussion hosted by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and Falk’s Seed Farms on how rising energy-related input costs are affecting farmers, rural households, and local economies across Minnesota. Farmers and rural communities have been hit hard this year as fertilizer, fuel, grain drying, and electricity costs have climbed, while crop prices have declined, tightening margins for farm operations. This conversation will bring together state officials, farmers, community action leaders, and rural environmental advocates to discuss the financial pressures facing agricultural communities, the federal and global policies driving energy cost increases, and opportunities to support affordability and resilience in rural Minnesota.”
CATTLE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A southwest Minnesota cattle feeder suggests margins are surprisingly thin. Ryan Vos, who along with his family feed about 200 head near Hadley, says cattle purchased in 2024 provided a nice return this year.” VOS: “Everybody thought these cattle producers were really making a lot of money and doing great, but the problem is you had to go buy those cattle back. And when the fat prices went up, so did the feeder prices. So now a lot of people are tied in right now to some pretty expensive cattle that they can’t really let go because they’re not making the money that they need to make to cover what they need to.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4pxE6nq
$12 BILLION
REACTION: Via NPR, a conversation with a reporter who sought reaction to President Trump’s plan to send $12 billion in aid to farmers impacted by trade disruptions. QUOTE: “Conservative groups like the Farm Bureau are calling it an encouraging sign. Farmer unions, even here in red Trump states like South Dakota, say this bailout, as they say, was all preventable if President Trump hadn’t started another trade war with China like he did in his first term. You know, this has led to China levying retaliatory tariffs, buying soybeans from Brazil instead. And long-standing export markets have really been closed to American farmers. So this $12 billion deal we’re talking about isn’t even as big as the 2019 aid package was, but generally, Ailsa, I’d say farmers are relieved to see some money coming finally because, you know, this is when they’re trying to get loans for next year, and if you’ve got a bunch of soybeans just sitting in storage bins, not selling, it’s pretty hard to prove to a bank that you’re a viable business.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/453rZGi
MORE: Gray Media asked an Iowa soybean farmer about the plan. QUOTE: “It’ll help lenders have an ease of mind knowing that, hey, these farmers, we know what they’re doing out there. And we’re grateful that DC is listening and is going to help them out, help weather the storm,” [Cordt Holub] said. “I don’t think any farmer really wants to rely on payments. If we can have a steady flow of demand for our product with a good price, that’s what we want. But unfortunately, in the meantime, there’s a lot going on in the world.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4iQemzT
MORE: And this via Forbes, QUOTE: “We’re talking $12 billion, and while it is a lot of money, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still going to be a Band-Aid on a bigger wound,” Ryan Loy, assistant professor and extension economist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, told Fortune. “How can we triage this situation right now, work on that longer-term solution? That’s really, I think, the overall attitude toward it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iQewat
ONE MORE: Via MPR, from grain marketing specialist and UofM Extension professor Ed Usset, QUOTE: “The price of soybeans took a big hit this harvest season,” Usset said. “We need the export markets to maintain demand and keep the prices at some sort of a profitable level, and anything we do to damage trade is going to damage prices.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3KE17pA
AG RESOURCES
MENTAL HEALTH: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “‘We really think it’s important for us to help the people who feed the nation” says ag mental health counselor Tracie Self. Thanks to Linder Farm Network & @MNCorn for highlighting resources available to MN farmers facing stress and financial hardship.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4iPCUJi WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4iTd47q
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Corn is a Fluence sponsor)
NEXT WEEK: Via KFGO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Nearly 250 FFA members from across Minnesota will converge on St. Cloud State University Monday, December 15, to vie for spots in national competition in Leadership Development Events (LDEs). Team and individual winners in the areas of Prepared and Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure, Ag Issues, Conduct of Chapter Meetings, Employment Skills and FFA Creed will move on to the National FFA Convention held in the fall of 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48LeuvV
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)
SNAP
STATE DATA: Via news release from Rep. Finstad, VERBATIM: “Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, introduced the SNAP Data Transparency and Oversight Act, legislation that would require states to provide beneficiary-level Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) when requested, or risk the withholding of federal funding for the program.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48ygOrz
WAIVERS: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, joined by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., today announced the approval of six new state SNAP food-choice waivers under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. The waivers, submitted by Hawai‘i, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, will amend the statutory definition of ‘food for purchase’ under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning in 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MwXiTC
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
PILOT PROJECT: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fiber supply.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44OEoOk
COVER CROPS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A soil health specialist suggests growers in the Upper Midwest face unique challenges managing cover crops. Maria Teresa Tancredi with Minnesota-based non-profit Conservation Technology Information Center says a shorter growing season is a challenge.” TANCREDI: “For example, I know that several farmers (during) the fall of ’24 were able to have their cover crops established, but then because we didn’t have, in parts of the state, a good snow coverage like we normally have, several of the cover crops that would normally overwinter ended up dying down.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3MAAlik
NEXT MONTH: Via MDA, information about the upcoming Minnesota Organic Conference. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/44VSHkb
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
NEXTGEN: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Honored to host the Glencoe-Silver Lake FFA Ag Issues team that will be competing next week at the state event. Good luck to them.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/48Np1qD
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