TRADE: From Minnesota Corn via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Join us, National Corn Growers Association, and other ag groups in showing your support for USMCA! Sign a letter to President Trump urging a full renewal of the landmark trade deal, which has been a game-changer for U.S. agriculture.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4wbpxcH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
WEDNESDAY AG HEADLINES
MNLEG: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “With the end in sight for Minnesota legislature, Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Public Policy Specialist Hunter Pederson says some provisions like the Farmer-Lender-Mediation program might be tabled until next year.” PEDERSON: “On the House side, their ag committee was not able to come to agreement on a bill to move forward. So, we haven’t seen a resolution on that yet, and I’m not sure that we’re going to since it’s not an actual budget year. But knowing that there’s a few things in there like that farmland remediation, that would be a meaningful thing to get done. But we might not see that.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d1FWb6
FARM BILL: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “All eyes shifted to the U.S. Senate after the House passed its farm bill last week. Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman says the Senate has different rules for its farm bill process.” BOOZMAN: “Because of the filibuster, we need 60 votes to get things passed,” he said. “We have the opportunity to lose some Republicans, and we have the opportunity to lose a bunch of Democrats. We’ve got to get probably nine, ten or more to vote with us.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3QQXdMK
FERTILIZER: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Phosphate and nitrogen prices were already elevated before the Iran war according to Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer with StoneX, as China, the world’s number two nitrogen exporter, banned exports.
Urea: Prices have nearly doubled since early December.
Potash: Up approximately 10% since the start of the year.
Then came the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz which added insult to injury as three of the top 10 largest urea and anhydrous exporters are cut off. Linville points out that’s because the Strait closure also shut down LNG or the natural gas supplies used to produce nitrogen fertilizer products, which further elevated prices at New Orleans, Louisiana.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OO4Djk
DECARBONIZATION: Via PepsiCo, VERBATIM: “PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) today announced a new collaboration with agriculture technology company, TalusAg, that aims to advance fertilizer decarbonization across global agricultural supply chains through low-carbon ammonia environmental attributes, marking PepsiCo’s first executed transactions of this kind. The initial agreements span PepsiCo’s Europe, Sub Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, and global teams, representing approximately 30,000 metric tons of low-carbon ammonia, with an option to purchase an additional 41,000 metric tons. The broader collaboration also extends to the U.S. and the proposed Blue Earth, Minnesota project.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cTNhL1
PSEUDORABIES: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The rare pig virus pseudorabies is making its way to Iowa, more than 20 years since it was last seen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of the virus at a commercial swine facility in North Central, impacting fewer than 100 pigs. According to the Department, the state has been pseudorabies-free since 2004.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uwEftj
USDA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation says the agency is addressing concerns about ag data security in the One Farmer One File initiative. Richard Fordyce says merging dozens of separate farm programs into a single network can be done safely.” FORDYCE: “The data is the farmers.’ We know that. We protect that, and we think that more vulnerabilities exist when you have a system that has 72 independent and separate running systems as opposed to one platform.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42eWdVf
GLOBAL TRADE BOLSTERS AG ECONOMIES: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Each year, Minnesota’s exports of corn, ethanol, corn-fed meat, and dried distillers grains (DDGS) alone support over 11,500 jobs and add billions to the state’s economy. They also help ensure that consumers around the world have access to affordable protein and dairy products. In May, during World Trade Month, Minnesota Corn celebrates that important role trade plays in all our lives—in the U.S. and abroad. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dqEqB1 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
AG COMMERCE
LAND FRAUD: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “An agricultural real estate expert says farm sale fraud is becoming more common. Colton Lacina with Farmers National Company says, ‘We’ve seen a large uptick in the last, you know, six months to a year.’ Lacina tells Brownfield that seller impersonation fraud occurs when someone lists the farm property for sale with an agent without the real owner’s knowledge.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wkuMqW
TAPEI: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Appreciated opportunity to host Director General Dennis Yen-Feng Lei of the Tapei Economic & Cultural Office in Chicago this afternoon at MDA. Taiwan was Minnesota’s 8th largest export market for food and ag products including soybeans, corn, pork, feed products & more.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/4cUgB4c
CARGILL: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Brazilian prosecutors have accused Minnetonka-based Cargill of failing to address ‘serious human rights violations’ in its soybean supply chain that runs deep into the South American country. In a civil lawsuit filed against the global commodity giant, the government is demanding roughly $21.9 million ‘for collective moral harm,’ the country’s Labor Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release last week. Cargill declined to comment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tduI9p
SPRING WHEAT: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “For many Minnesota farmers, spring wheat is no longer the backbone of the operation — it’s a strategic choice. As input costs rise and corn and soybeans offer stronger returns, wheat acreage across the region continues a steady decline decades in the making. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its Prospective Planting report at the end of March, projecting hard red spring wheat acreage to drop 10% in Minnesota, 8% in North Dakota, and 4% in South Dakota. Nationally, the United States is expected to plant only 9.4 million acres of spring wheat in 2026, down from 10 million acres in 2025. This downward trend is not new.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RmPuGh
HUMAN RESOURCES
STRESS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota farmer is sounding the alarm on escalating farm stress. Bob Worth of Lake Benton suggests a mental health crisis is occurring in agriculture. ‘It is extremely serious.’ He tells Brownfield financial pressures, policy uncertainty, and unpredictable weather can all be factors.” WORTH: “We haven’t had a suicide for awhile, it’s probably a couple three months. But I’m hearing that farmers cannot get an operating loan for this spring, and it’s spring, we’re planting. And it’s going to be really tough on them.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wi8KoK
MORE: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “People are the heart of every farm. When a farmer is having a tough time, taking a moment to reach out and listen can truly make a meaningful difference. For help starting the conversation, call or text the Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline at 833-600-2670.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4dfcJd0
TEACHER: Via MDA, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is proud to announce Marie Kruse of Lake City, MN as the recipient of their 2026 Outstanding Teacher Award. This honor recognizes K-12 educators in Minnesota who creatively integrate agriculture into their classroom curriculum. For more than 20 years, Kruse has brought her passion for agriculture into her classroom, helping young learners understand the role agriculture plays in their everyday lives.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48N2Aml
MORE: From MAITC via YouTube, how Kruse introduces agriculture to her students. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dejED9
SOCIAL MEDIA: Via Farm Progress, VERBATIM: “Addy Wohlhuter, a senior at Martin County West, has turned to social media to promote the local gas station/grocery store and what it has to offer, from deals on food to highlighting products with a local connection. Flour, oats and tortilla chips from Whole Grain Milling Co. based in Welcome, Minn., and Harris Honey products from St. James, Minn., are just two examples of local vendors highlighted on the Town Center’s social media presence, which Wohlhuter started building in October 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ev2zqJ
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
TULIPS: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “A stunning first-of-its-kind floral experience is blooming in Farmington right now. Minnesota’s first tulip festival is happening at Brand Farms, where vibrant fields of colorful tulips are creating a beautiful springtime destination.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tlHxia
RACE HORSES: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “After exciting finish by Golden Tempo in the Kentucky Derby it was a great day to visit Steepwood Horse Farm where they have bred thoroughbred race horses for 40 years and to hear about the importance of the [horse] industry in MN. Thanks Richard, Cheryl & family for the time & tour!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4cXpuZe
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