CSA: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “USDA released an interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks. The rule provides a pathway for measuring the impact of individual climate smart agriculture practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, and nutrient management on the carbon intensity of biofuel feedstocks such as corn. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association applauds the interim rule and encourages its incorporation into the 45Z Clean Fuels Production tax credit guidelines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40n7Tne (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
AG EXPO: From Evan Berg via KIMT-TV, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Ag Expo began on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Mayo Clinic event center, a popular topic at the event was the status of Minnesota grains after an unusual growing season in 2024 and hopes for the year ahead in 2025. Ryan Caffrey, a vice president at CHS and Mark Mason a commodity advisor at Kluis Commodity Advisors led a panel on the state of Minnesota grains like corn and soybeans during the first day of the expo, and while yields were inconsistent for some producers, overall the pair said sales weren't overly impacted by the dry winter and heavy rain in the spring and summer of 2024.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4axfZOY
MORE: From ag commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Today in Mankato for @mncorn & @MNSoyGrowers Ag Expo, great to visit with farmers & vendors from all over state including @UMNExt! Probably biggest I’ve seen I many years.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/4hsVnK6
MORE: From assistant ag commissioner Patrice Bailey via X, VERBATIM: “Assistant Bailey attending MN AgExpo 2025 in Mankato. It’s great to see the best of how special agriculture is in Minnesota.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/3CdHIHU
BONDING: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Governor Walz has introduced his 2025 infrastructure plan. Walz says his bonding bill expands on last year’s significant work and makes strategic investments to keep Minnesotans safe and healthy. ‘Heavily focused on maintaining what we have, it matters both in terms of usefulness but it also matters in how our bond rating is viewed.’ The Governor’s Infrastructure plan invests more than $144 million in water and transportation infrastructure, $5 million for flood mitigation and prevention, and $10 million for work on the Rapidan Dam.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3PQcoSu
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
FEDS: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The gears of government slowed to a halt this week after President Trump axed major federal initiatives across Washington, causing even routine functions to hit the skids . . . New leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services halted all external communications from the health agencies through Feb. 1 . . . The communications pause caught the attention of Congress, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) urging Agriculture Department nominee Brooke Rollins to ask why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s messages to farmers on bird flu had been halted. ‘We’re concerned,’ Klobuchar said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40N3QlU
TARIFFS: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Farmers are contemplating the impact of tariffs proposed by President Trump. Southwest Minnesota farmer Bob Worth says it would not be good if Trump follows through with 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico. ‘One thing I think President Trump will do is use that as a playing card. Sometimes he might not use it, but he’s going to have that over their head.’ Speaking to Brownfield Wednesday at the MN Ag Expo in Mankato, Minnesota, the Lincoln County corn and soybean grower said the tactic could be very effective.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3E8PVh3
FEEDLOTS: From Ava Kian via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency finalized the changes to two of its general permits for feedlots this month, which typically apply to those with 1,000 or more animal units. The changes, which go into effect June 2025 and February 2026, have some farmers worried, but others relieved. The main changes are an online tool to develop a manure management plan, added regulations for tracking data when transferring manure to someone else and some prohibitions on manure applications to ensure best management practices.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4asIEol
IMMIGRATION: From Max Nesterak via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “In his first week in office, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders and rescinded more than 40% of Biden’s executive orders on everything from immigration to the environment . . . Trump signed a slew of executive orders laying the groundwork for his promised mass deportation operation, including allowing military service members to act as immigration and border enforcement officers and directing Homeland Security to secure contractors to set up detention facilities. Deporting undocumented immigrants is popular with Americans (at least in the abstract), despite the country’s reliance on millions of them in critical industries like farming, meat and poultry processing, dairy production and construction.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42ttiOh
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.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
MARGINS: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Crop margins are improving in the New Year. Minnesota corn and soybean farmer Darin Johnson says he’s taken advantage of the recent market rally.” JOHNSON: “We still really are under our cost of production, but we did rally to a point where it doesn’t hurt quite as bad. So yeah, it is nice to have that opportunity to price some of that (grain).” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Wwynlp
SAFETY: From Curt St. John via Quick Country, VERBATIM: “Workers' Compensation Attorneys Hansford Law took a look at fatal injury rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for each employment sector in Minnesota. They then compared the number of fatal injuries in each state compared to the total hours worked . . . So what is THE most dangerous job sector in Minnesota? That would be agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting jobs. Jobs in this sector have a much higher fatality rate of 28.7 for every 100,000 workers in the Gopher State, according to the Hansford Law survey. This occupation involves growing crops, raising livestock, and gathering timber.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CoAXCW
DROUGHT: The new Drought Monitor reflecting data as of Tuesday shows 49% of the state continues to be in drought, unchanged from last week. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PP2Kzy
FERTILIZER: From Michael Johnson via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Many producers watched their nutrient inputs wash away with historic rainfall last spring — and with it a huge investment and a chance at a better-yielding crop. So what’s a producer to do now as they prepare for the 2025 growing season? Dr. Fabián Fernández, University of Minnesota Extension nutrient management specialist, and Brad Carlson, University of Minnesota Extension educator on water quality, offered some ideas in the first of the series of Strategic Farming webinars hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension on Jan. 8. Fernandez said that questions about the fall application of fertilizer were plentiful in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gbGieW
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
TEACHERS: From Jeff Spence via Southern Minnesota News, VERBATIM: “Twelve educators from across Minnesota have been awarded the 2025 Agricultural Literacy Grants by the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) Foundation, aimed at enhancing agricultural education for students from kindergarten through high school. Each grant, worth up to $1,000, supports projects that incorporate agriculture into various subjects, helping students gain hands-on learning experiences.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40LPpOH
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