AG EXPO: From Minnesota Corn via Facebook, photos from MN Ag Expo in Mankato. The event wrapped up today. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4raNwpn (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
2026 AG EXPO
PRIORITIES: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Minnesota lawmakers from both parties told farmers that the 2026 legislative session will test whether the state can balance environmental regulation, infrastructure investment and economic survival during one of the toughest farm economies in years. During a packed afternoon listening session at the Minnesota Ag Expo on Jan. 20, 2026, inside the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, legislators and Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen outlined priorities ranging from sustainable aviation fuel and beginning farmer loans to water infrastructure and regulatory reform — while also revealing sharp divisions over how state agencies interact with agriculture. Petersen said his focus remains on ‘getting things done’ in a narrowly divided Legislature.”
MPCA: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Senate Ranking Member Torrey Westrom was critical of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency during his time on a legislative panel at MN Ag Expo. Too often, Westrom said MPCA has an agenda when regulating farmers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jUCbHF
TRADE
TARIFFS: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump is threatening to impose additional tariffs of 10% on goods from eight European nations starting Feb. 1 if Denmark does not agree to sell Greenland to the U.S. Those tariffs will rise to 25% on June 1. Trump has repeatedly argued that U.S. control of Greenland is vital to stave off Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic region. U.S. farmers are concerned about rising trade tensions with the European Union, but U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer calls the president’s recent actions justifiable.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t9w1rp
UPDATE: At the World Economic Forum today, President Trump said he was calling off tariff threats saying he and the NATO secretary general had reached a framework agreement on Greenland. NYTIMES: https://fluence-media.co/4bJfvaY
CHINA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “An ag economist at Ohio State University says ongoing trade uncertainty with China continues to create volatility for U.S. soybean farmers. Ian Sheldon says additional unsold export volume could continue to impact prices throughout 2026.” SHELDON: “That’s still going to be downward pressure on the prices that U.S. farmers receive at the farm gate,” he says. “Those soybeans have to go somewhere on the world market. It’s probably going to push prices down going into planting and into the next harvest.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jUU3SC
LOOKING AHEAD
NEXT MONTH: Via AURI, VERBATIM: “We invite you to attend the Partners in Ag Innovation Conference on February 26, 2026. This free conference is co-hosted by MinnWest Technology Campus and The Kandiyohi County & City of Willmar Economic Development Commission (EDC) on an annual basis to bring the Ag and Animal Science community together. This year’s theme is Rooted in the Future: Cultivating the Next Generation of Agriculture.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3NChkMX
2026 LEGISLATURE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Farm Bureau plans to keep pushing on issues carrying over from last year’s legislative session. Director of public policy Loren Dower says MFBF is seeking additional provisions in the tax bill.” DOWER: “Specifically the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit, we wanted to open up and increase the dollar amount for that. We also wanted to make some small Homestead tax tweaks there.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3NoYdWR
DRAINAGE: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Minnesota corn and soybean growers are pressing forward with a lawsuit against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency after environmental organizations sought to force the agency to regulate agricultural drainage systems through a new permitting program. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association and Minnesota Soybean Growers Association filed suit in December in Faribault County District Court, asking a judge to rule that the MPCA does not have authority under current law to regulate public drainage systems used by agriculture.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a3FXuK
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Corn is a Fluence sponsor)
GRANTS: Via MDA, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) awarded nearly $500,000 in grants to eight projects under the Developing Markets for Continuous Living Cover Grant program. The funding will help build early-stage enterprises and value chains needed to bring continuous living cover (CLC) crops and cropping systems to commercial scale.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49SUNTJ
NEWS FROM DC
E15: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The National Corn Growers Association says it’s disappointed that legislation authorizing a higher blend of ethanol wasn’t included in the latest round of Congressional spending bills. Lesly McNitt, vice president of public policy, says nationwide, year-round E15 was dropped, again. ‘We thought we had a deal.’ On Monday, the House and Senate released drafts of the appropriations bills and they didn’t include the legislation. But, McNitt tells Brownfield, there might still be a chance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49SpIQ4
MN FUNDING: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Several state agencies are left confused after the Trump administration threatened to withhold nearly $130 million in federal agriculture funds to the state last week, only to later walk back parts of the threat without revealing which specific programs would still be affected. That leaves a lot uncertainty surrounding the future of USDA funding for Minnesota programs that help and support the state’s farmers and ranchers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qy7Ela
USDA: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “USDA’s reorganization plan in 2025 drew criticism over the number of job cuts and headcount reduction’s potential impact on farmers, with fears it would hinder field office staff and county offices, many of which were already understaffed. However, third-generation California farmer Aubrey Bettencourt, who’s now serving as chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), says those local constraints aren’t due to staff reductions. She says those issues stem from outdated infrastructure and processes that are creating bottlenecks for farmers and ranchers trying to sign up for programs through USDA agencies such as NRCS. And that’s something she’s now working to change.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LSUQH7
AGENCY LEADERSHIP: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today signed the official commissions of all Senate-confirmed officials serving at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), marking one year since the start of President Trump’s historic second term in office.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pOCAwg
MAHA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The Make America Healthy Again movement and production agriculture may be at a pivotal crossroads. Alexandra Dunn, president and CEO of CropLife America, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of three new pesticides in November sparked an outcry from the MAHA movement.” DUNN: “Everyone was really excited about it, and the EPA issued a great video about the importance of pesticides, but about two weeks later, the MAHA group started a petition for Administrator Zeldin to be removed from his job for approving pesticides.” She says, “That’s put us in a really tough place.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4r5vpRF
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)
ICE
WORKFORCE: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Like many of their fellow dairy farmers, Rodney and Dorothy Elliott, owners of Drumgoon Dairy, grapple with securing reliable labor. Nestled in the small town of Lake Norden, S.D., their labor headaches intensified this past spring when their 6,500-cow dairy operation experienced a federal Department of Homeland Security audit that led to the immediate termination of 38 employees. The Elliotts were left with 16 workers. ‘We didn’t just lose employees — we lost years of experience, skills, knowledge and a team culture that we had built over the past 10 years or more,’ Dorothy says.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sSJzHg
MFU’S TAKE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The president of Minnesota Farmers Union says the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is affecting agriculture in the state. MFU president Gary Wertish says uncertainty in agriculture is causing a lot of stress.” WERTISH: “And the ICE activities in Minnesota certainly doesn’t help any, because that’s affecting agriculture. And the vast majority of these people are here legally and trying to do their job, so it’s sad because we’ve had ICE go into processing plants and stuff.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4r9364U
FROM MN AG BUSINESSES
AG STORIES: Via Land O’Lakes, VERBATIM: “Ahead of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Land O’Lakes, Inc., has collaborated with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard‘s Imagine Entertainment to develop a toolkit for storytellers aimed at changing the way rural America is depicted across film and television.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pPwcFi
INNOVATION: Via Cargill, VERBATIM: “Cargill today announced it has been named a winner in the 2026 BIG Innovation Awards by the Business Intelligence Group and designated as a Top 10 Innovator, recognizing the company’s disciplined approach to innovation across the global food and agriculture system. Cargill was honored in the Innovative Organizations category, alongside a cohort of 159 companies, products and leaders that are transforming industries through applied innovation and measurable real-world impact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YQGsCc
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
STATE FAIR: Via Minnesota State Fair, VERBATIM: “The 167th annual meeting of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society board, governing body of the Minnesota State Fair, was held Jan. 15-18 at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in Bloomington, Minn. In her address to Society members, Renee Alexander, State Fair CEO, stressed the importance of the State Fair bringing people together in 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NuyhZQ
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