E15: From Minnesota Corn via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Like this post to join us in supporting year-round E15 access! The benefits of ethanol extend throughout the national economy. In fact, permanent access to higher ethanol blends like E15 could generate an additional $36.3 billion in income and support about 188,000 jobs.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4jvV3Lc (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
We recently launched our first premium publication. The Fluence Brief will be released 3-4 times a month and dive deeper into the business, economic and political dynamics of the Midwest. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cQw43r
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
THIS WEEK: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s nominee to help oversee the Forest Service and other environment work at the Department of Agriculture is due on Capitol Hill this week. The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee will hold a hearing on Michael Boren to become undersecretary for natural resources and environment. Boren, from Idaho, is a ranch owner and co-founder of an accounting software company called Clearwater Analytics. He’s been a campaign donor to Trump and was a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kNypz0
CUTS: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Back in early March, Massachusetts Agriculture Commissioner Ashley Randle sent a letter to the new U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, voicing congratulations — and a number of concerns. Randle, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, shared that USDA's freeze on grants — imposed before Rollins was sworn in — had left Massachusetts farmers in limbo, wondering if they'd ever be reimbursed for investments they'd made based on those grants. She also sounded the alarm on positions that had been cut.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3HDn2uU
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
WILDFIRES: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins [Saturday] announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service is deploying resources to assist the wildfire response currently impacting Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center raised the wildfire preparedness level to 5 on May 29, 2025, as the country is experiencing very high to extreme wildfire activity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dJCp0T
WORKFORCE: From Minnesota Department of Agriculture via X, sharing a Minnesota Department of Health Tweet, VERBATIM: “People who work outdoors, such as farmers, are at increased risk for heat-related illness because they are out in the heat for long periods of time, and the body produces its own heat during physical labor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4knGieJ
FAMILY FARM: Via Farms.com, VERBATIM: “Despite frequent mentions of ‘big ag,’ American agriculture remains rooted in families. According to USDA data, 95% of farms in the U.S. are family-owned. Many have operated for generations, while others are just starting out. Though some farms adopt different business structures like C-corporations for planning purposes, the core remains family-driven.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4juWpFO
NEXTGEN: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “This spring has been a new experience for Tim Dufault. He isn't repairing machinery or waiting anxiously to plant crops on his farm in northwestern Minnesota. Standing in his front yard listening to a chorus of bird calls, though, he still gets the itch . . . A fourth-generation farmer whose great-grandfather bought the family’s first tract of land from the railroad in 1885, Dufault faced a question as he readied to retire: Who should work the land? His three children had fulfilling careers outside farming and weren’t interested in taking over. Rather than cash out to a corporate interest, he cut a different path. This spring, Dufault, 65, is giving six young farmers access to his land in Gentilly Township. He hopes to cultivate a new generation of farmers who’ll stay rooted in his community.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jyYCAa
DEADLINE: Via Successful Farming, VERBATIM: “The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), in partnership with Farm Credit Services, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply by June 9 for the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The national business competition showcases U.S. startups developing solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Entrepreneurs must be members of a county or parish Farm Bureau within their state of residence to qualify as top 10 semi-finalists.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43C8bsc
CROP PROGRESS: Via farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “The Spring of 2025 has been a mixed scenario for crop producers in the Upper Midwest, as they have tried to get this year’s corn and soybean crop planted and off to a good start. Favorable weather conditions in mid-April and again in mid-May allowed for corn and soybean planting to be completed in many areas of the Midwest; however, heavy rainfall events during much of May has slowed planting progress in some portions on the eastern and southern Corn Belt. A cooler than normal weather pattern during the last half of May slowed corn and soybean development in the Upper Midwest. The western Corn Belt and northern Plains States were also negatively impacted by very strong winds and dust storm on May 15 and 16 that caused some significant crop damage in some areas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Hnc1Oh
BIOFUELS: Via Successful Farming, VERBATIM: “Bloomberg’s Kim Chipman, Alicia Diaz, Erin Ailworth, and Ilena Peng reported late last week that ‘after losing their biggest export market due to Donald Trump’s trade wars, U.S. farmers are now counting on the president’s support for biofuels to prevent their next crop from piling up in storage.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mJ6wd4
LUVERNE: Via DTN, VERBATIM: “Gevo, Inc. announced the sale of an 18-million-gallon ethanol plant in Luverne, Minnesota, while retaining some assets that eventually could be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel, the company announced on Wednesday. Gevo has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Agri-Energy LLC to A.E. Innovation, LLC for $7 million, according to a news release from Gevo. Gevo said it will retain ownership of certain isobutanol-production-related assets and a portion of vacant land at the site for ‘future use.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kLdyvY
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)
AUTOMATION: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Automation is becoming more common in U.S. agriculture. University of Minnesota Precision Agriculture Center director Yuxin Miao says as farming becomes more intelligent and automated, less will be required of farm operators.” MIAO: “We hope artificial intelligence will help us to automatically identify the problems and make the decisions, prescriptions, and also implement that in the field.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3HmtJS2
DIGITAL: Via Forbes, VERBATIM: “In Greece's fields, Dimitris, a fourth-generation olive farmer, once relied solely on traditional cultivation methods passed down through his family for generations. Today, critical decisions about irrigation, optimal harvesting times and market access happen after consulting internet sources on his smartphone. This transformation isn't unique to him; it's happening across agricultural communities worldwide, representing one of the most significant shifts in a rather traditional industry that has defined thousands of years of civilization. As a marketing lead working in the intersection of agtech and communications, I've witnessed this digital evolution unfold across our global network. What we're seeing isn't simply the adoption of new tools but a fundamental reimagining of how farming will look in the near future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZLx2IK
INVASIVES: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “It’s important to treat new infestations of invasive species early, limiting their spread and saving resources. In our latest Weed of the Month newsletter, learn more about how everyone can participate in detecting invasive species.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/43o27EP
INTERNS: Via Morning Ag Clips, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Farm Bureau is excited to welcome two summer interns, Katie Thome and Katie Radman, to its state office for the summer of 2025. Beginning their internships on May 27, Thome and Radman will support Minnesota Farm Bureau’s mission of advocating Minnesota agriculture through communication, outreach, and education.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kEXvQg
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
PONY: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Solid 3rd place for Petersen Pony Farm and Pumpkin at the MidState North Star Saddle Club horse show.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/3Sxm5GY
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