INPUTS: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Corn farmers have been struggling with stubbornly high input prices for multiple years. The Middle East conflict with Iran has made the situation worse, particularly for fertilizer and diesel costs, but escalating costs for fertilizer occurred prior the start of the conflict, and corn farmers faced significant cost increases for fertilizer in 2021 and 2022. There are no easy, short-term solutions to address fertilizer prices but the Minnesota Corn Growers Association is working closely with state corn associations and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) to lay the groundwork for legislative action to address the challenge in the long-term and mitigate future risk from global shocks.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uCzS0r (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
MIDWEEK HEADWINDS
BANKRUPTCIES: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Minnesota led the country in farm bankruptcies during the first quarter of 2026, continuing last year’s steady nationwide climb that was particularly steep for Midwest farmers. Eight Minnesota farmers have already filed for bankruptcy this year, double the amount for the entire year of 2024. ‘I know a lot of farmers that are really struggling,’ Bob Worth, who farms corn and soybeans in southwestern Minnesota, said in an interview. Worth, 74, was sitting in the driver’s seat of his planter, taking a brief pause from planting his 56th crop on his Lake Benton family farm. In over half a century of farming, Worth has seen a lot of ups and downs. Lately, it’s been much more down than up.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RyL5Ar
FERTILIZER: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration is formally redefining fertilizer as a national security issue, launching a sweeping federal strategy designed to rebuild domestic fertilizer manufacturing, accelerate permitting, expand supply chains and reduce America’s dependence on foreign suppliers. During a major multi-agency briefing Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced an aggressive effort to reshore fertilizer production to the U.S. through permitting reform, federal financing support, regulatory rollbacks and expanded coordination across federal agencies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fuz5Kj
THE ISSUE: From farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “There is a wide variation in the number of crop producers across the United States that had all of their 2026 fertilizer needs already booked and paid for prior to the initiation of the current U.S. conflict in Iran. Producers that did not have all of their likely fertilizer needs in place for the 2026 crop year prior to March may be experiencing some challenges in securing adequate fertilizer supplies for crop production this year. Farmers that needed to purchase all or part of their fertilizer needs this Spring have also faced much higher fertilizer costs. This further expands the financial challenges for farmers that were already facing very tight or negative breakeven crop production margins for the 2026 growing season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/430j8E0
DAIRY: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Rising input costs are eating into dairy profits. Dan Glessing operates a dairy in southern Minnesota and says fuel and fertilizer prices are escalating.” GLESSING: “Well obviously the fuel aspect, and I sure would love to have like three times the cows so I wouldn’t have had to purchase commercial fertilizer this year. But in a normal day I wouldn’t say that. But I didn’t have my fertilizer locked in (and) quite honestly did a building project last year and the funds just weren’t there.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uzy9Zr
E15: Via South Dakota Searchlight, VERBATIM: “Proponents of ethanol, including lawmakers from corn-growing states, say year-round sales of a gasoline blend containing 15% of the biofuel would give consumers a less expensive alternative to fill their gas tanks, boost energy supplies and benefit agricultural interests. So why hasn’t Congress allowed it? There’s credible skepticism about those claims — and opposition from the strange bedfellows of environmental advocates and lawmakers from states where oil production and refining are major industries. As a result, expanding the availability of E15, as the blend is called, has become a congressional brawl with no predictable result.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u4x4In
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)
GROWING CONDITIONS
WARMUP: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A warmup in the Upper Midwest is encouraging southeast Minnesota farmer Brennen Toquam.” TOQUAM: “It’s crazy. You leave on Friday of Memorial Day (weekend) and the corn was just pukey kind of yellow, and you come back and man it’s got that dark green. It’s amazing what two days of heat and sunshine can really do.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uvLthy
REPLANTS: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative Agriculturist Paul Moffat says sugarbeet growers in the southern Red River Valley are dealing with above-normal replant acres following cold temperatures and strong winds this spring.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nQZDYh
SOIL: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “[Eric Samuelson] is no stranger to the windy nature of the Red River Valley. The region, which includes the northwest corner of Minnesota and northeast North Dakota, is mostly flat. It also doesn’t have many trees, which means there’s not much to slow the high-speed winds sweeping across the valley. That’s an issue because it’s been a windy Spring, with wind speeds frequently clocking over 40 miles per hour. And on the week of May 11th, those wind gusts reached speeds close to 50 miles per hour on multiple days, according to Crookston weather data.” SAMUELSON: “When the dirt’s blowing to that extreme.. It’s just an eerie, sickening feeling in your stomach to watch.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rw5jL7
RAIN: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The CEO of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association says he’s encouraged by recent moisture. Tom Slunecka tells Brownfield rain fell over areas that needed it during the past week.” SLUNECKA: “There were a lot of dry areas. I was driving across the state last week on Thursday (and) couldn’t believe the dust storms that I went through. But all of that is now healed and things are starting to look really, really good.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/49lZFRY
GRANT: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Conservation practices such as avoiding tilling and planting cover crops help preserve soil health. Healthy soil leads to healthy crops. But the required equipment can be prohibitively expensive for farmers. To compensate, the Department of Agriculture’s Soil Health Financial Assistance Program offers grants that help cover the cost of equipment used for conservation practices. This year, the program has awarded nearly $4.7 million to farms and watersheds across the state. The grant is highly competitive, according to Brad Jordahl Redlin, manager of the Ag Conservation Services section at the Department of Agriculture.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RAzwIT
SOYBEANS: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “A University of Minnesota Extension educator is researching ways to make soybean yields more competitive in northwest Minnesota. Saline soils, poor drainage and the high calcium carbonate content of soils in that region result in reduced soybean yields, said Angie Peltier, Extension crops educator at the Northwest Research and Outlook Center in Crookston, Minnesota. ‘All of these things kind of combine to make tough growing conditions,’ Peltier said. Although there is plenty of iron in the soil, the soybean roots don’t absorb it well when there also is an excessive amount of salt.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q9qYbz
ARC/PLC: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced eligible landowners have from June 1 until Aug. 31, 2026 to review and consider base acre increases on farms enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, as authorized by provisions included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on July 4, 2025, the Act provides landowners with the opportunity to update and increase base acres in preparation for enrollment in ARC and PLC beginning with the 2026 and future crop years. Nationwide, up to 30 million new base acres can be added by eligible farms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PEBXtr
CATTLE PESTS: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) opened the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, a state-of-the-art laboratory facility today that will provide the U.S. cattle industry with innovative tools and advanced technologies to manage and eliminate the invasive fly and tick pests that threaten the U.S. cattle industry.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4abyJ7y
MARKETS
CHINA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The CEO of the Minnesota Soybean Growers still sees China as a top soy export market despite ongoing trade disruptions. Tom Slunecka tells Brownfield. ‘Without a doubt China is still the tipping point of profitability for soybeans, and it will be for a long, long time.’ But he says it’s important for the U.S. to look beyond the Chinese market.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fcN7jp
TODAY: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Corn futures are lower again on Wednesday following the easing crude oil market as Iran peace talks continue to progress. What’s holding up soybeans and cattle?” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RBtyaG
ARGENTINA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A grains and oil seeds analyst says Argentina’s plan to reduce export taxes could put U.S. ag commodities at a competitive disadvantage. Marc Rosenbohm with Terrain says the country will gradually reduce its levies on corn and soybeans through 2028.” ROSENBOHM: “The Argentina farmer would see a bit higher price domestically, which incentivizes a bit of an area response and that could push down global prices for those products a bit. The primary effect on U.S. producers would be a bit lower prices because of the extra supply.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/430n9Z6
EGGS: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Today @GovTimWalz signed SF 3891 into law. This will allow retailers to donate eggs past the quality assurance date to food assistance programs. The bill comes at an important time when more Minnesotans are relying on charitable organizations to feed themselves & their families.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/49kXsWU
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
LIVESTOCK SHOW: Via MYLE, VERBATIM: “Entries are currently open for the Minnesota Youth Livestock Expo (MYLE) Livestock Show, and entries will remain open until Tuesday, June 2. No late entries will be accepted. The 2026 event will mark the seventh annual MYLE Youth Livestock Show. The MYLE Show for beef, sheep, goats, and rabbits will be held on June 25-28 at the Martin County Fairgrounds in Fairmont, Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dBr3Oc
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