IMPLEMENTS: From Minnesota Corn via Instagram, VERBATIM: “A look at the equipment and machinery used on Minnesota farms.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46kTRq0 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
DC + AG
REPAIRS: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “EPA issued new right-to-repair guidance on Monday, clarifying how the Clean Air Act applies to non-road diesel equipment. It’s a move EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says is intended to end years of confusion and misuse of the law that has limited farmers’ ability to fix their own machinery.” QUOTE: “Unfortunately, equipment manufacturers have misused the Clean Air Act by falsely claiming that environmental laws prevented them from making essential repair tools or software available to all Americans,” he says. “Because of this misinterpretation of the law, manufacturers have limited the ability of farmers and independent repair shops to repair equipment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rswi6W
E15: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump once again advocated for year-round E-15 fuel on Tuesday at an event in Iowa, a win for rural communities and farmers . . . Year-round, nationwide E-15 fuel availability is an opportunity to create domestic demand for corn, a product whose price has dropped by nearly half over the past three years, says Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. The fuel blend may also help utilize record-high corn yields that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects to see farmers produce in 2026. Farmers have been ‘really struggling on a financial perspective for at least the past four years,’ [corn farmer and former Minnesota Corn president Dana Allen-Tully] says. ‘For us to increase consumption of corn, that’s really what we’re looking for. So, we’re cautiously optimistic that this is really going to get over the table.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rtlju6
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Corn is a Fluence sponsor)
AID: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A member of the U.S. House Ag Committee says she fears farmland will be lost and young farmers pushed out of production if additional assistance isn’t approved by Congress. Michigan Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet tells Brownfield, ‘Anything that destabilizes our farmers and causes them to close— I’m hearing from sugarbeet farmers that are generational sugarbeet farmers that are worried that they’re not going to be able to keep their farms working over the next couple of years—that is a five-alarm fire from my perspective.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4brErns
FARM BILL: Via Feedstuffs, VERBATIM: “House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) told his Republican colleagues he hopes to mark up a farm bill the week of Feb. 23. The five-year blueprint is expected to be similar to the bill approved in May 2024 by the committee during the 118th Congress.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NSj8Se
MARKETS
TARIFFS: Via Ag Daily, VERBATIM: “After a year defined by tariff-driven trade tensions, farmers’ confidence in tariffs as a tool to strengthen the farm economy appears to be slipping, according to the latest Ag Economy Barometer released in early January. In December, 54 percent of the 400 producers surveyed by Purdue University and the CME Group, which operates major agricultural and financial markets, said they expected tariffs to strengthen the agricultural economy, a decline of about 4 to 5 percentage points from October and November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qW5Enh
HOGS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A pork industry official is cautiously optimistic about the hog market. North Carolina Pork Council CEO Roy Lee Lindsey says prices improved in 2025.” QUOTE: “Anytime you’ve got folks making a little money their attitude gets better. So ’25 was a pretty good year, finally got out of the hole of ’23 (by) putting some money back and can kind of fill that big void that 2023 created.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4q9xBXj
MN GROWN: Via Morning Ag Clips, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Grown Promotion Group (MGPG) has elected new officers to its Board of Directors who will help guide the organization’s work supporting Minnesota farmers and food businesses marketing their products as Minnesota Grown. The MGPG Board is comprised of representatives from 13 Minnesota producer associations, spanning fruits and vegetables, meat, honey, wine, and more, along with three at-large members.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LNdaBB
AWARDS: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Today taking part in MN Trade Office’s Governor’s Int’l Trade Awards luncheon. Great to honor 2 ag related PURIS an important company in the plant based industry with soybeans & peas and Nova-Tech from Willmar who plays an important role in the poultry industry, congrats to both.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4kf0xM7
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “After four years of rigorous on-farm research, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer has successfully identified hardware and technology changes that can help growers looking to maximize the potential of their 15” soybeans. Through replicated trials conducted from 2022 through 2025, as part of the Farm Journal Test Plot program, Bauer’s team demonstrated how narrow-angle row cleaners are key to overcoming the ‘residue hurdle’ in narrow-row systems.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49U3aj1
DATA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “An economist with the Center for Farm Financial Management says benchmarking can be a helpful tool to improve the farm business.
Curtis Mahnken tells Brownfield ‘benchmarking is growing and I think it’s becoming a valuable tool in the toolbox.’ Benchmarking is when farmers compare data from their farms to others to see how well they’re doing with crop yields, costs, profits and livestock performance.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kbj7Vr
IRRIGATION: Via Alexandria Echo Press, VERBATIM: “Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service offices are now accepting applications for the Minnesota Irrigation Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The sign-up period runs through Feb. 27. The Minnesota Irrigation RCPP provides financial and technical assistance to producers interested in improving irrigation efficiency and adopting conservation practices that protect groundwater resources.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rqaF74
GUIDANCE
PESTICIDES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The president and CEO of the Agricultural Retailers Association says farmers and applicators preparing to spray pesticides this spring should start planning their Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance now. Darren Coppock says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted applicators an important six-month window.” COPPOCK: “Between when the application actually occurs and when you have to have looked up on EPA’s what they call ‘Bulletins Live 2’ to see if there are any supplemental requirements on that chemistry.” He says, “So, you document that you’ve checked that and you’re clear for six months.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4asat1z
INSURANCE: From farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “As has been often said with farming …… ‘every year is different’, and many times decisions for the current crop year are based on what happened in the previous year or two. That could be the scenario in some cases with considering the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) and Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) insurance coverage options for 2026. ECO insurance has been around for several years but was not considered on a widespread basis due to the relatively high premium rates for ECO coverage and limitations for SCO coverage. That scenario has now changed due to much lower premium rates and fewer limitations on SCO coverage. This makes SCO and ECO a much more viable crop insurance option as part of an overall risk management package in 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46d3IOI
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
BEMIDJI: Via MFBF, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) brought together over 300 of its members to Bemidji this past weekend its annual Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Promotion (LEAP) Conference, held at the Sanford Center. Developed and hosted by members of the MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) and Promotion and Education (P&E) Committees, the two-day conference featured workshops, breakout sessions and networking opportunities to help attendees grow both personally and professionally.”
MORE: The MFBF site features a few updates from the conference. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4ryDdvz
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