ag take | Number of MN Farmers Facing Mediation Triples + Finstad on China & Soybeans
9.26.25
THIS WEEK: From Minnesota Corn via Facebook, VRBATIM: “As we recognize National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025, hear from University of Minnesota Extension Educator Emily Krekelberg on what farmers can do to stay safe this fall.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/3Wat8ag LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gOuhhs (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
SOYBEANS: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Thursday American farmers have been overshadowed and outsold by Argentinian soybean production, and he slammed the Trump administration for agreeing to soften the South American country’s economic hardship. Argentina recently suspended its 26 percent export tax on soybeans, an opportunity used by China to purchase more than 1 million tons of the crop, according to Reuters.” QUOTE: “Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market???” Grassley wrote in a Thursday post on social platform X. “We shld use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy,” he added, “Family farmers shld be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q08qYD
MORE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Sept. 1 was the beginning of the new marketing year for soybeans, the starting point for big sales. Instead, China hasn’t bought any American soybeans since May. The cause is retaliatory tariffs China has placed on the United States, making the price of American soybeans unattractive for buyers there. Throughout the summer, farmers hoped the Trump administration and China would reach a trade agreement that would drop the tariff on their crops, but so far, no relief was forthcoming.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42L3vAr
MORE: Congressman Brad Finstad (R-CD1) talked this morning on WCCO-Radio about the prospect of farmers harvesting this year’s soybeans without China as a market. FINSTAD: “Well I’m one of ‘em. I’m going to be harvesting soybeans later today. So it is something that I’m very concerned about. But here’s the deal: for the last four years we have been in an ag trade deficit in this country. We have sat with our head in the sand being content that China was gobbling up 60% of our soybeans and we did nothing to diversify our partners and our trade opportunities.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ngRv1Y
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
FEEDLOTS: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently summarized comments received from the public as they work to amend rules that regulate animal feedlots and manure storage in the state. The request for comments was published on March 24, and the comment period closed on July 22. The response included more than 475 comments, 688 petition signatures and nearly 7,500 pages of comments and attachments. Based on the outpouring of comments, the MPCA provided a 34-page summary in September.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nUhbkV
MEDIATION: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The number of Minnesota farmers facing mediation because of financial crisis has risen dramatically. Minnesota Department of Agriculture Farm Advocate Steve Zenk says there were 144 notices issued in August, which is three times higher than August 2024 and the highest total since 2019.” ZENK: “We’re seeing right now people that are going to have difficulty paying back their operating loans this fall. With the lower grain prices, and all the inputs have continued to go up, so at the end of the year there might not be enough money to go around to get everybody paid.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3VCpEx3
INPUTS: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. farm production inputs are significantly more costly than four years ago, putting pressure on farmers’ bottom line. Between 2020 and now, seed expenses have increased 18%, fuel and oil expenses increased 32%, fertilizer expenses increased 37%, and interest expenses increased by a whopping 73%. In order to understand why these critical inputs are persistently elevated, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Justice signed a Memorandum of Understanding that represents a joint commitment by both agencies to protect American farmers and ranchers from the burdens imposed by high and volatile input costs —such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment, and other essential goods—while ensuring competitive supply chains, lower consumer prices, and the resilience of U.S. agriculture and the food supply.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IwNLKI
NEXTGEN: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota stopped by Central Lakes College’s Staples campus to tour its meat cutting and butchery facilities on Thursday afternoon. CLC’s program aims to prepare the next generation of butchers and keep local livestock in Minnesota processing facilities.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46Wprey
HUNGER: Via Investigate Midwest, VERBATIM: “Over the last four decades, America’s agricultural output has nearly doubled, as the production of livestock and crops has not only fed the nation but also fueled growing food demand in Asia and South America.
But in the rural communities that have made the U.S. a global food power, residents are increasingly finding it difficult to access enough food for themselves. While the national food insecurity rate has dropped slightly over the last decade, farming-dependent counties have seen an 11.7% increase. Farming counties saw the second-highest increase among the six federal economic categories — farming, mining, recreation, manufacturing, government and nonspecific — according to an analysis by Investigate Midwest of U.S. Census Bureau and Feeding America data.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VyL5iC
TOUR: Via KIMT-TV, VERBATIM: “As part of a tour of 13 Minnesota counties to gauge the state of the agricultural industry, Sen. Amy Klobuchar stopped by PACLEAR Farm in Eyota on Wednesday, Sept. 24. During her visit she spoke with the Pagel family that runs it about the impact foreign tariffs, falling corn and soybean prices, and high input costs were having on southeast Minnesota farms.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nwhRNO
MORE: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The Pagels recognized their family-run farm has experienced some effects from tariffs, but they also said it’s a complicated picture.” QUOTE: “The tariffs are not necessarily helping us in all aspects,” Ron Pagel said. “I think there’s another side that people don’t like to talk about. Maybe there’s some benefits. Maybe we didn’t realize what some of the tariffs were against the U.S., and they’re finally bringing [them] to light.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4pGo3nx
POT: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has issued 42 licenses as of Sep. 23, the bulk of which belong to microbusinesses, or small businesses that can grow, manufacture and sell cannabis at one retail location. They can also choose to focus on just one or two of those aspects. As of Sept. 25, Concentrate Labs is one of 45 licensed recreational cannabis businesses, most of which are microbusinesses. Just 12 of those are cultivators like them. All are small-scale operations except for one large-scale cultivator that OCM says it licensed this week. The Lindstrom-based cultivation farm and business was the second to get a license from OCM.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/46EtLOh
WATER: Via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Clean Water Council gathered in north central Minnesota recently for an education session and tour highlighting how local communities, counties, lake associations and private landowners are working together to protect and restore Minnesota’s treasured water resources. The tour began at Itasca State Park, where participants reflected on the significance of the Mississippi Headwaters and Minnesota’s role as the starting point for the river. From there, the Council traveled to a Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certified Farm to see how agricultural best management practices improve water quality while sustaining a productive and profitable farming operation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mAEcs8
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)
DROUGHT: The new Drought Monitor reflecting data as of Tuesday, shows 21% of the state is now abnormally dry, up from 19% a week earlier. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PP2Kzy
HARVEST: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A farmer in southwest Minnesota says he’s been fortunate with moisture this growing season. ‘But you don’t have to go very far, there are some spots over by Marshall that are quite wet.’ Joel Schreurs grows corn and soybeans in Lincoln County and tells Brownfield most crops in his area look good.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3IEL0a3
SUNDAY: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The seventh growing season by immigrant farmers with the Village Agricultural Cooperative will be capped by its annual celebration market, F.A.R.M. Fest, which will take place Sept. 28 from 2-6 p.m. at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Rochester. This year’s celebration grows out of the two markets the Village hosts every week from June to October: Tuesdays at the History Center of Olmsted County and Sundays at RDMLKJ Park.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46GT9CW
ETHANOL: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The chief economist for the Renewable Fuels Association suggests last week’s four-month low in ethanol production is nothing to be alarmed about. Scott Richman tells Brownfield the dip was expected.” RICHMAN: “Normally ethanol plants do a little bit of maintenance before the corn harvest comes in, before they ramp up and start using that new crop corn. So this year with the record crop that we’re expecting, that definitely happened.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42dZaG1
WASPS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Of all the buzzing buddies of nature, the wasp is one most people aren’t fond of, but if you have ash trees in your yard, three breeds of wasp come in handy, don’t sting and turn out to be hardy too. ‘What we’re finding is that these things are extremely cold-tolerant, that we’re not actually getting much mortality until temperatures fall around minus 20, minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit,’ Rob Venette, a research biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, said. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the USDA’s Forest Service jointly operate the parasitoid wasp program.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3WaBkaw
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
APPLES: Via WJON-Radio, VERBATIM: “Autumn is a great time of year to explore Minnesota apple orchards. Jake Juliot from Explore Minnesota joined me on WJON to highlight some locations to explore this fall.” LISTEN/LIST: https://fluence-media.co/482oSRx
Copyright © 2025 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
As someone who subscribed, or as a member of the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council you are receiving this email.
Our mailing address is:
Fluence Media
PO Box 270031
Golden Valley, MN 55427