ECAP: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the launch of the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) to disburse the $10 billion in economic assistance to eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. Passed in December as part of the Continuing Resolution package, the program aims to help alleviate the significant economic losses producers faced in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bNLm8G (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
LOANS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Legislation to expand federal loan limits for ag producers has been reintroduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad says the Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement, or PACE Act, addresses concerns about the increasing cost of farming.” FINSTAD: “And some of our traditional farm programs that USDA offers haven’t kept up with the times, so specifically it takes a look at the Guaranteed Ownership Loans, increasing the limits for that. Increasing the Guaranteed Operating Loans, the Direct Operating Loans, and then also the Direct Ownership Loans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4l2m3nF
BIRD FLU: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins hosted a stakeholder update today to provide the first progress report on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) five-pronged strategy to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and lower egg prices. Less than a month after the plan’s rollout, USDA reports significant advancements across all five areas.” QUOTE: “Egg prices are falling, farmers are getting the relief they need, and we are seeing meaningful progress in the fight against avian flu,” said Secretary Rollins. “USDA is making targeted investments and driving innovation to keep our food supply strong and affordable —delivering real results for American families and producers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kQvjv0
MORE: Via Ag Daily, VERBATIM: “In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, the USDA has earmarked up to $100 million for research, prevention, and potential vaccine development efforts. This initiative seeks to provide direct support to farmers and ranchers while fostering innovative solutions to manage HPAI outbreaks effectively.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hvbExK
TURKEYS: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Dealing with the two different viruses harming turkey production is their top concern, but turkey growers and processors told Minnesota's U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith that there are a wide range of other worries for the industry. The two Democrats, who are members of the Senate’s Agricultural Committee, hosted a roundtable session Tuesday with turkey industry representatives at the Fahlun Farms turkey barns south of Willmar. The start of the spring waterfowl migration makes the potential spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza a top concern, participants said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4irmC8G
RFK JR: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, has an unorthodox idea for tackling the bird flu bedeviling U.S. poultry farms. Let the virus rip. Instead of culling birds when the infection is discovered, farmers ‘should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flock so that we can identify the birds, and preserve the birds, that are immune to it,’ Mr. Kennedy said recently on Fox News. He has repeated the idea in other interviews on the channel. Mr. Kennedy does not have jurisdiction over farms. But Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, also has voiced support for the notion.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iJuEcL
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CHINA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The president of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association welcomes the renewal of certificates allowing more U.S. pork exports to China. Todd Selvik says over 300 U.S. pork harvesting and cold storage facilities have regained access to the Chinese market. ‘We really didn’t know how it was going to shake out come Monday, but with the certificates being reinstated on Monday that was a huge win and a big weight off our shoulders.’ He tells Brownfield there are still trade concerns because of potential tariff retaliation.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iH8OXX
CAPITOL: Via Alexandria Echo Press, VERBATIM: “‘See, I like John Deere, and the president likes Case IH,’ said Minnesota Farm Bureau Vice President Carolyn Olson. ‘We can get along.’ That interaction as Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing brought Gov. Tim Walz onstage nailed the theme for the Capitol steps presentation at MFB's Day on the Hill, as members traveled by bus to St. Paul to talk policy with elected officials. Like last year's event, which also coincided with National Ag Day, the wind felt strong enough to blow the podium away, but it served its purpose for speeches from Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul), Sen. Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud) and Minnesota Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hEIrk4
GRAIN: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The first bill to reach Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's desk this legislative session was also the first to be signed into law on Monday, March 17. Walz signed the bill that amends financial reporting requirements for grain buyers. The legislation seeks to help ensure timely financial reports from grain buyers while substantially reducing the cost of annual financial reporting required for small grain buyers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hN4zZD
DROUGHT: The new Drought Monitor reflecting data as of Tuesday, (ahead of Wednesday’s snow), shows slight improvement – 67% of the state remained in some level of drought. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3zN8TDo
RIVER: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Barge traffic is moving again on the Upper Mississippi River. Patrick Moes with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District tells Brownfield the Motor Vessel Neil N. Diehl locked through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minnesota, Wednesday evening, March 19th, with nine barges of cement.” MOES: “We’re just really happy that we were able to safely get all of the winter maintenance done on time and definitely are looking forward to the 2025 navigation season, especially as it relates to producers being able to get those commodities to markets.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iDRum6
EAB: Via MDA, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in three new locations in Minnesota over the winter. EAB was confirmed in Aitkin County for the first time. There are now 54 counties in the state with EAB. In Pine and St. Louis counties, infestations were discovered in new areas, expanding the original quarantine areas. No new EAB finds occurred in Mille Lacs County, but the quarantine is also being expanded due to the proximity to the Aitkin County find.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bMrNO3
TARIFFS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A U.S. Congressman is hopeful tariffs will benefit American agriculture. Randy Feenstra says the Trump administration has done a good job of leveraging the trade tactic with Canada and Mexico.” FEENSTRA: “However, we’ve got to make sure Mexico keeps buying our corn. We have to make sure Brazil treats us right, Brazil has an 18 percent tariff on ethanol. That’s not right. So for me it’s about protecting the farmers.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iQ5BF3
LOCAL: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “Great to see so many MN food & beverage entrepreneurs represented at today’s @Local_Feast trade show in Cannon Falls. With 50+ buyers from schools, co-ops, grocers, & more in attendance, we hope many made meaningful connections to bring more local foods to more tables!” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4bLSDWt
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)
LAND O’LAKES: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Land O’Lakes churned up its dairy profits last year as big bets on cheese and America’s rediscovered love of butter fueled one of the segment’s best years on record . . . The co-op, which touches half of America’s harvested acres through its crop inputs and animal nutrition businesses, has not been immune to the broader downturn in agriculture, however. Profits for the WinField United crop inputs business declined 28% to $166 million last year. The co-op blamed lower grain prices and retailers drawing down inventory for the decline.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iv16jw
CUTS: Via West Central Tribune, VERBATIM “Just a few weeks ago, Cindy VanDerPol put together bids to supply the Litchfield, Hutchinson and Dassel – Cokato school districts next school year with beef, pork, chicken and eggs raised on her family’s Pastures A Plenty farm between Clara City and Kerkhoven. She contacted small-town meat processors and a hatchery in the area to make sure they would be able to meet the farm’s needs if awarded the bids. ‘The Farm to School Program was going to make a big impact on our farm,’ VanDerPol told U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., at a gathering of local food producers Tuesday at the Becker Market in Willmar. A few weeks after VanDerPol put her bids together, the United States Department of Agriculture announced it was ending funding for the Farm to School and other programs allowing child care centers and food shelves to purchase foods from local producers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bO5QOC
SUPCT: Via KAAL-TV, VERBATIM: “An appeal from the owner of the Daley Farm of Lewiston LLP to expand its livestock operations has been rejected by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The owner of the so-called ‘factory farm’ in Winona County was trying to appeal a decision issued by the state’s Court of Appeals in December, upholding the county’s right to limit the size of large animal feedlots within the county.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iHpvCB
SEEDS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Seed supply shortages could cause problems for some farmers this spring. Flooding early last spring devastated parts of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa and Casey Staloch with Albert Lea Seed Company says seed production suffered.” STALOCH: “Just because we had too much water early and not enough late, and then also with our sales being up on the conventional side yeah we are getting sold out of a lot of numbers right now.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kKEwot
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
USDA: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced key presidential appointments to the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area. These appointees will lead efforts to advance President Trump’s America First agenda and ensure that farmers, ranchers, and producers have the support they need to keep feeding, fueling, and clothing America.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iQ6uxn
MORE: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of Dr. Jaye L. Hamby as the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). As Director, Dr. Hamby will lead USDA’s efforts to advance agricultural innovation, community outreach, and fostering the next generation of agricultural leaders.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hzeKkj
4-H: From UofM Extension via Farm Forum, VERBATIM: “‘I felt it was important to make these kits because most farmers don't carry a first aid kit with them, and a lot of accidents happen within the farming industry. A lot of times farmers are by themselves and might need help.’ This sentiment comes from Savannah Kleine, a member of the 4-H Ag Explorers Club in Cottonwood County, which recently won an Association of Minnesota Counties award in recognition for their project ‘First Aid Kits for Farmers and Truckers.’ The awards were presented at the annual Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Legislative Conference in St. Paul on Feb. 27.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41LPKjY
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