MAHA: From Lesly McNitt via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “As a mom, my number one priority is keeping my daughter safe. I want her to be protected on every front, from diseases to environmental hazards. As a professional who advocates on behalf of the nation’s corn growers, I want a sensible regulatory system that is efficient and science based. And just like I have a choice about what food I buy at the grocery store, I want farmers to continue to have the ability to make an informed choice about the production tools and practices that they use on their farms. But as an advocate and a mom, I have been concerned with the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission, also known as MAHA, which released its initial report in May.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ewmbJd (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
FRIDAY: Via Farm Bureau, VERBATIM: “Every year, the American Farm Bureau Federation, with the help from our volunteer shoppers from across the country, calculates the average cost for a Fourth of July cookout. The survey includes popular items such as cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad and desserts such as ice cream and cookies. This year, it will once again cost about $70 to feed 10 people, falling right under the 2024 price and making it the second-highest price we’ve seen since starting the survey.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4l71iXj
MORE: Via WJON-Radio, VERBATIM: “It'll cost a little less this year for pork chops, potato chips and hamburger buns. Meanwhile, other products cost more. Hamburger increased over 50-cents from last year -- the highest price for beef ever recorded in the survey. Despite the Avian Flu, chicken prices remained stable -- dropping just 4-cents this year.” READ/LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4nzEtxh
FLOODING: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Waves of heavy rain swamped parts of rural southwestern Minnesota this week, leading to flooded streets and waterlogged fields. A declaration of a state of emergency is expected Friday afternoon in Big Stone County near the South Dakota border, said Dona Greiner, the county’s emergency management director. ‘There’s a lot of standing water in the fields, which is really concerning for the crops, and roads underwater,’ Greiner said. Two sandbag stations are set up in Ortonville, she said. The rain came from slow-moving thunderstorms and heavy rainfall that developed and lingered near Granite Falls on Wednesday, the DNR said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/463DdfB
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
TAXES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association is encouraged by tax provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Executive director Kaitlyn Root says both the House and Senate reconciliation packages address the estate tax.” ROOT: “With the death tax, like in the House-passed text, the estate and gift tax exemption amount is increased to $15 million per individual and $30 million per couple. That’s adjusted for inflation annually, and it would make that exemption permanent. So we would really like to see that get passed.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4khIpzJ
SUBSIDIES: Via EWG, VERBATIM: “The House and Senate budget reconciliation bills are packed with loopholes that will send tens of billions more dollars in subsidies to the largest farms. But most farmers in Minnesota would not benefit much, if at all, from these proposed changes. The bills include proposals that would raise total national spending on farm subsidies by:
Increasing crop price guarantees by 10% to 20%
Making 30 million additional acres of farmland eligible for subsidy payments
Raising payment limits from $125,000 to $155,000 per person
Allowing every member of a farm organized as a pass-through entity, including corporate farms, to collect an amount up to the new payment limit.
But most farmers in Minnesota don’t get money from commodity farm subsidy programs – and this wouldn’t change much under the budget bills.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3G6gIvU
DISASTER AID: Via farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “Many farmers in portions of the Upper Midwest have been dealing with the impacts of severe storms and heavy rains during the month of June. A widespread area of West Central and Northern Minnesota, along with portions of North and South Dakota have been impacted by the tornadoes, strong winds, and heavy rainfall. Some locations in West Central Minnesota have received 12-16 inches of rain or more during the month of June, which has resulted in flash flooding near rivers and streams and considerable standing water in many areas. The result of the severe storms and excessive rainfall has been significant drown-out damage to crops, some loss of livestock, and physical damage to buildings and other property on farm sites. There are some USDA assistance programs to potentially assist producers that are available through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I5fn9c
FARMFEST: Via Fairmont Sentinel, VERBATIM: “Local farmer, Haley Ammann-Ekstrom has been named a finalist for the 2025 Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year award. Ekstrom is one of five finalists out of dozens of applicants from around the state of Minnesota. Farmfest is a national tradeshow that brings in thousands of people each year. It’s located in a more central part of the state, between Morgan and Redwood Falls. This year it’s taking place Aug. 5-7.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lCee7z
STUDY: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Farmers often face tough decisions about how much nitrogen to apply to corn, especially when spring weather disrupts pre-plant fertilizer plans. It’s a critical decision: too little nitrogen can limit crop yield and reduce profits, while too much nitrogen reduces economic returns on the fertilizer and can lead to environmental degradation, without increasing yield. New University of Minnesota research, recently published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, significantly improves a tool that farmers can use to guide these decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IoMKUk
REGULATIONS: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to reduce unnecessary red tape that is killing jobs and raising prices for Americans. This reform allows the Department to efficiently deliver the critical services and funds America’s ranchers, farmers, loggers, and rural communities rely on and corrects the harms caused by decades of unnecessarily lengthy, cumbersome NEPA reviews.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kZo5nU
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)
SOYBEANS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The soybean harvest is winding down in Argentina. Michael Cordonnier with Soybean and Corn Advisor says with more than 90 percent of the crop out, he’s raising his production estimate to nearly 50 million tons. ‘Because the late-planted soybeans just did much better than anticipated.’ He tells Brownfield there was significant flooding in northern Buenos Aires in early June.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/44EyI9U
NEXT MONTH: Via Garden Club of Minneapolis, details of the Garden and Urban Farm Tour scheduled for July 26th. VERBATIM: “This is a self-drive tour (rain or shine) of 6 private gardens and 3 urban farms in the north metro area. Features include hourly ‘Highlight Tours’, the largest urban mushroom farm in Minnesota; native prairie landscapes, newly planted and 30-year curated gardens, authors, artists and experts. Proceeds benefit our horticultural scholarship program and environmental stewardship.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3I4qrTX
PESTS: Via Farm Forum, VERBATIM: “Acrylic paint and pipe cleaners aren’t usually the kind of props Marissa Schuh puts to use in her role as a University of Minnesota Extension educator in integrated pest management (IPM). But during the chilly winter and spring months, she got creative. On a chilly day in May, Schuh sat on the floor of a small classroom at the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center in north Minneapolis, facing a collection of fake cabbages. She had finished her presentation to Farm at the Arb apprentices with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and moved onto the hands-on part of the lesson.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44hk0Ek
STRAWBERRIES: Via Alexandria Echo Press, VERBATIM: “Opening day of strawberry picking came on June 20 for Country Blossom Farm in Alexandria. Aside from some early-season frost and a June hailstorm, the plants have recovered well and are producing an abundance for u-pick customers. Troy Heald, who owns and operates the farm with his wife, Tracy, and son, Taylor, said that the damage that was incurred has passed, and more varieties are showing good yield.” HEALD: “The good news is the berries that are left, that aren't frosted, they’ll get a little bigger then. So it hasn’t really affected our total crop that I can tell, yet. But until we’re done, we won’t know.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nsEu5O
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
BBQ: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “As summer grilling season heats up, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reminds Americans to declare independence from foodborne illness this holiday season.” QUOTE: “Summer barbecues are a favorite tradition, but they also present unique food safety challenges when cooking outdoors and away from the safety of a kitchen,” said FSIS Administrator Dr. Denise Eblen. “Safe food handling is the best ingredient for a successful cookout.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ewpxvN
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