SCHOLARSHIP: From Minnesota Corn via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Attention students: The deadline to apply for the 2026 Minnesota Corn scholarship is less than two weeks away. Each year, Minnesota Corn provides up to four young-adult members with $5,000 college scholarships to further their pursuit of degrees and careers in agriculture. The deadline to apply for a 2026 scholarship is January 4th.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4s8dURN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/44Ez1Bg (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
USDA
STAFFING: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Agriculture Department lost nearly one-fifth of its work force in the first half of this year, according to a watchdog report that offers a snapshot of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal bureaucracy. From January to June, more than 20,000 employees left the agency out of more than 110,000, including 15,114 who accepted a voluntary resignation program, according to the report, which was compiled by the agency’s Office of the Inspector General.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4azUgbn
MORE: Via USDA OIG, from the report:
FULL REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/49pf4B6
REACTION: Via statement from Senator Amy Klobuchar, QUOTE: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the front door for America’s farmers and ranchers, who are facing more uncertainty than ever. Rural Americans need a Department that is ready and capable of serving them. Particularly shocking is that the agencies responsible for assisting farmers and small towns lost a third of employees; the Forest Service lost nearly 6,000 employees; and the agency responsible for managing animal disease outbreaks lost nearly a quarter of employees. Losing nearly twenty percent of all USDA staff weakens the Department’s ability to respond to challenges facing our farmers, leaves our food supply chains more vulnerable to threats like New World Screwworm and avian flu, and undermines efforts to drive the rural economy forward.”
CHALLENGES
FAMILY FRICTION: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “After decades of rarely serving couples, they say marriage counseling is now their most-provided service. Nationwide, divorces on farms have ticked higher each year since the pandemic, according to marriage researcher Krista Westrick-Payne, even as divorce rates have flattened overall. Now, as new tariffs scythe down revenue and stir memories of the widespread farm collapses in the 1980s, therapists say economic pressures have morphed into marital ones. If farms begin to fail, farmers and therapists worry families will too.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/495t95v
SOYBEANS: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Soybean futures made new lows for the move again on Friday and March was 27 cents lower for the week. Soybeans have corrected around $1.20 from the highs on Nov. 18 and are trading lower than before the China deal was announced on Oct. 30. Jim McCormick with AgMarket.Net says the slide has been frustrating in light of recent confirmation of China sales. The problem is the export business, even if China buys the full12 MMT, is not enough to fix the lagging exports.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4p6cGE4
CATTLE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A livestock economist says he’s seeing some data that suggests at least some herd expansion could be underway. Kenny Burdine is with the University of Kentucky. ‘Cow slaughter is still running about 18 percent below year-ago levels,’ he says. ‘That hasn’t changed much. And I still maintain that’s going to be our inventory driver going in to 2026, that we’ve not culled this cow herd very hard at all.’ He tells Brownfield the other data point that could be signaling a maintenance or growth phase is the percentage of heifers that make up total slaughter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j9G9vB
WINS: Brownfield talked with Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association president Jake Thompson about recent actions regarding wolf management, depredation funding, and CRP acreage. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qpPAcB
TRADE MISSION: Via The Land, VERBATIM: “A contingent of Minnesota representatives joined forces this fall to generate trade opportunities in Europe. The delegation included tracks for energy, medical tech, education, and agriculture and spanned November 15-22 with major stops in Zürich, Switzerland and Düsseldorf and Berlin in Germany. Darin Johnson, president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association is no stranger to business relationships stretching across the ocean, and is convinced time spent strengthening partnerships is always a good investment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KNqntE
YEAR-END LISTS
U OF M: Via University of Minnesota, the institution’s top ten news stories of the year, including some connected to ag. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3KYivpc
FOCUS ON AG: From farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “At the end of every year, various publications, websites, etc. have their ‘Top 10’ or ‘Top 5’ list for that year. In this issue of ‘FOCUS ON AG’, I am highlighting my ‘Top 5 Ag Topics’ for 2025, based on issues that were discussed in the columns throughout the year.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4spDPou
BASIC NEEDS
WORKFORCE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Farmers from across the country are stressing the need for congressional intervention to secure ag labor policy. North Carolina apple grower Linda Pryor tells Brownfield she’s very appreciative of the Department of Labor reforming how H-2A guest worker wages are determined, but the rule lacks longevity.” PRYOR: “Labor is something that could have more certainty than it does and could take some of those variables out,” she shares. “Having a cap on how much the wage can increase year over year, animal agriculture—there’s not an option for them right now, which is extremely concerning when we want to keep a domestic food supply.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KVUcIv
HOLIDAY MEALS: Via Grand Forks Herald, VERBATIM: “As the holiday season approaches, rising grocery prices are prompting some families to rethink where their food comes from — with a growing number turning to local farms to fill their holiday tables instead of big-box grocery stores. Farm Direct Minnesota, a Facebook-based community with over 112,000 members, connects consumers directly with farmers throughout the state. The platform provides families with everything they need for a holiday feast, including proteins like locally raised turkeys, geese, holiday hams and prime rib, and specialty foods as well as baked goods and treats.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sbyXmK
FOAM: Via Morning Ag Clips, VERBATIM: “Across local fire departments and state agencies, SoyFoam’s feel-good story is spreading throughout Minnesota. This spring, the farmer-led Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) launched the soy checkoff-supported SoyFoam campaign, ‘Planting to Protect: From Farm to Flame.’ The Council is offering more than 40 organized soybean counties in Minnesota the opportunity to donate SoyFoam to area fire departments, and the Dodge County Corn & Soybean Growers are getting in on the action by donating SoyFoam pails to the fire departments in Dodge Center, Claremont, West Concord, Mantorville, Kasson, Hayfield, and Blooming Prairie.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4p7lhXa
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)
2026 AND BEYOND
SOYBEANS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A market analyst says farmers could plant more soybeans in 2026 to help offset record input costs. Jeff Peterson with Heartland Farm Partners says margins have been extremely tight especially for corn.” PETERSON: “I think we’re going to have some constraint on the amount of money some of farmers want to spend on corn especially last year they say rust really pull back on yields and I think they’re worried they might see another year on that.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NeYcnW
DEER: Via RFD-TV, VERBATIM: “A decade-long debate in Minnesota between the state’s Department of Natural Resources and the private deer farming industry is approaching a potential turning point, with concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease at the center of the dispute. Roger McEowen from the Washburn University School of Law joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to provide legal context and insight into the ongoing conflict and what could come next.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/45nsknn
RELATED: Via Star Tribune, a look at state and tribal efforts to help the moose population. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4s7wLMS
NEXT MONTH: Via Worthington Globe, VERBATIM: “The Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, will host its Winter Crop Day Jan. 15, in conjunction with the Lamberton Research Update. Registration opens at 8 a.m., with the program beginning at 9 a.m.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MVxUHi
STRATEGIES & LOGISTICS
SOLAR: Via High Plains Journal, VERBATIM: “Adam Kronback has been looking for ways to innovate since coming back to his fourth-generation family farm in Lamberton after eight years working as a food scientist. He likes the idea of putting solar panels on a piece of his land. ‘But I see too many solar panels go up for energy and the land left fallow instead of for growing food,’ he says. ‘Can’t the land be used for both?’ Kronback attended a June 2025 Agrivoltaics Field Day at the West Central Research and Outreach Center at University of Minnesota Morris. There, Brad Heins, organic dairy management researcher and Extension specialist, has been grazing the herd he manages alongside and under elevated solar panels since 2017.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MNCrLX
HERBICIDES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Many challenges can emerge when farmers spray herbicides to control weeds. Drew Butler, adjuvant portfolio manager for Loveland Products, says one issue that often arises involves the water used for mixing.” BUTLER: “Anytime you’re using a herbicide, you have the chance of losing efficacy with your water quality. So if you have hard water, which is common across the entire United States, you are risking having your active ingredient tie up with that water.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4auWUPs
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS: Via MDA, VERBATIM: “Holiday greenery and Christmas trees bring joy throughout the season, but they can also hide dangerous pests. Diseases and invasive species can make their way into our landscapes on trees and boughs brought into Minnesota from other states. To protect our environment, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is asking residents to take these steps to properly dispose of greenery and trees after the holiday season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pTWsz8
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