FLY-IN: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Today, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) farmer leadership team kicked off its annual spring fly-in event in Washington, D.C. Over the next few days, farmer-leaders will meet with members of Congress and the Trump administration to highlight MCGA’s federal policy priorities. During meetings, farmer-leaders will highlight the difficult economic conditions facing corn farmers, including low crop prices, high input costs and interest rates, tightening credit, record trade deficits, and an outdated farm safety net.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kXX4S9 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
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BIRD FLU: From Axios’ Torey Van Oot via X, VERBATIM: “Bipartisan group of state officials talking bird flu in MN. Walz says MN w/ federal gov help has built most ‘robust and effective monitoring and ability to contain probably as any of the states,’ but will be more challenging moving forward.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/3DUlzir
MORE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says there is a ‘unified front’ in the state's fight against bird flu, which was recently detected in a Stearns County dairy herd. Walz is seeking $4 million from the state budget to go to response efforts, while the University of Minnesota announced it has received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fight H5N1.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iIdn3W
MORE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Gov. Walz took to the podium with Minnesota’s Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, Minnesota’s State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs and the Minnesota Department of Health Senior Infectious Disease Epidemiologist Malia Ireland. Walz reiterated the need to protect agriculture in the state and be ahead of the curve when it came to combating avian influenza. Commissioner Peterson said Minnesota has been monitoring the virus patterns in the state closely, especially as birds have begun to migrate back into the state.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43xlZpD
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
TRUCKING: Via Minnesota Farm Bureau, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Farm Bureau (MBFB) President Dan Glessing testified on March 26 before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, as part of its hearing on America Builds: How Trucking Supports American Communities.” QUOTE: “The success of American agriculture relies upon a robust, safe, and dependable transportation system,” Glessing stated. “The products we grow and raise must travel far beyond our farm gates to reach markets, processors, and consumers. That is why Congress needs to consider common sense solutions that address our supply chain shortfalls.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j5wJ30
STATE CAPITOL: From MDA via Facebook, VERBATIM: “When women in ag thrive, the entire industry benefits! Today, University of Minnesota Extension brought nearly 100 attendees together for Women in Ag Day at the Capitol, amplifying the voices of women farmers and agricultural professionals. With 35,000+ women farmers in Minnesota and nearly 30% of young farmers being women, their leadership is shaping the future of agriculture.” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4j4r796
LAST MONTH: Via West Central Tribune, VERBATIM: “Working in agriculture comes with many challenges, oftentimes including navigating a business relationship with family members. The University of Minnesota hosted the 10th annual Women in Dairy event in February at the Crow River Winery in Hutchinson . . . Speaking at the event was Katy Schulz, a dairy farmer from Fox Lake, Wisconsin, who discussed her experience working with family and how she deals with the difficulties that come along with it. Schulz was asked to be the guest speaker in large part due to input from attendees the previous year. ‘Last year participants said they wanted to hear more about actual farmer stories, so this is a farmer. We try to find those key speakers who meet the needs of our audience,’ said Karen Johnson, University of Minnesota Extension educator.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4l4SoKa
ESTIMATES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Private estimates are coming in ahead of USDA’s Prospective Plantings report at the end of the month. Matt Bennett with AgMarket.Net tells Brownfield they surveyed growers across the U.S. and found more than half of respondents plan to grow more corn and less soybeans. ‘From that and then from personal conversations (with farmers) we ended up at a 95.39 million acreage estimate for corn and 82.75 (million) for soybeans.’ He says ongoing pressure on soybean futures is a big factor.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41MNo5E
FUNDING: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s federal funding cuts are being felt from farms in the Heartland to food banks in Chicago. More than $1 billion in assistance that usually flows into the US Department of Agriculture for two programs that help local farmers, schools and food banks has already vanished. Now the administration is threatening to slash the agency’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides low-income families with benefits to help supplement their grocery budgets.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c2fzkm
MAHA: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association is concerned the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement could be detrimental to agriculture. Darin Johnson, who farms near Wells, says its critical ag producers speak up because science is on its side. ‘We need to be loud about it, as far as seed oils goes we have the American Heart Association data that’s backing everything up. But we need to make sure we’re getting it out there.’ Johnson and other members of Minnesota Soybean were in Washington D.C. last week to talk with lawmakers about pressing issues. He tells Brownfield MAHA was brought up repeatedly as it gains steam on social media.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41JROKp
From morning take…
HORSES: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The House Agriculture Committee heard testimony this week on a bipartisan bill that would write taxpayer-funded checks to thoroughbred owners every time their horses compete on a Minnesota track. The bill (HF 1540) allocates $7 million over the next two years for a pilot program that awards Minnesota-based thoroughbred owners $750 each day one of their horses starts a race. The money is doled out on a per-horse basis, meaning that an owner with three horses in competition would receive $2,250, regardless of how the horses perform. … The bill [was] laid over for possible inclusion in the upcoming state budget.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kTvCVE
SLAUGHTER: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “As the pork and poultry industries cheer deregulation that will let them permanently increase the speed of production lines at slaughterhouses, workers say they’re already moving too fast. … Aster Abrahame, who trims loins at the JBS pork plant in Worthington, [said] ‘If it goes faster, more people will be injured.’ … The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would let slaughterhouses permanently increase the rate at which animals are processed, [but] Abrahame, who has worked at the Worthington plant for a decade and is a union steward, said she sees too many injuries at the current rate of hog processing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hX3Uow
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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)
ENERGY: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release previously obligated funding under the Rural Energy For America Program (REAP), Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs. This announcement underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to rural communities — including the farmers, ranchers, and small businesses at their core — and their essential role in building a stronger, more energy secure America. Recipients will have 30 days to review and voluntarily revise their project plans to align with President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order issued on January 20, 2025. This process gives rural electric providers and small businesses the opportunity to refocus their projects on expanding American energy production while eliminating Biden-era DEIA and climate mandates embedded in previous proposals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c9j5JO
DRONES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The scale and effectiveness of ag applicator drones continue to increase. Jordan Stickle with Agri-Spray Drones of Austin, Minnesota says he’s seen a significant jump since getting into the business three years ago. ‘My first two years I ran a DJI-T40, which had a 10-gallon tank. And I think the max I could spray in a day was 340 acres, and the acres per hour would be 30 to 35.’ Speaking to Brownfield at the recent North American Farm and Power Show in Owatonna, Minnesota, he said he upgraded to the EA Vision J100 last year.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3RlY7h7
TILLAGE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “An extension corn agronomist says one tip for a successful planting season is avoiding pre-plant tillage when soils are too wet. Jeff Coulter is with the University of Minnesota.” COULTER: “If we’re going in there when it’s too wet, that can cause soil compaction, it can result in clods, and those things can lead to uneven seed-soil contact and air pockets around the seed. And that can slow down the imbibition of moisture.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4hMLVAM
NEXT MONTH: Via Successful Farming, VERBATIM: “According to data compiled by the Successful Farming team, more than 1,300 acres of Minnesota farmland are set to be auctioned in April 2025. Listings range from single tracts of 30 acres to a two-parcel auction of over 650 acres. Here’s a closer look at the farmland expected to change hands across five Minnesota counties.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4hKtyMU
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
CHICKENS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Chicks have been flying off the shelves — figuratively, of course. After a recent nationwide spike in egg prices, local agriculture stores have seen a surge in demand for chickens as Twin Cities residents rush to establish their own backyard coops. Last Friday morning, around 100 customers hoping to buy baby chicks lined up outside of Anoka Ramsey Farm & Garden beginning at 6 a.m. — three hours before the store’s opening. Within two hours of letting customers in, 1,000 chickens were sold.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3E5IPKp
MPPA: Via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Dave Preisler’s 28-year tenure as executive director of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association has left a lasting impact on Minnesota’s agricultural community and the industry at large. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) announced Preisler as the recipient of the Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award, which honors state executives who demonstrate exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing the pork industry.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cfGdqc
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