NEXTGEN: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Corn is excited to announce its 2025 scholarship recipients. Marie Carr of Blue Earth, Natalie Clemenson of Zumbrota, Hannah Highum of Peterson, and Keeley Runge of St. James will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship this year. Since 2019, Minnesota Corn has awarded college scholarships to young adult members as part of its mission to strengthen rural communities and support future generations of farmers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3F7xABq (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
TRADE WAR: Via Marketplace, VERBATIM: “This week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the trade deficit jumped 34% in January from the month before. That’s largely because many importers have been trying to bring in extra goods ahead of the Trump administration’s new tariffs. All the uncertainty around U.S. trade policy and the response abroad is also having an impact on American exporters, including the agricultural sector. Right now, farmers are starting to think about what they’re going to plant this coming spring. But now that China has slapped retaliatory tariffs on big export crops like soybeans, ‘some of those producers are thinking, ‘Well, should I be planting as many soybeans as normal if we’re potentially going to be losing some of that demand?'’ said Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor at Total Farm Marketing.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3F668nM
MORE: From Carah Hart via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The governor of Minnesota says trade tariffs don’t benefit American farmers. ‘To have fun with this is ridiculous.’ This week, the United States placed 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican imports, as well as an additional 10% tariff on Chinese products, bringing that rate up to 20%. And retaliation followed. Tim Walz says reflecting on President Trump’s tariff message to Congress…” WALZ: “Let’s be very clear: the 2018 tariffs didn’t work. We ended up having to spend $36 billion of subsidies and farmers don’t want those. Farmers want to earn. You know that we produce far more than we use so we need markets. The president doesn’t understand tariffs, in general, but I don’t think he understands the ag economy.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4hdto0b
MORE: Via USDA, from Secretary Brooke Rollins, QUOTE: “The temporary tariff exemption for Canada and Mexico is a smart, strategic move to keep trade negotiations on course while delivering real results for American agriculture. Canada must commit to fair trade practices—including those in dairy, eggs, and poultry, and Mexico must maintain open markets.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bvy5RM
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3VZAwp9
CENTRAL AMERICA: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The top ag official in Iowa is encouraged following a recent trade mission to Central America. Ag Secretary Mike Naig says Costa Rica and Guatemala are two strong export markets for the U.S.” NAIG: “Both growing economies (with) growing populations. Guatemala, the largest economy in Central America, is really an important player in the region from a trade standpoint but certainly also from a security standpoint.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41Lcz8p
RECALL: Via MDA, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is notifying consumers of a recall of Thousand Hills Local Farms beef products from Lakewinds Food Co-op of Richfield due to metal contamination. This recall is being issued after staff at the Richfield Lakewinds location and a customer identified metal shot or BBs in beef products.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h9Gyvb
BIRD FLU: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has become year-round. Minnesota Turkey Growers Association executive director Ashley Kohls says until two years ago, most instances of the virus within commercial flocks occurred during spring and fall migration.” KOHLS: “The past two years have been odd in a way, where we’ve had high-path avian influenza in commercial turkeys year-round. And it’s multi-faceted as to why that’s the case, there’s an argument where there could be HPAI endemic in some of the populations.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Fl5eDK
EGGS: From Madison Roth via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Americans have seen the prices of eggs skyrocket within recent months. In the Midwest, wholesale prices for large, white shell eggs delivered to warehouses have recently ticked up to $8.30 a dozen, according to Feb. 28 data from the USDA. For consumers, that’s translated to higher prices in grocery stores. But there are, of course, alternatives to the standard poultry egg. Puris, a Minneapolis-based alternative protein maker, sells a line of plant-based eggs under the AcreMade banner, for instance. Are high egg prices driving customers to shift their consumption patterns? The answer is complicated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XwQ0So
FORAGING: From Tony Kennedy via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mistrustful of the Department of Natural Resources' oversight of mushroom hunting and berry picking, a group of Minnesota foragers has turned to the Legislature for creation of a new task force. Their bill, recently introduced in the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, would require the DNR to establish by September a statewide task force to develop ‘scientifically sound, data-driven recommendations’ for foraging regulations on state lands. Minnesota isn’t lawless when it comes to foraging, but DNR officials say the state’s smattering of existing rules isn’t adequate to address rising interest and participation in foraging.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Dw7U0M
GRANT: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A state grant is helping Minnesota schools teach meat processing to students. Applications are now open for the MEAT grant, which stands for Meat Education and Training. In the first round of grants, $350,000 was dispersed across nine districts to establish or enhance meat cutting and butchery training. One of those districts was West Central Schools in Grant County. The district was granted $35,000 to support the purchase of a meat processing mobile trailer and provide up to 100 hours of hands-on training for one agriculture instructor at a local butcher shop.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41ugvZW
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)
FREIGHT: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Containerized freight challenges continue to plague the movement of some agricultural products. Randy Duckworth with the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance says there’s a shortage of containers.” DUCKWORTH: “We want to make sure that we have containers ready to ship products when our customers want it, and that’s not always possible here in the Midwest. For example, empty containers being shipped back overseas sometimes, which can be a frustration.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3F6PNzd
STATE FAIR: From Ryan Paris via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “For the fifth year, the Minnesota State Fair is continuing the Beginning Exhibitor Livestock Learning Experience (BELLE) Grant, which is a program that awards grants to youth livestock exhibitors participating in the Minnesota State Fair for the first time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3FbqHPH
LOANS: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Legislation to lower interest rates for agricultural and rural home loans has been reintroduced in the U.S. House. Iowa Republican Randy Feenstra helped introduce the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy, or ACRE Act, and tells Brownfield the bill would amend the IRS tax code to create a level playing field for community banks that administer ag real estate loans.” FEENSTRA: “By granting the tax exempt status on earned interest. So what we’re trying to do here is lower the interest rate on real estate loans for the farming community.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41LSxKX
LAND: Via The Farmer, VERBATIM: “The doldrums of February have brought a general slowdown in land sales compared with the past several months, but the market has remained strong throughout most of Minnesota. There still are some sales slated over the next month, with open leases for the 2025 crop year, although many farms have already been leased and will either sell in the fall or with some form of rent and tax proration in the middle of the year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bwkKc0
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
TOMORROW: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Farmers know that the pressures of making it through unpredictable weather, crop or livestock disease and rural life make the job tough. LGBTQ+ farmers say they face additional struggles, like isolation from fellow agricultural workers. Some LGBTQ+ farmers are coming together to talk about it — and connect with each other. This Saturday the state agriculture department and the University of Minnesota are hosting a conference called Ag for All in St. Cloud. It’s the first conference of its kind in Minnesota.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Dj2tSZ
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