THIS WEEK: From Minnesota Corn via Facebook, VERBATIM: “We hope to see you at Minnesota Farmfest this week! Make sure to stop by the Minnesota Corn tent to join MCGA, learn about the corn checkoff, and of course grab some sweet corn ice cream!” POST | MORE INFO (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers Association)
ALL EYES ON DC + REDWOOD COUNTY
TOMORROW: Farmfest begins Tuesday.
Candidate forums in races for Governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/4q2ialu
A speech from Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins is among the many events scheduled. EVENTS: https://fluence-media.co/4pQIEGw
Exhibitors. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4h6u2jU
Woman Farmer of the Year finalists will be honored and a winner announced. BIOS: https://fluence-media.co/46vCF2d
MORE: Via Ag Update, VERBATIM: “One of the biggest additions this year is the 2027 Profit Road Map, a two-hour educational program designed to help farmers navigate today’s challenging agricultural economy. Sessions will focus on topics including cash flow management, lending strategies, agricultural policy, marketing opportunities and mental health, with presentations from economists, financial professionals and other industry experts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/454kpLq
TOP OF MIND: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The three-day Minnesota Farmfest takes place this year at a challenging time economically for many of the state’s farmers and agricultural producers, as diesel fuel and fertilizer costs skyrocketed this spring following the start of the war with Iran. Many farmers are still reeling from falling crop prices and uncertain markets due to the Trump administration’s trade wars with China and other countries that usually buy much of their corn and soybeans. In addition, the latest drought monitor report shows that almost all of Minnesota is abnormally dry, and most is in moderate to severe drought conditions, which could significantly reduce crop yields this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wesYOY
WEDNESDAY: Via news release from the Attorney General, VERBATIM: “During Farm Fest, on Wednesday, August 5, at 12:30pm, Attorney General Keith Ellison and the Minnesota Farmers Union will hold a press conference to discuss the impact of Attorney General Ellison’s July 2026 settlement with John Deere, which secured farmers and independent repair shops the tools and software needed to repair Deere equipment. At the press conference, Attorney General Ellison will be joined by representatives from the Minnesota Farmers Union and farmers who will share stories about the impact of the settlement on their work.”
SURVEY: Via Minnesota Bio-Fuels, VERBATIM: “A new statewide survey conducted by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association in partnership with Morning Consult shows strong, bipartisan support for ethanol, E15 and permanent year-round access to E15 (often sold as Unleaded 88) among Minnesotans. As Minnesota heads into an election year, fuel affordability, agriculture, and energy policy are top of mind for voters, candidates, and policymakers.”
“The survey shows that E15 has strong public support and that voters are receptive to policies that expand access to lower-cost, homegrown fuel options.” RELEASE | POLL RESULTS
FARM BILL: Via RFD-TV, VERBATIM: “The Senate Agriculture Committee will begin rewriting and voting on its Farm Bill on Thursday as Congress races to replace expiring agricultural programs. Chairman John Boozman’s revised proposal adds year-round E15 sales and gives states more time to reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment errors. The House approved its version April 30 by a 224–200 vote. The Senate committee must approve its bill before leaders can schedule floor debate, where most legislation requires enough support to overcome a 60-vote hurdle.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TqZ8cj
MORE: Via Senate Ag Committee, the full text of the bill. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4xiwGaT
HOWEVER: Via DTN, VERBATIM: “The text no longer has the same coalition of support for E15. The American Petroleum Institute opposed the E15 language over the weekend, breaking its lockstep with the National Corn Growers Association. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, among other hunger organizations, also criticized its lack of a two-year extension of SNAP state cost sharing because the proposal only delays state’s paying penalties until 2028. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., responded to the release, saying, ‘I look forward to working on the details of a bipartisan Farm Bill that can pass on the Senate floor as it will need both Republican and Democratic support. Senate Ag Democrats have been clear that a Farm Bill must meet the needs of both farmers and families across America.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4554Oes
HEMP: Via Senator Tina Smith, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after language delaying a national ban on most hemp-derived THC products, including THC beverages, was included in a must-pass budget resolution set to be voted on in the Senate this week. The ban was set to take place in November and would now be delayed until December, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate.” SMITH: “Adults should be allowed to have a THC beverage if they so choose. Minnesota has created one of the strongest, most carefully regulated systems in the country to allow the sale of hemp products. The initial ban set to take place was ill-advised and would have hurt both hemp farmers and Minnesota breweries alike,” said Senator Smith. “I’m grateful Senator Klobuchar and I were able to secure bipartisan language to delay this ban to December 11. While helpful to hemp farmers, brewers, and consumers, we still need to work towards a long-term solution that will allow for the industry to move forward.”
ICYMI… lunch take had details of delay as well as reaction from Senator Amy Klobuchar. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hNNzFX
AG METRICS
MARKETS: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “Cattle were higher again on Monday extending gains after higher weekly closes last week and clearly putting the border reopening in the rear view mirror. Brad Kooima of Koomia Varilek says the lows look like they are in.” KOOIMA: “They overdid the reaction, I think, to the border reopening. I mean, it’s going to be a gradual reopening in the middle of August. I think that there’s some input from positive comments coming out of the Fort Morgan deal.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gdhG7F
EXPORTS: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Global corn demand continues to look solid. The USDA says corn inspections during the week ending July 30th were larger than what’s needed to meet projections for the current marketing year, which ends in about a month. Last week’s leading destinations were Mexico and South Korea, both of which are key customers for and consistent buyers of U.S. corn. Sorghum inspections were also ahead of pace, with China topping the list. The USDA’s updated supply and demand numbers are out August 12th.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45De21K
FARM TRANSITION: Via Harvest Public Media, VERBATIM: “Most farmers are used to dealing with uncertain variables like the weather and market prices. But now, farmers have to deal with shifting trade policies, including widespread tariffs, which have elevated the costs of machinery and other operating expenses. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and other supply chain issues have also increased the price of gas and fertilizer. Wesley Tucker, a farm and ranch transition specialist at the University of Missouri, said he’s seen more interest from farmers in setting up succession plans to hand off their operation to the next generation.” TUCKER: “In tough times, some people do go to survival mode, but some people are also more interested in succession because they’re trying to say, ‘How do I make this work so that my son or daughter has a chance to be successful?’” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wCplD9
IN THE FIELDS
WEATHER: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Across the Corn Belt, near- or below-normal temperatures in the wake of soaking rainfall is benefiting corn and soybeans.” READ/MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/3TuQqd3
MORE: Via DTN, checking in on how conditions are impacting farmers, including Tyler Rath in Belgrade, MN, VERBATIM: “Rath has been watching another ‘water’ crisis in the form of the weed, common waterhemp. ‘If we could just grow crops like we can grow waterhemp, we’d all be happy,’ he said. He was heading out to cultivate green beans -- planted behind peas -- for the second time this season. He’s on the list but still waiting for a weeding crew to show up to manually tackle weeds in organic fields. Competition for these hand weeding crews is intense, he noted. Crews cost $20 per hour per person.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4yVKPwy
CROP CONDITIONS: From farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, VERBATIM: “One of the biggest questions in analyzing potential corn and soybean market prices for the 2026-27 marketing year is the crop conditions in the Corn Belt and Plains States. In the Upper Midwest, crop conditions are much more variable than a year ago, when much of the region experienced good-to-excellent corn and soybean yields. Some areas of the Midwest have had excessive rainfall this Spring and early Summer, while other areas are dealing various levels of drought conditions. On the other hand, there are portions of the Upper Midwest that have had timely rainfall events and very favorable growing conditions, which has farmers quite optimistic about the 2026 corn and soybean yield prospects for the second year in a row.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fSNqyE
CORN: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The director of agronomy for one of the nation’s largest independent seed companies is concerned extreme heat in July might’ve taken the top off corn yield. Tom Larson with Stine Seed tells Brownfield the corn plant gets stressed when overnight temperatures and dewpoints remain elevated.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4pY6m3B
STORAGE: Via Ag Web, VERBATIM: “USDA’s June 1 Grain Stocks data shows on-farm corn stocks were up 16% from a year earlier. Total national corn inventory across all positions was 5.29 billion bushels, up 14% overall. At the same time, national grain storage capacity remains near 25.5 billion bushels, with about 13.6 billion bushels on farm and 11.9 billion bushels off farm. Overall construction and expansion of new storage capacity has largely plateaued since 2020.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45wQqf9
THIS WEEK: From MDA via X, VERBATIM: “It’s Farmers’ Market Week in Minnesota! Visit http://MinnesotaGrown.com to find a farmers’ market near you. Enjoy fresh, locally grown food and the opportunity to meet the farmers behind every harvest.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4xixgpg
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SCRAPIE: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (AHPIS) has confirmed the first case of classical scrapie in the U.S. since 2021 . . . The US was on track to meet the World Organization for Animal Health’s 7‑year benchmark to self‑declared scrapie freedom in January 2028. APHIS has now notified the organization of the confirmed detection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RG6fwV
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