Farm measures stalled out at Capitol

The Minnesota legislative session is history for another year. Ag commissioner Thom Petersen said it was a mixed bag for agriculture; “We did pass the DAIRI bill, and the governor signed that, and that’s going to help farmers who enrolled in the Dairy Margin Coverage federal program, but the rest of the bills are kind of stalled out.” House Agriculture Committee Co-Chair Paul Anderson said the agriculture policy and finance bill was a casualty due to disagreements over paraquat restrictions. “There are DFLers who want to see that chemical banned in Minnesota. We don’t want that to happen because it’s already carefully regulated and used in some specialty cases,” Anderson said.

Minnesotans pessimistic about finances

Early results from AgriGrowth’s first agriculture and food economy survey point to growing concern about Minnesota’s economic outlook. “There’s a lot of pessimism out there, economic frustration, anxiety,” said Darin Broten, AgriGrowth executive director. The survey included 500 registered Minnesota voters in late April. Nearly all respondents, 98%, said agriculture and food are important to the state’s economy, but more than half reported having no direct connection to agriculture or food production. Broten said public understanding and support will be critical as agriculture advocates work with policymakers at the Capitol.

Uncertain, volatile market environment

Uncertainty remains the buzzword for the overall economy, including the farm economy. According to Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Regional Economist Joe Mahon, fertilizer prices and global market volatility remain major concerns, especially for growers who did not secure fertilizer supplies for the current crop year. Mahon also emphasized the importance of ad hoc government assistance programs during the recent stretch of weak farm income and tight margins; “What I hear from my contacts in the industry is that those have just been crucial over the last couple of years, particularly the farmer bridge program.” Mahon was part of the AgriGrowth Spring Economic Forecast Luncheon.

Milk options expand

A new U.S. Department of Agriculture interim rule expands the milk options available in child nutrition programs, including schools. It allows schools to offer whole and 2% milk. This rule encompasses portions of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, signed into law in January. It restores milk choices removed under federal nutrition standards adopted in 2012.

Credit quality remains good

After years of historically low delinquency rates, credit quality at farm banks weakened modestly in 2025. The number of farm loans that were not repaid on schedule still remains low by historical standards. According to the American Bankers Association 2025 Farm Bank Performance Report, 98% of farm banks were profitable last year, with 73% reporting higher earnings than the previous year. The farm banks in the Plains region, including the Dakotas, increased their farm loans by 8.3%. For the Cornbelt region, including Minnesota, the number of farm loans rose by nearly 6%. In both regions,
most farm banks strengthened their balance sheet slightly from the previous year.

USDA employee union asks Congress to intervene

The American Federation of Government Employees is upset with USDA’s reorganization plan. In a statement, the group said the forced relocation of more than half of the agriculture department’s Washington, D.C., workforce will undermine the work of the agency. The union said most workers will quit their jobs rather than uproot their families. It wants Congress to intervene and stop the relocation plan.

Farm bill timeline

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman plans to release the Senate farm bill text in June and mark up the legislation later in the month. The House passed its version of the farm bill in late April with a vote of 224-200. The current extension of the 2018 farm bill expires at the end of September.

Crime Act impacts dairy shippers

The House passed a bill combatting organized retail crime. U.S. Dairy Export Council President/CEO Krysta Harden calls it a critical step; “Unfortunately, our dairy exports have been collateral damage as criminals break into shipping containers in search of high-value retail goods.” The bill now moves to the Senate.

Record exports

U.S. cheese exports broke new records in March. Cheese exports rose nearly 30%, while butter exports were up 77%. Total butterfat exports are up 110% year-over-year. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the impact on global shipping will likely influence international trade in the months ahead.

De-risk your dairy

Beef-on-dairy has grown in popularity to the point where dairy cows make up roughly 15% of the national beef herd. Laurence Williams, a dairy-beef cross specialist with Purina Animal Nutrition, says beef-on-dairy is a great revenue stream for any dairy farmer. “If you want to de-risk your dairy a little bit, invest in good genetics, get them colostrum, do the right thing, and that will help ensure that these cattle do well at harvest and continue to be an important part of the beef supply,” Williams said. “I would just ask dairymen to recognize the importance of their contributions to the beef supply.”

IDFA leader to retire

International Dairy Foods Association President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Dykes plans to retire at the end of the year. Dykes has been in this leadership role for 10 years. “Michael has been a transformational leader for IDFA and for the dairy industry,” said Daragh Maccabee, chair of the IDFA Executive Council. “Under his leadership, IDFA has built one of the strongest advocacy teams in Washington, strengthened its financial position, expanded industry engagement across the supply chain and helped deliver extraordinary momentum for dairy both domestically and globally.”

New forage agronomist named

The University of Minnesota Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics has named Beatriz Bizzuti Cremostim as its new extension forage agronomist. Dr. Bizzuti has served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin Extension.

Trivia challenge

DiGiorno is the top-selling frozen pizza in the United States. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, how many hours does the typical cow rest per day? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.

Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and five grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.