Business and Economic News

Fergus Falls leaning into homey day care ‘pods’
Plans are afoot in Fergus Falls to build out a series of adjacent day care pods, which require less overhead than center-based facilities while offering some of the comforts associated with home-based care. 
Minnesota’s 2 cannabis, hemp testing facilities gear up for boom in recreational market
St. Paul-based Legend Technical Services and ChRi Laboratories, Minnesota’s two testing facilities, are preparing for new testing rules to go into effect and the state’s recreational-cannabis market to take off.
Why Minnesota bird flu cases are spiking
Bird flu cases are on the rise nationwide. Minnesota alone has seen outbreaks affecting nearly 600,000 birds in commercially farmed flocks. Here’s what that means.
USDA is reopening some 2,100 offices to help farmers access $3B in aid despite the ongoing shutdown
The Agriculture Department will reopen about 2,100 county offices all across the country Thursday despite the ongoing government shutdown to help farmers and ranchers get access to $3 billion of aid from existing programs.
Ag loan defaults are climbing in Minnesota. The programs meant to help are under strain
Trade wars, low commodity prices and rising costs are pushing farmers’ credit to the limit. A growing number of Minnesota farmers are defaulting on their bank loans, according to a program that helps them.
Good gourd! These Midwesterners are raising giant pumpkins that weigh as much as a car
Giant pumpkins can top the scales at more than 2,000 pounds — and caring for these behemoths is often a full-time job. But for some growers in the central U.S., the dream of raising a world record-setting pumpkin is a tantalizing prospect.