Agriculture

Wells Fargo & Co. will boost agriculture lending this year as producer costs climb, said Rod Alt, a senior vice president in the bank's food and agribusiness division.
A new program offers discounts on farm business management education to Minnesota farmers switching land or dairy cows to organic production.
Minn. lawmakers want to ease limits on raw milk sales
Three GOP state senators are proposing legislation to legalize most sales of raw milk in Minnesota.
A 2007 report that the federal government had paid $1.1 billion in subsidies to dead farmers sparked an outcry and has been frequently cited by critics who considered the payments a blatant example of wasteful spending. But a follow-up that found no fraud and determined nearly all the subsidies paid on behalf of dead farmers in recent years were proper has received little attention.
China, the world's biggest soybean importer and consumer, has signed 21 purchasing agreements in Chicago over the past two days for U.S. supplies valued at $6.68 billion, the U.S. Soybean Export Council said.
Ethanol gets a victory with approval of E15 blend
Nearly two-thirds of drivers could have more corn-based ethanol in their fuel tanks under an Environmental Protection Agency decision Friday.
Dayton meets with Chinese trade delegation
Gov. Mark Dayton and state agriculture officials met with a delegation from China Wednesday, to discuss the future of Minnesota soybean exports to China.
Agribusiness giant Cargill will distribute its 64 percent stake in The Mosaic Company to Cargill stakeholders and debt holders.
New Minnesota agriculture commissioner takes over
Minnesota's first new agriculture commissioner in 15 years doesn't expect major policy changes in his department even as the state struggles to plug a $6.2 billion hole in its next budget.