Agriculture

Bessent divests from soybean farmland ahead of Trump aid announcement for farmers
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has proclaimed solidarity with U.S. farmers in recent months as they grappled with the loss of a major soybean buyer due to President Donald Trump's trade war with China.
Trump is proposing a $12B aid package for farmers hit hard by his trade war with China
A White House official says President Donald Trump is planning a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war.
What do you do with a hill of beans? Fight fires, say Minnesota soybean groups
In a year when soybean markets have been upended by trade wars, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council is running a campaign to add demand and diversify product options for soybeans through a new soy-based firefighting foam called SoyFoam.
‘Oat Mafia’ in search of a market for oats in the upper Midwest market
Some corn and soybean farmers in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa have started planting oats for environmental reasons, but also in an effort to diversify what’s grown in the Midwest. One area farmer has broken ground on a new oat mill in Albert Lea, Minn., for a local market.
Minnesota’s grain indemnity fund faces first major test with large grain elevator failure
Hansen-Mueller Co., a nationwide grain merchandiser and processor, filed for bankruptcy. The company, based in Omaha, Neb., has grain elevator operations in Minnesota. It owes hundreds of millions of dollars to farmers nationwide.
Minnesota cattle producers to vote on proposed increase in beef checkoff fees
The Minnesota Beef Council has proposed a 50-cent increase to the $1 fee charged to cattle producers on every head of cattle sold. The checkoff fee hasn’t been raised in nearly 40 years, but to make it more palatable to members, the fee would be refundable for those who want to opt out of the program.