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👉 NEWS The federal 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit, which rewards ethanol plants for using low-carbon corn, faced major repeal threats earlier this year. House proposals sought to eliminate the credit, but a bipartisan Senate package ultimately spared 45Z and extended it through 2031—with some tightening expected around eligibility.
✅ THE WHAT, WHYs & WHOs With 45Z locked in (for now), ethanol buyers are actively looking to line up corn that can qualify for these premiums. That means they’ll be paying more for bushels grown with documented low-carbon practices—think cover crops, poultry litter, reduced tillage, precision nutrient management. Growers who start recording practices this season will be first in line to capture those premiums.
✅ WHAT TO DOs Encourage your growers to document 2025 practices starting NOW—and position Return® poultry litter and regen practices as essential tools to help lower carbon intensity scores. With political uncertainty still swirling around 45Z, the window to lock in this value stream is likely shorter than the current policy suggests. Now’s the time to act.
OTHER STORIES
🌾 Southern MN Crops Bouncing Back After May Weather Swings
👉 What’s Happening: After a bumpy May, southern MN crops are rebounding fast. Corn has greened up and is progressing well. Soybean emergence is strong after a delayed start. Alfalfa harvest is wrapping with solid regrowth and minimal pest pressure.
✅ Action Step: Right now is prime time for nutrient apps — poultry litter and sidedress N. Fields are catching up fast — don’t miss this window.
🚜 Your Move: If you’ve been evaluating strip-till for 2026, winter is the time to price equipment, look at local demos, and explore cost-share programs. Pairing strip-till with litter or cover crops can create one of the most efficient fertility systems in the Upper Midwest.
👉 YOUR MOVE: Post-harvest, recalibrate your nutrient plan using updated soil tests. Adjust rates based on poultry litter inputs and real field needs.
JUNE: Storms, heat on deck, and weeds ready to run.
🧊 Frozen Ground Ahead: Expect full freeze across the Upper Midwest by mid-to-late November. Tile flow will shut down, and compaction risk spikes with cold, wet passes. Park heavy equipment unless absolutely necessary.
CBOT NUMBERS
CORN
DEC ’25: 4.40 ⅜ | MAR ’26: 4.48 0
Summary: Corn futures strengthened this week—Dec. and March contracts posting solid gains. Improved export demand and tightening global supply helped support the market.
Outlook: Basis remains the key profit driver. If your local bids are holding firm, this is a smart window to lock in margins on a portion of 2025 production. Charts look steady, but don’t assume a post-holiday rally.
SOYBEANS
JAN ’26: 10.87 ⅛ | MAR ’26: 10.98 ⅛
Summary: Soybeans slipped across contracts, reflecting ongoing weakness in export demand and no major shifts in USDA projections. Brazil’s planting delays haven’t created enough concern to lift prices yet.
Outlook: With limited upside and global demand still soft, now’s the time to manage risk rather than hope for a rally. If your basis is strong, consider scaling in sales.
WHEAT
DEC ’25: 5.36 ⅛ | MAR ’26: 5.34 ¼
Summary: Wheat stayed essentially flat, with heavy global stocks continuing to cap any upward momentum. Weather concerns abroad haven’t been strong enough to move the market.
Outlook: If storage costs are rising and your basis is reasonable, this may be your cleanest exit before January pressure sets in.
Source: AgWeb Futures (as of Dec 9, 2025)
EVENTS
Minnesota Organic Conference
Jan 9–10, 2026 | 📍River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN
A cornerstone winter event for organic, regenerative, and transitioning growers. Sessions include fertility strategies with compost and litter, soil biology, market outlooks, and systems for reducing synthetic inputs.
More Info
Ag Expo 2026 (MN Corn & Soybean Growers)
Jan 28–29, 2026 | 📍Mayo Clinic Event Center, Mankato, MN
One of Minnesota’s premier winter agriculture events, featuring market outlooks, policy discussions, agronomy sessions, and a full exhibitor floor covering fertility, equipment, and soil-health technologies.
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Small Grains Winter Workshop Series (UMN Extension)
Jan–Feb 2026 | 📍Multiple Locations Across Minnesota (Rochester Feb 18)
A winter workshop series focused on wheat, oats, barley, and integrated rotations. Expect updates on disease management, fertility planning, winter survival, and the economics of adding small grains to corn/soy rotations.
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Ground Work—A Soil Health Event Series
Feb 12, 2026 | 📍Stewartville, MN
Join Return for our inaugural soil health gathering. We'll be hosting Mitchell Hora, and other local producers to explore the bottom line on soil health. Learn more about the role of poultry litters as part of an ongoing soil-building, margin-growing system.
Strip Till Makes Dollars and Sense
Feb 18–19, 2026 | 📍Lamberton & Lake Benton, MN
A two-day, two-location workshop series focused on the economics and management of strip-till systems. Sessions cover soil-health impacts, input savings, nutrient placement, and yield/ROI comparisons — with farmer case studies and technical guidance. Hosted by the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.
More Info
Let’s Talk Soil, Live.
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