Latest news with #Mackenthun
Axios
16-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Farmers nervously hope for some trade war relief
As Ryan Mackenthun plants his soybeans and corn this spring across 2,300 acres of Minnesota farmland that cradles his family's 1887 homestead, he is both fearful of President Trump's latest tariffs and still smarting from those enacted during his first term. The big picture: The 48-year-old father of three said he and his brethren have yet to see any impact from Trump's "Liberation Day" proclamations. But that doesn't mean it isn't top of mind throughout an already stressed and strained industry. He's in the animal feed business, and much of his soybeans and corn are sold to other countries, which use it to feed their chickens, hogs and cows. Soybean prices have been flat for about a year, and China's appetite for crushed soybean meal has been dropping for years, Mackenthun said. "If we had this conversation 10 years ago, we'd say one in every three rows…went to China. Today that conversation is one in every four," he said. "We've lost that market already, we don't want to lose any more." After Trump enacted tariffs against China in 2018, Beijing responded, and Mackenthun's soybeans joined a list of more than 100 U.S. products that fell victim to those retaliatory tariffs, sending prices plunging. "It makes me, as a farmer, really nervous if we see that again," he said. "It'll be devastating, so we're hoping for a quick resolution to this whole tariff war." He added, "It's hard to be hopeful this time around." Meanwhile, China increasingly buys its soybeans from Brazil. Zoom out: Beyond China, farmers like Mackenthun also sell to Mexico, Canada, India, Japan and Taiwan, he said, and they are trying to develop markets from the European Union to Morocco and Uzbekistan. But developing new markets and relationships takes time, he said, and those nations need to build crush plants and other infrastructure. State of play: There are second-order effects to tariffs as well, Mackenthun noted, adding that farmers get "a lot of raw ingredients" for crop protection products from China. "We get a lot of parts from other countries, for equipment," he said. "We're going to see a lower price from lower demand for our product, and a higher cost of inputs, so it's a little scary." Mackenthun reinvested in his farm in recent years when interest rates were low. He plans to weather the tariff storm with his current equipment. But when farmers aren't buying $300,000 planters, or $750,000 combines for harvesting, that impacts other industries. The intrigue: Mackenthun, vice president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, said he has planted more corn than ever this year, a commodity whose price has risen since December. But he doesn't see more corn as the solution to surviving tariffs. "That might work for a year, but if everybody does that, then we'll have an oversupply of corn, and the corn price will go down." What's next: Mackenthun has been encouraged by the talk of talks between Washington and Beijing, and tariff pauses on other nations, which provide "a little optimism that things will get resolved quickly."
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Beard survives shocking challenge for GOP endorsement
Local Republican leaders paced the hallway at Grainwood Elementary School in Prior Lake as Saturday's GOP convention dragged on into the afternoon and it appeared plausible state Rep. Michael Beard of Shakopee could walk away without his party's endorsement for the House District 55A seat. In a surprisingly strong challenge centered on Beard's bill to change the state's judicial election system, challenger Bruce Mackenthun of Louisville Township commanded an early lead in balloting and took Beard through 12 rounds of voting before conceding to spare the party a primary battle. Hungry GOP delegates met for 41/2 more hours in a humid school cafeteria after endorsing Prior Lake-School Board Member Eric Pratt on the first ballot for retiring Sen. Claire Robling's seat. Pratt was opposed by Prior Lake business consultant John Myser, who also made a run for state representative in the new House District 55B, but lost on the second ballot to Spring Lake Township financial advisor Tony Albright. Before Robling announced her retirement from the state Senate on Friday morning, it was to be a three-way contest for the House 55B seat. Pratt, Myser and Albright previously announced for that race. On Saturday, the contest was expected to be for 55B and Senate 55, not the new 55A, where five-term Beard was opposed by the lesser known Mackenthun to represent most of Shakopee and Jackson and Louisville townships. In fact, not enough delegates and alternates even showed up to fill half the delegate slots in 55A. This obviously worked to the advantage of Mackenthun, who aggressively lobbied delegates in advance of Saturday's convention and got his supporters out, clearly blindsiding Beard. Mackenthun, who said he felt called to run for office, told the Valley News that judicial elections was one of his main issues when contacting delegates and it was the one issue he asked Beard about when he informed Beard he planned to challenge him. Mackenthun supports the direct election of judges, while Beard has authored legislation to move the state to a hybrid system of appointment, with retention elections. (Currently, most judges are initially appointed anyway since many purposely resign mid-term.) Mackenthun led on the first ballot Saturday, falling only four votes short of the 60 percent threshold needed for endorsement, and he continued to lead through the sixth ballot. It appears delegate minds were swayed by additional speeches and question-and-answer sessions between ballots. After a tie in the 11th round, an intense discussion on judicial elections ensued. The tide shifted to Beard on the 12th ballot, 23-19 (with five blank votes), but it wasn't enough for him to secure endorsement. Rather than face the prospect of no endorsement, Mackenthun conceded after losing two votes to Beard in the final round. 'I felt it was important for the party to have an endorsed candidate,' said Mackenthun, who also differed with Beard on the racino issue. Mackenthun, who made a previous run for an open seat in his old House district, said he felt a calling to run for state representative in 55A and he also believed a contested race would produce a better candidate. 'Politics is a contest of ideas,' Beard pronounced to delegates upon receiving the GOP nod by acclamation, calling the intense discussion a 'good give-and-take.' However, Beard was not happy that one-time Republican Minnesota Supreme Court candidate Greg Wersal, who distributed literature at the convention, inserted himself into the affair. The media was not permitted to listen to speeches or question-and-answers during the convention because bystanders were removed after one observer shouted at Mackenthun. Even state Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Savage, wasn't allowed in to make a speech for Beard. Delegates said the sticking point for many was Beard's stance on judicial appointments. He defended his bill, which he reportedly told delegates was still a work-in-progress and would evolve through the committee process. After the convention, Beard told a reporter he doesn't plan to move the legislation forward until consensus is reached. Under the current legislation, judges would initially be appointed by the governor. After a judge's first term in office, voters would decide whether he or she should be retained. Vacancies would be filled from a list of candidates nominated by a merit selection commission. Kent Neff, a Mackenthun backer, told a reporter that delegates were concerned about losing their voice in judicial elections, and that there were a lot of good questions and helpful discussion on the topic. Beard, a key player in the Republican-controlled House, was expected to be a shoe-in for the endorsement against Mackenthun, a Louisville Township handyman who hasn't held office before. But Mackenthun worked hard, knocking on doors and calling all the delegates in advance of the convention. He was particularly buoyed by the judicial election issue, which surprised many to be such a hot topic. 'Delegates did what they're supposed to do – vetting and getting to know the candidates,' said Beard, who met with Mackenthun and others at a restaurant following the convention. Beard pointed out the 55A delegation included Louisville and Jackson townships, which weren't in his district before. Beard said Mackenthun was highly organized, while a lot of his own supporters stayed home Saturday. He praised Mackenthun 'for doing the classy thing' by bowing out to avoid a primary battle. Mackenthun said many of his own supporters were unable to make the convention. After his endorsement, Beard gathered with Pratt and Albright, the other endorsed candidates, and Republican delegates for photo to show GOP unity. Beard is expected to have the toughest fight of the three for election, considering district demographics and that he is the only one with a DFL opponent, former Shakopee School Board member and Riverside Computers owner Chuck Berg. With Robling out of the Senate race, however, it seems more plausible that a DFL candidate could arise to challenge Pratt, a U. S. Bank vice president from Prior Lake. It's expected that Albright, a former Scott County commissioner candidate, will have a slam-drunk run for state representative in 55B, which is predominately Republican. A previous DFL candidate bowed out of this race after redistricting results were announced.
CBS News
27-01-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Minnesota grocery stores impacted by egg shortage, higher prices
WACONIA, Minn. — Eggs are in short supply at the grocery store and shoppers who can find them might be hit with sticker shock. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts egg prices will increase more than 20% this year. When it comes to eggs, it's a hard pass for some shoppers. Cody Sik, who is the dairy manager at Mackenthun's Waconia, doesn't blame them. "Egg prices are a whole different story. They are constantly going up and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight," Sik said. According to the USDA, a bird flu resurgence killed more than 17 million egg-laying hens in November and December. That has egg suppliers struggling to get grocers and customers what they need. The result is record-high prices at some stores. To stock up, Mackenthun's orders cases of eggs at a time. Two months ago, a case of eggs was $60. Now, it's $110. "The Essential Everyday brand — that's kind of our store brand — that was sitting at $4 around Christmas and now it's all the way up to $7.59 for those eggs," Sik said. "Almost doubled." At least those eggs are in stock. The shelves for some brands sit empty. Sik is hoping prices start to drop next month, but that's not a guarantee. "If you ever seen non-expensive eggs on our shelves, just grab them. Because if you don't grab them right away, they are going to be out," Sik said. Then there are customers like Chris Tuttle, who won't leave the store without a dozen eggs. "It's been high and now it's even higher," Tuttle said.
