Legislative Updates

What does the Stay at Home order mean for farmers?

As you are likely aware, Gov. Tim Walz issued a “Stay at Home” order last week that began on Friday night and is scheduled to run through April 10. The order is voluntary, and a number of services are exempt from the order as they are considered “critical services.” Agriculture and food are among those critical services.

You do NOT need to have a letter or any sort of documentation to be outside or on the road. You are fine to continue your work as needed. If you have other questions, you can also check out this FAQ from the Governor: https://mn.gov/governor/covid-19/faq.jsp

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has more resources to answer your questions about working during the Stay at Home order: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/business-exemptions/. You can also reach out to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture with questions at mdaresponse@state.mn.gov.

State, federal funding approved

As with all areas of life amid this global pandemic, this was a packed week for legislative and administrative action. The state legislature convened to pass a third COVID-19 response package aimed at helping families, small businesses, and farmers through the crisis; the federal government passed a massive economic relief package; and state agencies continued their work to maintain operations and provide more certainty to farmers and others. From home, MFU continued to advocate for member priorities and make sure that policymakers understand the perspectives of family farmers and rural communities.

Last Thursday, March 26, after a sprint of an unconventional floor session, the Minnesota legislature passed a sweeping COVID-19 response package (HF4531; SF4451), which allocated an additional $330 million in aid and gave state agencies more flexibility to continue operations in the face of the pandemic. The bill was drafted by legislative leaders via conference calls ahead of the floor votes, which earned broad bipartisan support—the bill was passed 99-4 in the House followed by unanimous support in the Senate.

In order to ensure that it would be passed quickly, the response package included only priorities that were agreed on by a majority of members on both sides of the aisle. In light of this, leaders on both sides made clear that this is neither the end of their response to the pandemic nor the end of their regular legislative work. That said, it is an important step forward for families across the state who are facing a lot of uncertainty. In an effort to provide immediate and meaningful relief to Minnesota families, the bill includes:

• $200 million for a COVID-19 fund to help maintain agency operations and respond to the pandemic
• $30 million in peacetime emergency child care grants
• $9 million in support for food shelves and food banks
• $40 million in emergency loans to small businesses
• Resources to expand services and homeless shelters

Governor Walz signed the bill into law on Saturday, March 28, bringing the state’s total response to the pandemic up to $550 million dollars.

Importantly, this response package included a change to the Rural Finance Authority’s Disaster Recovery Loan Program that would allow the RFA board to make these loans available to farmers who’ve lost their markets as a result of COVID-19. MFU advocated hard for this provision in order to provide more low-interest financing options to producers who are facing economic hardship as a result of this pandemic.

MFU President Gary Wertish, Executive Committee Chair Carol Anderson and member Eric Sannerud all serve on the RFA Board, which will work with MDA to make the disaster loan program available to producers. In 2019, these disaster loans were made available to farmers who’d suffered barn collapses or other damage due to the record winter snowfall. The RFA Board is scheduled to meet via phone on April 8.

Gov. Walz has issued a number of executive orders during the coronavirus crisis, including the Stay at Home order. One of them, Executive Order 20-24, provides hours of service and weight restriction relief for commercial vehicle drivers hauling livestock. The Order will help ensure producers and retailers maintain supply of essential products.

On the federal level, lawmakers passed a landmark $2.2 trillion stimulus package that included some meaningful relief for agriculture. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law by the President on Friday, March 27 after being approved unanimously by both the U.S. House and Senate. First, in broad terms, the bill includes:

• The widely reported direct $1,200 payments to adults with incomes up to $75,000, plus another $500 per child. You can calculate your estimated payment here.
• $260 billion for expanded Unemployment Insurance
• $377 billion in loan forgiveness and grants to small businesses
• $150 billion to boost hospital infrastructure and public health response (including
• $185 million for rural critical access hospitals, tribal health centers, and telehealth programs)
• $100 million for rural broadband through the ReConnect program

For agriculture, the bill includes nearly $50 billion for USDA programs (which is approximately half of what is allocated annually to the agency through the 2018 Farm Bill). This package includes:

• $14 billion for the Commodity Credit Corporation, which is used to stabilize, support and protect farm income and prices through initiatives like the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) (though this doesn’t necessarily guarantee another round of MFP payments)
• $9.5 billion to help specialty crop growers, farmers who support local food systems, dairy farmers and livestock producers
• A temporary three-month extension on repayment of commodity marketing assistance loans, from nine months to a year

You can find more of NFU’s analysis here, NFU President Rob Larew’s statement here and a helpful breakdown from ag finance analyst Kent Thiesse here.

For all our work, this is an unprecedented and increasingly uncertain time. That said, at MFU, we’re continuing to work hard on your behalf, voicing concerns from members and working to ensure that policymakers are keeping the needs and perspectives of family farmers and rural communities in mind as they make difficult decisions in response to this pandemic. And all while taking the recommended precautions, including working from home and social distancing.

The Walz administration has taken swift administrative action in response to this crisis. On Monday, the Governor signed executive orders (20-14, 20-15, 20-16 and 20-17) that would strengthen the state’s response to the rapidly developing pandemic, suspending evictions, establishing Peacetime Emergency Loans for small businesses, directing non-hospital entities to conduct an inventory of personal protective equipment, and clarifies that his order that all elective surgeries and procedures be postponed also applies to veterinary surgeries.

In addition, the administration the Governor and Lt. Governor announced an update to their supplemental budget recommendations, calling for an additional $356 million toward the state’s COVID-19 pandemic. And, they’ve opened up a special enrollment period on MNsure from today through April 21, so those without health insurance can get it. For more information on the Walz administration’s response to COVID-19, you can sign up for email updates here.

Also on Monday morning, a number of stories broke that brought the pandemic into sharp focus for the administration. First, Lt. Governor Flanagan’s brother, Ron, passed away after contracting COVID-19 in Tennessee. And second, the Governor announced that he will be self-quarantining after he learned that a member of his security detail with whom he was in contact had tested positive for the virus. The Governor currently isn’t showing any symptoms, but will be working from home until April 6.

Governor Walz is still considering a “shelter-in-place” order, similar to what at least 10 other states have instituted in response to the pandemic. The goal of this would be to limit interpersonal interactions, slowing the spread of the disease to keep the peak number of cases below the upper limits of our health care system.

When other states issued these orders, they’ve accompanied them with exemptions for essential workers, like hospital staff or emergency responders. One priority that we’ve heard loud and clear from members is that the administration should ensure the integrity of our food and agriculture production and distribution system. That’s why MFU President, Gary Wertish, sent a letter to Governor Walz requesting that he exempt essential functions of the food and agriculture sector from any potential “shelter in place” order.

“This will help farmers get crops in the ground during this spring’s limited planting window and help maintain Minnesotans access to a safe and stable food supply through this crisis,” said President Wertish.

Based on member feedback, President Wertish identified the following items as critical to ensuring that farmers can plant this year’s crop and avoiding potentially devastating disruptions to our food production and distribution system:

• Delivered seed, fertilizer and farm equipment parts;
• Agronomy and equipment repair services;
• Food processing, including for meat, poultry and dairy;
• Livestock and poultry feed;
• Livestock and poultry transportation.

The letter highlights that the Governor has recognized the critical nature of Minnesota’s food and agriculture sector, including when he classified “Food Distribution Workers” as essential.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has also been hard at work ensuring the integrity and safety of our food system. They have continued to perform the required inspections, though with added precautions, and have been proactive about creating and sharing informational resources with people working throughout the food production and distribution system. You can find more information about MDA’s work here.

In addition, MFU worked with MDA and the Minnesota Grocers Association to find new markets for farmers whose existing wholesale markets were lost due to the COVID-19 closures (schools, colleges, restaurants, etc). MDA, with feedback from grocers, quickly developed an Immediate Wholesale Market Need Survey that will help them find alternative wholesale buyers for farmers’ products.

On the national level, NFU has also been active in responding to the crisis and ensuring that federal lawmakers are taking into account the needs of farmers, ranchers, and rural communities as they work to quickly develop a meaningful response. NFU joined a diverse coalition of rural organizations in urging the Trump Administration to ensure that the rural health care system has the capacity to respond to this pandemic. As the letter points out, though much of the media focus has been on urban areas, rural areas are both disproportionately at risk for severe cases and underequipped in terms of medical staff, infrastructure and supplies. A recent data article from the Minnesota Reformer localized this issue.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about MFU’s legislative work, don’t hesitate to reach out to Stu at (320) 232-3047 or stu@mfu.org. Please do not schedule any county events at this time to minimize the virus’s spread in your communities.

MFU staff are reachable via phone, email and social media. It’s unknown how long this quarantine will last, but we are doing our part to flatten the curve and continue fighting for rural Minnesotans.

Wash your hands and stay at home as much as possible!

On Monday morning, bipartisan legislative leaders announced their plans to dramatically scale back legislative operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The attention and resources demanded to protect the public from this virus will affect what we’re able to achieve in terms of MFU’s legislative priorities. That said—and as one legislative leader put it—we’re in “uncharted territory” and the Legislature does plan to continue their work on an as-needed basis until at least April 14.

According to House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), both bodies focus will be narrowed to legislative priorities that fall into the following categories:

1. Items that are necessary to respond to COVID-19;
2. What Speaker Hortman described as “mission critical” items, like the bonding bill;
3. Provisions—likely small ones—that have broad bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.

Briefly, in response to COVID-19, Governor Walz declared a “Peacetime State of Emergency,” announced statewide school closures and signed into law an emergency funding package totaling $21 million. On Monday, legislative leaders also announced they were negotiating a $100 million package that would provide resources to the hospitals and health care workers who are on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Last Thursday, Governor Walz released his amended budget recommendations which were also pared back order to make room for funding the immediate response to the pandemic and for replenishing Minnesota’s budget reserves in anticipation of an economic slowdown.

These recommendations, however, did include two MFU priorities related to agriculture: investing $250,000 in enhancing farm safety and investing another $50,000 in farm and rural mental health. While this document just expresses the administration’s position, and these items would need to be approved by the legislature, it does give a window into what at least the Governor might consider “mission critical” for this pared-back session.

Finally, in a bright spot, $50 million for MDA’s Rural Finance Authority was approved unanimously by the Senate last Thursday and could be signed into law by the Governor as soon as Monday. Funding this program early in session so that they could continue to provide low-interest loans to family farmers ahead of the growing season was a top priority for MFU this session.

Last week, while much of the team was in Savannah for the NFU convention, legislators continued their work and MFU’s legislative team advocated for our priorities including funding the Rural Finance Authority; making sure our tax system is fair for farmers and rural communities; and helping farmers who are in crisis more easily afford debt refinancing.

First, full funding for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Rural Finance Authority (RFA) is a step closer to becoming law after passing off the House floor with broad bipartisan support. House Agriculture Chair Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin) led on this bill (HF2959), talking about the importance of funding the program early to mitigate any negative effects of a funding lapse on farmers who are preparing for the upcoming growing season. Representative Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake) also spoke in strong support and Representative Barb Haley (R-Red Wing) shared a story about how this program helped Goodhue County President, Deborah Mills, finance her family’s dairy in 2008.

From here, the bill approving $50 million in user financed bonds needs to be approved by the Senate, where it is carried by Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake; SF3408).

Next, MFU members and staff advocated on two key issues related to taxes. First, we shared our support for full conformity with Section 179 for equipment expensing, which would fix an unintended consequence of last years tax bill that has resulted in some farmers who traded in equipment in the past two years receiving retroactive tax bills. Full conformity would also allow all farm families to expense equipment they purchase in the first year (instead of over five years), helping operations cash flow and reinvest in new equipment. In the House Tax Committee, Chair Paul Marquart (DFL-Dilworth), has voiced strong support for full conformity, while also working to find creative solutions that help eliminate situations where farmers are receiving unexpected tax bills.

In addition, MFU member Tom Smude testified in support of Senator Matt Little’s (DFL-Lakeville) bipartisan bill (SF732) that would extend a tax exemption to grain bins and associated construction materials. Tom—who farms in addition to installing grain bins through his business, Midwest Sales and Construction—testified about the value of on-farm grain storage and how it helps farmers manage risk and hold off selling to wait for a better price. He also shared how significant this exemption would be for installers who’ve been hit hard by the present downturn in the ag economy.

Finally, MFU testified on bipartisan legislation brought forward by Representative Todd Lippert (HF3686) that would help farmers in crisis by creating a fund that would pay the fees associated restructuring loans through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) or RFA. Farmers who have been served mediation notices would be eligible for these funds, which would be distributed by the MDA.

The 4th week of the legislative session is in full swing as legislators continue their work ahead of the first legislative deadline. Last week brought progress on a number of MFU priorities including biofuels, access to financing and rural broadband.

First, bills that would move the state’s biofuel standard from 10% to 15% (SF3605 / HF3699) made their first committee stops in both the House and Senate this past week, passing with strong support from farm groups, biofuels organizations and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. MFU testified in both committees, stating strong support and explaining why our family farmer members passed a resolution in support of this move during November’s state convention. Not only would this improve local markets for corn, providing much needed certainty to growers, but also because increasing the blend rate is the next step in reducing the carbon-intensity of our transportation system, a key piece of fighting climate change.

If this bill were to pass, Minnesota would maintain its leadership on biofuels as the first state to make this move in accordance with federal rulemaking finalized last year, which certified that vehicles 2001 and newer can use E15 year-round. MFU has also pushed federal officials hard to pave the way for higher biofuel blends, like E30, and for federal investment in biofuels infrastructure.

During the hearings the Minnesota Petroleum Marketers Association and the American Petroleum institute expressed concerns about the legislation. Despite that—and due to strong bipartisan leadership of Senate Ag Finance Chair Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), House Ag Chair Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin) and other bill authors—both bills passed and referred to the commerce committees in both bodies. You can read more about this legislation here.

Next, MFU continued strong advocacy in support of full funding for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Rural Finance Authority, which is has been approved by all the required committees in both houses and is set for floor vote in the House tonight.

Throughout this session, we’ve testified multiple times and submitted formal letters in support of funding the program. All of these serve as opportunities to share the stories of members—including beginning farmers and families who’ve experienced disasters, like barn collapses—who plan to use the program to help then access affordable financing.

Additionally, Carlton County Farmers Union President Mark Thell testified on behalf of MFU in support of $30 million needed to connect more rural homes and business with high-speed internet. This legislation, carried by Sen. Draheim (R-Madison Lake) in the Senate and Rep. Ecklund (DFL-International Falls) in the House (SF3049 and HF3029 respectively), would provide additional funding to the state’s Office of Broadband Development to halt further delays in broadband buildout and make needed progress toward connecting every Minnesotan. The Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition, of which MFU is an active member, is hosting their day on the hill on March 12—find more information here.

This past Friday marked the end of week two for legislators and advocates at the State Capitol who are hopeful that both sides will come to an agreement on a bonding package and make meaningful progress on priorities that have come up since the last biannual budget was passed last March. For MFU, this marked the end of a packed week following up on conversations from Lobby Day, testifying in committees and meeting with legislators to discuss our priorities.

One top priority for MFU this session has been to authorize $50 million for the Rural Finance Authority (RFA) early in session. The low-interest loans made available by the RFA through local lenders help young farmers, farmers rebuilding after natural disasters and others reinvesting in their operations. The program is nearly out of money, so passing it early would make sure that any funding lapse doesn’t affect farmers’ ability to use the program in addition to allowing the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to take advantage of historically low interest rates. To make sure that legislators understand the urgency, Stu shared member stories during testimony before the committee, in addition to submitting a letter for the record.

Farm safety was also a top priority for legislators and the administration this week. Governor Walz declared last week “Grain Bin Safety Week” in order to draw attention to the recent accidents and tragic deaths in and around grain bins. In committee hearings, legislators heard powerful and heart-wrenching testimony from a mother, Michelle Gran, who lost her son to a grain bin accident this past summer. At her urging legislators moved legislation that would create a grain bin safety grant program at MDA out of committee in both the House and Senate.

Despite talk of a special session to consider proposals for an emergency insulin program, it seems unlikely that legislators will meet to formally consider legislation ahead of the regular session slated to begin on Feb. 11. That said, December was full of opportunities to connect with and provide feedback to policymakers across the state.

At the start of the month, I joined the Minnesota Hemp Association (MHA), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and MFU members for the 2019 Minnesota Hemp Conference and Expo in St. Cloud. This event, which was sponsored by MFU, connected growers with processors, manufacturers, retailers and distributors to help build the connections that help new and prospective hemp growers build their business. In addition, this event helped connect members of this industry with legislators and regulators who are working to build a regulatory framework around this new, fast-moving industry. Legislators in attendance included Minnesota House Agriculture Committee member, Representative Samantha Vang (DFL-Brooklyn Center), who championed a number of bills related to industrial hemp this past session. Representatives from MDA also joined in order to connect with growers, help them navigate the state’s licensing system, and to gather feedback about the federal government’s industrial hemp plan that they can relay in their comments to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

If you’re growing hemp, or are otherwise interested in this industry, you can provide feedback to the USDA on their industrial hemp plan via regulations.gov until the extended comment period ends on Jan. 29. And if you have questions about the state’s program, you can reach out to the people who administer that program at hemp.mda@state.mn.gov.

Next, members of MFU’s team joined the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) for their annual conference. Their gathering, which brought together SWCD supervisors and others from across the state to set policy priorities, share information and best-practices and celebrate successes, honored Representative Todd Lippert (DFL-Northfield) for his work on conservation at the Capitol. Soil health, which is a priority for Rep. Lippert and other legislators thinking about how agriculture can play a role in combatting climate change, was emphasized throughout many of the presentations at the conference. MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen said it well when he told attendees that they should “believe the hype” about soil health and the potential of practices like no-till and cover crops.

Soil health will also likely be a topic of conversation for those who are chosen to serve on Gov. Tim Walz’s Advisory Council on Climate Change. This group, which will be comprised of 15 appointees representing various perspectives, will help better define the challenges and opportunities that climate changes presents in order to inform the work of the Governor’s climate change subcabinet. Thank you to the MFU members who have applied for positions on this group for helping to make sure that family farms and rural communities are represented in these important conversations.

Finally, on Dec. 11, MDA held their final Emerging Farmer Listening session in order to hear directly from young farmers, immigrant farmers, farmers of color and others about the challenges they face when trying to farm. In addition to Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey and others representing MDA, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and House Agriculture and Food Committee Chair Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin) joined for a discussion that covered access to capital and credit, training, risk management, land transition and a whole host of other important topics. With the feedback gathered at these sessions across the state, MDA is now compiling a report that will help guide their work on behalf of emerging farmers. If you weren’t able to attend any of the listening sessions and would still like to provide feedback to the department, you can find an online survey at: www.mda.state.mn.us/emerging-farmers-working-group.

Moving into the legislative session, our annual Lobby Day Drive-In is happening right away at the start of session, on Thursday, Feb. 13. See the information box below for how to sign up for that. We need the voices of real farmers heard at the Capitol as much as possible. Let us know soon if you’re coming, so we can make appointments with the legislators for your local areas.

The Policy Committee for Minnesota Farmers Union and our staff are busy sorting through the resolutions sent in this year by county conventions for delegates to consider at the 78^th Annual MFU Convention, Nov. 22-24. The Policy Committee this year includes some familiar faces as well as new members. Serving the Policy Committee this year is:

• Krista Osendorf, Stearns
• Kirsten VanDerPol, Chippewa
• Erik Hatlestad, Kandiyohi
• Frank Grimm, Sibley
• Laurie Driessen, Yellow Medicine
• Theresa Keaveny, Brown
• Eunie Biel, Filmore
• Jim Kanten, Chippewa

There have been many resolutions submitted by each county for members to consider at state convention. These resolutions will be categorized, edited and refined by the policy committee and MFU staff prior to the convention, who will then present the final resolutions to delegates for consideration.

While there is a wide spectrum of resolutions to consider, a few resolutions have appeared to be consistent across many different counties. Here are a handful of the most common submissions:

• Support for more transparency, accountability and oversight of all commodity check off payments.
• Support for the creation of an indemnity fund to protect farmers with the risks associated with elevator collapse or damage.
• Support for collaborating with government officials to figure out a better trade solution to help provide relief to farmers being damaged by tariffs.
• Support to refine small-scale enterprise food license guidelines and funding.
• Support for the appropriate funding regarding cottage food laws and safety regulations and providing more information about cottage food programs.
• Support the increase of ethanol in the fuel supply and the manufacturing of more ethanol capable/flex-fuel vehicles.
• Support strong funding for the Forever Green Initiative.
• Support for an increase in funding for the Minnesota Farm Advocate Program.
• Support for the establishment of a meat cutting and custom processing operations training program to expand the meat processing market to smaller communities.
• Support for exploring single-payer or universal health care solution as well as a control on pharmaceutical prices.
• Support for a gas tax increase to maintain roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure across the state.

These are just a sampling of what will be more than 100 changes for the delegates at the state convention to consider. If you have an opinion on one of these issues, come to the convention and join the debate! MFU has a great grassroots debate foundation and opportunities for members to make their voices heard on these and other issues. If you are unable to attend, be sure to speak with your county delegates prior to the convention so they can share your input. Members who have any questions about policy are encouraged to contact Government Relations Director Stu Lourey at stu@mfu.org.

MFU staff and members welcomed September with the final days of the State Fair, flew out to Washington, D.C. for the National Farmers Union Legislative Fly-in and closed with county conventions across the state. Each provided opportunities to drive on MFU’s priority issues from health care costs to trade.

On Sept. 8, more 40 MFU members and staff flew to Washington DC, which provided nearly 400 Farmers Union members from across the country the opportunity to meet face-to-face with members of Congress, members of the administration and others who help craft the federal policy farmers experience every day.

Having a strong, collective voice on agriculture and rural issues in our nation’s capital is as important now as ever. On top of chronically low prices and rising input costs, farmers are being hit with a devastating trade war, agribusiness consolidation and unpredictable weather. But in the face of these challenges, there are also opportunities, like new local markets, biofuels and hemp. To help family farmers tackles these challenges and take advantage of new opportunities, NFU members requested that Congress strengthen the farm safety-net, promote climate smart practices and biofuels, restore competition to the ag economy and resolve ongoing trade disputes.

To help make these issues real for legislators, farmers shared on-the-ground experiences about how these policies affect their farm and family.  For example, in a Congressional meeting, MFU members discussed the affect that the negative affect that grocery mergers, like the tech giant Amazon’s purchasing of Whole Foods, have had on their ability to sell to local co-ops, illustrating the need to put a moratorium on big mergers in the food sector. In others, members talked about ethanol plant closures in their communities, illuminating the devastating effects of the administration’s numerous small refinery waivers that allow big oil and gas companies to skirt the Renewable Fuel Standard, plummeting the demand for corn ethanol. And finally, in order to underscore the need to get pharmaceutical provisions out of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, another member relayed a powerful story about a friend who couldn’t afford the prescription medication they needed to survive.

Each of these stories were important not only because they relate to a policy request, but also because they help legislators understand what family farmers are facing and how they can better represent an important part of their district. Even for urban legislators – while they may represent a limited number of farmers, their constituents depend on our nation’s farmers for a safe, stable and sustainable source of food, fuel and fiber.

In addition to discussing policy, MFU took the opportunity to present five members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation with NFU’s Golden Triangle Award. Since 1988, this recognition has been extended to legislators who partner with Farmers Union to champion family farmers. This year both Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), in addition to Representatives Collin Peterson (D-MN07), Tom Emmer (R-MN05) and Angie Craig (D-MN02), received the award. This recognized not only that they’ve been an excellent partner, but also that they’ve empowered their staff to go to bat for MFU members and other farmers when they have a policy issue or run into roadblocks with federal agencies.

For example, when a dairy farmer couldn’t get a straight answer from her local FSA office about whether corn silage was eligible for payments under the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), she worked with Representative Craig’s office to get clarification from the head of the program at USDA that corn silage is in fact included. This, of course, helped her operation. But it also had had a broader impact given that it resulted in a directive to agency staff clarifying that all intended uses of corn are eligible non-specialty crops for MFP.

In all, members who joined and shared their stories ensured that the trip reinforced MFU’s leadership on agriculture and rural issues. If you’d like to join for next year’s NFU Fly-In or have questions about this fall’s, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at (320) 232-3047 or stu@mfu.org.

August was a busy month, bookended by Farmfest and the State Fair and packed with county conventions, listening sessions and other events across the state. Significantly, many of these meetings and events were attended by elected officials and their staff, allowing MFU members the opportunity to engage with them on priority issues including farm prices, climate change, competition and trade.

At Farmfest, Gov. Tim Walz and Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen recruited nine other state commissioners, whose agencies oversee health, infrastructure, taxes and economic development, to sit on a panel and field questions from farmers. Part of their intent was to demonstrate a commitment to knocking down needless bureaucratic silos and working across state agencies to solve problems for farmers and others across the state. Topics discussed ranged from drainage to mental health, with each commissioner listening and adding their unique perspective on complex issues that span multiple agencies’ jurisdictions.

Another notable panel was that moderated by U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and attended by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. MFU President Gary Wertish respectfully challenged the Secretary on the administration’s “go it alone” approach to trade—a sentiment that was echoed by others in the room over the course of the panel. This exchange brought national media attention led to opportunities for President Wertish to speak out against President Trump’s devastating approach to trade on CNN, MSNBC and other national media outlets.

After each panel at Farmfest, legislators, commissioners and others visited MFU’s tent to greet members, discuss priority issues and follow up on questions. Similarly, at the State Fair, MFU members had the opportunity to engage directly with people making important decisions that affect farmers across the state. In fact, on the opening day of the fair Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan and U.S. Senator Tina Smith all stopped by the Farmers Union Coffee shop within the first hour of the fair to get their cup of coffee and sample some of the new foods.

These conversations with Congresspeople, administration officials and staff will help frame more in-depth meetings that MFU members will participate in as part of this year’s annual NFU Legislative Fly-In. During our time in Washington, D.C., 44 MFU members and staff will meet with officials at the USDA, our Congressional delegation and ag committee staff, in addition to engaging with and learning from NFU staff and members. Coming just after members of Congress are returning from their August recess in-state, these meetings are an opportunity to follow up on some of the main issues they heard about at meetings and forums in their respective districts.

Farmers Union plans to focus on the following issues at Fly-In:

• Resolving ongoing trade disputes by working with the administration to improve the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and developing a long-term plan that ensures viability of U.S. exports.
• Strengthening the farm safety net by increase prices under the Price Loss Coverage program, address chronic oversupply, and creating supply management program in dairy.
• Supporting climate smart practices & biofuels through strengthening USDA conservation programs and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), creating new markets and eliminating barriers to higher-blend ethanol.
• Restoring competition by cosponsoring the Food and Agribusiness Merger Moratorium and Antitrust Review Act, enhancing antitrust enforcement, and establishing protectors for farmers who enter into contracts.

These priorities, which are compiled by NFU, will help provide a framework for our conversations in D.C. However, outside of these four priorities, members who are joining the fly-in will have the opportunity speak about whatever issues are most affecting their farm and their family—be that broadband, infrastructure, education funding or the cost of health care in rural Minnesota. If you have any issues, stories, or experiences that you want relayed to your representatives in D.C., don’t hesitate to reach out to me at (320) 232-3047 or stu@mfu.org.