Minnesota State Commissioners Participate in Farmfest Forum

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Photo credit Entercom

WCCO's Blois Olson was at Farmfest this week, presented by Minnesota's Corn Growers, to participate in a forum about the state of rural Minnesota and the agriculture industry.  Blois was joined by panel host Thom Petersen, the MN Commissioner of Agriculture, and Farmfest forum coordinator Kent Thiesse.

The audience attending Farmfest was able to ask questions of the panel which ranged from rural road construction to flood concerns and issues of tariffs.  

RELATED: Crop report reveals continued struggles across Minnesota.  
Participating in the panel:

  • Cynthia Bauerly- MN Dept. of Revenue Commissioner
  • Ryan Baumtrog- Asst. Commissioner for Policy and Community Development at Minnesota Housing
  • Laura Bishop- MN Pollution Control Agency Commissioner
  • Steve Kelley- MN Dept. of Commerce Commissioner
  • Margaret Anderson Kelliher- MN Dept. of Transportation Commissioner
  • Nancy Leppink- MN Dept. of Labor & Industry Commissioner
  • Steve Grove- MN Dept. of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner
  • Barb Naramore- MN Dept. of Natural Resources Deputy Commissioner
  • Courtney Jordan Baechler- MN Dept. of Health Asst. Commisioner

Many of the questions were clearly showing frustration on the part of Minnesota farmers who have "felt attacked at the local level, state level and national level in agriculture today," according to Ryan, a corn and soybean farmer from McLeod County.  "We're looking for a bright spot".   

"You only come together when times are tough," said Ted Reichmann of Polk County and a former President of the Minnesota State Cattleman's Association.  "We're talking about all of these issues, rural, urban.  And all of it's pressure.  All of it's problems.  So now, as Minnesotans, we're starting to kind of form up.  I just hope that this keeps coming back to the center.  A lot of issues we face on my farm, we're all on the same page.  When we get done, everyone puts he boxing gloves away, we ask what we were just doing there.  So hopefully we keep coming back to the center."

Dave Lee also did his show Wednesday from Farmfest where he heard the bad news about the latest USDA crop report.  Adam Birr is executive director at the Minnesota Corn Growers Assocation.  He told Dave, "I had a lot of tough conversations this spring as folks were waiting to get into the field, especially in western Minnesota.  There was a lot of prevent plant, where they were unable to plant corn so they rely on crop insurance and other resources to cover that."

You can listen to the entire Q&A here with the panel of commissioners.