Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, and agriculture leaders gathered on a family farm in Benton County, Minnesota Thursday to mark the passage of the agriculture bill by the state legislature. The governor told WCCO Radio's Jason DeRusha that it was a day to celebrate.
“Celebrating what I think is what Minnesotans expect us to do,” Walz said. “We got a really nice bipartisan agriculture bill dealing with the drought, dealing with broadband, dealing with making sure that we get young people, you know, onto the land.”
Among the key provisions of the agriculture bill is more than $18 million for drought relief, $200 million for rural broadband, and more than a $1 million in an assistance program for first-time farmers. There is also money for tree planting and $2.5 million to the Rural Finance Authority's disaster loan account.
Walz says it is important to invest in Minnesota’s Ag community.
“It was just a really nice celebration out there in their milking parlor,” Walz told DeRusha. “Had the legislators out there, Senator (Torrey) Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), Representative (Mike) Sundin (DFL-Esko), and these are folks that found a way, bipartisan lead, to do what needs to be done, invest in Minnesota agriculture.”
Walz added more money is needed to finalize the broadband infrastructure needed across Minnesota and that state has enough money, but those plans are still not finalized.
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