ST. PAUL — A new report from the Minnesota Farmers Union details the concerns raised by over 600 farmers and rural residents at 10 town halls hosted around the state in March and April.
Two of the town halls were in rural Northern Minnesota: one at Far North Spirits in Hallock and one at the McGregor Community Center.
The report, titled "Voices Need to be Heard," highlights seven key themes, including tariffs and trade relationships and the Farm Bill.
"Minnesota’s family farmers are accustomed to managing uncertainty," the report's executive summary states. "However, with razor thin profit margins, increasingly concentrated markets, the lack of a new Farm Bill, federal funding freezes and escalating tariffs leading to a trade war, the uncertainty is overwhelming.
MFU President Gary Wertish said in a news release that the organization hosted the town halls because people are frustrated their voices aren’t being heard in Washington, D.C., and St. Paul.
"This report speaks for people who want a fair chance to earn a living and the freedom to live their lives in rural Minnesota," he said. "They want vibrant small towns, a strong agricultural economy, affordable healthcare, and a government that works well for everyone.”
Northern Minnesota voices in the MFU report
- Tariffs and Trade Relationships
- Mike Swanson, owner of Far North Spirits, shared how the business has been impacted by Canada's decision to stop importing American liquor
- "Tariffs are setting the table for everyone to have less to spend," said a Red Lake County attendee
- "I'm worried about losing the Canadians that come down to our local events, shop in our stores. They're a big part of our economy," said a Kittson County attendee
- The Farm Bill: Farm Safety Net, Conservation and Nutrition Assistance
- "I volunteer at a food pantry, and we've seen our clientele numbers skyrocket over the past four years. We're really concerned that with SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] cuts we're going to have even more clientele coming," said a Becker County attendee
- "Farmers understand that you can't separate SNAP from the Farm Bill for moral and political reasons. Politically, it's important to understand the importance of keeping SNAP. Our congressional representatives have a lot to learn about agriculture," said a Kittson County attendee
- "The average SNAP family gets $6 a day. I don't understand where the mentality of people abusing the system comes from," said a Kittson County attendee
- "There is potential to expand crop insurance. We're trying to normalize these specialty crops as part of the Farm Bill and make it clear that it's just as important as commodities are," said an Aitkin County attendee
- Livelihoods and Access to Care
Kittson County Commissioner Theresia Gillie said she's concerned about how cuts to Medicaid will impact rural communities
- Cuts to USDA Programs and Workforce, USAID, Medical Research
- "My employer hasn't been paid because our USDA grant is frozen, which means very soon I will not be paid. I don't get why that's OK. I have a mortgage; I don't have 90 days to wait," said an Aitkin County attendee
- "I own an organic produce storage and supply business, and my focus is on trying to build up our local food system and ensure kids get healthy food. I'm contracted with Minneapolis Public Schools but have been told that cuts will impact our partnership and that grant funds will be limited going forward. To me, LFPA [Local Food Purchase Assistance program] is a way to reinvest in our communities. Federal funding was helping to get the ball rolling and show it's a worthwhile investment to be making, as a lot of our produce comes from far away," said a Norman County attendee
- The Risk to Rural Communities
- "If farmers are struggling, everybody in the community will struggle in one way or another," said an Aitkin County attendee
- The Relationship between Immigration and Labor
- Concern for the Next Generation of Farmers
- "I'm concerned about federal dollars being cut for school districts and services for kids with special needs. We depend heavily on federal dollars coming in, otherwise we know what happens in rural areas when the schools go away — they die," said a Kittson County attendee
