By Wendy Kresha, Staff Writer
Members of the Land Stewardship Project and COACT met Tuesday in little Falls to discuss state and federal farm policy updates. Pictured are (from left): Paul Sobocinski, Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Fredrickson, Alan Perish and Adam Warthesen.
Tuesday, members of the Land Stewardship Project and Citizens Organized Acting Together (COACT), area farmers and other interested people met in Little Falls to discuss Minnesota state policy and legislative updates, federal farm policy updates and reforms in healthcare. Also present to speak and answer questions was Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson.
Adam Warthesen, policy organizer, Land Stewardship Project, said, “The issue most pertinent to farmers at the state level is township and community right, commonly called local control. Right now there are attempts being made by industrial agriculture interests and legislative leaders to undermine local control.”
At the federal level, there are two major concerns: major cuts being proposed to family farm and conservation programs and the enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.
“The House bill unfairly targets programs that serve family farmers and cuts over $500 million from conservation. The Obama administration has yet to put the new livestock producer fairness rules into action (Packers and Stockyards Act). Market manipulation and unfair practices by major corporations in the packing and livestock sectors have resulted in American farmers working harder for less and having severely limited options to raise and sell livestock,” said Warthesen.
The meeting also covered the area of health care for farmers.
“A lot of farmers struggle with the rising cost of healthcare,” said Warthesen.
“The most intriguing thing about the meeting was the fact that Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Fredrickson, took the time to come up and listen to local farmers.,” said Warthesen.
Fredrickson, who has farming experience himself, has worked in the State Legislature, held roles in the Farmer’s Union at both the state and federal levels and has spent the last five years working for DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
The meeting was followed by a lunch where the members present had the opportunity to further speak with Fredickson.
The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop sustainable communities.
Minnesota COACT is a statewide, direct action, citizens organization of 10,000 members which educates and organizes people to empower themselves to take action in the democratic process on social justice issues, which are single-payer universal health care and family farm survival.
