MORGAN, Minn. (DTN) -- While the crops got too much rain, prices are falling and the farm bill is stalled, the second day of Minnesota FarmFest on Wednesday was filled with energy and surprise over the selection of Gov. Tim Walz as the vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket.
Walz and his policies now find themselves under a microscope nationally. Reaction to his selection at the farm show ranged from excitement to surprise. Walz is either someone who listens and works across the aisle or a progressive disaster who has driven up costs and taxes in Minnesota.
VIEWS ON WALZ
Gail Donkers, who farms near Faribault, Minnesota, said she's "not a super fan or anything like that," but she has met Walz on several occasions and appreciates his work. Donkers is a member of Minnesota Farmers Union and sits on the state soybean checkoff board.
"I think that's the first thing that I was excited about," Donkers said. "As a soybean producer and serving on the council and that type of thing. I have had roundtable meetings with him, and he understands what agriculture is doing. As a farmer, I don't care what side of the aisle you're on. I think you have to be excited about Walz being in there because he has heard the voice of Minnesota farmers. He has sat down at roundtables with corn farmers, turkey farmers, dairy farmers, soybean farmers; every farmer that is in Minnesota has had a chance to have his ear and he understands what's going on in Minnesota agriculture. You know, he knows that avian flu is a big deal in our state, and he has seen them the decimation that COVID did to our hog farms and that type of thing. So, I think it's exciting that he is in there and I and I think he will be really good to have as a vice president for agriculture."
Thom Petersen, the state's agricultural commissioner, was appointed by Walz in 2019. Petersen pointed to policies such as the state's $1.50 tax credit for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that Walz pushed through the legislature. Petersen said Walz worked with state biofuel leaders and Delta Airlines, which has a major hub in Minneapolis, to pass the incentive. "I'll put the governor up against anybody. It's kind of funny but as a department commissioner, we write the briefs for him and things like that. I'll say he doesn't need it because when I go talk to him, he's like, 'I saw the price of corn dropped.' He checks the markets, and he follows agriculture very closely."
Republicans aren't swayed by the narrative. They didn't see the selection of Walz changing the overall race. "I am somewhat shocked that our governor was chosen as vice presidential candidate, given the fact that, to me anyway, it seems like that would shrink their voter base," said Greg Burau, a farmer from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. "It doesn't mean anything to me because Burau said his support for Trump goes beyond agricultural policies. He said Democrats have failed the country with the influx of illegal immigrants. "And we don't have a country right now because we don't have a secure border."
Joe Fraser, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, said Walz is not as moderate as some have portrayed him to be.
"What he's done as governor of Minnesota has been a catastrophe," Fraser said. "Everything from watching our inner cities fall apart to spending $30 billion when we had a $19.2 billion surplus, and then they spent it all and levied $10 billion in new taxes."
Fraser said Walz has turned Minneapolis into a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants as well. "That has driven up the cost of living for everybody who lives in Hennepin County. I'm one of those citizens where I've seen an increase in my taxes to cover the impacts of health and human services and education and all the infrastructure challenges that come out of that. It's irresponsible from a governor's perspective to put that burden on his people. Overall, he gets out of the state for a while, which is good."
Klobuchar was among the Democrats at FarmFest who stressed the value Walz brings to the ticket. She pointed to Walz's work in Congress on the House Agriculture Committee as someone who was willing to work across the aisle, but also understands the Midwest.
"He was among the top ten in Congress for bipartisan bills," Klobuchar said. He's also someone that knows how to work with people, but I especially just think having someone from the Midwest who has a vested interest in Midwest ag is going to make a difference, especially if we don't get a farm bill done by the end of the year."
FARM BILL FATIGUE
The FarmFest forum on the farm bill Wednesday was dubbed "Farm Bill Fatigue" as leaders of national farm groups lamented Congress has gone into the homestretch of a presidential campaign leaving the farm bill in limbo.
Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the current commodity programs passed in the 2018 farm bill aren't going to support the decline in prices for crops such as corn and soybeans right now.
"We don't farm in the same world that we did in 2018," Duvall said. "The Title I programs need to be modernized and realize the cost of production and the prices that we're getting for our commodities."
To get a better safety net, Duvall said farmers need to repeatedly bring up the farm bill with their members of Congress.
"They need to hear it every time they're in front of you, and every time you have an opportunity to talk to them," Duvall said.
Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, added, "Zippy's call to action is absolutely the right call." He added, "If we aren't demanding folks get this done, it's not going to happen.
That's our responsibility and I hope we can pick up that charge and take it."
Harold Wolle, president of the National Corn Growers Association and a Minnesota farmer, said the farm bill also provides a chance to increase support for both trade and the farm bill's energy programs, both of which can help with demand.
"When we have a $3 in front of the price of that corn, we need to increase demand for our crops," Wolle said.
Wolle said lawmakers have to move beyond their talking points. "What we need now is some compromise. We need the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to get together and find some compromise."
George Goblish, a board member for the American Soybean Association, also pointed to the need to boost trade programs. China remains the dominant market for U.S. soybeans, which is increasingly a challenge.
"Our relationship with China isn't the best anymore so we need these funds to go out and find different countries, invest in these other countries to make sure we can open up trade routes," Goblish said.
Larew added that NFU wants to see more action to update the Packers and Stockyards Act to reduce industry consolidation. "Wherever you look in agriculture, we're seeing a consolidation of power. This has a direct impact on the prices that farmers receive and the prices consumers have to pay for their products."
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee with Klobuchar, said a problem right now is time. "The legislative calendar is not friendly for getting a lot of stuff done."
It's more than likely any farm bill will be hammered out in the lame-duck session of Congress after the election.
"I don't even want to talk about an extension that would go past the end of the year," she said.
See, "Minnesota Gov. Walz Brings Ag, Biofuels Background to Democratic Ticket,"
Also see, "What's Lost by Extending the Farm Bill," https://www.dtnpf.com/…
Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com
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