State Legislature

Day Two of Farmfest all about ag policy

The focus of day two at Farmfest next week has to do with policy issues important to agriculture. Kent Thiesse helped plan the seminar schedule and says Mark Schultz of Northstar Commodities will kick things off Wednesday morning by talking about the grain and livestock markets.

The forum at 10:30 is called Addressing Key Ag Policy Issues and features Congressmen Collin Peterson and Tim Walz of Minnesota, American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman and Chandler Goule, Vice President of the National Farmers Union.

“We’re going to really focus on trade issues, obviously the Trade Promotion Authority was granted.  But now we need to get the Pacific Trade Agreement (TPP), which is being discussed in Congress and by the administration.  (It’s) very important to agriculture.”

Country of Origin Labeling, the Renewable Fuels Standard, Waters of the U.S. and antibiotic use in livestock are other topics up for discussion. In the afternoon, Thiesse tells Brownfield the changing public perception of agriculture will be looked at.

“What we’ve seen over time here is that the public’s view of agriculture is maybe not quite as positive as it was a decade or two ago; partly due to social media and the cable networks.”

Longtime farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson will moderate Wednesday afternoon’s forum featuring Minnesota Pork Producers Association president Laurie Stevermer, Lara Durbin with the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, Keith Newhouse with Winfield Solutions and AFBF’s Dan Durheim.  Farmfest is August fourth, fifth and sixth at the Gilfillan estate in Redwood County. For more information, go to farmfest.com.