At the state Capitol, the bills that generate the most media attention are often the most controversial, or those with the loudest voices for or against. In the 10 weeks that I have been in the Legislature, I’ve focused my time working on issues that directly impact our district, and I want to take a moment to discuss a few bills I’ve been working on to help support rural communities and small farmers.
I was thrilled when Speaker Melisa Hortman appointed me to serve as vice chair of the Agriculture Committee. I know firsthand how important agriculture is to our communities. Before being an elected official, I was able to testify before the House Agriculture Committee and I’ve seen the great work we can do to support farmers.
That’s why the first bill I introduced (ever) was a bipartisan proposal to reinstate a grant program for those who start agricultural cooperatives. Ag co-ops open up opportunities for farmers to diversify their on-farm income, pursue emerging crop markets and keep more wealth in our rural communities. Most importantly, they give more control to the farm families themselves in a time of ever-increasing agricultural consolidation.
My bill would support folks in our area and across the state with a small grant program to use as ‘seed money’ to begin the process should they attempt to start up a cooperative business with other growers. The program, run by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, helps farmers finance new growing, processing, or marketing cooperatives.
I was proud to be joined by several other farmers, at least one who has himself created an ag co-op, who supported this bill. I’m thrilled that I could introduce this legislation with several Republican co-authors who recognize the importance of supporting agricultural co-ops.
Another bill I have been working on would develop and enhance the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Farm-to-School program.
Farm-to-School connects farmers with local buyers — often their area school districts — which means children eat fresher, healthier school meals and the money spent boosts the local economy, not huge multinational conglomerates. The program helps kids, like my own who have participated in the program, develop a deeper understanding of food that is grown right here in Minnesota.
The legislation I proposed will expand the program to include early care facilities, help schools with program support, and create regional food coordinators who will ensure farmers can access these new markets. Currently, demand for this program outpaces need, with 122 applications requesting over $5 million in food and equipment grants this year alone.
A recent evaluation proved that the program generates local economic activity and provides market stability that small farmers often don’t have. I am proud to be carrying the bill this year. It’s a win for our farmers, a win for our children, and a win for our rural communities.
Finally, I am proud to carry legislation to fund a record $276 million in border-to-border broadband development grants. According to the Governor’s Broadband Task Force, around 290,000 households and businesses cannot access reliable high-speed internet. As we know, internet access is a necessity for businesses and farmers in today’s economy, not to mention our kids who have been increasingly learning and doing homework online.
When I presented my bill to the Agriculture Committee, we heard testimony that counties with small populations have found it all but impossible to expand broadband access without state support, which is why I am carrying a bill to make up the difference.
By increasing funding for this program now, we can build on the work done by President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which included $65 billion to expand internet access, and make sure communities have grants in time to start building in the upcoming construction season.
This work cannot wait, we need to make progress on these projects as soon as the ground thaws. This bill is critical so that we meet our goal of ensuring all Minnesotans have access to high-speed internet by 2026.
While these three bills may not get many headlines, they are critical in improving Minnesotans’ lives. I could not be prouder of all the work the House DFL caucus and the Agriculture Committee are doing to support rural communities and our local farmers.
As legislative deadlines approach, I will be doing all I can to advocate for these proposals and more, because I know that when we invest in ourselves, we can make sure that we all do better.