Minnesota Farmers Union

St. Paul (May 20, 2010) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) saw positive progress on many of its key policy issue areas during the recently completed 2010 legislative session in St. Paul.  Despite the issue of having to work with a large budget deficit, MFU worked to ensure cuts to agriculture were limited.

"MFU made sure that agriculture and rural policy got the attention it needed from the legislature, especially from members of the Agriculture Committees," said Doug Peterson, MFU President.  "In dark budget times, MFU protected the rights of farmers and rural communities."

Some of the key items that are now law due to MFU's work include:

St. Paul (February 19, 2009) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members from the northwest, and west central regions of the state recently went to the State Capitol to discuss Farmers Union policy and the 2009 legislative session with legislators.

"This is a chance for the legislators to hear from Farmers Union members about the immediate needs of rural Minnesota," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.  "It also gives our members a chance to let the senators and representatives know about our Farmers Union policy, and why it is important to them."

St. Paul (January 29, 2009) - Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members from the southwest, southeast, and east central parts of the state recently went to the State Capitol to discuss Farmers Union policy and the 2009 legislative session with legislators. Members also met with Attorney General Lori Swanson, and attended a House hearing on the Green Acres Program.

Farmers Union policy issues that came up in discussions with state senators and representatives were: protecting the state agriculture budget; stabilizing property taxes; repealing the changes made last year to the Green Acres Program; supporting universal health care; financial support to those impacted by the bovine tuberculosis outbreak; extension of the 2009 sunset date of the farmer-lender mediation program; support for local control in making siting decisions that deal with livestock facilities; a strong corporate farm law; support to achieve conformity with the Minnesota estate tax, and section 179 of the federal tax code; and bonding requests for the Rural Finance Authority.

St. Paul (December 29, 2008) -Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) considers the agricultural budget; correcting problems with Green Acres; and addressing health care as its top issues for the state Legislature in 2009, which convenes in St. Paul on January 5^th.

"There is no doubt that with a $5 billion deficit, the budget will be the issue everyone is focused on this session," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.  "Ensuring that agriculture, and rural Minnesota is treated fairly in that process will be MFU's top issue for this session."

The agriculture portion of the state budget is less than one half of one percent of the entire state budget.  The agriculture portion of the budget contains funding for: dairy, organic, ethanol, and sustainable programs; bovine tuberculosis eradication; county fairs; and dairy and beef inspection programs.

MFU will also focus on correcting changes made to the Green Acres property tax program, which passed last year with many unintended consequences.  While MFU favors a full repeal, it will also focus on addressing transfers; and allowing non-productive land to be allowed as long as it is attached to some farmed land.