Political forums featured Tuesday at Farmfest
By KURT NESBITT Journal Staff WriterFact Box
If you go:
Gilfillan Estate, Redwood County
Tuesday, Aug. 5 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Events in the Forum Tent - 10:30 a.m. - U.S Senate Candidates Forum on Agriculture and Rural Issues. Participants are Sen. Norm Coleman (R), Al Franken (D), Dean Barkley (I), Steve Williams (I)
1:15 p.m., Keynote address by Gov. Tim Pawlenty
1:30 p.m. - Congressional candidates forum on Agricultural and Rural Issues
By KURT NESBITT Journal Staff Writer
GILFILLAN - Forums featuring the latest crop of candidates for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives will be the main event at Farmfest this year, say organizers.
Todd Benz, show director for Farmfest, said U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, DFL challenger Al Franken and former U.S. Sen. Dean Barkley of the Independence Party and Steven Williams, the Independence Party's endorsed candidate
It's incumbent upon us. Twenty percent of the population of Minnesota is involved in agriculture. That is a huge number as attendance to the show has shown. People want to know the qualifications, thoughts, beliefs and knowledge of the candidates.
The Farmfest forum is a political tradition. It is one of the first debate forums in an election year. It is seen as highly significant to a number of campaigns, especially as it relates to the Senate race.
This year's forum will have the added attraction of being the first one to have Coleman and Franken on the same stage together. Benz said that fact alone has earned Farmfest some national attention this year.
Representatives of the Franken and Coleman campaigns both said their candidates are looking forward to the Farmfest forum because it will give them an opportunity to talk about ag-related issues and to make contrasts with each other.
Forum coordinator Ken Theisse said the forum will focus on agricultural and rural issues like the Farm Bill, how to address fuel and food costs, the WTO and NAFTA and other trade agreements, the U.S. livestock industry, rural development issues, biotechnology in the ag industry and the impact of environmental regulation on production agriculture.
"It's popular because it's been happening for a while," said Theisse. "It's usually well attended and well covered because it's the first one out of the gate before the primary and its focus is on greater Minnesota and rural issues."
All of the forums at Farmfest will touch on a topic or an issue that relates to agriculture or rural Minnesota.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty will make the keynote address at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.
A forum for members of the U.S. House of Representatives will follow at 1:30 p.m. It will include incumbent DFLer Collin Peterson from the 7th District and challenger, Republican Glen Menze. Incumbent 1st District U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, another DFLer, will also take part, as will Republican challengers Dick Day and Brian Davis. DFL candidates Elwyn Tinklenberg, who is running for the U.S. House in the 6th District, and Steve Sarvi, who is the DFL candidate in the 2nd District, will also take part in the 1:15 forum.
Wednesday
The second day for Farmfest will start off with a free pancake breakfast that begins at 8 a.m. The second round of political forums starts at 10:30 with a panel including U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman and National Farmers Union President Tom Buis, The panel will address the next rural policy issue beyond the Farm Bill.
State Ag Commissioner Gene Hugoson will give the keynote address for a panel about renewable energy at 1:15.
Farmfest's first auctioneering competition will start at 3 p.m.
Thursday
The last day of the event, Thursday, Aug. 7, will have a keynote address and a panel that will discuss a new vision for rural Minnesota's economic future, starting at 10:30 a.m.
The 2008 Farm Family of the Year will be recognized at 3 p.m. that day.
