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Agribusiness

Farmers, local producers invited to ag forum

ST. PETER — Farmers, local food producers, marketers and meat processors are invited to a meat processing and agricultural forum at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 10, at the St. Peter Community Center. Featured speakers include Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Nick Frentz, D-Mankato; House Dist. 18A candidate Jeff Brand, D-St. Peter; House District 18B Rep. Luke Frederick, D-Mankato; and Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President Anne Schwagerl of Browns Valley. Hosted by the DFL Rural Caucus, the forum will include discussion on what is being done ...

We are family: Tauers of Hanska named Brown County Farm Family of the Year

BROWN COUNTY — Tauer Dairy, owned and operated by David and Angie Tauer of rural Hanska, was recognized as the University of Minnesota Extension's Brown County Farm Family of the Year at Farmfest on Thursday. The Tauers, along with their children, Ruby and Adam, are the third and fourth ...

Support available for beginning, exiting farmers

ST. PAUL — Farmers in Minnesota looking to enter or exit farming have two new resources available, through a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation and Minnesota Dairy Initiative. Both can work with farmers to put together “kitchen table” on-farm teams to help farmers navigate their way through farm transition and succession planning. Areas such as property law, property transfer, establishment and dissolution of partnerships, leases and other contracts, accounting, lending, psychological or spiritual support, and other ...

Trustbuster unveiled, fairness campaign updated

MORGAN — National Farmers Union President Rob Larew joined Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish to unveil The Trustbuster and give an update on the Fairness for Farmers campaign at this week’s Farmfest. “Family farmers work hard to support their families and Minnesota Farmers Union is working hard to be sure they are fairly compensated for the products they bring to market,” Wertish said. “The Trustbuster project and Fairness for Farmers campaign are about raising awareness for the need for a competitive marketplace. Both farmers and consumers lose when a ...

GOP prefers production over climate in next farm bill

GILFILLAN ESTATE — Republican congressional candidates said the next farm bill needs to focus on production agriculture, not climate change and other lesser issues. “We need to refocus on agriculture production. The direction the farm bill will go will be determined by who controls ...

Feds sue poultry producers, alleging unfair worker practices

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Monday against some of the largest poultry producers in the U.S. along with a proposed settlement seeking to end what it claims have been longstanding deceptive and abusive practices for workers. The suit, filed in federal court in Maryland, names Cargill, Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms, along with a data consulting company known as Webber, Meng, Sahl and Co. and its president. In its lawsuit, the Justice Department alleges the companies have been engaged in a multiyear conspiracy to exchange information about the wages and ...