Rising fuel costs got lots of attention.

“Rising input costs are killing farmers. High fuel costs, especially diesel fuel, are coming at a terrible time. They’ll affect consumers too,” said Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen.

He said Minnesota has the most E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) pumps, but it can only be used from Oct. 1 to April 1 unless year-round ethanol legislation is passed.

“I don’t think an E15 ethanol use waiver will happen in the next 15 days,” said Petersen. “When gas prices spike, E88 (88 percent ethanol sales go up. We have to allow more ethanol blends and allow them year around.”

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, right, speaks at a Minnesota Farmers Union People’s Town Hall at Sleepy Eye Brewing Wednesday. Petersen said farmers need better market prices, not government payments. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish listens at left.

Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish said his organization advocates for more E30 use and that higher ethanol blends reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

While higher ethanol blends in gasoline were only recommended in more recent years, a number of farmers said they used it in older vehicles with good success.

“I got the best mileage with E30 in my 1991 Mercury Sable. I know it works,” said Bob Berg of Clements.

Another farmer said he put 16 gallons of regular gasoline and four gallons of E85 in his 1974 Ford F750 grain truck and it ran “fine.”

Franklin farmer Jim Kanne voiced trade policy concerns.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Redwood County Farmers Union Vice President Paul Sobocinski speaks at a Minnesota Farmers Union People’s Town Hall at Sleepy Eye Brewing Wednesday.

“We can’t replace the China soybean market with other, much smaller countries. Plus we need a Farm Bill to stabilize things,” he said.

Commissioner Petersen said the federal government’s Big, Beautiful Bill passed last summer covered some Farm Bill programs, federally-funded research was cut, reducing programs including aphid research.

“We’ll pay for it with fewer University of Minnesota students, especially foreign students, studying agriculture. They’ll go to other countries to study it while we lag behind. Funding cuts also mean less mental health research, which we badly need too,” said Petersen.

He talked about recent trade policy developments including tariffs.

“I’m very concerned about our trade policy. It’s built on relationships and trust. I’ve been on a lot of trade missions. Even our best allies question our reliability,” said Petersen.

He said he works really hard on trade issues, trying to keep markets open.

“We lost China in the first Trump Administration. We have to fill smaller buckets now with developing nations like the Philippines, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Morocco,” Petersen said.

He said said federal cuts included a USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) exchange program with Moroccan students and the University of Minnesota that created “great relationships.”

Petersen said about 400 Moroccans got advanced agricultural degrees in the last 40 years.

“Then we slapped tariffs on them. It doesn’t make any sense. If prices keep changing so much, other countries will look somewhere else. That’s what is happening,” he said.

Petersen said immigration enforcement was another sticking point. He said he took calls from farmers about ICE (Immigration and Customers Enforcement) agents parked near farms.

“I’m proud of the way people stood up to ICE agents. Immigrants are ingrained in communities, working many important jobs,” he said.

Deacon Tim Dolan of rural Winthrop said unity is important.

“It’s about Christianity. You have a demon on one shoulder and an angel on the other. We’re all God’s children. Things have to change. We have wheel spokes going in different directions,” he said. “I’ve been working food trucks since COVID in 2020. We’ve got to help people heal from what’s going on now. We’re better than that.”

Redwood County Farmers Union Vice President Paul Sobocinski talked about other issues farmers are dealing with now.

“Gasoline and fertilizer prices are going sky high because of tariffs and now the war. Things are going out of wack fast,” he said.

Commissioner Petersen thanked everybody for coming to the meeting.

“It gives me energy seeing you here including representatives of Sen. Tina Smith and other politicians and candidates,” he said.

Gary Wertish urged farmers to contact their elected officials whether they agree with them or not.

Farmers Union priorities at the Minnesota Legislature include securing more funding for the Rural Finance Authority to support beginning farmers, addressing insufficient funding for the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit, which helps retiring farmers transition to beginning farmers, and extending the Minnesota Farmer Lending program which is an opportunity for farmers to restructure or resolve farm debt through mediation.