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Seeking to fan agriculture exports to Cuba, a Minnesota House panel took initial steps Tuesday to spend state money on promoting the shipment of goods to the island nation amid improving relations with the United States. The bipartisan bill that the House Agriculture Finance Committee kept in the budget mix would designate $100,000 to promote marketing exports to Cuba.
Talk of a new Minnesota trade mission to Cuba is in the air. The House Agriculture Finance Committee kept a bill in the mix Tuesday that would designate $100,000 to promote agriculture exports to Cuba. Its sponsor says half of that could defray costs from a state trade trip to the island nation.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants to lift the Cuba trade embargo. She just got back from a visit to the island country, and at a summit Monday morning in St. Paul, the Democrat talked about how ending the embargo could help farmers and businesses here.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Minnesota to discuss efforts to expand trade. Vilsack will meet Friday in St. Paul with officials from the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council and other business leaders to talk about increasing exports as a strategy for creating job opportunities in Minnesota.
The nonprofit Farm Rescue is accepting applications from farmers who need help with spring planting.
Minnesota will get $9 million under an initiative announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday. The agency has approved 115 proposals nationwide for the first round of funding under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which was part of the 2014 farm bill.
Gardeners at hundreds of spots around the country are sharing seeds as part of an increasing interest in locally grown food, but some agriculture officials say the well-meaning effort violates state laws.
U.S. agriculture has a big appetite for freer trade with Cuba. From wheat to rice to beans, the industry stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of President Barack Obama's plan to ease economic and travel restrictions imposed against the communist-ruled island.
For the first time in two decades, U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson finds himself having to fight hard to keep his job and to avert a loss that could cost Minnesota one of Congress' most influential voices on farm matters. Peterson is the ranking minority member and former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He has represented western Minnesota's 7th District for nearly 24 years and says it benefits from his clout.
Minnesota is tops in the nation when it comes to elk farming, but the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association says there's room for growth. The USDA Census of Agriculture shows that Minnesota leads the U.S. in farmed elk production and is home to 141 elk farms raising more than 4,200 elk.
Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is hoping for an election-season bump on an issue he's tried to build into a cornerstone of his campaign: agriculture.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $328 million in funding Monday to protect and restore farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the country.
Students in Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools will eat lunch food that comes from Minnesota farmers on the first Thursday of every month. School administrators say Minnesota Thursdays stems from the Farm to School programs at both districts.
Gov. Mark Dayton is urging the federal government to step in on railroad delays hitting Minnesota grain farmers. A growing backlog of railroad shipments cost corn, wheat and soybean farmers $109 million in lower prices this spring, according to a University of Minnesota study.
The Farm Rescue nonprofit in the Upper Midwest is approaching another milestone. The volunteer organization based in North Dakota will help its 300th farm family in the region by the end of the year.
Five candidates for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat, including incumbent Sen. Al Franken, are laying out their ideas for helping farmers at the annual FarmFest trade show. Wednesday's panel was Franken's first appearance with his challengers, and the last until after Republican voters choose their candidate in next Tuesday's primary.
The wet, cold weather is preventing Minnesota farmers from getting much planting done. In its weekly crop progress and condition report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says only 8 percent of the state's corn crop has been planted, which is up 4 percentage points from last week's report but is still two weeks behind normal.
New federal data show the number of farms in Minnesota fell 8 percent from 2007 to 2012, while the market value of agricultural products the state's farmers sold increased by 61 percent over the same five-year period.
As concerns grow about the food we eat, American farmers are facing increased scrutiny and criticism. Now, the farming industry is going on the offensive with a new film premiering May 1.
Most Minnesota farm families could get an extra $260 in property tax relief per year under legislation that's meant to ease the squeeze they're feeling between rising property taxes and falling crop prices.
Some are calling it the future of farming -- a technique that will provide local fresh produce year-round in the Twin Cities. Right now lettuce, kale, and herbs are ready for harvest in St. Paul.
Minnesota's legislative auditor is calling for greater oversight over the state's 13 agricultural research and promotional councils, which are funded by millions of dollars in check-off fees that producers pay.
While winter has been unforgiving to most of the Midwest, the next several months will dictate the season's impact on all-important sectors, such as shipping and farming. Fast-melting snow in the northern Midwest likely won't be able to soak into the frozen ground.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). But Minnesota farmers say the free trade accord has not exactly been fair. Fresh from a NAFTA 20 year anniversary get together in Mexico City, Doug Peterson brought back a failing report card for the accord.
Minnesota's corn harvest continues to run ahead of the normal pace after a slow start. In its weekly crops and weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the state's corn harvest advanced 14 percentage points last week to 87 percent complete.
