LSP serves up breakfast, discussion of rural issues

Agri News

Thursday, February 26, 2009
http://webstar.agrinews.com/agrinews/295428070302585.bsp

LSP serves up breakfast, discussion of rural issues

LOCALLY GROWN/HEALTH CARE, GREEN ACRES PROGRAM GAIN ATTENTION

By Janet Kubat Willette
Agri News staff writer

ST.PAUL, Minn. — More than 250 people plunked down a $10 donation to feast on locally grown food at the fourth annual Land Stewardship Project Family Farm Breakfast at the Capitol.

The food served was grown within 91 miles of St. Paul, compared to the 1,600 miles an average meal travels from farm to the plate, said Alan Perish, an LSP member from Browerville.

"Absolutely everything was superb," Perish said. "It was absolutely excellent."

The meal of oatmeal, eggs, sausages, bacon, fruit, honey, dairy products and cider was served with a side of policy discussion.

Heidi Morlock, a fruit and vegetable farmer from Belle Plaine, talked about Green Acres legislation. Paul Sobocinksi, a Wabasso farmer, discussed health care. Perish talked about maintaining local control and funding for sustainable ag.

Local control issues always seem to pop up at the Legislature, Perish said. There's a bill in the hopper to eliminate the ability for townships to put an interim ordinance in effect.

Perish, a Hartford Township supervisor, said many townships don't have planning and zoning because they don't want to spend money on something they may not need. Most rely on the county planning and zoning department. It is often only after some big development is proposed that townships get into planning and zoning. Townships then put interim ordinances into effect to give township officers time to study the issue, he said.

Sustainable and organic agriculture funding is another issue Perish is following. During the last session, the University of Minnesota was given money to put toward hiring a person to facilitate sustainable and organic agriculture issues and concerns, he said, and a person hasn't been hired yet. He understands the state is in a budget crisis, but he wants to know where the money is.

"Let's not forget the sustainable and organic people because they are the fastest growing part of our ag economy," Perish said.

Morlock would fit that category. She raises fruits and vegetables to sell to Twin Cities residents. This is the second year Morlock has attended the LSP breakfast.

"It's an opportunity to meet with my legislators and to meet with other Scott County residents and to learn more about issues that LSP is working on," Morlock said.

Morlock met with her representatives, Sen. Kevin Dahle, DFL-Northfield, and Rep. David Bly, DFL-Northfield. Both told her they supported a full repeal of changes made to Green Acres last year.

"It's the tax committee that everybody's talking about É needing to get through the tax committee," Morlock said. "I'm going to remain hopeful that if we keep the pressure on a full repeal is what we'll get."

Morlock has an application due in April where she has to designate her non-productive and productive land.

"I don't separate it out, it's a working unit and there is no separation in my mind. It's all connected," she said.

She hopes there is a full, quick repeal so she and others impacted can stop worrying about the potential tax liability. Morlock said she met a number of folks from Winona County and Scott County at the breakfast who also wanted quick action on Green Acres.

Another issue the Land Stewardship is following is health care.

Sobocinski said LSP started to examine the health care issue in the last year. The LSP has joined TakeAction Minnesota to advocate for access to affordable health care.

It is supporting three bills moving forward at the Legislature. The Minnesota Health Security Act, authored by Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. Tony Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, ensures access to health care for all adults. The bill numbers are HF174 and SF9.

The Minnesota Health Plan bill is sponsored by Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, and Rep. David Bly. The bill numbers are SF118 and HF135. The bill guarantees affordable and available health care for all Minnesotans.

A third bill, sponsored by Thissen and Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, modifies eligibility provisions of MinnesotaCare. The bill numbers are SF207 and HF181.

LSP became involved with the issue because affordable health care is an issue that's a hindrance to beginning farmers, Sobocinski said. He shared the story of one young couple who paid $400 a month in health insurance who were looking at a higher deductible to lower their premium.

He cited a study, "2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators." that found 90 percent of the farmers surveyed had coverage, but nearly a quarter of them said the cost of health care was causing them financial problems.

Those reporting financial stress were paying 42 percent of their income on insurance and out-of-pocket health care costs, he said.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 farmers and ranchers in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The way the current health care insurance system is set up puts the self-employed at a disadvantage, Sobocinski said. Having better health insurance coverage linked to employment is anti-entrepreneurial, he added. Employers, at the same time, are challenged by the huge rising cost of health care.

"At Land Stewardship Project, we strongly believe you can't have sustainability without livestock on the land," Sobocinski said.

It's hard for people to work off the farm and have livestock, he said.

As a country, the health care issue needs to be addressed, Sobocinski said, and it needs to be addressed in a comprehensive way, including access, cost and quality of care.

"It takes all three pieces for the system to work," he said. It's like the three-legged milking stool, all three legs need to be in good shape for the stool to work.

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