Contact: Doug Peterson, MN Farmers Union, 651-639-1223
Paul Sobocinski, Land Stewardship Project, 507-342-2323, 507-430-1509 (cell)
Bob Arndt, MN National Farmers Organization, 507-925-4371; 320-760-5745 (cell)
Mary Jo Forbord, Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota, 320-760-8732

7/28/04
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s recently released Livestock Advisory Task Force report undermines independent family farmers and township and county rights, according to a diverse group of family farm, rural and citizen groups. The organizations met recently to evaluate the report as part of the Citizen Task Force on Livestock Farming and Rural Communities. The strongest criticism was aimed at the report’s top recommendation of weakening the right of township and county governments to determine where large feedlots are located in their communities.

“At Governor Pawlenty’s news conference on this issue, I was pleased to hear him say that he does not want to trample on local control and is concerned about concentration and consolidation in the food industry,” said Doug Peterson, President of Minnesota Farmers Union. “But in fact his task force report contradicts his words and recommends weakening local control and local democracy.”

The group was also critical of the closed-door process used to create the report, which excluded input from family farmers and was dominated by corporate ag interests. The Governor’s Task Force included representatives from Hormel Foods and Jennie-O Turkey Store, AgStar Financial Services, Land O’Lakes and the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council.

“Farmers and consumers that I talk with want more livestock on the land, but they also insist that we use livestock systems that benefit farm families, local communities, human and animal health and the environment. Rotational grazing is just one of these multi-benefit systems that was excluded from the report,” said Mary Jo Forbord, executive director of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. “Farmer and consumer viewpoints are essential when so much is at stake for all of us, so we intend to create the opportunity for more voices to be heard.”

The Governor’s report also contains a recommendation that suggests Minnesota’s corporate farm law needs to be relaxed. That, along with the fact that the report ignores the issue of low and volatile prices paid to farmers, drew criticism.

“Minnesota has been a champion of keeping livestock and dairy production in the hands of independent family farmers,” said Bob Arndt, President of the Minnesota National Farmers Organization. “That means keeping our corporate farm law strong, not weakening it. It also means encouraging independent farmers to participate in the process of group negotiating to increase net farm income. The report ignores that issue.”

The Citizen Task Force analyzed the report against a list of guiding principles (below) that it is using to develop a set of its own recommendations, which it will present to the Minnesota Legislature.

“What was most disappointing about this report is that there is almost nothing in it that will encourage the growth of independent, family livestock farmers. In fact, the recommendations in this report are about replacing independent family farms with corporate-backed factory farms,” said Paul Sobocinski of the Land Stewardship Project. “This report is a slap in the face to Minnesota’s independent livestock producers who are the backbone of our livestock industry.”

The four founding organizations of the Citizen Task Force are the Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota National Farmers Organization, the Land Stewardship Project and the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. Other organizations that are part of the Citizen Task Force are the Minnesota Dairy Producers Board, League of Women Voters, Minnesota Catholic Conference, COACT and Milk Power. The Citizen Task Force plans to continue meeting and to present a list of policy recommendations later this year that are designed to promote independent, family farm livestock production in Minnesota.

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To view past press releases on the Citizen Task Force on Livestock Farmers and Rural Communities go to www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_040224.html and www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_040305.html

Citizen Task Force on Livestock Farming and Rural Communities
This task force will make recommendations to policy makers and community leaders on ways to increase the number and profitability of Minnesota livestock farmers in ways that benefit rural communities. The task force recognizes that livestock farmers and vibrant rural communities are directly related and the health of one affects the other.

The task force’s solutions will be based on:
• Economic models that are sustainable and benefit rural main streets. Many economic models take into account only profit for investors and not the negative impacts on the local community and environment. Economic models should take into account such factors as benefits or harm to schools, main street business and the environment.

• Private enterprise as opposed to corporate investment. When capital and ownership come from private, local sources, control and profit stays local. When capital and ownership are from distant corporate sources control and profit leave the community.

• Benefiting existing livestock farmers and encouraging beginning farmers. Too often existing livestock farmers are not considered in the rush to attract corporate investment into Minnesota’s livestock sector. The truth is Minnesota’s existing livestock producers are the starting point for solutions and should be the first considered.

• A commitment to promoting a family farm based system of agriculture. The family farm based system of agriculture has made this nation strong and is the most efficient means of production.

• A commitment to stewardship of the land. Livestock agriculture in Minnesota can be practiced in a way that protects and even enhances our state’s natural resources for the long term, especially by protecting water quality and air quality, reducing erosion and building soil quality.

• Increasing farmers’ access to capital. Access to local capital at reasonable terms is critical to existing and beginning farmers.

• Consumer demand for high quality and safe food. Consumers have made it clear that they want high quality and safe food. Opportunities exist for farmers to achieve a better price by meeting these needs.

• Promoting competition and fair markets. Markets for livestock have become so concentrated that price manipulation is possible. This is bad for consumers and producers as packers are able to pay independent producers low prices and overcharge consumers.

• Increasing profit to producers. Policies that increase economic activity without increasing profit to producers are ultimately harmful by increasing concentration in our food industry.

• Respecting local forms of government to make decisions about development. Townships and counties are best suited to react to the needs of local residents. A strong livestock industry need not come at the expense of democracy. Local forms of government should keep the right to create higher standards than the state.

Founding organizations:
Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota National Farmers Organization, Land Stewardship Project, Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota