House Ag Committee Takes Action to Make Minnesota a National Leader in Sustainable & Organic Farming

CONTACT: Paul Sobocinski, LSP, 507-430-1509

2/15/07
SAINT PAUL, Minn.—In a move towards making Minnesota a leader in sustainable and organic research and promotion, a key Minnesota House legislative committee passed four important bills during two days of hearings earlier this week. The hearings, which were held by Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba, Chair of the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee, are an important sign that legislators are recognizing the growing importance of sustainable and organic agriculture as one of the fastest growing sectors in farming today, according to Paul Sobocinski, an organizer with the Land Stewardship Project who raises crops and livestock near Wabasso, Minn.

“We applaud this committee for devoting time and resources to providing Minnesota family farmers the tools they need to compete in sustainable and organic agriculture,” said Sobocinski.

Consumer demand for organic food grew 18 percent a year between 1997 and 2005, reaching $13.8 billion in sales in 2005.  Minnesota is tops in the nation for production of organic corn, soybeans and rye. The potential for growth in Minnesota’s organic dairy industry could help address the loss of dairy farms in the state.  Despite being an early leader in organic dairy production, Minnesota fell from third to seventh between 1997 and 2005.

The bills, which were passed unanimously by the committee, provide funding and resources to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota for research and promotion of sustainable and organic agriculture. They include funding for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Organic Cost Share Program and Energy and Sustainable Ag Grant Program. These initiatives have garnered national acclaim for their effectiveness, but as demand for their services has grown in recent years, their budgets have not kept pace. 

"These bills are critical to helping Minnesota reclaim its position as a leader in sustainable and organic agriculture," said Rep. Otremba.  "These bills are about rural economic development, about putting more farmers on the land and about making sure our Department of Ag and University have adequate resources to meet the needs of farmers.”

The hearings, which took place on Monday and Wednesday, included testimony from the Land Stewardship Project, other sustainable and agricultural organizations, members of the Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force and faculty at the University of Minnesota. Also providing testimony were organic and sustainable farmers, including Atina Diffley of Gardens of Eagan produce farm near Farmington, and Loretta Jaus, an organic dairy producer from Gibbon who produces for Organic Valley, the largest farmer-owned organic dairy co-op in the country. Also testifying was Jean Andreasen, the General Manager of PastureLand, a cooperative consisting of five southeast Minnesota organic, grass-based dairy operations that produce award-winning butter and cheese.

The farmers and business leaders who testified spoke of an immediate need for increased research into sustainable and organic agriculture at both the Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota.  Pioneering sustainable and organic farming techniques were developed on-farm without state funded research.  In response, to meet the needs of this segment of agriculture, the state developed organic and sustainable research programs.  However, funding for this work has decreased as demand has increased.  The message from testifiers was that to realize the growth potential of this rapidly growing market Minnesota must reinvest in research in this area.

“In the early years I had to do much of my own research on the farm,” said Carmen Fernholz, an organic farming pioneer from Madison, Minn., and member of the Land Stewardship Project.  “As more farmers moved into this type of farming, the University and Department of Ag developed research programs to meet their needs.  But funding for this research has not kept up with the growing demand from farmers.”

The bills heard and passed by the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee this week are:

• House File 710, Rep. Aaron Peterson (DFL-Appleton): Provides $250,000 a year for two years to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s sustainable ag grant program.

• House File 844, Rep. Ken Tschumper (DFL-LaCrescent):  Provides $1.1 million dollars annually to the University of Minnesota for organic research and education.

• House File 845, Rep. David Bly (DFL-Northfield):  Provides $150,000 a year of ongoing funding for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture for alternative livestock research and outreach.

• House File 846, Rep. Al Doty (DFL-Royalton):  Provides $250,000 a year for two years to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s organic cost share program.

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