MANKATO, Minn. — On Monday, Jan. 23, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office will kick off her Farm Bill Tour. Klobuchar’s staff will join with Minnesota agriculture leaders – including Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson – to gather input from Minnesotans on ways to strengthen the 2018 Farm Bill. Over the two-day tour, Klobuchar’s office will host forums open to the public in six counties across Minnesota.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a 2014 Farm Bill Conference Committee member, Klobuchar helped craft the current Farm Bill, which was designed to reduce the deficit, strengthen the crop insurance program, eliminate direct payments, boost conservation, maintain the sugar program, and keep nutrition programs strong for Minnesota families. She successfully pushed for several key provisions to support rural development projects, conservation programs, agricultural research, and the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program. Klobuchar’s measure to help beginning farmers and ranchers access crop insurance by reducing the cost of insurance by 10 percent for these producers in their first five years was also included in the final bill.

The Farm Bill was last reauthorized in 2014 and will require Congressional reauthorization in 2018.

Farm Bill Tour Dates/Locations:

Monday, January 23
8:30 a.m.
Steele County Administration Building
630 Florence Avenue
Owatonna, MN 55060

12:00 p.m.
New Ulm City Hall
100 North Broadway Street
New Ulm, MN 56073

3:30 p.m.
Marshall Public Library
201 C Street
Marshall, MN 56258

Tuesday, January 24
8:30 a.m.
Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services Building, Community Room
2200 23rd Street NE
Willmar, MN 56201

11:30 a.m.
Morris
USDA Agriculture Research Service North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory
803 Iowa Ave
Morris, MN 56267

3:30 p.m.
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Oscar Bergos Center
1900 28th Ave S
Moorhead, MN 56560

— Minnesota Soybean

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