The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the recent winter storms that USDA has programs that provide assistance
Folded arms and furrowed brows
among frustrated farmers greeted former Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) at a National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) meeting in the mid-2010s. Inglis was then a rarity among Republican legislators. He made his case for market-based solutions to mitigate the impact of human-influenced climate change. On that day, though, not many farmers wanted to hear it. “You could just feel the tension in the room, the feeling that this guy was full of it,” recalls Brandon Hunnicutt, a Giltner, Nebraska, farmer, who is involved with several NCGA boards. Many farmers skeptically view the concept of climate change. This skepticism, though, may be as much rooted in fear of government control as distrust in climate science, says Ben Riensche, a Jesup, Iowa, farmer.
One reason for the peak interest: Thereâs a lot to do on the agricultural front.
Thompson discussed a number of those issues during a Jan. 27 virtual meeting with Rep. Fred Keller and Pennsylvania Ag Secretary Russell Redding.
The Biden administration has been clear that addressing climate change is a major priority, and agriculture will have a significant role in that process.
Thompson said heâs willing to work with the administration, but he wants any new regulations to be ag-friendly. Farmers, he said, help reduce climate problems by participating in conservation programs.
âI donât know if weâll approach it from the same perspective (as the Democrats), but I think itâs time for everyone in the agriculture industry to get credit for the great things weâve done, whether thatâs for sustainability, climate change or just a clean environment,â Thompson said.
Event, postponed from 2020, is anticipated to draw approximately 1,000 attendees. 6:00 am, Jan. 29, 2021 ×
An aerial view of the cattle barns on the Grant Binford farm east of Luverne. (Special to The Globe)
REGIONAL Plans to bring the 2021 Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Tour to Rock and Nobles counties are ramping back up after the 2020 tour had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will take place July 13, with eight different tour stops across the two counties. The Rock-Nobles Cattlemen’s Association anticipates approximately 1,000 attendees, according to President Jay Bakken, a cattle producer from rural Garretson, South Dakota.
“We’re pretty proud of what we have down here and we’re looking forward to showing it to the rest of the state,” said Bakken. “We’re looking forward to good attendance because I think people are ready to get back to something normal.”