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Congressman, state legislators lead ag discussion

Lead Summary
By
Lori Sorenson

U.S. Congressman Jim Hagedorn joined state Republican legislators Rep. Joe Schomacker and Sen. Bill Weber, both of Luverne, in a Friday roundtable discussion about regional farming challenges this spring.
Hagedorn (R-Minnesota District 1) said he’s committed to doing everything he can to support farmers.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our society,” he said. “I’m here to listen.”
Questions and discussions ranged from trade and tariffs to roads and infrastructure, but the issue at hand dealt with late and prevented issues as they relate to USDA rules for cover crops.
“Farmers will need to make prevent plant decisions in the next week,” said Doug Bos of the Rock County Land Management Office.
Hagedorn said he would pressure the USDA to decide on the rules so farmers could make their decisions.
Magnolia farmer Gary Overgaard urged Hagedorn to hurry.
“Something has to be done sooner than later, because later is too late and it’s hurting the local ag economy,” Overgaard said. “Farmers are now planting for crop insurance, and that’s a bad deal.”
Beaver Creek farmer Peter Bakken spoke as a township official frustrated with FEMA disaster aid response.
“We’re working on last year’s FEMA aid,” he said.
“We’ve been approved for $4,000 but we haven’t seen a thing. … We’re getting nowhere with the federal government to fix our roads that were damaged 18 months ago.”
Hagedorn addressed issues as they related to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and U.S. relations with China.
“I support the USMCA and free and reciprocal trade,” he said, adding that he also supports efforts to improve trade leverage with China.
“What was going on with China and what the president is doing is way overdue. Most of us understand why he’s doing it. China is a tough customer.”
Bos pointed out that Mexico buys about a third of American cheese exports. “This could be the last nail in the coffin for our dairy producers,” he said about tariffs at the border.
Hagedorn praised President Trump’s efforts to curtail immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We have to secure our border,” he said. “And the president is making proposals to secure our borders. I’m telling you this problem has to stop, and I stand ready to do it. … Do we want the farmers to be in the middle of it? No. It’s a big deal; I get it.”
Overgaard encouraged Hagedorn to understand how relations with China are affecting farmers.
“I wish they would use common sense,” he said. “I lived through the Russian grain embargo and it’s taken generations to recover. … The longer this goes on the worse the damage is.”
He described a “perfect storm” of devastating weather, market upheaval, trade wars and decreasing profit margins on the farm.
“There’s a lot of stress out here in rural Minnesota,” Overgaard said.
Discussion turned to health care as another expense that’s threatening farm family budgets.
Hagedorn explained that Obama Care sent premiums skyrocketing and that the current administration is working on a plan to fix that.
When participants at Friday’s round table pressed for specifics about what the administration has in mind to replace the ACA, Hagedorn suggested people consider forming associations.
“… like Farm Bureau members could form their own health insurance pool, and the government could take care of the really sick people,” he said.
When someone asked how that was different from Universal Health Care, Hagedorn said European citizens spend half their income on taxes and they have to wait for care.
Farm Bureau representative Carolyn Olson said her health insurance premiums are $28,000 per year, and health care costs are already stressing her family’s farm income.
“My husband has MS and one dose of his medicine costs $146,000, and he needs it twice a year,” she said through tears. “We need reforms in this. You have to keep pushing.”

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