Dairy facility moves a step ahead in session
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 06/17/2010 9:16 AM
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Members of Minnesota Milk Producers Association have spent seven years talking with officials from the University of Minnesota and legislators about the need for a new dairy research facility, said Bob Lefebvre, MMPA executive director.
Their efforts took a step forward in the omnibus agriculture bill passed during the 2010 legislative session. The bill directs the agriculture commissioner to "convene one or more meetings with milk producers, other industry stakeholders and representatives of the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System whose work relates to the dairy industry to consider the elements of a dairy research and education facility…"
"We are very pleased," Lefebvre said.
Minnesota Milk members talked about the need for a dairy research and teaching facility at committee hearings held on Dairy Day at the Capitol, Lefebvre said. Members recognized that going for bonding money this year would be foolish, instead they want to have everything in line for the next bonding bill in 2012, he said.
The agriculture department has one year to pull a report together and be ready for tours by members of the capital investment committee, said Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, chairman of the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance division.
The goal is to establish a dairy research and teaching facility somewhere in Minnesota with partial state funding. The site of the facility is yet to be determined, but it should be located in an area where there is a concentration of dairy production and near a school, program or campus that is already teaching dairy production, Juhnke said. The dairy will be built from scratch, he said.
Having a dairy research and teaching facility will support the dairy industry in Minnesota, he said.
Representation
Several veteran lawmakers are retiring this year, including Sens. Steve Dille, R-Dassel, Jim Vickerman, DFL-Tracy, and Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm and Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing. In the House, Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL-Long Prairie, chairwoman of the House agriculture policy committee, is retiring.
Those legislators have been an asset for agricultural interests, Lefebvre said. Likewise, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been supportive of agriculture and the dairy industry, he said.
Together, Dille, Frederickson, Vickerman and Murphy represent allmost 90 years of legislative experience, said Thom Petersen, Minnesota Farmers Union government relations director. They worked across party lines to support agriculture, he said. It's telling that the retirement parties for Dille and Vickerman were held together.
Rep. Doug Magnus, R-Slayton, expected to see more retirements than normal after this session. It's tough to serve when the state has financial problems and everything is in a downturn, he said, but that's when people need to step up and put their shoulder to the wheel.
It's especially important that rural Minnesotans step up since key veteran legislators are retiring. They're going to be missed, Magnus said.
"They did a lot for rural Minnesota," he said. They were common sense lawmakers who worked together for the common good of the state.
The loss of the veteran lawmakers will be felt, but Lefebvre says rural Minnesotans need to also think about redistricting just two years away. Redistricting is expected to shift more seats from rural Minnesota to urban areas. It makes it even more important that urban Minnesotans understand the value that greater Minnesota has, he said.
Too often, urban Minnesotans think greater Minnesota is where they recreate whether than realizing greater Minnesota is a source of economic wealth all its own in its timber lands, crop and pasture lands and on the Iron Range, Lefebvre said.
The next two years are important, Juhnke said. Rural legislators need to put legislation in place while they still have good numbers and a strong voice. Rural members need to think about what they want to put in place for a future beyond redistricting.
Wind easements
Farmers Union spearheaded an effort to extend the sunset date on wind easements for two years, Petersen said.
Now, a farmer can only sign a seven year easement. After that time, the easement must be renegotiated if the wind farm hasn't been developed. The time limit remains at seven years until June 1, 2012.
Eminent domain
Eminent domain was tightened this year, Petersen said. It . Legislation requires farmers be treated a little more fairly in the eminent domain process, he said. The language is found in HF1182.
Walk-in access
Farmers Union opposes walk-in access for hunting. Members are opposed to the program out of concern for liability and private property rights. The governor vetoed the omnibus natural resources policy bill with the proposition in it, Petersen said, but he directed the Department of Natural Resources to work with the Board of Water and Soil Resources to develop a pilot program to meet the eligibility criteria for federal funding.
MFU wants to hear farmers feedback on the program. Walk-in programs work to the west of Minnesota, but not to the east, Petersen said.
Farmers are concerned that folks will wander onto their property without notice and they're worried about the safety of their families and their livestock. If the property next door is owned by an absentee landowner and they participate in the program, it's unclear what happens if the hunter crosses onto property that isn't participating in the program.
Green Acres
The deadline to opt out of the program has been extended to Aug. 16 and the time period on the covenant for Rural Preserves has been lowered to eight years from 10 years.
The revenue commissioner will determine the base value for property enrolled in Green Acres using not only sale prices from six southwest Minnesota counties, but also production expenses.
Also, landowners enrolling in Rural Preserves need only have a conservation assessment plan, not a conservation management plan.
Irrigation fee
Farm Bureau spearheaded an effort opposing the establishment of a new water monitoring fee in the 11-county metropolitan effort.
The cost would have been $350 per irrigation well and some members have six to 12 irrigation wells, said Chris Radatz, Minnesota Farm Bureau public policy director.
The fee language was removed and clean water funds will be used to install the water monitoring system.
Ethanol
There are a number of ethanol provisions in the agriculture bill to prepare the state in case the federal government grants a waiver for E15, Juhnke said. The state law only takes effect if the federal government grants a full waiver.
Biodiesel
No. 1 diesel fuel is exempt from the B5 biodiesel content requirement from October until March. The law is effective until March 31, 2012.
Sheep shearing
For 15 years, Sen. Steve Dille has wanted to repeal a law he called "pretty ridiculous."
The law reads "No person who has custody of any animal which has had its hair removed by clipping or shearing shall cause or permit the animal to stand on a road, street, or other unsheltered place between November 1 and May 1 within 60 days after the clipping or shearing, unless the animal is blanketed. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor."
The law was repealed.
Industrial hemp
The United States doesn't allow the cultivation of industrial hemp, but it's neighbor to the north is one of 30 industrialized nations that does, said Rep. Al Juhnke. The federal government bans industrial hemp due to a sense that it's a drug crop.
"You could smoke an acre of industrial hemp and you wouldn't get a headache," he said.
Industrial hemp could be an alternative crop for some Minnesota producers, Juhnke said. An industrial hemp expert from the University of Minnesota testified in front of the ag committee and brought in some of the 30 to 40 products that can be made from industrial hemp.
The bill commissions a study of the industrial hemp laws and procedures in Canada or one of the other nations where it is grown as an agricultural crop. Particular attention is to be paid to how law enforcement officers differentiate between industrial hemp and marijuana.
The report is do the the Legislature by Feb. 15, 2011.
Horses
The classification of horses has been an ongoing issue for a number of years, Juhnke said. The ag bill this year classifies horses raised for the "purposes of riding, driving, farm or ranch work, competition, racing, recreation, sale or as breeding stock" as livestock.
Bioenergy
The agriculture department is told to take every opportunity to apply for grants for biofuel development. section 38
It's vital to maintain enthusiam for biofuels, Magnus said. It's vital to improve the biofuels industry and make it more efficient. The state needs to continue to look at the next generation of biofuels. It's important to maintain a long-term vision, he said.
The agriculture commissioner is due to report to the Legislature by Feb. 15, 2011, on its progress.
Invasive species
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is responsible for inspecting and preventing invasive species from entering the state. Once in the state, duties are handed off to the Department of Natural Resources, who has eradication and control activities. Those lines appear to be blurry, Juhnke said, and legislators requested a report back on how the invasive species detection and control activities can be reorganized. Juhnke expects reorganizational efforts to be based on the report. It's due Sept. 1.
Tree service
A registry of tree care and tree trimming services is established.Tree care providers must register and pay a $25 application fee. In return, the agriculture commissioner is instructed to provide tree care companies with information regarding an existing or potential forest pest infestations in the state.
Propane infrastructure
Magnus said the highlight of the omnibus agriculture bill for him is a study that looks at propane and anhydrous ammonia infrastructure capacity here and within 100 miles of the state's borders for a terminal capacity report.
For the past several years, there has been such turmoil at the terminal that the governor has granted an exemption for hours of service rules, Magnus said. Federal rules require drivers to count the time sitting in line as service time and some terminals only have the capacity to load two trucks per hour.
Last year was a perfect storm, Magnus said. There were record yields and all the corn harvested needed to be articifically dried, plus a significant portion of the soybeans harvested.
Corn seed companies say corn yields will be increasing. Magnus wants to look down the road to anticipate what the situation at terminals will be in 10 years and determine how that problem can be addressed now.
The report is due to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2011.
Bonding
The Legislature passed a bonding bill that was quite a bit higher than the governor wanted at $1 billion, Dille said. The governor said $675 million or maybe up to $725 million. Instead, he slimmed the bill down to $680 million through line item vetoes. His idea of compromise was to come up $5 million, Dille said.
Budget
Legislators were supposed to pass a bonding bill and balance the budget this session.
"The experts say we kicked the can down the road and I think they're right," Dille said. The Legislature made $800 million in cuts, but the biggest thing they did was decide to pay people late so the budget balances.
"That doesn't sound too good to me," Dille said.