Above, constitutional officers from the Future Farmers of America Association visit the state Capitol during FFA Day last Thursday. The officers include President P.J. Aarsvold, Plainview-Elgin-Millville; Vice President Morgan Krause, Buffalo; Secretary Mariah Daninger, Forest Lake; Treasurer Travis Troendle, Lanesboro; Reporter Madison Taylor, Randolph; and Sentinel Sam Johnson, Glenville.
Dear Neighbor,
It was nice meeting with constitutional officers from the Minnesota Future Farmers of America Association during FFA Day at the Capitol in St. Paul last Thursday.
We discussed a variety of agriculture issues and the students also visited the House floor as special guests. It is good to see young students showing interest in ag education and FFA. Statewide, there currently are 21,087 students taking courses in agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR), and 10,442 students in grades 9-12 participating in FFA.
This subject is hugely important for Minnesota, with the ag/food production sector serving as one of our state's top job producers. Unfortunately, while there is a shortage of teachers in general in Minnesota, there is an especially significant decline in the field of ag.
In previous sessions, I have authored legislation to help attract more ag teachers. This year, a package has been introduced in the House to help retain and recruit teachers across the full spectrum by providing grants, loan forgiveness, training, creating a statewide job board for educators and more.
Thank you to the students for coming to the Capitol and also thank you to Minnesota Agriculture Education Leadership Council staff for helping to make this happen.
As for other bills, legislation I have authored regarding our state's farmer-lender mediation program has cleared its final House committees and is available for a vote in the full House. The crux of the matter is the program has not been updated since it was implemented in 1986. A recent column I submitted to area newspapers addressed this subject in greater detail and you can click here if you missed it.
I also anticipate a hearing this week for a bill I have authored to improve tractor safety by helping Minnesota farmers install roll bars.
Lastly, the "Laura's Law" bill I authored in the House now is in the Senate's hands and we hope that body will conduct a hearing this week before another legislative deadline arrives on Friday. This recent article from the Alex paper has more on this subject.
I will follow up as these and other subjects develop at the Capitol. Until then, your correspondence always is welcome.
Sincerely,
Paul