Dear Neighbor,
Yesterday was Dairy Day at the Capitol, a chance for those of us who are interested in ag to discuss the latest industry news and talk about what may lie on the horizon. A good contingent was on hand in St. Paul and I thank all that took time out of their busy schedules to participate.
One interesting report we received was an update on a livestock research educational facility that is in the developmental stages. This project is the product of a bill I championed five years ago, starting with the establishment of a commission to guide the process.
The facility will be a public-private funding effort and work is underway to first line up contributions from the private side. A location on the U of M’s St. Paul campus has been established. It makes sense for the U to host this facility since one of its missions as a land-grant college is to make advancements in ag.
I look forward to tracking the development of this research facility and seeing it come to life. Look for more information as things unfold but, for now, a few quick Minnesota dairy facts to chew on from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
- Nationally, Minnesota ranks No. 6 in dairy cows and No. 8 in milk production.
- Dairy production is the second-largest livestock sector in the state at 25 percent, only trailing hogs (36 percent).
- Minnesota has 460,000 head of dairy cows and is home to 3,470 dairy farms.
- With 70,000 milk cows, Stearns far and away ranks No. 1 among counties. Winona is second with 29,000.
- Our state produces 9.5 billion pounds of milk annually.
Click here for more statistics from the Department of Ag, including bar graphs showing how milk production and prices have tracked over the last decade.
On a separate note, legislation I have authored to help Melrose recover from a fire received its first committee hearing and remains in the mix for passage later this session. The bill would provide tax exemptions on rebuilding costs after numerous structures suffered damage when the majority of a city block burned last September.
Look for more news from St. Paul soon and, as always, your correspondence on these and other issues is welcome.
Sincerely,
Paul