By Rep. Paul Anderson
The Dept. of Agriculture is conducting a series of listening sessions this fall in conjunction with the governor’s water summit meetings. One such gathering was held in St. Cloud last week, and good crowds were in attendance at both meetings. Ag.Commissioner Dave Frederickson and his staff gave an update on the past legislative session and then fielded questions from those in attendance.
The department’s proposed nitrogen rule was probably the biggest concern of those present. An earlier map with large areas of the state, particularly in northwestern Minnesota, being in line for curtailment of nitrogen fertilizer applications in the fall, has drawn much concern. Frederickson told attendees that his department had used a map that showed how quickly elements move though soil, but that they hadn’t taken into account the many feet of nearly impervious clay underneath the topsoil in that part of the state. After taking public comment on the new proposed rule, his department will be issuing an updated map later this fall.
Another big topic of discussion was the many complaints that have come in to the state regarding a new soybean seed that is resistant to a line of pesticides known as Dicamba. The chemical has been around for many years, but a new formulation was allowed this year for use on soybeans that were resistant to the chemical. This new chemical works well on weeds that have developed a tolerance to Roundup and was used on millions of acres throughout the country this year.
Earlier this summer, complaints of possible drift and volatilization damage began coming in. Here in Minnesota, well over 200 were reported to the Department of Ag. They are investigating the complaints, Frederickson said, adding that changes may be forthcoming to the registration of the chemical. He said that after harvest, when actual yield reports become available, they will decide what to do in regard to the label registration for next year.
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An unscientific poll taken at the State Fair has generated several comments from folks in the district. Two items that stood out to me were the majority of respondents saying they favored not only the lawful use of recreational marijuana, but also a sizable increase in the state’s motor fuel tax. First, by way of explanation, the poll was taken by 7,122 folks who attended the State Fair and visited the Education Building. I would venture a guess that a high number of those responding were from the metro area and are not a representative cross section of all the residents of Minnesota. I say that because I would be very surprised if a majority of ALL Minnesotans feel that way. The poll, however, said that 50.6 percent of those responding said “yes” to recreational marijuana. In addition, 60.6 percent favored raising the gas tax by “at least” 10 cents per gallon, and 66 percent said that state law should be age 21 to purchase tobacco.
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Our prayers to the folks affected by hurricanes. Many of us were watching coverage of the huge storms as they made land-fall in Texas and Florida. I attended a seed meeting last week and the main speaker was a farmer from Georgia. He said the eye of the storm was predicted to pass within miles of his farm on its northward path, and residents were told to expect high winds and heavy rain. In addition, they could be without electric power for up to two weeks.
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