Dear Neighbors,
We’re heading in to a long holiday weekend, and I hope you have plans to spend time with family and friends to celebrate our Independence! July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year, and I look forward to some great weather, and enjoying the festivities.
Kernel Nation
Yesterday, the Minnesota Corn Growers hosted the Kernel Nation event for local families at Edgewater Park in Albert Lea. It was a great event to help connect farm families with city families, as well as to just plain have fun together. We have such a rich history of agriculture, especially producing corn, and it’s encouraging to see events like Kernel Nation highlight the importance of this industry for our local families and economy. I enjoyed chatting with the many families who attended!
Farm Visit
This time of year is perfect for visiting our area farms to support our food producers. Last week, I toured Chad Johnson’s turkey and hog farm in Ellendale. I learned so much from Chad, along with Tony Seykora and MN Farm Bureau's Amber Hanson, as they shared the intricacies of hog and turkey farming.
Farmers really amaze me with their vast knowledge of the land, crops, animals, and more - and then wrap that all up in the amazing amount of new technology that goes along with farming. I was especially impressed with the cleanliness and neatness of all the areas on Chad's farms, as well as the thought that goes into the wellbeing of the animals.
Also, I recently sat down with a number of farmers to discuss various agriculture issues, such as buffers, nitrates, and property taxes. If you’re interested in chatting about any farming issues, or want me to come visit your farm, please contact my office. I’d love to hear from you, and will continue to advocate for the agriculture industry in our area.
Ethanol Tour
Thank you to the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the POET plant in Glenville for the great tour of the plant. I was amazed at how nothing is wasted from the plant and the process. Not only does POET produce ethanol, but also many other products like corn syrup and CO2 (for things like dry ice and carbonation of soda pop) and more. It was a very informational tour!
Trail Dedication
I recently attended and spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Shell Rock River State Water Trail. This was especially fun for me as, being the chief author of this bill last year, I now have the pleasure of seeing the actual fruits of the bill in person! My part, however, was the easy part. All the local people involved in this venture, including Susie Petersen (Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau) and Bill Howe (Lakes Foundation of Albert Lea) were the real muscle at the ground level who made this happen. We in the City of Albert Lea are lucky to have so many local organizations that work well together to accomplish things like this, such as the City of Albert Lea, Watershed Board, Chamber of Commerce, Lakes Foundation, Convention and Visitors Bureau, and SHIP. Now we have a real gem for our area in this water trail. Hope you can take advantage of our beautiful new water trail over the holiday weekend!
Please Contact Me
Although we’re heading into the holiday weekend, feel free to call or email me with questions or suggestions. I want to hear your viewpoint on any issue in our state.
Have a great weekend, and a safe Fourth!
Peggy