POLICY
Your Voice –
Our Future
Farm Bureau is constantly serving
as a watch dog on the local, state
and national level for our
members. Whether it is legislation
or regulations, Farm Bureau is able
to communicate with elected
officials to explain the
consequences of implementation.
By allowing Farm Bureau to lay the
foundation, our members are in a
better position to share their
stories of how proposed
legislation or regulations effects
their family and communities.
Whether it is serving as a
watchdog, taking our members’
voices to Washington D.C. or
mobilizing our grassroots actions,
Farm Bureau has a successful
position in the political arena.
Solid, sound policy development, advocacy, and implementation
w Forage Shortage
Issue: Due to a combination of winter kill, a wet
spring and the lingering effects of previous droughts,
livestock farmers dealt with severe alfalfa losses
around the state. These losses and the short supply to
the previous droughts left many across the state
facing a severe forage shortage.
Action: Minnesota Farm Bureau joined other
agricultural groups from around the state to raise
awareness of this issue. Ten groups from various
agricultural sectors sent a letter to our Congressional
delegation, government agencies and USDA
Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack detailing the dire
situation Minnesota was in and asking for their help to
find a solution. Calls were held with Minnesota
farmers and Congressional offices in order to explain
what was occurring on the ground, as well as hear
what possible options could be addressed in D.C.
Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap and
public policy staff traveled to Washington D.C. to
continue discussing and stress the importance of this
issue. President Paap met with all 10 members of the
Minnesota Congressional delegation, United States
Department of Agriculture Chief of Staff Krysta
Harden and Risk Management Agency Administrator
Brandon Willis.
Result: Minnesota farmers continue to face a
difficult situation. Solutions are still being pursued to
find some relief. Farm Bureau members concerns
were heard.
Secretary Vilsack declared an emergency declaration
for 35 counties and contiguous counties. Those
counties were eligible for emergency loan assistance.
Emergency haying and grazing on CRP land was
approved in 19 counties to help provide additional
relief.
Minnesota Farm Bureau is committed to being a
voice for farmers across the state. By joining other
groups and forming coalitions dedicated to finding
the same solutions, voices from across the state are
amplified. While more permanent solutions continue
to be found, the pressing concerns of Farm Bureau
members are on the forefront of the policy agenda.
w State Estate Tax
Issue: After passing an estate tax exemption at the
state level in 2011, legislation was needed in 2013 to
clarify the qualified farm property definition used for
an additional $4 million exemption from the state
estate tax.
Action: Qualifying farm property has a total
exemption of $5 million from the state estate tax.
These clarifications were included to make sure that
qualified farm property held in
family farm trusts, LLCs or LLPs
will qualify for the additional
exemption.
Result: The additional $4 million
“Our entire Congressional delegation was
receptive to us and our issues in
Washington, D.C. They count on
Farm Bureau for advice.”
–Pat Bakeberg, Wright County
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State
Legislative
Priorities
exemption from the state estate tax means that there
will be less state tax implications as farms are
transferred to the next generation of Minnesota
farmers.
w Bring the Heat
Issue: There were many big issues facing agriculture
during the 113th Congress that were held up in a
gridlocked Congress and needed to be addressed.
Farmers and ranchers need Washington to end the
inaction on immigration and agricultural labor reform
to provide a legal and stable supply of workers, break
the logjam of inaction on improving our waterways
transportation infrastructure to provide economical
and efficient way of transporting agricultural products
and inputs. While movement continues to slowly be
made on these important issues, the work is not done
yet.
Action: Minnesota Farm Bureau members took
action to urge their elected officials to get a five year
farm bill done, take action on agricultural labor reform
and pass a waterways infrastructure bill. While
progress continues to be made on these important
issues, the voice of Farm Bureau members needs to
w Promoting animal agriculture
w Transportation funding
w Renewable energy
w Water quality
w Forestry
w Water management
w Taxes
w Private property rights
be heard. The Minnesota Farm Bureau Action Alert
Center at mn.org is a resource available to contact
elected officials on these important agricultural issues.
Another effective way to bring these important
issues to our members of Congress is to meet with
them on Capitol Hill. Over 35 Farm Bureau members
traveled to Washington D.C. in September 2013 to
meet with their members of Congress to explain faceto-face how these issues affected real Minnesota
farms. Farm Bureau members from Minnesota visit
Washington D.C. twice a year to make sure that staff
and members of Congress are hearing directly from
the farmers from across the state. Join us on one of
these trips to share your story.
Result: Members of Congress trust the opinions of
Farm Bureau members and leaders. Legislators are
influenced by what they know and what they hear
from the people they represent. By sharing our story,
Farm Bureau members have a voice in what is
happening. We cannot afford for issues that impact
agriculture to be decided by elected officials with
agriculture’s needs. Farm Bureau members need to
stay informed and stay involved.
National
Legislative
Priorities
w Animal agriculture
w Energy and transportation
w Environment and land use
w Farm policy
w Immigration and farm labor
w International trade
w Rural development
w Tax reform
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