Farm Aid came to Minnesota this weekend to mark its 40th anniversary, raising funds to support family farmers with great music from Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and more. As co-chair of the Agriculture Committee, I was proud to attend and support Farm Aid’s work helping farmers thrive, promoting good food and climate resilience, and taking action to change the broken corporate agriculture system.
Farm Aid has consistently stood against corporate power, bad policies, and broken promises that have made it difficult for average Americans to succeed in farming. That tradition continued this year, as Willie Nelson called for the big corporations and billionaires who have profited from agriculture to pay a “conscience tax” to the farmers of America.
As a legislator who’s introduced bills making big polluters pay their fair share and ensuring taxpayers don’t get stuck paying for costly cleanup, I couldn’t agree more with Willie’s statement, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting at the state Capitol for a people-focused budget.
Saturday’s concert was preceded by days of events connecting with the people and culture that make up Minnesota’s agricultural system. One major benefit of having Farm Aid 40 in Minnesota is that it helps our small, independent farmers connect with resources, hear from experts, and find new and innovative ways to support themselves and their families.
 I was glad to join other state legislators for a tour of a local farm, connect with staff from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab who were tabling at the Homegrown Skills tent (they estimated having conversations with over 1,000 people!), and talk to folks from all walks of life about the importance of pushing back on corporate monopolization and fighting for the changing people and culture of agriculture.
 If you’re a farmer in need of support, want to donate to Farm Aid’s mission, or want to speak up against the cruel actions of the Trump Administration, you can find resources at: https://www.farmaid.org/take-action/. It’s a great organization that has an “A” rating from Charity Watch.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the year. You can reach me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-6828.
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Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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