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State Representative Gene Pelowski Jr.
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8637
For more information contact: Glen Fladeboe 651-296-4169
NEWS COLUMN
Farming Is Still A Integral Part Of Our Region's Economy
Talk to almost any Minnesotan and you find some connection to the farm. They either grew up on a farm or one of their relatives did. A lot of us still know where our family's original homestead is, even if it's no longer in the family.
Certainly, that's changed dramatically over the past few decades as the state's population has shifted from rural to more urban, farming still remains a part of who we are. Even though fewer and fewer Minnesotans are staying and working on the farm, farming remains the backbone of our economy and what happens in the rural areas of our state has a profound impact on us all.
That fact was reinforced for me recently in a conversation with Thom Peterson, of the Minnesota Farmers Union. Thom passed on some statistics culled from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that I found interesting and I thought I'd share them with you.
One of the most surprising things is how many farms remain in our area. Just a few years back, it seemed everybody was writing an obituary for the family farm. But to borrow a line from Mark Twain, news of the family farm's death was a bit premature.
In Winona County alone, there are 1,125 working farms. The county ranks third in state in the number of dairy cows (25,500), 35th in hogs and pigs (41,000), 17th in beef cows (7,500), 43rd in corn production (10,071,700 bushels), 58th in soybean production (1,088,000 bushels), ninth in oat production (466,200 bushels), fourth in hay production and 33rd in government payments. These aren't all factory farms, either. Of the 237 dairy farms in Winona County, 121 milk 60 or fewer cows.
The counties in Senate District 31 also boast a strong farm economy. Fillmore County, for example, is the state's leader in beef cows (18,600 head). It also ranks third in hay production, fourth in oat production (720,000 bushels), eighth in milk cows (12,600), 22nd in hogs and pigs (122,000), 15th in corn production (22,460,400 bushels), 34th in soybean production (3,200,00 bushels) and 11th in government payments. Of the 160 dairy farms in Fillmore County, 115 milk 60 or fewer cows.
Houston County has 1,031 farms and ranks 38th in hogs and pigs (24,000), 8th in beef cows (9,800), 12th in milk cows (9,600), 46th in corn production (7,481,700 bushels), 60th in soybean production (918,000 bushels), 14th in oat production (340,000 bushels), eighth in hay production and 36th in government payments.
Added together, it's one more reminder of how important farming is to Minnesota. Agriculture is still the largest industry in the state and remains who we are and where we come from.
News Items
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI: MINNESOTA STATUTE 12A IMPROVES STATE DISASTER RECOVERY PROCESS AND DISASTER RELIEF PACKAGE - (Posted: 2012-08-24 00:00:00)
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI AND SEN. JEREMY MILLER SUPPORT TWO-BRIDGE PROPOSAL - (Posted: 2012-08-23 00:00:00)
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI: STATE DISASTER RECOVERY PACKAGE SHOULD FOLLOW PROCESS OUTLINED IN 12A AND INCLUDE PUBLIC INPUT - (Posted: 2012-08-16 00:00:00)
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