House ag division considers increase in farm legal aid funding

A bill seeking to increase funding for the Farmers’ Legal Action Group was held over for possible omnibus bill inclusion by the House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division Thursday.

HF158, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Brand (DFL-St. Peter), would appropriate $168,000 in Fiscal Year 2020 for a grant to the nonprofit organization.

Farmers’ Legal Action Group provides legal services to farmers, the Minnesota Farm Advocates program, and other organizations whose programming is intended to help farmers stay on the land.

Chris Mosel, an organic farmer from Gaylord, spoke in support of the bill, which was amended, calling it a small amount of money “with an outsized impact.”

Mosel was one of 10 testifiers to speak about the economic and financing struggle farmers are currently facing.

Their presentations repeatedly stressed that farmers are under economic duress due to low commodity prices, high yields, increased costs, and uncertainties due to the tariff situation. The farm crisis of the 1980s was mentioned numerous times, with experts predicting a tougher outlook for farmers in 2019.

A companion, SF227, sponsored by Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato), awaits action by the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee.