Sen. Smith fought for a spot on the Senate Agriculture Committee because ag is the backbone of Minnesota’s economy.
All Minnesotans are impacted by the Farm Bill, and Sen. Smith heard from Minnesotans with backgrounds in farming, rural development, rural health, and nutrition to make sure that all voices were reflected in the final 5-year bill that passed in 2018. That legislation included many provisions that Sen. Smith authored and championed, including improvement to the dairy safety-net program, the legislative roadmap for the energy title, and improvement to USDA conservation programs. It also included many provisions that benefit Minnesota’s native communities and new American communities, like permanent funding for beginning and traditionally under-served farmer outreach programs.
Sen. Smith understands that it’s been a very difficult few years for agriculture, and she believes that the federal government should be giving farmers more support. She’s heard from farmers about the high cost of health care, including access to health care providers and access to mental health care resources, which is why Senator Smith championed the creation of the rural health liaison at the USDA as well as funding for local mental health resources and to expand access to stress reduction and suicide prevention programs.
As Chair of the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade she will advocate for provisions that benefit Minnesota farmers and use the platform to promote the importance of agriculture exports, which account for over 1/3 of Minnesota’s total exports. Additionally, she will push for more open foreign markets and strong crop insurance and commodity programs that help farmers in Minnesota and around the country manage uncertainties in the market.
You can learn more about Senator Smith’s efforts to make economic development in rural America a priority here.
Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Celebrates Rural Broadband Announcements in Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced three grants from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide high-speed, reliable internet to residents in rural Minnesota. Over 5,000 people will benefit from these awards. Recipients include 139 different businesses and 368 farms across the state. “Internet access is not just a luxury in the 21st century, it’s a necessity,” said Senator Smith. “In Minnesota and across the country, people in rural areas, small towns, and Tribal communities need access to reliable, high-speed internet. Investing in broadband infrastructure with the ReConnect Grant Program will help connect communities in every part of the country to high-speed internet and I am proud to have helped bring this funding back to Minnesota.” Three organizations across Minnesota were awarded money: The investment comes from USDA Rural Development’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program and totals $44,433,314 for all three awards. ReConnect provides loans and grants to bring high-speed internet to rural areas that lack access to broadband. ###
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce 130 New Clean Energy Projects for Rural Minnesotans
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced nearly 130 new clean energy projects across rural Minnesota. The $15.6 million investment will save farms and rural small businesses nearly $18.4 million on their energy bills per year while simultaneously reducing harmful carbon emissions. A full breakdown of the awards and projected savings can be found below. “The clean energy transition is happening; the question is whether we lead or follow. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “But as we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy, we need to make sure everyone benefits, including small towns and rural communities. That’s one reason why projects funded by the Rural Energy for America Program are so important. These investments will help farmers and business owners save money and improve their bottom lines while reducing harmful carbon emissions.” “Investing in long-term energy is a win-win for rural customers and businesses,” said Senator Klobuchar.“With this federal funding, we’re taking a big step toward deploying new energy technologies to power rural communities across Minnesota for decades to come.” This year alone, Minnesota has seen over 380 clean energy projects on farms and in rural communities thanks to the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP). Senator Smith championed and strengthened REAP in the Inflation Reduction Act, which both Senators supported. The funding is specifically set aside for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable, clean energy systems, or to make their operations more energy efficient. Example projects include installing energy efficient grain dryers, LED lighting and
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Celebrate U.S. Trade Mission to Morocco
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) applauded that Minnesotan exporters are participating in a USDA agribusiness trade mission to Casablanca, Morocco, ending today. Morocco is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa. U.S. sales of farm and food products to the country topped $619 million last year. Representatives from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Lamex Foods of Bloomington, Merus LLC of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association of Mankato, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are currently in Morocco to expand U.S. farm and food exports to their market and other West African markets. They are joined
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Funding to Help Beginning, Emerging Farmers Access Farmland
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding for Renewing the Countryside’s Upper Midwest Farmland Access Hub Navigator Program to improve farmland access outcomes for all stages of beginning farmers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The Farmland Access Hub, in its seventh year, pairs land-seeking farmers with an advocate who can provide guidance and resources to help farmers on their land access journey and connect them with farmland owners hoping to transfer their land to new owners. They will use the nearly $750,000 in federal funding to expand
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Clean Energy Projects for Minnesota Farms, Small Businesses in Rural Areas
[MINNEAPOLIS, MN] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding awards for 10 farms and small businesses across rural and Greater Minnesota to install clean energy technology. This round of funding for Minnesota totals $1.3 million. This year alone, Minnesota has seen over 170 clean energy projects in small towns and rural places thanks to the Rural Energy for America Program. “The clean energy transition is happening; the question is whether we lead or follow. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “But as we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy,
Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Expansion of Meat Processing Facility in Perham, MN
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding to double the capacity of a meat processing facility in Perham, MN. The $530,000 grant will go to Lakes Community Cooperative, a processing facility that provides its member owners with multi-species livestock processing services. Helping smaller, locally owned processing facilities like Lakes Community Cooperative to be competitive in today’s market will help lower costs for consumers by spurring competition in an already consolidated meat industry. “Minnesota’s meat and poultry products help feed the nation and the world,” said Klobuchar. “This new
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