We are fortunate to have a great supporter of agriculture and rural Minnesota serving as chair of the Minnesota House Agriculture and Food Committee — Rep.Jeanne Poppe.

At a time when trade tensions from Washington, D.C. and weather have caused pain and uncertainty for Minnesota’s farm economy, Rep. Poppe has delivered positive results for farm families and rural communities.

Rep. Poppe championed new laws to expand markets for farmers, increase funding for agriculture emergency preparedness, and to support new and beginning farmers. She led the legislature to swiftly provide low-interest emergency loans to farmers impacted by catastrophic snow events that led to barn collapses, and acted with urgency to respond to the increase in farmer suicides, successfully allocating funding to provide additional mental health services for farm families.

Minnesota’s tax laws have a provision to help farmers, the school building bond agricultural credit, thanks to Rep.Poppe’s advocacy. Under this law, farmers will pay reduced property taxes on new school building bonds.

Rep. Poppe made significant investments in Minnesota’s dairy farmers through the Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Relief Initiative (DAIRI). DAIRI helps farmers obtain federal Dairy Margin Coverage to protect milk producers from dairy market volatility.

It’s no wonder that the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Farmers Union, and Minnesota Agri-Women, among others, have recognized Rep. Poppe for her outstanding leadership. In today’s divisive political climate, Representative Poppe has earned respect on both sides of the aisle because she gets things done for farmers and for rural Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Melissa Hortman

Speaker of the House