WEST FARGO, N.D. — Despite economic and meteorologic headwinds, ag producers in the region have reasons to be optimistic, according to Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen.
He believes producers in the region increasingly are feeding the world, all while knowing that “production agriculture can be challenging a lot of times.”
Petersen last month discussed a variety of topics during a forum at the Agweek 360 building at the Big Iron Farm Show in West Fargo. It was the final of 14 forums, which were moderated by Agweek staff and open to the public.
“It’s easy to not be optimistic, but I always try to look at the positives,” Petersen said after he left the stage. “There are very good indicators in the market. We just have to continue to chase those down and keep building them up.”
Among them, he said, are improved cattle markets, which he believes “will eventually help our grain farmers,” and a rising economy for biofuels. E-15 sales are strong, Petersen said, and sustainable aviation and maritime fuel is a growing market that several years ago was rarely discussed.
It’s a dose of optimism that comes as producers work through some trying times, especially related to this year’s weather. In northern Minnesota particularly, dry conditions have plagued production.
A good start to the growing season became a summer of despair in some parts of the state, he said. The dividing line is roughly around Graceville, an eastern Minnesota community near Lake Traverse; south of Graceville “is in decent shape” but driving north shows that “it gets a little more iffy” for producers.
“And then you get into areas around Halstad where the corn crop has been zeroed out. It really is (a situation of) have and have-nots in Minnesota right now,” Petersen said.
In general, he added, “Minnesota will have an average crop total.”
Weather — and this year’s lukewarm prognosis — notwithstanding, Petersen remains bullish about Minnesota.
“Minnesota is just the breadbasket of the world. We’re right in the middle of the United States. We have water (and) we have land. I always tell people that you can put something on a truck in Minnesota and send it anywhere in the nation in one day. You can put something on a boat in Duluth and send it to the seaway. You can put something on the river and send it down to New Orleans. You can put it on a train and send it out to the (Pacific Northwest),” he said.
The state has 64,000 "very diverse farms" and ranks high in production of sugarbeets, pork, turkey and sweet corn. It's also home to large agribusinesses — places like Cargill, CHS, Land ’O Lakes, Hormel and Jennie-O, he noted.
“Minnesota is a great place. It’s just a powerhouse in agriculture and so I’m always proud of that,” he said. “We have a diverse economy and a great university. We have excellent farmers and a great story to tell.”
He added: “I’m an optimist. ... You probably shouldn’t be commissioner if you’re not an optimist.”