We are now past the very unusual 2024 election. Before we turn the page to 2025 and beyond, we should pause to reflect upon a critical reality: Minnesota’s farmers have endured years under relentless attack from hard-left Democrats in governments in our state and beyond, resulting in damaging policies and regulatory overreach that threaten our state.
The list of attacks on Minnesota farmers is long. Just look at the recent restrictions from California on livestock farming. California’s Proposition 12 dictates to farmers with egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and calves raised for veal how their animals must be raised. The law is already raising food prices for California families, and Minnesotans may be hit next. This out-of-state law crafted by politicians thousands of miles away is driving up production costs for Minnesota farmers who now must comply with California’s extreme standards. Yet, when these farmers called for support, Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison refused to push back against California’s overreach. In fact, he nearly supported California’s actions.
In the last legislative session, Democrats tried to push through a 99-cent-per-ton fertilizer tax. This tax would have placed an immense added burden on farmers, raising their costs on an essential input and threatening already thin margins. Fortunately, it died at the Legislature, but it certainly could be resurrected in the future.
Or take the government land grabs disguised as “environmental protection” by stripping farmers of usable land. The 2024 redefinition of “public waters” by Minnesota Democrats exacerbated this issue, granting bureaucrats sweeping authority over what constitutes public waterways and piling on red tape and regulatory uncertainty for landowners. Every acre lost to bureaucratic overreaches hits small-town jobs, schools, and local economies, chipping away at the backbone of rural Minnesota.
Our farmers have been, at times, defenseless against rules from politicians who don’t understand or respect farmers or the values they represent. The consequence has been that net farm income has declined by 23.1% since 2022, even as inflation has risen. These strains are real, and they’re forcing some family farms toward bankruptcy.
For generations, Minnesota’s farmers have been the best stewards of their land, nurturing it to feed their families, their communities, and the world. They know the needs of their land better than any bureaucrat, and they are deeply invested in its health and future. Minnesota farmers are not merely “using” the land; they are caretakers who understand conservation through responsible, sustainable practices developed over decades. We don’t need more politicians who treat farmers like malicious profiteers as they manage land they’ve owned and taken care of for generations.
There are responsible ways to approach farming in the state to ensure our lakes and rivers are protected and that broader environmental concerns are addressed. For example, the government should work with farmers to make key investments in agricultural research to drive the innovation necessary to protect our environment while also delivering more productive harvests. And the government should invest to reward farmers for environmentally friendly practices rather than taking punitive steps that ultimately drive farms out of existence.
The attacks on Minnesota’s farmers are part of a broader attack from the hard left on working people in this country. One can see this in attacks on police and broader soft-on-crime policies that treat those who protect us as predators and leave our communities less safe. One can also see this in immigration policy in the U.S., which has allowed more than 10 million illegal immigrants into the country during the administration of President Joe Biden. Such massive illegal immigration strains public resources, undercuts working-class wages, and facilitates the importation of fentanyl, which is now the leading cause of death among Americans 18 to 45.
Thankfully, in this election, Minnesotans stood up to restore balance in state government. With split control returned to St. Paul, there is hope for more practical, pro-farmer policies, rather than the hostility of recent years. Minnesota’s farmers are the backbone of our state’s agricultural heritage. They deserve fewer barriers and less bureaucracy, not more.
Going forward, we must support leaders who understand that real progress means empowering those who work the land and feed our world. Minnesota’s agricultural legacy—and Minnesota itself—depends on it. Minnesota needs leaders who let farmers farm.
Jim Schultz is president of the Minnesota Private Business Council (growthmn.com) and was the 2022 Republican nominee for Minnesota attorney general.
This article first appeared in the Duluth News Tribune.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not represent an official position of Alpha News.
Jim Schultz
Jim Schultz is the President of the Minnesota Private Business Council and was the 2022 Republican nominee for Attorney General.
