Agriculture has been an integral part of Minnesota’s land and water for a thousand years. While crops have changed, the spirit of farming has remained constant. MPR Archive presents a selection of stories that reflect the diversity of what has been harvested, such as corn, soybeans, wild rice, and even tree fiber. This collection is also about the many hands that toil in, and care for, the soil and water…from the migrant farm worker in Red River Valley’s sugar beet fields, the Hmong immigrant planting near Homer, the Chanarambie Township farmer amidst the 1980s farm crisis, and Ojibwe members following ancient harvesting traditions.
February 19, 2002 - MPR’s Jeff Horwich reports how the use of technology is helping to make planting crops a precise science. Instead of kicking back during the winter, many farmers are now keeping busy…at the computer. They’re using global positioning systems to do what’s called "precision agriculture," which uses satellite coordinates to help map their fields.
August 14, 2002 - It's tough to break into farming nowadays, and even tougher if you're an immigrant. MPR’s Rob Schmitz reports on Minnesota Food Association, which assists immigrant farmers in areas like production techniques, marketing, and management skills. Unfortunately, federal budget cuts have had a negative impact on program.
August 15, 2002 - In Fairbault, Gregg Bongard, a U.S. Department of Agriculture employee, is making a special effort to reach out to Minnesota's growing immigrant population. In the second part of his series on immigrant farmers, MPR’s Rob Schmitz reports that Bongard thinks he's discovered a new approach to farming that could change the face of agriculture in the United States.
August 29, 2002 - A live Mainstreet Radio special from the Minnesota State Fair. Dr. Val Farmer, a psychologist specializing in rural mental health, takes questions from fair-goers and MPR listeners about mental health and farming.
December 26, 2003 - Stephanie Hemphill profiles John Munter, a man in northern Minnesota who is growing hazelnuts. It's part of his attempt to live off the land. He says hazelnuts are the perfect crop for a future of global climate change.
November 18, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports that Governor Pawlenty's livestock task force may recommend a new state panel to handle disputes over livestock farms. The task force is looking for ways to streamline the regulatory process and build Minnesota's livestock industry. The proposed state commission would hear appeals of county and township decisions on siting livestock farms.
July 15, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports that many farmers in northwest Minnesota aren't sure how much longer they can hang on after several years of crop failure. Minnesota Farm Service Agency officials are adding up the damage from wet fields in northern and western Minnesota. A report will go to Governor Pawlenty in preparation for seeking a federal disaster declaration.
September 15, 2006 - MPR's Ambar Espinoza reports on New Immigrant Agriculture Project, a specialized project that helps immigrant farmers continue their agrarian lifestyle in this country. Almost 80 farmers (mostly Hmong, Latino and Somali) pay subsidized lease rates to rent crop land. The program leases acreage to farmers for three years, until they're eligible for loans to buy land.
February 21, 2007 - MPR’s Mark Steil reports on local discussions on federal farm dollars and how subsidies are spent. Southern Minnesota farmers told Minnesota 1st District Representative Tim Walz they want changes made in the legislation to help small farmers. The meeting in Worthington is one of several Walz will hold. It's a discussion which touches just about anyone who owns farmland anywhere in the U.S.
July 19, 2007 - MPR’s Roseanne Pereria reports that while farming runs deep in the Hmong culture, many Hmong farmers are isolated both by culture and language from the rest of U.S. agriculture. They often have difficulty getting resources and finding information. Pereria interviews one local grower who work towards changing that.