Bluestem Prairie

Choosing one's companions: Gil goes from John Wayne Gacy to outing Bixby fraudsters

Former First District Congressman Gil Gutknecht never was exactly one to discern character flaws in his running buddies. From John Wayne Gacy, his chicken shack boss in Gil's teen years and friendship with teen family killer David Brom to golf outings with page-molesting colleague Mark Foley, Gutknecht remained clueless, if not competely oblivious, to the character flaws of his companions.

He's getting a little better at it.

As BSP noted last spring, leaving office in 2007 did little for his ability to form first impressions, though it looks like he's learning to clean up after his companions. Gil hooked up with Bixby Energy, first as an investor and now a director. On December 14, the Department of Justice issued the press release, Bixby Energy Systems admits responsibility for securities fraud committed by its officers and agents.

According to the Pioneer Press, Gutknecht is one of two new company directors who is cooperating with federal authorities after ousting the fraudsters. 

Bluestem hails Gutknecht's character development.

Photo: Former congressman Gil Gutknecht.

Farm Bill 2012: Walz farm listening session and Minnesota Farm Bill Forum open to public

Every five years (or sometimes longer), Congress writes a new Farm Bill, which deals not only with farming, but nutrition programs like food stamps, energy, rural development and conservation programs. Two upcoming events will give citizens a chance to share ideas and learn about the process of writing the bill.

While the USDA's share of the federal budget is only 4.3 percent, the public perceives direct payments to farmers as wasteful; but, in a recent Farmfest forum, some analysts saw little change coming to these programs because "significant number of ag committee members representing the south, such as Texas and Oklahoma" where direct payments are common for crops like cotton and rice. The severe drought Texas is currently suffering makes these committee members pause before asking farmers to adopt major changes in the way they finance their operations.  Another panelist suggested that the new bill will adopt risk management tools, such as crop insurance rather, than continuing direct payments.

Two meetings are coming up in August for people interested in the direction of farm policy. The first is on a farm and geared toward the concerns of farmers; the second focuses on conservation.

From Thom Petersen's August 15 Notes from the Farmers Union:

MFU invites members to attend a public farm bill listening session held by Rep. Tim Walz Friday August 19^th at Warren Krohn's farm near Nicollet from 9:00 to 10:30am.  This will be a general discussion on what farmers feel should be priorities heading into the next Federal Farm Bill. MFU President Doug Peterson will also attend . . .

MFU (I'm a member) is also involved in the Minnesota Farm Bill Forum on August 22 in West St. Paul. From the Izaak Walton League:

Minnesota’s conservation and agricultural leaders will join forces on August 22 to discuss how the 2012 U.S. Farm Bill can better conserve the state’s water, wildlife, and farmlands.

Sponsored by the Izaak Walton League of America – with collaborative event planning by the Freshwater Society, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the National Wildlife Federation – the August 22 forum is scheduled from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane, West Saint Paul.  A major component of the event will be a panel of Minnesota agricultural producers discussing what federal farm programs mean to them and conservation on their land.

Featured speakers include representatives from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture; the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Brad Redlin from the Izaak Walton League of America, and Gary Botzek with the Minnesota Conservation Federation. Among the topics to be discussed:

• Minnesota farmers’ priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill;
• How the 2012 Farm Bill can help protect water quality and conserve farmlands; and
• Benefits to Minnesota’s wildlife through effective farm policy.

“Every five years, a massive piece of legislation called the Farm Bill determines how tens of billions of federal tax dollars will be spent to shape American agriculture. These sessions will help all Minnesotans – from anglers to farmers – better understand how the Farm Bill impacts our water, air, land and how we can better shape conservation and farm priorities,” said Gene Merriam, Freshwater Society.

The Izaak Walton League of America is spearheading events in five Midwest states – Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin – to discuss the needs and opportunities for the 2012 Farm Bill. The goal is to gain public input from all types of citizens on the effective role of the Farm Bill in supporting an agricultural system that achieves stewardship, prosperity, and fairness.

“That means federal farm policies should support agricultural practices that are good for farmers, good for the environment, and good for America,” said Brad Redlin, agricultural program director of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA).

The U.S. Farm Bill sets federal policy for agriculture, energy, conservation, nutrition, and rural development. The last bill, passed in 2008, was called the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and carried a price tag of $288 billion. In today’s tough economic times, funding for the Farm Bill will be under increased scrutiny, which underscores the importance of public involvement at these initial stages, event organizers explained.

“Conservation Compliance can help ensure that where public money is invested, the public’s interests are protected by requiring basic levels of protections for soil, water, and wetlands. Compliance actions require no additional Farm Bill investment – in fact, they can result in saving federal dollars.” Redlin said.

For more information about the Izaak Walton League of America and the Farm Bill go to www.iwla.org/agconservation. More about Conservation Compliance is contained in IWLA issue briefs:

• The Conservation Compliance Covenant: Issue Brief I
• Conservation Compliance and Crop Insurance: Issue Brief II

The Minnesota Farm Bill Forum is free and open to the public.  To attend, please RSVP by visiting http://farmbill.eventbrite.com or by contacting Gwen Steel at (651) 649-1446.

Photo: Butterfly weed, a native prairie plant that often shows up as a bright spot in conservation programs.

Free-ranging Senator Franken stops for a little piece of pie on the prairie

With the debt crisis bill passed, Minnesota's congressional delegation is out on recess--and Al Franken is using the time to visit Greater Minnesota.

It's no secret the Frankens are pie lovers, so Bluestem isn't surprised to read about this stop in yesterday's Mankato Free Press article, Franken continues trip through Mankato area:

Al Franken’s wide-ranging tour of south-central Minnesota comes to Mankato today following stops Wednesday at Farmfest near Redwood Falls, Lyle’s Cafe in Winthrop and the New Ulm Medical Center.

The Farmfest stop is a traditional one for Minnesota’s elected officials, and the famous pie at Lyle’s explains the Winthrop stop.

Winthrop is just down Highway 15 from Bluestem's national headquarters in Hutchinson.

It's too bad my state representative Ron Shimanski couldn't enjoy some pie with Al at the restaurant just outside Minnesota House District 18A, but the Minnesota Independent reports that the Silver Lake apple grower was headed far farther south.

No wonder constituents like Gus Ziemer send letters with headlines like Party politics caused lawmakers to stray from their duty to the Hutchinson Leader. Heck of a party.

Franken's progress across the prairie demonstrates there's plenty to do in sunny Greater Minnesota and that Al talks fluent Minnesotan. The Marshall Independent reports in Franken talks agriculture at Farmfest:

With a debt ceiling deal reached in Washington, national legislators are coming back to Minnesota. U.S. Sen. Al Franken was present at Farmfest on Wednesday, speaking at the main forum tent and meeting with members of the public. However, questions from audience members at the forum tended to center more around topics like ethanol subsidies and the next Farm Bill.

Franken gave an update on his involvement with agriculture-related issues in Congress. Agriculture is a key part of Minnesota's economy and traditions, Franken said. "I know that in representing Minnesota, a large part of my job is representing you," he told audience members. . . .

The rest of the article is a fascinating read about Franken's fairly technical responses to the questions--but the discourse is pretty familiar stuff out here on the prairie. That gal in the bib-overalls may not have an Ivy League degree like the junior senator, but raise a point about federal farm policy, impossibly complex, and she'll sound like the expert she is. And has to have been to stay in an brutal business.

Franken fits in pretty well with the farmers.

His remarks at the farmshow parallel a column in the ECM chain, Sen. Franken fights for future of Minnesota farmers, which touches on renewable energy and railroad issues. Go check it out.

The West Central Tribune reports in Sen. Franken talks agriculture, debt vote at Farmfest stop:

. . .Dressed in khaki pants, a dark collared shirt and cowboy boots, Franken fit right in during his Wednesday afternoon radio interview with Lynn Ketelsen of the Linder Farm Market.

The Democratic senator, back in Minnesota while Congress is in recess for a month, said he was not pleased with how the negotiations went to keep the country from defaulting on its obligations. . . .

In addition to the radio interview in front of an audience under the Forum Tent at Farmfest, Franken spoke to the crowd there for about 15 minutes about various issues facing Minnesota farmers, including the 2012 Farm Bill that Franken said he hopes is actually completed in 2012.

Franken said that direct payments to farmers and agriculture research could “take a hit” in next year’s legislation. The current farm program includes “direct payments” to farmers that are paid each year on qualifying crops regardless of market conditions, and “countercyclical payments” that are paid only in years when market prices fall below a set level.

“It seems an emphasis is on a safety net program to make sure we keep farmers farming,” Franken said.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Franken said he is working on legislation to capitalize on wind energy and give small farms and cooperatives the opportunity to own wind.

Franken also spent time Wednesday at the University of Minnesota tent at Farmfest and meeting his constituents on the grounds of the annual show. . . .

The focus shifted from ag to health care for the New Ulm stop, the Journal reports in Franken talks health care, debt ceiling:

Sen. Al Franken stopped by New Ulm on Wednesday for an update on the status of the New Ulm Medical Center's (NUMC) Heart of New Ulm program.

NUMC Administrator Toby Freier and Heart of New Ulm Community Coordinator Betsy Pieser led a brief presentation on the status of Heart of New Ulm before taking questions from Franken.

The main highlight was a Center of Health Care Innovation at Allina study showing a drop in New Ulm heart attacks and the HeartBeat Connections program that provides health coaching. . . .

. . .Franken said after the meeting that he thought Heart of New Ulm was overall moving in the right direction.

"It's unrealistic to for people to expect an incredible transformation this soon," said Franken, "But, as pointed out, it's doing a good job of bucking obesity trends nationally and in Minnesota."

Health Care

Franken said there needs to be a national push to approach health care like the Heart of New Ulm, which emphasized keeping people healthy as opposed to just treating illness.

Staff writer Josh Moniz covers Franken's reaction to the debt ceiling bill in depth. Definitely worth a read.

Though Franken established himself first as a comedian, it's clear from the coverage that he's growing comfortable in his relatively new senatorial skin, at ease with policy and the wide range of people on the prairie.  Doggone it, we like him.

At least something real is moo-ving in St. Paul: Dayton signs ag bill

With all the squabbling going on, it's good to know rural Minnesota doesn't have to wait for the cows to come home for an ag bill. Governor Dayton signed the Omnibus Agriculture Appropriations Bill today, which passed with support from both sides of the aisle.

Press release from the Governor's office:

Today, Governor Mark Dayton signed the Omnibus Agriculture Appropriations Bill (Senate File 1016/House File 1039) into law. The bill appropriates nearly $79 million for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute over the next two years. The sum of the appropriations represents a 5% reduction to each of the three agencies’ operating budgets.

Governor Dayton was joined at a signing ceremony by Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Doug Magnus, House Agriculture Committee Chair Rod Hamilton, Senator Gary Kubly, and Representative Kent Eken. Kevin Paap, President of the Minnesota Farm Bureau and Doug Peterson, President of the Minnesota Farmers Union were also in attendance.

Signing the bill, Governor Dayton said, “This first appropriations bill is another example of excellent bi-partisan cooperation, for which I thank the Committee Chairs, Ranking Democrats, and Commissioner Frederickson. It is a model for how we can work together and compromise in order to reach a conclusion.

“I also commend Commissioner Frederickson and his staff for increasing the efficiency of the Department of Agriculture by merging two agency divisions. They have achieved a 5% operating budget reduction without any loss of services to Minnesota citizens.”

The bill adopts a number of recommendations from Governor Dayton’s budget proposal including:
- Implementing a 5% reduction to Minnesota Department of Agriculture agency operations;
- Paying out all remaining ethanol deficiency payments in the first year of the biennium at a total of $13.114 million;
- Providing funds to improve food safety through increased inspections of food retailers and manufacturers;
- Providing funds to protect farmers and fertilizer applicators by increasing inspections of anhydrous ammonia storage tanks; and
- Moving Minnesota forward into the next generation of the alternative fuels economy by allocating $5 million from the ethanol producer payment program (which is to be ended) to Next Gen Energy Grants and to grants and loans through the Agricultural Growth, Research and Infrastructure (AGRI) fund.

Photo: The First Swedish Independent Baptist Church of Collinwood, Meeker County, Minnesota.

Al picks Al: Franken hires Juhnke to handle agriculture

The turkeys in west central Minnesota thought they'd gotten rid of former state representative Al Juhnke, but he's back to serve agriculture, energy and environmental outreach in Minnesota.

From a press release via ECM Publishers, Sen. Franken hires former State Rep. Juhnke to handle agriculture, energy, environmental outreach in Minnesota:

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)  announced today (Wednesday, March 2) that he has hired former State Representative and chairman of a key House agriculture committee, Al Juhnke, to handle agriculture, energy and environmental outreach for him in Minnesota.

“Al Juhnke understands how important agriculture, energy, and the environment are to creating jobs and spurring economic development in Minnesota,” Sen. Franken said.  “He has spent years working closely with key Minnesota groups, stakeholders, and communities on these issues and knows how important they are to our state’s economy and its future. We’re all lucky to have him back in a role where he’s serving the people of Minnesota.” 

Juhnke, who served 14 years in the State Legislature, chaired the House Agriculture & Veterans Affairs Finance Committee.  He will be stationed in his hometown of Willmar, but will travel throughout Minnesota on Sen. Franken’s behalf.  

During his time in the State Legislature, Juhnke was recognized for his work on bio-fuels and renewable energy, helping make Minnesota a national leader in those areas.

Juhnke recently was recognized by the Minnesota Soybean Growers as their 2010 “Legislator of the Year” for his work during the last legislative session. Juhnke’s commitment to renewable energy is important to Sen. Franken as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Known as @UncleAlJuhnke on twitter, Juhnke was known for his  Outstate News emails and a special affection for the turkey industry. Jennie-O, a division of Hormel, has its headquarters in his old district. Readers simply don't want to know how many turkeys live and die in the Willmar area.

Photos: Turkeys in a turkey barn (above); Al Juhnke (below).

Confluence: why the mayor of Minneapolis was a voice in Montevideo

What would bring a big-city mayor out to a small Minnesota River Valley town on a Saturday night in February?

What that prairie river signifies, meandering across the state from Big Stone Lake on the western border with South Dakota to its confluence near Fort Snelling south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minneapolis Mayor Rybak was a Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) Annual Meeting speaker on February 12 in Montevideo.

A bad cold kept me home; fortunately, John G. White, editor of the Clara City Herald, and Tom Cherveny, a staff writer for the West Central Tribune, cover the event, which drew around 300 people from across the region.

Cherveny reports in R.T. Rybak endorses local foods, clean water economy:

Those promoting a local foods and sustainable, agricultural economy as the way to clean water and a healthy landscape in the Upper Minnesota River Valley have a partner in the urban center of Minneapolis.

“We are part of two, big grassroots efforts that are about to meet in the center,’’ Mayor R. T. Rybak told a crowd of nearly 300 at the annual meeting for Clean Up our River Environment in Montevideo on Feb. 12.

Rybank [sic] applauded the efforts taking place in rural Minnesota. “The land is a mirror. It reflects back the values of those who love on top of it,’’ he said, adding: “I have to say that the land that you live on looks back and smiles, you do wonderful things but you have to keep up the work.’’

He pointed to efforts in Minneapolis as well to promote a local foods economy. He cited examples ranging from “Home Grown Minneapolis’’ which teaches young people how to raise and prepare their own foods to school lunch programs that feature foods from Minnesota farms.

Rybak said Minnesota needs to “reconnect’’ and redevelop the farm-to-town markets that existed when the state was first settled.

Go read the WCT article. In the article first published in the Clara City paper, White notes that Rybak and his wife, local food activist Megan O'Hara, sat with small town mayors:

He was seated at the “mayor’s table” with the mayors of Montevideo, Granite Falls, Watson and Belle Plaine, along with his wife, Megan, the Minneapolis mayor told a guest, “If we were back in Minneapolis at an event like this people would have been gone after two hours. This is just so comfortable.”

Two documentary filmmakers were the keynote speakers:

Keynoting the event were John Hickman and Jon Carlson, who are collaborating on  a documentary of “Working Together for the Minnesota River.” The two spoke of their challenges and successes in putting together the film and interviews that is scheduled to run as a series on Ron Schara’s Minnesota Bound in March and April.

That should be worth watching. CURE is a deeply social-and-legacy media savvy organization that gets it about statewide collaboration, as Bluestem noted in a post late last year, Montevideo's CURE wins $25,000 Bush Foundation collaboration grant.

One of the standard tropes inflicted upon rural voters by social conservatives is that somehow "rural values" exist in a Pale surrounding the Twin Cities; usually, these "rural' values seem to center on being afraid of someone else, and using that fear to punish.

CURE and other groups learning the lesson of the Minnesota River Valley can teach us all that maybe our economic and moral values are much more alike in terms of the future we can seek together, and that geography unites us--and a very pretty river runs through it.

Photos: Megan, Grace and RT Rybak meet some cattle on Prairie Horizons Farms (above); CURE's storefront in Montevideo (below).

Blogs you should read: Come Saturday Morning and Renaissance Post on the grown-up governor

While her identity remains shrouded in mystery, blogger Phoenix Woman is no stranger to those who want their political commentary served with style and sass. In today's Come Saturday Morning: Governor Grownup Shows Us How It’s Done, over at FireDoglake, she writes:

Now Pawlenty is gone, free to pursue his presidential pipe dream for which he nearly wrecked the state by putting the whims of hard-right GOP presidential primary voters above the welfare of the people he was elected to govern. The nationwide Republican wave succeeded in tipping both state legislative houses back into official GOP control, but even it couldn’t get the virulent teabagger Tom Emmer into the Governor’s Mansion, and for the first time since my early adulthood, Minnesota now has a Democratic governor, Mark Dayton.

In this day and age, it’s a common thing for Democratic executive-branch leaders, be they governors or presidents, to cower at the sight of Republicans — and this is doubly true when the Republicans actually have official control of one or houses of a state or Federal legislature. Which is why it’s so refreshing to see Governor Dayton, politely yet fearlessly, go toe-to-toe with Republicans and their patrons.

Go over and read the rest of it there. In noting the strength of Dayton's pick for Department of Natural Resources commissioner--Tom Landwehr, the dream candidate for outdoors enthusiasts and conservationists--the post draws from commentary by Neil Haugerud, now writing at Renaissance Post.

Bookmark Renaissance Post. Haugerud delivers nuggets like these:

Landwehr’s appointment terminates an unhappy period in resource management direction in the Land of Sky Blue Waters. Neither the Boy Governor, nor his Wrasslin’ predecessor could see the need to go beyond cronyism in their natural resources appointments. Those administrations seemed to think that companionship in the blind or duck boat (duties amply served by competent Labrador retrievers) was sufficient qualification for a Natural Resources Commissioner. Dayton rightfully recognizes the value that Minnesotans place on their wildlands and outdoor recreation, and his appointment reflects the challenge and gravity of resource management.

Emphasis on the sentence that induced envy here in Hutch, and an appreciation for a Governor who can respect both a good dog and good government, while possessing the wisdom to know the difference.

A larger-than-life figure in Fillmore County, Haugerud:

has been — among other things — a carpenter, a farmer, a Sunday school teacher, a Marine, an interrogator of accused criminals (who got his subjects to talk with kindness, not waterboarding), a deputy sheriff and sheriff, a real estate and insurance agent, a prominent state legislator, the chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, a small-town newspaper columnist, a mediator and consultant in conflict management, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Some readers may remember his commentary in the Star Tribune, We're creating police who are quick to shoot, published shortly after the 2009 police killing of Tyler Heilman in Kasota. It's good to hear from another progressive voice in rural Minnesota.

Photo: Governor Mark Dayton.

Press release: Minnesota Farmers Union sets 2011 legislative priorities

I'm an active member of the Minnesota Farmers Union. Here's the family-farmers' group's agenda for the session:

With grassroots input from its farmer-membership, Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) has set priorities for the 2011 legislative session.

“This legislative session will be about the state’s budget shortfalls and how we improve the economy and create jobs,” said Doug Peterson, MFU President. “MFU will be at the table when proposed cuts are being discussed to address the over $6 billion budget deficit, and will work with the Dayton Administration and legislators on addressing property tax concerns, promoting local foods, and energy legislation, and ensuring that the needs of rural Minnesotans and the farming sector are addressed.”

Agriculture makes up a very small part of the state’s budget, yet somewhere between 20-30% of the jobs and wealth in Minnesota are agriculture-related. MFU will work to ensure sound funding for food safety, energy, education, livestock, sustainable and organic programs.

These are just some of the issues MFU will be working on in the 2011 legislative session. Also, these are the issues MFU members will be talking to legislators about when they head to the state Capitol on Thursday, February 8, 2011, for their annual lobby day. For more information, go to www.mfu.org.

Minnesota Farmers Union (www.mfu.org) is a nonprofit membership-based organization working to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers, as well as rural communities.

Farm groups respond to Dave Frederickson's appointment as MN Ag Commissioner

Past president of the National Farmers Union, former state senator and current Klobucher aide Dave Frederickson was on the short list created by everyone I asked about potential Commissioners of Agriculture in the Dayton administration.

Today's announcement was no surprise--and neither is the response from farm  country and farm groups.

The most conservative, Republican-leaning group, the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, issued this statement:

Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) congratulates Dave Frederickson on being appointed by Governor-elect Mark Dayton to serve as the next commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).

 “Dave Frederickson brings a wealth of experience to the post of Commissioner of Agriculture,” said MFBF President Kevin Paap. “We have seen firsthand Dave’s ability to work with all farmers and the organizations that represent them.”

 “In addition to actively running a farm, Mr. Frederickson has been engaged on the local, state, national and international level with farmers, agricultural organizations and elected officials,” said Paap. “His real world experiences will serve him well as he works to fulfill the MDA’s mission of enhancing Minnesotans’ quality of life by ensuring the integrity of our food supply, the health of our environment and the strength of our agricultural economy.”

 “Dave Frederickson is a well-respected, dedicated advocate for agriculture and the environment,” said Paap. “We look forward to working with him in his new role.”

The DFL-friendly MFU president Doug Peterson writes in a statement:

“Dave is the former Minnesota Farmers Union President and former National Farmers Union President and his knowledge of the day to day challenges that farmers face makes him uniquely qualified as the next Commissioner of Agriculture,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President. “I look forward to working with Commissioner Frederickson as the Dayton Administration works to improve family farming in Minnesota.”

The most "granola" group, Land Stewardship Project, is also pleased. In an email, LSP policy director Mark Schultz writes:

We’re looking forward to working with Dave Frederickson as Commissioner. Dave understands agriculture as both a farmer and a policymaker. He is a strong supporter of family farms and the stewardship of the land. He can work across the full breadth of agriculture, while emphasizing the positive, growing aspects within it – like expanding markets in local and regional food systems, beginning farmers getting started in Minnesota, increasing growth in organics, and growing interest in sustainable family farm livestock production. We really needed a change in leadership and direction at the Department of Agriculture, so we’re glad to see Mark Dayton select Dave Frederickson for this role.

While farmers and farm groups from across the political spectrum are cheering the appointment of the affable and well-respected Frederickson, the conservtive chorus from the urban trolls in the Star Tribune's comment section illustrate how far so many in the state have come from the farm life. Only someone who has never attended a Minnesota Farmers Union convention or banquet could write these pair of sentences:

He is a politucal [sic] hack. Look for PETA and politics to come to the Ag Department.

Ask us about the year the giant chickens were on the menu.

House Ag committee member Tim Walz released this statement:

“I am extremely pleased with Dave’s appointment and I know he will be an outstanding Commissioner. Dave is a strong advocate for Minnesota farmers. As a fourth generation farmer himself, Dave knows what it will take to keep Minnesota agriculture vibrant and strong. Governor-Elect Dayton made an excellent choice and I look forward to working with Dave on behalf of Minnesota’s agricultural community.”

Photo: Dave Frederickson, far left, gets a thumbs up from my friend Clara during the 2010 MFU auction last month. Photo by Sally Jo Sorensen, Bluestem Prairie.

Montevideo's CURE wins $25,000 Bush Foundation collaboration grant

Montevideo is a lovely, vital small town on the Minnesota River, northwest of the bend at Mankato. Though remote from the Twin Cities, the town is home to people with progressive ideas about food and conservation. It's home to the Western Minnesota office of the Land Stewardship Project and some great sustainable farmers.

It's also home to Clean Up the River Environment, which was founded in 1992 to "restore, celebrate and protect the Upper Minnesota River Watershed." The group, which has over 500 members, has done great work to clean up the Minnesota, as well as organizing to promote clean energy--leading the way for citizens with questions about the need for the now-stalled Big Stone II coal-fired power plant.

Via the West Central Tribune, I learned that CURE's Friendship tour wins statewide contest with $25,000 prize:

A project designed to foster friendly relationships between up-streamers in the Minnesota River Watershed with down-streamers from the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin area has received the most votes in a statewide on-line contest to promote collaboration. . . .

. . .CURE worked with the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance, based in Red Wing and the Minnesota Ag Water Resources Coalition (a statewide coalition of agricultural organizations), the Minnesota River Board, the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance and the Cannon River Watershed Partnership to sponsor the tours in August and September of 2010.

CURE organizes tours on an ongoing basis, though less hardy Twin Citians may wish to wait until spring to come out and see what people working together can do for better food and a cleaner environment along what should be a pretty prairie river:

Contact CURE to arrange your personal guide service to the region's environmental and cultural assets. For a fee, we can arrange tours of the area's:

• Rivers
• Wildlife Refuges
• Prairies
• Rock Outcrops
• Cemeteries
• Art Studios

More on the story from the MonteNews. And there's even a CURE Facebook page for readers to like.

Press release: Quit running Demmer's allies ad based on known falsehood

The Walz campaign pulls no punches about an attack ad citing Palin anti-factoid:

LOCAL TV STATIONS ASKED TO STOP AIRING FALSE ATTACK PAID FOR BY REP. DEMMER ALLIES

“The independent Politifact evaluated this claim earlier this year and determined it was ‘false’ and ‘incorrect.’” said Walz attorney and campaign Chairman Jerry Maschka in the letter. “For the sake of both FCC licensing requirements and the public interest, your station should immediately refuse to continue to air this advertisement.”

In the ad, the NRCC claims “Why did Tim Walz vote for a bill that allowed more than one and a half billion dollars to go to companies overseas? Walz helped create jobs – in China. And we paid for it.”  The NRCC cites on screen “ABC News, 2/9/10.”  The article cited by the NRCC discusses a proposed wind farm project in Texas that may have created some jobs in China if it had proceeded as planned. However, the project has received no stimulus money. In fact, the very article cited by the NRCC states: “Perhaps the most controversial wind project is one that has yet to receive stimulus money.”[1]

“Rep. Demmer needs to step forward and call on his allies to pull down this blatantly false attack,” said Walz campaign manager Richard Carlbom.

Rep. Demmer’s allies poor research claim can easily be disproven by a news search. Multiple news reports that postdate the ABC News article (including one from two week ago) show that the proposed project has not received any stimulus money and is not expected to. The United States Department of Energy has stated that the Texas project has not even applied for stimulus money.[2]

The Pulitzer Prize winning Politifact stated flatly: “it's incorrect to say that any stimulus money has gone to Chinese turbine manufacturers, let alone 80 percent of the $2 billion spent on renewable energy projects.” Politifact rated the claim that stimulus money was going to Chinese turbine manufacturers “false.”[3]

The letters were sent to the following TV Stations: KIMT, KAAL, KTTC, KXLT and KEYC.  Rep. Demmer’s allies have spent more than $100,000 for this discredited ad to air between Oct 8 and Oct 14, 2010. To see a copy of the letter, please click here.

[1] ABC News, 2/9/10, http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=9759949

 

[2] Charleston Daily Mail, 9/30/10 (see below)

[3] Politifact, 2/17/10, http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/feb/23/sarah-palin/palin-falsely-claims-most-renewable-energy-stimulu/

The circle of wonderful first steps: Tom Emmer, WCCO's Reality Check, and SB1070

For those following the multi-faceted bigotry of MNGOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer-- and the faux chagrin of the corporations for funding MNForward's ad for him--this week opens with more Slytherin slipperiness on immigration.

Tom Emmer appeared on Esme Murphy's Sunday morning show on WCCO, and about 7:50 into the clip, flinches when she asks about immigration. He then offered a non-statement statement about SB1070 and immigration issues.

On last night's news, WCCO-TV's Pat Kessler performs a signature "Reality Check" on Emmer's Sunday version of his statement to MPR back in April. In Reality Check: Emmer On Arizona's Immigration Law
Kessler notes:

Tom Emmer, the Republican Candidate for Governor, said he supports Arizona's tough new immigration crackdown. However, on Sunday, he toned down previous comments about how "wonderful" it is.

"What I said was ... I was asked one question: 'what do you think about the Arizona law?' I said 'it's a good start when you talk about Arizona,'" said Emmer on WCCO Sunday Morning.

But, IN FACT, that's not what he said.

On Minnesota Public Radio, Emmer described Arizona's law as "wonderful," said it does not target minorities and that it's appropriate for police to ask for papers.

"I think what Arizona did is a wonderful first step," said Emmer. "I'm very disappointed at the federal government." . . .

This isn't the first time Emmer has re-written his own statement about SB1070.

On June 10, Bluestem noted a similar softening--not only on SB1070, but on earlier responses to a questionnaire from a local anti-immigrant group, Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform. The Minnesota Independent picked up on my story in Emmer walks back comment on ‘wonderful’ Arizona immigration bill:

In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio’s Kerri Miller on Thursday, GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer seemed to ease off his support for Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB1070. In April, he praised the law as “a wonderful first step.” As Blue Stem Prairie reports, the candidate seems to moderating his stance on immigration.

“The only answer I gave was it’s a good start,” said Emmer. “A lot of people take that to be the final word.”

Miller asked Emmer, “So we need a law like Arizona’s [in Minnesota]?”

“I didn’t say that. We need to look at immigration — how we get people legally, as legal citizens in the state of Minnesota, and assimilate them into Minnesota, so that they can be productive citizens of this state and they can enjoy the freedoms that we are all supposed to have.”

Emmer also talked about an E-Verify system to ensure those employed by the state of Minnesota are U.S. citizens and said Minnesota needs to outlaw “sanctuary cities.” But he also mentioned a “pathway to citizenship,” an idea that breaks with conservative anti-immigration groups, including Minnesotans in Support of Immigration Reform (Minn-SIR), a group that gave Emmer an “A” rating for opposing “paths to citizenship.”

My post includes the MINN-SIR questionnaire that Emmer did so well on.

The Independent noted another twisty turn on Emmer's part near the end of July in Emmer continues support for Arizona immigration bill:

Emmer’s position on SB 1070 has been a point of contention during his campaign. After the law passed in April, Emmer said, “I think what Arizona has done is a wonderful first step,” but he later attempted to moderate that stance.

With all this spinning, perhaps Representative Emmer could consider a midlife career change, from law to a place in Minnesota's wind industry.

Austin Herald: MN-01 candidates on BP oil spill

Yesterday's article in the Austin Herald, Local candidates voice opinion on government's role in oil spill, is useful to assessing where each candidate in the MN-01 congressional race stand on holding BP accountable for its blown well.

There's a clear divide between Walz and those challenging him. Walz:

Tim Walz, the district’s Democratic incumbent, said he absolutely thinks there is a role for the federal government to step in, both to help with the spill itself and to put pressure on BP to take responsibility

Lars Johnson, the no-party candidate, doesn't think the President should "take on a corporation." Demmer dosn't want anyone assigning blame now, and Steve Wilson suggests that "BP and the market" can deal with it.  All charming positions, yes indeed.

The article prompted me to look back at the role Republican "Drill Here, Drill Now" chants have had in the last two cycles. The search inspired a Youtube:

Transparency update: Congressman Walz submits FY2011 earmarks requests

My March 11 post, Tim Walz conducts virtual hearing on district earmark proposals, looked at Congressman Walz's use of his web site to ask Southern Minnesotans for comment on 99 earmark proposals he had received from local government, public schools and college and non-profits for earmarks.

Drawing from the comments submitted by over 1,000 people and the soundness of the proposal, Walz has winnowed the 99 projects down to 42 projects (by my count) which he has forwarded to the House Appropriations Committee.

in a press release, Walz thanked those who had looked over the proposals:

“I want to thank folks for taking the time out of their day to provide me with their thoughtful, well-informed insight into the local needs of southern Minnesota,” said Walz. “Their input was critical to my final decisions and they played an important role in helping me identify projects that are good for the local economy and good for Minnesota taxpayers.”

For the second year, the reformed earmark process, which was championed by Walz, now requires Members to post all earmark requests and requested dollar amounts on their website, as well as the potential recipient, information about the necessity of the project, and contact information for requestors.

“While it is likely that only a few of these meritorious projects will ultimately receive funding, I believe it is important for residents of southern Minnesota to be able to see the list of projects I am supporting and I am proud to release this information about priorities.”

For more on the process, read below the fold.

Was Scott Newman for business subsidies before he was against them?

Last week, in the post SD18 Issues: How will Scott Newman support farmers?, Bluestem focused on agribusinesses that were named in a question about business subsidies asked by the local conservative blog MNPatriots. Here's the question, with our area of focus on agriculture put into bold type:

Business Subsidy and “Making” Jobs: The public is calling for the government to ‘make jobs’ at an unprecedented rate. Asking government to borrow more money and spend it on ‘works projects’ expands the already exploding deficit. Decades from now economists will debate whether the Trillions of Dollars spent on bank bail-outs, car company take-overs, and artificially low interest rates were necessary to save the nation’s economy from the natural implications of unwise lending practices initially designed to ‘stimulate’ construction jobs. Ethanol from corn has been scientifically demonstrated to be counter-productive yet we subsidize the plants producing it. Crop producing land receives significant reductions in property tax, which is a substantial portion of the commercial tax base from which rural citizens are expected to pay for urban style education—in essence subsidizing cheap food for urban residents. Rural taxes are collected and spent on urban mass transit to subsidize urban commuters. Construction projects are subsidized by artificially high wage rates. The government hiring additional public safety, education, and maintenance workers does not create a sustainable economy of scale. Quite the contrary, it does less with more.

4) Do you support the elimination of all business subsidy? Including the subsidy for corn, milk, ethanol, farm property tax, mass transit, construction projects, public service wages, etc. This includes stopping the up-coming ‘make jobs’ projects likely to be part of the next round of budget talks.

Newman: Yes. It is not the role of government to artificially assist one group of business and not others. I would rather let the market determine whether a business is viable. Remember Reagan’s sarcasm; “if it moves tax it. If it stops moving subsidize it”. 

I added:

The parts of the question I set in bold are of particular interest in a largely rural district like Senate District 18.

One can click on the link to see more on why those parts of the question (which I quoted in its entirety, along with Scott Newman's entire answer). In a nut shell, a lot of property in SD18 is enrolled in the state "Green Acres" agricultural property tax program, two large cheese-making plants are in or near the district, and three farmer-owned ethanol plants operate just outside the district. Farmers in SD18 own shares in the ethanol co-ops.

Ford Peterson commented that it was unfair to focus on the "farm welfare" specifics of the question:

. . .In fairness, Mr. Newman was responding to his idealogical [sic] approach to the notion of "subsidy," which according to the question includes mass transit, construction projects, public sector make work jobs, as well as farm business subsidy. Singling out farm welfare is a polarizing and unfair characterization of the question, and his response. . . .

One wonders why asking about specific points raised by the question is polarizing and unfair. If it's okay for Peterson to bring these specific programs up, reasonable people would think they're on the table.

Peterson's comment also made me wonder what Scott Newman's legislative record was on the specific programs the MNPatriots' question enumerated among "business subsidies." Let's review the question and answer:

4) Do you support the elimination of all business subsidy? Including the subsidy for corn, milk, ethanol, farm property tax, mass transit, construction projects, public service wages, etc. This includes stopping the up-coming ‘make jobs’ projects likely to be part of the next round of budget talks.

Newman: Yes. It is not the role of government to artificially assist one group of business and not others. I would rather let the market determine whether a business is viable. Remember Reagan’s sarcasm; “if it moves tax it. If it stops moving subsidize it”. 

Dean Mahlstedt, who came closest to Newman in securing delegate support at the recent Republican endorsing convention, and Tim Benoit gave similar "Yes" answers. Both have agreed to abide by the endorsement. Glencoe Mayor Randy Wilson,a moderate Republican who has left his options open as far as running in the Republican  primary goes, disagreed:

We need to look at the entire scope and value of a subsidy. Anyone who would rule out all subsidies is not looking at the greater good of some projects.

After voters picked Newman in a special election, he finished out Tony Kielkucki's term (one session) and then was elected outright for a single term, before he retired to seek election as a district judge. Like all who  have recently served in the state legislature, Newman's legislative initiatives are easy to locate. Bills for which he was chief author and co-author are linked from his "historical legislator" page.

This is where it gets interesting. Let's take a look at legislation Representative Newman introduced ("Chief Author") or signed on to as a sponsor ("Author"), as might be expected for someone suddenly thrust into the middle of the 83rd Legislature  by a special election, Newman was only Chief Author for seven bills, none of which dealt with business subsidies, nor did any of the bills for which he was Author. One of the bills, a Senate bill in which plat and survey approval requirements clarified for which he was House companion bill chief author, was passed into law, while one of the bills for which he was a co-author (a non-controversial, bipartisan measure dealing with the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association) passed unanimously in both houses of legislature.

The 84th Legislature, which includes a special session along with the two yearly sessions, is a different story. Newman was Chief Author of 24 bills, none of which was passed into law as a stand alone bill and none of which dealt with business subsidies. He was Author for slightly over 100 bills. Some of these might be considered relevant to the MnPatriot question about business subsidies.

See below the fold

A case for transparency, bonding and earmarks: waiting for a slow train in Sibley County

The Mankato Free Press reported on Monday that South Central Minnesota didn't so well in the bonding bill, as local projects met with Governor Pawlenty's veto pen. One project remained:

The only area project left in the bill was $5 million for an improvement to the Minnesota Valley Regional Railroad between Gaylord and Winthrop.

Yesterday, on my way down to Henderson to cover the flooding Minnesota River, my path crossed the tracks. A train happened to be coming down the tracks and I shot a short video with my phone while I waited:

That's the usual speed for the train in that area, since the tracks are in such bad shape; this stretch is a bit east of Gaylord, but it gives readers a fair idea of why the project was let through by Governor No. The rail authority also submitted an earmark proposal through Congressman Walz's office. The proposal can be read here. It notes that trains can only travel at 7-10 mph in this stretch, which is included in the earmark proposal.

No word yet if this is one of the earmarks Walz will be requesting.

Improving the tracks on the shortline railroad will help farmer co-operatives, the Winthrop ethanol plant and other area businesses haul material out of the rich and productive farmland.

SD18 Issues: How will Scott Newman support farmers?

Yesterday, I took a look at the positions on state spending that Scott Newman laid out in his answers to ten questions asked by Ford Peterson and posted to his blog, MN Patriots. Another question and answer also raises questions about Newman's fit with the district:

Business Subsidy and “Making” Jobs: The public is calling for the government to ‘make jobs’ at an unprecedented rate. Asking government to borrow more money and spend it on ‘works projects’ expands the already exploding deficit. Decades from now economists will debate whether the Trillions of Dollars spent on bank bail-outs, car company take-overs, and artificially low interest rates were necessary to save the nation’s economy from the natural implications of unwise lending practices initially designed to ‘stimulate’ construction jobs. Ethanol from corn has been scientifically demonstrated to be counter-productive yet we subsidize the plants producing it. Crop producing land receives significant reductions in property tax, which is a substantial portion of the commercial tax base from which rural citizens are expected to pay for urban style education—in essence subsidizing cheap food for urban residents. Rural taxes are collected and spent on urban mass transit to subsidize urban commuters. Construction projects are subsidized by artificially high wage rates. The government hiring additional public safety, education, and maintenance workers does not create a sustainable economy of scale. Quite the contrary, it does less with more.

4) Do you support the elimination of all business subsidy? Including the subsidy for corn, milk, ethanol, farm property tax, mass transit, construction projects, public service wages, etc. This includes stopping the up-coming ‘make jobs’ projects likely to be part of the next round of budget talks.

Newman: Yes. It is not the role of government to artificially assist one group of business and not others. I would rather let the market determine whether a business is viable. Remember Reagan’s sarcasm; “if it moves tax it. If it stops moving subsidize it”. 

The parts of the question I set in bold are of particular interest in a largely rural district like Senate District 18. Litchfield is home to the First District cheese plant, while Bongards is located in nearby Carver County (and some of the co-op's dairy farmers live in the district). Workers at both First District and Bongards are represented by a Teamsters local whose chief officer lives in the senate district. I don't know of state subsidies to diary farmers; milk payment programs are federal.

Additionally, three ethanol plants are located just outside of the district, in Winthrop, Buffalo Lake and Atwater. I'm checking on which incentives these plants, which are farmer-owned cooperatives, receive. Farmers within the district belong to the cooperatives.

[Update: According to State Rep. Al Juhnke, who chairs the Minnesota House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division Committee, the older plants at Winthrop and Buffalo Lake receive state payments for the first $15 million of fuel each plant produces each year, while the newer Bushmills' plant in Atwater, which is in his district, does not. He noted that the plant at Winthrop is nearing the end of the period during which it can receive state payments, which are $.20/gallon up to 15 million gallons per plant for 10 years.

The federal blender credit  for ethanol goes to the oil companies that mix ethanol with gasoline, rather than to local farmers. Corn and milk subsidies are federal programs [end update].

So far as I have been able to determine, the chief means by which property taxes are reduced on crop producing land by the state is the "Green Acres" program. As page 11 of a report by the Legislative Auditor indicates, a very high percentage of the  farmland in McLeod and Southwestern Wright County were enrolled in the Green Acres program in 2007. Meeker County uses the program to a far lesser degree, not unexpected since it's the farthest away from the Twin Cities and was subject to far less development pressure during the housing boom earlier in the decade. Nonetheless, Meeker and McLeod lost over ten percent of their farmland between 1982-1997.

The program raised residential taxes on homesteads between ten and twenty percent in Wright County, while taxes on homes rose between two and ten percent in McLeod. The effect was minimal in Meeker County (page 24). [Aside: recommendations in this report on the use of Green Acres of "vacant" land not being farmed led to legislation which has created an uproar].

The district as a whole is farmland. According to page 5 of the report, over ninety percent of McLeod County is farm land (no surprise!), while Meeker and Wright Counties are over seventy-five percent farmland. 

Update: Counties tax farmland at a different rate (Ag1; Ag2) than residential homesteads, rental homes and commercial property. It sounds like Newman is agreeing with the idea that farmland should be taxed at the same rate as commercial property, and the tax break that farmers get through the state "Green Acres" provision should be ended as an unfair tax preference. He does answer "yes" to the question in which "farm property tax" is singled out as a subsidy. [end  update]

As for the concern in the question about "urban-style schools,"  I'm hoping this issue is articulated more fully during the senate race. Does it mean the new Howard Lake-Winsted-Waverly high school? Or is it an echo about the closing of the McLeod County West district, which died for lack of money to maintain the buildings that literally began to fall down around its students?

I'll be following these issues as all candidates running in SD 18 articulate their positions.

Photo: The Bushmills ethanol plant, built in 205 just over the Kandiyohi County line near Atwater.  Farmers in SD18 are members.

John Adams' modest proposal: "Jim Engstrand has his very own contract with America"

On the discussion section for the Jim Engstrand Candidate for U.S. Congress District 1 MN Facebook fan page, an endorsement by Mazeppa Republican activist John Adams (screenshot to the right) contains the following statement:

. . .Once again we are hearing rumors of some kind of new contract with America. LT. COL. Jim Engstrand has his very own contract with America. It was written 234 years ago by our Founding Fathers. It's called the Constitution of the United States of America. Jim knows the original intent of this great document and when he places his hand on the Bible as he takes his oath of office, we can be rest assured LT. COL. Engstrand’s oath will be honored. . .

Simple subtraction reveals that 234 years ago was 1776; the Second Continental Congress didn't ratify the draft of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the United States' first de facto constitution, until 1777.

However, the Library of Congress notes that:

The Journals of the Continental Congress contain the first draft of the Articles of Confederation as presented to the Continental Congress on July 12, 1776. It would take more than a year of debate before Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777.  

Perhaps Adams means this 234-year-old draft. While I share a belief with many with many Americans that the word "Constitution" refers the document drafted by the Constitutional Convention of 1787, perhaps Adams knows more than we do.

Since Engstrand has declared his intent to run for Congress--though apparently not filed the paperwork for a candidate committee--I suspect that Adams, rather than the presumptive candidate, is the one confusing the two American constitutions.

After all, under the Articles, delegates were appointed to the national Congress, rather than elected. Even a non-career politician like Engstrand would probably recognize that he would have no chance to being appointed to Congress by our DFL-controlled legislature, especially after the House minority caucus's stunning reversal on GAMC following Governor Pawlenty's veto.

On the other hand, Adams' endorsement may simply be a subtle and modest proposal on the part of the Engtrand campaign.

 Were that the case, one article is especially suggestive for aspiring leaders who wish to stick to their "very own contract with America":

ARTICLE XI.
Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States.

Under Adams' beloved Articles, if Canada were to decide to join the United States, we couldn't stop it. While this would significantly improve the USA's Winter Olympic medal count, it might outrage America's hockey moms uncertain about whether their kids would get enough ice time. Conspiracy theorists fretting about the NAU will also experience howling fantods.

On the other hand, the addition of Canada as the 51st state might work to resolve the health care reform debate rather rapidly. Democrats could agree to allow people to obtain insurance across state lines as Republicans have suggested--and those who wish could get Canadian Medicare

Given that the Minnesota legislature declared yesterday Canada Day at the Capitol, and the consul threw a reception that featured Molson and Canadian lox, something may be afoot.

Blast from the past: Bluestem looked at Adams' personal facts about the production of cellulose ethanol back in 2008. A CNN update on KL Energy Corp., which operates the Western Biomass cellulose ethanol plant in Wyoming, looks at the company's expansion.

Energy secretary Chu in Rochester, part 1

IBEW Local 343 in Rochester played host to U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and a host of labor leaders, union members, renewable energy innovators and a handful of politicians yesterday.

In addition to host Congressman Tim Walz, State Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) and State Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem (R-Rochester) got a firsthand look at three renewable energy projects. The Post Bulletin described them:

. . .three renewable energy projects championed by southern Minnesota residents: a mobile self-contained ethanol plant, cars created and adapted by students at Minnesota State University-Mankato that run on solar and electrical technology, and the IBEW Wind Turbine Training Facility, where electrical workers train to service the turbines delivering clean energy to southern Minnesota.

Impressive stuff indeed.  Bluestem have more later today or tomorrow; right now, I'm heading to Farmfest with BSP photographer Eric Adams.

In the meantime, enjoy this video clip from the Post Bulletin's coverage. The echoes in the inside of the training tower reminded me of those in an empty silo.

Climate change bill and farmers: bearable and profitable?

A friend and farmer's wife in Southwestern Minnesota emailed yesterday with a question about whether ag producers will see any gain from the climate change legislation under consideration by Congress. She'd heard a lot of negative things.

Not so fast, says House Ag committee chair Collin Peterson, who had conducted tough negotiations to obtain better terms for farmers under the bill. According to Reuters, the Seventh CD lawmaker told soybean growers yesterday that the Climate bill impact on U.S. farms [was] bearable:

The impact on U.S. farms and ranches from climate-change legislation will be bearable, partly because of the chance to earn money for controlling greenhouse gases, said the House Agriculture Committee chairman on Tuesday.

Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson, during a speech to American Soybean Association members, pointed to think-tank estimates the climate bill passed by the House would drive up crop production costs by 1.8 percent-4.6 percent in the near term.

"We don't want to increase your costs but it's not the end of the world," said Peterson. The bill was amended to put the Agriculture Department in charge of farm-sector activities to lock carbon into the soil.

"With USDA running it, I believe you're going to see more than 4.6 percent payback" he said, since practices like no-till farming would be eligible for carbon sequestration contracts. "We got EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) out of your business."

Peterson's observations echo points made by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.