Lost in coverage of the Minnesota legislature's necessary focus on the COVID-19 pandemic? News that former state representative Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, has landed a new job as Executive Director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council. Press release here on the groups' Wing Tips Blog.
It's an interesting choice by the turkey growers, given Anderson's signature ag cause while in office was raw milk. (We'll relate that story after we look into the financials of Anderson's new workplace). It may signal another example of Minnesota's revolving door from lawmaker to lobbyist as well.
We first saw this news in the West Central Tribune article, Former lawmaker to serve as executive director of Minnesota Turkey Growers.
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library's Legislators Past and Present database Member Record for Anderson can be accessed here.
Anderson was defeated by Plymouth DFLer Ginny Klevorn in the November 2018 election, one of a number of Democratic suburban candidates whose victory flipped the Minnesota House. Fun Fact: Klevorn serves on the Minnesota House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division. Anderson never sat on an ag committee in the six terms she served in the Minnesota House, though the turkey growers note she grew up on farm (dairy) and "promoted the importance of the agricultural community to the state of Minnesota" while serving of "the staff of former Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum." Sviggum retired from the House in 2007.
Anderson served in the House during the 2015 Avian Flu outbreak. Session Daily's Lee Ann Schultz reported in Avian flu crisis over for now, but producers fear its return:
The Legislature appropriated several million dollars during the 2015 session to help combat last spring’s avian flu crisis that effected more than 100 state poultry producers, leading to well over 8 million birds being destroyed.
At Tuesday’s joint meeting of the House agriculture finance and policy committees, poultry producers and various state agency personnel provided updates about the current status of the crisis and the state’s response to the declared state of emergency. No action was taken.
Minnesota is the No. 1 turkey producing and processing state in the United States.
Read previous Session Daily stories about the issue:
April 28: House committee adds $6 million to fund avian flu fight
April 16: Avian flu may plague MN turkey growers for years, committee hears
April 14: Funds to fight avian flu bolstered as omnibus agriculture bill is approved
Anderson voted for the funding, but was not a sponsor of any avian flu fight legislation nor did she play a significant role in its passage as far as we can determine.
Lobbying in her future?
While the news from the MTGA and MTRPC (a commodity check-off group) does not say that she will be lobbying the Minnesota Legislature, past executive director Steve Olson has served as a registered lobbyist for the MN Turkey Growers Assn since 2001; Red River Farm Network noted Olson's departure last June "after nearly 20 years on the job" in Anderson to Lead MN Turkey Organizations.
UPDATE 3/30: The organization announced Olson's departure on July 3, 2019 in MTGA Announces Steve Olson’s Departure After Nearly 19 Years of Leadership. [end update]
The designated lobbyist for the MN Turkey Growers Assn is ag lobbyist Bruce Kleven, whose stable also includes R D Offutt Co, Syngenta America, Chicken & Egg Assn of MN, MN Corn Growers Assn, and thirteen other ag groups. We are surprised that Minnesota agriculture is so fond of a one-size-fits-all solution.
Will Anderson follow the turkey people's past practice? If so, it likely will again raise concerns about lawmakers becoming lobbyists upon leaving the Minnesota Legislature. Freshman state representative Hunter Cantrell, DFL-Savage, has authored HF2964 ("Former legislator prohibited from registering as a lobbyist for four years after leaving legislative office") in the House, while Scott Jensen, R-Chaska, is the author of the companion bill SF3216.
Both lawmakers are retiring after one term. We suspect that Anderson could be grandfathered in if those bills--or later versions of them--pass in the next couple of years. We do give her some credit for waiting nearly an entire two-year session to start the new job.
Her priorities? On Thursday, Brownfield's Mark Dorenkamp reported in Incoming MN Turkey director looks post-pandemic:
The incoming director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers expects the landscape to look different for the industry once the pandemic is over.
Sarah Anderson says ag labor is a major question mark going forward.
“We want to make sure that we have an ample supply of workers that can help to keep the production up to the pace for the demand we have here in the state and at the national level as well.” . . .
That should give anti-immigrant rural conservatives the howling fantods. Anderson starts her new job on April 6, Dorenkamp reports.
Talking turkey financials
Since both organizations are non-profits, their 990 tax returns are available at the IRS and ProPublica's Nonpofit Explorer database.
Here are the latest filings from the IRS:
Minnesota Turkey Growers Association 2018 990 uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council 990 2018 uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
The latest report by the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council (" formed in 1965 through the creation of the Minnesota Commodities Promotion Act at the state legislature and MTRPC is the oldest commodity council in the state," according to the Minnesota Turkey website) showed former executive director Steve Olson received $143,031 in compensation after serving in the role since 2001. It's not known what the new director will receive.
Much of the Turkey Growers Association income comes from "Program Service Revenue," which we take to be transfers from the commodity group. Members' dues accounted for $62,875 for the filing year.
Both organizations' budgets are modest compared to the soybean borg we reported on in More than Dayton induced fantods: is soybean grower's mid-life crisis worse than she thinks?.
Anderson's raw milk advocacy
As we noted above, Anderson's only consistent ag cause upon being being sworn in 2007 was raw milk. Session Daily's Sue Hegarty reported in 2011's Raw milk sales given hearing:
Before a packed hearing room, the House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance Committee listened to testimony May 11 from those who have been drinking raw milk with no ill effects for years, including Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth), sponsor of HF1511.
The bill would allow dairy producers to sell unpasteurized milk directly to consumers through farmer’s markets, private buying clubs and home delivery. It also would require raw milk products to contain a consumer product safety label, which would include the name of the producer, product contents and ingredients, a statement that the product is unpasteurized and that pasteurization is not required for direct farm-to-consumer sales. The committee took no action on the bill. Sen. Sean Nienow (R-Cambridge) sponsors SF1111, a companion that awaits action by the Senate Agriculture and Rural Economies Committee.
Current law allows for raw milk consumption for personal use by farm families where the milk is produced. Committee Chairman Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake) said most dairy farmers are careful about allowing others to roam their farms because of the risk of introducing diseases to the herd. Anderson said that is why there needs to be an allowance for home delivery and other points of purchase.
Supporters said consuming raw milk from grass-fed dairy cows offers health benefits, including as a cancer preventative and easing of pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
But Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson opposes the bill, saying the department’s main goal is to uphold the integrity of the food supply. Department scientists believe pasteurization is a vital public health measure and that drinking raw milk presents a serious public health risk, especially to children.
Anderson said 10 states allow for the retail sale of raw milk. Growing up, her family “drank the milk straight from the tank” and no one ever got sick from drinking it.
Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger said he’s treated children who have drank raw milk that contained pathogens that caused hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a disorder that can occur when an infection in the digestive system produces toxic substances, causing kidney failure. Last year, there were 17 cases in Minnesota; three directly attributed to raw milk consumption. “Labeling does nothing to help,” Ehlinger said.
The Minnesota Natural Health Legal Reform Project posted an explainer that linked to another of Anderson's bills, the bipartisan HF255.
The issue of raw milk did seem to attract those more on the edge of conservative politics in Minnesota, as well as having a small family farm vibes. Anderson was scheduled to speak at the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund's presentation of the pro-raw milk film, documentary Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Family Farms in October 2011.
Presidential candidate Ron Paul spoke in support of it at a meeting deplored by conservative columnist John Gilmore's 2012 blog post What I Saw At The Hemp & Raw Milk Revolution.
We posted about some of the dividing lines about the issue in Freshman senator Gary Dahms sours on raw milk bill:
Lambert had written his digest in more colorful language:
Quite honestly, I had never read the Food Poison Journal until today. But Drew Falkenstein’s story on Minnesota allowing raw milk sales caught my eye: ... the home state of Mik Hartmann, whose raw dairy products have been implicated in outbreaks that sickenend at least 15 people in the state, and who has been at the heart of a major legal battle — one that he lost — ever since. I hope Minnesotans don't get too comfortable just because they live in one of the states where outbreaks go to die.” Uh, waiter, can I change my order? Instead of the milk shake, I’ll have a scotch on the rocks.
Mark Steil at MPR adds: ... None of the bill's three co-sponsors could be reached to discuss the legislation. The bill will serve as a forum to debate the merits and risks of drinking raw milk. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 1,700 illnesses and 2 deaths were traced to raw milk over the decade ending in 2008.”Expanded raw milk sales are championed by groups like the Organic Consumers Association, while opposed by Minnesota public health and agriculture regulators, as well as the Minnesota Milk Producers Association.
Given that split, it seems curious that a commodity-check-off group would hire Anderson, but perhaps her high-profile advocacy of raw milk is all in the past.
None of the bills passed, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's current webpage What is Raw Milk states:
Raw milk, also known as unpasteurized milk, is milk that has not been pasteurized. Because of safety issues associated with drinking raw milk or consuming some dairy products made from raw milk, all milk used for human consumption in Minnesota must be pasteurized unless it meets specific requirements.
What is Pasteurization?
Pasteurization is the process of heating milk for a set period of time to a set temperature to kill bacteria. By heating the milk, bacteria that can cause human illnesses are killed or inactivated. Pasteurization has been used for many decades to assure dairy safety before milk bottling or production of other dairy products.
What is Minnesota’s law regarding raw milk?
Minnesota law, found in Minnesota Statutes 32D.20, restricts the sale of raw milk for human consumption; however, it does provide an alternative for people who want to consume raw milk. On an occasional basis, consumers may go directly to dairy farms to purchase raw milk directly from the farmer. Farmers are not allowed to bottle raw milk for sale, so consumers must also bring their own container to the farm if they are buying raw milk. Any sales that take place off the farm are a violation of State law.
Minnesota Statutes 32D.20 Limitation on Sale of Milk:
"No milk or fluid milk products shall be sold, offered or exposed for sale…for the purpose of human consumption in fluid form in this state unless the milk or fluid milk product has been pasteurized… and cooled, provided that this section shall not apply to milk, cream or skim milk occasionally secured or purchased for personal use by a consumer at the place or farm where the milk is produced.”
Is There A Greater Risk In Consuming Raw Milk?
Yes. Raw milk is more likely to contain harmful bacteria and other pathogens that may cause people who consume the milk to become sick. Severe illness may occur, especially in young children, older adults, people who have compromised immune systems, and pregnant women. The bacteria naturally occur in cattle and can contaminate milk during the harvesting process, even on the cleanest farms.
Outbreaks have been reported in many states including Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Washington, and Oregon. This has prompted a long list of respected public health organizations to warn consumers against consuming raw milk. That list includes:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Minnesota Department of Health
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians
If you are interested in consuming raw milk, do your homework on the potential health risks by collecting information from multiple, respected sources of public health information.
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