REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. — In every even-numbered year since 1990, Minnesota Farmfest has featured candidate forums for the Minnesota primary election races for Governor, U.S. Senate, and Congressional seats. Three candidate forums are scheduled during Farmfest in 2024 on Aug. 6, 7 and 8 at the Gillfillan Estate near Redwood Falls, Minn. Several other interesting forums on timely agricultural topics have been planned as well during the three-day event. Farmfest is coordinated by IDEAg Group, LLC, a subsidiary of American Farm Bureau Federation.
Tuesday, Aug. 6 will feature two Congressional Candidate forums. The candidates in Minnesota’s first and second congressional districts have been invited to participate in the “Congressional Candidate Forum” in the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center at 10:30 a.m. The “Congressional Candidate Forum” for candidates in Minnesota’s sixth, seventh and eighth congressional districts will be on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at 1:15 pm. All current members of Congress and their challengers have been invited to participate in the forums. A special “U.S. Senate Candidate Forum” will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 10:30 a.m. in the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center, featuring U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and the other candidates for U.S. Senate in Minnesota. The focus of all the forums will be agriculture and rural issues. Candidate forums are sponsored by Minnesota Farm Bureau.
Another highlight in the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center will be a forum titled: “Farm Bill Fatigue: Will Congress Pass a Farm Bill” on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, who serves on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, will be joined on the panel by five national ag organization leaders. The panel will include Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau President; Rob Larew, National Farmers Union President; Harold Wolle, National Corn Growers Council President; Lori Stevermer, National Pork Producers Council President; and George Goblish, American Soybean Growers Association Board Member.
Critical ag industry and economic sessions will kickstart each morning at Farmfest. On Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 9:30 a.m. a forum titled: “Tips for Surviving in a Down Ag Economy” will be held. This forum will feature Bob Craven from the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management, Bernt Nelson, American Farm Bureau Economist, and Todd Stencel, South Central College Farm Business Management Instructor. The Farmfest “Ag Outlook Forum” is scheduled for Wednesday, August 7 at 9:00 am. The outlook forum will feature Christy Goldsmith Romero, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commissioner, Ryan Yates, Managing Director of Government Affairs with American Farm Bureau, Brian Werner, Minnesota Biofuels Director, and Mark Schultz, Grain Marketing Analyst with Northstar Commodities.
Thursday, Aug. 8 will feature events recognizing farm families and women farmers in the Wick Building Farmfest Center. The 2024 Farmfest “Women in Ag Event” will be held at 10:45 a.m. and the University of Minnesota “Farm Family of the Year” program will be held at 1:15 p.m. Earlier that same day, the University of Minnesota will host a “Manure Applicator Certification Program”, starting at 8:00 a.m. The Linder Farm Network will host the noon show each day at Farmfest from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
The Livestock Tent will host timely panel discussions on the H5N1 (Avian Flu) outbreak on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 11:30 a.m. and an overview of Proposition 12, feedlot regulations, and other livestock policy issues on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 11:30 a.m. Cattlemen and women are also invited to obtain their Beef Quality Assurance Certification during the Thursday, Aug, 8 at 10 a.m. session being presented by the Minnesota Beef Council.
For more information on the Farmfest forums, exhibitors, food vendors, and other information, visit Farmfest.com.
— Kent Thiesse, Farmfest Forum Coordinator
