Governor Tim Walz gets input from farmers and others in East Grand Forks tomorrow who are struggling with a delayed harvest because of wet fields. “This is a perfect storm, from stalled trade deals to bad policies on biofuel to some horrific weather,” the governor says. “I’m hearing from folks, certainly old-timers in this — it doesn’t matter [if it’s] soybean, potato, sugar, wheat — they’re saying unprecedented. They’ve not seen it like this.” Walz says he’s especially concerned about potato growers and the sugar beet crop.
A group of Republicans in the Minnesota House has asked the governor to declare a flood emergency, plus request a disaster declaration from the U-S Agriculture Department. Roseau Representative Dan Fabian says a governor’s order, paired with federal declarations, would give farmers access to financial assistance, plus help with emergency road repairs.