Letter about Sen. Miller should deliver for livestock farmers and meat processors with the state surplus…
To the Editor,
The State of Minnesota has a historic budget surplus of $9.3 billion and Senator Jeremy Miller, particularly through his role as the Senate Majority Leader, has a unique opportunity to deeply invest in building economic and environmental resiliency in our farm and food system with less than 1% of the surplus. COVID has also made it clearer than ever that our meat processing system is fragile. As a hog farmer, I know all too well how difficult it is to find timely processing to be able to deliver promised products to my customers. That’s why our senator should fight for proposals that would make it easier for small and local processors to recruit and retain staff, train staff, navigate the certification and inspection processes, and protect their workers and consumers from health risks. With an abundant surplus, I hope Senator Miller fully takes advantage of this rare opportunity to deliver for livestock farmers and meat processors. I’ve reached out directly to ask him to support these initiatives and hope you’ll do the same.
Dayna Burtness
Spring Grove, Minn.
Nettle Valley Farm
Pastured Hog Farmer
Land Stewardship Project Member