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Agriculture

European farmers are coming to America

State agriculture officials say Minnesota could benefit from a new wave of European immigrants, but isn't. Many European dairy farmers are selling their farms and moving to the United States. However, current law keeps those farmers from buying land in Minnesota. Agriculture officials want to change that. They say European farmers have the desire to buy failing Minnesota dairy farms. But some say the state shouldn't lay out the welcome mat for foreigners while Minnesota dairy farmers are struggling.

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Dairy farmers facing big changes

Minnesota's dairy industry is going through historic change -- for the worse. In the last 20 years, 72 percent of the state's dairy farmers have left the business. Some say Minnesota needs larger scale farms, but many disagree.

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The state of dairy: Resources

A list of resources and links with more information on the dairy industry in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.

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Focus on more dairy farmers, not just more dairy cows

Dave Minar runs Cedar Summit Farm near New Prague and is a member of the Land Stewardship Project. Here are his thoughts about how to strengthen the dairy industry in Minnesota.

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Pesticide legislation defeated

Minnesota lawmakers have voted down proposed changes in state pesticide laws. The legislation would have expanded monitoring for pesticides in groundwater and would have made pesticide data public. It also would have increased fees paid by chemical companies who do business in the state. The legislation failed to pass House and Senate Agriculture committees Wednesday.

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The paper trail

Several memos clearly outline the limitations that the state Agriculture Department faces in testing and monitoring for a variety of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.

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Law prohibits human exposure

Minnesota state law specifically prohibits human exposure to pesticides during application.

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'Same old, same old' attitude at Ag Department?

The Department of Agriculture says it is doing a good job of protecting people from pesticides. Environmental Response and Enforcement Manager Paul Liemandt says the records show a pattern of aggressive enforcement.

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Undue corporate influence?

Cheryl Bergian contends human exposure is routinely overlooked by the Ag Department. Bergian worked as a legal services attorney for nine years. She handled numerous cases of alleged pesticide exposure to farm workers. She says in nine years, the Ag Department never substantiated a case of human exposure she brought to them.

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