
MN Ag Commissioner | Federal Government Shutdown
Clip: Season 2026 Episode 6 | 4m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
Commissioner Thom Petersen provides insights from Minnesota farmers.
Commissioner Thom Petersen provides insights from Minnesota farmers.
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Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Almanac is a local public television program presented by TPT

MN Ag Commissioner | Federal Government Shutdown
Clip: Season 2026 Episode 6 | 4m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
Commissioner Thom Petersen provides insights from Minnesota farmers.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> CATHY: WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE FEDERAL SHUTDOWN CONVERSATION WITH A LOOK AT HOW THE STALEMATE IN WASHINGTON IS AFFECTING FARMERS HERE IN MINNESOTA.
THOM PETERSEN IS MINNESOTA'S AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> THANKS.
>> Cathy: FARMERS SEEM LIKE THEY'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT, YOU'VE GOT THE TARIFFS, THE TARIFF WAR, ESPECIALLY THE SOYBEAN FARMERS, CHINA'S NOT BUYING ANY SOYBEANS.
AND THERE WAS A STORY ABOUT THE PRESIDENT SLAPPED 100% TARIFF ON CHINA, IS THAT CORRECT?
SO, WHAT ARE FARMERS TO DO?
>> WELL, IT'S, FRANKLY, CATHY, IT'S EXHAUSTING AT THE MOMENT.
YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY WE COULD CHECK AND SEE WHAT'S THE CHANGE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, THE UNCERTAINTY S REALLY, YOU KNOW, COMPLICATING.
AND THINK ABOUT THIS, TOO, FARMERS RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF HARVEST.
I WAS IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY YESTERDAY MEETING WITH FARMERS, AND THEY'D TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HARVEST, THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS.
BUT IT'S ON THE BACK OF THEIR MIND.
I CAN SEE THE STRESS IN THEIR EYES AND THEIR THOUGHTS AS YOU TRY TO THINK ABOUT, I HAVE TO GET MY CROP OFF RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE BACK OF MIND, I'M WONDERING, WHERE'S THIS CROP GOING TO O?
YOU KNOW?
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, YOU'RE DEALING WITH A SHUTDOWN, WE HAVE AVIAN INFLUENZA COMING BACK, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
AND A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.
>> Eric: MEDIATION LEVELS BACK TO THE MID '80s NUMBERS?
>> WELL, THAT'S ONE INDICATOR THAT I LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY MONTH, ERIC.
AND WE'VE SEEN IN JULY, FIVE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MEDIATIONS THAT WE HAD FROM JULY OF '24, FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MEDIATIONS IN AUGUST.
SO YOU HAVE HUNDREDS OF FARMERS GETTING MEDIATION NOTICES THAT THEY'RE BEHIND ON EITHER A FARM PAYMENT, A TRACTOR PAYMENT, A FEED PAYMENT.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S CONCERNING.
TO ME, THAT'S A RED FLAG.
WE SEE, YOU KNOW, INCREASED BANKRUPTCY NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE SEE OTHER PIECES.
A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.
>> Cathy: WAS THIS BREWING BEFORE THE PRESIDENT WAS ELECTED?
>> YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF WAS.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT PRICES, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY PRICES TODAY ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY WERE A YEAR AGO, YOU NOW, BUT THESE PROLONGED PRICES ARE A CONCERN.
THE PROBLEM IS NOW IS THE DISCOUNTS THAT FARMERS AVE TO GET TO MOVE THE PRODUCT OR WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.
IT'S GOING TO DRIVE PRICES FURTHER DOWN.
AND, SO, WE HAD SOME OF THIS BREWING AND IT'S JUST ADDED TO IT, FOR SURE.
>> Cathy: I WONDER, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR AT ALL WITH THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY, YOU AY FARMERS ARE GETTING THE BEANS IN AND THE CORN, TOO, SOON.
IF THERE'S NO MARKET FOR THE BEANS, WHERE DO THEY GO?
>> RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO ASK, AND THAT'S WHAT EVERY FARMER I TALK TO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR SOYBEANS?
YOU KNOW?
SO WHAT THEY'RE TELLING ME, THEY'RE BIDDING THEIR BEANS IS WHAT I HEARD YESTERDAY.
SO THEY'RE PUTTING THEM IN BINS.
BINNING THEIR BEANS.
IF THEY HAVE STORAGE, THAT'S THE TOP PRIORITY RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN HOP THE -- AND THEN HOPE THE MARKET COMES BACK.
THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, A LOT OF FARMERS WHEN THEY HARVEST THE BEANS, THEY GO ON A TRAIN, GO OUT TO THE P & W AND OUT TO CHINA, WHEREVER.
RIGHT NOW FARMERS ARE TRYING TO SELL THEIR CORN, PILE THEIR CORN AND SELL THEIR WHEAT.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
SO IF YOU CAN PUT YOUR BEANS IN A BIN AND THEN HOPE THOSE PRICES REBOUND, WERE YOU THE -- BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE BINS, WHICH A LOT OF FARMERS DON'T, THAT'S AN ISSUE.
>> Eric: BAILOUT FOR FARMERS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
>> YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSITION FOR SOME OF OUR FARMERS.
AND I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATELY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO SOMETHING TO HELP THOSE FARMERS.
BUT 0 TO ME, IT'S A BAND-AID, YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE THEN WHAT?
YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE OING TO DO NEXT YEAR?
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, WE, YOU KNOW, LOST SOME OF THESE MARKETS, THERE'S A LOT OF UNSURETY.
I WAS JUST IN IRELAND WITH THE GOVERNOR LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, AND THE PART ABOUT AMERICA, THE UNITED STATES BEING A RELIABLE TRADING PARTNER, TO ME, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WORKED ON, WE BUILT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE LOSING THEM.
>> Cathy: AND A BAILOUT WOULD AFFECT -- WOULD REALLY HELP THE LARGER FARMERS, RIGHT?
>> IT REALLY WOULD.
AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT, CATHY, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS ON SOYBEAN FARMERS RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALLER FARMERS THAT HAVE BIG GRANTS CUT.
THE VEGETABLE FARMERS, THE DEPARTMENT, WE LOST $18 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND LOCAL FOOD PURCHASING.
YOU KNOW, AND, AGAIN, THOSE FARMERS CAN'T ACCESS OFFICES RIGHT NOW WITH THE USDA SHUT DOWN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF STRESS AMONG LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FARMERS.
ONE THING I WOULD SAY, OUR CATTLE MARKET'S STRONG.
SO I ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE BRIGHT SPOTS, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM.
SO THERE'S SOME POS
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Almanac is a local public television program presented by TPT