Messages From The Dean

Bev Durgan, dean of University of Minnesota Extension, recorded three public service announcements to encourage safe practices on the farm this season. The announcements may be used by Minnesota, regional, and farm radio stations and other media.

View imageTuesday, March 19, is National Agriculture Day. This is a day to recognize the hard working men and women who produce the food, feed, fiber and fuel that generate more than $75 billion in economic activity every year in Minnesota. Our state is a leader in agricultural production, ranking in the top 10 states in cash receipts from our farms and in the export of farm products. Moreover, agriculture provides more than 340,000 jobs in Minnesota, and the state is home to many of the nation's top agri-businesses.

The political talk this summer is all about jobs and job creators. Much of this discussion often seems to focus on urban jobs in manufacturing plants. That focus overlooks the important role agriculture plays in creating jobs in both rural communities and big cities.

Minnesota's farm families created jobs throughout the Great Recession. The strength of agriculture is a big reason why our state unemployment rate remains lower than the national average.

As you join together to celebrate American accomplishments this Fourth of July, take a few moments to remember the individuals who turned innovative ideas into a treasured part of the American experience.

One such individual with a big idea was Justin Morrill, a Vermont merchant and farmer. He believed that every state should have a land-grant college to benefit agriculture and industrial productivity.

Radio Transcript from Minnesota Farm Network, On the Farm radio show with Tom Rothman

This is Bev Durgan on the Farm. Traditionally, Asian buyers tended to discount Minnesota soybeans because of low crude protein numbers. Today these buyers are learning to look at more than crude protein and that is good news for Minnesota soybean growers.

Radio Transcript from Minnesota Farm Network, On the Farm radio show with Tom Rothman

This is Bev Durgan on the Farm. There are teenage boys growing up in this state who have no idea what a potato looks like. They have seen plenty of french fries and potato chips, but they have never seen a raw potato. I saw this example in a recent video about Farm to School programs in Minnesota.

Radio Transcript from Minnesota Farm Network, On the Farm radio show with Tom Rothman

This is Bev Durgan on the Farm. Spring is always a nervous time for farmers. This year there is more tension than normal. I see that tension in the faces of farmers I talk to at Extension meetings and I see the reason for that tension in fields as I drive across the state.