How agriculture is coping with this summer’s drought

Minnesota farmers have been hit hard by the summer’s hot, dry conditions. Seventy-eight percent of the state is currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, and small farmers are weathering the drought with virtually no safety net.

Earlier this month, Minnesota received $17.5 million in federal aid to mitigate the impact of climate change. Gov. Tim Walz says some of that will go to support farmers and ranchers.

Small farmers are pushing for more streamlined ways to get a piece of that pie. Many aid programs for farmers are targeted to large, traditional crop and livestock farms. But there’s less infrastructure to support small farmers.

Guest host Chris Farrell talked with Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture Commissioner and small farmers about the impact of the drought and the future of small farming in Minnesota.

Guests:

• Thom Petersen is the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner

• Kathy Zeman is the executive director of the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association and the owner of Simple Harvest Farm Organics

• Janssen Hang is the executive director and co-founder of the Hmong American Farmers Association

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.