“Dairy Producer Night Out: Farm Transition” Event in Winthrop to be Held This February

GAYLORD, Minn. (01/09/23)--

The University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Dairy Initiative are excited to announce the Dairy Producer Night Out: Farm Transition to be held on Tuesday, February 7th, at Hahn’s Dining & Lounge in Winthrop. Come enjoy an evening of networking and learning with other dairy farmers. This event will run from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is free to attend. A meal will be provided for attendees.

Dairy farmers devote their lives to building their businesses to what they are today. Successfully transitioning the farm; whether to the next generation, non- related person or exiting the business, can be complicated if you don’t know the right questions to ask.

Join us as we welcome Jared Holt from Ascent Financial as he shares suggestions on how to begin planning for farm transition and options for reaching your farm transition goals. This discussion will be followed by a panel with Jared Holt and area dairy producers sharing their experience; both good and bad, with their farm transition.

Registration for the event is requested by February 1st. Register at z.umn.edu/DairyNightOut2023 or by calling the Sibley County Extension office at 507-2374100. Other questions regarding this program can be directed to Karen Johnson, University of Minnesota Extension Livestock Educator at ande9495@umn.edu or 320-484-4303.

Governor’s Budget to Protect Minnesotans’ Health and Safety

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced a series of proposals to protect Minnesotans’ health and safety. The third of four packages within their One Minnesota Budget, this proposal would lower costs and expand access to high-quality health care for children, families, and Minnesotans across the state, while making it easier for Minnesotans to purchase a home, afford rent, and maintain stable, secure housing. The One Minnesota Budget also includes investments to permanently fund the work to end veterans’ homelessness statewide. The Governor’s public safety package provides over $300 million in public safety aid for local governments, stands up a statewide violent crime initiative, and supports victims of crime and domestic violence, while investing in a more fair and equitable criminal justice system. Today’s roll out follows announcements focused on supporting children and families and investing in Minnesota’s economic future.

“As Governor, protecting Minnesotans’ health and safety is foundational to everything we do. Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their homes and have access to the support, care, and services they need to lead happy and healthy lives,” said Governor Walz. “With increased access to affordable health care, investments in local law enforcement across the state, commonsense gun safety laws, and strong investments in affordable, stable housing – the One Minnesota Budget addresses the needs of Minnesotans wherever they are and keeps neighborhoods across the state safer and healthier.”

“We know that all Minnesotans want – and deserve – to feel safe and valued in their communities. After traveling across the state to hear what public safety looks like to Minnesotans, we also know that public safety solutions look different for every person, family, and community,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “The One Minnesota Budget works across lines of difference to meet a broad spectrum of needs – from expanding affordable housing and preventing homelessness in the first place, to expanding health care coverage for Minnesotans, and addressing the complex health and safety needs of Minnesotans living on the margins. Let’s get this done for Minnesotans.”

Expand Access to High-Quality Health Care

The Governor and Lieutenant Governor propose increasing health care access and affordability by establishing a MinnesotaCare public option that will offer more affordable comprehensive health insurance options for Minnesotans, including the nearly 300,000 Minnesotans who remain uninsured. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor also propose expanding Medical Assistance (MA) eligibility to reduce health coverage interruption that prevents Minnesota kids from seeing a doctor when they need to. To ensure that Minnesotans receive the care they deserve, the One Minnesota Budget will require health insurance plans regulated by state law to provide preventive services at no cost. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s proposal will also improve prescription drug transparency by updating the Prescription Drug Price Transparency program and extending it to include pharmacy benefit managers and wholesalers. Ad- ditionally, the One Minnesota Budget includes targeted investments to remove barriers to health care access for Minnesotans and proposals to reduce health care costs. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan also propose a series of investments to address gaps in the mental health continuum for children and adolescents and improve access to residential and outpatient mental health services.

Combat the Addiction, Opioid Epidemic

The One Minnesota Budget includes a $22 million proposal that expands access to non-narcotic pain management service; enhances prevention and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness; and improves surveillance and identification of substances involved in overdoses. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan’s budget will support better outcomes for people and families impacted by substance and opioid use disorder by providing ongoing funding to support grants for healing and overdose prevention.

Ensure Every Minnesotan Has a Safe and Affordable Place to Call Home.

Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan believe housing is the foundation for health, safety, and growth. Their One Minnesota Budget invests $100 million in community stabilization to leverage private and philanthropic funds to acquire, rehabilitate, and preserve existing rental and homeownership housing so that it remains affordable. To help more Minnesotans become homeowners, the One Minnesota Budget includes a new FirstGeneration Homebuyer Program and down payment assistance and closing cost loans to help Minnesotans who are ready to become homeowners.

The One Minnesota Budget also provides rental assistance to Minnesotans with lower incomes and disabilities through the Housing Trust Fund and includes investments in the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing program to provide grants to local units of government to build new rental housing in smaller communities.

Over the last year, Governor Walz has announced that Central Minnesota and St. Louis County have effectively ended veteran homelessness. Just two regions of the state, Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, remain. To achieve Minnesota’s goal of being the fourth state in the country to declare an end to veteran homelessness statewide, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan’s budget will permanently fund the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs work to identify gaps in the statewide homeless veteran response system, develop strategic solutions to ensure rapid housing outcomes for veterans experiencing a housing crisis, and connect at-risk veterans experiencing homelessness with Social Security Disability benefits.

To prevent homelessness before it begins, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend investing in programs that ensure youth have stable housing. To better support Minnesotans experiencing homelessness, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend more funding for emergency services, transitional housing, and homeless youth. They have also proposed one-time funding to acquire, build, or renovate emergency shelters. To support victims of domestic and sexual violence, the One Minnesota Budget provides funding for the Domestic Violence Hous-