Collin Peterson Receives AFBF Distinguished Service Award
Published
1/26/2025
Collin Peterson, former congressional leader from Minnesota, received the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2025 Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, presented during the AFBF Convention in San Antonio on January 26.
The award is the oldest and highest honor presented by AFBF. AFBF established the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award in 1928 to honor individuals who have devoted their careers to serving the national interest of American agriculture.
Peterson has been a staunch supporter of agriculture for more than 40 years, advocating for farmers and ranchers across the country. During his time in the House as a representative of Minnesota’s seventh congressional district, he served on the Agriculture Committee, including as chair from 2007-2011 and 2019-2021. He was instrumental in negotiating passage of the 2008, 2014 and 2018 farm bills.
Now retired from Congress, Peterson continues to focus on important work for agriculture. He is the founder of the Midwest Council on Agriculture, a group that advocates for agriculture and economic policy that supports long-term sustainability of the industry. In addition, he is president and founder of the Peterson Group, a government affairs and public policy firm.
A longtime Farm Bureau member, Peterson shared what receiving this award means to him. “We’ve worked together on so many things,” he said. “It’s a high honor to get this award. I appreciate it.”
Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing shared what he views as the keys to Peterson’s success in Congress. “I think what made him successful was his candidness and his bipartisan nature,” he said. “When folks had issues or concerns with legislation, they would go to him and come back with a clear answer. You didn’t have to wonder where you stood with him.”