Minnesota Farm Bureau District 1 State Board of Directors member Jeff Pagel and his family welcomed Senator Amy Klobuchar to their dairy farm on September 24 as part of her 13-county rural economic tour.

"It was an honor having the Senator visit our family farm and her willingness to listen to farmers," said Jeff Pagel. "We hope she takes our stories on important issues like the farm bill, daycare access, access to technology and protecting our water back to DC to support her work on the agriculture committee."

MFBF President Dan Glessing also joined the visit, where discussions focused on opportunities and challenges in agriculture and rural communities. Topics included market access, agricultural innovation, access to daycare, year-round E15 sales, and farm bill programs. 

The Pagel family milks 150 cows in addition to growing corn, soybeans and oats. They have incorporated many technologies onto their farm, including animal health monitoring systems, precision crop planting and nutrient application, and manure storage systems that support water quality efforts.