NEWS RELEASE Minnesota House DFL Farm Caucus
State Rep. Gary Kubly, Granite Falls (651) 296-4346 State Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba, Long Prairie (651) 296-3201 State Rep. Ted Winter, Fulda (651) 296-5505
For immediate release April 27, 2000
On April 18, a coalition of urban and rural lawmakers met with University of Minnesota Vice President for Agricultural Policy Charles C. Muscoplat to demand that the University continue its commitment to sustainable agriculture. In a strongly worded follow-up letter, eight members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, outlined their continued concerns over the direction of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences.
"We are particularly concerned about the fate of Dr. Don Wyse, the former Director of the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)," said State Representative Gary Kubly (DFL-Granite Falls). "We would like to see Dr. Wyse resume his leadership role at MISA. We're interested in seeing the University of Minnesota, a land grant college, serve all sectors of Minnesota agriculture and all styles of ag production. We can't just focus on one production style. Dr. Wyse has been an innovative leader in the area of sustainable agriculture, and his departure could set research in sustainable ag back significantly. It could be two to three years before we bring a new person up to speed."
Dr. Wyse resigned his post at MISA on April 6, but the MISA board chose not accept the resignation. The lawmakers weighed in on this issue in their letter to Muscoplat, saying "We now feel that Dr. Wyse's reinstatement with your strong backing is essential to begin to re-establish the appropriate balance between sustainable and industrial forms of agricultural production, including, of course, biotechnology. We are frankly worried about (U of M) leadership that is willing to run roughshod over a decade old agreement between the U of M and the sustainable community. The only way we can see the balance needed to ensure that the University serves all of its citizens and not one part, is to have Dr. Wyse reinstated."
The lawmakers expressed concern that the University needs to do more to demonstrate that new research is in the public good, not just the interest of large corporations like Cargill, which has committed to fund a large portion of the University's new plant genomics building on the St. Paul Campus. They called for the creation of an independent center for agricultural ethics to ensure that research at the U of M "is indeed for the citizens who underwrite the University."
"The Cargill grant gives the University great opportunities for cutting edge research," the eight lawmakers said in their letter. "It also imposes obligations on the University to do more than demonstrate its sensitivity {to sustainable ag research}. It must also demonstrate that this new research is unbiased and for the public's good."
According to Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba of Long Prairie, farmers using sustainable agricultural methods are some of the few in her district turning a profit without government payments. According to Tracy Beckman, Minnesota Director of Farm Service Agency, 95 to 96 percent of Minnesota farmers would not have seen a profit last year if it hadn't been for government payments.
"These farmers and their counterparts across the state lack the marketing expertise and distribution networks they need to get their products to consumers," Otremba said. "If anything, the University needs to be putting more resources into sustainable agriculture, rather than cutting the MISA budget. We believe the University and its extension service need to quickly develop these kinds of marketing systems."
Rep. Ted Winter agreed. "In our discussion with Dr. Muscoplat and in our letter to him, we spoke of our concern that the current system for producing and marketing organic and sustainably-produced products is not meeting the growing consumer demand," Winter said. "There are folks in the state who are willing to pay premium prices for these products but have nowhere to buy them. Instead they end up buying organic products from other states when they would rather be supporting sustainable agriculture in Minnesota."
Other signers of the letter were Reps. Phyllis Kahn, Minneapolis; Henry Kalis, Walters; Doug Peterson, Madison; Steve Trimble, St. Paul; and Jean Wagenius, Minneapolis.:
