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Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs

SEVENTH MEETING

2007-2008 Regular Session - Monday, February 12, 2007

STATE OF MINNESOTA SEVENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION

AGRICULTURE, RURAL ECONOMIES AND VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

MINUTES


Representative Otremba, Chair of the Committee, called the meeting to order at 2:20 P.M. on, February 12, 2007, in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members present:

OTREMBA, Chair HOSCH
FAUST, Vice-Chair HEIDGERKEN
HAMILTON, IR Lead JUHNKE
BROWN MORROW
DOTY SHIMANSKI
EKEN URDAHL
FINSTAD


A quorum was present.

Rep. Shimanski moved approval of the minutes from February 7, 2007.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE MINUTES WERE ADOPTED.

The committee heard discussion on Sustainable Agriculture and Organics in Minnesota

Mr. Paul Burns, Assistant Director, Resources Management and Development Division, Department of Agriculture spoke about a publication, "Greenbook 2006", distributed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, on sustainable agriculture.

Ms. Meg Moynihan, Agricultural Resources Management and Development Division, Minnesota Department of Agriculture presented the status of organic agriculture in Minnesota.

Ms Helene Murray, Executive Director, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture gave the committee an overview of the institute.

Mr. Thom Petersen, Chair, and Mr. Jim Riddle, Member, State Organic Advisory Task Force presented brief overview of the task force and practices to improve organic agriculture.

Mr. Jim Falk, Land Stewardship Project, Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy presented history of his farm and their unique situation

Representative Tim Faust moved HF 710 (Peterson, A.) Sustainable Agriculture demonstration grants provided, and money appropriated.

Representative Ken Tschumper, Minnesota House of Representatives presented HF 710 to the Committee for Representative Aaron Peterson Chief Author, who had to present a bill in another committee.

Speaking in favor of HF 710 were the following:

Mr. Bobby King, Land Stewardship Project
Ms. Loretta Jaus, Land Stewardship Project, Organic Dairy farmer, Gibbon, MN
Ms. Diane Jensen, Minnesota Project


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SEVENTH Meeting
February 12, 2007



Representative Faust renewed the motion that HF 710 be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Finance with the recommended re-referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veteran Affairs.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Chair Otremba referred the following House Files to the Division of Veteran Affairs.

HF 533 (Lieder) relating to veterans; providing tuition assistance for military veterans and their surviving spouses and children at public colleges and universities; providing for tuition and fee reimbursement for military veterans and their surviving spouses and children at public colleges and universities; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 197,

The meeting was adjourned at 3:48 P.M.



_______________________________________
REP. MARY ELLEN OTREMBA, Chair



_______________________________________
Mary M. Larson, Committee Legislative Assistant
More Info On This Meeting..

Day One: Discussion on sustainable agriculture and organics in Minnesota
HF 710 (Peterson, A.) Sustainable agriculture demonstration grants provided, and money appropriated.