Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach was in Crookston on July 8, where she met with her Agriculture Advisory Committee and the leadership team at 4H2.
At the roundtable, members of the agriculture industry discussed pressing priorities, including rising input costs, the critical need for the Senate to pass the House-passed Farm Bill, and agricultural labor shortages. Rep. Fischbach shared that she recently joined Chairman GT Thompson as an original cosponsor of the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, a producer-backed bill designed to cut federal red tape and modernize the H-2A program by providing labor flexibility and financial predictability for local operations. Producers also discussed how severe state-level overregulation by the governor and attorney general has put Minnesota deer farmers under assault, placing local operations at a competitive disadvantage compared to those in surrounding states. Additionally, growers expressed gratitude for her leadership on a Section 301 investigation letter concerning the sugarbeet industry.
The Congresswoman also visited 4H2 to view their cutting-edge direct ethanol fuel cell technology, which generates electricity without combustion, unlocking new markets for the ethanol industry across the transportation, portable power, and defense sectors. Rep. Fischbach reaffirmed her commitment to next-generation biofuel tech, highlighting her ongoing push for clear 45Z guidelines.
