In a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack, the governor asked to allow farmers to graze their animals on the state’s CRP acres.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota has been missing the rain this year, and much of the burden caused by dry weather falls on our farmers. On Thursday, Governor Tim Walz reached out to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking relief.
The governor’s letter, addressed to Secretary Tom Vilsack, asked for permission for famers to graze their herds and cut hay from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in areas that are experiencing Level D2 or greater drought conditions.
This land is normally set aside from production and planting to improve the environment, according to the Farm Service Agency. Continue reading.