The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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October 28, 2010

Our View: Agriculture key to local economy

The Free Press

— Often times the economic development conversation for the Mankato region focuses on manufacturing, heath care, education or retail trade, and farming, while important, is sometimes not given as much attention.

We’re sure it isn’t intentional. Most of us don’t see agriculture every day like we do a retail store or a health care facility. And most of us may assume the independent farmer doesn’t need help in economic development.

But clearly, the Mankato region benefits from agriculture and the agriprocessing industries. And the recent boom in farm prices is providing a significant buffer against an overall economy still suffering the effects of a recession. It’s worth making sure we’re connecting with those who farm or are in agricultural industries.

The latest report on the local economy from The Free Press Media’s Minnesota Valley Business magazine shows a booming farm economy that is helping the region’s overall economic outlook. Local corn prices are up almost 39 percent from a year ago; soybean prices are up 16 percent; hog prices are up 28 percent and milk prices are up nearly 36 percent. Farmland value is holding steady at a near record high $5,000 per acre. Cash farmland rents are rising as well.

A report to the Minnesota Legislature in 2009 showed one of every five jobs in the state could be attributed to agriculture either directly or indirectly. That would mean 10,000 of the 50,000 or so jobs we have in Mankato and North Mankato would be connected to agriculture.

There are 1,574 farms in Blue Earth and Nicollet County that sold $564 million worth of products, according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture. That amounts to about 13.5 percent of the $4 billion worth of products every business in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties sold in the same year.

So economic development strategies in the region must focus as much on agriculture as they do on manufacturing or retail.

Economic development strategies that help agriculture include having good roads to truck commodities to market. They might include state and local coordination of regulations and permitting that is quick for farmers wanting to expand while protecting the public’s overall general interest. They might even include something as seemingly arcane as quick settlements on ditch disputes at the county level.

As various city, county and state economic development efforts go forward, we shouldn’t forget about asking farmers how we can help them succeed.

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Obituaries
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  • Grinols, Donna 52712.jpg Donna M. Grinols

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    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Today's Services (5/27/2012)

    Sunday, May 27, 2012.

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  • Joecks,_Kenneth 0526.jpg Kenneth Willard Joecks

    Kenneth Willard Joecks, age 81 of Waseca died on Friday, May 25, 2012 at the Colony Court Memory Care and Suites.

    May 25, 2012 1 Photo

  • Today's services, Saturday, May 26, 2012

    Today's services, Saturday, May 26, 2012

    May 25, 2012

  • Hanel,_James_0525.jpg James D. Hanel

    James Hanel, age 66 of Mankato, died Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at his home in Mankato.

    May 24, 2012 1 Photo

  • pischke,_roland0524.jpg Roland A. Pischke

    Roland A. Pischke, 84, of Mankato, passed away at Oaklawn Nursing Home surrounded by his family Tuesday, May 22, 2012.

    May 23, 2012 1 Photo

  • Mae Laingen 0524.jpg Mae Laingen

    Mae Laingen, of Madelia, died on Monday, May 21, 2012, at Mayo Clinic Health System-Mankato.

    May 23, 2012 1 Photo

  • Lewis,_Daniel-0523.jpg Danny Lewis

    Danny Lewis, age 80 of Lake Crystal, died Monday, May 21, 2012 at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester.

    May 22, 2012 1 Photo

  • ruth_hinnenthal_0522.jpg Ruth Hinnenthal

    Ruth Hinnenthal, 94, of Belle Plaine, formerly of New Ulm, died Saturday, May 19, 2012 at the Belle Plaine Lutheran Home in Belle Plaine.

    May 21, 2012 1 Photo