Minnesota Farmers Union to recap legislative session in Fergus Falls

Minnesota Farmers Union will bring its Northwest Minnesota legislative session recap to Fergus Falls next week, giving Otter Tail County farmers and rural residents a chance to hear how decisions made in St. Paul could reach local barns, clinics and household budgets. Government Relations Director Stu Lourey will speak from 12 to 1 p.m. June 23 in the Fergus Falls Public Library Community Room.

The stop lands in a county where agriculture still shapes daily life. Otter Tail County had an estimated 61,041 residents in July 2025, covers 1,971.6 square miles of land area and ranks as Minnesota’s seventh-largest county by total area. The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 2,497 farms and 771,000 acres of farmland there, a reminder that state policy on labor, transport, land use and animal health can quickly become a local issue.

One of the most immediate topics is veterinary access. Minnesota Farmers Union has pushed for years to address the rural vet shortage, and Brittney Johnson has tied the issue to the kind of practical problems farm families face when animals need care fast. The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine says the shortage is already leading to longer waits for appointments and longer drives to reach care, which can be especially costly in a livestock-heavy county like Otter Tail.

That concern now has a new legislative angle. The Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine said Gov. Tim Walz signed HF 3718, calling it the most significant update to Minnesota’s veterinary regulatory framework in decades. The new provisions take effect July 1, 2026, and state rules updated during the 2026 session clarify licensed veterinary technician practice and direct supervision requirements. MFU said licensed veterinary technicians will be able to assist in emergencies when a veterinarian is not available, a change that could matter on farms where a delayed call can mean lost time and added expense.

The Fergus Falls meeting is also tied to MFU’s broader county organizing. The Otter Tail County Farmers Union annual convention is set for 6:30 p.m. July 31 at Shoreline Restaurant and Bar, 505 N. Lake Ave., Battle Lake. Shoreline says it has been open since 1949, making it a familiar gathering place for a countywide civic meeting.

MFU says county annual meetings are meant to gather community input, build local ties and bring forth resolutions that guide its work. For people in Otter Tail County, the most useful questions at the library may be simple ones: how will the new veterinary rules affect local clinics and emergency care, what other session decisions could change operating costs for farms, and which state changes will show up first in rural homes and businesses.