Testimony to the Agriculture and Rural Economics Committee

Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on February 20, 2012

Last February 14th, Senator Julie A. Rosen of Senate District 24 introduced S.F. No. 1713 -Immigrant and Minority Microloan program to the Agriculture and Rural Economics committee. I was invited to testify on behalf of this bill and I am happy to report that it passed the committee unanimously.

This bill is part of the work that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has been doing to respond to the increasing demand for services, especially financial services to bridge the gap between aspiring immigrant and minority farmers who can’t access conventional lending to get started on their farming dreams.

Although our organization is working hard to build infrastructure that can deliver financing to the farmers we work with, the challenge is really overwhelming when we look at the larger landscape of opportunity to bring alternative economic development opportunities to our rural communities. This bill is a very important step in a process of building a culture of support, tolerance, and diversity. It is especially a step towards removing structural barriers that keep promising agriculture entrepreneurs from contributing their full potential to our rural and urban food and agriculture landscape.

Along with me, Ly Vang of the Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minnesota, and Susan Stokes of the Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG) in St. Paul also testified on behalf of this bill.