It’s an election year, and farmers will have the opportunity to hear from candidates at this year’s annual Farmfest, held Aug. 7-9 on the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County near Morgan, Minn.

The panels include candidates for Minnesota governor, two U.S. Senate seats, and for Minnesota’s 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th congressional districts.

The panels are:

• Minnesota Governor Candidate’s Forum, Aug. 8, 10:30 a.m. This will feature the five major candidates in Minnesota’s open gubernatorial race. Confirmed candidates include two Republican candidates: former Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, the endorsed GOP candidate. Also confirmed to attend are three DFL candidates, including Rep. Tim Walz; Attorney General Lori Swanson; and state Rep. Erin Murphy, the endorsed DFL candidate.

The event will be broadcast live on WCCO radio, and candidate questions will be asked by WCCO morning show hosts Dave Lee and Blois Olson. The questions will be derived from various agriculture and rural leaders and will focus on variety of issues affecting the agriculture industry and rural Minnesota.

• Two U.S. Senate Candidate Forums. The first forum is at 10:30 a.m. Aug 7 and will feature incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, along with her challengers — Republican state Sen. Karin Housley and DFL candidate Richard Painter. The second forum is at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 9, with incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar participating as well as her challenger, Republican state Rep. Jim Newberger. All major U.S. Senate candidates are confirmed to participate in the Farmfest forums. A panel of agriculture media representatives and leaders of farm organizations will pose questions to the candidates on a variety of issues affecting farmers and rural families.

• Congressional Candidates’ Forum on Agriculture and Rural Issues, Aug. 7, 1:15 p.m. The following Congressional candidates from Minnesota’s 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th congressional districts are confirmed to participate in the forum: 7th Congressional District Rep. Collin Peterson (DFL), and his challenger Dave Hughes (R); 6th Congressional District Rep. Tom Emmer (R) and his challenger Ian Todd (DFL); 1st Congressional District candidates Jim Hagedorn (R), state Sen. Carla Nelson (R) and Dan Feehan (D); and 2nd Congressional District candidate Angie Craig (D). Second Congressional District Rep. Jason Lewis has also been invited to participate. Moderators will pose questions to the candidates on a variety of issues affecting agriculture and rural communities, which will originate from agriculture leaders representing various farm organizations and commodity groups.

Additional informational and educational forums include:

• Aug. 7, 9 a.m. “World Trade and Its Impact on U.S. Supply and Demand,” featuring Kent Beadle, director of risk consulting for CHS Hedging.

• Aug. 8, 1:15 p.m. “Protecting Minnesota’s Water Resources: Public Concern and Landowner Implications.” The panel includes Tom Landwehr, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources commissioner; Warren Formo, executive director of the Minnesota Ag Water Resource Coalition; state Sen. Bill Weber; Thom Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union government relations director; and Amber Hanson Glaeser, Minnesota Farm Bureau director of public policy. The forum will focus on a variety of water quality issues, possible solutions, and potential legislation that could affect farmers and landowners.

• Aug. 8, 3 p.m. “Answering Your B20 Questions Before Harvest.” Panel members include state Rep. Paul Anderson; Mike Youngerberg of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association; and Ron Jessen, a CHS diesel fuel expert.

• Aug. 9, 9 a.m. “Resources for Farm Families in Challenging Times.” Panel members will be featured from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Founded in 1982, Farmfest has been a summer destination for Upper Midwest farmers for more than 30 years. The show moved to its current location on the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County, Minn., in 1994 and offers nearly 50 acres of exhibiting land. The event traditionally connects more than 30,000 attendees with over 500 local and national companies for three days of education, political forums, field demonstrations and networking.

For more information on Farmfest, visit ideaggroup.com/farmfest.

Source: Farmfest