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Minnesota ag coalition challenges lawsuit against MSPCA and MDA

A coalition of Minnesota ag groups opposes litigation they say targets farmers in the state.

Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association executive director Kaitlyn Root says three environmental activist organizations claim the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Agriculture have not adopted sufficient rules to protect ground and surface water from nitrates in the southeast Minnesota Karst and Central Sands Regions.

“And the litigation seeks to force the state agencies to rewrite existing regulations on farming practices.”

She tells Brownfield the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association joined eight other ag organizations in filing a request to intervene last week.

“We decided to intervene to ensure that our members’ voices are heard on this topic and so that we can properly advocate for the good work farmers and ranchers do to protect the soil and water from contamination (and) remind the court that farmers and ranchers want clean water too because their families drink this water as well.”

Root says it’s unclear what the next steps will be in the legal process.

The farmer organizations that have joined to file the motion challenging the litigation include MSCA, the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, Minnesota Farm Bureau, and the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.