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Minnesota Ag Commissioner pleased with Census formula

Minnesota Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen is pleased with changes to the USDA Ag Census.

“(USDA) is really concentrating on new and beginning farmers, producers with military service, breakdowns of how many women are farming. That continues to grow and increase.”

He tells Brownfield census data also showed many farmers still lack sufficient internet access.

“I think there are a lot of new things they’re looking at that’ll help us eventually be able to look at some trends. And I think that is very helpful.”

The 2017 Ag Census was the first to allow operations to list more than one principal operator, which likely contributed to a 27 percent increase in female producers.