Washington, DC – Olsen Custom Farms (OCF) in Hendricks, Minnesota, has been awarded $600,000 from the USDA's Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection (FLSP) funds. This grant is part of a $50 million initiative to support several Minnesota businesses, with nearly $2 million allocated to six entities within the state. OCF, a custom farming operation that provides crop harvesting services nationwide, received the largest share of the Minnesota funds. The company is known for its commitment to open communication and safe working conditions. The USDA grant will enable OCF to enhance worker pay and benefits, including bonus payments and a weekly housing [...]

Sioux Falls, SD – The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for parts of northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and South Dakota, effective from 8 PM CDT this evening through Friday morning. Affected Areas: Northwest Iowa: Lyon County Southwest Minnesota: Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock Counties South Dakota: Aurora, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Hanson, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Turner, Yankton Counties Forecast: Heavy rainfall, with expected totals of 1 to 2 inches and localized amounts up to 3 to 4 inches, may cause flash flooding. This will particularly [...]

MARSHALL – On Wednesday, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach visited the Marshall Radio studios to provide updates on her efforts and those of her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives. She highlighted her “Investing in Rural America” provision in the farm bill, emphasizing its potential benefits for rural communities. “This provision helps us incentivize and attract more capital to rural areas. We need this capital to build essential infrastructure like hospitals and daycare centers,” said Fischbach. While the farm bill has faced delays, which have frustrated both farmers and legislators, Fischbach praised the contributions of GT Thompson. She noted that his Q&A [...]

SAINT PAUL – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $50 million to 141 recipients across 40 states and Puerto Rico through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program). This funding will benefit 177 unique agricultural operations and over 11,000 workers, aiming to enhance the resilience of the U.S. food supply chain by addressing labor challenges, strengthening protections for farmworkers, and expanding legal pathways for labor migration. “These awards will largely support small and mid-sized farms to ensure they can hire and retain the workers they need to be competitive in [...]

MARSHALL -- The United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) has announced a grant of $27,500 from the U.S. Bank Foundation. This funding will support the Imagination Library program, which provides free books to children, fostering early childhood literacy and education. In addition to the foundation's grant, UWSWMN also benefited from contributions made by U.S. Bank employees through the company's employee giving campaign. UWSWMN expressed gratitude for the ongoing partnership and support from U.S. Bank and its foundation. UWSWMN is dedicated to improving health, education, financial stability, hunger, and safety in the community. The organization works tirelessly to ensure every community member [...]

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting nominations for farmers and ranchers to serve on local FSA county committees. These committees play a crucial role in administering federal farm programs at the local level. Nomination forms for the 2024 election must be submitted to local FSA offices by August 1, 2024. Serving on an FSA county committee offers producers a chance to represent their interests and influence policy implementation. Elections will begin in November for certain Local Administrative Areas (LAAs), which can cover single or multiple counties and may include urban or suburban [...]

MARSHALL — The City of Marshall invites everyone to celebrate Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day,” commemorating the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, which marks the end of slavery in the United States.  Throughout June, the Marshall-Lyon County Library will host the Diane and Alan Page Collection "Testify: Americana from Slavery to Today," an exhibit featuring art and artifacts from the slavery and Jim Crow eras. Additionally, the library will present a story walk with books themed around Juneteenth.  On June 19, festivities will include a Family Summer Reading Program with Juneteenth stories and activities at [...]

DANUBE – Two people are dead, and several others were injured following a collision on Thursday in Renville County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. At approximately 3:57 Thursday afternoon, a 2011 Ford Taurus and a 2024 International Straight Truck were both traveling eastbound on Highway 212. Near mile marker 72, the vehicles collided.  The driver of the Ford, 55-year-old Ricardo Baraja Cantu of Danube and one of his passengers, an eight-year-old girl, died from injuries sustained in the accident. A seven-year-old boy sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to HCMC. Two more passengers, 26-year-old Brandee C Lugo of Renville, and [...]

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz has announced that Minnesota will receive funding to finance Bioforge Marshall LLC, a 500,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility in Marshall. The facility, owned by climate technology company Solugen, will use Minnesota-grown corn to produce chemicals typically derived from oil, significantly reducing carbon emissions.  The project is backed by a $213.6 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, marking the largest U.S. government investment in bioindustrial manufacturing since an Executive Order promoting biotechnology and biomanufacturing. An additional $15 million will come from the Minnesota Forward Fund, which aims to invest $400 million in [...]