Bankruptcy law is very complex, so it is important that farm operators, grain elevators and other businesses affected by the VeraSun bankruptcy seek proper legal advice on these issues. Those affected should continue to follow developments and make sure that they have adequate legal representation regarding the bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy filing by VeraSun has no impact on any other ethanol plants in Minnesota, Iowa or any other states.

Rural Legislative Forum
Who will produce our food in the future? Who will buy it and who will control it? These are key questions that will highlight the 26th annual Rural Legislative Forum on Friday, Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Central College Conference Center, 1920 Lee Blvd., North Mankato, MN. The theme of the forum is: World Food Issues: The Contribution of Minnesota’s Agriculture Industry. Steve Taff, University of Minnesota agricultural economist, will be the keynote speaker at the forum. The response panel will feature Newell Searle, vice president of Second Harvest Heartland; Joel Rabbe, CEO and owner of Rabbe Farms, LLC at Ormsby, MN; Willis Anthony, farm operator from St. Peter, MN; and John Story, retail meat industry consultant from Mankato, MN. The afternoon session will include several state legislators from south-central Minnesota discussing the upcoming state legislative session.

Registration for the Forum is $15/person in advance, and pre-registration is requested by Wednesday, Dec. 3. Cost is $20 at the event, without pre-registration. The registration fee includes the noon lunch and all printed materials. To register, or for more information about the forum, contact the Blue Earth County Extension Office by phone at 507-304-4325 or by e-mail at: Mnext-blueearth@umn.edu

Editor’s note: Kent Thiesse is a former University of Minnesota Extension educator and now is Vice President of MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal, MN. You can contact him at 507-726-2137 or via e-mail at kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com.