Al visited Morton for a local DFL fundraising event and sat down with Rae Kruger from the Marshall Independent while he was in town. He talked about the farm bill and the support he’s finding in rural Minnesota.

Turnout in cities such as Crookston, Fergus Falls, Wadena, Esko and other communities has been good.

“I feel like I’m someone very well-versed in public policy,” Franken said of being more than a personality from talk radio and as a former writer and actor with Saturday Night Live.

And when people from rural areas like Redwood Falls and District 21 meet him they learn he’s personable and knowledgeable, Franken said.

Rural Minnesota is now riding highs for corn, beans and other crops, but legislators in Washington, D.C., have not yet passed a farm bill.

Franken said today’s prices are impacted by several factors, including the demand for crops used in renewable energy. Other areas that raise crops have experienced drought, he said.

“The world demand for feed for livestock is up because of the middle class emerging in China,” Franken said.

Drought will pass in some areas, but demands from the middle class in China won’t, he said.

But prices rise and fall in cycles, and “that’s why we have the farm bill, that’s why we have the safety net,” Franken said.

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