Minnesota Agencies

The committee is tasked with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by coordinating resources and outreach for the 2021 growing, harvesting, and processing season; supporting and assisting the Minnesota Department of Health, local public health departments, and community organizations with the coordination of the COVID-19 response; designing a proactive strategy and plan to effectively deploy public, private, and non-profit compliance resources to protect and promote the safety, health, and wellbeing of agricultural and food processing workers; developing a system for effective communication between state agencies, community organizations, advocacy groups, and agricultural and food processing employers and workers; providing government agencies, community organizations, advocacy groups, employer and worker organizations, employers, and workers a forum to engage, collect and analyze data and information, coordinate resources, and plan for future agricultural growing, food production, and processing seasons. Identify and engage leaders, experts, practitioners, and representatives of employers and workers who can inform discussion of strategies and plans necessary to achieve the committee’s objectives.

The committee will direct, oversee, and implement stakeholder engagement, focusing on the engagement of agricultural and food processing workers and employers necessary to implement the committee’s objectives; and communicate recommendations within member networks, organizations, and associations.

The committee will submit regular reports to the Governor, at frequencies determined by the co-chairs, that provide updates on progress toward achieving the committee’s objectives. By August 1, 2021, it will submit a written report to the Governor that sets out how the committee’s objectives will be achieved. By December 1, 2021, the committee will provide recommendations for state policy and legislative changes to relevant state agencies, to be considered for communication to the Governor’s Office for inclusion in budget and policy proposals.

Governor Tim Walz described the impetus for starting this committee in a press release: “Agriculture and food processing are foundational to Minnesota’s economy, and yet, workers in these industries face immense challenges, particularly regarding workplace safety, employment protections, and access to safe housing, health care, and transportation. We all share responsibility for addressing these challenges, and I am grateful to the leaders from across the state who stepped up to serve on this committee.”

The committee will meet at least twice per month and more often as necessary.

Members of the committee are:

• The Commissioners of the following state agencies or their designees: Department of Agriculture; Department of Employment and Economic Development; Department of Health; Department of Labor and Industry
• United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663, Director of Organizing
• United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189, President
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, AWP Project Manager
• Unidos MN, Executive Director
• HACER, Executive Director
• Minnesota Farm Bureau, President
• Minnesota AgriGrowth Council, Executive Director
• Minnesota Farmers Union, President
• Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Community Health Services, CHS Administrator
• Southwest/West Central Community Health Board, Waseca County Public Health Director
• Community Health Service, Inc., Executive Director

The Commissioners of Agriculture and Employment and Economic Development, or their designees, will serve as the committee co-chairs. Representatives of state agencies designated to serve on the committee must have expertise and experience necessary to assist in the accomplishment of the committee's objectives and will have the support of, and be accountable to, to their respective commissioners.