b"Minnesota Senator Tina Smith Visits The ValleyMinnesota'sSenatorTinaSmith The ongoing trade war with China issue. She said in 2013 a very goodtouredtheNorthernpartofthe isaseriousconcernwithgrowers. bi-partisan immigration reform billstate last week which included stops Somefeartherehasalreadybeen was passed in the Senate but died inat East Grand Forks, Crookston and long-termdamagedonethatwill theHouse.ShewouldliketoseeHallock, Minnesota. makeitextremelydifficultforthe that bill revived.next generation to stay on the farm.TheHallockstopwasspecifically Manygrowersareworriedabout KittsonCountypotatogrowerfocusedonfarmissues.Northern theirownabilitytomeettheir Justin Dagen asked Smith if she hadPlainsPotatoGrowersAssociation financial obligations should things had a chance to meet or work withwasinvitedalongwithKittson continueliketheyareformuch CollinPeterson,the7thDistrict'sCountyareaproducersandother longer. RepresentativeintheU.S.House.commodity representatives. Dagen added that Peterson has beenSmithsaidsheisveryfrustrated astrongandinfluentialvoiceforFarandawaythemostpressing with the lack of urgency on the part farmers. Smith said that she has mettopic was the struggling farm econ- ofPresidentTrumptogettrade with Peterson and she anticipated aomy and the need to get trade deals deals wrapped up. good working relationship with thedone;especiallywithChinaand Congressman.NorthAmericantradepartners SmithalsosaidthatimmigrationCanada and Mexico. issues need to stop being a political30 POTATO GROWER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019"