Klobuchar was on a trip through southern Minnesota to discuss the 2012 Farm Bill

By Tom Merchant for Sentinel Tribune

WESTBROOK, Minnesota (STPNS) --     Westbrook  —  Last week Senator Klobuchar stopped for a visit to the Merlyn Hubin farm on Monday. The stop was the last visit of the day for her.

Sunday, the day before Klobuchar made a visit to the Paap family farm at Garden City. Monday morning she stopped for a tour of the Lunz family farm near Fairmont. She then traveled to St. James to tour South Central  Electric Co-op.  She then traveled to Jackson, where she was given  a tour of Agco “Intivity” Center at the Agco Manufacturing plant.

Her final stop of the day was at the Merlyn Hubin farm near Westbrook.

Merlyn Hubin talked to Klobuchar introducing several of his family members and giving some history to the family farm operation, which he and his brother Marlo currently operate. The roots of the farm goes back to  their great grandparents who originally homesteaded the farms.

Klobuchar told them she is trying to get the Farm Bill into conference so action can be taken on it. She noted the Senate has passed their version of the bill with bipartisan support. She also said if the bill does not get done they will have to try getting an extension of the  current Farm Bill. She also noted one of the problems with that is that some of the critical programs in the bill have already expired.

She also talked about the disparity between Big Oil and Ethanol subsidies. Noting that the 60 billion dollar ten year  subside for Ethanol has expired. But Big Oil companies continue to get their 40 billion dollar 10 year subside.

The group also touched on questions about  Medicare and Social Security. Klobuchar said she would  continue working to get the Farm Bill passed, and seeing that Medicare and Social Security continue to be funded.