MORGAN, Minn. — At the Minnesota Farmfest forum, U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach and Erik Osberg, the DFL-endorsed challenger for Minnesota’s 7th District, agreed farmers want stability, then spent the next hour contesting what threatens it during a candidate session at the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center on the Gilfillan Estate.
Fischbach, R-Regal, and Osberg of Wadena split sharply over tariffs, trade, and a proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture reorganization as they joined candidates from the 6th and 8th districts in a Q&A moderated by Don Wick of the Red River Farm Network. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, and DFL-endorsed challenger Trina Swanson represented the 8th District, while Democrat Doug Chapin appeared for the 6th. Rep. Tom Emmer, the 6th District incumbent, did not attend. Fischbach told the audience he regretted missing it.
The 6th, 7th, and 8th district session was the second congressional forum Tuesday. An earlier panel featured candidates from the 1st and 2nd districts. Farmfest opened Tuesday and runs through Thursday, with candidate forums typically drawing strong crowds in election years. Sessions with candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate were slated for Thursday along with an Ag Outlook Forum.
Minnesota Farmfest forum debate centers on payments and tariffs
The exchanges began with a question on recurring ad hoc farm payments. Fischbach said Congress should “provide more stability and more clarity” and argued producers prefer strong markets to government checks. Osberg called the bridge payments “throwing billions of dollars at a problem” and urged a long-term approach.
Turning to tariffs, Osberg said stability would improve if Congress reasserted authority over what he called “unconstitutional tariffs,” referencing measures imposed by President Donald Trump on various trading partners. When Fischbach, a member of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee, defended the tariffs as negotiating leverage, a front-row attendee booed. She said there have been “20 agreements” on trade signed under the current administration and that agriculture is usually a beneficiary. Osberg disputed the benefit, asking why, if tariffs helped, the Supreme Court created a “$160 billion refund” for importers. He cited Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which vests control of commerce with Congress.
USMCA review and reliability as a trade partner
On the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which the administration has decided not to extend, Fischbach pointed to her role engaging with Julie Callahan, the U.S. chief agricultural negotiator, and said talks with Mexico were going “very well.” She said negotiators are assessing the USMCA framework and areas for improvement.
Osberg pressed the reliability question, asking whether the United States is a dependable trade partner. He quoted a young farmer from a committee he convenes who said he would not run his farm the way the country is being run now.
USDA reorganization draws contrasting views
The candidates also differed on USDA’s plan to move staff from Washington, D.C., to regional hubs. Osberg, citing local food producers he said have waited three years to be approved to accept food stamps, described the effort as “chaos and uncertainty and dysfunction.”
Fischbach disagreed and pointed to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ appearance at Farmfest earlier in the day as evidence of transparency. She said Rollins was meeting with farmers and listening to people on the ground.
Areas of agreement and closing pitches
Both candidates aligned on California’s Proposition 12, saying another state should not dictate Minnesota’s livestock standards. In closing, Fischbach highlighted her record on estate tax relief, crop insurance changes, and year-round E15. Osberg closed by asking, “Are farmers better off today than they were two years ago?”
Osberg faces an Aug. 11 DFL primary. Fischbach secured the GOP endorsement in April.