More data is needed on thousands of "micro-farmers" for them to possibly qualify for government assistance.
Welcome to Tuesday, Aug. 17. It'll be sunny and humid today with highs in the 90s in northwest Minnesota, mid-80s for the southeastern part of the state. Rain finds us later this week.
Here's what we're watching:
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Teng Yang and his wife Amphon Thor grow vegetables on 9 acres of land outside of St. Paul. | Mark Zdechlik, MPR News
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There are probably thousands of small farmers — known as micro-farmers — in Minnesota, and probably hundreds of them are Hmong, but no one knows the exact numbers. And while the governor plans to direct some money toward Minnesota farmers and ranchers facing drought, small farmers aren't currently included in government assistance programs.
That could change, though, if the efforts underway to quantify small farming in Minnesota are successful. Minnesota Farmers' Market Association Executive Director Kathy Zeman said she and others are hoping that more information about the scope of small farming in the state will inspire agriculture officials to help out small farmers, too.
Meet some of Minnesota's micro-farmers.
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Jennifer Carnahan, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, spoke to a crowd during a gun rights rally in April 2018. | Liam James Doyle for MPR News 2018
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Amid growing calls for her resignation, Minnesota Republican Party Chair Jennifer Carnahan challenged other GOP leaders to hold a vote on her position after a series of events that have roiled the party and could hamper it moving forward.
In a lengthy and often blistering letter Monday to party activists, Carnahan said she wants a vote of confidence or no confidence to be held soon.
A meeting set for Thursday could include other discussions of fallout from the sex-trafficking indictment of major GOP donor Anton Lazzaro and College Republican chapter Chair Gisela Castro Medina. Carnahan and Lazzaro have had a close friendship and professional connections.
Get the full story from Brian Bakst.
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| Local veterans and Afghans react |
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The Greenwood Fire in northeastern Minnesota continues to grow and is threatening area cabins, including Mike Furtman's. He is one of dozens of cabin and homeowners forced to evacuate their properties. [More from Dan Kraker]
Minnesota is extending its $100 vaccine reward program for people who got their shots by another week. Any Minnesotan age 12 and older who gets their first shot through Sunday can claim a $100 Visa gift card at mn.gov/covid19/100. [More from the Associated Press]
State hospitals were treating 411 COVID patients as of Friday — the highest number of patients hospitalized with COVID since mid-May. That's up from 90 in mid-July. [More from the Associated Press]
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