Leaders are always needed in agriculture, and SW Minnesota State has teamed up with other agricultural groups across the state, to form the Minnesota Ag and Rural Leadership Program or MARL, in order to grow new ag leaders. Brad Schloesser (SHLOSS-er) of MARL tells us more about this organization. 

Each year, MARL has a class go through the program, and Schloesser says this year they have a very diverse group of agricultural producers, and services.

Schloeser also shares what a MARL class typically does throughout the year. 

You can learn more about the MARL by going to their website.

By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | Monday, December 16 2025

ROSEAU, Minn. – The annual Nights of Lights at the Farm runs Dec 19 thr.ough the Dec. 27 at the Pioneer Farm west of Roseau on Highway Eleven. The holiday light display is open nightly from five to eight p.m., with special events scheduled most evenings. Activities include visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, live music, wagon rides, and meal fundraisers hosted by local organizations. 

Dec. 24 through Dec. 26 will be drive-through nights only. A full schedule of events is available at GoRoseau.com

By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | Monday, December 16 2025

WARROAD, Minn. – Work is now underway on Warroad’s Riverbend Skate Path, the longest skate path in the U.S. at over 5 miles. Crews are facing tough conditions, including slush, open water, and rough ice, so ATVs are being used to carve the initial route, with work continuing overnight. With warmer temperatures expected, organizers ask everyone to stay off the path so the ice can set properly. The Riverbend Skate Path, started by neighbors during COVID-19, connects backyard rinks along the Warroad River and features lights, fire pits, warming huts, and skate rentals at Doc’s Harbor Inn. Popular for skating, broomball, snowshoeing, and more, portions of the path may open this weekend, weather permitting. Follow The Warroad Riverbend Skate Path on Facebook for updates.

Minnesota is extending a licensing pause to adult day care centers, citing more provider capacity than current and projected demand. The Department of Human Services says the two-year pause is expected to run from February first of 2026 through January thirty-first of 2028. During that time, the state will stop accepting new adult day center license applications and cancel those already pending. Officials say the move will free up resources to focus on oversight of existing providers and help prevent fraud. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Human Services website.

The staff at Lake Bemidji State Park have multiple events and programming planned throughout the rest of the month. Lake Bemidji State Park Lead Naturalist Christa Drake has the details.

Drake says they have also introduced a new activity at the park called Naturalist in a Nook. 

More information about events and programs at Itasca State Park can be seen on the park’s webpage on the Minnesota DNR website.

Earlier this year President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, which included legislation that will help agricultural producers in 2026. R&J Ag Reporter Nick Revier had the opportunity to catch up with Ag Country Farm Credit Service’s VP of Legislative Affairs Andy Martin, who talks more about the bill, and some of the legislation that will help farmers.

While there are some helpful items in the  “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, Martin says the bill did do some damage to the coalition that has typically helped pass a Farm Bill. 

With the one year extension to the current farm bill , agricultural lobbyists will be hard at work trying to get a bill passed next year. That full story is available on kq92.com.

Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach for Minnesota District 7 including Roseau County announced Friday she is co-sponsoring the SNAP Data Transparency and Oversight Act, to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and ensure critical resources are preserved for vulnerable families.

• Federal checks identified transactions where recipients were spending more than $10,000, highlighting an immediate need for transaction monitoring and accountability.
• Data compiled by the USDA from compliant states revealed rampant fraud, including 186,000 deceased individuals still receiving benefits and 355,000 dually enrolled recipients, who are taking resources from multiple states or programs.

Fischbach said “The sheer scale of incompetence and obstruction in Minnesota’s SNAP program is unacceptable. It’s time Governor Walz is held accountable for hurting the families that rely on this program”.

Congress has once again extended the 2018 Farm Bill for another year, and this is expected to have a major effect on the passage of future farm bills, and other ag legislation.  National Federation of Farmer Cooperatives CEO Chuck Conner tells us what the extension could mean for a new farm bill in 2026, which would also coincide with the 2026 midterm election.

Ag legislation was split between Congress’s “Skinny Farm Bill” and President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” this past year, and Connor says this unconventional way of passing ag legislation also complicates things.

It’s no secret that the current environment in Congress is chaotic, and Connor tells us what this could mean for 2026, as well as how the environment is different from past years. 

For more agricultural news go to the Farm News webpage at rjbroadcasting.com.

Audio from the Red River Farm Network

A DFL challenger has emerged for Minnesota State Senator Mark Johnson’s seat in St. Paul. Bjorn Solberg, a businessman from Halstad recently announced his run for the Senate District 1 seat. Solberg tells R&J News what he would bring to the Senate.

Solberg says he’s also interested in the mental health of farmers.

Solberg will challenge Senator Johnson in the upcoming 2026 election.

The State of Minnesota has been expanding its Agricultural Weather Network over the last couple years, and local agricultural producers are seeing the benefits of this investment. Stefan Bischof of the Minnesota Ag Weather Network says their partnership with the North Dakota Ag Weather Network (NDAWN) has helped Minnesota expand their network.

Bischof explains why the Minnesota Ag Weather Network (MAWN) is so valuable to Minnesota producers. 

Bischof says MAWN also offers tools that can help producers with operations that have a wide geographical footprint. 

You can learn more about the Minnesota Agricultural Weather Network by going to the Minnesota Department of Ag website at www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-ag-weather-network.