Staff photo by Fritz Busch Minnesota Farmers Union President and Renville farmer Gary Wertish leads a People’s Town Hall that attracted dozens of people at the Sleepy Eye Brewing Company Tuesday.

SLEEPY EYE — A strong advocate for farmers who served eight terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives spoke with zeal about the need to work together and preserve Medicare at a People’s Town Hall at Sleepy Eye Brewing Company Tuesday.

Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish of Renville said the town halls were created to hear directly from family farmers and rural residents on how the state and federal government can help meet their needs and build robust farms and rural communities.

Fulda farmer Ted Winter, who served as House Majority Leader during the 1997-99 biennium, talked about how to move forward in a partisan political environment.

“I think the time of pointing fingers at each other is over. It’s time to come together and do what’s right for the people of this nation. We’ve been divided too long. We’ve been divided by the individual that is president right now,” said Winter, a member of the Minnesota Farmers Union Executive Committee, a grassroots organization representing Minnesota’s family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

He urged people to not blame everybody else, but look at themselves and ask what they can do for their country today.

“We need to call our congressmen and senators and get on common ground to work on agricultural and constitutional values. We need to take care of Medicade before poor, elderly people are left out without it because medical costs cost four times as much as today. If they can’t afford to pay, all of will,” said Winter.

He said there are legislative bills to reduce and forgive some of the medical debt that is higher now than it has ever been and will only get higher unless it’s addressed.

“Everybody will need help at some time. If we take away Medicade and reduce Medicare, medical debt will climb much faster than it otherwise would. We don’t take away those things in our country. We take care of people,” Winter said.

“We shouldn’t have billionaires running away with our money. Democrats and Republicans need to work together to ensure our constitution and government survives for our children and great grandchildren. If we don’t do it, it won’t get done and we’ll wind up being led around like sheep. It’s not the end. But if we don’t move, nothing will happen. We’re better than that,” he said.

Winter talked about the need to go out and talk to people, no matter what color they are, contact their political representatives, go to meetings and move forward.

“We’re the solution, not the problem,” he said.

Molly Schweinfurter of Redwood Falls said the biggest example of waste and fraud are tax cuts for the wealthiest people in the country.

“We’re in a constitutional crisis when a billionaires cuts essential services so they get tax cuts. This is really wrong. What’s going to happen to needy people in nursing homes,” she said.

Wabasso pork farmer Paul Sobocinski urged people to tell their legislators agriculture shouldn’t be short changed. He said federal program cuts will have a domino effect on the Minnesota Legislature.

Lafayette farmer Paul Guggisberg said he’s been calling his political representatives, telling them he doesn’t like the way things are going.

“We can’t throw away trading partners Canada, Mexico and the European Union,” he said.

A Waseca county farmer said Congressional legislation is the way to reduce federal program excess, not executive orders.

A Brown County farmer said he opposed trade tariffs that are causing retaliatory tariffs.

“You don’t get trade agreements back easily. I’m very concerned,” he said.

Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) President Gary Wertish said the town hall was being recorded and what was said at them will be reported to legislators.

An MFU People’s Town Hall begins at 4 p.m., Thursday, March 27 at the Willmar Community Center.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is conducting a survey on 2025 tariff impacts on Minnesota businesses. Visit bit.ly/DEEDTariffSurvey to participate.