Wells Fargo Chief Agricultural Economist Michael Swanson compared Minnesota with other Midwestern states during his AgriGrowth presentation. Swanson said Minnesota would benefit if it leaned into specific segments of animal agriculture, especially the poultry and swine industries. To grow the livestock and poultry sector, Swanson advocates for a consistent environmental regulatory framework. “Companies achieve a standard that was deemed acceptable five years ago and they’re told it’s no longer acceptable and they’re not really given a cost-benefit rationale for that so I would say once goalposts are set, you’ve got to have a good reason to move the goalposts.”
