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U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Thursday visited Albert Lea and attended a meeting about the benefits of sustainable crop farming at Events at the Broadway.

This was part of Klobuchar’s 19 county rural economy tour in which she met with farmers, veterans, small business owners and other Minnesotans to directly hear about challenges such as health care access, household costs and the impact of proposed tariffs on the rural economy, according to a news release on Klobuchar’s website.

The meeting was led by founders and co-owners of Green Acres Milling, Landon and Anne Plagge. Green Acres Milling is an Iowa-based oat processing company, which in November 2024 was approved by the Albert Lea City Council to build a new oat processing facility off of 14th Street in the Jobs Industrial Park.

Other community members, including Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray, were present at Thursday’s meeting.

The Plagges promote using a three-crop rotation system of corn, soybeans and oats for farmers.

In addition to being good for the soil, Landon explained, oats have a near-zero nitrate footprint and are not as affected by droughts and excessively rainy autumns because they are harvested early in the year. The hulls, he said, also have the potential to provide a carbon-free energy source.

Currently the U.S. gets most of its oats through Canada, Landon said. The proposed tariffs would affect the supply chain of companies that manufacture oat products.

“We really look at it as, if we can move ourselves down the supply chain, we can essentially export more dollars from our community, from our counties, from our state and more dollars that come in to acre farmers,” he said.

He also explained some of the barriers to entry in growing oats such as high upfront financing costs and the need for viable crop insurance coverage that fits the needs of small producers.

Additionally, it can be difficult for farmers to add oats to their crop rotations because in the short term, they can make more money growing exclusively corn and soybeans.

“The problem is there’s no market for food-grade oats that’s not controlled by big companies,” he said. He added big companies want to get their supply in mass at minimal cost, which is not always possible for small growers.

However, Landon said the benefits of planting oats outweighs the potential challenges.

“Having a third crop rotation … from a financial perspective, makes those corns more resilient, makes our community banks more resilient, makes our communities more resilient. And that’s not even including the benefits of having a mill locally,” added Matt Kruger, director of strategy and development at Green Acres Milling.

Green Acres Milling will eventually employ 14 people, Landon said.

Anne, who is a professor specializing in maternal health and early childhood, also said it is important that dollars go back into the community, especially in rural communities.

Following the presentation, the Plagges asked Klobuchar if she had any questions for them.

“What other states are turning to oats if we wanted to find friends that are doing what we’re doing?” Klobuchar asked.

Landon said many bordering states are getting into oat farming, including Wisconsin, North and South Dakota and Iowa.

“This could be part of the solution that Minnesota is facing, going forward,” Kruger said.

Klobuchar, D-Minn., was also interested in learning where the Plagges currently processed and sold their oats and what the timetable was for the new Albert Lea processing facility.

“We appreciate Sen. Klobuchar coming down to Freeborn County and hearing about the good things that are happening in the city of Albert Lea and for our farms and our banks and our community in general,” Landon said following the meeting. “I’m hoping the senator learned a little bit about agriculture and how our farmers are caretakers of the land and stewards of the environment.”