What if we sent a farmer to St. Paul?

Nitrate runoff and soil depletion are real problems in SE Minnesota — and "just telling farmers what to do" isn't the answer. After 30 years of cover cropping at Featherstone Farm, I have a better idea.

My Grandmother- Elizabeth Hedin- was a constant presence in my life from my first memories through my marriage to Jenni and beyond. It would be difficult to overstate her impact on me. She was an independent woman of remarkable curiosity, warmth and generosity. She was also a rock solid, smart, no nonsense Farmer-Labor Democrat.

As Featherstone Farm's H2-A visa seasonal workers return for another growing season, Jack reflects on how they’ve powered the growth of Featherstone’s $3 million operation…and why treating them fairly is about more than just retaining “good workers.”

ICE enforcement this past winter in Minnesota has hit a raw nerve for many people — and for me, as a farmer, it’s deeply personal.

“Immigrants are feeding this country. There is no doubt in my mind about that,” Jack Hedin told the Washington Post in 2025. “We must be finding a way to uh make this easier for producers and easier for labor to come and go and support the type of production that we Americans rely on to feed ourselves.”