DONNELLY, MINN. – Keith Ellison did Tuesday what fewer and fewer politicians seem to want to do nowadays.
The Minnesota attorney general met with his constituents.
And not just any constituents. These constituents included calloused, weather-beaten farmers in deep-red western Minnesota, more accustomed to harvesting corn than mingling with Twin Cities liberals.
Ellison did not shy away from the obvious political differences between him and many of those who gathered in a chilly farm shed in Stevens County on Tuesday. His mission was to talk about how industry consolidation is hurting farmers.
“I’m not here to convince anyone how to feel about the president,” he said. “That’s your business.”
Like most of rural Minnesota, Stevens County went all out for President Trump in the 2024 election. At the local bar, I got an earful about how Democrats are supposedly leading Minnesota into ruin.
But the meeting between Ellison and the farmers was cordial. There was applause. Even laughter. Ellison brought along part of his trust-busting division. He told the crowd that he prioritizes rural Minnesota and wants to help farmers get a better shake than what corporate America offers. He mentioned how a handful of companies control the meat market, the grain markets, and seed and agriculture chemical sales. And how he’s [suing](https://www.startribune.com/ellison-sues-john-deere-says-farmers-arent-allowed-to-fix-own-tractor/601206305) John Deere for the right of farmers to repair their own tractors. He seemed to be trying to put the “F” back in the DFL.
A farmer commended Ellison for [going after](https://www.startribune.com/criminal-charges-for-stearns-county-dairy-farmer-accused-of-withholding-immigrant-workforces-pay/601216757) a Stearns County dairy farm that hadn’t provided proper housing for its workers. His office is now prosecuting the farm manager for wage theft against immigrant workers.