The protest assembled at St. Paul Cathedral and marched to the Capitol. The action was built in conjunction with a national demonstration planned for March 21 in Washington, D.C. A large banner reading, "Agri-culture, not agri-business," hung in the capitol rotunda during the rally.

So far four buses from Minnesota are filled up to bring farmers and their supporters to the Rally for Rural America. Organizers at the Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) office expect that at least five buses will roll out of here on March 18.

Dozens of farmers are also flying to Washington for the action or taking locally organized vans. The action has been endorsed by the Minnesota AFL-CIO and discussion about it is taking place in some union locals, including the International Association of Machinists and the United Steelworkers of America. A day of other activity by the farmers, such as lobbying, is planned March 20.

Dave Frederickson, state president of the MFU, has been actively drumming up support for the March 21 action across the state. During the week of February 7–11, he addressed eight organizing meetings. The largest, in Granite Falls, drew some 50 farmers.

At a meeting in Mankato nearly 40 farmers peppered him with questions about the demands for the action and raised the problems they are most concerned with.

Basement-level prices farmers are getting for their corn, soy beans, hogs, and milk is generating a great deal of anger. Most are trying to grapple with proposals that could give them a price high enough that they can meet their costs of production and have enough for their families to live on too.  
 
 
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