Browns Valley

Uh, she's the lady that stood in Congress and said, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." But, uh, that'll be next week.

Mike's cooperative journey stretches more than four decades, from his family farm in Browns Valley, Minnesota, to helping create one of the largest farmer-owned cooperatives in the country, to leadership in a major member-owned mutual insurance company.

Mike grew up in his family farm, uh, and he has, uh, which has depended upon agriculture cooperat- cooperative for generations.

After college, he worked briefly for Harvest States Cooperatives before returning to the farm.

And, uh, he, he said, uh, "You know, I want you to keep fighting for Medicare for All." He said, "I'm a farmer, and I'm from Willmar, and if we had that, we can, you know, try to figure the rest of this out." I, I think that that is, you know, uh, those stories that people share with me, the vulnerability, um, but also just, uh, you know, the truth of the, the situation that, that we find ourselves in.

Um, I, you know, was visiting with a, a family of farmers, uh, just this past weekend in Browns Valley.

Uh, and they said, you know, "We both work outside jobs outside of farming simply so that we can get healthcare, uh, for our, for our family.

Um, you know, it would be, uh, you know, such a difference, uh, for us if we just had, you know, one job." Uh, they farm because they love it, uh, and, you know, for five generations, uh, this, this family's been on, on the land.