Minnesota House Agriculture Committee Tours Faribault Turkey Plant

The state's recovering turkey industry has been the focus of a tour taken by the Minnesota House Agriculture Committee.

The Jennie-O Faribault plant was the first stop on the tour, which also included a stop by Jennie-O's owner Hormel in Austin and a biodiesel plant in Albert Lea.

I popped out to the plant to visit with the lawmakers and was told I couldn't go on the tour.  So I simply waited about an hour while they toured the plant. After they finished, the committee had their picture taken in front of the plant's sign. While members were climbing into the white state vans to head to Austin, I had a quick visit with Faribault Rep. Brian Daniels.

Daniels is a member of the committee and told me the tour went splendidly. He said plant officials informed them they were nearly back to full strength. The Faribault state representative called the plant "impressive" and noted company officials told them the plant would be completing an addition soon.

The added area will be a packaging department, and Daniels said currently the process is done elsewhere. The new area will provide 20 jobs.

Daniels said his impressions of the plant were that it was "very well run, very organized."

The full committee was not in attendance. Wednesday they will tour the University of Minnesota poultry testing lab in Willmar, an ethanol plant in Granite Falls and a sugar beet co-op in Renville.