Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap and his family welcomed U.S. Sen. Tina Smith to their farm near Garden City Tuesday and let her take a spin on the combine. They also spoke about issues related to agriculture and southern Minnesota farmers.

As elections approach and harvest season comes to an end, ethanol is becoming a large part of political dialogue.

“Most of the beans are out of the field now, and that is really important,” Smith said. “The problem is the prices are still so low, so it’s one of the reasons why I pressed the administration to expand markets for E-15 year-round, … If we have more E-15, we’re gonna have more help to boost demand for Minnesota corn and I think that’s gonna be good for everyone.”

Smith and her team spent Tuesday afternoon campaigning in Mankato and Northfield. State Sen. Karin Housley is the republican challenger in this race.