Currently Kathleen Blatz is the Chief Justice with six associate justices. For more information about Minnesota government, visit the state's main page. Business and Industry Minnesota produces approximately 1.9 percent of the America gross national product. Agriculture, mining, and industry are the leading businesses in Minnesota. Agriculture is Minnesota's leading industry and represents thousands of jobs.
Agriculture creates a chain reaction in terms producing jobs.
For example, farmers grew wheat, which in turn created a need for flour mills. From the 1880s to the 1920s, Minnesota was the largest producer of flour. Today farmers grow crops such as sugar beets, corn, soy beans, and livestock. In 1996, there were 87,000 farms and 29.8 million acres of farmland in Minnesota. Iron ore mining began in northern Minnesota in the 1890s.