The season’s first opportunity to compare many congressional candidates face to face comes Tuesday and Wednesday.

As happens each election year, candidates will be out in force at Farmfest, near Redwood Falls in southwestern Minnesota.

On Tuesday morning, agriculture questions will be fired at candidates from the southern and western parts of the state.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson and Republican challenger Lee Byberg in western Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District will attend. Also planning to be in the forum tent will be Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Walz and two Republicans seeking to challenge him in southern Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District: Alan Quist and Mike Parry.

Also to be at the forum is Mike Obermueller, a Democrat challenging Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline, who is not expected at Farmfest.

On Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and challengers Republican Kurt Bills and Glen Menze of the Independence Party will be questioned.

Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Sen. Al Franken will speak Tuesday.