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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is encouraging farmers to take part in its annual pesticide and fertilizer survey. This year the survey will focus on best management practices (BMPs) for corn and soybean farmers. The data being collected helps the MDA track the awareness, adoption, and use of nitrogen and pesticide BMPs and provides guidance to education and research programs.

The mailed survey is being sent to the 7,600 Minnesota farmers selected for this project. Farmers that have not returned their questionnaire by mail will be contacted by phone after March 15.

The survey is conducted for the MDA by the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service out of their regional offices.

Minnesota farmers may be getting calls from multiple agencies and companies conducting a variety of surveys this time of year, but the information gathered from this survey is critical for research and educational purposes.

If you have questions about the MDA’s annual survey, or if you wish to view results of previous surveys, visit the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticidefertilizersurveys. Producers can also call the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at 651-955-4066 from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday – Saturday.

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us

Minnesota livestock product processors seeking to start-up, modernize, or expand their businesses are encouraged to apply for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing (MPEM) Grant.

Funded through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the intent of the MPEM Grant is to increase sales of Minnesota-raised livestock products by investing in equipment and physical improvements that support processing, capacity, market diversification, and market access.

The MDA anticipates awarding up to $750,000 in 2024 MPEM Grants using a competitive review process. The maximum award amount is $150,000, and the minimum award amount is $1,000. Grantees are responsible for 50% of the first $50,000 of project expenses, and 75% of the total remaining costs above $50,000.

Individuals (including farmers), businesses, agricultural cooperatives, nonprofits, educational institutions, local unit of governments, or tribal governments that intend to be or are engaged with livestock slaughter or processing are eligible for the MPEM Grant. Projects focused on meat and poultry processing, especially slaughtering, will be prioritized in this round of funding.

Grant applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. For further information and to submit your online application, visit the AGRI Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing Grant web page.

This call for MPEM Grant applications follows a previous round of applications announced in fall 2023. Recipients of the 2023 MPEM Grants will be announced at a forthcoming date.

Funding for the MPEM Grant is made available through the MDA's AGRI Program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Renville and Pine counties for the first time. There are now 50 counties in the state with EAB.

These finds are attributed to EAB surveys being conducted this fall and winter by the MDA in nearly 100 Minnesota communities. The MDA was awarded a grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service to conduct these surveys, which will assist communities in their efforts to protect forests. Surveying will continue through spring.

In Renville County, EAB infestations were found in the town of Danube along Highway 212. In Pine County, EAB infestations were found in the town of Rock Creek along Highway 70 in the southern portion of the county.

EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.

To slow the spread of EAB, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine of Renville and Pine counties. Quarantines limit the movement of firewood, mulch, and all ash material out of the quarantined areas.

A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in these counties will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 10-11 a.m. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.

Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
March 7, 2024
10–11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab

The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add these county emergency quarantines to the state’s formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantines now through April 12, 2024, and recommends adopting the quarantines on April 15, 2024. The proposed quarantine language can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.

Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:

Kimberly Thielen Cremers
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Kimberly.TCremers@state.mn.us

There is more EAB information on the MDA website.

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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us

Minnesota produce farmers who improve their on-farm food safety systems may be eligible to reimburse those expenses through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) 2024 Produce Safety Mini-Grant, which is now accepting applications.

The Produce Safety Mini-Grant will distribute a total of approximately $33,600. Awardees will receive up to $800 per farm. No matching funds are required.

To be eligible, applicants must be produce growers farming in Minnesota, who grow and sell one or more of the following crops: leafy greens, apples, berries, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, green beans, herbs, melons, microgreens, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sprouts, summer squash/zucchini, or tomatoes.

Applicants must also have completed the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program Grower Questionnaire at least once between 2021-2024.

Expenses must occur on or after October 1, 2023 or be planned to take place before August 2, 2024. Examples of eligible expenses include:

• Supplies to build or purchase a portable handwashing station
• Harvest totes or collection tools
• Water testing for generic E. coli
• Consultation fees for developing an on-farm food safety plan
• Waxed boxes and market containers

Additional information and the online application are available on the MDA website.

Farmers can contact the MDA Produce Safety Program at 651-539-3648 to request a paper copy. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on March 30, 2024.

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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is once again accepting applications for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Livestock Investment Grant. Minnesota livestock farmers and ranchers looking to make improvements to their operations are encouraged to apply.

Livestock Investment Grant funds can be used for equipment purchases and physical improvements to help start, improve, or expand livestock operations in Minnesota. Examples of reimbursable investments include — but are not limited to — the construction or improvement of buildings or facilities for producing livestock, watering systems, fencing, feed equipment, and livestock waste management equipment.

The MDA will award up to $650,000 in this round of Livestock Investment Grants using a competitive review process. Applicants may apply for up to 10% of their project’s total cost, with a maximum grant award of $25,000. Only expenses incurred after the grant contract has been signed by all parties are eligible for reimbursement.

All principal operators of livestock farms in Minnesota are invited to apply, including those who have received Livestock Investment Grants in the past. However, preference will be given to applicants or farms that have not previously been awarded a grant. Only one application will be accepted per farm.

For the purposes of this program, livestock includes beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry, goats, mules, bison, sheep, horses, farmed cervids (deer, elk), ratites (flightless birds including emu), and llamas. 

Applications for the grant will be accepted until 4 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Visit the AGRI Livestock Investment Grant web page to access the full request for proposals (RFP) for further eligibility details.

Funding for the Livestock Investment Grant is made available through the MDA’s AGRI Program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is partnering with three other state agencies and organizations to offer free virtual suicide prevention trainings for rural faith leaders in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Clergy and lay leaders who serve congregations of all faiths and denominations are welcome.

“We recognize that faith is an important element in the lives of many farm families,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “Teaching suicide prevention and intervention skills to trusted community members like clergy can help provide more emotional support for farm and rural residents."

The four-week Suicide Prevention Skills for Rural Ministry trainings will pair an online curriculum from LivingWorks Faith with weekly discussion sessions held via Zoom so participants can deepen their learning in a pastoral context with their peers.

The trainings will teach faith leaders how to recognize and engage with someone who is having suicidal thoughts, connect that person to help, and support family and community members who have been affected by suicide. LivingWorks Director of Faith Community Engagement Glen Bloomstrom will facilitate the trainings with support from other team members.

The trainings will be offered during three different sessions starting April 16, April 18, and September 17. Interested participants must enroll for their preferred cohort by April 5, 2024, at www.mda.state.mn.us/clergytraining.

Program partners include Farm Well Wisconsin, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Minnesota Department of Health.

Financial support for these trainings comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture, under agreement number 2023-38640-39573 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC23-227. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us