The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is gathering ideas as the agency considers the state’s next biennial budget, and we want your input. Farmers, businesses, and others impacted by food and agriculture systems are all invited to share policy, funding, and program suggestions.
The MDA is hosting two virtual public input sessions where people can share their ideas directly, in addition to an online form for written submissions open through August 16, 2024.
The two sessions will take place on Zoom. Participation is free, but registration is required. The sessions are scheduled for:
- Monday, August 12, from noon – 1 p.m. Register for this event.
- Tuesday, August 13, from 5 – 6 p.m. Register for this event.
The Minnesota Legislature appropriates funds for the MDA and related agricultural activities through a two-year budget bill that is part of the state’s overall government funding.
State budgets are set in legislative sessions that take place in odd-numbered years and are sometimes revised during sessions in even-numbered years. The next legislative session begins on January 14, 2025, and will determine the next two-year state budget.
Information about the MDA’s mission, leadership, and responsibilities is available on our website.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
Farmfest 2024 attendees should plan to visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) exhibit for information on a wide variety of agriculture-related programs and resources. Farmfest is Tuesday, August 6, through Thursday, August 8, 2024, at the Historic Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls, Minnesota.
Featured programs include:
- Rural Finance Authority Loan Programs – Get information on low- to zero-interest loans to help recover from natural disasters, improve farm facilities, restructure debt, expand livestock production, and help first-time farmers purchase land.
- Grant Programs – Learn more about MDA grant programs available to help increase productivity, improve efficiency, develop new agricultural products, and more.
- Ag Weather Station Network – See how you can get real-time weather information, crop evaporation data, various disease risks, irrigation scheduling, and air temperature inversion alerts to your cell phone via the 38 Minnesota weather stations incorporated into the North Dakota Ag Weather Network (NDAWN), and view the network’s recent expansion thanks to additional funding from the Minnesota Legislature.
- Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program – Discover how you can become certified in this popular water quality program and obtain regulatory certainty for a period of ten years, all to help protect our water.
- Rural Mental Health Resources – Find out about the people and organizations ready to help farmers and their families deal with stress, depression, and suicide.
The MDA Farmfest Booth is #517S.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-387-6599
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
