In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature provided funding to the MDA for grants to organizations in Minnesota to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development.
The first of two Requests for Proposals (RFP) for this competitive grant opened Monday, September 11, 2023 and closed October 2, 2023. A summary of selected project is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gertens | Propagate up to 10,000 farm-ready hybrid hazelnut plants | $50,000 |
| MSX Nexgen Inc. | Supply a regional location to preclean, dry, and store winter camelina, Kernza, and other CLC crops as needed. | $50,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative | Expand marketing to existing customers and sales of Kernza grain to new customers. | $48,000 |
| River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co | Incorporate Kernza into at least 75% of their baked goods. This project was featured in one of the Meet the Minnesota Makers articles. | $50,000 |
| Rookie Farmers, LLC | Purchase a winter camelina cleaning trailer. | $50,000 |
This grant round was funded with the remaining money allocated to the MDA by the LCCMR and the General Fund.
The Request for Proposals for this competitive grant opportunity opened June 10, 2024 and closed July 15, 2024. A summary of selected projects is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Brewing Company LLC | Increase the percentage of Kernza® in their beer to meet the Perennial Percent™ label and improve marketing. Purchase and convert a van to sell beer as the sole brewer at Mill City Market. | $45,000 |
| Estling Farms Inc | Develop a dedicated seed cleaning line for emerging continuous living cover crops. A new seed cleaning line will reduce the cost of CLC crop seed for farmers in northern Minnesota. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Elderberry Cooperative | Improve the developing regional hub for harvested American elderberries by purchasing a used refrigerated container for storage and paving the driveway to accommodate large trucks. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC | Purchase the equipment, supplies, and services needed for one aggregation station at a Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC Go First Farm in Minnesota. | $44,772 |
| Perennial Pantry | Create marketing content and strategies to enhance capacity and increase sales of CLC products. | $45,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers | Continue market expansion for Kernza® and value-added products through customer lead generation/qualification/cultivation; provision of samples to prospective users; placement and fulfillment of orders; post-sale customer service; and coordination with value-added partners. | $45,000 |
| Regenerative Agriculture Alliance | Purchase and distribute improved Midwest Hazelnut LLC plant material directly to growers involved with the Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agroforestry ecosystem. This project will also fund training opportunities for growers. | $35,865 |
| Sturdiwheat,Inc. | Modify existing recipes to include 1% to 5% perennial grain flour and update the packaging design to highlight the perennial grains. | $45,000 |
| SUN Consulting Inc. | Build a self-propelled, mound bed cutter to sever the new woody stem of hazelnuts below the new root base, to harvest 2-year-old, farm-ready, bare root “whips” from propagation beds. | $36,000 |
| Tree Range Farms | Increase operational capacity to market the silvopasture poultry to Minnesota schools, communities, retailers, and restaurants. | $45,000 |
This grant round was funded with the remaining money allocated to the MDA by the LCCMR and the General Fund.
The Request for Proposals for this competitive grant opportunity opened June 10, 2024 and closed July 15, 2024. A summary of selected projects is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Brewing Company LLC | Increase the percentage of Kernza® in their beer to meet the Perennial Percent™ label and improve marketing. Purchase and convert a van to sell beer as the sole brewer at Mill City Market. | $45,000 |
| Estling Farms Inc | Develop a dedicated seed cleaning line for emerging continuous living cover crops. A new seed cleaning line will reduce the cost of CLC crop seed for farmers in northern Minnesota. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Elderberry Cooperative | Improve the developing regional hub for harvested American elderberries by purchasing a used refrigerated container for storage and paving the driveway to accommodate large trucks. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC | Purchase the equipment, supplies, and services needed for one aggregation station at a Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC Go First Farm in Minnesota. | $44,772 |
| Perennial Pantry | Create marketing content and strategies to enhance capacity and increase sales of CLC products. | $45,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers | Continue market expansion for Kernza® and value-added products through customer lead generation/qualification/cultivation; provision of samples to prospective users; placement and fulfillment of orders; post-sale customer service; and coordination with value-added partners. | $45,000 |
| Regenerative Agriculture Alliance | Purchase and distribute improved Midwest Hazelnut LLC plant material directly to growers involved with the Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agroforestry ecosystem. This project will also fund training opportunities for growers. | $35,865 |
| Sturdiwheat,Inc. | Modify existing recipes to include 1% to 5% perennial grain flour and update the packaging design to highlight the perennial grains. | $45,000 |
| SUN Consulting Inc. | Build a self-propelled, mound bed cutter to sever the new woody stem of hazelnuts below the new root base, to harvest 2-year-old, farm-ready, bare root “whips” from propagation beds. | $36,000 |
| Tree Range Farms | Increase operational capacity to market the silvopasture poultry to Minnesota schools, communities, retailers, and restaurants. | $45,000 |
Smarty Plants Podcast
Discover Smarty Plants, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's podcast that digs into the fascinating world of invasive species. Join expert guests as they share insights and solutions to protect our environment and agricultural resources. Visit Smarty Plants and start listening today.
Smarty Plants Podcast
Discover Smarty Plants, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's podcast that digs into the fascinating world of invasive species. Join expert guests as they share insights and solutions to protect our environment and agricultural resources. Visit Smarty Plants and start listening today.
