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In recognition of Minnesota Climate Week, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) celebrates the efforts and partnership of producers, ag businesses, and other stakeholders to promote the continued implementation and advancement of climate-smart agricultural practices and programs throughout the state.

“The MDA recognizes that climate change is impacting agriculture in Minnesota and around the world, with increased temperatures as well as more extreme and frequent weather events like floods and drought leading to increased challenges for our producers,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “We commend the hard work of our farmers and all local, state, and federal partners to mitigate and adapt to the direct and indirect effects of a changing climate, helping ensure continued, resilient working lands and ag economies while meeting Minnesota’s climate goals.”

Today, as part of Climate Week, the MDA joined Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake to highlight how sustainable practices can support and strengthen local ag production. In addition to measures like hail netting to protect their apple trees (many of which are over 50 years old) from extreme weather events, the orchard enrolled in the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) in the fall of 2023 and has an MAWQCP endorsement in Climate Smart Farming Practices. Additionally, as a 40-year member of the MDA’s Minnesota Grown program, their work to grow and supply local produce helps consumers cut down on the number of “food miles” their apples and strawberries might travel to their plates.

The MDA offers a number of programs to support stakeholders interested in adopting climate-smart ag practices, including:

• Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP): MAWQCP is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation measures that protect our water. Those who maintain approved farm management practices obtain regulatory certainty for a period of 10 years. To-date, more than 1,500 producers and over 1,100,000 acres have been Water Quality Certified in Minnesota. 
• Preparing for Extreme Weather Grant: Also referred to as the Prepare Grant, this program helps Minnesota livestock and specialty crop producers buy and install supplies or equipment that will help make their operations more resilient to extreme weather events. The MDA recently awarded over $450K in grant funding to 71 grantees in 43 Minnesota counties, helping fund projects like hail protection, fans and misters for livestock, and new or upgraded wells.
• Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant: This grant program provides cost-share for the purchase and retrofit of equipment to advance soil health farming practices. In the first two rounds of funding, the MDA awarded over $2.8 million to 97 individuals and organizations across Minnesota. No-till drills, air seeders, and strip tillage equipment are among the most requested pieces of equipment. 
• Biofuels Infrastructure Grant: To promote wider use of cleaner-burning, higher-blend ethanol fuel options within the transportation sector, the MDA offers the Biofuels Infrastructure Grant program, which provides funding to gas stations upgrading their retail petroleum dispensers, fuel storage tanks, and other equipment needed to supply motor fuel blends containing at least 15% ethanol. With the support of Minnesota Corn, the program has awarded over $9 million to 60 Minnesota retail fuel stations since its launch in 2022, with applications currently being accepted for an additional $3 million.
• Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant: This grant funds innovative on-farm research and demonstrations that explore the profitability, energy efficiency, and environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture practices or systems. Results are published annually in the MDA’s Greenbook, which provides a summary of each grant project along with management tips, locations of previous projects, and other resources to encourage wide-scale adoption. The MDA is currently accepting applications for $350K in grant funding through December 12, 2024.

The MDA was also recently awarded funding as part of the U.S. EPA’s $200 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to the state of Minnesota. Through work led by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), in collaboration with the MDA, other state agencies, and local and tribal governments, the funding will be used to cut climate pollution from Minnesota’s food systems. Specifically, the MDA will:

• Receive $20 million to expand successful initiatives including the MAWQCP and Soil Health Financial Assistance program to support farmers adopting climate-friendly practices, such as the use of controlled-release fertilizers, transition from row crops to perennials, and no-till farming.
• The MDA will also work with the MPCA to invest $6.7 million in the replacement and upgrading of vehicles and equipment that are used to grow and transport our food, such as tractors and freight trucks, to switch to using cleaner-burning fuels. 

The goals and actions highlighted above all work to support the goals and action steps outlined in Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework.

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

Minnesota livestock farmers and ranchers looking to improve their operations can now apply for over $1 million in funding currently available through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Agriculture Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Livestock Investment Grant program.

The AGRI Livestock Investment Grant provides funds to be used for equipment purchases, physical improvements, and acquisition of facilities to assist in starting, improving, or expanding livestock operations within Minnesota. Applicants may apply for an award of up to 10% of a project’s total cost, with grants ranging in size from $400 to $25,000.

Eligible projects include but are not limited to buildings or facilities for raising livestock, watering systems, fencing, feed equipment, and waste management equipment. This round of funding will prioritize projects relating to beginning farmers and farms owned or principally operated by beginning farmers (those who have farmed 10 years or less), generational transitions, production of livestock for kosher or halal markets, and robotic milking equipment.

Applicants must be the principal operator of a livestock operation in Minnesota that produces and sells at least $1,000 of livestock products annually or normally would sell at least $1,000 of livestock products in a typical year.

Only expenses incurred after the grant contract has been signed by all parties are eligible for reimbursement. The MDA expects to have contracts to grantees by March 1, 2025.

Applications for the grant will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024, through the MDA’s online application portal. Full grant eligibility and application details can be found on the AGRI Livestock Investment Grant webpage.

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 Minnesota to advance the state’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

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

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is hosting a free waste pesticide collection event on Monday, October 21, for businesses and farmers in Anoka and Hennepin counties.

The event accepts unwanted and unusable agricultural and commercial-type pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and rodenticides. However, crop oils, adjuvants, pesticide rinsate, fertilizer, treated seed, contaminated soil, and empty pesticide containers are not accepted.

The event will be held on Monday, October 21, from 9-11 a.m. at the Hennepin County Recycling Center and Transfer Station, 8100 Jefferson Highway, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445.

The collection is open to farmers, commercial pesticide applicators, golf courses, lawn care companies, structural pest control operators, and other businesses. No pre-registration for the MDA events is required, and collection sites will accept up to 300 pounds of eligible product at no cost. However, the MDA requests pesticide users call 612-214-6843 to provide advance notification if they wish to drop off more than 300 pounds of product.

This event is limited to farmers and businesses. Household residents in Hennepin and Anoka counties with unused or unwanted pesticides should utilize their respective county household hazardous waste facilities during regular business hours for proper disposal.

The MDA has collected approximately 10 million pounds of pesticide around the state since the Waste Pesticide Collection Program started in 1990.

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