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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the 2023 Minnesota Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program. The program provides funding for projects that buy local food primarily from socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers and distribute that food to underserved communities. The MDA anticipates that applications will propose a wide range of models for local food procurement and distribution, knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all model that can effectively serve the whole state. 

Individuals (including farmers), non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses, tribal nations, government entities, agricultural cooperatives, economic development organizations, and educational institutions are eligible to apply. Applicants are required to partner with at least one other individual or organization as part of their application to support collaboration within communities. 

Applications for the 2023 grants will be accepted through May 30, 2023. Applicants may request between $10,000 and $100,000 and indicate their interest in additional funding if available. The MDA anticipates awarding roughly $2.125 million in total for this round. A second, competitive application process is anticipated to be issued in the fall of 2023. 

Interested parties can attend one of two virtual information sessions to learn more about the LFPA Program. The sessions will be held at the following times: 

• April 18, 2023, from 5 – 6 p.m. Register for this event.
• April 19, 2023, from 12 – 1 p.m. Register for this event. 

Additional information about the grant program, including complete eligibility requirements, is available on the MDA website. Applications are preferred to be submitted online. Questions and requests for paper applications can be directed to MN LFPA Program staff at LFPAgrant.MDA@state.mn.us, 651-201-6290, or by mail:

MN Local Food Purchase Assistance Program
Commissioner’s Office
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service awarded the MDA $3.82 million in LFPA funding in September 2022. The LFPA Program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.

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

Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2023 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by April 30. To date, over 160 people have applied for an MDA license.

The online application for growers and processors can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp. Along with the online form, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.

This is the eighth year of the state’s Hemp Program. Last year, 293 people held licenses to grow or process hemp. Over 375 acres and 122,040 indoor square feet were planted in Minnesota in 2022.

Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2023:

• The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing fee per grower sample will cost $100.
• Penalties may be assessed to growers that do not submit Planting and Harvest Report forms.
• Growers are required to complete a Farm Service Agency (FSA) 578 form for all hemp varieties and locations planted. If a grower fails to submit this data to FSA in the required time, the MDA will not be allowed to sample and test those fields, nor issue a Fit for Commerce Certificate for those hemp lots.
• A grower license starts at $400.
• The minimum cost of a processor license is $500.

Anyone growing on tribal lands within a reservation’s boundaries or other lands under tribal jurisdiction (e.g., trust lands off-reservation) must obtain a license from the tribe or the USDA if the tribe does not have an approved hemp production plan.

Questions about the MDA’s Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600.

Background

Industrial hemp and marijuana are both types of the same plant, Cannabis sativa. They differ by the concentration level of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within the plant. Hemp has less than 0.3% THC, and levels above that are considered marijuana.

Minnesota operated under a hemp pilot program from 2016-2020. In 2021, the program began operating under a new, federally approved state plan that governs production and regulation.

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

Haley Madson, a first-grade teacher at St. Anne’s School in Le Sueur, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) Outstanding Teacher Award. This annual award recognizes teachers for their creative efforts to integrate agriculture into their classrooms to increase agricultural literacy.

Madson is an advocate for agricultural education at St. Anne’s and uses her lessons to inspire students to think about how deeply agriculture impacts their lives from a young age.

“I want my students to realize that when learning about agriculture, they will be using reading, math, social studies, and science skills,” she says. “There is a connection between agriculture and animals, the economy, the environment, technology, and overall way of life. It is important to give students opportunities to explore those connections starting in elementary school.”

Madson will receive a $500 stipend and have up to $1,500 of her related expenses paid to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom (NAITC) Conference this June in Orlando, Florida.

All Minnesota licensed K-12 educators who creatively integrate agricultural concepts into non-agricultural education classroom settings are eligible for the Outstanding Teacher Award. Applications are reviewed by a committee of MAITC Foundation board members, who select the recipient each winter.

MAITC is a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the MAITC Foundation that seeks to increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education. Visit the MAITC website for more information and free educational resources.

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

Many farmers and applicators will soon apply anhydrous ammonia (NH3) prior to planting or sidedress after planting. Even with a rush against time and the weather, safety should never be compromised. Accidents involving anhydrous ammonia have proven how dangerous and deadly the chemical can be when not handled properly.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is providing the following tips to farmers and applicators so they can safely apply anhydrous ammonia.

• Always wear appropriate goggles and gloves. Never wear contact lenses.
• Be sure to have a clean, adequate emergency water supply of at least 5 gallons.
• Exercise caution when making connections and disconnections as if lines contain anhydrous ammonia.
• Stand upwind when connecting, disconnecting, bleeding lines, or transferring NH3. Also, close, bleed, disconnect, and secure valves and transfer lines when taking breaks or disconnecting lines, and be sure to handle hose end valve by the valve body.
• Position equipment away and downwind from homes, people, and livestock.

Safety is also key to those maintaining anhydrous ammonia equipment. Never assume NH3 lines are empty, always wear proper protective equipment, and have access to safety water.

When towing a nurse tank down the road, drive sensibly. Do not go any faster than 30 miles per hour, display a slow-moving vehicle (SVM) emblem visible from the rear, and be sure the tank is secured to the tractor or truck with two separate, independent chains that supplement the hitch pin/clip.

If an accident or spill occurs, immediately call 911 and then the Minnesota Duty Officer at 1-800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451.

You can find more safety, storage, and transportation information on the MDA’s website at www.mda.state.mn.us/nh3.

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

The Rural Finance Authority (RFA) Board has declared an emergency for all 87 counties in the State of Minnesota in response to this winter’s excessive snow and winds. This makes zero-interest Disaster Recovery Loans available for Minnesota farmers whose operations have sustained physical property damage or loss of livestock since January 2023.

“The RFA Board’s declaration is an important step in helping Minnesota farmers affected by the extreme weather we’ve experienced this winter,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “I encourage those who have endured damages to explore these zero-interest loans, especially if you were not insured or were underinsured.”

The Disaster Recovery Loan Program offers affordable financing to clean up, repair, or replace farm structures and replace livestock that may have been destroyed due to high winds and the weight of snow, sleet, and ice this year. The funds are available to farmers for expenses not covered by insurance.

Eligible farmers will work with their local lender to secure the loans from the RFA.

More information, including full eligibility requirements, can be found on the Disaster Recovery Loan Program webpage. 

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

A new grant opportunity for organizations that support emerging farmers is now open for applications through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Rural Finance Authority (RFA).

The Emerging Farmer Technical Assistance Grant is available to those who provide technical assistance services to emerging farmers in Minnesota. Grant funds can also be used by these organizations to pay up to 65% of emerging farmers’ premium expenses for up to two years under the USDA Micro Farm Crop Insurance program.

“Access to culturally appropriate technical assistance is a top need for Minnesota’s emerging farmers,” says Patrice Bailey, assistant commissioner at the MDA. “This grant is an important tool to support farmers and producers across the state in overcoming disparities and barriers to opening new pathways to agriculture.”

Technical assistance consists of helping farmers with financials, business planning, record keeping, regulations, land access, marketing, applying for state and federal programs, and/or other farm business needs.

Emerging farmers include farmers who are American Indian or Alaskan Natives, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, members of a community of color, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, or any other emerging farmers as determined by the commissioner of agriculture.

Applications for the grant are due by June 26, 2023, at 8 a.m. The RFA will award $540,000 in one-time grants through a competitive review process, with a maximum award amount of $100,000 and a minimum award amount of $10,000. Decisions are expected in July 2023.

For more information and to access the application materials, visit the Emerging Farmer Technical Assistance Grant webpage.

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