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The application period for this program has closed.

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Here are some common questions about the Produce Safety Mini-Grant.

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To qualify for the Produce Safety Water Testing for Generic. E. coli Mini-Grant, the applicant must:

  1. Be a Minnesota produce farmer that sells at least $5,000 annually of produce that is covered by the Produce Safety Rule.
  2. Have purchased FDA-accepted water testing for generic E. coli under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule between September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2020.

To be considered for the Mini-Grant, a complete application must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture by February 26, 2021. A complete application includes:

  • The grant application below
  • Proof that water testing for generic E. coli was purchased and paid for during the eligible time frame.

Applications that do not include proof of water testing are considered incomplete. Incomplete or late applications will be sent a denial notice within one week of the application’s receipt.

Fields marked with an asterisk(*) are required.

 

Applicant Information
Preferred contact method
Farm Food Safety Training Information
Have you, or a responsible party associated with your farm, attended a Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) Produce Safety Rule Grower Training?

Note: We accept scanned or photograph copies of the certificate of attendance, and only require a certificate if the FSMA Grower Training took place outside of Minnesota. If you do not have your FSMA Grower Training certificate of attendance and you attended a training outside of Minnesota, please request it directly from AFDO at afdo@afdo.org or contact us at ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us or 651-539-3641.

Upload requirements
Have you, or a responsible party associated with your farm, attended at least a half-day (3+ hours) Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training offered by the University of Minnesota?

Note: We accept scanned or photograph copies of the certificate of attendance. If you do not have your GAP Training certificate of attendance, please contact Annalisa Hultberg at hultb006@umn.edu or 612-625-1951.

Upload requirements
Annual Grower Questionnaire
Has your farm completed the 2021 Annual Grower Questionnaire?

If you have not yet received confirmation of your 2021 farm status from the Produce Safety Program, please enter your status from 2020. If your 2021 Annual Grower Questionnaire has been submitted, your current status will be verified with the Produce Safety Program and points will be awarded as applicable. If you have never submitted an Annual Questionnaire for your farm or this is your first year filling it out, please select “N/A”.

If you are unsure whether or not you have already completed the 2021 Annual Grower Questionnaire or have further questions about your farm’s Produce Safety Rule status, please contact us at ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us or call 651-539-3641.

Farm Practices
Does your farm sell at least $5,000 annually of covered produce?


Covered produce includes any produce crop that is NOT among the 34 following items: Asparagus; beans (black, great Northern, kidney, lima, navy, pinto); beets, garden (roots and tops); beets, sugar; cashews; cherries, sour; chickpeas; cocoa beans; coffee beans; collards; corn, sweet; cranberries; dates; dill (seeds and weed); eggplants; figs; ginger; hazelnuts; horseradish; lentils; okra; peanuts; pecans; peppermint; potatoes; pumpkins; squash, winter; sweet potatoes; and water chestnuts.

Does your farm sell any of the following commodities?
(includes spinach, cabbage, watercress, lettuce and salad leaves)
(includes cilantro, basil, parsley, or similar)
Water Testing

Please include documentation that identifies the date the water testing was completed, that the testing was for an FDA-accepted water testing method for generic E. coli under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, and that the water testing was paid for. Failure to provide proof of purchase could result in the denial of your grant application. If there is sensitive information in the documents, please cover, remove, or redact it before making copies of your documents. We do not need to know your bank account or credit card information. A copy of the test results is not required.

Upload requirements
Demographic Information

The following questions will be used to determine if your farm is operated by individuals who are considered Emerging Farmers for the purposes of this grant. You may select “N/A” if the question does not apply, or “choose not to answer.” The MDA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity or expression.

Is the majority interest in your operation help by individuals who identify as any of the following?
Have all of the farm's principal operators been involved in the farm's operations for less than 10 years?

Your farm address will be used to determine if your farm is considered an urban farm, per the definition used in the MDA Urban Agriculture Grants Program. Urban farms will be scored as “Emerging Farmers.” See pages 16 and 17 of the 2021 AGRI Urban Agriculture Request for Proposals for a complete listing of locations that meet this definition.

Privacy Notice and Trade Secret Classification

The data you supply on this form will be used to assess your eligibility for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Produce Safety Program, Water Testing for Generic E. coli Mini-Grant. The decision to apply for this grant is voluntary, and applicants are not legally required to provide any of the requested information. Applicants may decline to complete this application without any legal consequence. However, only completed applications will be considered for a grant; incomplete applications will not be considered.

Data provided in this application is initially classified by the Minnesota Data Practices Act as private or nonpublic. Some or all of the data will become public at various points of the application process, as detailed below, unless the data are otherwise classified by state or federal law. Access to private or nonpublic data is limited by law to MDA staff and contractors with a valid work assignment to access the data, parties authorized by the applicant or by a valid court order, and other entities authorized by law. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, Minnesota Management and Budget, Minnesota Department of Administration, the state auditor, and the legislative auditor. If necessary, the MDA may also share the data with law enforcement and the Minnesota Office of the Attorney General.

Per Minnesota Statute 13.599:

  • Names and addresses of grant applicants, and the grant amount requested, will be public data once all of the application responses are opened.
  • All remaining data in the application responses (except trade secret information, see below) becomes public data after the evaluation process is completed and all grant agreements have been fully executed.
  • All data created or maintained by the MDA as part of the evaluation process (except trade secret information, see below) will be public data after the evaluation process is completed and all grant agreements have been fully executed.
  • Trade secret information (as defined in Minnesota Statute. § 13.37) is classified as nonpublic data. For an applicant to protect data submitted as part of this application as trade secret information, the applicant must, at a minimum:
    1. identify the specific formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process that applicant believes legally qualifies for trade secret classification;
    2. demonstrate that the information is subject to efforts by the applicant that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain the information’s secrecy; and
    3. provide an explanation of how the information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.
  • Determining what constitutes trade secret information is ultimately the responsibility of the MDA, and the MDA cannot guarantee that data marked by an applicant as trade secret information or marked “confidential” will be classified as such. If the MDA determines that data does not meet the definition of trade secret information, that data will be available to the public unless the applicant secures a court order saying otherwise.

Webinar - Produce Safety Water Testing for Generic E. coli Mini-Grant

Starts:
Thu, 01/21/2021 - 1:00 pm
Ends:
Thu, 01/21/2021 - 2:00 pm
MDA is a:
Presenter
Link:
Register for the January 21st webinar on WebEx.
MDA Contact:
Produce Safety Program
ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us
651-539-3648

Details:

During this optional webinar we will review the Produce Safety Water Testing for Generic E. coli Mini-Grant pilot program and answer questions about the mini-grant requirements and application process. 

Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event please contact the Produce Safety Program at 651-539-3641 or through the Minnesota Relay Service at 711 as soon as possible.

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Forum Information

Here are presentations, recordings, and resources from the 2021 Minnesota Industrial Hemp

MAITC Virtual Field Trip

Starts:
Fri, 01/15/2021 - 10:00 am
Ends:
Fri, 01/15/2021 - 10:30 am
MDA is a:
Sponsor
Presenter
Link:
MAITC Virtual Field Trips
MDA Contact:
Keri Sidle
Keri.Sidle@state.mn.us
651-201-6260

Details:

Join the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) team on a virtual field trip to R&R Cultivation in Roseville, Minnesota. Discover the many types of mushrooms, earn about the process of growing them in their urban location, and ask questions live. The live video stream will last approximately 20-30 minutes. If you can’t tune in during the live event, the video will be posted on the MAITC YouTube site for later viewing.

Visit the MAITC website to learn more about this tour and all our resources for educators.

FSMA GROWER TRAINING - VIRTUAL

Starts:
Tue, 02/9/2021 - 8:45 am
Ends:
Tue, 02/9/2021 - 5:00 pm
MDA is a:
Sponsor
Exhibitor
Link:
Online Registration Portal
MDA Contact:
Produce Safety Program
ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us
651-539-3648

Details:

This training is being offered remotely, via Zoom. In order to participate, individuals must have a web-cam, two-way audio (speakers & microphone), reliable internet, and will be required to have the web-cam on during the full course of the training (8:45am - 5:00pm). This is to verify participants' presence and participation.

Who should attend?

This one-day training course is for produce growers. If your farm is not excluded or exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, at least one responsible party from your farm must complete a training that uses FDA-recognized curriculum or equivalent. This course meets those requirements. All produce growers interested in learning about produce safety, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and the FSMA Produce Safety Rule are welcome to attend. Contact the MDA Produce Safety Program to learn if your farm is covered by the rule.

What to Expect at the FSMA Produce Safety Rule Training Course

The training will consist of both practical guidance for implementing Good Agricultural Practices as well as the requirements of FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Key Topics:

  • Microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be on the farm
  • Practices that reduce risks, and practical methods to implement these practices on the farm
  • Parts of the farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one
  • Requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and information to help you meet them
  • Your questions on the rule and how it is being implemented in Minnesota

Registration

Registration includes the training materials (mailed to you in advance) and a Certificate of Course Attendance. Participation for the entire training is required to receive the certificate. Check-in opens at 8:45am, training will begin at 9:00am and end at 5:00pm. Class sizes are limited and on a first-come, first serve basis. For mailing purposes, we are only accepting registrations for attendees within the continental US.

Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event please contact the Produce Safety Program through the contact info below or through the Minnesota Relay Service at 711 as soon as possible.

Emerging Farmers Working Group

Starts:
Fri, 02/12/2021 - 1:00 pm
Ends:
Fri, 02/12/2021 - 3:00 pm
MDA is a:
Sponsor
Link:
Register to attend
Details:

The Emerging Farmers Working Group will meet via WebEx. Members of the public are welcome to attend and public comments can be made through the chatbox. Contact Melissa Hyslop if you have questions or need reasonable accommodation.

2021 Industrial Hemp Forum

Starts:
Wed, 02/10/2021 - 12:00 pm
Ends:
Wed, 02/10/2021 - 4:00 pm
MDA is a:
Sponsor
Presenter
Link:
Hemp Forum Information and Registration
MDA Contact:
Industrial Hemp Program
hemp.mda@state.mn.us
651-201-6600

Details:

We invite you to the 2021 Minnesota Industrial Hemp Forum. The two-day virtual event will be held Wednesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 11, from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The event is free to attend.

Forum topics include federal and state regulations, plant breeding and agronomy, and market opportunities.