Today the Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive agriculture budget bill to support Minnesota agriculture and rural development. The legislation is focused on helping Minnesota farmers while spurring innovation in the agriculture industry. 

“Those of us who live outside the metro understand that a thriving agriculture economy is critical to our overall success as a state,” said Senator Mike Goggin (R-Red Wing). “This bill provides support to farmers in the fields, not bureaucracy or administration, so we can continue to recover from Covid and strengthen our ag communities.”

The budget will help promote Minnesota’s own homegrown fuels, like E-15, by providing grant money to improve Minnesota’s biofuel infrastructure, allowing more gas stations to install the equipment to dispense biofuels. The legislation also responds to fix vulnerabilities in our Ag sector supply chains that were exposed during the pandemic. The bill makes critical investments in meat processors which will help provide more jobs, improve our processing efficiency, and provide more purchasing options for consumers. 

The bill allows for increased outreach to emerging farmers and provides translation services to cottage food producers. Additionally, the comprehensive budget agreement provides farm safety grants and mental health funding, provides investments to continue battling noxious weeds, gives additional resources to boost international trade, and allows for greater funding of farm-to-school programming.  

The Senate held firm against proposals by the House and Governor to burden Minnesota farmers. The bill does not increase fees on pesticides as proposed by the House and Governor Walz, while still making additional investments for Minnesota Department of Agriculture laboratory equipment. There are no new restrictions on treated seeds, something pushed by the House even though it would have had a major negative impact on Minnesota’s agricultural sector. 

Additionally, several of Senator Goggin’s bills were included in the final budget:

• $150,000 for Greater Mankato Growth.
• $50,000 for in-market representation in Taiwan to increase international trade.
• $100,000 for Farm and Agriculture Mental Health Outreach.
• Fully funded Dairy Development and Profitability Enhancement program.
• $1.5 million for grants to facilitate the start-up, modernization, or expansion of meat, poultry, egg, and milk processing facilities. 
• $800,000  increase in the cap for the Farm to School program to develop and enhance farm-to-school markets for Minnesota farmers by providing more fruits, vegetables, meat, grain, and dairy for Minnesota children in school and child care settings, including reimbursing schools for purchases from local farmers. 
•  $120,000 increase for Farm Advocates to create a program for farmland access teams that assist existing farmers and beginning farmers on transitioning farm ownership and operations, as well as annual increases to the program beginning in 2023.

The Senate passed the agriculture budget on a bipartisan, 63-3 vote. The House of Representatives passed the same bill on Saturday. The legislation now awaits the Governor’s signature to be enacted into law.