Today, the Minnesota Senate passed the Agriculture budget bill for the next two years. This bill makes significant investments to Minnesota’s livestock and meat processing industries, provides services for farm transitions, farm safety grants and mental health funding, greater funding for farm-to-school programming, and provides many more resources for Minnesota’s agriculture community. Senator Gene Dornink (R-Hayfield) co-authored this budget bill, served on the Conference Committee, and included several provisions of his own. 

“I have been a big supporter of the agricultural community because I know how important it is to the great state of Minnesota,” Dornink said. “This bill funds programming to continue the strong work our farmers do without increasing fees or creating new restrictions, contrary to what the House and Governor asked for. My goal this year was to increase funding for agriculture, spend more time helping farmers, and ensure rural community members have access to the resources they need. I am excited to see this budget come together knowing that everything in it is bound to improve the agricultural community.”

Many of Senator Dornink’s provisions were included in the final budget, such as funding for county fairs, the Agriculture Utilization Research Institute (AURI), Minnesota Agriculture Education and Leadership Council (MALEC), Center for Rural Policy and Development, and mental health outreach for farmers and agricultural workers.