Hemp Seed Meal Available for Feed in Minnesota
Approval for use in laying hens grants new markets for hemp
St. Paul, MN: Minnesota is among the first states in which hemp seed meal may be used in certain animal feed, opening new market options for industrial hemp growers.
The Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) earlier this year added hemp seed meal as a tentative ingredient definition for laying hens. Minnesota allows tentative ingredients to be used in animal feed and pet food.
Hemp seed meal is obtained by grinding or milling the cake that remains after most of the oil has been extracted from the seeds of Cannabis sativa L., said Daniel King, an MDA feed specialist and board member of AAFCO.
“It’s an opportunity to expand the availability of hemp in the market,” he said. “Producers can market it as a specialty ingredient.”
Hemp seed meal can make up no more than 20% of the laying hens’ diet as a source of protein and fat.
The Food and Drug Administration set the final standards with a limit of 2 parts per million (ppm) for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 20 ppm for cannabidiol (CBD). More research and testing will take place over the next year to make sure the THC and CBD levels in the hemp seed are correct.
The AAFCO process may take a year or more before moving from tentative approval to full approval for an ingredient, King said. Once full approval is granted, it could be expanded to meal uses for other animals, he said.
The application period for a license to grow hemp in Minnesota in 2025 is open now through April 30, 2025. Anyone wanting to grow hemp in Minnesota must obtain a license.
The 2018 Federal Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation for commercial purposes. In Minnesota, in 2023, there were 230 licensed hemp growers and 158 licensed processors.
Hemp is the same Cannabis sativa L. plant as marijuana, but with a THC concentration of no more than 0.3% by dry weight.

New Grant Available for Minnesota Farmers’ Markets
Funding available to support market nutrition assistance programs
A new Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) grant opportunity is available for farmers’ market associations to help support nutrition assistance programs at the markets.
The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Assistance Grant will provide funding to farmers’ markets in the state so they can increase participation in food assistance programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), Market Bucks, and Power of Produce (POP) Club. These programs help individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity purchase foods directly from farmers at farmers’ markets.
The MDA expects to award approximately $150,000 using a competitive review process. Applicants may request between $1,500 to $10,000 per farmers’ market association. There is no match requirement for this grant. If the project proposal is approved, the farmers’ market association may request an advance of up to 50% of the project funding. Advance funds must be requested as a part of the application process.
To be eligible to apply, a farmers’ market association must be located in Minnesota and intends to participate in at least one nutrition assistance program in 2025 that provides food directly to program participants at the farmers’ market.
Applications will be accepted until February 20, 2025.
For full details on eligibility and how to apply, visit the MDA website.

Minnesota Produce Farmers Asked to Complete 2025 Grower Questionnaire
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is calling on produce farmers who have never completed the Grower Questionnaire, or who have not filled it out since 2022, to complete the 2025 edition.
Completing this questionnaire helps farmers identify the federal food safety requirements that apply to their operations and gain access to additional support to improve food safety practices on their farms. By participating, growers contribute to a more accurate picture of Minnesota’s produce sector, allowing the MDA to provide tailored resources and guidance.
“The Grower Questionnaire helps us stay informed about Minnesota’s evolving produce industry and allows us to support farms in improving food safety practices and keeping local produce safe for consumers,” said Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey.
Farmers who complete the Grower Questionnaire may also be eligible for the Produce Safety Mini-Grant, which offers up to $800 in reimbursements for on-farm food safety improvements. Applications for the 2025 Mini-Grant will be available later this winter.
The Grower Questionnaire should be filled out once every three years by each produce farm. Farm contact and location information collected through the questionnaire are considered private and confidential and will not be shared with the public. General farm statistics are compiled and shared out publicly.
If growers choose not to complete the questionnaire, the MDA Produce Safety Program will reach out directly to discuss potential inspection requirements.
Farmers may complete the 2025 MDA Grower Questionnaire online.
Farmers can contact the MDA Produce Safety Program at 651-539-3648 or email producesafety.mda@state.mn.us to request a paper copy of the questionnaire, or for more information.

Chronic wasting disease confirmed in wild deer in 2 new Minnesota deer permit areas
Cases confirmed in DPA 266 near Hawley and DPA 701 near Greenfield
Two adult male deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in two deer permit areas without previous confirmed cases of the disease.
One deer was harvested in DPA 266 near Hawley in Clay County and the other deer was harvested in DPA 701 near Greenfield in Hennepin County. Both deer were harvested during the firearms deer season. The hunters submitted tissue samples via the DNR’s partner sampling program which consists mostly of taxidermists.
“This finding is concerning because it indicates possible new areas of CWD prevalence in wild deer where it hasn’t previously been detected,” said Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “This also highlights how important our disease surveillance efforts are and how critical it is that hunters are able to test deer harvested anywhere in the state if they would like to.”
The closest CWD positive wild deer to the one detected in DPA 701 is 31 miles from a positive in DPA 605. The CWD positive wild deer in DPA 266 is roughly 54 miles from the confirmed positive near Climax, Minnesota.
Following the detections in DPAs 266 and 701, the Minnesota DNR will implement measures outlined in its CWD response plan (mndnr.gov/cwd/cwd-response-plan.html), which calls for three consecutive years of testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease near the detections.
Within DPAs where CWD has been detected and confirmed, the Minnesota DNR uses multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, a deer feeding and attractant ban and, sometimes, increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits.
Additional management actions will be taken per DNR’s CWD response plan, likely this fall, and might include the establishment of a new CWD management zone and surrounding surveillance area to better understand the distribution and prevalence of this disease in the area, as well as considerations of late season hunting, landowner shooting permits and targeted culling.

Sign up for firearms safety certification
Though most hunting seasons are more than seven months away, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources encourages anyone who plans to take a firearms safety class to sign up now.
Firearms safety certification is required of anyone born after Dec. 31, 1979, to purchase a hunting license in Minnesota. It’s recommended for anyone who hunts, even if by law they don’t need to be certified. People who are certified are less likely to be injured, or worse, in a firearms-related hunting incident.
The DNR and its volunteer firearms safety instructors put on hundreds of classes each year and certify more than 23,000 students. However, classes tend to fill quickly and people who put off signing up might not be able to find a class close to home. Those who wait too long might have to wait for next year to get certified.
“It’s becoming increasingly common for us to receive calls from people during late summer and early fall who are panicked because they can’t find an open firearms safety class,” said Capt. Jon Paurus, DNR Enforcement education program coordinator. “There are a lot of open classes on the calendar now, but that number will diminish as the year goes on. We urge people to make a plan and sign up now.”
For more information about firearms safety certification and the class calendar, visit the DNR website (mndnr.gov/safety).