MDA Offers Mini-Grant for Produce Growers
Reimbursement possible for water testing, harvest supplies, and other expenses
St. Paul, MN: Minnesota produce farmers who improve their on-farm food safety systems may be eligible to reimburse those expenses through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) 2024 Produce Safety Mini-Grant, which is now accepting applications.
The Produce Safety Mini-Grant will distribute a total of approximately $33,600. Awardees will receive up to $800 per farm. No matching funds are required.
To be eligible, applicants must be produce growers farming in Minnesota, who grow and sell one or more of the following crops: leafy greens, apples, berries, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, green beans, herbs, melons, microgreens, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sprouts, summer squash/zucchini, or tomatoes.
Applicants must also have completed the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program Grower Questionnaire at least once between 2021-2024.
Expenses must occur on or after October 1, 2023 or be planned to take place before August 2, 2024. Examples of eligible expenses include:
Supplies to build or purchase a portable handwashing station
Harvest totes or collection tools
Water testing for generic coli
Consultation fees for developing an on-farm food safety plan
Waxed boxes and market containers
Additional information and the online application are available on the MDA website.
Farmers can contact the MDA Produce Safety Program at 651-539-3648 to request a paper copy. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on March 30, 2024.

Funds Available to Boost Minnesota Livestock Product Sales
Meat, poultry, egg, and milk processors focus of MDA grant program
St. Paul, MN: Minnesota livestock product processors seeking to start-up, modernize, or expand their businesses are encouraged to apply for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing (MPEM) Grant.
Funded through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the intent of the MPEM Grant is to increase sales of Minnesota-raised livestock products by investing in equipment and physical improvements that support processing, capacity, market diversification, and market access.
The MDA anticipates awarding up to $750,000 in 2024 MPEM Grants using a competitive review process. The maximum award amount is $150,000, and the minimum award amount is $1,000. Grantees are responsible for 50% of the first $50,000 of project expenses, and 75% of the total remaining costs above $50,000.
Individuals (including farmers), businesses, agricultural cooperatives, nonprofits, educational institutions, local unit of governments, or tribal governments that intend to be or are engaged with livestock slaughter or processing are eligible for the MPEM Grant. Projects focused on meat and poultry processing, especially slaughtering, will be prioritized in this round of funding.
Grant applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. For further information and to submit your online application, visit the AGRI Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing Grant web page.
This call for MPEM Grant applications follows a previous round of applications announced in fall 2023. Recipients of the 2023 MPEM Grants will be announced at a forthcoming date.
Funding for the MPEM Grant is made available through the MDA’s AGRI Program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

MDA Seeks Input on New Green Fertilizer Grant Program
St. Paul, MN: Through a request for information (RFI), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) invites eligible cooperatives and other interested stakeholders in providing input to help the agency in designing a new Green Fertilizer Grant Program and in assessing business readiness of the green fertilizer industry in Minnesota.
During the 2023 session, the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $7 million to the MDA for a Green Fertilizer Grant Program. The program is intended to provide financial support to Minnesota agricultural and rural electric cooperatives investing in green fertilizer production facilities, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy in the agriculture sector.
The Green Fertilizer Grant Program is a financial tool that can be combined with federal funds like the Inflation Reduction Act Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit or Department of Energy loan programs to de-risk and incentivize development of the local green fertilizer industry.
For this program, green fertilizer is defined as any nitrogen-based fertilizer that contains hydrogen produced via electrolysis powered by renewable energy.
The full RFI can be viewed on the MDA’s Green Fertilizer Program web page. Responses are due by 5 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, March 14, 2024, via Microsoft Forms.

Rainfall monitoring network seeks volunteers
Participants provide important data about precipitation, climate trends
The Minnesota State Climatology Office is seeking rainfall monitors for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. The network includes more than 20,000 volunteers nationwide who measure precipitation in their backyards using a standard 4-inch diameter rain gauge.
Participants submit their precipitation reports online. The data from backyard rain gauges are a critical source of information and it’s beneficial to add more volunteer weather observers each year, even in areas where there are already volunteers.
“Rainfall and snowfall amounts can vary widely over a short distance, so a variety of reports is helpful in the same community or area,” State Climatologist Luigi Romolo said. “We have some areas in greater Minnesota that have very few reporting stations. The more we have across the state, the better information we all have.”
“Over time, as more volunteer reports make our precipitation maps more accurate, these observations provide critical guidance on Minnesota’s changing climate,” Romolo added. “This is also a great educational activity for families with kids and a rewarding hobby for anyone interested in weather or climate.”
Volunteers are particularly needed outside the immediate Twin Cities metro area. Volunteers receive training on how to observe weather trends and how to submit their precipitation and weather event reports. All training material is available online. Participants must purchase or provide a standard 4-inch diameter rain gauge (available at discount through CoCoRaHS) and have internet access to submit reports.
For the past four years, Minnesota has won the “CoCoRaHS Cup” for recruiting the most new volunteers of any state. “We’re hoping Minnesotans will again come through in 2024 to keep the cup in Minnesota and, more important of course, to improve our state’s precipitation recording,” Romolo said.
To sign up or for more information, visit CoCoRaHS.org or contact Luigi Romolo at luigi.romolo@state.mn.us.