Oct 6, 2021
Minnesota to award $250K in grants for sustainable ag

A sizeable investment in sustainable agriculture is forthcoming from the land of 10,000 lakes.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) plans to award $250,000 to projects that “demonstrate and publicize the energy efficiency, environmental benefit, or profitability of sustainable agricultural techniques or systems, from production through marketing,” according to a news release from the MDA. The Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Program’s Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant program will accept applications through 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 9, 2021.

Applicants may request up to $50,000 per project, according to the news release. The first $25,000 does not need to be matched by the applicants. For requests between $25,000 and $50,000, applicants must provide a dollar-for-dollar match on the amount above $25,000.

Funding will be awarded in 2022, MDA said in the release. Projects must last two to three years and grantees must be willing to share what they learn with others.

Projects are published annually in the MDA’s Greenbook, which provides a summary of each project along with results, management tips, locations of previous projects, and other resources, according to the release.

Past grants have funded a wide range of projects, such as exploring farm diversification; cover crops and crop rotation; conservation tillage; input reduction strategies; and alternative energies such as wind, methane and biomass.

Minnesota farmers, educational institutions, individuals at educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Applicants must be Minnesota residents, and projects must take place on Minnesota farms.

Proposals are required to be submitted through MDA’s online application system.

For more information, visit the AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant webpage.


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