The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is making important moves to diversify the agriculture industry by adding a new director position for its Emerging Farmers Office. Lawmakers have approved $1. 5 million in funding over the next two years to expand the office's reach, focusing on reaching out to and helping new and underserved farmers through grant programs.
The MDA defines "emerging farmers" as individuals from historically excluded groups, such as Indigenous, immigrant, veteran, LGBTQ, young, beginner farmers, women, and people of color. These farmers have faced challenges accessing traditional government assistance programs, and the Emerging Farmers Office aims to change that.
The state office is the first of its kind in the country to support new farmers from diverse backgrounds. With mergers and acquisitions in the food and agriculture industry, starting farms becomes more challenging for beginners without connections. The Emerging Farmers Working Group identified barriers like access to capital, discrimination, land availability, and land prices during listening sessions.
Minnesota's agriculture industry has historically had limited representation of people of color, with fewer than 2% of the state's 111,000 farmers falling into this category, as per the 2017 Census of Agriculture.
Up until now, the Emerging Farmers Office employed only one person, an outreach and engagement coordinator. The addition of a full-time director will enhance the office's capacity to connect underserved farmers with valuable resources.
The MDA also launched a $540,000 grant program in April to provide technical assistance and crop insurance subsidies specifically for emerging farmers. The Legislature renewed funding for MDA's low-interest loans, which includes a program for beginning farmers, and expanded the beginning farmer tax credit to cover land transactions between family members.
The administration is also addressing corporate consolidation in the agriculture industry, supporting initiatives like grants for small-scale meat processing and incentives for domestic fertilizer production. These combined efforts aim to create a more inclusive and diverse agricultural landscape, offering support and opportunities for emerging farmers to thrive.
Photo Credit: istock-sasapanchenko
Categories: Minnesota, Business