Thirteen Minnesota educators looking to provide more agricultural experiences for their students have received grant funding from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC).
MAITC has awarded each educator with an Agricultural Literacy Grant, worth up to $500 each. This annual grant opportunity is designed to fund projects that support agriculture and food systems education efforts from kindergarten to high school across the state.
Topics that will be explored through this year’s projects include agricultural careers, aquaponics, and the farm-to-fork process.
MAITC is a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the MAITC Foundation that seeks to increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education. For more information about the Ag Literacy Grants and other ag education resources, visit the MAITC website.
Grantee School and City |
Grantee |
Project Title |
Bluff View Elementary School, |
Marie Kruse |
Learn Through Play, From Seed to Fork |
Greenvale Park Elementary School, Northfield |
Tiffany Kortbein |
Agriculture Library Books |
Hidden Valley Elementary School, Savage |
Quincy Voris |
Hidden Valley Ag Science Project and Field Trip |
Jackson County Central Elementary School, Jackson |
Laura Bidne |
Farm to Table Elementary Lessons |
Kelliher School, Kelliher |
Amy Mastin |
Hatching Up Some Fun |
Loyola Catholic School, Mankato |
Sarah Odegard |
Ruby Ranch Field Trip |
Owatonna High School, Owatonna |
Kimberly Penning |
Water Quality and Aquaponics |
SAGE Academy, Brooklyn Park |
Cari-Ana Garcia Luna |
Farm to Plate to Career |
Sauk Centre Elementary School, |
Becky Schreiner |
Adopt a Cow Field Trip |
Spring Creek Elementary School, Northfield |
Rich Guggisberg |
Farm Day Materials |
South Point Elementary School, |
Livia Zitzow |
Growing Greens |
St. Francis School, Brainerd |
Carrie Allord |
Embedded Agriculture |
Winona County 4-H, Winona |
Mika Miller |
Food Systems in Agriculture with 4-H After-School |
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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Morrison County for the first time. There are now 46 counties in the state, including Morrison, with EAB.
A suspected EAB infestation was reported at a campground in Genola, MN. EAB larvae was later found, and samples were collected by MDA staff. Federal identification confirmed the samples as emerald ash borer. MDA staff also surveyed other areas in Morrison County and found EAB near Little Falls, MN.
EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Morrison County, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine of the county. The quarantine limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area.
The MDA issues quarantines for all areas known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.
A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Morrison County will be held on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
December 13, 2023
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab
The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add Morrison County’s emergency quarantine to the state’s formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through January 16, 2024, and recommends adopting the quarantine on January 19, 2024. The proposed quarantine language can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.
Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:
Kimberly Thielen Cremers
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Kimberly.TCremers@state.mn.us
There is more EAB information on the MDA website.
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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us
The goal of the state is to prevent nitrate from entering groundwater.
Seed Program Advisory Committee Meeting
1900 County Road 1 West
Room AH10
Shoreview, MN 55126
In person and virtual meeting of the Seed Advisory Committee.
For more information email seed.mda@state.mn.us