In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature provided funding to the MDA for grants to organizations in Minnesota to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development.
The first of two Requests for Proposals (RFP) for this competitive grant opened Monday, September 11, 2023 and closed October 2, 2023. A summary of selected project is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gertens | Propagate up to 10,000 farm-ready hybrid hazelnut plants | $50,000 |
| MSX Nexgen Inc. | Supply a regional location to preclean, dry, and store winter camelina, Kernza, and other CLC crops as needed. | $50,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative | Expand marketing to existing customers and sales of Kernza grain to new customers. | $48,000 |
| River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co | Incorporate Kernza into at least 75% of their baked goods. This project was featured in one of the Meet the Minnesota Makers articles. | $50,000 |
| Rookie Farmers, LLC | Purchase a winter camelina cleaning trailer. | $50,000 |
ROUND 2: September 2023 RFP Funded by the General Fund
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature provided funding to the MDA for grants to organizations in Minnesota to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development.
The first of two Requests for Proposals (RFP) for this competitive grant opened Monday, September 11, 2023 and closed October 2, 2023. A summary of selected project is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gertens | Propagate up to 10,000 farm-ready hybrid hazelnut plants | $50,000 |
| MSX Nexgen Inc. | Supply a regional location to preclean, dry, and store winter camelina, Kernza, and other CLC crops as needed. | $50,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative | Expand marketing to existing customers and sales of Kernza grain to new customers. | $48,000 |
| River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co | Incorporate Kernza into at least 75% of their baked goods. This project was featured in one of the Meet the Minnesota Makers articles. | $50,000 |
| Rookie Farmers, LLC | Purchase a winter camelina cleaning trailer. | $50,000 |
This grant round was funded with the remaining money allocated to the MDA by the LCCMR and the General Fund.
The Request for Proposals for this competitive grant opportunity opened June 10, 2024 and closed July 15, 2024. A summary of selected projects is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Brewing Company LLC | Increase the percentage of Kernza® in their beer to meet the Perennial Percent™ label and improve marketing. Purchase and convert a van to sell beer as the sole brewer at Mill City Market. | $45,000 |
| Estling Farms Inc | Develop a dedicated seed cleaning line for emerging continuous living cover crops. A new seed cleaning line will reduce the cost of CLC crop seed for farmers in northern Minnesota. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Elderberry Cooperative | Improve the developing regional hub for harvested American elderberries by purchasing a used refrigerated container for storage and paving the driveway to accommodate large trucks. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC | Purchase the equipment, supplies, and services needed for one aggregation station at a Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC Go First Farm in Minnesota. | $44,772 |
| Perennial Pantry | Create marketing content and strategies to enhance capacity and increase sales of CLC products. | $45,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers | Continue market expansion for Kernza® and value-added products through customer lead generation/qualification/cultivation; provision of samples to prospective users; placement and fulfillment of orders; post-sale customer service; and coordination with value-added partners. | $45,000 |
| Regenerative Agriculture Alliance | Purchase and distribute improved Midwest Hazelnut LLC plant material directly to growers involved with the Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agroforestry ecosystem. This project will also fund training opportunities for growers. | $35,865 |
| Sturdiwheat,Inc. | Modify existing recipes to include 1% to 5% perennial grain flour and update the packaging design to highlight the perennial grains. | $45,000 |
| SUN Consulting Inc. | Build a self-propelled, mound bed cutter to sever the new woody stem of hazelnuts below the new root base, to harvest 2-year-old, farm-ready, bare root “whips” from propagation beds. | $36,000 |
| Tree Range Farms | Increase operational capacity to market the silvopasture poultry to Minnesota schools, communities, retailers, and restaurants. | $45,000 |
ROUND 3: June 2024 RFP Funded by the LCCMR and the General Fund
This grant round was funded with the remaining money allocated to the MDA by the LCCMR and the General Fund.
The Request for Proposals for this competitive grant opportunity opened June 10, 2024 and closed July 15, 2024. A summary of selected projects is included in the table below.
| Organization Name | Project Summary | Award Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Brewing Company LLC | Increase the percentage of Kernza® in their beer to meet the Perennial Percent™ label and improve marketing. Purchase and convert a van to sell beer as the sole brewer at Mill City Market. | $45,000 |
| Estling Farms Inc | Develop a dedicated seed cleaning line for emerging continuous living cover crops. A new seed cleaning line will reduce the cost of CLC crop seed for farmers in northern Minnesota. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Elderberry Cooperative | Improve the developing regional hub for harvested American elderberries by purchasing a used refrigerated container for storage and paving the driveway to accommodate large trucks. | $45,000 |
| Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC | Purchase the equipment, supplies, and services needed for one aggregation station at a Midwest Hazelnuts, LLC Go First Farm in Minnesota. | $44,772 |
| Perennial Pantry | Create marketing content and strategies to enhance capacity and increase sales of CLC products. | $45,000 |
| Perennial Promise Growers | Continue market expansion for Kernza® and value-added products through customer lead generation/qualification/cultivation; provision of samples to prospective users; placement and fulfillment of orders; post-sale customer service; and coordination with value-added partners. | $45,000 |
| Regenerative Agriculture Alliance | Purchase and distribute improved Midwest Hazelnut LLC plant material directly to growers involved with the Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agroforestry ecosystem. This project will also fund training opportunities for growers. | $35,865 |
| Sturdiwheat,Inc. | Modify existing recipes to include 1% to 5% perennial grain flour and update the packaging design to highlight the perennial grains. | $45,000 |
| SUN Consulting Inc. | Build a self-propelled, mound bed cutter to sever the new woody stem of hazelnuts below the new root base, to harvest 2-year-old, farm-ready, bare root “whips” from propagation beds. | $36,000 |
| Tree Range Farms | Increase operational capacity to market the silvopasture poultry to Minnesota schools, communities, retailers, and restaurants. | $45,000 |
| County | Inspector | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | Sam Seybold seybold.aitkinswcd@gmail.com |
307 2nd Street NW Room 216 |
218-927-7284 |
| Anoka | Quinn Palar Quinn.Palar@co.anoka.mn.us |
Anoka County Parks 1350 Bunker Lake Blvd NW Andover, MN 55303 |
763-324-3413 |
| Becker | Brandon Gill brandon.gill@co.becker.mn.us |
SWCD 809 Eighth Street SE Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 |
218-846-7360 ext 3293 |
| Beltrami | Shane Foley Designated Employee shane.foley@co.beltrami.mn.us |
Beltrami County Natural Resource Management Department 701 Minnesota Avenue NW, Suite 23, Bemidji, MN 56601 |
218-333-4163 |
| Beltrami | Brent Rud Designated Employee brent.rud@co.beltrami.mn.us |
701 Minnesota Avenue NW Suite 113 Bemidji, MN 56601 |
218-333-4158 |
| Benton | Jack Brosh CAI jbrosh@co.benton.mn.us |
Benton County Highway Department 7752 Highway 25 NE P.O. Box 247 Foley, MN 56329 |
320-968-5059 |
| Benton | Mark Ebnet Assistant CAI mark.ebnet@co.benton.mn.us |
Benton County Highway Department 7752 Highway 25 NE P.O. Box 247 Foley, MN 56329 |
320-968-5051 |
Aitkin - Benton
| County | Inspector | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | Sam Seybold seybold.aitkinswcd@gmail.com |
307 2nd Street NW Room 216 |
218-927-7284 |
| Anoka | Quinn Palar Quinn.Palar@co.anoka.mn.us |
Anoka County Parks 1350 Bunker Lake Blvd NW Andover, MN 55303 |
763-324-3413 |
| Becker | Brandon Gill brandon.gill@co.becker.mn.us |
SWCD 809 Eighth Street SE Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 |
218-846-7360 ext 3293 |
| Beltrami | Shane Foley Designated Employee shane.foley@co.beltrami.mn.us |
Beltrami County Natural Resource Management Department 701 Minnesota Avenue NW, Suite 23, Bemidji, MN 56601 |
218-333-4163 |
| Beltrami | Brent Rud Designated Employee brent.rud@co.beltrami.mn.us |
701 Minnesota Avenue NW Suite 113 Bemidji, MN 56601 |
218-333-4158 |
| Benton | Jack Brosh CAI jbrosh@co.benton.mn.us |
Benton County Highway Department 7752 Highway 25 NE P.O. Box 247 Foley, MN 56329 |
320-968-5059 |
| Benton | Mark Ebnet Assistant CAI mark.ebnet@co.benton.mn.us |
Benton County Highway Department 7752 Highway 25 NE P.O. Box 247 Foley, MN 56329 |
320-968-5051 |
| Big Stone | Harold Nelson | 123 County Road 6 Clinton, MN 56225 |
320-325-5100 |
| Blue Earth | Matt Halvorson matthew.halvorson@blueearthcountymn.gov |
35 Map Drive Mankato, MN 56001 |
507-380-0898 |
| Brown | Robert Santaella robert.santaella@co.brown.mn.us |
Brown County Planning & Zoning & Parks Courthouse P.O. Box 248 New Ulm, MN 56073-0248 |
507-233-6644 |
| Carlton | Mark Westphal mark.westphal@carltoncountymn.gov |
1630 County Road 61 Suite 132 Carlton, MN 55718 |
218-384-9179 |
| Carver | Jacob McLain jmclain@co.carver.mn.us |
Carver County Government Center 600 Fourth Street East Chaska, MN 55318-2158 |
952-361-1801 |
| Cass | Dana Gutzmann dana.gutzmann@casscountymn.gov |
Environmental Services Cass County Courthouse 303 Minnesota Avenue West P.O. Box 3000 Walker, MN 56484 |
218-547-7246 |
| Cass | Jeff Woodford jeff.woodford@casscountymn.gov |
Environmental Services Cass County Courthouse 303 Minnesota Avenue West P.O. Box 3000 Walker, MN 56484 |
218-547-7241 |
| Chippewa | Josh Macziewski jmacziewski@co.chippewa.mn.us |
629 North 11th Street Montevideo, MN 56265 |
320-269-2662 |
| Chippewa | Jake Knapper jake.knapper@chippewa.mn |
629 North 11th Street Montevideo, MN 56265 |
|
| Chisago | Jeff Fertig, CAI jafertig@co.chisago.mn.us |
Chisago Government Center Suite 214 313 North Main Street Center City, MN 55012 |
651-213-8378 |
| Chisago | Dan Cahill Assistant CAI Daniel.Cahill@chisagocountymn.gov |
Chisago Government Center Suite 214 313 North Main Street Center City, MN 55012 |
651-213-8374 |
Big Stone - Chisago
| Big Stone | Harold Nelson | 123 County Road 6 Clinton, MN 56225 |
320-325-5100 |
| Blue Earth | Matt Halvorson matthew.halvorson@blueearthcountymn.gov |
35 Map Drive Mankato, MN 56001 |
507-380-0898 |
| Brown | Robert Santaella robert.santaella@co.brown.mn.us |
Brown County Planning & Zoning & Parks Courthouse P.O. Box 248 New Ulm, MN 56073-0248 |
507-233-6644 |
| Carlton | Mark Westphal mark.westphal@carltoncountymn.gov |
1630 County Road 61 Suite 132 Carlton, MN 55718 |
218-384-9179 |
| Carver | Jacob McLain jmclain@co.carver.mn.us |
Carver County Government Center 600 Fourth Street East Chaska, MN 55318-2158 |
952-361-1801 |
| Cass | Dana Gutzmann dana.gutzmann@casscountymn.gov |
Environmental Services Cass County Courthouse 303 Minnesota Avenue West P.O. Box 3000 Walker, MN 56484 |
218-547-7246 |
| Cass | Jeff Woodford jeff.woodford@casscountymn.gov |
Environmental Services Cass County Courthouse 303 Minnesota Avenue West P.O. Box 3000 Walker, MN 56484 |
218-547-7241 |
| Chippewa | Josh Macziewski jmacziewski@co.chippewa.mn.us |
629 North 11th Street Montevideo, MN 56265 |
320-269-2662 |
| Chippewa | Jake Knapper jake.knapper@chippewa.mn |
629 North 11th Street Montevideo, MN 56265 |
|
| Chisago | Jeff Fertig, CAI jafertig@co.chisago.mn.us |
Chisago Government Center Suite 214 313 North Main Street Center City, MN 55012 |
651-213-8378 |
| Chisago | Dan Cahill Assistant CAI Daniel.Cahill@chisagocountymn.gov |
Chisago Government Center Suite 214 313 North Main Street Center City, MN 55012 |
651-213-8374 |
| Clay | Alyssa Schill CAI alyssa.schill@clay.mnswcd.org |
Clay SWCD 1615 30th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560 |
218-287-2255 |
| Clay | Kevin Kassenborg Assistant CAI Kevin.Kassenborg@clay.mnswcd.org |
Clay SWCD 1615 30th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560 |
218-287-2255 |
| Clay | Gabe Foltz Assistant CAI gabriel.foltz@clay.mnswcd.org |
Clay SWCD 1615 30th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560 |
218-287-2255 |
| Clearwater | Dan Hecht dan.hecht@co.clearwater.mn.us |
Office of Environmental Services 213 Main Avenue North Bagley, MN 56621 |
218-694-6183 |
| Cook | Tia Parks tia.parks@co.cook.mn.us |
Cook County Highway Department |
218-387-3692 |
| Cottonwood | Alex Schultz alex.schultz@co.cottonwood.mn.us |
339 Ninth Street Windom, MN 56101 |
507-822-3872 |
| Crow Wing | Tom Strack tom.strack@crowwing.gov |
Land Services Department 15728 State Highway 210 Brainerd, MN 56401 |
218-824-1010 |
| Dakota | Todd Matzke todd.matzke@co.dakota.mn.us |
Dakota County SWCD 4100 220th Street, Suite 102 Farmington, MN 55024 |
651-480-7780 |
| Dodge | Joe Flett joe.flett@dodgecountymn.gov |
Dodge County Environmental Services 721 Main ST. North, Dept 123 Mantorville, MN 55955 |
507-635-6273
|
Clay - Dodge
| Clay | Alyssa Schill CAI alyssa.schill@clay.mnswcd.org |
Clay SWCD 1615 30th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560 |
218-287-2255 |
| Clay | Kevin Kassenborg Assistant CAI Kevin.Kassenborg@clay.mnswcd.org |
Clay SWCD 1615 30th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560 |
218-287-2255 |
| Clay | Gabe Foltz Assistant CAI gabriel.foltz@clay.mnswcd.org |
Clay SWCD 1615 30th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560 |
218-287-2255 |
| Clearwater | Dan Hecht dan.hecht@co.clearwater.mn.us |
Office of Environmental Services 213 Main Avenue North Bagley, MN 56621 |
218-694-6183 |
| Cook | Tia Parks tia.parks@co.cook.mn.us |
Cook County Highway Department |
218-387-3692 |
| Cottonwood | Alex Schultz alex.schultz@co.cottonwood.mn.us |
339 Ninth Street Windom, MN 56101 |
507-822-3872 |
| Crow Wing | Tom Strack tom.strack@crowwing.gov |
Land Services Department 15728 State Highway 210 Brainerd, MN 56401 |
218-824-1010 |
| Dakota | Todd Matzke todd.matzke@co.dakota.mn.us |
Dakota County SWCD 4100 220th Street, Suite 102 Farmington, MN 55024 |
651-480-7780 |
| Dodge | Joe Flett joe.flett@dodgecountymn.gov |
Dodge County Environmental Services 721 Main ST. North, Dept 123 Mantorville, MN 55955 |
507-635-6273
|
