3 de noviembre, 2021
Online applications are now open for anyone wishing to grow or process hemp in Minnesota in 2022. A license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is required for individuals and businesses.
Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2022, and a license is good for the 2022 calendar year.
The application can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp. Along with the online form, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.
There are several changes to the 2022 program. They include:
- The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing fee per grower sample has been reduced from $125 to $100 each.
- Previously, growers were not invoiced for the cost of the first sample; however, fees now will be charged for each sample collected.
- The MDA will begin inspecting processor locations. This was not done in the past.
- The processor license fee remains at $250, but each processing location will cost $250. Therefore, the minimum cost of a processing license will be $500.
The fee changes bring Minnesota into better alignment with other states and will help adequately fund the MDA’s Hemp Program.
While the deadline to apply or renew is April 30, 2022, those actively growing hemp plants indoors past December 31, 2021, must renew their license before expiration at the end of the year.
Questions about the MDA’s Industrial Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600.
Background
Industrial hemp and marijuana are both types of the same plant, Cannabis sativa. They differ by the concentration level of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within the plant. Hemp has less than 0.3% THC, and levels above that are considered marijuana.
Minnesota operated under a hemp pilot program from 2016-2020. In 2021, the program began operating under a new, federally approved state plan that governs production and regulation.
Licensing and Acreage | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Approved Applicants | 7 | 47 | 65 | 505 | 542 | 424 |
Licensed Growers | 6 | 33 | 43 | 350 | 461 | 347 |
Licensed Processors- Processing Only | 0 | 5 | 8 | 49 | 77 | 77 |
Outdoor Acres Planted | 38 | 1,202 | 709 | 7,353 | 5,808 | 2,445 |
Indoor Square Feet Planted | 0 | 0 | 54,618 | 40,304 | 1,460,328 | 350,00 |
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
Businesses, schools, nonprofits, local governments, and tribal entities seeking to promote urban youth agricultural education and urban agricultural community development can apply for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Urban Agriculture Grant.
The MDA will award up to $551,000 to eligible applicants serving communities within cities with a population over 10,000 or cities with population of at least 5,000 where at least 10% of the population is living at or below 200% of the poverty line or comprised of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Tribal communities are also eligible, regardless of population size.
Eligible project expenses include equipment purchases and physical improvements, and dedicated staff/contractor time.
In previous rounds of this highly competitive grant program, funds have gone to stimulate urban agriculture across Minnesota, from Saint Paul’s East Side to Duluth and from Virginia to North Minneapolis. The MDA expects to award 50% of the available funds to projects located in or serving BIPOC communities.
Applicants may request a maximum of $50,000 per project, and up to 100% of the total project cost may be covered by the grant. Up to half of the award may be requested as an advance.
Proposals must be submitted prior to Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 4 p.m. Visit the AGRI Urban Grants web page for more information, including detailed information about how to apply.
Funding for this program is made available through the 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.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us
Minnesota Pavilion at the Winter Fancy Food Show
3150 Paradise Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
We coordinate the Minnesota Pavilion at this annual business-to-business food and beverage tradeshow that attracts gourmet and specialty food buyers from around the world. Hosted by the Specialty Food Association.
Full and half-booths available in a good location at a discount - contact us for more information.
Minnesota Pavilion at Natural Products Expo West
800 West Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802
We coordinate a Minnesota Pavilion at this "world's largest" annual business-to-business natural and healthy products tradeshow that attracts clean label and natural food and beverage buyers from around the world.
Deadline to apply for space is November 5, 2021. Contact us for more information.
Minnesota Pavilion at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
2301 S King Dr
Chicago, IL 60616
We coordinate the Minnesota Pavilion at this annual business-to-business food and beverage tradeshow that attracts candy and snack buyers from around the world. Hosted by the National Confectioners Association.
Contact us for more information.
Hope and Healing Conference
The 2021 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota State Conference, "Hope and Healing," will be held virtually this year. Senior Advisor of Strategy and Innovation, Meg Moynihan, is on the panel for the breakout session, "Suicide Prevention in Minnesota."
New money is available to Minnesota livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. A total of $60,000 will be awarded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. Applications are due January 24, 2022.
The grants provide reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Eligible expenses for the grant program will include any or all of the following items:
- Purchase of guard animals
- Veterinary costs for guard animals
- Installation of wolf-barriers which may include pens, fladry, and fencing
- Installation of wolf-deterring lights and alarms
- Calving or lambing shelters
- Other measures demonstrated to effectively reduce wolf-livestock conflicts
Eligible producers must live within Minnesota’s wolf range, as designated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or on property determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture to be affected by wolf-livestock conflicts. Any animal species produced for profit and documented to have been killed by wolves in Minnesota in the past is eligible. This includes bison, cattle, chicken, deer, donkey, duck, geese, goat, horse, llama, mule, sheep, swine, and turkey.
The funding also requires an 80:20 matching cost-share, meaning 80% of eligible project costs will be reimbursed by the grant and the remaining 20% will be paid for by the grantee.
The grant application must be emailed or postmarked by 5 p.m. on January 24, 2022. Work for this grant must be done and expenses reported by August 31, 2022. The application and more information can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/wolfgrants.
This is the fifth round of funding through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. The first two rounds were funded by the Minnesota Legislature in 2017. This round and the other rounds have been funded by grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is issuing an advisory to farmers who have conducted business with Pipeline Foods, LLC based in Fridley, Minn. The company announced on July 8, 2021, it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The MDA is encouraging anyone who has not received payment for grain or who had grain stored at any of Pipeline Foods’ facilities located in Minnesota to submit a bond claim with the Department.
The facility, in accordance with the law, held a $500,000 bond with the Department to help grain sellers and depositors mitigate any losses. To submit a claim, a farmer will need do the following steps:
- Complete a Grain Bond Proof of Claim Form. This can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/grain.
- Include supporting evidence. This is including but not limited to scale tickets, purchase agreements, purchase receipts, non-sufficient funds checks, contracts, warehouse receipts, assembly sheets, etc.
- Send in the form and supporting evidence by email to grain@state.mn.us or mail to:
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Fruit Vegetable & Grain Unit
625 North Robert St.
St Paul, MN 55155
Farmers should submit a claim as soon as possible. The deadline for claims is January 4, 2022.
The MDA will review all submitted claims, associated paperwork, internal documents, and records from inspector visits to determine which claims are valid. In the case of multiple valid claims, a pro-rated share is calculated and dispersed.
Questions on grain bond claim process can be directed to Christine Mader at 651-201-6620 or Christine.Mader@state.mn.us, or Nick Milanowski at 651-201-6076 or Nicholas.Milanowski@state.mn.us.
More information on Pipeline Foods’ bankruptcy can be found on the MDA website at: www.mda.state.mn.us/pipelinefoods.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us