The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting grant applications for organizations offering technical assistance to improve access to fresh, affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods for underserved communities.
The funding is available through the Good Food Access Program (GFAP). These grants will help organizations provide appropriate technical assistance - including guidance and resources on topics such as business planning, financing, marketing, food procurement and distribution, handling and merchandising fresh foods, and more - to eligible food retailers, such as grocery stores, corner stores, and farmers markets.
Nonprofit organizations and public agencies with capabilities to provide technical assistance may apply. Grocers and other retailers receiving technical assistance must serve people in food deserts or primarily underserved communities in low- and moderate-income areas.
The MDA will award up to $100,000 in this round of GFAP Technical Assistance Grants. Applicants may request between $5,000 and $50,000, and the grants can cover up to 75% of project costs. Grant applications are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
For more information, including a list of eligibility requirements, visit the GFAP Technical Assistance Grant webpage.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
larry.schumacher@state.mn.us
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is encouraging farmers to take part in its annual pesticide and fertilizer survey. This year the survey will focus on best management practices (BMPs) for corn and soybean farmers. Due to COVID-19, this year the survey will be a mailed survey with a follow-up phone call for non-responses. The data helps the MDA track the awareness, adoption, and use of nitrogen and pesticides BMPs and provides guidance to education and research programs.
The mailed survey is being sent this week to the 7,600 Minnesota farmers selected for this project. Farmers that have not returned their questionnaire by mail will be contacted by phone in mid-September.
The survey is conducted for the MDA by the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service out of their regional offices in Missouri.
Minnesota farmers may be getting calls from multiple agencies and companies conducting a variety of surveys this time of year, but the information gathered from this survey is critical for research and educational purposes.
If you have questions about the MDA’s annual survey, or if you wish to view results of previous surveys, visit the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/pesticidefertilizersurveys. Producers can also call the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at 651-261-1993 from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday – Saturday.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us