Three new projects are joining the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Bend, Don’t Break Initiative to help Minnesota farmers cope with adversity.
“Agriculture can be a tough profession and Minnesota farmers experience a wide variety of physical, mental, and business stresses day-to-day and season-to-season,” Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “We’re proud to work with partners like these to support farmers in meaningful ways.”
The following new projects received funding to support these efforts:
- Minnesota FFA Foundation - $52,000 grant to support student chapters across the state that create projects and activities in support of mental wellness for youth, farmers, and their communities.
- Latino Economic Development Center - $50,000 grant to develop and deliver innovative and culturally appropriate ways of providing financial counseling, problem solving, and other forms of enterprise support to historically underserved Minnesota farmers.
- Southern Minnesota Agricultural Center of Excellence - $25,000 award to provide consultation and coaching to farmers and farm families that are working on a transition or succession plan for their farm operations, and to contribute materials to a new Minnesota farm transition/succession workbook.
These organizations join 11 others in the MDA’s Bend, Don’t Break Initiative, which is supported by a $559,605 award (no. 2021-70035-35461) from the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For a full list of the Bend, Don’t Break Initiative awardees and their projects, as well as more resources for coping with farm and rural stress, visit www.mnfarmstress.com.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us
The second round of a cost-share for irrigation system upgrades and associated practices is now available to producers in 19 Minnesota counties. This cost-share is available through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) awarded by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
The program is available to producers with irrigation systems located within Becker, Benton, Cass, Dakota, Douglas, East Otter Tail, Grant, Hubbard, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Morrison, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Wadena, Washington, and West Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). Applications will be accepted through December 16, 2022, and are available through the 20 local SWCD offices.
The program provides financial and technical support to irrigators looking to adopt and integrate proven precision irrigation technology and nitrogen management practices to help optimize irrigation system operation. This will help address groundwater quality and quantity issues under irrigated cropland. During the first round of sign-ups this spring, 12 irrigators from seven counties received a total of over $685,000 in cost-share.
The cost-share is available for practices such as installing soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling, upgrades of sprinkler packages, conversion to variable rate application, advanced irrigation water management, and fertigation retrofits. The cost-share amount varies; applicants should contact their local SWCD for more information.
Acres receiving cost-share for irrigation practices are also eligible for cost-share money for cover crops, residue and tillage management, and nutrient management.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, USDA NRCS, the 20 SWCDs, Central Lakes College, AgCentric, University of Minnesota, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, state agencies, irrigator associations, and businesses have partnered to offer this program as part of a $3.5 million grant from the NRCS.
In addition to providing the cost-share, a limited number of irrigators will receive a stipend to participate in the AgCentric Farm Business Management Program to provide an annual financial analysis of their operation.
More information is available through the program website: https://agcentric.org/rcpp-precision-irrigation/. Contact your local SWCD for more information about the program and how to apply.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us