Friends and neighbors,
In the coming weeks and months I will use this space to summarize what was included in the budget bills we passed this year. First up, Agriculture.
Before we get into the details, let me be clear: this is not an endorsement of any of these provisions. Like most of the bills we work on, the 2025 agriculture bill includes a wide variety of programs. Some of these I support. Others I don’t. This is simply a summary of what was in the bill.
The one program I do want to highlight here is my Cottage Food reform. This provision received broad bipartisan support, and I am glad it was included in the final version of the bill.
Regardless of how anyone feels about the bill, it’s important to understand what’s in it. Especially when your tax dollars are on the line.
The 2025 agriculture bill funds several major departments and programs, including the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Board of Animal Health, and the Office of Broadband Development.
Bipartisan cottage food reform
Let’s start with cottage food reform. This is an issue I’ve worked on for years and written about multiple times in this space. The new law allows cottage food producers to deliver by mail, raises the income cap with inflation, and allows limited liability companies owned by two people in the same household to qualify. These changes go into effect in 2027 and reflect the feedback I’ve heard directly from small food businesses across the state.
New spending and program expansions:
- $1.5 million added to the state’s agricultural emergency account.
- Compensation for farmers whose livestock were injured or killed by wolves and elk.
- Temporary funding increases for meat inspection and county agriculture inspectors.
- A pilot program that pays farmers to reduce their use of commercial nitrogen fertilizer by switching to bio-based alternatives, available in specific counties.
- $1 million per year for milk purchases for food shelves, and $700,000 per year for local food purchasing assistance.
- Grants to help meat, poultry, egg, and dairy processing facilities expand or modernize.
Changes to licensing and fees:
- Fees for grain buyers and milk marketers are going up.
- A new milk marketer license is now required for anyone handling over 700,000 pounds of milk per year.
- Starting in 2027, food licensing modernization will bring in nearly $2.6 million a year.
Other items:
- Funding for farm safety, mental health, and down payment assistance for new farmers.
- Funding to study risks from chronic wasting disease and to develop recommendations for improved nutrient management practices.
- The Board of Veterinary Medicine will study the issue of cat declawing.
- Licensed zoos may now receive permits to import reindeer from out of state under certain conditions.
- Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can now access pesticide application records when treating exposed patients.
I voted for the agriculture bill because it was a good example of bipartisanship. If you have thoughts or questions about the ag bill or any other issue the legislature worked on, please contact me any time. It is a privilege to serve you!
Sincerely,