The Minnesota Senate passed the Agriculture budget bill to support agriculture, rural development, and rural COVID-19 recovery. The comprehensive legislation is focused on helping Minnesota farmers while spurring innovation in the agriculture industry and provides resources for broadband expansion throughout the state.
“Helping the agricultural community has been one of my top priorities since Session started in January,” Senator Gene Dornink (R-Hayfield) said Wednesday, “and this budget provides incredible resources and funding for important programs. I am proud the legislation I put forward for farmer mental health grants has been included and I hope those who need it truly take advantage of it. The broadband grant program is also very exciting for my district, particularly for the unserved and underserved rural areas.”
The legislation helps the agricultural community recover from the pandemic by strengthening our Ag sector supply chains and investing in helping more meat processing facilities expand and grow. Ultimately these investments will provide more jobs, improve our processing efficiency, and provide more purchasing options for consumers.
The Senate Agriculture Budget gives historic funding to the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant program at $40 million over the next two fiscal years. This funding will develop permanent broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas. This significant funding from the legislature matches the critical need that has become apparent in the wake of COVID.
Furthermore, the bill provides a $3.5 million grant to improve biofuel infrastructure by allowing gas stations to sell higher blends of biofuels. This investment helps Minnesota continue to lead the nation in pioneering clean homegrown fuels, like E-15. Additionally, the budget includes grants for farm safety equipment and allows the creation of a grain storage facility safety curriculum. Mental health outreach on farms and additional mental health services are also included, which continues funding for the existing 24-hour crisis hotline.