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Minnesota National Farmers re-elect officers

NEW MUNICH — All officers were re-elected at the annual organizational meeting of National Farmers Organization of Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 21 at the New Munich Marketing Center. Joe Neaton of Watertown was re-elected State President. Joe and his wife LuAnn operate 450 acres of corn,soybeans, and alfalfa near Watertown and raise Holstein steers. They have two sons with separate farming operations and another son who has a maintenance business for horse owners. Their daughter Kelly is married and lives near Wausau, Wisconsin. In addition, Neaton was elected a national director at ...

Updated Groundwater Protection Rule map now available

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued an updated map that will help farmers across the state comply with the Groundwater Protection Rule. The rule restricts fall application of nitrogen fertilizer in areas vulnerable to contamination, and it outlines steps to reduce the severity of contamination in areas where nitrate is already elevated in public water supply wells. The MDA has made changes to the Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions map which is accessible on the MDA website. There have been changes to the Drinking Water Supply Management ...

New USDA rule boosts ‘organic’ food oversight, targets fraud

The Agriculture Department on Thursday issued new requirements for foods labeled organic, a move aimed at cracking down on fraud and boosting oversight. The rule strengthens enforcement of the USDA’s strict definitions of organic, which must rely on “natural substances and physical, mechanical or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.” The rule requires USDA’s National Organic Program certification for all imported organic food, increases certifications of more businesses in the supply chain and boosts authority for inspections, record-keeping, ...

New grant available to help improve Minnesota’s soil health

ST. PAUL — Applications are now open for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) new Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants. These grants are available to individual producers, producer groups, and local governments to purchase or retrofit soil health equipment. Grant awards will provide up to 50% cost-share, with a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $50,000. A total of $475,000 is available for the Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants. “We recognize that building soil health is ...

Applications open for funding to help new farmers buy land

ST. PAUL — Applications are being accepted for a new grant program to support Minnesotans purchasing their first farm. The Down Payment Assistance Grant Program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and offers dollar-for-dollar matching up to $15,000 for qualified small farmers to purchase farmland. The MDA’s Rural Finance Authority (RFA) is awarding this funding using a first-come, first-served application process that will open at 9 a.m. on January 4, 2023. The Minnesota Legislature appropriated $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 for these grants. The RFA ...

Registration now open for 2023-2024 SowBridge program

WILLMAR — Registration is now open for SowBridge, the distance educationseries for people involved in managing or caring for sows, and/or their litters, and boars, including operation owners, caretakers, technicians, managers and technical service providers. The series will be provided online through Zoom, although participants will be able to use a call-in option instead if they prefer.Sarah Schieck Boelke, University of Minnesota Extension swine educator said, “SowBridgeoffers accurate and timely information on a variety of topics from experts.”Sessions are generally scheduled ...