The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for grants to support innovative sustainability-focused research or demonstration projects on Minnesota farms.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/12/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Minnesota Legislature created this program in 1988 to demonstrate and publicize the energy efficiency, environmental benefit, or profitability of sustainable agriculture techniques or systems from production through marketing.
The AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration (SustAg) grants fund research or demonstrations that explore sustainable agriculture practices and systems that could make farming more profitable or resource-efficient.
Funding Information
- MDA expect to award up to $350,000 in Fiscal Year 2025.
- You may request up to $50,000 per project. For requests between $25,000 and $50,000, you must provide a dollar-for-dollar match on the amount above $25,000.
Eligible Projects
- Projects must:
- Show the ability to:
- Increase direct or indirect energy savings or production;
- Have a positive effect or reduce harmful effects on the environment; and/or
- Demonstrate increased profitability for the individual farm by reducing costs or improving marketing opportunities.
- Be conducted on a Minnesota farm or farms.
- Publicize and hold an outreach event in the form of a field day, event, or other resource in the final season or year of the project. Examples include but are not limited to field days, video diaries, how-to guides, blog posts, podcast interviews, presentations at ag-based conferences or meetings, etc.
- Not start until the grant contract is signed by all parties and has reached its start date.
- Be conducted over a minimum of two years but no more than three years. Grant contract agreements cannot be extended beyond three years.
- Show the ability to:
- Project examples include but are not limited to:
- Increased environmental sustainability and improved soil health
- Conservation tillage and weed management
- Novel cover crops and crop rotations
- Nutrient and pesticide management, including runoff protection
- Farm-based energy efficiency or production such as wind, methane, or biomass
- Integrated pest management systems for insects, weeds, and diseases
- Seed breeding or conservation
- Livestock production systems or management strategies
- Developing or improving marketing opportunities, including season extension and post-harvest storage and handling
- Novel enterprise diversification, including organic production, using traditional and non-traditional crops and livestock
- Other creative ideas that address farm input reduction or management, conservation, energy, or profitability.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be a Minnesota farmer, individual at an educational institution, or organization residing or located in the state for research or demonstration on farms in the state.
- For this program, a farmer is someone who cultivates, operates, or manages a farm for profit, and who grows or raises at least $1,000 of agricultural products for sale annually.
- Examples of eligible organizations include farms, agricultural cooperatives, educational institutions, nonprofits, tribal governments, and local units of government (such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts).
- Live in Minnesota and conduct research or demonstrations on farms in Minnesota.
- Be in good standing with the State of Minnesota:
- No back taxes owed.
- No defaults on Minnesota state-backed financing for the last seven years.
- Acceptable performance on past MDA grants.
- Compliant with current state regulations.
For more information, visit MDA.
