Minnesota Invests In Urban Agriculture To Support Local Food

Farming is in the fabric of Minnesota. So many folks who live here are currently involved in farming, or they have been at some point in their life. Obviously, most of those people live in more rural areas of the state. 

The non-metro parts of the state have more land for farming, and those areas are better suited for that way of life. But the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is trying to help agriculture spread into the Urban parts of the state as well. 

Expanding The Reach Of Farming

The MDA announced this week over $1.6 million has been invested in metro areas around the states, mainly of course in the Twin Cities area.  

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33 local projects took in $1,692,957 to expand the access to locally grown foods and extend the reach of agriculture in urban communities. The Urban Agriculture Grant Program serves cities with a population of 5,000 people as well as federally recognized tribal lands, regardless of their population. 

The funding that was made available to these programs can be used to purchase equipment and materials needed to get these projects started and maintained, physical improvements to the areas that are being used, and for staff who will oversee the programs' operations.  

Recipients include schools and school districts, nonprofit organizations, and local government entities who are making a concerted effort to grow the mission of urban agriculture in Minnesota’s more populated areas.  

The funds for this work come from the Agriculture Growth, Research, and Innovation Program, which in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture helps secure grant money for farmers, agribusinesses, schools and others throughout Minnesota.