Monday, Jan. 31, is the first day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session — and we have an incredible opportunity to win millions of dollars for soil health, local processing, local markets, emerging farmers, and more.

In the past two weeks, Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota House Climate Climate Action Caucus have put together exciting proposals that would invest millions of dollars into building a resilient, regenerative farm and food system. Their proposals include:

• $38 million for healthy soils programs, $22 million for Soil & Water Conservation Districts, $10 million for drought relief, $40 million for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and other native grass conservation programs, $10 million for continuous living cover supply chain development, and $20 million for the Forever Green Initiative.
• $2 million for services for Black, brown, and Indigenous producers and businesses.
• $3 million for grants for livestock processors, $1.5 million for meat processing employee recruitment and retention incentives, and $500,000 for co-packing grants.
• $1 million for Food and Agriculture Systems Planning Grants, $1.5 million for farmers’ markets and direct marketing support, and $500,000 for scholarships to ag workers involved in mediation and urban and specialty crops.

But the Minnesota Senate majority has a track record of blocking bold investments that match the scale of the challenges we face.

That’s why, right now, we need to take action and urge our legislators to fight for people and the land this legislative session.

Take Action Here