- Between 2012 and 2022, Minnesota lost 9,011 farms — on average 900 farms per year.
- During that same period, the average size of a Minnesota farm went from 349 acres to 388 acres.
- The average age of Minnesota farmers has reached an all-time high of 57.1 years.
- Ninety-nine percent of all farmland in Minnesota is operated by white farmers, leaving a 20% gap of representation for BIPOC farmers.
We need new farmers on the land. We need to support them in a meaningful way and to take a real look at disparities.
During the past year, the Land Stewardship Project’s Land Access/Emerging Farmer Working Group has been drafting a Minnesota Down Payment Assistance Grant Program that provides new farmers the resources they need to succeed. The program currently offers up to $15,000 for qualified farmers purchasing their first farm. Here is what changes we are proposing to the program during the 2025 session of the Minnesota Legislature:
- Increase the amount of the grant from $15,000 to $25,000 to free up money to invest in infrastructure.
- Roll over the amount available through the program each year so that the time to make a purchase can be extended beyond six months — last year nearly half the awarded grantees failed to make a farm purchase on time.
- Charge the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to do a study of farmland ownership and suggest action to break down barriers to land ownership.
Please join LSP in requesting these changes by adding your signature to this letter!
We ask that you sign the letter by March 10; we will deliver it to lawmakers during LSP’s Family Farm Breakfast & Lobby Day on March 13 and during any hearings on our bill.
Have questions? Want to do more? Attend LSP’s Campaign Action Event on Wednesday, March 5, from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on Zoom.