Emerging Farmers' Working Group Seeks New Members

Apply now through September 23, 2023

St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture?s (MDA) Emerging Farmers? Working Group (EFWG) has openings for eight volunteer members for two-year terms. Minnesotans interested in making it easier for new and emerging farmers to create or sustain an agricultural business are encouraged to apply now through September 23, 2023.

?The work of the Emerging Farmers? Working Group is critically important in helping identify barriers to entering the field of agriculture and creating resources to support new and emerging farmers in our state,? said Assistant MDA Commissioner Patrice Bailey. ?It will become even more so in the coming years, as we staff up our Emerging Farmers Office and build out the MDA?s emerging farmers programs.?

Your voice matters. We encourage you to become a member of the 2024-2025 Emerging Farmers' Working Group. Everyone is welcome to apply. The MDA is particularly interested in the following perspectives:

• Women
• Veterans
• Persons with a disability/disabilities
• American Indian/Alaska Native
• Member of a community of color
• LGBTQIA+
• Young (35 years old and under)
• Urban (reside in cities with 5k+ population)

The deadline to apply for EFWG membership is September 23, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. The MDA website has the membership application and more information on the EFWG page. Email your questions to the Emerging Farmer Office at [email protected].

Thank you to our current and departing members for your participation.

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