New Grant Available to Help Improve Minnesota?s Soil Health

Applications for soil health equipment grants due March 20

St. Paul, MN: Applications are now open for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture?s (MDA) new Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants.

These grants are available to individual producers, producer groups, and local governments to purchase or retrofit soil health equipment. Grant awards will provide up to 50% cost-share, with a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $50,000. A total of $475,000 is available for the Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants.

?We recognize that building soil health is important to water quality and our other natural resources in Minnesota,? said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. ?Implementing soil health practices on farms, however, often requires specialized, expensive equipment and machinery. The Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program will help offset equipment costs, helping to expand the number of farmers and acres engaged in soil health activities.?

Examples of eligible new or used equipment include, but are not limited to, no-till drills, air seeders, highboys, variable-rate equipment, retrofit projects to allow no-till planting, and more. Parts and materials used to retrofit existing equipment are also eligible.

The Request for Proposals and application link can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/soil-health-grant. Applications are due March 20, 2023.

Minnesota?s soil health efforts tie into the work of the State Water Plan, Nutrient Reduction Strategy, emission reduction targets, Climate Action Framework, and other objectives.

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