ACTION ALERT: Sustainable & Organic Ag Legislative Package is Funded in the Minnesota Senate; Call Today to Make Sure it is Funded in the House

3/21/07
LSP’s legislative package that would dramatically increase funding for sustainable and organic agriculture programs at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has passed the Senate. The package includes:

House File 844 (Senate File 1027): The “Minnesota Grows Organic” initiative would provide $1.1 million dollars annually to the University of Minnesota for organic research and outreach.
House File 845 (Senate File 1026): Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture funded at $150,000 a year for sustainable livestock work.

The Senate substantially funded these proposals as part of its Higher Ed Omnibus Finance Bill. Now the House needs to do the same.

House File 710 (Senate File 1038): Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Energy and Sustainable Ag Grant Program funded at $250,000 a year for two years.
House File 846 (Senate File 1039): Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s organic cost share program funded at $275,000 a year for two years.

The Senate substantially funded these proposals as part of their Ag Omnibus Finance Bill. Now the House needs to do the same.

Also, Sen. Gary Kubly, as part of the Ag Omnibus Finance bill, secured $1,750,000 over two years for the University’s Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Ag to research perennial cropping systems for biofuels. The House should match this in their Ag Omnibus Finance Bill. (Details on this and the bills are at the end of this e-mail.)

Call House leaders and urge them to support this legislative package! The House will make key decisions on funding these proposals by the end of next week, Let lawmakers know you want Minnesota to be a national leader in promoting organic and sustainable agriculture and that this legislative package should be funded as part of the House Higher Ed Omnibus Funding Bill and Ag Omnibus Funding Bill.

Rep. Margaret Kelliher, Speaker of the House, 651-296-0171
Rep. Al Juhnke, Chair of the Ag Finance Committee, 651-296-6206
Rep. Tom Rukavina, Chair of the Higher Ed Finance Committee, 651-296-0170
Rep. Jean Poppe, Vice Chair of the Higher Ed Finance Committee and member of the Ag Finance Committee, 651-296-4193
Rep. Andy Welti, Vice Chair of the Ag Finance Committee and member of the Higher Ed Finance Committee, 651-296-4378

When you call, give them the bill numbers, describe the bills and tell your story. Speak to how important sustainable and organic farming is to you, our environment, the quality of our food and our economy. Let them know that it is important that the House fund this package.

Senate Higher Ed and Ag Omnibus Finance Bills Substantially Fund the Sustainable and Organic Ag Package.

The Senate Higher Ed Omnibus Finance bill funds organic research and outreach at the University of Minnesota and alternative livestock work at the University’s Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (Senate File 1027 and Senate File 1026) at $1 million a year for two years.

The Ag Omnibus Finance Bill funds the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Energy and Sustainable Ag Grant Program at $210,000 a year (Senate File 1038). We requested $250,000. The program was funded at $80,000 last year.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s organic cost-share program is funded at $150,000 a year (Senate File 1039). We requested $275,000 a year. It was funded at $50,000 last year.

In addition, Sen. Gary Kubly secured funding for the University’s Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture to do research into perennial cropping systems for biofuels at $750,000 the first year and $1 million in the second year.

Details on LSP’s sustainable and organic agricultural legislative package:

• The “Minnesota Grows Organic” initiative provides $1.1 million dollars annually to the University of Minnesota for organic research and outreach. The money funds faculty and staff at the St. Paul campus, as well as outreach centers, graduate assistantships and equipment to meet the research and outreach needs of organic farmers.

HF 844: Rep. Ken Tschumper (La Crescent)
SF 1027: Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes (Winona)

• Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture’s (MISA) Alternative Livestock Program funded at $150,000 a year. Housed at the U of M, MISA’s Alternative Livestock Program has been a leader in providing research and information to farmers raising livestock on grass or deep-bedded straw systems.

• SF 1038/HF 710: Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Energy and Sustainable Ag Grant Program funded at $250,000 a year for two years. This program provides grants for sustainable and organic farmers to conduct on-farm demonstration projects and research. The results are then published annually in the Greenbook. This program creates innovative farmer-driven solutions and facilitates farmer-to-farmer education.

• Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s organic cost-share program funded at $275,000 a year for two years. This bill provides cost-share of up to $500 a year towards the cost of organic certification.

Consumer demand for organic food grew 18 percent a year between 1997 and 2005.
Organic food hit $13.8 billion in sales in 2005.
Minnesota is tops in the nation for production of organic corn, soybeans and rye.
Despite being an early leader in organic dairy production, Minnesota fell from third to seventh between 1997 and 2005.

For more information on LSP’s state legislative work, contact Bobby King at 507-450-7258 or Paul Sobocinski at 507-430-1509.