Local

Minnesota legislative session ends with little progress to show for agriculture

Minnesota’s legislative session closed this week, with little progress for agriculture. Though the Agriculture Committee has historically been able to make deals even in difficult partisan environments, this year they were unable to compromise on this issue and were unable to pass an agriculture omnibus bill this session.

Putting together the puzzle of a successful Farm to School system

Sourcing, storing, preparing, and serving local products requires a complex network of partners to reach the scale of purchasing that can impact our local economies and build markets for local producers and businesses. Together, all these partners create the Farm to Kids network, ensuring that millions of dollars of local food makes its way to school and early care plates in Minnesota each year.

Trump administration cancels local food funding

Minnesota farmers and kids had extra reason to celebrate October’s Farm to School and Early Care Month last year, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to distribute $1 billion in funding nationally to support local food purchasing programs, with $17.9 million coming to Minnesota over the next three years.

[Watch] Introduction to the MinneAg Network

The MinneAg Network is a project of IATP, co-led with the Land Stewardship Project, MN 350 and the Minnesota Farmers Union, that brings together organizations from around Minnesota to champion nonpartisan food and farm policy solutions that protect communities, farmers and the climate. In this video, IATP's Erin McKee introduces the network and its priorities for the 2024 Minnesota legislative session.