Minnesota State Wire

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz visited the Heldberg Dairy Farm in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, to highlight the state’s work to support local farmers and producers and invest in Minnesota’s nation-leading agriculture industry. The agriculture bill, signed into law this session, provided new support for the agriculture industry – including for dairy farms, grain and livestock producers, and emerging farmers. Photos from the visit are available online.

“We lean on our local farmers and producers to fuel, feed, and sustain our families and our economy,” said Governor Walz. “Minnesota farmers deserve support and stability during challenging times. That’s why we made strong investments to provide security for our local producers through a grain indemnity fund, the DAIRI program, and expanded broadband access. We will keep working to ensure our agriculture industry – and the families behind it – are strong.”

Governor Walz signed the agriculture and broadband bill into law in May. New investments include broadband, emerging farmers, soil health, and farm safety and wellness. The bill provides $4 million for the Dairy Assistance, Investment, Relief Initiative (DAIRI). The program provides financial assistance to Minnesota dairy cow operations that produced less than 16,000,000 lbs. of milk in 2022 and that enrolled in the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, a federal dairy risk protection program. The bill also includes $10 million to establish the state’s first grain indemnity fund, providing protections and security for producers who have unpaid grain sales when grain buyers or warehouses become financially insolvent.

Last week, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced new state and federal investments to expand broadband access across Minnesota. Minnesota secured nearly $652 million from the federal government and $67 million in state grants to build on the state’s efforts to expand broadband coverage. These announcements follow $100 million in broadband infrastructure funding Governor Walz signed into law this legislative session.

Original source can be found here.