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MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominica Bernstein, 651.297.8150
Dominica.Bernstein@house.mn.gov
News Release
Bipartisan Passage of House File 3508 Delivers Critical Support for Minnesota Dairy Farmers
ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota House of Representatives today passed House File 3508 with strong bipartisan support in a 129–4 vote; authored by Representative Nathan Nelson, the bipartisan measure expands access to critical support for Minnesota's dairy farmers.
The legislation updates eligibility requirements within Minnesota’s Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Relief Initiative (DAIRI) program, ensuring that new and beginning dairy farmers are not excluded due to outdated production benchmarks.
The DAIRI program was created to support farmers participating in the federal Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, which helps offset losses when milk prices fall and feed costs rise. However, due to federal enrollment timing issues in recent years, many farmers—particularly newer operations—were unintentionally excluded from eligibility.
"Here’s the reality: we built a program to help dairy farmers when margins get tight, but because of federal timing and a rigid eligibility year, some of the very people we meant to help were locked out,” said Rep. Nelson. “That just doesn’t make sense.”
House File 3508 corrects that issue by allowing dairy farmers to qualify based on their actual production history through the federal program, rather than a single, outdated year. It also ensures remaining program funds can be used as intended to support active producers.
“This is a straightforward fix,” Nelson said. “Zero controversy. If you’re putting in the work, investing in your farm, and contributing to Minnesota’s Ag economy, you should have access to the same support as everyone else.”
The change is expected to extend eligibility to approximately 30 to 40 additional dairy farms across Minnesota, many of them new or first-generation operations.
Representative Nelson noted that many farm families rely on off-farm employment to stay afloat, making access to programs like DAIRI especially important.
“At a time when farmers are facing rising costs and tight margins, this bill ensures our policies reflect the real-world challenges they’re dealing with,” Nelson said. “Supporting our farmers should never be up for debate.”
With bipartisan passage in the House, House File 3508 now moves to the Governor’s desk for signature.
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