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Developing a new label, tag, bag, box, trailer or cooler decal, banner, or permanent sign? Check out our Labeling/Signage Cost-Share Program! Qualifying projects that incorporate the Minnesota Grown logo into the design are eligible to receive 50% reimbursement of design and printing costs, up to $300 per member per fiscal year, while funds last. Applications are processed as they come in until funds run out. Funds are still available for this fiscal year, ending June 30.
More reasons to add the Minnesota Grown logo to your labels or signs: Minnesota consumers associate the logo with a plethora of positive qualities like fresh, high-quality products, and a positive community impact. Most consumers also say they're more likely to buy a local product if it has an origin label, and that they're willing to pay a premium for local products!
Have a question about whether your project idea qualifies for the cost-share? Contact us at mngrown.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6140 and we'd be happy to help.
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As of March 12, 2024, the $50,000 we had allotted to Minnesota Grown E-commerce and Digital Marketing Cost-share reimbursements for this fiscal year has been exhausted.
We still encourage you to submit applications. In the case we are able to round up additional funds at the end of the fiscal year, we will process those remaining applications in the order in which they were received. If we are unable to process your application, your submission provides us with a better idea of program demand, which could help us secure funding for future programming.
We will have an additional $50,000 to disburse under this program for fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2025 through June 30 2026) for eligible expenses from that same time period. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have about eligible costs or timelines for incurring expenses at mngrown.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6140.
A number of grants from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) have opened recently for applications. Browse the list below and follow the links for more information on these funding opportunities.
Good Food Access Equipment and Physical Improvement Grant - applications due March 28
Helps grocery stores and small food retailers make physical improvements and purchase equipment to stimulate sales of affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods.
Produce Safety Mini Grant - applications due March 30
Helps reimburse Minnesota produce farmers for expenses that improve on-farm food safety systems.
Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant - applications due April 3
Helps Minnesota businesses and organizations operating in the middle of the food supply chain invest in infrastructure for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food.
Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing Grant - applications due April 9
Offers designated grants to facilitate the start-up, modernization, or expansion of meat, poultry, egg, and milk processing businesses by investing in equipment and physical improvements that support processing, capacity, market diversification, and market access.
Preparing for Extreme Weather (Prepare) Grant - applications due April 23
Helps Minnesota livestock and specialty crop producers buy and install supplies or equipment that will help make their operations more resilient to extreme weather, including: drought, flooding, hail, and severe weather events like storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds.
Cooperative Development Grant - applications due April 24
Helps farmers finance new cooperatives that organize for purposes of operating an agricultural product processing facility or marketing an agricultural product or agricultural service.
Livestock Investment Grant - applications due May 2
Helps Minnesota livestock farmers and ranchers improve, update, and modernize their livestock operation infrastructure and equipment.
As you begin planning for the spring and summer season, check out free resources from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) in partnership with the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health (UMASH) Center at the University of Minnesota. These resources help keep your animals and your customers healthy!
They offer free laminated posters for your operation for order online. You can also find a “Best Practices Checklist” for ways to keep visitors safe and healthy, and a variety of fact sheets on disease risks from healthy animals at that link. Minnesota Grown will also be offering two of UMASH's most popular posters available for order along with your marketing material orders.
UMASH also provides a free, self-paced training program called Safer FACES that covers the national best practices for agritourism venues. Register here.
For additional ag-based resources visit the UMASH resource repository.
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