<h3>Applicant eligibility</h3>Applications from Minnesota farmers receive priority, but the program also funds Minnesota nonprofits and educational organizations that meaningfully involve Minnesota farmers in projects.Your project must last two to three years and you must be willing to share what you learn with others.<h3>Project eligibility</h3>MDA will fund projects that explore the profitability, energy efficiency, and environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture practices or systems. Projects can include, but are not limited to:<ul><li>Practices that increase environmental sustainability and improve soil health</li><li>Conservation tillage and weed management methods</li><li>Novel cover crops and crop rotations</li><li>Input reduction strategies, including nutrient and pesticide management</li><li>On-farm energy production, such as wind, methane, or biomass, or improvements in energy efficiency</li><li>Developing/refining/improving marketing opportunities, including season extension and post-harvest storage and handling</li><li>Novel enterprise diversification, including organic production, using traditional and non-traditional crops and livestock</li><li>Other creative ideas that focus on environmental benefits, energy savings or production, profitability, and/or farmers’ quality of life</li></ul>

Minnesota AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant Guide

The AGRI Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant supports innovative on-farm research and demonstrations. It funds projects that explore sustainable agriculture practices and systems that could make farming more profitable, resource efficient, or personally satisfying. Findings are published in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s annual Greenbook.

Grant

Minnesota

Eligibility

Applicant eligibility

Applications from Minnesota farmers receive priority, but the program also funds Minnesota nonprofits and educational organizations that meaningfully involve Minnesota farmers in projects.

Your project must last two to three years and you must be willing to share what you learn with others.

Project eligibility

MDA will fund projects that explore the profitability, energy efficiency, and environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture practices or systems. Projects can include, but are not limited to:

Practices that increase environmental sustainability and improve soil health
Conservation tillage and weed management methods
Novel cover crops and crop rotations
Input reduction strategies, including nutrient and pesticide management
On-farm energy production, such as wind, methane, or biomass, or improvements in energy efficiency
Developing/refining/improving marketing opportunities, including season extension and post-harvest storage and handling
Novel enterprise diversification, including organic production, using traditional and non-traditional crops and livestock
Other creative ideas that focus on environmental benefits, energy savings or production, profitability, and/or farmers’ quality of life

Application Instructions

Before you apply, read the full Request for Proposals (PDF) for complete details of the program. You can also review the list of past projects and read prior issues of the Greenbook, which contains summaries, findings, and locations of previous grants. Using these resources will help you design a competitive project.

Then, apply through MDA's online application system.