SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved a new Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing budget on a vote of 114-14. This legislation establishes a budget for the Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), the Housing Finance Agency, and broadband development.
“This is a budget that benefits all the varied aspects of agriculture and food production. I want to thank my fellow conferees from the House and Senate, as well as the members of our division in the House, for the bipartisan work we did to invest in the future of our farmers,” said Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin), Chair of the Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division. “We’re funding new and emerging innovations that will benefit our agriculture and food economies, while also addressing our struggling farm communities. The investments in this budget protect agriculture and food production, deliver products to more people, and place Minnesota at the forefront of the industry.”
The lack of accessible mental health care and assistance for our rural communities has compounded the issues many of our farmers are currently facing. This budget includes a multi-pronged solution by investing in rural mental health, providing an additional staffer for the Minnesota Farm Advocates program, and funding mental health programming at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Continue reading “Minnesota House Approves New Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing”