MARSHALL — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is offering grants to help livestock and specialty crop producers strengthen their operations against extreme weather.
“This grant provides funding for livestock and specialty crop producers to buy and install supplies and equipment that would make their operations more resilient against extreme weather, so that being drought, flooding, storms,” said Farm and Business Development Coordinator Courtney VanderMey.
Producers can receive up to $10,000 for projects such as water-handling equipment, wells, irrigation systems, livestock vans, misters, shade structures, or windbreaks. A 50% cash match is required for all grants.
Farmers have already put previous grant funding to good use. “Even hearing like coming into the next spring summer season, they have less stress going about the weather or even this past year if they got it done early, they were able to example provide a wind break so that their animals were sheltered from any extreme winds,” VanderMey said.
Applications are open until February 12. Additional details and application instructions are available on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s website.
