Minnesota Statutes Agriculture (Ch. 17-42) § 17.134. Soil health financial assistance program

Subdivision 1. Establishment. The commissioner must establish and administer a program to support healthy soil management practices in accordance with this section.

Subd. 2. Eligible projects. The commissioner may award a grant under this section for any project on agricultural land in Minnesota that will:

Subd. 3. Grant eligibility. Any owner or lessee of farmland may apply for a grant under this section. The commissioner must give preference to owners and lessees that have not previously implemented an eligible project and owners and lessees that are certified or assessed and pursuing certification undersections 17.9891to17.993. Local government units, including cities; towns; counties; soil and water conservation districts; Minnesota Tribal governments as defined insection 10.65; and joint powers boards, are also eligible for a grant. A local government unit that receives a grant for equipment or technology must make those purchases available for use by the public.

Subd. 3a. Equipment sales limitation. In addition to the applicable grants management requirements imposed undersections 16B.97to16B.991, an owner or lessee that receives a grant under this section to purchase equipment must certify to the commissioner that the owner or lessee will not sell the equipment for at least ten years.

Subd. 4. Report. By January 15 each year, the commissioner must submit a report on the grants awarded under this section to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over agriculture policy and finance. The report must include the number of grants awarded by county and the combined value of those grants.