The Agriculture Committee heard a bill this week that would give funding to the University of Minnesota for the school’s Forever Green Initiative.
The Forever Green Initiative is a University of Minnesota and USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) program to develop new crops. Forever Green is composed of teams of researchers, farmers, food product developers, and entrepreneurs from all aspects of the agricultural supply chain whose goal is to develop and promote the use of new crops that enhance water and soil quality. Each of the new agricultural enterprises listed above requires a unique strategy for implementation. The Forever Green team is focused on ensuring that these enterprises strengthen Minnesota’s economy while protecting water, soil, and other natural resources. Partners include Green Lands, Blue Waters, the University of Minnesota Extension, the Center for Integrated Natural Resources & Agricultural Management, the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, the USDA Agricultural Research Services, and high efficiency cropping systems.
Agriculture generates $17.1 billion in production each year in Minnesota. Senate DFLers have always supported our state’s farmers and will continue to do so alongside the work of improving sustainable farming and partnering with farmers to fight for clean water and the climate. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus agriculture policy bill. (SF 1506)
