AGRI Livestock Investment Grant

Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)

Predicted deadline: Oct 12, 2024 2:00pm PDT

Grant amount: US $400 - US $25,000

Funding uses: Project / Program

Location of project: Minnesota

Location of residency: Minnesota

Overview:

AGRI Livestock Investment Grant

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Agriculture Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Livestock Investment Grant Program. Grant funds are available for equipment purchases, physical improvements, and acquisition of facilities used to help start, improve, or expand livestock operations in the state of Minnesota.

Projects must:

• Aim to improve, update, or modernize livestock operation through infrastructure and equipment.
• Not start until the grant contract agreement is signed by all parties and has reached its start date. No purchasing or contracting of goods and services may occur prior to the full execution of the grant contract agreement or effective date, whichever is later.
• Be completed in three years or less; contracts cannot be extended beyond three years.
• Be conducted in Minnesota.
  

Project examples include but are not limited to:

•  Acquisition, construction, or improvement of buildings or facilities to produce livestock or livestock products
• Development of pasture for use by livestock including, but not limited to, the acquisition, development, or improvement of:
  • Lanes used by livestock that connect pastures to a central location
  • Watering systems for livestock on pasture, including water lines, booster pumps, and well installations
  • Livestock stream crossing stabilization
  • Fences
• Acquisition of equipment for livestock housing, confinement, feeding, and waste management including, but not limited to the following:
  • Freestall barns
  • Watering facilities
  • Feed storage and handling equipment
  • Milking parlors
  • Robotic equipment
  • Scales
  • Milk storage and cooling facilities
  • Bulk tanks
  • Computer hardware and software and associated equipment used to monitor the productivity and feeding of livestock
  • Manure pumping and storage facilities
  • Hog farrowing facilities
  • Hog and cattle finishing barns
  • Calving facilities
  • Digesters
  • Equipment used to produce energy
  • On-farm processing facility equipment
  • Fences, including but not limited to farmed Cervidae perimeter fences
  • Livestock pens and corrals
  • Sorting, restraining, and loading chutes

Funding

Applicants may apply for up to 10% of their project’s total cost with a minimum expense of $4,000 and a maximum expense of $250,000; grant awards can range in size from $400 to $25,000.

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Eligibility:

• Each farm may only submit one application.
• Applicants must:
  • Be the principal operator of a livestock operation in Minnesota.
  • Be a resident of the state of Minnesota or be a business entity authorized to farm in Minnesota.
  • Hold an appropriate feedlot registration when applicable.
  • Be in good standing with the State of Minnesota:
    • No back taxes owed.
    • No defaults on Minnesota state-backed financing for the last seven years.
    • Acceptable performance on past MDA grants.
    • Compliant with current state regulations, or this project will support the organization becoming compliant.
      
• NOTE: For this program, we define "livestock" as beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, poultry, goats, mules, bison, sheep, horses, farmed Cervidae (deer, elk), Ratitae (flightless birds including emu), and llamas.

Preferences:

• The statute requires that the commissioner give preference to applicants who have not previously received a grant.
• This grant will prioritize:
  • Emerging farmers, including women, veterans, persons with disabilities, American Indian or Alaskan Natives, members of a community of color, young farmers, and farmers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+).
    
  • Generational transitions
  • Production of livestock for Kosher or Halal markets

Ineligibility:

• The following items are not eligible for reimbursement under this grant:
  • Expenditures incurred before the grant agreement is signed by all parties
  • General purpose equipment (e.g., skid steer loaders, combines, tractors)
  • General purpose buildings (e.g., general equipment storage building, farm shop)
  • Animal feed or crop seed
  • Crop production equipment (except specialized forage/hay harvesting and handling equipment such as mowing equipment, tedding equipment, and hay balers)
  • Crop or pastureland
  • Livestock
  • Purchase of more than 10 acres of land used to construct livestock buildings or facilities
  • Rent-to-own lease agreements where property purchase is optional
  • Refinancing existing debt
  • Late payment fees, finance charges, or contingency funds
  • Items that are not allowed to be capitalized and deducted under either section 167 or 179 of the Internal Revenue Code in computing federal taxable income
  • Owner and employees’ wages and benefits. Contact program staff for exceptions.
  • Advertising, public relations, entertainment, and amusement costs
  • Donated or volunteer (in-kind) services. While these may be furnished to an applicant by professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor, the value of these services is not an eligible cost.
  • Donations and in-kind contributions, including property and services, made by the applicant (regardless of the recipient)
  • Fines, penalties, and other settlement expenses resulting from failure of the applicant to comply with federal, state, local, or Native American Tribal laws and regulations
  • Indirect costs (expenses of doing business that are not readily identified with the project)
  • Fundraising, including financial campaigns, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred to raise capital or obtain contributions
  • Taxes, except sales tax on goods and services
  • Lobbyists or political contributions
  • Bad debts, late payment fees, finance charges, legal costs, or contingency funds
  • Parking or traffic violations
  • Out of state transportation and travel expenses. Minnesota will be considered the home state for determining whether travel is out of state.
  • Construction or improvements outside of the state of Minnesota
• MDA employees and their spouses are not eligible to receive grants from this program.
• If applying as an individual rather than as an organization, you must not have been convicted of a state or federal criminal offense which includes theft, embezzlement of public funds, or forgery.