Agriculture Promotion Grant

Le Sueur County hosted The Passport to Ag Event at the Le Sueur County Fairgrounds. Each attendee received a blank passport where they would travel to different stations to receive a stamp. Each station focused on a different topic and attendees were able to learn new things and participate in hands on activities!

Martin County celebrated National Agriculture month along with Food Awareness month in March by presenting reusable shopping bags at local grocery stores. The bags were filled with Food and Farm Facts, recipes and farming information featuring common crops and meat products raised within the county. This event series also had educational activities aimed to introduce consumers to a local farmers with information on how their food is raised.

Meeker County used their Ag Promotion Grant to visit five elementary schools within the county. Partnering with Meeker County 4-H Extension, Farm Bureau Financial Services and a local strawberry farmer, they were able to provide books and strawberry planting kits to students. Students were introduced to how their food is grown and were able to ask questions about the process. This project strengthened the connection between schools, farmers and the community!

Funding from the Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture helped Nicollet County focus on consumer education with a Farm to Table event. Gathering a group of influencers, both agriculture and non-producers, to learn about the diversity of local agriculture. With an afternoon tour of three unique county sites and returning to the host Sesquicentennial family farm to share a meal designed by an engaging chef and his culinary team from a local college.

Olmsted County hosted a Breakfast on the Farm event at a local dairy farm, topped with a scavenger hunt and gift basket drawing. County members and local Farm Bureau Financial Services agents hosted a table with informational pamphlets and goodie bags for kids. In addition, they also hosted a table at the Miracle of Birth center at the Olmsted County Fair, using 3D poster boards for a fun activity!

After doing this many years ago, Pine County wanted to once again support schools by offering updated, engaging books for students. Being able to provide educational materials to schools, grades K-6 are able to check these books out and share with their families.

These resources help youth better understand where their food comes from and highlight the important role farmers and ranchers play in providing for our everyday lives.

Using grant funds, Stearns County partnered with Brooten-Belgrade-Elrosa 4th and 5th grade classrooms to bring agriculture to life.

Students participated in a farm visit to McAndrews Dairy and two classroom sessions, From Farm to You and From Manure to Energy. With support from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, this effort supported local teachers in providing meaningful agricultural exposure and helped students better understand the role of agriculture in their everyday lives.

This week we highlight Swift County's Ag Promotion grant. Swift County presented Farm Safety Vests to the Mini Sota Agricultural Children's Museum at their annual meeting in July. The vests were provided to the first 150 youth and 100 adults that signed up for membership. Paired with communication focusing on farm, food, and people safety - keeping farm families safe is the objective of this project!

Washington-Ramsey's project supported the Forest Lake Agriculture Department Ag Open House and Agriculture Scholarships! Students, faculty, staff, civic leaders, and community members were invited to the the Ag Open House to tour student displays, learn from agriculture experts, and experience activities and opportunities within the department. The annual event promotes career opportunities in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources pathway.

Winona County utilized their Ag Promotion Grant by partnering with Promoting Modern Agriculture to host an evening event with a speaker, dinner and to announce county scholarship winners. This event was well attended by local businesses and students, making it a great opportunity to share about agriculture and the benefits of Farm Bureau!