FOND DU LAC — A program providing legal and business support for farmers in the Fond du Lac Reservation is the recipient of a state grant intended to support underrepresented farming communities.
Nearly $48,000 was awarded to Farm Commons, which also helps farmers enroll in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Micro Farm Crop Insurance program.
The grant funds can be used to pay up to 65% of emerging farmers' premium expenses under the insurance program.
The funding comes in response to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Emerging Farmers’ Working Group and the first-of-its-kind Emerging Farmers Office.
These groups identified technical assistance as one of the top needs for emerging farmers.
Technical assistance includes helping with record keeping, financial statements, business plans, licenses and regulations, land access, applying for grants and loans, sales and marketing, and other business support.
Emerging farmers include farmers who are members of a community of color, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, or any other emerging farmers as determined by the commissioner of agriculture.
The working group also features northern Minnesotans, including Nikki Crowe, tribal conservation collaboration coordinator for the Fond du Lac Band, and Cindy Hale, who is co-owner of Clover Valley Farms near Two Harbors.
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Plus: A bill that would benefit school districts with a high percentage of cabin properties with state subsidies moves forward through the legislative budget process. -
Contributed/Lorie Shaull via FlickrThe USDA allowed emergency actions on millions of acres of national forest land, including the Superior and Chippewa, pointing to fire risk, forest health and timber needs. -
Lorie Shaull/ContributedDuring the Phenology Report for the week of April 15, 2025, Staff Phenologist John Latimer compares spring's progression to last year and wonders at an oddball fern. -
Contributed/Iron Range Barn DancesEvents this week include a hoedown in Hibbing, a cleanup day in Bemidji and a 5K for mental health awareness in Brainerd. -
The plan reflects Year Four of the state’s 2022-2026 Consolidated Plan, which examines the housing and community development needs of Minnesota. -
Contributed/Denise SlipyAccording to a news release, Keri Heintzeman said she plans to prioritize face-to-face conversations with voters through door-knocking efforts before the election. -
Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, stopped by the KAXE studio to discuss her time in Northern Minnesota and the legislative session so far.
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Plus: The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is one of nine recipients of the latest round of Clean Water Funds specifically for tribal governments and non-governmental organizations; and MnDOT is hosting an open house for upcoming construction on Highway 87 near Hubbard.
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Contributed/MnDOTMnDOT is planning two projects on Highway 87 south of Park Rapids in 2025. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEThe meeting on Minnesota Power's proposed 85-megawatt solar facility in Cohasset is rescheduled to 6 p.m. on April 21, 2025.
