ST. PAUL – State Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, announces applications are now being accepted for a new grant program to support Minnesotans purchasing their first farm.
The Down Payment Assistance Grant Program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and it offers dollar-for-dollar matching up to $15,000 for qualified small farmers to purchase farmland.
“Initial costs are a major factor for people who may be considering a start-up farming operation,” said Anderson, the House Republican lead on agriculture. “Every tool that’s available to defray those up-front investments helps and I encourage people to give this program a look if they are thinking about purchasing their first farm.”
The MDA’s Rural Finance Authority is awarding this funding using a first-come, first-served application process and expects to award between 30 and 40 grants in this cycle, depending on the size of requests. A second cycle of $750,000 in funding has been secured and will be made available on July 1.
Farmers must be Minnesota residents who will earn less than $250,000 annually in gross agricultural sales and plan on providing the majority of the day-to-day physical labor on the farm for at least five years. Applicants must not have previous direct or indirect farmland ownership.
The application and more details can be found by visiting www.mda.state.mn.us and entering "first-time farm purchase grant" in the search field.
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