SF629

This legislative bill, SF No 629, is designed to support Minnesota's agriculture and food shelf programs. It involves allocating a total of $1,950,000 in both 2026 and 2027 to fund a variety of initiatives through grants administered by the commissioner of agriculture and directed to Second Harvest Heartland and other Feeding America food banks in Minnesota.

The key aspects of the funding include:

1. Allocating at least $850,000 each year to buy milk from local Minnesota milk processors. This milk will be distributed to food shelves and charitable organizations.
2. Providing funding to compensate agricultural producers and processors for the costs of harvesting and packaging surplus fruits, vegetables, and other farm products that would otherwise go unused. These surplus items will be distributed to food shelves and charities.
3. Spending funds on purchasing and distributing protein products like pork, poultry, beef, legumes, cheese, and eggs to various food assistance groups.
4. Designating $500,000 each year to buy produce from The Good Acre, a local producer.

Additionally, the bill requires Second Harvest Heartland to provide quarterly reports to the agricultural finance committees in the legislature, detailing how the funds were spent, including the volumes of milk and other commodities purchased and the recipients of these resources.

The appropriation base is set to continue at $1,950,000 annually from fiscal year 2028 onward. This ensures ongoing support for these initiatives in the future.