Omnibus Agriculture Budget Bill Clears the Senate

With strong bipartisan support, the Senate endorsed the omnibus agriculture, broadband and rural development finance bill. Sponsored by Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, the budget measure provides $100 million in the next biennium for broadband expansion, creates a grain indemnity fund and offers myriad grants and investments to support farmers, innovators, researchers and processors in the state’s agriculture industries.

Republican members offered several amendments, including one that would raise the sales cap for cottage food producers, provide funding for wild-rice research and make participation in the grain indemnity program voluntary. None of the amendments were accepted.