Local Food and Agriculture

FA 2: Increase production of and access to local food, particularly serving food insecure and low income individuals.

FA 2-1 Encourage and partner with local governments to establish community gardens at local government and other publicly-owned spaces, especially those which can serve food insecure or low income community members.

FA 2-2 Explore the development of a region-wide community supported agriculture (CSA) program focused on increasing affordable access to fresh fruits and vegetables for food insecure and low income community members. CSA program to prioritize and incentivize local farmers using or transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices.

FA 2-3 Create a regional mobile fresh food market to bring locally-produced fresh produce and perishable items to communities within the region without farmer's markets or without a grocery store year-round, particularly during winter months.

FA 2-4 Encourage local governments to establish clear urban agriculture ordinances clearly defining the allowability of in-town agriculture including crops, front-yard food gardens, community gardens, urban farms, local food markets, apiaries, and livestock such as chickens, sheep, and goats. Establish an example ordinance toolkit and promote within the region.

FA 2-5 Collaborate with local governments to establish a communication / education effort to clarify the allowances of local food production activities within local ordinances (front yard vegetable gardening, community gardens, urban farming, beekeeping, poultry keeping, etc.) .

FA 2-6 Encourage local governments to pass county / municipal policies to procure locally grown foods from farms that have adopted regenerative management and organic practices for events and other organized food catering requirements. Coordinate with the region's school districts, colleges and universities, and local hospitals to establish similar locally sourced foods procurement policies. Explore development of group purchasing and logistics agreements to increase efficiency of local farm-to-agency process.

FA 2-7 Encourage local governments to establish policies and ordinances or provide incentives for multi-unit buildings and commercial properties to preserve topsoil and provide space for backyard or community gardens.

FA 2-8 Establish "Grow Region Four" community gardens central to target communities within the region. Collaborate with partners to create a support structure (WCI, County, City, school districts, Career Academy, etc) to train community residents and youth how to grow, process, and market local foods

FA 2-9 Support efforts to identify and increase utilization of shared food system assets such as shared food storage space, community commercial kitchens, group purchasing of growing equipment such as backyard greenhouses or hoop houses, and public-private partnerships. Focus resources on support adoption of regenerative management by farmers and increased equality among farmers.

FA 3: Protect and preserve agricultural land while increasing its resilience to climate shocks

FA 3-1 Conduct a survey of the region's agricultural land and establish a benchmark of regional agricultural resilience practices, establish a benchmark, and practice adoption goals.

FA 3-2 Develop business management capacity to ensure financial viability of farms that adopt regenerative management by creating a Regenerative Farm Vitality Planning Grant Program to support farmers planning long -term financial viability and succession. Provide grants to farmers for advanced management and succession training and consulting to create and implement regenerative farm plans, ensuring that underrepresented farmers have equitable access to these opportunities and support for plan implementation.

FA 3-3 Supplement and coordinate ongoing efforts to ensure that financial assistance for regenerative systems planning and implementation is available and accessible. Explore innovative models that combine training with funding for transitions to regenerative production, including incentives, creative lease agreements, subsidized crop insurance, loan rebates, partial credit, patient or philanthropic capital, or take-off agreements. Analyze and work to overcome barriers to funding identified by underrepresented farmers.

FA 3-4 Engage with regional partners to explore the potential of establishing a West Central Minnesota Ecosystem Service Market to incentivize farmers and who improve the environment through regenerative agriculture practices. Assess how best to capture the variety of ecosystem services provided by small and mid-sized farms. Create recommendations for how those farms can be equitably compensated for outcomes aligning with CAP goals. Evaluate the effectiveness of ecosystem services payment efforts to provide opportunities for farms of all sizes to transition to regenerative production, with particular attention to opportunities for underrepresented farmers.

FA 3-5

Collaborate with partners to establish and promote incentives to encourage smart solar to minimize displacement of agriculture on the state’s best farmland and ensure common sense protections and mitigation measures for the most productive farmland. Survey farmers to identify desired dual use systems and potential policy recommendations and communicate results with key partners. Develop a region-wide smart solar siting report and guidebook for farmers to help navigate a broad and diverse range of solar questions and scenarios. Where possible and appropriate, encourage the wider adoption of thoughtful, farmer-first, right-sized agrivoltaics systems for various production systems.

FA 4: Increase share of farms using low emissions animal management practices achieving 75% adoption by 2030. (high feed efficiency and low emission manure management)

FA 4-1

Collaborate to advocate for and seek additional financial incentives and technical assistance to livestock farmers to implement new or expanded high feed efficiency practices Climate Feed Management (CFM) programs, including both feed amendments (e.g. seaweed, biochar) and improved feed quality (e.g. forage quality). Seek partnerships and to direct additional funding through existing regional farm assistance programs.

FA 4-2 Establish a educational and communications campaign to advance low emission entric fermentation feed management practices including: increased feed quality/digestibility; increased high-quality grazing; feed amendments such as seaweed; and agricultural waste treatment amendments.

FA 4-3