1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; creating a "Passing on the 
  1.3             Farm Center"; appropriating money; proposing coding 
  1.4             for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 17. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [17.985] [PASSING ON THE FARM CENTER.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE; OBJECTIVES.] The Passing on the 
  1.8   Farm Center is established as a part of Southwest Technical 
  1.9   College in Granite Falls to assist individuals beginning farming 
  1.10  and family farming operations.  The center shall also assist in 
  1.11  facilitating the transition of farming operations from 
  1.12  established farmers to beginning farmers by matching purchasers 
  1.13  and sellers of agricultural land, creating and maintaining an 
  1.14  information base inventorying land and facilities available for 
  1.15  acquisition, and bringing them together to increase the number 
  1.16  of family farming operations in this state.  The objectives of 
  1.17  the center include, but are not limited to, the following: 
  1.18     (1) providing coordination of education, estate planning, 
  1.19  and farm transfer programs and services for beginning and family 
  1.20  farmer efforts statewide; 
  1.21     (2) assessing needs of beginning farmers and retiring 
  1.22  farmers in order to identify program and service opportunities 
  1.23  including developing statewide apprenticeship programs between 
  1.24  beginning and retiring farmers; and 
  1.25     (3) developing, coordinating, and delivering statewide 
  2.1   through Southwest Technical College in Granite Falls and other 
  2.2   entities, as appropriate, targeted education to beginning 
  2.3   farmers and retiring farm families. 
  2.4      Subd. 2.  [PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.] Programs and services 
  2.5   provided by the center must include, but are not limited to, the 
  2.6   development of skills and knowledge in farm estate planning and 
  2.7   other topics related to intergenerational farm transfer.  The 
  2.8   center shall develop and distribute a detailed questionnaire for 
  2.9   interested retired farmers and landowners and beginning farmers 
  2.10  for the purpose of connecting them with each other and to 
  2.11  develop computerized lists. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [ANNUAL REPORT.] The center shall submit a report 
  2.13  annually to the legislature on or before February 1.  The report 
  2.14  shall include, but is not limited to, recommendations for 
  2.15  methods by which more individuals may be encouraged to enter 
  2.16  agriculture. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.18     $191,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.19  commissioner of agriculture for the purposes of section 1, to be 
  2.20  available until June 30, 1997.