HF 463

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; expanding services provided 
  1.3             by the Passing on the Farm Center; appropriating 
  1.4             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 
  1.5             17.985. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 17.985, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      17.985 [PASSING ON THE FARM CENTER.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE; OBJECTIVES.] The Passing on the 
  1.11  Farm Center is established as a part of Southwest Technical 
  1.12  College in Granite Falls to assist individuals beginning farming 
  1.13  and family farming operations.  The center shall also assist in 
  1.14  facilitating the transition of farming operations from 
  1.15  established farmers to beginning farmers by creating and 
  1.16  maintaining an information base inventorying land and facilities 
  1.17  available for acquisition and bringing them together to increase 
  1.18  the number of family farming operations in this state.  The 
  1.19  objectives of the center include, but are not limited to, the 
  1.20  following: 
  1.21     (1) using the services of a certified public accountant, 
  1.22  real estate agents, and attorneys to provide education in estate 
  1.23  planning and farm transfer programs for interested retiring 
  1.24  farmers; 
  1.25     (2) assessing needs of beginning farmers and retiring 
  2.1   farmers in order to identify program and service opportunities 
  2.2   including developing statewide apprenticeship programs between 
  2.3   beginning and retiring farmers; and 
  2.4      (3) developing, coordinating, and delivering statewide 
  2.5   through Southwest Technical College in Granite Falls and other 
  2.6   entities, as appropriate, targeted education to beginning 
  2.7   farmers and retiring farm families; and 
  2.8      (4) coordinating education programs and services for 
  2.9   beginning farmer efforts statewide. 
  2.10     Subd. 2.  [PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.] Programs and services 
  2.11  provided by the center must include, but are not limited to, the 
  2.12  development of skills and knowledge in farm estate planning and 
  2.13  other topics related to intergenerational farm transfer, legal 
  2.14  issues, tax laws, technical production and management, 
  2.15  leadership, sustainable agriculture, human health, and the 
  2.16  environment.  The center shall develop and distribute a detailed 
  2.17  questionnaire for interested retired farmers and landowners and 
  2.18  beginning farmers for the purpose of connecting them with each 
  2.19  other and to develop computerized lists.  The center shall 
  2.20  coordinate to the extent practicable with agricultural 
  2.21  information centers. 
  2.22     Subd. 3.  [ANNUAL REPORT.] The center shall submit a report 
  2.23  annually to the legislature on or before February 1.  The report 
  2.24  shall include, but is not limited to, recommendations for 
  2.25  methods by which more individuals may be encouraged to enter 
  2.26  agriculture. 
  2.27     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.28     $75,000 is appropriated for fiscal year 1998 and $125,000 
  2.29  is appropriated for fiscal year 1999 from the general fund to 
  2.30  the commissioner of agriculture for the Passing on the Farm 
  2.31  Center.