SF 1292

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; establishing a pilot dairy 
  1.3             education and technology transfer program; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION; DAIRY EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY 
  1.7   TRANSFER PROGRAM.] 
  1.8      $1,239,750 is appropriated from the general fund as 
  1.9   provided in paragraphs (a) to (d) for the purpose of a pilot 
  1.10  dairy education and technology transfer program to provide 
  1.11  educational programs and new technologies directly to dairy 
  1.12  farmers and to develop an educational prototype for teaching new 
  1.13  agricultural technologies for use in other agricultural 
  1.14  sectors.  Except as provided in paragraph (c), clause (1), the 
  1.15  appropriations are available until June 30, 1996. 
  1.16     (a) $70,100 is appropriated to the commissioner of 
  1.17  agriculture to establish and implement a statewide pilot program 
  1.18  to encourage and assist new entrants into the dairy industry.  A 
  1.19  project field director shall be assigned to provide assistance 
  1.20  and perform as an information clearinghouse to parties 
  1.21  interested in entering the dairy business. 
  1.22     (b) $380,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of 
  1.23  agriculture to develop a new technologies dairy farm management 
  1.24  program in consultation with the commissioner of the pollution 
  1.25  control agency, the commissioner of health, and the University 
  2.1   of Minnesota.  This appropriation is to be allocated as follows: 
  2.2      (1) $95,000 for nutrient cycling, including manure and 
  2.3   water management, recycled material utilization, and feed 
  2.4   systems; 
  2.5      (2) $95,000 for animal performance and health enhancement, 
  2.6   including food safety, reproductive performance, and youngstock; 
  2.7      (3) $95,000 for livestock and equipment facilities, 
  2.8   including housing systems, land and site selection, and waste 
  2.9   management systems; and 
  2.10     (4) $95,000 for dairy farm management, including business 
  2.11  planning and structures and personnel management computer 
  2.12  applications. 
  2.13     (c) $689,650 is appropriated to the state board of 
  2.14  technical colleges in the following amounts for the following 
  2.15  purposes: 
  2.16     (1) $539,650 is available to establish a one-on-one 
  2.17  delivery system to provide new technologies to practicing 
  2.18  farmers in order to enhance the productive potential and 
  2.19  financial management of dairy farms in this state.  A dairy 
  2.20  specialist coordinator shall be assigned to coordinate the 
  2.21  program.  $259,875 of this appropriation is available until June 
  2.22  30, 1996, and $259,875 is available until June 30, 1997.  The 
  2.23  state board of technical colleges shall cooperate with farm 
  2.24  business management instructors, county extension educators, 
  2.25  dairy specialists, and dairy industry partners to deliver the 
  2.26  informational and technological services; and 
  2.27     (2) $150,000 is available to develop module video 
  2.28  curriculum, including learning units, resources, and references 
  2.29  on transitional and technological advances in the dairy industry 
  2.30  for distribution to dairy farmers and others in the field. 
  2.31     (d) $100,000 is appropriated to the University of Minnesota 
  2.32  for the development of a statewide farm financial database to be 
  2.33  used to perform annual farm financial performance analyses and 
  2.34  develop baseline data and for special research and educational 
  2.35  applications.  A farm financial database advisory task force 
  2.36  with at least seven members shall be selected by the director of 
  3.1   the agricultural experiment station.  The advisory task force 
  3.2   shall consist of a cross section of interested faculty within 
  3.3   the college representing no less than three departments and at 
  3.4   least two representatives from state technical college farm 
  3.5   business management programs or the University of Minnesota 
  3.6   agricultural education division.  Each term will be for two 
  3.7   years and the terms will be staggered.  The advisory task force 
  3.8   shall expire June 30, 1999.