1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to agriculture; establishing an urban agriculture development pilot 
1.3 	program; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. URBAN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROGRAM.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. (a) The commissioner shall establish and administer 
1.7 	an urban agriculture development pilot program to provide competitive grants to eligible 
1.8 	cities; Native American tribal communities; and individuals, nonprofit organizations, 
1.9 	and cooperatives located in eligible cities.
1.10 	(b) For purposes of this section, "urban agriculture" means producing plants, poultry, 
1.11 	livestock, compost, or other agricultural products on public or private property within city 
1.12 	limits including, but not limited to, residential land farmed by the property's stewards and 
1.13 	caretakers for market, community, or personal use.
1.14 	(c) For purposes of this section, "eligible city" means:
1.15 	(1) a city with a population over 10,000; or
1.16 	(2) a city where at least ten percent of the population is comprised of communities of 
1.17 	color or Native American tribal communities living at or below 200 percent of the poverty 
1.18 	threshold as determined by the United States Census Bureau.
1.19 		Subd. 2.Competitive grants. Grant applications must be submitted to the 
1.20 	commissioner in the form prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner must award 
1.21 	competitive grants based on the applicant's commitment to:
1.22 	(1) increase urban agriculture production capacity;
1.23 	(2) create living-wage jobs;
2.1 	(3) increase fresh food access, including access to affordable organic foods, to 
2.2 	improve both local and regional food security;
2.3 	(4) reduce or eliminate health disparities related to food access;
2.4 	(5) promote value-added agricultural production;
2.5 	(6) provide entrepreneurial opportunities;
2.6 	(7) enhance community education;
2.7 	(8) involve youth;
2.8 	(9) promote racial equity by engaging and increasing food access for low-income 
2.9 	communities, communities of color, and Native American tribal communities;
2.10 	(10) provide healthy food, including fresh, culturally appropriate foods, to food 
2.11 	shelves and similar charitable organizations;
2.12 	(11) extend the growing season;
2.13 	(12) develop or enhance farm-to-school channels;
2.14 	(13) reduce waste or make more efficient use of energy, water, nutrients, or other 
2.15 	inputs;
2.16 	(14) provide environmental benefits including, but not limited to, clean water, 
2.17 	healthy soils, carbon sequestration, and pollinator habitat;
2.18 	(15) promote organic and sustainable agriculture;
2.19 	(16) create food hubs and other collaborative infrastructure for urban agriculture 
2.20 	including shared storage facilities, processing equipment, and product marketing;
2.21 	(17) increase food justice;
2.22 	(18) protect the tenure of urban farmers, if the grantee is not the owner of the land 
2.23 	but has a lease agreement; or
2.24 	(19) expand the supply of urban agricultural land available for permanent use.
2.25 		Subd. 3.Repayment required. (a) A city must repay to the commissioner an 
2.26 	amount equal to three times the amount of each grant received under this section if the city 
2.27 	terminates a lease or adopts, amends, or repeals an ordinance or a resolution resulting in 
2.28 	an individual, nonprofit organization, or cooperative losing the ability to continue farming 
2.29 	the same parcel of land for at least five additional years.
2.30 	(b) Repayment is not required under paragraph (a) if the activities of the individual, 
2.31 	nonprofit organization, or cooperative constituted a public nuisance; if the individual, 
2.32 	nonprofit organization, or cooperative did not farm the parcel in two of the prior three 
2.33 	years; or if the land is used for affordable housing development. If a city uses the parcel 
2.34 	for affordable housing, the city must provide replacement land comparable in location, 
2.35 	farming qualities, size, and soil quality.
3.1 	(c) An individual, nonprofit organization, cooperative, or Native American tribal 
3.2 	community must repay to the commissioner an amount equal to three times the amount 
3.3 	of each grant received under this section if the individual, nonprofit organization, 
3.4 	cooperative, or Native American tribal community sells or leases the land used for urban 
3.5 	farming for nonagricultural development that is not affordable housing development 
3.6 	within five years of receiving a grant.
3.7 	(d) For purposes of this subdivision, "affordable housing development" has the 
3.8 	meaning given in section 462.355, subdivision 3.
3.9 		Subd. 4.Expiration. This section expires June 30, 2018.

3.10 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.11 	$20,000,000 in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
3.12 	commissioner of agriculture for purposes of section 1 and is available until June 30, 2018. 
3.13 	Between July 1, 2016, and January 1, 2017, $10,000,000 of this appropriation is reserved 
3.14 	for grants to serve, engage, and benefit communities of color and Native American tribal 
3.15 	communities. Between January 2, 2017, and June 30, 2018, the commissioner must award 
3.16 	remaining funds to any eligible entity.