Developing Markets for CLC Crops Grant

The Developing Markets for CLC Crops Grant aims to support organizations in Minnesota in creating supply chains and markets for continuous living cover crops and cropping systems. This initiative focuses on enhancing soil health, improving water quality, and generating new revenue streams for rural enterprises. By funding early-stage commercial development, the program fosters biodiversity and promotes sustainable agricultural practices, ultimately contributing to a robust agricultural economy in the region.

Background
Continuous living cover crops and cropping systems for purposes of this grant refer to agroforestry, perennial biomass, perennial forage, perennial grains, and winter-annual cereal grains and oilseeds that have market value as harvested or grazed commodities.
These grants are for organizations in Minnesota to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development. The CLC grant will fund projects that expand supply and markets for continuous living cover crops and cropping systems.
The program is anticipated to provide new revenue streams for producers and emerging businesses and organizations in rural Minnesota and improve soil health and water quality by funding early-state commercial development of continuous living crops. For the purposes of this proposal, "continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems" refers to agroforestry, perennial biomass, perennial forage, perennial grains, and winter-annual cereal grains and oilseeds that have market value as harvested or grazed commodities.
Purpose
CLC crops have been shown to enhance water and soil quality, sequester carbon, build soil health, and provide greater biodiversity and pollinator habitat. Significant environmental benefits of these crops will result from widespread production, which requires robust value chains and markets.
The goal is to provide grants to CLC crops and cropping systems value chain enterprises for equipment infrastructure and business and market development. For example, this could include customized equipment to harvest the crop, clean and store seeds, and process crops for food products. The intended outcome is supply chain and market development that can increase CLC crops and cropping systems on agricultural lands in Minnesota.
Projects must aim to develop and accelerate enterprises, supply chains, and markets for CLC crops and cropping systems in the early stage of commercial development in Minnesota.