[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6661489,"mediaKeyId","2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e","parentId",2407416,"title","Company pitching PFAS-free packaging from sugar-beet pulp draws committee interest; two bills laid over","audioSeconds",662,"startMs",2955000,"endMs",3617000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e&start=2955&end=3617","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e/thumbnail_2955000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6661489/Minnesota/Company-pitching-PFAS-free-packaging-from-sugar-beet-pulp-draws-committee-interest-two-bills-laid-over","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661489-c2eed4ae0759f5b71ee6e2f06cb7e00e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775323126&Signature=KAn-8kPJ2KTE6u-11cB227PixAC~gArQ8Su~rXiqrpYMZFYp8LkqtHXxWTLslwQbDufujxXIV58IzC4MzOv52KKJt~vg2TUcKWmuuGKpb~IaSFJtMBSi~w9NqSW22wBIPZlyQ0FAPvITIg532eMnD0Qn9FEbVli826hGxWEAK8KzUuwY-CUDpgeYV~xno1DO81~5xMgdG8Whdpjz~EhSs8Z1I1vbZcG~IhEDwguvpio6p28GZX2DDxg2evtvDnHDN4FvHJfuKwAS0mIidGvDSbIScO2AP190fvVNJrHirhW5sxP9xVQJbrseMq-ISW4BOEAGOQEfkqmFzJavRMulqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-02-26T22:53:44.47Z","article","A Scottish firm with a newly established Minnesota presence told the Senate agriculture committee Feb. 26 that it plans to convert sugar-beet pulp into a microfibrillated cellulose product that can be used in coatings and substrates as a PFAS-free packaging alternative.

The presentation described a circular manufacturing model that would use local beet pulp, produce a fiber additive called \"Curran,\" and supply coating and converter partners to make grease-, water- and oxygen-resistant fiber-based packaging. Company CEO Christian Kemp-Griffin and other representatives said the firm chose southern Minnesota because of year-round sugar-beet processing and nearby paper and packaging supply chains.

Why it matters: PFAS contamination and single-use plastics have drawn state and federal attention. Witnesses and advocates told the committee that state support for PFAS-free alternatives can create jobs, reduce pollution and protect drinking water. The committee considered two related bills: Senate File 302 (a grant program authorizing reimbursement-style grants) and Senate File 304 (a named appropriation model). Both files were laid over for possible inclusion.

CelluComp representatives described product development from lab to demo scale and a plan to build a larger commercial facility in Renville that would draw pulp from the neighboring Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative. The company said a seven-year expansion could consume about 80,000 tons of beet pulp and produce roughly 10,000 tons of microfibrillated cellulose, supporting a small manufacturing workforce onsite (the bill sponsor cited roughly 24 total jobs, with about 17 in the factory in initial estimates).

Senator Lang, sponsor of the bills, said one draft (SF 302) originally had a drafting error about where funds would be directed; the committee adopted a technical amendment to direct funds to the commissioner of agriculture. The committee also adopted an A-2 amendment to SF 302 and then laid both SF 302 and SF 304 over for possible inclusion.

Clean Water Action Minnesota\u0000represented by state director Vanna Stark\u0000testified in support of state grants for PFAS-free alternatives, saying the approach could protect water and soil while creating manufacturing jobs. Committee members raised technical questions about barrier coatings and recyclability. Company executives said their coating contains no PFAS and the fiber additive is compatible with recycling streams; they estimated the prototype product would be costlier than comparable plastic in the short term but could be cost-competitive at scale.

Senators asked about scale, the local supply of beet pulp and job numbers; company representatives said the initial plant would use a small fraction of local pulp and that Minnesota's supply was more than adequate. The bills discussed in committee were Senate File 302 (grant/reimbursement model) and Senate File 304 (direct appropriation model). Both Senate File 302 and Senate File 304 were held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus process.

Ending note: Committee members expressed interest in the project's potential economic and environmental benefits and directed staff to consider appropriate funding sources during omnibus negotiations; the committee took no final appropriations vote at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development - 02/26/25","oneSentenceSummary","CelluComp presented a plan to convert sugar-beet pulp into microfibrillated cellulose for PFAS-free packaging and coatings. Lawmakers discussed two bills that would support bio-based manufacturing and grant-backed reimbursement; both files were laid over for possible inclusion.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6661493,"Turkey farmers describe losses from HPAI and urge grants for prevention; committee lays bill over",1443,1486000,2929000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e&start=1486&end=2929","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e/thumbnail_1486000.jpg","/articles/6661493/Minnesota/Turkey-farmers-describe-losses-from-HPAI-and-urge-grants-for-prevention-committee-lays-bill-over","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661493-eeac980a34df50c9a79782a80db236a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775323126&Signature=YLxh7xhR08vreTEx7QexSCUVifQ62jMWq6talTnsMxfQm~9Eagno2fHjV1-vjDe10VCX2p7qvMRj4dWRkDYk7pXS7YBrC430m2EW8Y8zTX5BLosV-lECdyqTfQ3~rh3w3m5qs3kvCn4IOGAWM6auUY14wcIby1b5jkQ7eJXaoLvcXM8GXALmNCLszibQA-hidhkfIJOkd-6F-wKovBHHYJ69YSlFOiPlaskJZduKdekwNJZTQJkmhg4tDR2nzFPxPMUUIp2HnzCOLTSBJ~JzYVnG9uKornxuGluSN1aGGjBRGS8vAxa9NlmB7mb16fd-PHBsKPp~waCmQ8F9bhb8fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Turkey growers and public-health officials told the Senate agriculture committee Feb. 26 that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and a newly arrived respiratory virus have caused major flock losses and financial strain, and they urged lawmakers to fund prevention grants proposed in Senate File 1839.

The committee heard firsthand accounts and industry data that framed the bill \u0000which would appropriate resources to a program to provide grants to prevent the spread of avian influenza\u0000as a response to ongoing disease pressure.

Why it matters: Testimony emphasized both the scale of recent commercial losses and the human toll on family farms. Witnesses said both federal indemnity and state response capacity matter, but biosecurity measures and supplemental technologies can reduce future losses.

Ashley Coles, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, told the committee Minnesota leads the nation in turkey production, raising about 40 million turkeys annually on roughly 600 farms. Coles said the industry contributes about $16 billion to the state economy and supports more than 51,000 jobs, and she called continued funding for the Board of Animal Health and MDA a priority.

Erica Swatzky, a sixth-generation turkey farmer from Kensington and president of the board of the Board of Animal Health, gave a first-person account of a HPAI outbreak on her farm in which she said mortality climbed rapidly, her flock was depopulated the next day after test results, and her family spent about 10 weeks in response and cleaning. \"A silent barn is not only sad, but it's truly very eerie,\" Swatzky said. She described building compost piles and working with subject-matter experts from the board and federal partners during the response.

Coles also described the arrival in 2024 of avian metapneumovirus (AVMPV), a highly contagious respiratory virus that presents similarly to HPAI but is not a foreign animal disease; industry-funded sampling in April 2024 reportedly found the virus in 100% of the state's sampled flocks within 90 days.

The committee also heard technical details on response and disposal. Witnesses described how composting infected birds is handled under Board of Animal Health protocols, including subject-matter expert guidance, daily temperature monitoring and a multi-week holding period to inactivate the virus. Dr. Bridal Hayes, executive director for the Board of Animal Health and Minnesota state veterinarian, said the composting protocol \"inactivates\" the virus when properly executed and praised Minnesota's subject-matter expertise.

Senate File 18 39 (reported in committee as Senate File 1839), a bill to appropriate resources for grants to prevent avian influenza spread, was amended (A-1) in committee and then laid over for possible inclusion. Committee members discussed the cost and deployment of one preventive technology in particular: turkey lasers. Coles said many producers have installed lasers since 2023; she told the committee that lasers typically cost between $17,000 and $20,000 each, that some barns require two lasers because of building size or obstructions, and that lasers are available in green wavelengths only.

Committee members asked about federal indemnity and whether the federal program remains intact; Coles said federal plans still include indemnity and stamping out of infected flocks.

Ending note: After questions, the sponsor\u0000identified in committee as Senator Pilam\u0000moved an A-1 amendment clarifying enactment language; the amendment was adopted and Senate File 1839 as amended was laid over for possible inclusion in omnibus consideration.","Turkey growers and farm board officials described high losses from highly pathogenic avian influenza and a more recent respiratory virus, urging continued funding for response and a new grant program to support preventive measures such as laser deterrents. Senate File 1839 was laid over for possible inclusion.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6661498,"Minnesota lawmakers hear testimony on shortfall in wolf and elk depredation payments",901,542000,1443000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e&start=542&end=1443","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2407416-711eec1f7121a9c2ed355851dd5b390e/thumbnail_542000.jpg","/articles/6661498/Minnesota/Minnesota-lawmakers-hear-testimony-on-shortfall-in-wolf-and-elk-depredation-payments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661498-233b650e1be6559b60532f1f2bc313af/orig.mp4?Expires=1775323126&Signature=Ec5Wn0Vdo--3QiNwoc5WIDEK6tr5EGLo5j~gXUGGC23oR2U8ifGmjv7EyYohMtxnm-tpwA8qytwa57Khga2nz3T9ME1RV0oSM3jECUM0U04fzWJSm7REBstS0zk9JKQ1SXMut9TqO~KXsAKzXae5xnTM1-V0ms3j2pxNnUwAkmVL1BgsSV92sGAwdqkFom2ArckOG-Uds5p0G3cPun8wBgoDBqwUM2K7Xu7PVgPo-t8P10035T4DL-WJxofTf5lGSX4LmY5sFKDlk8w380ofTUDlnJgV3QFkB7pad2gV0bxMp2C75ivK2Vkg40eD~rtIB3AHasKxaWF1hrO4Wo2A0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators in the Committee on Agriculture, Veterans Broadband, and Rural Development heard testimony Feb. 26 that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture ran short of funds to reimburse livestock producers for verified wolf and elk depredations.

The testimony focused on Senate File 469, a recurring appropriation to pay wolf and elk depredation claims. Sponsor Senator Johnson presented the bill and said the program has been in place since he arrived at the Legislature in 2017. He said department records show more claims than money available and urged the committee to include increased funding.

Why it matters: Producers say depredation payments reduce the financial and emotional burden when livestock are killed or crops and fences are damaged. Witnesses told the committee that the number of wolf-conflict calls and verified losses has risen, increasing pressure on the fund that reimburses eligible losses.

Jake Thompson, president of the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association, told the committee cattle producers in northern Minnesota and other regions are \"struggling greatly with wolf and elk depredation\" and said the Department of Agriculture (MDA) had exhausted the fund and could not reimburse all claims. \"Producers simply cannot get reimbursed when there isn't enough funding for it to happen,\" Thompson said.

Hunter Peterson of the Minnesota Farm Bureau said the program ran out of money about halfway through the fiscal year and called for funding commensurate with any state policy to maintain or grow wolf and elk populations. \"If it's the state's position to maintain or grow current wolf and elk populations, then funding for depredation payments is commensurate, to ensure farmers and ranchers are fairly compensated,\" Peterson said.

Stu Lohrey, government relations director for Minnesota Farmers Union, described both verified and suspected depredations and said producers often perceive losses to be higher than the verified counts because investigators sometimes cannot find sufficient evidence to confirm a wolf kill. Mark Abrahamson, plant protection director at MDA, explained that agency investigators use a preponderance-of-evidence standard to determine whether a carcass was killed by a wolf; if investigators do not verify wolf depredation, the state does not pay.

Committee members asked how the verification process affects producers. Abrahamson described the factors examiners use, including tracks, feeding patterns and bite marks, and confirmed that a payment follows only when an investigator concludes \"the preponderance of the evidence\" indicates a wolf kill.

Quantitative details cited to the committee included MDA's 2024 estimate of about 2,900 wolves in Minnesota and a 2024 USDA Wildlife Services report showing 252 calls for wolf conflict management assistance that year; 36 of those calls were verified wolf kills or injuries, and 128 of the verified incidents involved livestock or poultry. In 2024 MDA had been allocated $175,000 for wolf claims and reported total wolf-claim requests of $187,942.

Senate File 469 was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus agriculture bill; no final vote was taken in committee.

Ending note: Committee discussion emphasized the limits of the depredation account and the trade-offs lawmakers face in setting wildlife and reimbursement policy.","Lawmakers heard farmers and industry groups urge increased funding for the Department of Agriculture\u0000wolf and elk depredation accounts after the program ran out of money and could not pay all verified claims.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Company pitching PFAS-free packaging from sugar-beet pulp draws committee interest; two bills laid over

Turkey farmers describe losses from HPAI and urge grants for prevention; committee lays bill over

Minnesota lawmakers hear testimony on shortfall in wolf and elk depredation payments