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Lawmaker seeks pilot to convert lawns to food gardens; bill modeled on Lawns to Legumes
Summary
Representative Hansen presented House File 1611 to pilot a ‘Lawns to Lunch’ program, directing BWSR to provide technical assistance and small cost‑share incentives for residential food gardens; committee heard support and questions about measurement and delivery.
Representative Hansen introduced House File 1611, a pilot program modeled on Lawns to Legumes that would provide technical assistance and modest cost‑share payments to help residents convert turf to food gardens and edible landscapes. The bill would authorize the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to manage the pilot and allow agreements with local governments, Master Gardener programs and nonprofits.
Jeanette Dean of the Sierra Club testified in support and framed the pilot as a way to increase local food resilience and encourage diets lower in resource‑intensive foods. Hansen said the pilot should help Minnesotans “teach people to garden” and rebuild skills similar to wartime victory gardens. Committee members asked about how success would be measured and what reporting and documentation BWSR would collect.
Hansen and members discussed delivery mechanisms and why BWSR would be the administering body. Mosher and Fish (BWSR) context in other hearings on related programs was referenced: BWSR already runs the Lawns to Legumes individual‑grant and coaching delivery infrastructure, and Hansen argued that that capacity makes BWSR a logical administrator. Representative Schultz asked about reporting and measurement; Hansen said the program would include receipts, cost‑share reporting and follow‑up similar to Lawns to Legumes.
The bill drew generally supportive comments on resiliency grounds from members but also questions about competing fiscal priorities. Representative Hansen renewed the motion to lay HF 1611 over for possible inclusion; the committee laid the bill over by voice vote without adopting an appropriation.
