Senate file 2057 would fund value-chain grants for perennial "continuous living cover" crops

Senate File 2057, carried by Senator Putnam, would appropriate $5,000,000 in one‑time general fund money in fiscal year 2026 to support grants intended to develop markets and value chains for "continuous living cover" (CLC) crops such as Kernza and winter camelina.

Supporters told the Minnesota Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Development on March 12 that public seed funding is needed to bridge early commercialization gaps and attract private investment to new perennial crops. "These crops address major challenges in our current corn, soy, mono crop agriculture that leaves the soil uncovered for 2 thirds of the year," said Colin Curatin, director of commercialization, adoption, and scaling for the University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative.

Proponents described CLC as a family of harvestable, marketable perennial crops and oilseeds developed in Minnesota that keep roots in the soil year‑round, protect water quality, improve soil health and resilience, and can create new markets. Senator Putnam said the bill is an economic development proposal: "This is an economic development program — increasing economic opportunities through finding ways to bring these products to market." He framed the funding as grants that would help entrepreneurs build the processing and marketing infrastructure needed to scale the crops.

Testimony highlighted specific crop and market examples. Curatin noted the state's prior seed investments and said the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's developing markets program has provided smaller grants to start enterprises; he said that program "has been a bipartisan success." David Stennis of Arcola Farms Group described Kernza products being tested in Minneapolis Public Schools and early export plantings in the Netherlands, and called for investment in new harvesting and milling capacity. Arnulfo Perera, farm services director for a regenerative agriculture organization, described integrated poultry‑hazelnut agroforestry models that can pair with perennial crops and said public grants helped distribute improved hazelnut seedlings.

Supporters asked the committee to view the appropriation as a scalable economic development investment. Curatin said he is liaising with national and international funders who are "eyeing major investment in the Upper Midwest in our state." Several presenters suggested that a DEED‑administered grant program could fund larger infrastructure projects that complement smaller MDA grants and private investment.

Committee fiscal staff noted that the bill proposes $5,000,000 one‑time from the general fund with no prior appropriations from the Jobs Committee for this program. The bill was laid on the table for possible inclusion after hearing; no roll call vote was recorded in the transcript.

If advanced, the appropriation language in the bill would include a provision prohibiting a grantee from receiving a separate grant for the same purpose from another agency in the same calendar year, which committee members observed as a budget integrity safeguard.

Speakers connected to the bill agreed to submit additional written materials to the committee record.