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Audit: certifiers sometimes sign off on farmers they helped, auditors tell Legislative Audit Commission
Summary
An Office of the Legislative Auditor review found program certifiers often certified producers whom they had provided technical assistance, a practice that conflicts with the program's authorizing statute; auditors recommended statutory clarification and changes to MDA practice.
An Office of the Legislative Auditor report presented to the Legislative Audit Commission on the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program found that program certifiers sometimes certify producers to whom they previously provided technical assistance, even though statute prohibits that practice.
"We found that certifiers regularly certified producers to whom they have provided technical assistance despite this law, but the prohibition in law may not be practical," said Caitlin Zenoni Wells, the OLA evaluations manager who led the review. Wells told commissioners that certifiers can be advising producers during routine farm conversations and that asking producers to wait for an independent certifier can be disruptive.
The auditors emphasized that the finding did not mean the program lacks value, but that implementation frequently diverged from statutory language and that the legislature should consider clarifying the authorizing statutes. The report noted that most certifiers are staffed at soil and water conservation districts and that the statutory prohibition has been in place since the program's 2013 enactment.
Legislators on the commission expressed mixed views: some argued the law should be revised to reflect on‑the‑ground realities, while others warned that accepting assistance from certifiers can undermine independence. The auditors recommended the legislature clarify the program's purpose and the role of certifiers to reduce this statutory-implementation gap.
The article is based on the OLA presentation and subsequent commission discussion and questions.
