Bill > HF1611

This bill appropriates $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 from the general fund to the Board of Water and Soil Resources to establish a "Lawns to Lunch" pilot program. The program aims to provide financial and technical assistance for transforming residential landscapes and community spaces into food gardens, with a focus on planting vegetables, fruits (including fruit trees), other edible foods, and flowering plants that support pollination. The board is authorized to collaborate with local governments, the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer program, and nonprofit organizations to implement the program. However, the funding cannot be used for constructing greenhouses or buildings, nor for planting food intended for commercial sale or use. The appropriation is a one-time funding allocation that will be available until June 30, 2030, emphasizing its temporary and experimental nature as a pilot program designed to encourage community-based food production and gardening.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1611&ssn=0&y=2025