Minnesota agricultural experiment station (MAES) uses hatch multistate funds to conduct research related to five long-term critical issues: 1) advancing crop and plant production, 2) building strong…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the Regents of the University of Minnesota $2.76 million under the Hatch Act Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations program (CFDA 10.203) on October 1, 2025.

The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station uses Hatch multistate funds to conduct interdisciplinary research addressing five long-term critical issues: advancing crop and plant production, building strong youth, families and rural economies, enhancing nutritious food development, improving animal and livestock systems, and stewarding soil, water and natural resources. Research projects focus on production, harvesting, processing, quality and marketing of food, agricultural and natural resource products. Faculty research in greenhouses and research fields generates new knowledge, techniques, technologies and policies intended to improve farm productivity and profitability, human nutrition, family and community life, rural and urban vitality, economic growth and development, and environmental quality. Multistate projects coordinate efforts across states to identify and combat large-scale threats to regional and national food, fiber and fuel supply chains, the environment and human well-being, with findings shared to help other states adopt research-backed solutions and take preventative actions.

The award supports work performed in Minnesota with a period of performance from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. As a formula grant, Hatch funds may be carried over for up to one year after the end of the fiscal year of appropriation with no prior approval required.

Minnesota agricultural experiment station (MAES) uses hatch multistate funds to conduct research related to five long-term critical issues: 1) advancing crop and plant production, 2) building strong youth, families and rural economies, 3) enhancing nutritious food development, 4) improving animal and livestock systems, and 5) stewarding soil, water and natural resources. MAES uses hatch funds to support interdisciplinary research and respond to ongoing and emerging issues. Hatch funds provide critical support for a broad range of expertise that serves the large- and small-scale agricultural, food and natural resources industries statewide. These funds also support faculty research in greenhouses and research fields, ensuring that researchers have what they need to start projects and generate results and deliver meaningful impacts. Research projects focus on production, harvesting, processing, quality and marketing of food, agricultural, and natural resource products. Multistate projects encourage the coordination of efforts to identify and combat large-scale threats to regional and national food, fiber and fuel supply chains, the environment, and human well being. Expected outcomes of hatch multistate research projects include the generation of new knowledge, techniques, technologies, and policies that improve farm productivity and profitability, human nutrition, family and community life, rural and urban vitality, economic growth and development, and environmental quality. An essential expected outcome of multistate research projects is that findings from one state or region are shared to help other states identify research-backed solutions to problems and/or take preventative actions to avoid undesirable outcomes that other states have experienced. Intended beneficiaries for multistate research projects include: farmers, ranchers, forest and shoreland owners; other producers of food, fuel and textiles; youth and families; tribal members; small businesses and local leaders; homeowners and renters; and gardeners and cottage foods producers. These beneficiaries span rural, suburban, urban, and tribal communities in minnesota as well as residents of other states, the district of columbia, and the insular areas.