The Minnesota Department of Agriculture briefed the committee on ROPS and grain‑bin safety reimbursements, a 24/7 farm helpline and farm‑advocate program; MDA reported 12 advocates, 6,223 advocate hours last fiscal year, and region‑5 counselors delivering 564 sessions between November and March.

The Center reported growing activity and external funding but said current biennial allocations fall short of needs; the director requested permission to repurpose $250,000 in local‑grant funds for pilot election security assessments and urged additional funding to expand workforce and assessment work, particularly in rural counties.