MDA at Farmfest Grants, Loans, Gun Locks, Ag Weather Station

While you are at Farmfest next week you may want to make it a point of stopping by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) booth 5175. You can find out how you can get real-time weather information and air temperature inversion alerts on your cell phone through the 29 Minnesota weather stations that are incorporated into the North Dakota Ag Weather Network or NDAWN.

The MDA will also be handing out free gun locks that are in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the State of Minnesota. Even if farmers are not hunters (like me) many have a 12 gage shotgun or .22 rifle for taking care of pigeons, racoons or maybe a skunk. My Vet told me after I had a cow confirmed with rabies, if you ever see a skunk during the daytime shoot it, there is a 90 percent chance it has rabies! I never had a gun lock but I should have had one!

In addition there will be information on low and zero interest loans from the Rural Finance Authority and many grant programs from the MDA. Remember, the MDA is in booth 5175.