Governor Mark Dayton has signed the Omnibus Agriculture Finance Bill which provides funding for Minnesota’s agricultural programs, including AURI. The Ag Bill is the first funding measure passed and signed during the 2011 legislative session. 
Praised by many as an example of bipartisan cooperation, the bill appropriates nearly $79 million dollars for agricultural programs and projects. That total is a reduction of about 5 percent from the previous budget.
“We knew legislators were faced with a difficult task in closing the state’s budget deficit without gutting support for one of the state’s most important industries,” says AURI Executive Director Teresa Spaeth. “A reduction of this size will be felt, but it won’t prevent us from providing the services AURI offers to develop agricultural innovations that create economic activity and jobs. We are very thankful for the support AURI has received during this process.”
