MN SF698

Appropriates unspecified amounts from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 for the agriculture experiment station and Minnesota Extension Service.

Requires agricultural experiment stations and Minnesota Extension Service to establish advisory groups focusing on producer needs and implement outreach strategies to transfer research results and best practices to producers statewide.

Directs funding toward renewable energy research from Minnesota biomass resources including agronomic crops, plant and animal wastes, and native plants, prioritizing biofuel production and alternative bioenergy crops in consultation with producers and renewable energy organizations.

Allocates funding for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resources Sciences to establish organic agriculture research, education, and outreach programs, including purchase of laboratory and farming equipment.

Requires the Board of Regents to submit a report by February 1, 2013 to legislative committees on the status and outcomes of funded research and initiatives in 14 prioritized areas including vegetable crop research, soil conservation, disease-resistant crop varieties, and animal disease research.