New license plates would raise money for agriculture education

Minnesotans who want to contribute to agriculture education, and show their support, may be able to do so the next time they buy license plates.

Sponsored by Rep. Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake), HF3152 would create a special agriculture plate for automobiles and motorcycles to raise money for the state’s FFA and 4-H organizations.

The House Agriculture Policy Committee approved the bill Tuesday, referring it to the House Transportation and Regional Governance Policy Committee. The companion, SF2842, is sponsored by Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls) and awaits action by the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.

Hamilton said the idea came from the Minnesota FFA Foundation, which works to ensure agriculture education is available in every Minnesota school.

“We are looking for ways to not only show our support, but also to generate some additional dollars that could be invested back into 4-H and FFA,” Hamilton said.

There are already several special categories Minnesotans can choose from when buying license plates, including plates for veterans, colleges and universities, critical habitat and volunteer firefighters.

The new agriculture plates would, in addition to the usual fees, cost an additional $10 and also require buyers to make a $20 annual donation that would be used to fund FFA and 4-H.

Val Aarsvold, executive director of the Minnesota FFA Foundation, said there are currently 22,000 students in 195 schools across the state who take an agricultural education class and 10,400 who actively participate in FFA.

She said the current economic challenges agriculture faces makes it important to secure funds for the work her organization does, and the money would be used to not only prepare current students for careers in agriculture, but to also raise awareness of the opportunities that exist among other students.

“We always look for opportunities to grow,” Aarsvold said. “A specialized license plate celebrating agriculture will provide Minnesotans a voluntary way to show their support of this important work.”