Minnesota Farmer Suing State of Minnesota for racial discrimination

 A Beltrami County farmer is suing the Minnesota Governor’s Office and the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for racial discrimination over Minnesota’s emerging farmer grant program.

The lawsuit filed by Lance Nistler of Beltrami County alleges that his denied application for the Minnesota Down Payment Assistance Grant program was a violation of his civil rights. The lawsuit also alleges that despite Nistler being the model individual, and one of the first applications picked in the lottery, he lacked the state’s preferred skin color and sex, which caused his application to be pushed to the back of the line. 

The emerging farmer grant program is a grant given to aspiring or new farmers who are women, veterans, people with disabilities, Native American, person of color, young,  members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and any other emerging farmers as determined by the commissioner.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has not commented on the lawsuit at this time, but the Down Payment Assistance Grant program will continue to operate.