Minnesota barley growers elected to terminate the barley checkoff in a vote held during the Prairie Grains Conference. The vote was seven-to-one, highlighting a steady decline in barley growers in the state. According to Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commodity Council Coordinator Christina Iliev, the Barley Research and Promotion Council has until June to spend any remaining funds. “They can contract with the University of Minnesota or whomever they need to for the research and promotion of barley, but all those funds need to be spent by June 30, 2025.” Marv Zutz is the executive director of the Minnesota Barley Research and Promotion Council and the Minnesota Barley Growers Association. “Back in the 1980s we probably had over a million acres of barley grown in Minnesota,” said Zutz. “This next year we’re estimating approximately 25,000 acres being grown in Minnesota so we saw the writing on the wall.”
