Otter Tail County Wins DEED Grant, Expands Agricultural Workforce Training
Otter Tail County received a $96,000 Growing Careers grant from Minnesota DEED as part of a $2.4 million statewide awards package to develop agriculture focused workforce training. The funding will expand the county Empowered Worker Program to help dislocated workers and low income residents gain skills for agricultural jobs that local employers increasingly need.
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Otter Tail County is one of seven Minnesota recipients of Growing Careers grants from the Department of Employment and Economic Development, receiving $96,000 to expand its Empowered Worker Program toward agriculture related employment. The statewide initiative delivered $2.4 million in grants, and individual recipients are eligible for up to $500,000 to design and implement training that helps Minnesotans enter agricultural careers, with an emphasis on dislocated workers, low income residents, and those needing basic skill development.
County officials plan to use the funds to add agriculture pathways to the Empowered Worker Program, a workforce development effort that provides training and supportive services aimed at helping participants overcome barriers to employment and secure and maintain household sustaining wage jobs in high demand fields. The expansion is intended to connect local residents with training, credentials and employer connections specific to crop and animal production and agriculture support activities.
A nearby partner won the largest individual award. Rural Minnesota CEP in Detroit Lakes was granted $500,000 to deliver a comprehensive program of career exploration, occupational skills training, credential attainment and work based learning experiences designed to lead to full time employment at or above $20 per hour within Minnesota agriculture. The Detroit Lakes program will focus on crop production, animal production and support activities for agriculture, and is expected to serve as a regional complement to Otter Tail County efforts.
The grants come as labor demand in agriculture is projected to grow. DEED data show Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians are forecast to increase 14 percent over the next 10 years, Industrial Truck and Tractor Drivers are expected to grow 5.8 percent, and Supervisors of Farming, Fishing and Forestry Workers are projected to rise 4.5 percent. Emerging sectors such as legal cannabis also add to the range of agriculture related opportunities in Minnesota.
For Otter Tail County the immediate impact will be more structured pathways from unemployment or unstable work into occupations with local demand. Expanding supportive services in the Empowered Worker Program can address non technical barriers that often block training completion, such as transportation, childcare and basic skills needs, thereby improving completion rates and placement outcomes.
Longer term, the grants aim to strengthen the local labor pipeline for both traditional farm employers and newer agriculture segments. By aligning training to occupations with above average projected growth and by targeting participants who face the greatest barriers to employment, the Growing Careers investments seek to enhance local economic resilience and help sustain farm operations that rely on skilled technicians and supervisors.
The information above is based on DEED grant announcements and reporting on the Growing Careers awards, as summarized in notes dated November 10, 2025.
