Equipment for agriculture research in Marshall, water infrastructure in Hanley Falls and a new water tower in Ruthton were among the projects in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District that recently received a total of more than $9 million in federal funding. Late last week, U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach announced that a total of 11 projects had secured funding.

The list of funded projects in CD 7 mainly included water and sanitary sewer system improvements, in a total of 10 different communities. Fischbach’s office said $594,963 was secured for Southwest Minnesota State university. Projects to replace water and sewer mains in Hanley Falls and to replace the city of Ruthton’s water tower would each receive $750,000.

Nathan Polfliet, associate vice president of advancement at SMSU, said the roughly $595,000 in funding would go toward a project for integrated agriculture and food systems at the university. In particular, the funds would help purchase farm equipment to be used at SMSU’s research plots on the north edge of Marshall.

“It will be a significant investment in equipment at the farm,” Polfliet said. SMSU wants to be able to give more students from different disciplines exposure to agriculture, through learning at the research farm, he said.

The replacement of the water tower in the city of Ruthton is part of a bigger project to improve the city’s infrastructure. The city of Ruthton has also sought Minnesota state bonding money to update the water system. When members of the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee visited southwest Minnesota in October, representatives of the city of Ruthton said they were requesting $3.9 million to replace the Ruthton water tower, build a new water treatment facility, and connect the city to the Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water System. At the time, city representatives said the total project cost came to about $12 million.

In the funding announcement, Fischbach’s office said she advocated for the area water and agriculture education projects to be prioritized in the Interior, Environment & Related Agencies bill and the Commerce, Justice & Science Approriations bill.

“I am incredibly proud to have secured these resources for Western Minnesota,” Fischbach said in the announcment. “From ensuring clean drinking water to modernizing our wastewater systems and investing in the future of our agricultural workforce, these projects are vital to the long-term viability and growth of our rural communities. These are the local priorities that make a daily difference for families and small towns.”