Good Food Access Program Equipment and Physical Improvement Grant Past Projects

BCS African Wholesale Food Supply

BCS African Wholesale Food Supply, located in Brooklyn Park, will focus on sales of culturally nutritious food items for African, Asian, and other immigrant communities by purchasing and installing an eight-door freezer and one roof-top condensing unit.

Bronson Market

Bronson Market, located in Lake Bronson, will upgrade their freezer section and meat coolers by purchasing and installing six display freezers, two display coolers, one stainless steel freezer, and one chest freezer.

Cambridge Farmers' Market

The Cambridge Farmers' Market, located in Cambridge, will purchase an enclosed 6’ by 10' trailer to store their market equipment and increase visibility of the market location.

Cloquet Natural Foods

Cloquet Natural Foods will purchase and install a two-door and a single door freezer to increase energy efficiency, reduce spoilage, and improve product quality.

Fond du Lac Reservation Business Committee

The Na'enimonigamig Local Foods Project will open a retail space at Fond du Lac’s 36-acre farm location. They will use grant funds to purchase and install a display freezer, shelving, and a refrigerated vehicle that will be used to transport produce grown by indigenous growers to be sold at their store.

Friends of the Finland Community, Finland Farmers’ Market

The Finland Farmers’ Market will purchase and install two awnings and paving blocks to increase the level surface area of the market, with the goal to provide more space for new vendors and increase the overall size of the market.

Graceville Market

Graceville Market, located in Graceville, will upgrade old, energy inefficient equipment with new energy-efficient equipment including two eight-foot coolers and two twelve-foot coolers.

Groceries Plus

Groceries Plus, located in Erskine, will purchase and install a three-door merchandiser, a ten-door cooler, a five-door freezer, and a four-door cooler to increase energy efficiency in their store.

Hub 71 Convenience Store

Hub 71 Convenience Store, located in Sebeka, will purchase three merchandiser refrigerators and a merchandiser freezer. They will also use grant funds to install signage that will increase the visibility of WIC and SNAP-eligible food products.

Lake Country Foods

Lake Country Foods, located in Menahga, will increase their sales space and increase the self-life of products by purchasing and installing two new cooler units for meat and cheese products.

Little Falls Food Co-op (The Purple Carrot Market)

The Little Falls Food Co-op, operating as The Purple Carrot Market, will purchase and install a refrigerator and merchandiser with the goal of increasing sales of affordable, healthy grab-and-go food options for their customers.

Madison Mercantile

Madison Mercantile will purchase and install shelving, two chest freezers, a standing freezer, and a commercial refrigerator to support their cooperative aggregation site for area growers.

More Than Sprouts

More Than Sprouts, located in Pine City, will expand their retail space and purchase and install four merchandiser freezers, four merchandiser refrigerators, a commercial sink, and shelving to increase sales of nutritious foods.

Northwoods Grocery & Cafe

Northwoods Grocery & Café, located in Nevis, will purchase and install a three-door cooler and a condenser unit to provide better selection of fresh produce.

Roadside Market

Roadside Market, located in Hill City, will purchase and install a produce merchandiser, two glass freezer doors, and shelving to expand options to sell produce and gluten-free food options.

Aaron’s Grocery

Aaron’s Grocery, located in Fertile, will purchase new produce cases to provide better products to their customers and to save on energy expenses and reduce the carbon footprint of their business.

Aitkin Farmers’ Market

The Aitkin Farmers’ Market will purchase an enclosed trailer and reach-in coolers to provide more local produce, meat, and eggs for residents in Aitkin County.

Amin Grocery

Amin Grocery, in downtown Willmar, will expand the retail space for perishable goods such as locally produced meat, vegetables, and eggs by purchasing a larger walk-in cooler.

Bolt’s Lake Benton Grocery

Bolt’s Lake Benton Grocery, located in Ivanhoe, will purchase a merchandizer freezer and refrigerator to expand their retail space to offer the community more variety of higher quality products.

Ditterich Mercantile

Ditterich Mercantile, located in Vergas, will provide fresh meats, produce, and other grocery needs by installing refrigerator equipment.

F&D Meats

Located in Virginia, F&D Meats will install a new display cooler to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, especially locally grown fruits and vegetables. 

Green Scene Market & Eatery

Green Scene Market & Eatery in Walker, will increase space by purchasing a new retail freezer that they can dedicate to fresh produce in their store, ultimately increasing the ability to purchase more local produce and keep products fresher for a longer period.

J&S Foods

 J&S Foods, located in Lancaster, will become more energy efficient and provide a better, fresher product with new temperature-controlled produce and meat cases.

Kiester Market

Kiester Market, located in Kiester, will provide healthy, affordable grab and go items for the community. By purchasing a new, cooled display case, they will provide customers with a wide variety of choices when choosing a grab and go meal.

La Alborada Market

 La Alborada Market, in Eagan, will expand their fruit and vegetable areas in their store by purchasing new refrigerators. By doing so, they can look for more local options to offer their community.

La Plaza F!esta

Located in Madelia, La Plaza F!esta will create a new layout for their store that provides ethnic foods to the local Hispanic/Latino and American populations. They will be able to promote healthy cooking at home and expand their grab and go deli for busy families. La Plaza F!esta will purchase shelving for produce items that don’t need to be refrigerated and a freezer for their local beef and pork products.

Lake Country Foods

Lake Country Foods, located in Menahga, will expand their retail space by purchasing new refrigeration units so that they can provide fresh produce for a longer period, as well as provide additional products to their customers and reduce the amount of food loss.

Lakewood Health System

Lakewood Health System, located in Staples, will build a permanent pavilion on its hospital parking lot for the Staples Area Farmers’ Market. This will allow customers access to fresh produce and other goods every Thursday afternoon from May through October.

Leech Lake Market

Leech Lake Market, located in Cass Lake, will purchase a three-door freezer and a cooler to offer products that compliment cooking lessons offered by the store’s demonstration kitchen. The items offered will help to highlight healthy, local, and indigenous foods.

Los Ranchos Mercado

Located in Richfield, Los Rancheros Mercado will provide additional fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and other perishable items using a new walk-in cooler and freezer to increase the store’s square footage and storage capacity for their items.

One Stop Station

One Stop Station, located in Minneapolis, will purchase, and install a new open air four-level display cooler for fresh produce in the central area of their store to promote their seasonal offerings and to increase fresh, nutritious, and delicious meal options.

Patty’s Palisade One Stop

Patty’s Palisade One Stop, in Palisade, MN will provide a new freezer venue for local farmers and their products as well as increasing the availability of nutritious food items in the community.

Valley Hardware & Supply

Valley Hardware & Supply, located in Halstad, will move their refrigeration units to the exterior of the store to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs, and ensure that there are fresh fruits, vegetable, and other foods available to their community.

Winnibigoshish Historical Center

Winnibigoshish Historical Center, located in Bena, will update the refrigeration system to hold more fresh produce, milk, cheese, and eggs. They will also add produce bins to their shelving to offer more fresh produce.

Bois Forte Band of Chippewa

Nett Lake C Store, owned and operated by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, will use their funds to purchase a 3-door display cooler and to cover renovation costs for the project.

Brothers Restaurant and Grocery

Brothers Restaurant and Grocery is a local grocery store providing culturally appropriate foods to African immigrants and international students in the Mankato area. Funding will be used to purchase a freezer, meat saw, tenderizer, and slicer to increase Halal food options within the community.

Clearview Retail Partners

Clearview General Store, a convenience store located in Lutsen, is expanding their retail space to include more food products. Funding will be used to purchase a cooler, freezer, shelving, and produce display cases.

Jimmy's Food

Jimmy’s Food, located in North Minneapolis will purchase an air curtain refrigerated merchandiser and upgrade their checkout counter to encourage customers to purchase more food items at their store.

Kosmatka's Market

Kosmatka's Market, located in northwestern Minnesota, will replace 35-year-old equipment with two new freezers and one produce display case.

Main Street Market of Buffalo Lake

Main Street Market will purchase a produce case, a lunch meat case, a deli grab & go, and a meat case. This is a collaborative project to supply a lunch option and culturally appropriate foods to workers at 212 Beef. The meat case will be used exclusively for 212 Beef products.

Nicollet Family Dollar & Halal Meat Market

A South Minneapolis grocer, Nicollet Family Dollar & Halal Meat Market, will purchase a meat saw, meat grinder, produce display case, and an eight-door display cooler to provide more culturally appropriate foods to their customers.

Osakis Family Foods

Osakis Family Foods will purchase a new closed-door refrigerator and ten produce display baskets, nearly doubling the square footage dedicated to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pillsbury United Communities

The North Market Healthy Meals Merchandising Project will purchase portable display cases to feature more nutritious and affordable food options for customers.

Shu Karen Grocery

Shu Karen Grocery, located in St. Paul, is a small, locally-owned grocery store serving primarily Karen and Asian community members. They will purchase a new glass door reach-in refrigerator to replace an old, inefficient refrigerator.

Thirtythird Meat & Grocery

Thirtythird Meat & Grocery, a Somali-owned grocery store located in St. Cloud, will purchase new shelving, a refrigerated produce display, and a composter to turn food waste from their store into compost for local community gardeners.

Webber Mart

Webber Mart, a food retailer located in North Minneapolis, will purchase two refrigeration units to increase access to nutritious foods.

Winthrop Market

Winthrop Market, a locally-owned grocery store located in south central Minnesota, will purchase a freezer and a display case with the intent of increasing fresh product offerings by 25%.

World Mart

World Mart, a mobile food store catering to immigrant communities in Worthington will include purchasing and customizing a used, insulated truck to increase their reach within the community.

Butterfield Hardware

Butterfield Hardware is a locally owned hardware store that recently added a grocery section to their store. They will purchase two freezers and two coolers to expand the selection and variety of fresh produce available to customers in Butterfield, Minn. and the surrounding communities.

Frazee Family Foods

Frazee Family Foods is the only grocery store located in Frazee, Minn. They will replace their aging, open-door cooler with a new closed-door display cooler and new compressor to increase the quality and freshness of their produce. This new cooler will double the amount of space dedicated to fresh produce in their store, ultimately increasing access to fresh produce within the community.

Graceville Country Market

Graceville Country Market is a small, locally owned grocery store located in Big Stone County in western Minn. The grantees, who have owned and operated the market for the last 34 years, will purchase new freezer equipment to continue to provide good quality and more affordable foods for the members of their community.

Hmong American Farmers Association

Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) is an agricultural non-profit organization based in St. Paul, Minn. HAFA has a proven record of supplying healthy, fresh, nutritious produce to food insecure and low-income families in the Twin Cities. With this grant, they will purchase two commercial grade ice makers to help preserve freshly harvested produce while working in their fields. This equipment will help to maintain the freshness and quality of their produce from field to consumer.

Iftin Grocery Store: Halal & Meat

Iftin Grocery Store is a Somali-owned Halal and meat grocer located in St. Cloud, Minn. With this grant, Iftin will purchase a produce merchandiser to increase their capacity and ability to offer more culturally appropriate fresh fruits and vegetables to customers.

Juba's Supervalu

Juba’s Supervalu is a family-owned grocery store located in Blue Earth, Minn. They will purchase five new energy efficient produce display cases to replace their original display cases installed in 1990. This upgrade will better utilize the space that they have within their store and increase the amount of fresh produce available for customers. This grant will allow Juba’s Supervalu to increase access to fresh and affordable produce and offer more locally grown options to their customers.

Natural Food Co-op

Natural Food Co-op has provided residents of Litchfield, Minn. with fresh fruits and vegetables since 1980. They will purchase a walk-in cooler to increase backstock, as well as a new produce cooler to increase the quantity of locally grown fruits and vegetables. These equipment upgrades will help to increase the economic viability of local farmers, as well as the health of the local community.

Mark's Market

Mark’s Market, located in Hackensack, Minn., will purchase a new walk-in cooler to replace an old, energy inefficient cooler in need of replacement. The new cooler will allow Mark’s Market to get bulk pricing on frozen fruits and vegetables and be more competitive with larger chain stores in the area.

Red Lake Incorporated

Red Lake Incorporated will purchase two reach-in coolers for the Ponemah Market in Red Lake Nation. This grant will equip the market to increase its ability to stock and sell more fresh produce by adding refrigeration units to the store. This project will allow the market to meet the customers’ requests for fresh fruits and vegetables and preserve the quality of produce for longer periods of time.

Tofte General Store

Tofte General Store is a small, family-owned business located in Tofte, Minn. They will purchase a new cooler/freezer combo to replace an aging walk-in cooler. They are the only SNAP authorized store within 28 miles. This new equipment will allow the store to continue to offer fresh produce to the surrounding communities.

Urban Ventures

Urban Ventures is an agricultural non-profit organization working to address food insecurity and poor nutrition with Minneapolis youth. With this grant, Urban Ventures will purchase a refrigeration unit to help maintain the quality of their farm-grown produce at their farm stand. This project will help to provide locally grown, affordable, organic, and culturally appropriate produce to neighbors and community members.

Valley Hardware and Supply

Valley Hardware and Supply, located in Halstad, Minn., is currently in the process of expanding their offerings to include a grocery store. With this grant, Valley Hardware will install refrigeration and freezer units to offer fresh, nutritious, and affordable foods to local residents.

4-Directions Development

4-Directions Development is an education and technical assistance provider located in Red Lake Nation. Through their Gitigaanike Food Initiative, they will expand their farmers market with the purchase of a mobile food truck. The project will bring nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate foods to three additional Red Lake communities and surrounding areas.

Chaska Market

Chaska Market is a small, locally-owned, Hispanic grocery store which serves the Latino community of Chaska and the surrounding area. They will purchase an open produce cooler, meat and cheese case, and three-door freezer which will allow Chaska Market to stock, sell, and promote nutritious foods throughout the store.

Cimarron Farm

Cimarron Farm is a half-acre community garden and market located in Lake Elmo. They will purchase equipment to create a mobile market stand to increase the distribution of sustainable produce and ease of access for communities in Washington County.

Country Store

Country Store is a convenience store located in Cook. Country Store will purchase cooler and freezer equipment. These purchases will increase Country Store's ability to better serve the Cook community and surrounding area with much needed healthy food and dairy products.

Finland Co-op

Finland Co-op, established in 1913, is a grocery co-op located in Finland. They will replace their current walk-in cooler and freezer, reducing produce waste, securing proper temperature control levels, and increasing the availability of nutritious foods.

Frogtown Farm

Frogtown Farm is an urban demonstration farm located in St. Paul. Frogtown Farm will complete their on-site storage and outdoor market kitchen education space as well as the addition of market produce displays. The completion of these projects will increase the consumption of nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate foods in the Frogtown neighborhood and the surrounding community.

Inver Grove Super USA

Inver Grove Super USA is a family-run convenience store located in Inver Grove Heights. They will purchase two freezers to store frozen fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, and shellfish. These new freezers will replace two vendor provided coolers, which restrict products sold from them. By purchasing the two new freezers independently, Inver Grove Super USA will be able to provide healthy food products without vendor limitations.

KC's Country Market

KC's Country Market is a small scale, family-owned grocery store located in Greenbush. KC's Country Market will purchase new and refurbished energy efficient refrigeration equipment which will allow them to provide a greater choice of nutritious and affordable foods.

Lange's Grocers

Lange's Grocers is a locally-owned grocery store located in Mabel. Lange's Grocers will purchase cooler and freezer units to increase the amount of fresh produce they are able to offer and help stimulate the local economy.

Thao Market

Thao Market is a family-run grocery store located in St. Cloud. Thao Market will purchase a 4-door reach-in freezer which will allow them to provide more healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods.

Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute

The Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute is a research, education, and advocacy group focused on restoring local food, ecological, and agricultural systems through Anishinaabe and Dakota culture and values. They will provide food to the Pine Point Elementary School, local consumers through a farm store and stand, local farmers markets, and regional gourmet chefs. A garage and old ice cream truck will be refurbished into farm store and mobile farm stand respectively.

Appetite for Change

Appetite for Change is a grassroots social enterprise in North Minneapolis founded in 2011. Their mission includes using food as a tool for health and social change. They will purchase a generator to assist in the running of the West Broadway Farmer’s Market.

Clarkfield Family Foods

Clarkfield Family Foods grocery store has been serving the Clarkfield community for nearly 60 years. They will replace open-faced two layer coolers with medium temp crystal enclosed door coolers. This will extend shelf life of produce, increase storage capabilities, and will allow for greater variety of produce to be sold.

D & R Grocery

D & R Grocery is a family run grocery store that has been operating for 32 years in rural Oklee. For their GFAP project, D & R Grocery will replace a dairy condensing unit, a three-door freezer, two glass door condensing units, and compressors. The replacement of this equipment is essential for the delivery of nutritious, affordable, and locally sourced food for the Oklee community.

Darrel’s Full Service Food

Darrel’s Full Service Food is a small-scale full-service grocery store located in Hoffman. Store owners are looking to expand the sales of healthier produce items for their predominantly elderly customers. They will purchase produce displays and open display coolers.

Fiza Halal Grocery

Fiza Halal is a halal grocery store located in Rochester. The store sells common goods, as well as cultural food products unavailable in many grocery stores, including special seasonings, spices, and halal meats. They will upgrade refrigeration equipment, improve food displays, and improve the functionality and flow of the store.

KC’s Country Market

KC’s Country Market is a small scale, family-owned grocery store located in Badger. KC’s Country Market will purchase front-end cooler to market ready-to-eat meals made in house. This will allow the market to offer a variety of nutritious foods to the surrounding community.

Knutson’s Grocery

Knutson’s Grocery is a small grocer in the low-income rural town of Roosevelt. The store has been operating for over 100 years and is one of the only grocery stores in the area. The store currently struggles with food waste and providing a wide enough variety of products for their customers. They will install a new meat and produce display cases, refrigerators, coolers, and freezers.

Lamecker’s General Store

Lamecker’s is a locally owned and operated grocery and hardware store located in Kerkhoven. They will install an air exchanger, as well as more efficient freezers and coolers. These improvements will allow for greater quantity and variety of products to be sold, as well as creating a more efficient and environmentally friendly business.

Mike’s Butcher Shop

Mike’s Butcher Shop is a locally owned classic meat market located in West Saint Paul. New owners are currently working to expand the variety of products available, including fruits and vegetables. Mike’s Butcher Shop will use their GFAP funds to purchase a new produce cooler.

Sam’s Mini Mart

Sam’s Mini Mart has operated in South St. Paul since 2010. Currently they are undergoing an expansion which will double the store’s floor space. With their expanded store they will add two additional freezers and coolers which will house healthier food options for their customers.

The Food Group

The Food Group is a non-profit food access organization focused on local hunger relief and increasing access to affordable, nutritious food. The Food Group runs the ‘Fare for All’ traveling grocery store program. They will expand the Fare for All program by increasing freezer capacity, adding additional site visits in underserved communities in the west metro area, and launching an online ordering system.

Wadena Farmers’ Market

The Wadena Farmers’ Market has been providing the city of Wadena and surrounding communities with fresh, nutritious foods for over 30 years. Due to infrastructure and logistical issues, the market can no longer utilize the space they have used in the past for markets. The Wadena Farmers’ Market will be establishing a more secure and safe space for selling, as well as purchasing infrastructure to provide healthier foods at the market.

White Earth Band of Chippewa Tribe

The White Earth Band of Chippewa Tribe is a Native Nation located in northwestern Minnesota. Members of the White Earth Chippewa reservation community have had issues selling and accessing fresh fruits and vegetables due to sparse populations and low product turnover. They will make improvements to their mobile market food truck, as well as expanding and improving storage and infrastructure of the White Earth Farmers’ Market.

Mini Market Lupita

Mini Market Lupita is a female owned/operated full-service grocery store located in Worthington, Minn. Mini Market Lupita focuses on providing culturally appropriate foods specifically for the local Hispanic/Latino, Southeast Asian, and Somali populations. For their GFAP grant project Mini Market Lupita will add refrigeration and freezer space. Mini Market Lupita will be working with the Nobles County Community Services to participate in the Corner Store Grocery Project. This project will focus on highlighting nutritious foods offered in grocery stores and providing education to employees and consumers about the benefits of nutritious foods.

Collier’s Supermarket

Collier’s Supermarket is a family-owned full-service grocery store located in Saint James, Minn. For their GFAP grant project Collier’s Supermarket will retrofit a produce case to offer more specific products such as fruits and vegetables.

Pierz Foods

Pierz Foods is a husband and wife run full-service grocery store located in Pierz, Minn. Pierz Foods offers a grocery delivery service to local seniors and community members who are unable to visit their store. For their GFAP project Pierz Foods will purchase coolers and shelves in hopes of increasing store capacity, with a focus on Minnesota grown products.

Our Community Food Projects

Our Community Food Projects is a local non-profit based in Stillwater, Minn. Our Community Food Projects has been developing a community operated market stand for the community of Landfall, Minn. – a suburb of Saint Paul. For their GFAP project Our Community Food Projects will build a refrigeration trailer to allow for transport assistance to be provided to farmers from Cimarron Farm and Gardens who will operate this market stand.

White Earth Nation

White Earth Nation is a Native American tribal community located in White Earth, Minn. For their GFAP project White Earth Nation will purchase a refrigeration truck to be used for the White Earth Mobile Market. In addition, they will purchase two vegetable display coolers for two separate convenience stores, Richwood Store in Richwood, Minn., and Chief Corner Store in Ponsford, Minn..

Minnesota Halal Meat & Grocery

Minnesota Halal Meat & Grocery is an ethnic food/grocery store located in Saint Cloud, Minn. For their GFAP project Minnesota Halal Meat & Grocery would like to install a dairy cooler, walk-in freezer, a produce display, and additional shelving. The goal of this project is to provide more healthy and culturally appropriate foods to the Saint Cloud community and specifically the local Somali population.

McKinley Community

McKinley Community is an urban farm that runs a community-supported-agriculture (CSA) operation, vends at a farmers’ market, and anticipates opening a retail location in Minneapolis, Minn. McKinley Community leases four vacant lots in the McKinley neighborhood of Minneapolis to grow their produce. For their GFAP project McKinley Community plans to purchase and install new refrigeration equipment, cooler display shelving, and outdoor signage for promotion.

Lake Benton Grocery

Lake Benton Grocery is a full-service grocery store run by a husband and wife team located in Lake Benton, Minn. For their GFAP project Lake Benton Grocery will replace their current freezer with a more energy efficient model. The current freezer was installed in 1972 and has become a source of frustration for the store. The new freezer will allow for Lake Benton Grocery to reduce their energy costs and decrease freezer breakdown and potential product loss.